NYS Music 20​16

Category: News

  • Street Performer Attacked in Saratoga

    Saratoga Springs police are currently in search of a possible street video that shows a street performer being attacked, according to the Times Union. Police are also talking to downtown bar owners about the situation.

    According to the report, street performer Sam Mitchell of Montgomery County was a victim of an unprovoked attack as he came to the city to play his guitar on Putnam Street to entertain people as they walked by.

    Police said that not only was the attack on Mitchell unprovoked, the beating itself was brutal. The attack happened in the parking lot of the Saratoga Springs Public Library sometime after midnight.

    Mitchell, 53, was accused by a man between the ages of 25 and 30, of messing around with another vehicle. According to city police Lt. Robert Jillson, the man punched and kicked Mitchell to the ground as Mitchell tried to protect himself from the assault. Mitchell tried to shield himself with his instrument to no avail as the attacker smashed Mitchell’s guitar on the ground.

    The assailant, who was accompanied by a woman, fled in a dark-color, four-door sedan. As of now, no arrests have been made.

    Mitchell described the man as a short blonde hair and standing about 5-feet, 5-inches tall wearing a light-green hoodie. The woman was described as wearing black boots with maroon pants and black hair.

    After the attack, Mitchell headed to police officers located on Caroline Street and told them about the attack right after it happened. Mitchell then went on to seek his own medical attention.

    Mitchell suffered facial fractures and bruises from the attack. A GoFundMe page has been created to help him raise money for a new guitar. The page has currently surpassed the set goal of $500 almost two times, as the current total for his campaign is at $1,380.

    Anyone with information about the case is asked to call 518-584-1800 or 518-584-TIPS.

  • Railroad Earth, Twiddle to Headline Susquehanna Breakdown

    The initial lineup for the fourth Annual Susquehanna Breakdown has been announced. On May 20-21, the Pavillion at Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania, will welcome Railroad Earth, the Infamous Stringdusters, Twiddle, Fruition and of course the gracious hosts themselves, Cabinet.

    Cabinet is bluegrass, country, folk band that is quickly growing in popularity both in the Appalachian region and throughout the country. Also on the lineup is Pappy and Friends featuring Cabinet’s Pappy Biondo.

    susquehanna-breakdown

    The Infamous String Dusters are set to release their latest album, Ladies and Gentlemen, on Feb. 5. Twiddle also recently released their latest album, Plump.

    Additional bands are expected to be announced.

    In the past few years, Montage Mountain has become a household name for music festivals, catering to various musical tastes. For this one, those wishing to camp will set up inside the venue on the lawn. Previous years have offered a farmers market, concert poster art gallery, kids’ activity area, as well as a slew of vendors.

    Susquehanna Breakdown is a family-friendly festival. According to its website, quiet hours will be enforced from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m.

    Tickets for the Susquehanna Breakdown are currently available and with modest prices. Two-day passes with camping are currently $55 plus fees. Two-day VIP passes with camping are now $125 with fees. RV passes are also available for $100. Kids 10 and under are free with adult ticket purchase.

    Please visit http://www.susquehannabreakdown.com/ for tickets and additional information.

  • Update: Thunder Body to Replace GPGDS for Waterhole Reopening Party

    Update 2/11/2016: Due to a member being sick, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad canceled their performance scheduled for the Waterhole’s reopening party Friday night. But never fear, Thunder Body is here!

    The eight-piece Thunder Body, from Rochester, features founding members of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Matt and Rachel and will headline the Friday night show in place of GPGDS. According to Thunder Body’s Facebook page, the band “dabbles in American roots, funk, soul, dub, afro beat, and more.”

    Local group Painted Sol and Rochester funk/soul four-piece Funknut are still scheduled to open the evening. Doors are at 8 p.m. and the show is scheduled to begin at 9.

    The ‘hole opens at noon Friday, and they’re hinting at some sort of live music surprise at 1 p.m., likely a little taste of Blind Owl! Don’t miss it! It’s gonna be a great Saranac Lake Winter Carnival weekend!

    Update 2/4/2016: The Waterhole has announced that funk/soul group West End Blend will play upstairs directly after the parade. The 10-piece band from Hartford, Connecticut, will start at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13, directly after the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Gala Parade wraps up.

    Original post:

    A local musician plans to revive the currently closed Waterhole for the legendary Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.

    This year’s Saranac Lake Winter Carnival runs Feb. 5-14, and it just wouldn’t be Carnival without music at the Waterhole.

    Luckily, Eric Munley of the Blind Owl Band, along with girlfriend Kiki Sarko, has taken over operations at the hallowed venue, and it will open temporarily Friday and Saturday, Feb. 12 and 13. The Blind Owl Band will headline a show at 10 p.m. that Saturday, which is Parade Day – the biggest day of the Carnival. Everyone comes out for the Winter Carnival Gala Parade, then hits the town and celebrates for the rest of the day.

    The upstairs will be open for free directly after the parade, and Munley is still working on finding an act for that time slot. But later on that day, Maryland-based two-piece band Swampcandy will open for The Blind Owl Band in a show that is set to begin at 10 p.m. and will cost $10.

    On Friday, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad will headline. Funknut and Painted Sol will join them.

    Munley and Sarko will operate the two days during Carnival on a temporary liquor license, then apply for a full one after the Carnival madness subsides. They expect to open the establishment in full sometime in March.

    Due to the temporary license, only the upstairs bar will be operating during Winter Carnival, though the downstairs will be open to customers sans bar.

    The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival began as a one-day event in 1897, put together by patients who had come to the Adirondack village to cure from tuberculosis. It was intended to get a break from the winter’s chill and to promote outdoor sports and games. Today, it’s grown to a 10-day festival that includes sports, games for kids, an ice palace and lots of live music. The whole town comes together and celebrates in one of the best weeks of the year.

    The Winter Carnival theme for 2016 is “Superheroes and Villains,” so start working on your costumes now!

  • New York Attorney General Issues Scathing Report on Concert Ticketing Industry

    Many of us have been there. Ticketmaster queued up, ready to click “buy tickets” as soon as sales begin. You’re sure you’re going to get quality seats for the show; after all, you clicked on that “buy” button the second the clock struck 10. Alas, you discover you’re in the nosebleeds once the purchase is complete.

    New York Attorney General Ticketing IndustryHow does this happen so regularly to concert goers? New York State Attorney General Eric Shneiderman had the same question, and his office conducted a three-year investigation into the ticketing industry and Thursday issued a report on the findings.

    The report details results of his office’s investigation into online ticketing and the practices of third-party ticket resale sites such as StubHub and TicketsNow.

    The 44-page report cited numerous complaints the AG’s office has fielded concerning “price gouging,” “scalping,” “outrageous fees” and “immediate sell outs.” One consumer quoted in the report stated, “The average fan has no chance to buy tickets at face value…this is a disgrace.”

    The AG confirmed this concerned consumer’s remarks, finding:

    The majority of tickets for the most popular concerts are not reserved
    for the general public at least in the first instance. Rather, before a member of the public can buy
    a single ticket for a major entertainment event, over half of the available tickets are either put on
    “hold” and reserved for a variety of industry insiders including the venues, artists or promoters,
    or are reserved for “pre-sale” events and made available to non-public groups, such as those
    who carry particular credit cards.

    The figure below illustrates New York-area shows between 2012-2013 for which tickets were held from general sale for pre-sale insiders. An “insider” can be classified as a holder of a sponsoring credit card, a member of a fan club, members of social media sites or shopping sites. The consumer who is not a member of any of the above mentioned groups is immediately at a disadvantage once tickets are officially on sale to the general public.

    In addition to tickets being held in advance of an on-sale date, brokers use bot software to purchase hundreds of tickets at a time using a four-step process. In December of 2014, ticket sales for a June U2 show at Madison Square Garden saw one broker, using ticket bot software, purchase 1,102 tickets within the first minute of sale. The report defines a ticket bot as:

    Software that automates ticket-buying on platforms such as ticketmaster.com. Automation lets the Bot (1) perform each transaction at lightning speed, and (2) perform hundreds or thousands of transactions simultaneously. As a result, in the first moments after tickets to a top show go on sale, Bots crowd out human purchasers and can snap up most of the good seats.

    Bot programs allow brokers access to hundreds of tickets which are then immediately placed for sale on third-party sites. Frustrated consumers still wishing to attend a concert or sporting event are then left with only the ticket resellers as an option to buy, and at a markup anywhere from 15 percent to 118 percent of face value.

    As illustrated in the figure above, brokers using bot programs are able circumvent any prevention methods instituted by ticket sellers such as Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

    Several startups, such as Cash or Trade, are becoming more popular among savvy ticket buyers. Cash or Trade touts itself as the “World’s first social ticketing platform.” There, members have the ability to sell tickets at face value or in trade among themselves [Cash or Trade is a partner of NYS Music].

    While bots and pre-sale events comprised the majority of the AG’s report, one complaint that has been fielded repeatedly for years is that of “convenience” or “handling” fees on the part of the ticket agency. One complaint stated, “I purchased a 30 dollar ticket to see A View From A Bridge. During the transaction I saw that a ten dollar fee would be added for handling. Handling what? I am using my own printer to print my own ticket!”

    Ticketmaster often takes blame for many of the added charges, but the report states that some of the blame can also be given to the venues as well.

    In its final recommendation, the report calls for the state legislature to conduct hearings challenging the key players to level the field for everyday fans to be able to get their hands on tickets to even the most high-profile events. The call for ticket resale platforms to comply with the law, greater transparency in regards to allocations and limits, and addressing what the AG termed the “Bot Epidemic” are steps the state legislature needs to take. “A longer-term solution must include improvements in Bot detection and prevention methods. While the industry works on long-term technological solutions, steps can be taken to reduce Bot use in the near term,” the report states.

    In the meantime, keep your mouse finger at the ready for the next big show you hope to attend.

  • From Flat to Fact: Neil deGrasse Tyson Schools B.o.B with Rebuttal Rap

    The Twittersphere was abuzz this week when Georgia rapper B.o.B — Bobby Ray Simmons — posted a series of tweets dissing the Earth’s roundness theory. But have no fear, the media’s favorite celebrity scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson rushed to the rescue.

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    B.o.B’s self-proclaimed photographic evidence (posted below) in support of the Flat-Earth Conspiracy went viral, causing the New York City-based astrophysicist to fire back with point-blank scientific facts. B.o.B shot off more opinionated tweets, saying things like “the horizon is always eye level” and “once you go flat you never go back.” Tyson’s response? “Duude — to be clear: Being five centuries regressed in your reasoning doesn’t mean we all can’t still like your music.” The spat escalated quickly to a full-on rap battle.

    https://twitter.com/bobatl/status/691411463051804676

    On Monday night, B.o.B released “Flatline” on SoundCloud (now removed), and by Tuesday, Tyson had posted his rebuttal — a track titled “Flat to Fact” that was written and recorded by his nephew, Steve Tyson, and labeled B.o.B’s line of thinking as ignorant and mentally enslaving.

    The Twitter fight was trending on news outlets across the country and highlighted on shows like “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore,” in which Tyson himself made an appearance and did a little freestyling before he literally dropped the mic. Here’s a sample:

    Listen B.o.B, once and for all. The Earth looks flat because, one, you’re not far enough away, at your size. Two, your size isn’t large enough relative to Earth to notice any curvature at all. It’s a fundamental fact of calculus and non-Euclidean geometry—small sections of large curved surfaces will always look flat to little creatures that crawl upon it.”

    Tyson continued by acknowledging the rapper’s freedom to think the world is flat, but deemed this “strain” of thinking for a public influencer as “the beginning of the end of our informed democracy.” And he left B.o.B with one last knowledge bomb:

    Quoting my man Isaac Newton, ‘If I have seen farther than others, it’s by standing on the shoulders of giants.’ So that’s right B.o.B, when you stand on the shoulders of those who came before, you might just see far enough to realize the Earth isn’t fucking flat.”

    While we love a good rap feud, it’s safe to say that Tyson will thankfully be sticking to his day job as the head of the world-renowned Hayden Planetarium. Case closed.

  • Motley Crue’s Vince Neil to Compete in ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’

    This week, TMZ broke the news that Motley Crue’s Vince Neil is starring in the next season of NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice.”  With Motley recently hanging the gloves, Neil, who is no stranger to reality TV, is returning to the screen.

    vince neil celebrity apprenticeOn “The Celebrity Apprentice,” the stars that compete on the show partake in business tasks and assignments to raise money for their charity of their choice. No word on what charity Neil will raise money for. This season, Arnold Schwarzenegger has replaced Trump. Filming is expected to start in New York City in March with the show debuting this September on NBC.

    In other post-Motley Crue news, guitarist Mick Mars is recording a solo album with former Motley Crue vocalist John Corabi, and Nikki Sixx is expected to tour with Sixx A.M. in 2016.

  • Barroom Philosophers Release Debut EP, Announce Shows

    The Barroom Philosophers formed in the summer of 2014, and since then the self-described “funky reggae with a side of rock” band has played countless gigs throughout Central New York. Most recently, the Syracuse-based group released their debut EP titled, Thoughts That Count, and are still in the running for a SAMMYs People’s Choice Award for favorite local band.

    promo_pix_1

    Mastered by Langston Masingale (StudioDOG Pro), the three-track EP features the producer’s signature analog style (using his self-invented Zulu device) and has found airplay on Syracuse-area radio stations, including Dave Frisina’s “Soundcheck” on Rebel 105.9. The release, including songs “Role Models,” “Zillion Pound Babies” and “Animal is Caged,” dishes up 15 minutes of original funk jams. Frontman David Koegel’s soulful chops set the groove on TTC, backed by surfy blues-rock riffs, cool horns, mellow bass lines and steady beats. Think Sublime meets the Black Crowes.

    The four-piece former cover band, consisting of Brenden Boshart (drums), Ty Hancock (bass), Koegel (vocals) and Joshua Way (guitar), have nearly 20 shows scheduled at hometown spots like Funk ‘N Waffles and the Westcott Theater, plus they are booked to perform at RocCity Brewfest in Rochester and Wild Weed Acres Music Festival in Ovid this summer.

    A complete list of dates for the Barroom Philosophers is available below. Thoughts That Count can be streamed digitally through the band’s website.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b6Y_5IvtQE

    Barroom Philosophers 2016 Dates (New York):

    1/29 – The Ferris Wheel – Oswego
    1/30 – Mac’s Bad Art Bar – Mattydale
    2/6 – Mohegan Manor – Baldwinsville
    2/12 – Funk N Waffles (University) – Syracuse
    2/20 – RocCity Brewfest – Rochester
    2/26 – The Ferris Wheel – Oswego
    2/28 – Westcott Theater – Syracuse
    3/5 – Mohegan Manor – Baldwinsville
    3/11 – The Ferris Wheel – Oswego
    3/18 – Old City Hall – Oswego
    3/26 – Kitty Hoynes – Syracuse
    4/1 – Limp Lizard – Liverpool
    4/8 – The Ferris Wheel – Oswego
    4/16 – Old City Hall – Oswego
    4/23 – Bridge Street Tavern – Solvay
    5/13 – Kitty Hoynes – Syracuse
    5/20 – Old City Hall – Oswego
    5/28 – The Ferris Wheel – Oswego
    6/30 – Wild Weed Acres Music Festival – Ovid

  • Clearwater Will Take Hiatus in 2016, Return Next Year

    The Great Hudson River Revival, popularly called The Clearwater Festival, will take a break in 2016. The festival was founded in 1966 by Toshi and Pete Seeger as a series of fundraising concerts to support the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater organization, and by 1978 had settled into its home at Croton Point Park in Westchester County.

    Clearwater is currently facing some financial strains due to an extensive restoration of the sloop Clearwater, costing upward of $5,000 a day. Since hosting the large, two-day festival concurrently with the restoration project would be a struggle for the organization, several smaller fundraising concerts are being planned throughout the year. In the meantime, Clearwater is looking for support from the community here.

    Sloop Clearwater
    Sloop Clearwater

    The festival draws an average of 15,000 attendees each of its two days and has played host to a variety of local and nation folk and roots-rock artists. While the festival will not be held this year, the organizers plan for it to return in its usual form in 2017.

    Read the letter below from Clearwater below:

    Dear Friends,

    We are saddened to announce that Clearwater will not be holding its Great Hudson River Revival this year. As you may have heard, the sloop is undergoing its largest restoration ever. It is a restoration that costs $5,000 a day and will run until at least June 2016. We must take this time to focus our effort on making sure the boat can sail again this year. The sloop Clearwater is the foundation of our organization, the vessel that brings people to the Hudson River and an inspiration to all who love her. Our work to protect the Hudson River is still our primary mission.

    While we will not be having a Revival this year, we will be holding a number of smaller fundraising concerts and events up and down the River throughout the year, and hope to have a larger riverside concert in the fall. Stay tuned and please join us!

    If it were not for our members, volunteers, vendors, artists, and many supporters, there would not be a Clearwater. We appreciate your unwavering support as we navigate this difficult time. We ask you to stay with us so that we can Float the Boat and come back stronger next year with a celebration truly worthy of 50 years and an incredible Great Hudson River Revival in 2017.

    The Felice Brothers
    The Felice Brothers – Clearwater 2015

    While we wait for the festival to return next year, revisit NYS Music’s recap of the 2015 Clearwater Festival here.

  • Dino Takes Hiatus from The Werks

    Dino Dimitrouleas, bassist from The Werks, announced he will take a hiatus from the band and will not join them for their upcoming tour.

    DaveDeCrescente - TheWerks - Camp Bisco 2015 -116
    Dino The Werks

    The Werks, whose former keyboardist Norman Dimitrouleas recently passed away, will head out on tour this week with a change to their lineup. Bassist — and older brother of Norman — Dino Dimitrouleas will be temporarily replaced by Jake “Baby Hands” Goldberg. Through a message posted to The Werks’ Facebook page, the elder Dimitrouleas announced that he will be taking a hiatus from the band.

    I hope to return after this tour but at this junction in my life I am taking things one day at a time.

    I want to thank Jake for keeping the show on the road as well as thank my family, friends, band mates and fans for being so supportive during this difficult period in my life. I also want to encourage all of our fans to support The Werks in my absence as this is a very difficult time for them as well.

    The Werks tour will take them through parts of the Midwest, the Northeast and Colorado, ending in the South. Their one New York date is Feb. 6 at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. Other Northeast dates include Feb. 4 at Brighton Music Hall in Boston and Feb. 5 at Stage One in Fairfield, Connecticut.

    werkswintertour2016

  • Black Earth, Arch Enemy — Same Difference

    Arch Enemy fans, meet Black Earth. No, we’re not talking about Arch Enemy’s debut album Black Earth; the reuniting band will take on the name of Black Earth for a limited run in Japan this spring.

    Well this puts a whole new spin on bands reuniting. Swedish death metal rockers Arch Enemy will reunite their classic lineup — which consisted of Johan Liiva (vocals), Michael Amott (guitar), Christopher Amott (guitar), Sharlee D’Angelo (bass) and Daniel Erlandsson (drums) — in a head scratching way.

    Black Earth

    Black Earth will play songs from Arch Enemy’s first three albums, Black Earth (1996), Stigmata (1998) and Burning Bridges (1999). Fans are wondering why the band wouldn’t use the recognizable Arch Enemy brand name that they built.

    Liiva and Christopher Amott rejoined Arch Enemy in Japan at last year’s Loud Park Festival, on Oct. 10-11 at the Saitama Super Arena, for a surprise appearance.

    Fans are left wonder why the band didn’t keep the Arch Enemy name and have current vocalist Alissa White-Gluz and guitarist Jeff Loomis, who are not involved in the new project, rotate on and off stage, especially White-Gluz, who at least recorded an album with the band (War Eternal – 2014). White-Gluz could rotate with Liiva and sing the songs she recorded along with the songs sung by former vocalist Angela Gossow, to give fans the ultimate Arch Enemy experience.

    This year marks the 20th anniversary for Arch Enemy.

    Black Earth Japan Tour Dates:

    05-17-2016 –  Shibuya Club Quattro – Tokyo, Japan
    05-19-2016 – Drum Be-1 – Fukuoka, Japan
    05-21-2016 – Hiroshima Club Quattro – Hiroshima, Japan
    05-23-2016 – Umeda Club Quattro – Osaka, Japan
    05-24-2016 – Nagoya Club Quattro – Aichi, Japan
    05-27-2016 – Lane24 Penny Sapporo – Sapporo, Japan

    https://youtu.be/fKuoVRoQW8w