NYS Music 20​16

Category: Beyond NYS

  • 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

  • Fest Food: Fare Thee Well

    My favorite fest food moment of GD50: Fare Thee Well was in line waiting for ten Italian beef sandwiches when the whole Portillo’s staff spontaneously burst into a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. In just one weekend, we got in our favorite neighborhood Mexican place, hot dogs outside Soldier Field with all the fixings, bee bim bap, a backyard BBQ, Chinatown and a lavish, catered midnight snack buffet along with too many heady beers to name. It was a 4th of July run for the books with a cherry on top!

  • Okeechobee Makes Great First Impression

    Aquachobee, Coronachobee, okeechobeings, yogachobee, are just a few of the new words  learned while attending the sold-out inaugural Okeechobee Music Festival. From March 3-7 thousands of music fans “entered the portal” to spread their Okeechobee love and good vibes in south Florida paradise. The news of the festival hit the town of Okeechobee about three years ago and could not have been more of a success.  The festival is the brain child of Paul Peck, a graduate of Tulane University who had years earlier sowed the seeds for Bonnaroo with Rick Farman.  Years later Peck took his knowledge from the Bonnaroo experience to create a musical and art themed wonderland.  Held on hundreds of acres of wide open spaces, the Okeechobee Festival was massive yet elegant.

    Okeechobee was hosted on a former equestrian area that was expected to be turned into a housing development but after the project failed, festival promoters soon discovered it would be the perfectly ideal place for a large outdoor four day festival.  With concrete walking paths through most of the festival ground getting around Okeechobee was a breeze. However, an increase of signs next year would make for a great improvement.  The festival consisted of The Chobeewobee Village, Yogachobee,  Jungle 51, Aquachobee, and the Grove which housed the three main stages “Be”, “Here” and “Now”  Each festival area had its own theme and different stages. The Aquachobee stood out as being a favorite during the day. Many happy festival goers made their way to the manmade beach to sun bathe and swim while taking pics and making custom bags courtesy of Corona. One of the greatest things about Okeechobee was the many special places to take unwind and relax while within listening distance of the music.  There were a few groves of trees which were decorated with vintage furniture and warm mood lighting. There was also nice lounge chairs throughout Aquachobee.

    Most of the festival’s audience was college aged students from nearby cities like Miami, Tampa and Orlando. This was a first time camping festival for many that had learned about the fest on their cities’ local radio stations.  Although there were many first time festival goers presented an overall positive vibe which was upbeat and respectful. Everyone united and thrived in peace over the course of the four days and many new festival families were formed. Each camping area was named after texting acronyms for example NSFW, LOL, ROFL, etc but there were no signs anywhere indicating the different camping areas. Hopefully, signs will be in place next year.  There were showers available for $7 but tickets had to be purchased prior at a general store that was a significantly large distance from the shower facilities. The food vendors truly represented a plethora of culinary diversity with decent prices.

    The Festival kicked off Thursday afternoon with an opening ceremony in The Yogachobee Village. Which led to a night of enjoyment featuring the Okeechobee Allstars led by The Lee Boys Rosevelt Collier, Big Gigantic’s Jeremy Salken, Lettuce’s Nigel Hall and many more great musicians  For late that night Jungle 51 was opened and many danced well into the early morning dancing to great Dj’s like Big Wild. On Friday the grove was finally opened. The stages were placed perfectly. Although the stages were evenly distanced from each other and there was no sound bleeding over.  Moon Hooch got the party started on the “Be” stage and made way for an incredible set by the great Grace Potter later in the afternoon. Other bands that played on the stages were Twiddle, X Ambassadors, and Lil Dicky and the legendary Robert Plant. That evening Hall and Oats took the “Be” stage and rocked the place with all their greatest hits. It was obvious most of the fans rushing the stage that night were there for Bassnectar. Thousands packed in tightly to be as close to the DJ as possible and absorb the beats and bass rising up from the ground.

    Saturday afternoon crowds were treated to sets by Dr. Dog, Lotus, Booker T. Jones, Lotus, and Mac Miller. As the sun went down the temperature dropped to the high fifties and the stars finally came out. Crowds danced to the beats of Kendrick Lamar, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Big Gigantic.  Then came the moment everyone was waiting for: Skrillex. The set was intense and dynamic; the bass and electronic melodies flooded the concert area as thousands moved in a trance-like state.  Toward the end of the Skrillex set many migrated back to the “Now “stage to claim a space to dance during the all star jam known as the Pow-Wow. This super jam included R&B Heartthrob Miguel, Win, Butler, John Oates, Skrillex, Mac Miller, Eric Krasno of Lettuce, three members of Mumford and Sons, the horn section of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band kamasai Washington and the legendary George Porter Jr.

    Sunday was another perfect day of music to end this very high energy musical weekend. Starting off with the rap rock band Bangarang who were Destination Okeechobee winners from Tampa started the Grove right on the now stage. Later on the now stage was one of the anticipated acts of Big Grams featuring Big Boi of Outkast and the duo of Phantogram.  The “Be” stage took a modern Americana theme and welcomed award winning songwriter Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit which featured his very talented wife Amanda Shires on the fiddle. Next was the long time running band Ween which earned many new fans.  The evening followed with Odeza, The Heavy, and The Avett Brothers overlapping on each of the three main stages. Which led to the grand finale of Mumford and Sons on the “Be” stage?  Mumford and sons did there amazing set for the first half and then there set morphed into one great super jam joined by The Avett Brothers, Tom Morello and many more musicians  By early Monday morning  the music on the main stages ended but there was plenty of room to party near the art installations and Ferris wheel near Aquachobee.

    Okeechobee has been a labor of love from some very creative people. The event not only sold out at 30,000 but still maintained its intimate vibe. Okeechobee will take its place among the festival giants like its big brother Bonaroo.  The hard work and dreams made for a magical weekend of musical discovery and camaraderie.  See you next year in the portal!

  • Vote in MarchSCampness from SummerCamp & Win Tickets and More!

    We are deep into March Madness and the counselors at Summer Camp have launched their own March SCampness.

    Fans of the Midwest festival on Memorial Day weekend are encouraged to vote for their favorite aspects of Summer Camp. Voting also enters fans in contests for VIPupgrades, Red Barn late night tickets, Thursday pre-party tickets, and more! Round 2 voting is now open through Wednesday, March 23!

    Counselor Carmel shed some light on the MarchSCampness:

    We really wanted to highlight the uniqueness of Summer Camp. There are a lot of festivals out there, but not many of them have survived as long as Summer Camp has. There are these deep seeded elements that add to our community and traditions that keep us all coming back every year. This will be my 12th. The idea came about from Brad and was an evolution of a Umphrey’s McGee bracket we did last year in our Summer Camp group. That was an idea of Alex, one of our Camp Counselors. We had such a good response that festival management wanted to take it one step further this year.

    Of the remaining rounds, the Sweet Sixteen ends tonight, Wednesday, March 23. The Elite Eight runs Thursday, March 24 until Saturday, March 26. Voting for the Final Four will be held Sunday, March 27 through Tuesday, March 29. And the Championship round will last two days: Wednesday, March 30 and Thursday, March 31.

    Prizes include SCamp Merch Packages (five winners), Thursday pre-party tickets (three winners), pair of Red Barn late night tickets of your choice (two winners), and VIP Upgrade with your choice of Red Barn late night tickets (two winners). Read more about the rules here.

  • Q-Tip Named First-Ever Hip Hop Curator at Kennedy Center

    Breakout hip hop artist Kendrick Lamar may have created a culture shift at Kennedy Center. When it was announced last year that Lamar would perform at the storied national landmark, tickets sold swiftly. And while Lamar wasn’t the first hip hop artist to perform at Kennedy, he was the one who kickstarted a movement to push for more hip hop on the center’s Washington, D.C. marquee.

    To celebrate the 100th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s birth, Kennedy Center has named Yo-Yo Ma, Renee Fleming and St. Albans, Queens native Q-Tip (née, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed) as artistic advisors for the 2016-2017 season.

    Q-Tip Kennedy Center

    The naming of its first-ever hip hop curator marks a milestone in Kennedy Center’s storied history. Q-Tip will curate the inaugural Hip Hop Culture series this season, recognizing the genre’s contributions to society. In a press release, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts quotes Q-Tip:

    With Hip Hop constantly changing and evolving, it is easy to forget the history and legacy that precede it. I want to begin at the beginning of the Culture to help people see its roots, better understand its present, and responsibly create its future.

    Q-Tip rose to prominence as one of the founding members of Queens hip hop collective, A Tribe Called Quest, a main force in what was to become the Native Tongues Posse, which also included Long Island trio De La Soul. Tribe was revolutionary in its sampling techniques and incorporating jazz elements into its music.

    A Tribe Called Quest recently re-released a 25th anniversary edition of its highly influential debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, in November.

    Kennedy Center’s Hip Hop Culture Season Calendar:

    Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Schedule 2016

  • Hearing Aide: Town Mountain’s ‘Southern Crescent’

    Town’s Mountain’s soon to be released album Southern Crescent can be characterized as straight up bluegrass, with a classic rock twist and a dash of zydeco mixed in for good measure. The fact that this band is based out of Asheville, North Carolina – a particularly nurturing place for musicians – really comes through in Town Mountain’s music, as they seem as if they are totally comfortable in their skin. Town Mountain is comprised of Robert Greer on vocals and guitar, Jesse Langlais on banjo and vocals, Bobby Britt on fiddle, Phil Barker on mandolin and vocals, and Nick DiSebastian on bass. These guys are no joke: in 2013, Town Mountain was the recipient of two International Bluegrass Music Awards Momentum Awards, including Band of the Year and Vocalist of the Year for lead singer Robert Greer. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see these guys at an upcoming bluegrass festival like Grey Fox or Delfest, as they have got something special.

    Recorded in old-time music great Dirk Powell’s Cypress House Studio in Beaux Bridge, Louisiana, in the heart of the bayou, the swampy, twangy, old-timey sound truly comes through on Town Mountain’s fifth album. Huddled around microphones recording their unplugged instruments, with minimal editing, gave this album an almost live quality, giving the listener the feeling of almost being there at one of Town Mountain’s concerts.

    Let’s face it: on any given album, there is typically one song you might think is a bit of a dud, but it is not a lie to say that all the songs on this album are winners. Southern Crescent kicks things off with “St. Augustine,” a one-minute instrumental traditional bluegrass ditty, setting the tone for what’s to come, which is something magical. Although many of the songs sound familiar, like they could be a traditional bluegrass cover, band members Jesse Langlais and Phil Barker, in collaboration with the other band members of course, write the majority of the band’s songs. Many of the lyrics deal with common country/bluegrass themes, such as traveling, hard living, love lost, and gambling, but Town Mountain puts their own twist on things, often adding witty words or chord changes to throw things a bit off what the listener is expecting.

    It becomes evident that these guys are truly dedicated musicians who must spend hours practicing together on a regular basis, especially on songs such as “Ain’t Gonna Worry Me,” which features both flawless falsetto vocals by lead vocalist Greer, and excellent harmonies by Langlais, Barker, and DiSebastian, as well tricky time signature changes, which the band made seem easy. “Comin’ Back to You” introduces a more classic rock side of the band, featuring a nice surprising piano solo, while “Leroy’s Reel” takes the listener on a more international journey, sounding alternately Irish, French, and Russian. Throughout the entire album, though, the band stays true to their bluegrass roots, giving equal opportunities for each band member to step forward and take a solo on each and every tune.

    Due out on April 1, Southern Crescent is a must-have for any bluegrass aficionado, although with its inclusion of classic rock and zydeco influences, the appeal of this album goes well beyond just bluegrass fans. The live quality of the recording, added to the danceability of the tunes, will most likely entice you to want to see them perform live, so be sure to check out their website for numerous upcoming tour dates, including a stop in Manhattan at the Hill Country BBQ on April 8. Be sure to check them out if you’re in town, and while you’re at it, pick up a copy of Southern Crescent! You won’t be anything short of amazed.

    Key Tracks: Comin’ Back to You, Wildbird, Tick on a Dog

  • Strange Machines Announce Extensive Spring Tour

    Strange Machines are embarking on their biggest tour to date this spring, traveling to lots of new places and sharing the stage with great bands such as Dopapod, Consider the Source, Broccoli Samurai, Formula 5 and more!

    The guys are fresh off a successful winter tour which included headlining at some of the Northeast’s premiere venues and a show opening for Twiddle in New Haven, Connecticut. This band has been upping the ante with each and every performance and show no signs of slowing down. Check the dates below and come see what all the hype is about.

    March 20 Brooklyn, NY | Brooklyn Bowl *~
    March 24 Syracuse, NY | Funk ‘n Waffles *
    March 25 Buffalo, NY | Buffalo Iron Works *
    April 15 Northampton, MA | Bishop’s Lounge
    April 16 Bridgeport, CT | The Acoustic #
    April 23 Plymouth, NH | PSU Earth Jam
    April 28 Albany, NY | Parish Public House +
    April 29 Ithaca, NY | The Haunt *^
    April 30 Boston, MA | The Sinclair %
    May 6 Newmarket, NH | The Stone Church $
    May 7 Burlington, VT | Nectar’s +
    May 18 Washington, D.C. | Gypsy Sally’s ^
    May 19 Virginia Beach, VA | Doc Taylor’s
    May 20 TBA
    May 21 Bedford, PA | Domefest
    May 28 Great Barrington, MA | MASSGathering (2 sets)
    June 9 Stephentown, NY | Disc Jam Music Festival
    July 30 Croydon, NH | Wild Woods Music Festival

    % w/ Dopapod
    # w/ Consider the Source
    * w/ Broccoli Samurai
    ^ w/ Mister F
    ~ w/ Flux Capacitor
    + w/ Hayley Jane & The Primates
    $ w/ Formula 5

  • Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy Tour Makes 3 New York Stops

    Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy announced that they will be play a short tour together, which will make stops in Port Chester, New York City and Canandaigua.

    Guitarist Jeff Beck and bluesman Buddy Guy will co-headline the tour this summer. It kicks off July 19 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester and ends Aug. 10 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The tour includes stops at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City on July 20 and CMAC in Canandaigua on July 29. They also make a couple other stops in the Northeast at the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey on July 23 and the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey.

    Jeff Beck, who replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds in 1965, has been a guitar powerhouse for the past 50 plus years. He credits blues great Buddy Guy as being a major influence on his career. Beck said in a press release, “Sharing the stage and this moment with Buddy is a dream for me. His concerts are legendary, and the music world would be a very boring place without his influence.”

    In addition to the co-headlining dates, Jeff Beck is scheduled for a couple solo shows at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut on July 22 and at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. More dates for the tour with Buddy Guy are expected to be announced.

    Jeff Beck/Buddy Guy tour dates:
    July 19 – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
    July 20 – Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
    July 22 – Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, CT *
    July 23 – Borgata Spa & Resort Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ
    July 24 – Sands Bethlehem Event Center, Bethlehem, PA *
    July 26 – PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
    July 27 – Wolf Trap for the Performing Arts, Vienna, VA
    July 29 – Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Perf. Arts Center, Canandaigua, NY
    July 30 – Meadow Brook, Rochester Hills, MI
    July 31 – Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL
    August 3 – Ascend Amphitheatre, Nashville, TN
    August 10 – Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA

    * Jeff Beck solo show

  • Venue Change: Cage the Elephant to Play Albany’s Palace Theatre, May 11

    On Tues. May 11, rock band Cage the Elephant will now play a 7 p.m. show at the Palace Theatre in Albany. The group was originally scheduled to perform at the Times Union Center. Tickets purchased prior to the venue change will be honored. Floor seat holders are granted general admission access to the orchestra section of the Palace, and all reserved tickets will have general admission seating in the balcony section. Tickets for both price levels ($45 floor; $37.50 balcony) are still available for purchase at the Palace Theatre box office at 19 Clinton Ave. or through Ticketmaster. NYS Music was on hand to cover Cage the Elephant’s stop at Rochester’s Main Street Armory in March for the Spring Fling Tour; read more here.

    Original Post:

    The Grammy-nominated rock band Cage the Elephant will head out in May on a string of tour dates that will route the Kentucky alt-rockers to several venues in New York and neighboring states, plus stops in nearby Toronto and Montreal.

    cage the elephant palace theatre
    Jack White will release new album “Boarding House Reach” on Friday, March 23.

    The headlining North American tour kicks off May 1 in Little Rock, Arkansas, before CTE stops in Canada and takes the stage at Times Union Center in Albany on May 11, the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, on May 15, and at SummerStage in New York City’s Central Park May 16. Supporting acts for this run are Portugal. The Man, Broncho and Twin Peaks.

    Prior to launching the 34-date cross-country trek, which comes to a close June 26 in Phoenix, Arizona, the band is continuing Spring Fling Tour with Silversun Pickups, Foals and Bear Hands with shows billed in Pittsburgh on March 25, at the Main Street Armory in Rochester on March 26, First Niagara Center in Buffalo on March 28, XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, March 30, followed by Portland, Maine, and Providence, Rhode Island.

    The high-energy quartet consists of singer Matt Shultz, guitarist Brad Shultz, bassist Daniel Tichenor and drummer Jared Champion. CTE is hitting the road following the release of their fourth studio album, Tell Me I’m Pretty. A follow-up to 2013’s Melophobia with hits “Come a Little Closer” and “Cigarette Daydreams,” the 10-track record produced by Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys, The Arcs) debuted in December and features the alternative chart-topping single “Mess Around.” CTE has shared the stage with Foo Fighters, Muse and Queens of the Stone Age, among other big-name artists, and most recently, the group performed on the Late Late Show with James Corden, the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Conan.

    Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, March 18 at 10 a.m. Passes for the upcoming New York dates are currently available through the band’s website, the respective venues and ticketing sites like Ticketmaster.

    Cage the Elephant tour dates:

    3/16 – Don Haskins Center – El Paso, TX ~
    3/18 – Cox Business Center Arena – Tulsa, OK ~
    3/19 – Landers Center – Southaven, MS ~
    3/20 – Freedom Hall Civic Center – Johnson City, TN ~
    3/22 – Richmond Coliseum – Richmond, VA ~
    3/23 – Constant Convocation Center – Norfolk, VA ~
    3/25 – Petersen Events Center, University of Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh, PA ~
    3/26 – Main Street Armory – Rochester, NY ~
    3/28 – First Niagara Center – Buffalo, NY
    3/30 – XL Center – Hartford, CT ~
    3/31 – Cross Insurance Arena – Portland, ME ~
    4/1 – Dunkin Donuts Arena – Providence, RI ~
    5/1 – Verizon Arena – Little Rock, AR *
    5/3 – Chesapeake Energy Arena – Oklahoma City, OK *
    5/4 – INTRUST Bank Arena – Wichita, KS *
    5/6 – DeltaPlex – Grand Rapids, MI *
    5/7 – Masonic Temple Theatre – Detroit, MI *
    5/8 – International Centre, Arrow Hall – Toronto, ON *
    5/10 – Bell Centre – Montreal, QC *
    5/11 – Palace Theatre – Albany, NY *
    5/15 – Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD *
    5/16 – SummmerStage, Central Park – New York City, NY *
    5/19 – Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TN *
    5/20 – Infinite Energy Arena – Duluth, GA *
    5/21 – Hangout Festival – Gulf Shores, AL
    6/3 – KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, KY ^
    6/4 – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica – Cleveland, OH ^
    6/5 – EXPRESS LIVE! – Columbus, OH ^
    6/7 – UIC Pavilion – Chicago, IL %
    6/9 – BMO Harris Pavilion – Milwaukee, WI %
    6/10 – U.S. Bank Theater at Target Center – Minneapolis, MN ^
    6/11 – Coliseum at Alliant Energy Center – Madison, WI ^
    6/14 – Calgary Stampede Corral – Calgary, AB ^
    6/15 – Shaw Convention Centre – Edmonton, AB ^
    6/17 – PNE Forum – Vancouver, BC ^
    6/18 – McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater – Portland, OR ^
    6/19 – WaMu Theater – Seattle, WA ^
    6/21 – Shrine Auditorium – Los Angeles, CA %
    6/22 – Valley View Casino Center – San Diego, CA %
    6/23 – Bill Graham Civic – San Francisco, CA %
    6/25 – The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Las Vegas, NV ^
    6/26 – Gila River Arena – Phoenix, AZ ^

    ~ Spring Fling tour dates with Silversun Pickups, Foals and Bear Hands
    * with Portugal, The Man + Broncho
    ^ with Portugal, The Man + Twin Peaks
    % with Portugal, The Man

  • Cradle of Filth Unleashes ‘Inquisitional Torture Tour’ On Cleveland

    Not since 2011, have the states been graced by one of the most renown British metal bands, Cradle of Filth. The North American Inquisitional Torture Tour was meant to kick off in Philadelphia, PA on January 26, but the first four dates were cancelled due to visa issues. The tour kicked off on January 31 in Charlotte, NC and wrapped up in New York, NY on March 8 before heading back overseas.

    Joining Cradle of Filth on this tour were Los Angeles natives, Butcher Babies and the Australian Progressive Death Metal band, Ne Obliviscaris, who were embarking on their first US tour.

    Cradle of FilthOn March 3rd, the House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio fell under siege to the trio of metal bands. A long line of Cradle of Filth fans outside the venue, braving the elements eagerly waiting for the show. Some with their faces painted and donning wildly colored contacts similar to those of Cradle’s vocalist, Dani Filth.

    The night started off with Ne Obliviscaris, who immediately won the crowd over. From the powerful screams and growling vocals of Xenoyr to the clean vocals and symphonic cries of the violin by Tim Charles along with guitarists Benjamin Baret and Matt Klavins, bassist Brendan Brown and drummer Daniel Presland, this band knew how to leave you wanting more.  Their 2015 EPs Sarabande to Nihil and Hiraeth are worth checking out.

    Cradle of FilthIt’s always refreshing to see women, dominating the stage in the metal world and that’s just what the Butcher Babies did. With their their aggressive stage attire and vocals, the band’s frontwomen Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey kept the crowd screaming. Backed by Henry Flury on guitar, Jason Klein on Bass and Chrissy Warner on drums, the band played songs from their 2015 album, “Take It Like A Man.”

    Setlist: National Bloody Anthem, Blonde Girls All Look the Same, The Butcher, Gravemaker, Igniter, Jesus Needs More Babies for His War Machine, Monster’s Ball, Magnolia Blvd., The Deathsurround, Goliath, I Smell a Massacre and Axe Wound.

    Cradle of Filth’s long awaited US Tour brought fans flocking from out of state to Cleveland’s House of Blues. The band serenaded the crowd with favorites from albums past in addition to songs from their new album Hammer Of The Witches, the album cover which also made for the background for the stage. Frontman Dani’s entered the stage in spiked attire, a painted face and ghoulish contact lenses, later adding of a crown of horns. With their sometimes dark and provocatively poetic lyrics, symphonic musical style and macabre imagery  a Cradle of Filth performance is always a glorious spectacle. With the unique vocals of Dani Filth in addition to the vocal power of keyboardist, Lindsay Schoolcraft along with Martin ‘Marthus’ Skaroupka on drums, guitarists Richard Shaw and Marek ‘Ashok’ Šmerda, bassist Daniel Firth, Cradle of Filth never fails to deliver and outstanding performance.

    Setlist: Humana Inspired to Nightmare (Intro), Heaven Torn Asunder, Gilded Cunt, Blackest Magick in Practice, Lord Abortion, The Graveyard by Moonlight, Malice Through the Looking Glass, Right Wing of the Garden Triptych, Born in a Burial Gown, Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids, Nymphetamine (Fix), Her Ghost in the Fog, The Twisted Nails of Faith, Yours Immortally, From the Cradle to Enslave, At the Gates of Midian, Cthulhu Dawn, The Principle of Evil Made Flesh and The Forest Whispers My Name.