NYS Music 20​16

Category: Albany

  • New York AG Announces Settlement With Ticket Brokers Worth $2.76 Million

    As NYS Music reported in January, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman released a report putting the concert ticketing industry on blast. That report found that at least 54 percent of tickets for the biggest shows were being set aside for privileged pre-sale or industry insiders. The report also found ticketing agencies using bots to purchase tickets to be resold at much higher prices on resale sites.

    Last week, the AG’s office announced a settlement has been reached with six ticket brokering companies as a result of this report. This week, Schniederman pressured the major players, including StubHub, Ticketmaster and VividSeats, to level the playing field for the general public looking for tickets to big-ticket shows.

    AG Shneiderman
    New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman

    New York law requires ticket re-sellers to be licensed in the state and prohibits them from using bots to buy tickets for resale.  The six firms found to be in violation of state law that are settling with the state on this issue are TicketToad.com, Flying Falco Entertainment of California (doing business as Avery Tickets), Charm City Entertainment, All Events Utah (all out of state) and two New York-based brokers, Just in Time Tickets and A2Z Tix. All but Charm City were found to have used bots in purchasing tickets.

    The settlement among the four brokers has thus far totaled $2.76 million. Charm City skated with a $100,000 settlement, while Flying Falco coughed up the largest settlement at $1,125,000.

    In a statement, Schneiderman said:

    Ticketing is a fixed game. The industry’s tactics prevent New Yorkers from getting tickets at affordable prices, or even getting them at all. Now we are calling on the major industry players to take steps to address these issue.

    According to the Daily News, ticket brokers are willing to work with the attorney general. StubHub has issued a response: “We are in receipt of the letter and are currently reviewing the AG’s request.”

    In his press release, Schneiderman laid the gauntlet:

    Our office has zero tolerance for ticket resellers that use illegal bots to scoop up large numbers of tickets for popular events before consumers can obtain them, and then resell those tickets to those very same consumers at a large markup.  New Yorkers deserve a fairer ticket marketplace.  Our office will continue to enforce New York’s ticket laws by investigating ticket brokers who are breaking our laws, and making them pay for their illegal acts.

    Schneiderman is making the effort and succeeding thus far. It only serves the music industry as a whole for ticket brokers to follow suit. True fans have been getting shut out of tickets for their favorite shows for too long and government is finally catching up with the technology that has kept these fans from those tickets.

    Fans can support face-value ticket re-sale by using websites like cashortrade.org.

  • Interview: NYS Music Talks moe.down, Jam Cruise with moe. Drummer Vinnie Amico

    moe. drummer Vinnie Amico took some time out before a recent show at the Hollow in Albany with Floodwood and Gratefully Yours for an interview with NYS Music’s Neil Benjamin Jr.

    Vin gave some answers about the future of moe.down (spoiler alert: It’s not dead!). He also discussed moe.’s just-announced Jam Cruise appearance, the Floodwood lineup change, his history of playing the Grateful Dead, his many sit-ins, his degree in economics, and plenty more!

  • The Wild Feathers MOVE at The Hollow

    Hardworking Nashville-based band, The Wild Feathers made their first appearance in Albany on Friday April 22 as part of the weekend wide MOVE Music Festival.

    Music lovers filled into The Hollow awaiting an 11:30pm appearance from the band who feature original members, Ricky Young, (guitar, vocals), Taylor Burns, (guitar, vocals), Joel King, (bass, vocals), and Ben Dumas, (drums). Burns’ explosive vocals meshed perfectly with Young and King who all share lead vocals during the 13-song set.

    Fan favorite, The Ceiling closed out the set which drew Young into the audience. Shining on guitar was Nashville guitar phenom Daniel Donato who makes an instant impact and valuable addition to The Wild Feathers’ live show.

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  • Talking Bernie & 4/20

    We sit around in the green room at The Hollow in Albany, NY, listening to the muffled sounds of Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets play their opening set of the 4/20 Party above us.  From my left to my right sit Formula 5’s Joe Davis (guitar, vocals), Matt Richards (keys, synth, vocals), and James Woods (bass).  They’re a great group of guys who have an incredible rapport, making fun of one another and seldom not laughing or smiling.  It’s no wonder they have a symbiotic stage presence and ability to make the music talk to the crowd.

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    We start talking about the fact that they are playing their first official 4/20 party and what kind of importance the day has.  Aside from the obvious sociopolitical talking points and stoner jokes, Joe quickly says, “It’s just another day,” which receives instant consensus from his bandmates.  They talk about how the day does mean a lot to many people and it’s a great opportunity to play a show on a day that’s so widely celebrated.

    Formula 5 is no stranger to playing in front of large crowds during massive celebrations.  The Monday before, they played in front of 4,000 people at the Albany Rally for Bernie Sanders, at which the 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate gave an invigorating and inspiring speech.  When asked about their individual experiences they all gave answers filled with excitement and pride, reflecting on a day that they really didn’t see coming.

    Matt’s friend, Brian Maier, organized the rally and invited Formula 5 to be the musical act to support Bernie.  Since the event was planned and announced in short order, the band found out only two days before, on Saturday.  “It all happened really quickly,” said Woods.  “Matt let us know (Saturday night) that [the rally] was Monday morning.”

    Load-in was Sunday night and first set started at 11 AM on Monday.  It was an experience few bands ever get; organizing with Secret Service, playing for a large room where people attending were there for something other than music, and the intensity of meeting one of the most popular Presidential candidates in the history of the US.

    “It was a sweet experience for us,” said Joe.  “I had never been to a political rally or anything like that before.  To go to one in my hometown and to be a part of it was pretty sweet.”  He went on to talk about how, contrary to what he thought an event like that might be like, the energy was very high and attributed it to Bernie’s ability to really get a crowd excited about changing the country for the better.

    Matt added that their exposure as a band has grown quite tremendously since being able to support Bernie Sanders at his rally.  Playing for 4,000 people and getting publicly thanked by Bernie at the commencement of his speech has boosted their social media support by the hundreds and grew their video exposure by the thousands.  “It was a very surreal experience playing to that many people,” he said.  “It was very different from any show we’ve ever played; not just the experience, but the atmosphere itself.”

    Being entertainment for the day, while not being the main attraction, along with the typical club security experience being replaced by Secret Service police officers made for a truly unique adventure.  Matt was probably the most excited to talk about dealing with the Secret Service.  “It was kind of cool just being backstage in an area where no one is allowed to be,” which is quite different from even the most strict security at the green room door.  Matt continued to boast about Secret Service commanding him that he wasn’t allowed to be backstage and being able to reply, “No, I can. I actually can. I’m in the band.”

    Even with Matt’s ability to tell those federal police officers what was what, they still had to follow strict protocol, especially when getting to meet Bernie after his speech was done.  They were guided in very structured fashion to what they called, in unison, the “safe room.”

    After we wrapped up our conversation they took the stage.  They instantly galvanized the crowd by opening up with a flow of “Q&A” into Phish’s “Makisupa Policeman,” followed by “Pokeman Battle Theme” and then back into “Q&A.”  For a relatively young band Formula 5 has an ability to act as one musical organism as if their 4 years was more like 14.  They paid homage to the day of celebration by playing “Low Rider,” featuring Mister F’s Scott Hannay on synth, as well as laying down a crowd favorite “Legalize It” jam.

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    If you didn’t get a chance to see this 4/20 show, don’t fret.  The momentum of Formula 5’s schedule won’t be stifled any time soon.  Their summer is filled with great shows and festivals, some of which they couldn’t even share because of impending announcements.  Their announced festival billings include Disc Jam and Ohana Music and Art Festival.  They also have some exciting shows coming up including a few with Dude of Life, Steve Pollak, and his band, Fluid Druids. Keep an eye on Formula 5’s Facebook page and website to keep track of updates to their growing summer schedule.

  • Sevendust’s Lajon Witherspoon Talks Tour, Family, and More

    Sevendust has been around for 20 years, but the last 12 months may have been their biggest yet. The band has attracted a lot of new fans thanks to a well-deserved Grammy nomination. They released their most acclaimed album to date: Kill the Flaw. They just played sold out shows in New Zealand and Australia. And… starting today they are headlining a tour here in the states.

    As front man, Lajon Witherspoon said to NYS Music, “This (Sevendust) is a great thing, we can never stop now. After the Grammy nomination it created a spark and it opened the door.” The door has been opened and Sevendust is taking advantage.

    This will be the band’s first headlining tour since the Grammy nomination for their song “Thank you,” and if the set lists from Australia are any indication of what’s to come, fans are going to be excited to hear some classics mixed into the new. Lajon said that the band “is not sure of the set list, yet. (It’s hard) setting up and picking a set list with so much music.” But they do plan on tapping into each album, to “make it a true Sevendust experience.”

    As for new music, besides Kill the Flaw, the band is constantly coming up with new stuff. LJ explained that “(They) have grown as writers, grown as artists, and grown as men.” They have families now, and take the much needed time away to reset and do things the right way. This keeps the music fresh-minded, and obviously with recent success, relevant.  Lajon also squashed any rumors, past or present, of this being the band’s last tour, “we can never stop now, the cats in the band really love each other.”

    Time off the road is as important as time on the road, especially with young kids. Lajon welcomed a son into the world in December, and juggled that with the Grammy nomination, a New Years Eve show and planning the New Zealand/Australia and the U.S. tours. Before going on the road, he even fit time in to watch his daughter’s first softball game.

    Being an attentive dad and a great musician is in Lajon’s blood. His father was in a disco era band, and he remembers going to see his dad play around Nashville as a young kid. “The instruments were so much bigger. I got to go to sound check and I still remember the colors on the walls and wanting to be an artist.” Those experiences laid the groundwork for Witherspoon’s start in music – initially soul, and then bringing that soul to the metal world. It’s that unique sound that has helped influence many bands in the metal and hard rock scene today, the fusion of soul and metal.

    The Kill the Flaw tour consists of thirteen headlining dates and a rock festival nearly every weekend. For the headlining shows, you can expect well over an hour of high-energy rock and roll. Get to the shows early because one of metal’s new stars, Like A Storm, will be opening the shows, and perennial powerhouse, Trivium, is providing direct support. This is a line-up that you can’t miss.

    Mark your calendar, the dates are:

    Apr. 26 – Baton Rouge, LA @ The Varsity Theatre
    Apr. 27 – Birmingham, AL @ Iron City
    Apr. 29 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
    Apr. 30 – Fort Myers, FL @ Fort Rock
    May 01 – Jacksonville, FL @ Welcome To Rockville
    May 03 – New York, NY @ Playstation Theater
    May 05 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater
    May 07 – Charlotte, NC @ Carolina Rebellion
    May 08 – Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head
    May 13 – Clear Lake, IA @ Surf Ballroom
    May 15 – Somerset, WI @ Northern Invasion
    May 17 – Sioux Falls, SD @ The District
    May 18 – Arlington Heights, IL @ Home Bar
    May 20 – Columbus, OH @ Rock On The Range
    May 21 – Reading, PA @ Reverb
    May 22 – Schaghticoke (Albany), NY @ Rock ‘n Derby
    May 24 – Flint, MI @ Machine Shop
    May 25 – Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
    May 27 – Shreveport, LA @ Riverside Warehouse
    May 28 – Pryor, OK @ Rocklahoma

    Note: 2016 has been a rough year for music legends, we’ve lost David Bowie, Merle Haggard, Phife Dawg, Glenn Frey, and now Prince. I found out about all the deaths in the normal way, well, the normal way “now” – through social media, except Prince. I found out about Prince’s death from another rock legend, Sevendust’s Lajon Witherspoon. We were on the phone talking about the upcoming tour, Grammy nominations, and influences. And, like any musician over the past 40 years, Prince touched LJ’s work, and like any music lover over that same time frame, Prince touched my life. When Lajon told me that him and his publicist, Kevin Chiaramonte, just heard Prince passed, I was truly at a lost for words.

  • Rochester’s Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Returning To Buffalo

    Since forming in 2001, Rochester’s  Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad (GPGDS) has been a steady force in the reggae and jam scene. The five piece band includes James Searl on bass and vocals, Chris O’Brian on drums and vocals, Dylan Savage on guitar and vocals, Dan Keller on guitar and vocals and Tony Gallicchi on keys.

    GPGDS notes some of its musical influences as Burning Spear, Sublime, Phish and Bob Marley and the Wailers. The band has been playing at least 100 shows a year recently and have toured through many countries. They have played at music festivals like the Peach, All Good, Mountain Jam and Gathering Of The Vibes. Their current Where There’s Smoke Tour rolls into Buffalo this Saturday April 16 at the Tralf Music Hall.

    Their latest album was released May 15 last year. It has a heavy bluegrass and country influence and features G. Love and his harmonica on the track “Humbolt County Gold.” It’s a welcome change hearing the addition of a banjo on a few tracks. Bright Days goes a long way to show how far the band has come and breaks down any barriers labeling the band in just the jam or reggae genres.

    Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad’s unique sounds and melodies will surely have your feet moving from the first beat. If any of their previous performances at the Tralf Music Hall are evidence of what is to come on April 16, you are not going to want to miss this show. Doors at 8:00 P.M.  The show begins around 9:00 P.M.

    If unable to catch GPGDS in Buffalo, the band is taking part in the MOVE Music Festival in Albany April 23.

  • Rock legends, The Cult “Hustle and Strut” at Upstate Concert Hall

    Rock legends, The Cult, ventured into Clifton Park’s Upstate Concert Hall on Saturday April 2, 2016 to a mixed macho crowd of mid 40-somethings. Formed in 1983, the British rockers gained a solid following due to songs like “She Sells Sanctuary” and “Fire Woman”. Thirty-three years later the bands latest release, “Hidden City:, the last in a trilogy of tightly woven albums features hard hitting and catchy tracks like,”GOAT” and Dark Energy”. What continues the bands long standing success and popularity are lead singer, Ian Astbury and Gretsch guitar toting god Billy Duffy. The two are also often credited as the two major songwriting talents for the band who have ten full length studio releases.
    The band led off with the 1987’s “Wild Flower” from the mega popular, Rick Rubin produced album, “Electric”. Throughout the 15 song set list Astbury projected a re-invented energy that seemed to be missing from parts of the “Electric” anniversary tour a few  years prior.  Fingers, sporting fresh tape from previous nights dominance of the tambourine resulting in numerous cuts only adds fuel to the passion that has always been the music of The Cult. Perhaps the catchiest new tune of the night is “GOAT” which means “Greatest of All Time”. A song that more than fitting for one of the worlds most talented lead guitarist, Duffy

    Opening up for The Cult was Holy White Hounds out of Des Moines, Iowa. Obvious fans of The Cult, frontman Brenton Dean duly noted how excited the foursome continues to be each evening to be opening for the band. The bands super short 7-song set list was a tad too brief to gain any real connection with the crowd but Dean kept his humor and energy in tact as well as his rapport with long time friend and bass player Ambrose Lupercal. The bands debut album, “Sparkle Sparkle” is scheduled to be released on May 6th with a return to Upstate Concert Hall on May 7th.

    The Cult – April 2, 2016 – Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, NY – Setlist

    Wild Flower, Dark Energy, Rain, Hinterland, Rise, Gone, Lil’ Devil, Birds of Paradise, Deeply Ordered Chaos, Sweet Soul Sister, Fire Woman, Phoenix, She Sells Sanctuary, GOAT, Love Removal Machine

  • Fridays in April at Parish Public House, Presented by NYS Music

    NYS Music is proud to announce the lineup for Fridays in April at Parish Public House, one of Albany’s premier music venues with a taste of New Orleans infused throughout the beer selection, decor and menu.

    April 8 – The Deadbeats

    Playing the music of The Grateful Dead, Phish, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Janis Joplin and so much more! The Deadbeats are based in New Paltz/Albany, NY, and have been one of the hardest working bands in the Northeast since their inception in 1993.  In all the years of playing together, they have amassed a large and loyal following of fans who appreciate the open ended, participatory nature of their performances. Along with a virtually inexhaustible repertoire of cover tunes, they have a considerable amount of original material. The Deadbeats are actually able to please most of the people most of the time. The Deadbeats play the first Friday of every month at the Parish Public House and every Wednesday night at The Low Beat.

    April 15 – Blind Owl Band

    Hailing from Saranac Lake, NY, in the heart of the Adirondack mountains, The Blind Owl Band has been creating what they call Freight Train String Music since 2010. And a freight train it truly is. Although the quartet’s sound is rooted in traditional stringed instruments (guitar, basses, banjo and mandolin), their music surges forward with the strength and power of a hundred-ton diesel locomotive. Songs barrel down the tracks with momentum and intensity normally found in much heavier, heavily amplified music. They’ve played on almost every festival east of the Mississippi and shared the stage with countless artists across all genres of the musical spectrum. Looking ahead into 2016, the band will begin recording their as-yet-untitled third full length album in early spring, with an eye toward a mid-summer release. This freight train has no one conductor but four shovel boys pushing the limits of their engine night after night, so climb aboard and get ready for a one-of-a-kind ride.

    April 22 – MOVE Music Festival

    The MOVE Music Festival is a Indian ledge Music Group production. The festival will consist of approximately 100 acts performing at venues across Albany, New York on April 22-24 2016. The main purpose of this event is to give exposure to regional talent through live performances at select venues and provide musicians with insight on how to conduct their careers in today’s independent music scene. Music starts at 6pm on Friday, April 22 with multiple bands performing throughout the evening. Check back for updates when the schedule is released.

    April 29 – Lord Electro

    Hailing from Albany, NY Lord Electro quickly emerged on the scene in 2015 with their organic high energy Live-Electro/trance music. This has proven to generate quite the dance party! After making a name for themselves with their first show at Bellstock 21 LE played a run of Summer and Fall dates in markets across NY and New England including opening for The New Deal in Saratoga, NY this past November. With experienced musicians Dan Gerken (Timbre Coup, Groovestick) and Steve Mink (Digital Dharma) behind the tones and the addition of Jordan “George” LeFleur on the drumkit this trio is a force to be reckoned with and a magnificent display of organic improv on the dance floor.

  • 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.