NYS Music 20​16

Category: Beyond NYS

  • Squirrel Nut Zippers Return to the Road

    The ’90s-nostalgia boomlet has revived yet another decade-defining sound — juke-y, jive-y, neo-swing. This summer the Squirrel Nut Zippers will resurface for a seven-date tour.

    Announced yesterday via the band’s Facebook page, the tour kicks off on June 29 in Tucson, Arizona, and currently caps with an appearance at the LEAF Festival in Black Mountain, North Carolina. The closest the Zippers will come to New York state is Virginia; but hang tight, swing kids, as fall shows are in the works.

    The Chapel Hill, North Carolina, band made noise with the release of their second album, Hot, in 1996, (featuring the chart-topping hit “Hell”), and in honor of the 20th anniversary of this commercial success, the Zippers decided to return to the road. For this limited run, founding members James “Jimbo” Mathus and Chris Phillips recruited the talent of singer Ingrid Lucia (Flying Neutrino) and noted New Orleans musicians to join the new stage show. Phillips commented on the band’s reunion in the statement:

    The band has been quiet for long enough. Honestly, the songs from such a unique and rambunctious catalog never get old on stage. When it was brought to my attention that 2016 was the 20th anniversary of Hot I knew the timing was right. We take great pleasure in the sense of togetherness we maintain with audiences that have such a wide age range — from young to old and those in between. Even the old are young at heart when they are at a Squirrel Nut Zippers show…

    In other words, press your zoot suits, and get ready for a blast from the past. Most tickets are on sale now through the venue box offices or online; see the full set of tour dates below.

    Squirrel Nut Zippers tour dates:

    6/29 – Rialto – Tucson, AZ
    6/30 – Marquee – Tempe, AZ
    7/1 – Orpheum – Flagstaff, AZ
    7/3 – Deer Valley Resort – Park City, UT
    9/3 – Sausalito Arts Festival – Sausalito, CA
    10/18 – The Birchmere – Alexandria, VA
    10/23 – LEAF Festival – Black Mountain, NC

  • Tony Markellis Spring Schedule

    Bassist Tony Markellis keeps himself quite busy this spring when he is not touring with the Trey Anastasio Band. He is scheduled to play a number of shows throughout New York and nearby this spring.

    tony markellis springMarkellis, of Saratoga Springs, recently joined Floodwood, the bluegrass side project of moe.’s Vinnie Amico. He’ll join them at many shows throughout New York, starting this week. He also plays with a variety of other musicians in the area and can be seen throughout New York, primarily in the Capital Region.

    He joins Grateful Dead tribute band Dead Set on May 20 at the Westcott in Syracuse. He will also be at Summer Camp Music Festival with Floodwood. His full set of dates can be seen below.

    Tony Markellis spring dates:
    Thursday 4/28 – Floodwood – Nectar’s, Burlington, VT
    Friday 4/29 – Floodwood – The Hollow, Albany, NY
    Saturday 4/30 – Floodwood – Garcia’s, Port Chester, NY
    Sunday 5/1 – Caffè Lena Folkathon Benefit with Jo Henley (3:30 p.m.), Michael Jerling (7:45 p.m.), New Standard (8:30 p.m.) – Saratoga Springs, NY
    Thursday 5/12 – Floodwood – NaNola, Malta, NY (9 p.m.)
    Friday 5/13 – Melick, Maul & Markellis – First Reformed Church, Selkirk, NY
    Saturday 5/14 – Jeanne O’Connor and the New Standard – One Caroline, Saratoga Springs, NY (9 p.m.)
    Wednesday 5/18 – Michael Jerling – Mouzon House, Saratoga Springs, NY (7 p.m.)
    Thursday 5/19 – Floodwood – Abilene, Rochester, NY (9 p.m.)
    Friday 5/20 – Dead Set – Westcott, Syracuse, NY
    Saturday 5/21 – Jay Barady & Nick Piccinnini – Oneonta Theater, Oneonta, NY
    Wednesday 5/25 – Jo Henley Trio – Mouzon House, Saratoga Springs, NY (7 p.m.)
    Thurs-Sun 5/26-29 – Floodwood – Summer Camp Festival, Chillicothe, IL
    Wednesday 6/1 – Jeanne O’Connor Trio – Mouzon House, Saratoga Springs, NY (7 p.m.)
    Thursday 6/2 – Floodwood – Outer Space, Hamden, CT
    Friday 6/3 –Floodwood – Smoke Signals, Lake Placid, NY
    Saturday 6/4 – Floodwood – Taste of Syracuse, Syracuse, NY (7 p.m.)
    Wednesday 6/8 – Bob Warren – Little Theater on the Farm, Ft. Edward, NY
    Thursday 6/9 – Floodwood – NaNola, Malta, NY (9 p.m.)

  • Exclusive Interview: Ryan Dempsey of Twiddle

    Tim Merrill of Sugar Foot Photography sat down with Ryan Dempsey, keys player for Vermont’s hottest “three dimensional” rock band, to talk Twiddle tour, influences, favorite bands, and even a bit of politics.

    Check out the video interview below.

    Catch Twiddle next in New York May 7 at the Capital Theatre in Port Chester, and July 8 at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown.

    Full Tour Information

  • Acting a Fool at the First Fool’s Paradise

    The inaugural Fool’s Paradise two day concert was a fantastic weekend for visitors to the oldest city in the country, St. Augustine. The music flooded the St. Augustine Amphitheatre and featured Lettuce, Griz, Chris Robinson, and many more incredible artists. There were occasional showers in the forecast but nothing serious enough to deter the music lovers from dancing and enjoying the music. This event had a wonderful first year and offered some unique activities reminiscent to jam cruise.

    On Friday at six the power duo Goldfish took the stage. The two multi-instrumentalists are currently touring South America, The United States, and Europe, sharing their latest release Games Continued.  After watching a few minutes of Goldfish their talent is impossible to deny. Both musicians hail from the most southern tip of Africa and have been called, “the duo to see this year.” The duo play upright bass, flute, saxophone, and synthesizers.

    Up next was Lettuce who played a powerful set that got everyone dancing and set the tone for the rest of the evening. Following was fellow headliner Griz. The set was powerful, dynamic and was the perfect mix of funk, and electronic jams. Mid set Lettuce joined Griz for a perpetual groove that radiated from everyone’s feet up through their fingertips. The energy was high and the audience absorbed the music and recycled its energy into non-stop dancing.

    The music ended at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre at 10:30 due to the venue’s proximity to local residents. This was by no means the end of the party. Many attendees had previously purchased late night show tickets for sets that would be held in the Elk’s Lodge which was practically on the premises. Friday night’s late night featured both Vulfpeck and Lettuce side project Break Science.

    It was previously mentioned that Fool’s Paradise is reminiscent of Jam Cruise because of the fun and exciting excursions that could be taken with the artists. The excursion tickets were sold separately and included mini golf with Jesus Coomes, and Adam Deitch of Lettuce, sailing with Shady Horns and a zip-line adventure Borham Lee at The Alligator Farm   The greatest part of these excursions was being up close and intimate with the artist doing something you both like.

    The amphitheater also had a healthy array of eats and crafts vendors to explore.  

    The Shipwreck Stage, located near vendor row in the parking lot of the amphitheater started the party rocking each day before the amphitheater stage opened.

    Saturday began with the Groove Orient, and Herd of Watts on the Shipwreck Stage. After the stage closed for the weekend, Brasstracks started the amphitheater grooving. Nikki Glaspie and the Nth Power followed and brought the funk.  Vulfpeck took the stage at five-thirty and also provided some background music for a spontaneous wedding which happened right on the amphitheater stage.  The crowd cheered for the happy couple as they eagerly read their unique self-penned vows.

    Vulfpeck was quite engaging with the audience and lead everyone in singing three part harmonies while dancing to their funky beats. One thing is undeniable, each member of the band is extremely versatile. Every few songs the guys would switch instruments with each other,  transforming their whole sound. The lead singer was especially energized because it was his 30th birthday. He took a picture and sent it to his mom for all the people at the festival.

    Chris Robinson’s Soul Revue was a once in a lifetime line up. The band’s all-star cast featured George Porter Jr. of The Meters, Ivan Neville, Nikki Glaspie, Eric Krasnoyarsk and Neal Casal featuring the Shady Horns. The bass was thumping and the horns wailing. Their set was definitely one of the high points of the weekend.

    The artist at large was Cory Henry of Snarky Puppy. Henry effortlessly alternated from keys to drums numerous times and was a great addition to every band that he sat in with.

    Lettuce’s final set also featured Nigel Hall, and Cory Henry. Late night sets followed at the Elk’s Lodge with Goldfish and Fools of Funk which was a collaboration between some of the members of Lettuce, Nigel Hall, Weedie Braimah, Eric “Benny” Bloom, Ryan Zoidis, and Cory Henry.

    Fool’s Paradise was an intense, fun, and funky weekend in an amazing venue. The St. Augustine Amphitheater has excellent amenities and terrific staff. Purple Hat Productions did a bang up job in creating such an incredible concert. The talent was limitless, the production quality was seamless. The crowd was harmonious. See you next year in Fool’s Paradise  After year one you can expect anything to happen in paradise.

  • Spiritual Rez Northeast Run Blankets New York State

    High energy ska and funk is headed towards New York this week with Spiritual Rez’s 2016 Northeast Tour. With live performances that elicit an incredibly powerful blend of reggae, rock, ska and jam, the group has been on a cross country tour amid the release of their upcoming album due out this summer. 

    The Northeast Tour brings the group to Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Erie, Brooklyn, New Haven, Boston, Portland, Burlington and Saratoga Springs over a two week period, providing ample opportunities for you to dance the night away and walk into work exhausted but smiling the next morning.

    The as of yet untitled album, slated for an early summer release, was recorded in Los Angeles at Jim Kaufman Productions under the direction of Kenny Carkeet (Awolnation) and Max Collins (Eve 6). One of the many collaborators that took part in the album is trombonist Billy Kottage of Reel Big Fish, who is featured on the track “Bad Girl.” More jaw dropping collaborations will be revealed around the album’s release.

  • Aqueous Pushes New Live Release ‘From the ArQives’

    If there’s anything the fervent fans of Buffalo’s Aqueous have had to complain about the past few years it’s the lack of released live material. This all changed recently with a slew of high quality recordings including last years fantastic “Wizard of Oz” themed, Dark Side of the Moon infused Halloween show, the recent Boulder, Colorado release, and a bunch of new recordings on archive.org.

    Aqueous 02 20 2015 (16)

    On the heels of this flurry of activity the band has put forth the latest multi-track live set – From the ArQives: 2015-04-11 King’s Rook Club, Erie PA. This two set monster of a show features some of the bands most intense jamming and “type II” level improvisation within a slew of their top notch original material and some debut covers.

    Set one kicks off with “Complex Pt. I” and focuses on a mix of material including bust-outs of old school Aqueous tracks “Marty” and “They’re Calling for You” which made their first set-list appearances in close to a year. Also included is a super jammed out cover of Steely Dan’s “Josie.” Aqueous has covered many Dan songs throughout the years (Including a November 2015 cover of “Peg” featuring a Joel Cummins sit-in). Guitarist Mike Gantzer spoke about the Dan’s influence:

    “I always dig pulling out the occasional Steely Dan tune; they’ve personally been a huge influence on my writing and playing style. and often times their tunes are great catalysts for improvisation.”

    Set two continues the jam fest with notable versions of orginal tunes “Underlyer,” “Eon Don,” an “Aldehyde” sandwich with the meat being a cover of The Police’s “Canary in a Coalmine,” and a rare full version of the epic fifteen minute Cycles track “Staring into the Sun.” The audio was recorded and mastered by the bands sound and light engineer Ben Wayt and is available on SoundCloud and archive.org.

    Check out Aqueous in New York Saturday April 16 at Letchworth Pines in Portageville for a rare intimate two set show, and next Friday at Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs with Pink Talking Fish.

    April 11th, 2015
    King’s Rook Club, Erie, PA

    SET 1:
    Complex Pt. I > They’re Calling for You, Triangle, Marty, Josie¹ > Don’t Do It

    SET 2:
    Underlyer > Gordon’s Mule > Eon Don > Aldehyde > Canary in a Coal Mine² > Aldehyde, Staring into the Sun, What’s the Connection?

    ENCORE:
    Mosquito Valley Pt. 1 > Flagpole Sitta³

    Notes:
    ¹ Steely Dan cover, AQ debut
    ² Police cover, AQ debut
    ³ Harvey Danger cover, AQ debut

    Complex had a Josie tease by Steely Dan
    TCFY had a “Waves” tease by Phish and a “Wheels” tease by Cake.
    Eon Don contained a “devils pie” intro by D’angelo, and Master of Puppets by Metallica and Machine Gun by Hendrix teases.
    Staring into the Sun had a long improvised section.
    What’s the Connection had a “We Want the Funk” tease that was audience started.
    MV one had a “Chicken Grease” intro also by D’angelo.

    TCFY was last played on 2014-08-14
    Marty was last played on 2014-06-17

  • Festy News: Inaugural Bear Creek Bayou Music Fest Announced

    The producers of the Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival have announced a new festival taking place at Mardi Gras World in the New Orleans bayou Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

    The Live Oak, Florida festival ran for eight years at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. The 2015 edition was to have featured a funk heavy lineup, including Galactic, Soulive and Dumpstaphunk but was unfortunately canceled. The new fest promises a menu rich with the traditional sounds of New Orleans and bands similar to past Bear Creek headliners.

    Mardi Gras World is located in the New Orleans Warehouse District along the banks of the Mississippi River and offers a view of the New Orleans skyline.

    The full website for the fest will be launched soon, along with the initial band lineup.

  • The Disco Biscuits Sell Out Debut Run at the Capitol Theatre

    The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester is a venue that has earned itself a unique spot in the heart of American jam band culture. Being a regular stop for legends such as the Grateful Dead and Frank Zappa in the past, today the Cap continues its tradition of booking the cream of the progressive rock crop. The Disco Biscuits fit that role exquisitely, and it showed this weekend during their back to back maximum capacity shows on March 25th and 26th. With the New Deal opening on both nights, the bill would provide a trance-fusion treat that no fan of the band or the venue could deny.

    There was an anticipatory energy crackling through the Capitol as the New Deal started the evening smoothly. The unique blend of catchy and accessible electronic rock served as an excellent warm up as the crowd settled in; swelling to a size that would worry the fire marshal as the opening act concluded. Giving a salute to one of the many gods to grace the same stage, the Disco Biscuits kicked it off in style with Frank Zappa’s “Pygmy Twylyte.” Zappa can lubricate anyone’s mood, and the song clearly got it going perfectly as the crowd brimmed with positive energy. “Spraypaint” always being a pleaser, the set promised to be an uplifting one as bassist Marc Brownstein had everyone feeling mellow for the transition into “Rainbow Song”. Maintaining the upbeat theme immaculately, “Spectacle” was followed promptly by a thundering “Helicopters” introduction that had everyone singing along. The set concluded with keyboardist Aron Magner’s crushing organ outro for the set-closing end of “Spraypaint”.

    Guitarist Jon Gutwillig greeted us warmly to start the second set, with his fingers even hotter for the incendiary riffs of “Mindless Dribble”. A few people mentioned that the “Crystal Ball” that followed seemed to have a less lively jump than usual, and the set seemed to have changed course from the first. The Biscuits opted for their more contemporary sound when continuing with “Highwire”. Never before heard cover “She’s a Bad Mama Jama”, originally by funk forerunner Carl Carlton, continued to bring the show to a less engaging air. Intertwining back into “Dribble”, drummer Allen Acoin provided a thundering drum solo before the band broke into a haunting “Orch Theme”. The conclusion of “Highwire” would conclude the second set, with encore frequent “Frog Legs” leaving everyone with high hopes for the following evening.

    This wouldn’t just be one more Saturday night in Port Chester, however. Sold out yet again but feeling cooler and more breathable on the floor, the boys started the first set with a “Shem-Rah Boo” fake out which dubiously changed key into “Bernstein and Chasnoff”. The Disco Biscuits were clearly locked and loaded for the evening yet again, breaking out “Bombs” like they had something to prove. The inverted “Shelby Rose” filled us all with delight, and served as a perfect segue vessel into the true gem of the entire weekend, “And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night”. Bringing it back to “Bernstein” before dismissing us to set break, where glowing faces abound chatted about the wholly satisfying experience we had all shared moments ago.

    They set the bar almost impossibly high with the first set that night of the 26th, and it seemed they would continue to exceed expectations with the beginning of “Hope” swooning us comfortably into the final set of the run. An inverted “Above the Waves” washed over the crowd as the band nailed the immensely technical composition. “Mr. Don” followed suit, leaving the impression that the closing set would be chalk full of Biscuits classics. This was not so, unfortunately, as they surprised us by playing LCD Soundsystem cover “Home.” The choice seemed lazy and out of place that late in the run; the consensus seemed to be that we all would’ve much rather heard a song written by the band themselves this close to the conclusion of their maiden voyage at the Capitol. Ending the fourth and final set of the run, the boys brought the “Helicopters” that was started during the first set of the previous evening in for a landing. The Disco Biscuits waved triumphantly as they returned for the encore “Caves of the East” adding a hip hop twist with a sample from A Tribe Called Quest’s “Check the Rhime” in salute to the late MC of the group, Phife Dawg, who passed earlier this week. Ending lightly with the last measures of “Mr. Don”, Brownstein ended the weekend by hinting that we should expect to see them again soon on the very same stage.

    All things considered, the Biscuits’ inaugural weekend at the legendary Capitol Theatre left the crowd flying high. Returning to our homes and hotels, with sleep came dreams of what may be just around the corner for the new alliance between the band and the theatre.
    03/25/2016 • Capitol Theater • Port Chester, NY

    Set 1: Pygmy Twylyte> Spraypaint> Rainbow Song, Spectacle, Helicopters1> Spraypaint

    Set 2: Mindless Dribble> Crystal Ball, Highwire> She’s A Bad Mama Jama2> Mindless Dribble> Orch Theme> Highwire

    Encore: Frog Legs

    1. Unfinished
    2. First time played

    03/26/2016 • Capitol Theater • Port Chester, NY

    Set 1: Jam1> Bernstein And Chasnoff> Bombs> Shelby Rose2> And The Ladies Were The Rest Of The Night2> Bernstein And Chasnoff

    Set 2: Hope3> Above The Waves2> Mr. Don> Home> Helicopters

    Encore: Caves of the East4> Mr. Don

    1. With ‘Shem-Rah Boo’ teases
    2. Inverted version
    3. Unfinished
    4. With “Check the Rhime” (A Tribe Called Quest) sample

  • Bernie Sanders to Appear on Forthcoming Phish Studio Album

    With news this week that Phish has wrapped up recording of their latest studio album in Nashville, a source close to NYS Music has revealed a new piece of information regarding the album. A little birdie has provided unconfirmed, unsubstantiated rumors that can be declared plausible given the unfolding of information thus far.

    Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was seen leaving a Nashville rehearsal studio with drummer Jon Fishman twice in the few days of down time the candidate had between his East Troy, WI rally and Brooklyn, NY rally.

    The source close to NYS Music offers that the visits Sanders made to the rehearsal studio with Fishman were collaborative beyond politics. This suggests that the friendship cultivated between Sanders, Fishman, and the Phish community has led the Senator to contribute to the album on a creative level. It could be possible that Sanders offered backing vocals on a new song, much like his early work on Phish’s first album, Junta, where he provided harmony on the “washuffizidrivemetofirenze” portion of “You Enjoy Myself.”

    Sanders, when reached for comment, would not comment on the album, but suggested his campaign would “Keep it rollin” all the way through to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July.

    Earlier this year, Fishman had performed at a rally in Durham, NH and has previously spoken out o-phish-ally in support of the Vermont Senator. On the other hand, Sanders provided the claim that Phish has “made New England proud. They are one of the great bands, have been one of the great bands in this country.”

    Showing off his vocal chops, Sanders has previously recorded “This Land is Your Land” for an album released in 1987 and recently stood beside Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig to share in the verses of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.”

    Sanders would not be the first Democratic Presidential field to have had a notable hand in music. Among him are former 2016 candidate Martin O’Malley (guitar – the band O’Malley’s March), Woodrow Wilson (violin), Harry S. Truman (piano), Andrew Jackson (banjo), Barack Obama (lyrics), and Bill Clinton (tenor sax).

    Stay tuned to NYS Music for the latest info on Phish’s upcoming album and Bernie Sanders’ recording chops.

  • 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.