NYS Music 20​16

Category: News Desk

  • Boy and Bear to Make a Pit Stop in Albany

    Australian five-piece indie-folk band Boy and Bear will make a pit stop at the Hollow in downtown Albany on Wed., June 8. Venturing from Toronto to Albany and then to Buffalo and New York City, the group will give the Capital District a rare treat to see a band currently on the rise and promoting their third release, Limit of Love.

    The band formed in 2009 in Sydney by singer-songwriter Dave Hosking, who quickly teamed up with Killian Gavin (vocals, guitar), Timothy Hart (drums, vocals), Jonathan Hart (vocals, mandolin, keyboards) and David Symes (bass) to release their debut album Moonfire in 2011. The critically acclaimed Moonfire, which was recorded in Nashville, won numerous Australian Recording Industry Association music awards, while Limit of Love was formed at Peter Gabriel‘s Real World Studio in England. Limit of Love remains the band’s greatest attempt at honesty and good old-fashioned recording with zero automation and minimal takes, which is frequently matched and backed up in their live performances.

    Sandwiched in between Moonfire and Limit of Love was the band’s grandest release, Harlequin Dream, featuring the hit song “Southern Sun” that prominently featured slide guitar and was noted to be an homage to Australian artist and guitarist Richard Clapton. It was also the tenth most played track on the triple-A radio format in the United States in 2014. Smooth singing Hosking cuts through his lyrics like room temperature butter, making each song seem more heartfelt and emotional. While Limit of Love differs quite a bit from Harlequin Dream, both offer a shining glimpse into the guts and heads that make up Boy and Bear.

    WEQX welcomes Boy and Bear to the Hollow in Albany on June 8;  doors open at 8 p.m.

  • Songs at Mirror Lake Music Lineup Features Anders Osborn, Elephant Revival

    Songs at Mirror Lake returns this summer to Mid’s Park in Lake Placid for its 11th season of free music, featuring a lineup of national acts like Anders Osborn and Elephant Revival.Songs at Mirror Lake Lineup

    Songs at Mirror Lakeis sponsored by The Pines Inn and presented by Adirondack “By Owner.” The free music series has been bringing nationally known acts to Lake Placid for 11 years to Mid’s Park on Main Street, right on the shore of Mirror Lake. As in the past, each of the seven nights of music have a different theme. The concerts are held at the new band shell rain or shine. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket and enjoy the music in the park.

    The Pines Inn is a local historic hotel within walking distance of all Main Street in Lake Placid has to offer. Adirondack “By Owner” is a website featuring over 1,000 listings of vacation rentals, properties for sale and timeshares available all by owner.

    Songs at Mirror Lake runs for seven consecutive Tuesdays June 28 through August 9. All concerts start at 7 p.m.

    Songs at Mirror Lake Summer 2016 Lineup

    June 28: Blues Night with Popa Chubby
    July 5: The Band Night with The Weight
    July 12: Local Jam Night with Annie in the Water
    July 19: Americana Night with Elephant Revival
    July 26: Reggae Night with Junior Marvin’s Wailers
    August 2: New Orleans Boogie Night with Marcia Ball
    August 9: Rock Night with Anders Osborne

  • Fridays in June at Funk n Waffles Downtown, Presented by NYS Music

    NYS Music is once again proud to host Friday nights at Funk n Waffles in June. A stellar lineup of music is on tap all month long, with local and regional bands highlighting the month.

    June 3 – Formula 5 with Michael Mwenso & The Shakes

    June Funk n Waffles Whether you enjoy jam, jazz, funk, reggae, or electro beats… the Capital District’s Formula 5 will satisfy your musical needs. Inspired by their jam band idols, the band creates original funk-filled tunes with stimulating and expressive lyrics, soaring melodies and an emphasis on solid instrumentation and improvisation. The group’s fan base continues to grow as they’ve opened for such headliners as Twiddle, Dopapod, Spiritual Rez, and the Heavy Pets; and took over stages at Catskill Chill, Disc Jam, The Big Up, Strange Creek, and Buffalove.

    Michael Mwenso and the Shakes present an improvisational execution of a powerful, soulful eclectic mix of soul/jazz/blues derived from  jazz legends such as Miles Davis and Lionel Hampton. The Harlem “mood” captivates audiences and reinforces the classic, historic feel one could relate to the late night NYC jazz scene. Soulfully driven vocals are backed up by the funky ensemble of horn-powered, bass-layered body of the Shakes.

    June 10 – Candid with Castle Creek

    The acclaimed hometown rockers, Candid, bring the people of Syracuse a familiar spark their growing, loyal fan base appreciates them for. The heavy-hitting rock band Candid has been on the scene since late 1998, playing alongside international renowned bands such as Fountains of Wayne, Tonic, Vertical Horizon, Andrew W.K. and Strangefolk.

    Local barnyard burners Kim Monroe and Chris Eves are a powerful duo out of Syracuse. Using lyrically powerful ballads and a blues/jam influenced musicianship to captivate audiences throughout upstate New York all while maintaining their roots of familiar classic rock artists such as Led Zeppelin, the Grateful Dead, and Pink Floyd. Castle Creek  leaves their own lasting mark on fans at each venue they perform.

    June 17 – William Thompson Funk Experiment with Binger and Ampevene

    Uplifting, interactive , and talented, the William Thompson Funk Experiment is sure to leave crowds jubilant and moving through the late night hours. Hailing from Worcester, Massachusetts, the William Thompson Funk Experiment can be compared to the party of Dopapod, Mister F, and Formula 5, and are sure to provide a powerful performance.

    Based out of Burlington, Vermont, Binger creates a unique sound, using the diverse musical soundscape of their collective influences. Elusively shedding any genre they manage to employ (often within the same song), Binger combines elements of progressive psychedelia, deep grooves of hip-hop, and improvisational jazz to create a style that gracefully skirts the line between delightful and perplexing; inventing a sound that reels you in and keeps you there with a cohesive, yet eclectic energy. 

    Ampevene delivers a highly energetic, atmospheric environment, tearing the borders between every genre at their disposal. Ampevene continues to set the bar high for progressive rock throughout New York, keeping spectators on their heels from their improvisational clash of metal and jazz.

    June 24- The New Daze with Space Bacon

    Since 2011, the atmospheric jam quartet, The New Daze, have been using their improvisational prowess to transcend jam rock as we know it, displaying an inter-dimensional  clash of musicianship . The New Daze are no strangers to Funk n Waffles, having graced the downtown stage many times. They are also scheduled to perform at historic venues such as Nectar’s in Burlington, Vermont and Garcia’s in Port Chester. With all four of it’s members contributing vocals as well as wielding their instruments, each member has a crucial role in the direction of a performance. The New Daze, playing a unique set each night, creates its own sound of “electric boogified-rage-reggae-funk-crunch-goop”.

    If you like the concept of space, and a delicious side of breakfast meat, there is really no going wrong with Space Bacon. This jamtronica quartet based out of Brooklyn is sure to leave audiences dancing and uplifted as it creates an intense, immersive fusion of electronica and funk. Space Bacon is soon to play Disc Jam in Stephantown (June 9-12), along with artists such as Dopapod, Electron, Tauk, and many others. The quartet’s love for intergalactic pork and space-seasoned fresh cuts of funky-electronic trance is a spectacle one should not miss.

  • Prophets of Rage Announce Full U.S. Tour

    Prophets of Rage, consisting of members of Rage Against the Machine, Cypress Hill and Public Enemy, will head out on a full tour of the U.S. starting mid-August in Virginia and closing out in October in California. The tour includes two stops in New York on Aug. 27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and Aug. 28 at Jones Beach.

    por-performance

    Prophets of Rage tour dates:
    Aug. 19 – Fairfax, VA @ EagleBank Arena
    Aug. 20 – Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
    Aug. 21 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
    Aug. 23 – Hartford, CT @ The Xfinity Theatre
    Aug. 24 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
    Aug. 26 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
    Aug. 27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
    Aug. 28 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
    Aug. 30 – Noblesville, IN @ Klipsch Music Center
    Aug. 31 – Burgettstown, PA @ First Niagra Pavilion
    Sept. 1 – Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
    Sept. 3 – Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
    Sept. 4 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
    Sept. 5 – Kansas City, MO @ Providence Medical Center Amphitheater
    Sept. 7 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
    Sept. 10 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
    Sept. 11 – Ridgefield, WA @ Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre
    Sept. 13 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
    Sept. 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
    Sept. 17 – Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion
    Sept. 25 – Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
    Sept. 27 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
    Sept. 29 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
    Oct. 1 – Tampa, FL @ MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
    Oct. 2 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Perfect Vodka Amphitheater
    Oct. 4 – Atlanta, GA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
    Oct. 5 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
    Oct. 7 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
    Oct. 8 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
    Oct. 9 – San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
    Oct. 11 – El Paso, TX @ El Paso County Coliseum
    Oct. 12 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheatre
    Oct. 14 – Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Event Center
    Oct. 16 – Chula Vista, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre

    Original post:

    The rumored reunion of Rage Against the Machine is here. Prophets of Rage play tonight at Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles.

    POR-SQ

    While not quite a reunion of Rage Against the Machine, Prophets of Rage consists of Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine; Chuck D and DJ Lord of Public Enemy; and B-Real of Cypress Hill.

    In a press release, the band said:

    We can no longer stand on the sidelines of history. Dangerous times demand dangerous songs. It’s time to take the power back. It’s time to make America RAGE again.

    The six musicians will join forces for a show at Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles tonight at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale.

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

  • Legendary Bassist Stu Hamm to Stop in Schenectady

    Fans of guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani will recognize the name, as will any learned bassist. Stu Hamm rose to fame performing with Satriani’s band for a decade, and on June 3, Hamm brings his solo act to the Van Dyck in Schenectady.

    Hamm’s tour is a true solo run in support of his latest album, The Book of Lies. In addition to the Schenectady stop, Hamm’s brief stint also includes shows in New York City and Buffalo.

    stu hamm tour

    Hamm met Steve Vai while both were students at Berklee in Boston; he met Satriani as a result of his relationship with Vai and rose to fame as a member of his band. Hamm played on Vai’s first solo album, Flex-Able, in 1984 and went on to record with Satriani on his seminal ’80s albums Dreaming #11 and Flying in a Blue Dream.

    Throughout his career, Hamm has recorded with such guitar luminaries as Eric Johnson, Michael Schenker, Frank Gambale, Alan Holdsworth and Robert Fripp. Another claim to fame is being named both best rock bassist and jazz bassist in the same year by Guitar Player magazine.

    Expect a mix of bass virtuosity and humorous storytelling when Hamm hits the stage. In a statement, Hamm said, “I promise an entertaining evening of music and stories from my 43 years of playing bass with some of our generation’s greatest musicians!”

    Check him out a venue near you this month.

    Songs and Stories Tour 2016:

    6/2 – New Hope, PA – Havana
    6/3 – Schenectady, NY – The Van Dyck
    6/4 – New York, NY – Spectrum (Masterclass at 2 p.m.)
    6/5 – New York, NY – Spectrum (6 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
    6/6 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Saint
    6/7 – Dunellen, NJ – Roxy and Dukes (Presented by NJ ProgHouse)
    6/8 – Buffalo, NY – Sportsmens Tavern
    6/9 – Ottawa, ON – Brass Monkey
    6/10 – London, ON – London Music Club
    6/12 – Detroit, MI – The Token Lounge
    6/13 – Newport, KY – The Southgate House Revival
    6/14 – Cleveland, OH – Nighttown
    6/16 – Charleston, WV – The Empty Glass
    6/17 – Pittsburgh, PA – PGH Winery

    https://youtu.be/VAkYhNUOWMY

  • Broca’s Area Knee Deep in Spring Tour

    Broca’s Area, Connecticut’s 2015 best new band and best R&B/soul/funk group, is on tour and ravaging cities up and down the East Coast this summer. Major stops included in their travels are Funk ‘N Waffles Downtown in Syracuse, City Beer Hall in Albany and Rockwood Music Hall in New York City.

    Photo Credit - Coley
    Photo Credit – Coley

    This four-piece future soul band hails from Hartford and features a fresh mix of R&B, soul and hip-hop with a multi-dimensional twist of jazz. Mary Corso leads this ensemble with her deeply warm vocals reminiscent of the classic school of neo-soul. Tying the rhythm section together is Leo Catricola on bass guitar and Steve Cusano on drums with Mike Carabello on keyboards and synths.

    For select shows, Broca’s Area has invited other artists to share the stage with them, including Thunder Body, Jimkata and Midnight Snack. Fans and music enthusiasts can find more information on their website along with some music, photos and official videos.

    Current tour:

    5/5 – Thunder Road – Boston, MA

    5/19 – Spaceland Ballroom – Hamden, CT

    5/20 – The Press Room – Portsmouth, NH

    5/26 – Funk ‘N Waffles – Syracuse, NY

    5/27 – Arch Street – Hartford, CT

    5/28 – The Hall – Brooklyn, NY

    6/2 – City Beer – Albany, NY

    6/3 – Rockwood Music Hall – New York, NY

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaUf4xqPNes[/embedyt]

  • Tragically Hip Frontman Diagnosed with Brain Cancer

    Charismatic Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie has brain cancer. The news was shared on the band’s website early Tuesday morning. A press conference with more details, is scheduled to be held at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto at 11 a.m.

    Tragically Hip CancerDespite the devastating news, the iconic Canadian band still plans to tour one more time this summer. In the statement, band members said:

    This feels like the right thing to do now, for Gord, and for all of us. What we in The Hip receive, each time we play together, is a connection; with each other; with music and it’s magic; and during the shows, a special connection with all of you, our incredible fans.

    Further details on the tour should be released later in the week.

    According to the announcement, the 52 year-old Downie, who has four kids and is married to Laura Leigh Usher, was diagnosed in December. The band continues, “Since then, obviously, he’s endured a lot of difficult times, and he has been fighting hard. In privacy along with his family, and through all of this, we’ve been standing by him.”

    The Tragically Hip can trace its origins to the Kingston, Ontario bar scene in 1983. Downie, along with drummer Johnny Fay, bassist Gord Sinclair and guitarists Rob Baker and Paul Langlois, has served as a Canadian ambassador since the band’s breakout single “New Orleans is Sinking” in 1989, a song that, throughout the years, has served as Downie’s laboratory for improvisation.

    While the band never did break it big in the United States, cities along and near the Canadian border have been frequent tour stops for the 14-time Juno Award-winning band. The Hip’s trio of albums in the mid-’90s (Road Apples, Fully Completely and Day For Night) cemented the band’s status as Canadian royalty.

    Downie has not only been one of the most charismatic frontmen in rock and roll for almost 30 years, he’s also been a mentor to many Canadian artists. On the band’s lone live album, Live Between Us, Downie introduces the song “Grace, Too” by thanking the opening act: “This one is for the Rheostatics. We are all richer for having seen them tonight.” That hat tip from Downie exposed the Rheostatics to thousands of people who had otherwise not heard of them. This gesture is the epitome of Gord Downie.

    https://twitter.com/annetdonahue/status/735092272707035136

    The band is set to release its 14th studio album, Man Machine Poem, through Universal Canada on June 14. Two singles have been released thus far with titles that may have foreshadowed today’s announcement,”Tired as Fuck” and “In a World Possessed by the Human Mind.”

    Tragically Hip performed in Canandaigua last July 4, playing its Fully Completely album fully and completely.

    Click through below and turn up the volume for the Hip’s Woodstock ’99 performance of “Courage (For Hugh MacLennan)”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuRh6zLOVH4

  • Dark Star Orchestra Returning To Buffalo At The Town Ballroom May 24

    Dark Star Orchestra (DSO), the Grateful Dead tribute band hailing out of Chicago Illinois, will return to the Town Ballroom in Buffalo. Since forming, DSO has played 2,200-plus shows, recreating Grateful Dead concerts in their entirety.

    dark star orchestra town ballroomTo any Dead Heads that need their fix, this show is not to be missed. It’s been more than 20 years since Jerry Garcia has passed, but the Grateful Dead’s music lives on with the passion and extensive touring DSO has displayed over the years.

    dark star orchestra town ballroomDark Star Orchestera has had a slightly changing line up throughout its existence; the current band members include Rob Barraco (keys/vocals), Rob Eaton (guitar/vocals), Dino English (drums/percussion), Rob Koritz (drums/percussion), Lisa Mackey (vocals), Jeff Mattson (guitar/vocals) and Skip Vangelas (bass/vocals), and look forward to their return to Town Ballroom.

    Tickets for the May 24 show are still available and can be purchased from Ticket Fly or through the Town Ballroom box office; door open at 7 p.m.

  • Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine Remembers Former Drummer Nick Menza

    During Sunday night of the first-ever Rock ‘N Derby, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine asked the crowd for a moment of silence for late drummer Nick Menza. “I don’t know if you know this or not, but Nick went to heavy metal heaven last night,” he said, before leading the group into “Trust.” Watch the homage to the former bandmate in the video below.

    On May 21, Menza, 51, died onstage during a performance with his current band, OHM, at the Baked Potato in Los Angeles. According to an official statement, Menza collapsed three songs into the set, and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful; it was later reported that he suffered a massive heart attack and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

    The late heavy metal drummer was with Megadeth during the group’s peak commercial success in the 1990s. Nick Menza contributed his signature drumming style to the albums Rust in Peace (1990), Countdown to Extinction (1992), Youthanasia (1994) and Cryptic Warnings (1997).

    After news of Menza’s passing became known, the Twittersphere and other social media channels were abuzz with expressions of sympathy from former bandmates Mustaine, David Ellefson, Marty Friedman and Chris Poland, among other rockers like Steve Lukather (Toto) and author J. Marshall Craig who was working with Menza on his memoir. In the excerpt below from Megadeth’s Facebook page (see the full post above), Mustaine explained his personal relationship with the former bandmate:

    …As a player, Nick had a very powerful jazzy flair, unpredictable and always entertaining. And as great a drummer as he was, the time spent with him as a person, a bandmate, and a friend was even more fun. There were several times we discussed him coming back to the band, but for various reasons it never came together. We’ve been in touch all along, he had come out to our shows recently, and he had remained a great friend, a true professional and a larger than life personality…”

    Before Megadeth played the May 22 show at the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds during Rock N’ Derby, Mustaine announced plans to honor Menza through an all-alumni benefit concert in California on the Albany rock station Q103, according to Loudwire. Stay tuned for updates on this Megadeth band members reunion show.

  • Experience ‘The Last Waltz Live’ with Rev Tour Band and Friends in Oneonta

    The Oneonta Theatre is fortunate to be the next stop on the Rev Tour Band’s northeast tour performing “The Last Waltz Live,” a re-creation of The Band’s concert film. On May 21, join fellow fans of The Band for an evening that has lived on in our memories for so long, and — thanks to bands like Rev Tour Band — will continue to do so for decades to come.

    The Rev Tour Band, founded by frontman Tor Krautter in 1996, has been extensively touring the East Coast since its inception, but more recently, they have come to focus on delivering audiences a live rendition of The Band’s The Last Waltz, a movie that recorded a special moment in rock history, as the iconic group’s final concert. During the concert, which was filmed by Martin Scorsese at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom, numerous special guests joined The Band on stage, including Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Eric Clapton, to name just a few. On Rev Tour Band’s “The Last Waltz Live” tour, the roles of these special musical guests are performed by musicians from the local scene, making each show a unique experience as the band travels from city to city. During Rev Tour’s stop in our neck of the woods this weekend, guest performers will include none other than the legendary Darcy Gibson, Ned Brower, Steve Dillon, Randy Miratello and John Scarpulla, among many other equally as legendary local characters.

    On top of the magical night of music you will surely be treated to, you will at the same time be supporting a good cause: the St. James Food Pantry. This worthy organization, through its “The Lord’s Table” program, offers a free hot meal every weeknight for those in need. All concert attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food donation of any size (specific needs at the moment include peanut butter, juice, crackers and rice).

    For those looking to reminisce and re-live an incredible moment in rock history, come on out to the Oneonta Theatre this Saturday night. The show will start at 8 p.m., but doors will open at 7 p.m., so be sure to get there early to grab yourself a drink and settle into a good spot for what’s sure to be a fun musical adventure.