NYS Music 20​16

Category: News Desk

  • Albany Tulip Festival Announces 68th Annual Lineup With Langhorne Slim and Tokyo Police Club

    Returning this May for its 68th year is Albany’s signature spring event, the Tulip Festival. And with the 2016 schedule of events is an impressive lineup of artists featuring Langhorne Slim and the Law and Tokyo Police Club and local acts like Victory Soul Orchestra, Bear Grass and Of the Atlas.

    The two-day weekend festival held in historic Washington Park is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 7 and 8.

    Throughout the Mother’s Day weekend celebration, the 81-acre park will transform into parade grounds featuring two stages and vendor setups, with tulip beds bursting with more than 140,000 tulips in 150 varieties.

    The festival prides itself on being a celebratory showcase of local culture and business. This year’s event partnered with nearly 100 artisans who will be on hand selling handmade crafts, fine arts and diverse foods, and others giving green-living demonstrations and constructing a live performance painting.

    A family friendly KidZone will also be onsite to entertain children with interactive music, magic and arts activities and a School of Rock tent, showcasing the community’s talented youth.

    In traditional Dutch fashion, the Tulip Festival kicks off with the annual “street scrubbing” procession from City Hall; a carillon bell concert will sound off the ceremonial beginning. At noon Friday, May 6, the Capital City’s corridors will be swept clean by the Dutch Settlers Society — in traditional dress — before Mayor Kathy Sheehan delivers the opening proclamation.

    Taking the main stage at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday is 518 indie jazz-pop favorites the Parlor followed by Canadian quartet Tokyo Police Club at 3 p.m and folk-rock group Langhorne Slim and the Law at 4:30 p.m.; Slim and his band recently released The Spirit Moves. Sunday’s main stage eases listeners into the day’s musical lineup with acoustic tunes from Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys at 1:30 p.m., Rochester’s young guitar hero McKinley James at 3 p.m. and Jonathan Edwards at 4:30 p.m.

    The celebrated Tulip Queen Coronation, with a performance by the acclaimed male chorus group, the Mendelssohn Club, will happen on the local 518 stage on the festival’s first day. Solo artist Olivia Quillio will hit the stage after the noon kickoff, followed by indie rockers Carl Daniels and the Black Box at 2:15 p.m., instrumental collective Victory Soul Orchestra at 3:30 p.m. and fusion group the Stockade Kids at 4:45 p.m. The Tulip Festival’s final set of native acts features bluegrass veterans Red Haired Strangers at 1 p.m., the homespun folk-rock of Bear Grass at 2:15 p.m., and Catskills’ Of the Atlas at 3:30 p.m. Power-rock group the Last Conspirators cap off Sunday with a 4:45 p.m. show.

    The event is free and open to the public and includes shuttle transportation to several parking locations. Glass containers, animals or other pets, tobacco, alcohol  and video recording will not be permitted. For more information, call 518-434-2032, visit the Albany Events website or follow albanyNYevents on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

  • Cohoes Music Hall Reopening via Palace Theatre Management

    The Times Union reports that the Palace Theatre in Albany has taken over management of the oft-maligned and forgotten Cohoes Music Hall. This effort is projected to bring in more 40,000 visitors to the historic venue built in the 1870s.

    Effective in September, the Palace will supervise operations and programming at the city-owned music hall, while Cohoes will pay for maintenance, insurance and other costs of the building, with a portion of tickets sales going directly to the city.

    Cohoes Music Hall boasts 385 seats, a prime size given that similar local venues the Egg (980 seats), Proctors (2,700) and the Palace (2,700) are much larger. The music hall’s size will allow for smaller, more intimate shows to take place in Cohoes before moving up to the larger area venues.

    Potential performances and events at Cohoes Music Hall will include film screenings, programs by Palace partners Park Playhouse and Albany Symphony Orchestra, as well as family events. Upcoming events at the Music Hall this spring include:

    Friday, April 1 – An Evening With New Riders of the Purple Sage

    Friday, April 22 – Amy Helm with special guest Connor Kennedy and the Minstrel

    Wednesday, May 11 – Alejandro Escovedo with special guest Lucette

    More info on all shows, presented by Guthrie/Bell Productions, can be found at
    www.thecohoesmusichall.com.

  • Dope Announces Fan Funded Reunion Tour

    Add Dope to the list of bands making a reunion run in 2016. The band plans to tour to more than 45 cities across North America inside of two months. The Die Mother Fucker Die reunion tour will consist of the classic Dope lineup that includes Edsel Dope (vocals, guitar), Acey Slade (bass), Virus (lead guitar) and Racci Shay (drums).

    Dope DMFD Tour Poster

    Dope’s North American portion of the tour was successfully crowdfunded by fans who pre-ordered the band’s first-ever live album on dopereunion.com. The album will only be available through the band’s site and will not be available on online music stores like iTunes or retail stores anywhere. The band’s goal is to raise enough money to tour overseas, to places in the United Kingdom, Australia, Asia and Europe.

    With some dates still to be announced, Dope will come through New York state on Oct. 9 at the Montage Music Hall in Rochester, and Oct. 13 at Revolution Hall in Amityville.

    Cameras will be rolling as the band will record the entire tour for the first-ever Dope live DVD. The DVD will also include past backstage footage, unreleased music videos, and never before seen clips.

    Dope’s “Die Mother Fucker Die” tour dates:

    09-13 – DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA
    09-14 – Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
    09-15 – The Rickshaw – Vancouver, BC
    09-16 – La Tropicana – Pasco, WA
    09-17 – Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
    09-18 – The Palomino – Spokane, WA
    09-19 – The Falls Venue – Idaho Falls, ID
    09-20 – Herman’s Hideaway – Denver, CO
    09-21 – Sunshine Studios – Colorado Springs, CO
    09-22 – Sokol Underground – Omaha, NE
    09-23 – The Ready Room – St Louis, MO
    09-24 – The Cabooze – Minneapolis, MN
    09-25 – Val Air Ballroom – Des Moines, IA
    09-26 – TBA
    09-27 – The Reverb – Waterloo, IA
    09-28 – Live On Main – Stevens Point, WI
    09-29 – Every Buddy’s – Chippewa Falls, WI
    09-30 – Music Factory – Battle Creek, MI
    10-01 – Machine Shop – Flint, MI
    10-02 – TBA
    10-03 – Realm – Toledo, OH
    10-04 – Concord Music Hall – Chicago, IL
    10-05 – The Agora – Cleveland, OH
    10-06 – Park Street Tavern – Columbus, OH
    10-07 – Chameleon Club – Lancaster, PA
    10-08 – Sherman Theater – Stroudsburg, PA
    10-09 – Montage Music Hall – Rochester, NY
    10-10 – Sneaky Dees – Toronto, ON
    10-11 – Mavericks – Ottawa, ON
    10-12 – TBA
    10-13 – Revolution Hall – Amityville, NY
    10-14 – TBA
    10-15 – Fish Head Cantina – Baltimore, MD
    10-16 – TBA
    10-17 – Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
    10-18 – TBA
    10-19 – Dirty Dog Bar – Austin, TX
    10-20 – Scout Bar – Houston, TX
    10-21 – Trees – Dallas, TX
    10-22 – Aftershock – Merriam, KS
    10-23 – 89th St. Collective – Oklahoma City, OK
    10-24 – TBA
    10-25 – The Juggernaut – Gallup, NM
    10-26 – Club Red – Phoenix, AZ
    10-27 – Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
    10-28 – Counts Vamp’d Las Vegas, NV
    10-29 – The Grove – Anaheim, CA
    10-30 – The Whiskey – W. Hollywood, CA

  • Lets Fool Around in Saint Augustine

    Hurry! Lettuce and Griz will be headlining the inaugural Fool’s Paradise April 1st and 2nd! The festival will be celebrated at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre which is located in the oldest city in the United States  and is famous for its Spanish style architecture. Located just an hour from Jacksonville and Gainesville and just two hours from Orlando, Fool’s Paradise could not be in a more picturesque and ideal location. The festival is hosted by Purple Hat Productions and Live For Live Music and is sure to be an amazing two day  funk filled event.  So pack your dancing shoes and come be part of the beginning of something spectacular!  The music begins Friday at two’olock on the Shipwreck Stage.

    There will be two stages, one of which is the Amphitheatre and the other is The Shipwreck Stage. There will also be late night sets by Vulfpeck and Break Science at the nearby Elk’s Lodge on Friday then Goldfish and a Fools of Funk Superjam on Saturday. Tickets to the late night sets are sold in a limited quantity and as a separate from the main event. There is also more late night music just two miles away at “Fool Moon” which is a staple in the St. Augustine music scene. Featured late night artists are Jacksonville’s own Herd of Watts, on Friday and Saturday,  Gainesville’s Morning Fatty and Manyfest will play Saturday and Orlando’s Groove Orient will close out the night.  Camping is available in an offsite location but all passes are limited.  There are also a select amount of  vip hotel packages. Which are available on the “Fool’s Paradise” website.

    This festival is reminiscent of Jam Cruise  because it offers fun excursions with the performing artists. There will be mini golf with Lettuce’s Adam Deitch and Jesus Coomes on Saturday at one o’clock, Sailing with The Shady Horns and Shmeemans at noon and also a zipline adventure with Break Science’s Borhahm Lee at twelve-thirty. All excursions are sold separately from the main event and the tickets are going fast!!  There will be limited parking but fortunately there are many cab companies and Uber available.

    Now that the basics have been covered, let’s get to the fun part, the music! Yes! finally Lettuce and GRIZ will be collaborating during the second half of GRIZ’s Friday night set in the ampitheatre. The remaining line-up also promises exciting funky fun times for everyone. There’s Chris Robinson’s Soul Revue  featuring featuring George Porter Jr of The Meters, with Ivan Neville, The Nth Power, Goldfish, Corey Henry of Snarky Puppy, Marvel Years, Brasstracks, Herd of Watts. The Groove Orient, Morning Fatty and Love Chunk.

    So pack your gear and prepare yourself for an awesome two days of music, and good times! Tickets are available on the website, and The St. Augustine box office.

  • New York Minute: Troy Native Niki Lee Returns to Scene

    niki-leeNicole Suto aka “Niki Lee” is an indie singer/songwriter living in Troy, NY who is returning to the live music scene after taking a hiatus to have and raise a child. Her first show in a self-admitted long while will be this Friday, April 1 at the Dinosaur BBQ. She opens up for fellow Lansingburgh natives, The Lawn Sausages, at 9 p.m. The show is free.

    With the help of her friends Gary Levitt and Erica Quitzow of New Paltz, she recorded five tracks found on Reverbnation. She plays the guitar and loops her own backup vocals. “Accelerate” is a fun tune that shows off her playful, rocker side and incorporates the organ. Her sound is similar to Liz Phair and other 90s female musicians in the similar genre. Her style however is unique. Instead of your typical chord progressions, Niki often slaps the strings to create both percussion and notes.

    “Faith” represents a darker side of Niki. This expression of negative emotion is something she says drives her to write music. Her live performances are a balance of both upbeat positive songs and those that are melancholy.

    While performing live is something she intends to do, her real goal is to continue to write, produce and record music.

    We recently chatted with Niki about her music and living in Troy.

    niki lee

    After listening to your tracks on Reverbnation, we kind of get a Liz Phair vibe. Is that what has influenced you?

    I first started really heavy in the singer, songwriter, kind of folksy vein, listening to Ani DiFranco, Suzanne Vega, really growing up with the 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant stuff. But I think it was really PJ Harvey who kind of hooked me into the electric guitar, not just playing acoustic. Then Liz Phair – I think I’ve probably listened to Exile in Guyville like a million times. I probably can sing the whole album from beginning to end, so yes, that’s a definite influence for me.

    What inspires you?

    I feel like a lot of the music that I’m playing now has been inspired by relationships, questioning the world about why things are the way they are and how you have an emotional reaction to that. A lot of my songs, I write when I feel upset about things so it’s very hard for me to write upbeat songs. When I’m happy, I’m not in the writing kind of mood, it’s so hard to write a happy song. But I know people don’t want to just hear bitching and moaning when they see me perform so I’ve worked in some positive ones as well.

    So your show on April 1 will be the first one in a while, and a hometown show?

    I’m opening up for the Lawn Sausages. A lot of us are from Lansingburgh, born and raised there. So it’s a lot of old time friends. I haven’t really played a gig in a long time and one of the members of the Lawn Sausages put this gig up so I asked if I could open for them. It’s going to be a very hometown, packed crowd. It will be a special gig because all my friends and family from years and years, being a Troy native.

    I’ve traveled a lot, I’ve lived and played in San Francisco and New York City but I had to come back home. Something about being home it’s hard to get away from sometimes.

    Do you have a favorite spot to hang out in Troy?

    I really enjoy going down to the Farmer’s Market. It’s one of the best and the fact that it’s all year round is really great. My daughter loves Famous Lunch – we like greasy food in our family.

    So I understand you had friends from New Paltz help you with your recordings. Did you go down there to do it?

    Yeah. Gary Levitt and Erica Quitzow who I met in San Francisco but were from New York. After we all moved back I reached out to them because they are just amazing engineers and musicians. I asked them if they could record a few songs for me. I had done a few recordings in the past but never ones I felt proud of. I felt OK about them but they just didn’t represent how I wanted my songs to sound in a studio recording. These guys really nailed it. I like Imogen Heap and Tori Amos, people who pull in a lot of different elements and layered harmonies into their music. Unfortunately I can’t recreate that on stage so it will be kind of like a PJ Harvey four-track demos kind of feel at the show (laughs). I like pushing the boundaries of the singer-songwriter into the different musical sounds that you can play with and layer. It’s one of my favorite things about the music that I’m drawn to.

    What else do you like to do when not songwriting or recording?

    I work for the state as a budget analyst. I really like spreadsheets! (laughs) I do a lot of work with spreadsheets, tracking or spending. It’s nice because it’s really easy, it either adds up or it doesn’t. Plus, I don’t make the decisions of how it’s being spent In my free time I am a 4H Club co-leader for a dog training club call the Clover Paws. It’s something I do with my daughter. We have two dogs, so when I’m not making music or taking care of my daughter, I’m playing with my dogs.

  • Update: Project/Object Cancels Spring Tour

    Announced this afternoon via Facebook, the Frank Zappa Tribute band Project/Object is postponing their April 2016 tour dates until further notice. The cancellation comes due to the ongoing health issues surrounding the group’s production assistant-social media manager-merch seller Robin Gelberg, who survived a tragic car accident about a month ago near Shelby, NC; she is the partner of the band’s guitarist Andre Cholmondeley. According to Cholmondeley’s post, this is the first time Project/Object has cancelled concerts during his time with the band since the 1990s. A support page has been set up for Gelberg through GoFundMe.

    Project Object2:58 pm For Immediate ReleasePROJECT/OBJECT TOUR POSTPONEDIt is with a heavy heart that I have to…

    Posted by Andre Cholmondeley on Tuesday, March 29, 2016

    Original story:

    On April 14, Project/Object will bring the sounds of Frank Zappa back to life on stage at The Hollow in Albany.

    The alumni-based Zappa tribute band, featuring Ike Willis and Don Preston, is touring the Northeast this spring in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Zappa’s debut album, Freak Out! Willis’ booming baritone vocals and rhythm guitar appeared on Zappa band tours and albums from 1978 to the final FZ tour in 1988. Preston, a well-known synthesizer and jazz pioneer, played on the Mothers Of Invention records until 1974’s Roxy and Elsewhere; he has also scored soundtracks for feature films like Apocalypse Now.

    The tour kicks off in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on April 7 and makes stops in Marlboro the following night before shows in Brooklyn, Buffalo, Rochester and closing out in Teaneck, New Jersey, on May 1.

    Each show this tour will feature two sets of Zappa music with Willis and Preston; the Boston show is double billed with Consider the Source. And this April run continues the voter registration partnership with HeadCount, as shared on Twitter last month:

    Project/Object: The Music of Frank Zappa has toured the United States, Canada and Europe during its 20-year existence. The group was founded in the 1990s by guitarist Andre Cholmondeley as a tribute to Zappa, who died of cancer in 1993 at 52. In 2015, Willis and Denny Walley came out of retirement for a special tour in celebration of Zappa’s late ’70s catalog, playing several shows in New York state. Alongside Willis (guitar, vocals), Preston (keys, vocals), Cholmondeley (guitar, vocals) and Walley (bass), the group will include musicians Ryan Berg (drums), Kendall Scott (keys, synths) and special guest Rich Rakowski (sax) at select shows.

    Tickets for the 9 p.m. show at The Hollow are on sale through the venue’s website, along with passes for Brooklyn’s The Hall, Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo and Rochester’s Lovin Cup. Project/Object’s show at The Falcon in Marlboro does not require a cover charge for live music, but donations are appreciated. See the full tour dates below and visit the band’s website for more venue and ticket sales information.

    Project/Object Spring 2016 tour dates:

    4/7 – The Acoustic – Bridgeport, CT
    4/8 – The Falcon – Marlboro, NY
    4/9 – House of Independents – Ashbury Park, NJ
    4/10 – Iron Horse – Northampton, MA
    4/12 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT
    4/13 – The Middle East – Boston, MA
    4/14 – The Hollow – Albany, NY
    4/15 – The Hall – Brooklyn, NY
    4/16 – Arch St. Tavern – Hartford, CT
    4/17 – American Brewing Company – Harrisburg, PA
    4/19 – The 8×10 – Baltimore, MD
    4/20 – Club Café – Pittsburgh, PA
    4/21 – Radio Radio – Indianapolis, IN
    4/22 – Shank Hall – Milwaukee, WI
    4/23 – Martyrs – Chicago, IL
    4/26 – Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH
    4/27 – The Tralf – Buffalo, NY
    4/28 – Lovin Cup – Rochester, NY
    4/29 – Havana’s – New Hope, PA
    4/30 – River St. Jazz Café – Wilkes Barre, PA
    5/1 – Mexicali – Teaneck, NJ

  • Wyclef Jean To Perform Encore Performance At The Brooklyn Bowl

    What happens when founding member of the Fugees, and solo artist Wyclef Jean makes an appearance to a full house at the Brooklyn Bowl, NY on Tuesday March 22, 2016? The crowd obviously couldn’t get enough, so due to popular demand the Brooklyn Bowl has added a second show with Wyclef Jean on Tuesday March 29, 2016.

    wyclef jean brooklynDon’t miss your opportunity to see this legendary Grammy award winning artist. Doors to open Tuesday at 6pm, with show beginning at 8pm.  Tickets are available for those 21 and over for $25.

  • Jimkata Brings ‘In Motion’ to Buffalo Iron Works

    Ithaca based jamtronic/indie rock trio Jimkata is currently touring in support of their latest fan funded release In Motion.  The trio will roll into Buffalo Iron Works on Saturday March 26th.

    Aaron Gorsch, Evan Friedell & Packy Lunn- Jimkata- Copyright Pat Tellier

    After taking a brief hiatus that took the band off the road for the majority of the fall and winter, Jimkata hit the road for the first time as a trio this February. Frontman Evan Friedell told NYS Music that touring as a three piece has helped strengthen the bands dynamic.

    “I think having just the three of us on stage has simplified the dynamic a little bit in that its easier to communicate and improvise as musicians.  It also has led us to focus specifically on each sound and make everything sound bigger.  We’re also starting to get a good sense of set flow, like what songs pair well with each other, and are continually getting better at making good sets every night.”

    After the departure of longtime bassist David Rossi in late 2014, Stephen Learson (The Endobox) jumped on the road with the band for the majority of 2015.  The band made the decision while on hiatus to tour with only the band’s orginial three members: Friedell, Packy Lunn (drums)  and Aaron Gorsch (guitar/snyths).

    And in Friedell’s opinion, the gamble has paid off.  “Packy and Aaron have stepped up to the plate big time in terms of covering multiple parts.  When we first started rehearsing as a three piece I had some apprehension that maybe we would be missing something.  But, honestly, it feels like the exact opposite, that we’ve gained even more sonically especially with adding all the new songs to our sets.”

    Friedell also noted that the bands long awaited return to the Queen City is met with excitement by not just the fans but the band as well. “We’ve been playing Buffalo for quite a while so our relationship with the city runs deep.  Its starting to feel like a home base for us, especially since we’ve been rehearsing there a lot lately and Packy is now living there.  I’ve found the Buffalo crowd to be a little rowdier than other places we play which is fun.  Something about that goes along well with our upstate New York attitude and upbringing.”

    Tickets for this Saturday’s show are available online through Ticketfly.  Buffalo based band Lazlo Hollyfeld will open.  Doors open at 8pm;Music starts at 9pm.

  • 2016 Vans Warped Tour Lineup and Stage Breakdown Revealed

    The wait is over for Warped Tour crazies who have been waiting for months for a lineup. The Vans Warped Tour announced the bands taking part in this year’s festival during a live webcast on VansWarpedTour.com.

    Some of the bands playing one of the many stages will include Falling In Reverse, Bullet For My Valentine, 3OH!3, New Found Glory, Motionless In White, Yellowcard, Good Charlotte, Sum 41, Sleeping With Sirens, Crown The Empire, Young Guns, Atreyu, Coldrain, From Ashes To New and many more.

    Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman announced the bands and the stages they will perform on during the webcast lineup, and various artist performances were interspersed throughout. Webcasting live from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, Lyman said in the video that Waka Flocka Flame, who made a one-show appearance at last year’s festival, will return for seven shows on the West Coast. Lyman said he has booked other surprise bands that he will announce later down the line.

    The Monster Energy Party Zone will feel like a separate concert with it’s own separate entrance through a dark tunnel, Lyman said.

    Warped Tour will will kick off on June 24 in Dallas Texas at the Gexa Energy Pavilion and wrap up in Portland, Oregon at the Portland Expo Center on Aug. 13. Warped Tour will pass through New York and make three different stops: July 7 at the Lakeview Amphitheatre in Syracuse, July 9 at Nikon at Jones Beach in Wantagh, and July 14 at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien Center.

    Additional ticket, date and venue info is available at vanswarpedtour.com.

    Vans Warped Tour Poster

  • A Tribe Called Quest Founding Member Phife Dawg Dies At 45

    It was a sad day in the hip-hop community this week. Founding member of A Tribe Called Quest and rapper Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor died Tuesday at the age of 45.

    tribe-called-quest

    While the cause of death has yet to be officially released, Rolling Stone reported that Taylor had dealt with many health issues due to a longtime battle with diabetes — he underwent a kidney transplant in 2008 — and noted that he said he was addicted to sugar like drugs. (Taylor also famously called himself “the Funky Diabetic” in several ATCQ songs.) In his final interview with the magazine last fall, Taylor was optimistic about the future and was working on a new album, Muttymorphosis, that was “basically my life story.”

    The Queens native joined the New York City-based band at 19 and is credited with influencing the group’s rise to critical success. Taylor, with bandmates Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and honorary member Jarobi White, were game-changers to the early 1990s hip-hop sound. Together the foursome pioneered a more progressive style to their aggressive West Coast contemporaries that layered smooth jazz and Afro-centric beats with socially conscious lyrics. The iconic group was signed to Jive Records and recorded five studio albums. Last November, Tribe made its last performance together on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to promote the 25th anniversary reissue of their debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. 

    Since the news of Taylor’s death, artists like Questlove, Kendrick Lamar, Sean Lennon, Chris Rock, Chance the Rapper and Mac Miller, among others, have noted ATCQ’s importance to their own careers and took to social media to say goodbye to the late hip-hop legend known as Phife Dawg.

    Phife forever 1970-2016. 1991 in Sept I went to visit Tariq at Millersville U in the middle of PA (Lancaster). Miles Davis had just passed & I went on a binge to study his post jazz works. Went to Sound Of Market to purchase Nefertiti, In A Silent Way & Live Evil—the only non jazz purchase I made that day ironically was the most jazziest album in that collection: #TheLowEndTheory by @ATCQ. —it was raining that day so somehow the 1…2 punch of “Nefertiti”/”Fall” just had me in a trance that train trip—even though I suspected there was a possibility that Tribe could possibly have made a better album then their debut (the perfect @@@@@ mic Source rating would be on stands in a week so I was right)—but I knew I wanted to save that listening for when I got up to the campus w Riq.—so some 90mins later when I get to his dorm–we ripped that bad boy open (I can’t describe the frustration that was CD packaging in 1991, just imagine the anger that environmentalists feel when all that paper packaging in Beats headphone gets wasted—it’s like that)—the sign of a true classic is when a life memory is burnt in your head because of the first time you hear a song. —Riq & I had this moment a few times, but the look on our faces when we 1st heard “Buggin Out” was prolly Me & Tariq’s greatest “rewind selector!” moment in our friendship. (Back then every MC’s goal was to have that “rewind!!!” moment. As in to say something so incredible. Or to catch you by surprise that it makes you go “DAAAAAYUM!!!”& you listen over & over—Malik “Phife” Taylor’s verse was such a gauntlet/flag planting moment in hip hop. Every hip hop head was just…stunned HE. CAME. FOR. BLOOD & was taking NO prisoners on this album (or ever again) we just kept looking at the speaker on some disbelief old timey radio Suspense episode. & also at each other “Phife is KILLIN!”–by the time we got to “Scenario” I swear to god THAT was the moment I knew I wanted to make THIS type of music when I grew up–(yeah yeah dad I know: “go to Juilliard or Curtis to make a nice living at “real music”) but he didn’t know that Phife & his crew already wrote my destiny. I ain’t look back since. THANK YOU PHIFE!

    A photo posted by Questlove Gomez (@questlove) on