NYS Music 20​16

Category: Capital Region

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • March Madness 2016: And the Winner is… Sprocket!

    At midnight on Sunday night, NYS Music closed the polls on another successful March Madness. With only a handful of votes separating Capital Region blues rockers Sly Fox and the Hustlers, and Brooklyn’s best kept secret, Sprocket. When the dust settled, Sprocket had 51% of the final vote in this year’s March Madness. It was truly a case of every vote counting and the NYC jam community stepped it up.

    The quartet got their name from the dog in Fraggle Rock, and includes members Thomas Tompkins, Nate Rosler, Dan Haller, and Angelo Miliano. They have been around since 2011 but it wasn’t until last year that they ventured out of the Big Apple.  Besides playing a few key shows in Upstate New York, Sprocket also played to a sold out Hard Rock in Chicago during Fare Thee Well last summer.

    sprocket march madnessAs far as March Madness was concerned, the band didn’t know they were even in the tournament at first. Tompkins said, “I saw the bracket come up on my (Facebook) newsfeed and thought, ‘It would be cool to be a part of that,’ automatically thinking we weren’t. Then saw we were. That was pretty awesome.” Haller added, “We were honored, frankly. We know, respect and have had the pleasure of playing with a bunch of the bands in our bracket, and were honored to be in such great company!”

    Fueled by social media votes started coming in, Sprocket had to face Tim Britt from the Utica area in the first round and Buffalo’s Second Trip in the second round to make it onto the Sweet Sixteen.

    Dan Haller commented on the support Sprocket got from it’s dedicated followers, “It was really fun to get our fanbase engaged in spreading the word about the contest. We were pulling for a bunch of bands in the tournament, including Sly Fox and The Hustlers, who we squared off against in the finals.”

    sprocketIn the Sweet Sixteen, Sprocket narrowly escaped the round with 53% of the vote over Saratoga’s Let’s Be Leonard. That win had them faced off against Northern Faces and a win carried them into the Final Four.

    Tompkins has spent the time to listen to every band in the tournament and there are already plans in the works to play with a few of them. “I really enjoyed the energy and vibe from Sly Fox, which was that you know you’re going to have a good time seeing them. After that I reached out to Gary.” Haller added, “Plans are even being made for us to share the stage in a few months.” Tompkins gave props to the tourney, “The contest has been helpful already in getting the name out there.”

    In the Final Four, Sprocket faced off against Big Mean Sound Machine from Ithaca, before going toe to toe with Sly Fox and the Hustlers in the Finals.

    What’s next for Sprocket? There are discussions of starting a Brooklyn-based festival for a contingent of bands from the city. And sometime in the future there are dreams of hopping on the “Sprocket Rocket” and playing a show on the moon.  There are also plans on a second record and hopes to see the band at a few festivals this summer.

    Upcoming Shows:
    4/13 at Goldsounds in Brooklyn with Eminence Ensemble
    6/6 at Brooklyn Bowl w/ The Jauntee and Tweed

  • 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

  • NYS Music’s 2016 March Madness – The Finals

    And then there were two … We started NYS Music March Madness 2016 with 64 New York State bands who are all ready to make a name for themselves outside their local scenes. These fresh faces were spread over many genres and all over The Empire State. In fact, our Final Four represented four distinct regions around the state; Folkfaces in Buffalo, Big Mean Sound Machine from Ithaca, Sly Fox and the Hustlers representing the Capital Region and Sprocket from New York City.

    But only two bands could make it to the finals, so congratulations to the blues-rock stylings of Sly Fox and the Hustlers and Brooklyn’s newest jam sensation, Sprocket.

    Sly Fox and the Hustlers is a high-energy blues/funk band band out of the Capital Region. The band formed in 2010 and has shared the stage with many notable names within their genre, such as Blues Traveler, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robin Trower, and Soulive’s Sam Kininger.  Their latest full-length LP American Gypsy was released earlier this year and is available on their website.

    Brooklyn’s jam quartet, Sprocket, was conceived in late 2011 and didn’t work their way out of the city scene until 2014. They released their debut album Tropical Bushwick last March and have headlined NYC’s The Knitting Factory, Webster Hall Studio and the Mercury Lounge.

    The Finals: Sly Fox and the Hustlers (blues funk rock) versus Sprocket (jam).

    Buffalo Iron Works, Funk ‘n Waffles, The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, and The Waterhole each sponsored a regional bracket this year and we’d like to thank them and all the venues that support local, original music around the state.

    The Finals voting starts at noon EST on Friday, March 25 and ends at midnight on Sunday, March 27. Vote now for your favorites!

  • NYS Music’s March Madness 2016: The Final Four

    We started with 64 New York bands who have a strong presence and fan base, and are ready to make a name for themselves outside their respective music scenes. These fresh faces are spreading over many genres and all over The Empire State.  After 4 rounds of voting 64 has been whittled down to four. For the sake of 2016 March Madness jargon, “The Final Four.”

    Throughout this tournament the voting has been the closest that we’ve ever seen.  More than a few match-ups ended up at 51% to 49% splits. Many more ended with a margin of less than 10% of the vote.  It goes to prove our local music scenes are alive and well, regardless of the city or genre.

    Buffalo Iron Works, Funk ‘n Waffles, The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, and The Waterhole each sponsored a regional bracket this year and a winner has been named in each of their brackets.

    Match-up 1 will be the Iron Works winner: Sly Fox and the Hustlers (blues funk rock) versus the
    Funk ‘n Waffles winner: Folkfaces (folk jazz).

    Sly Fox and the Hustlers is a high-energy blues/funk band band out of the Capital Region. The band formed in 2010 and has shared the stage with many notable names within their genre, such as Blues Traveler, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robin Trower, and Soulive’s Sam Kininger.  Their latest full-length LP American Gypsy was released earlier this year and is available on their website.

    Folkfaces mixes of folk, jazz, and blues into an upbeat blend perfect for letting loose.  The band calls the Buffalo area home and have recently released their single “Institution Blues” off their album Freedom Fries. The band lists a wide variety of influences, from French guitarist Django Reinhardt to American folk legend Woody Guthrie, and the more contemporary Tedeschi Trucks Band.

    The second match-up is The Hollow Bar and Kitchen winner: Sprocket (jam) versus The Waterhole region finals give us: Big Mean Sound Machine (Afrobeat/dance)

    Brooklyn’s jam quartet, Sprocket, was conceived in late 2011 and didn’t work their way out of the city scene until 2014. They released their debut album Tropical Bushwick last March and have headlined NYC’s The Knitting Factory, Webster Hall Studio, and the Mercury Lounge.

    Big Mean Sound Machine hails from Ithaca and tours with more members than the other three Final Four bands combined, a full stage of 13 touring members.  Their unique Afrobeat, dance, funk combination has been together since 2009, but has seemed to be catching fire as of late.  They are currently touring the East Coast.

    The Final Four voting begins at 12 noon EST on Tuesday, March 22 and closes at midnight on Thursday, March 24. The Final Round voting begins at 12 noon on Friday, March 25 and we close Sunday, March 27, at midnight. Vote now for your favorites!

    Check back for our final two Friday at noon!

  • 2016 March Madness – Elite Eight

    We are into the fourth round of NYS Music’s March Madness 2016 and our field has been whittled down to just 8 bands from across New York State! This friendly tournament style competition runs through the month of March.  Our goal is to bring new bands that you might not know about, but should, to your attention.

    The last round was the closest ever with the widest spread being only 43% to 56% and a few races were separated by only 1 or 2%.  Let’s hope this round proves to be equally as exciting.

    We hit every corner of New York State from Long Island to Buffalo, The Catskills to the North Country and all points in between. NYS Music March Madness is a great way to discover a new and upcoming band and also to show your support and love for bands you see often. Established bands who have gained a larger audience are not included in this year’s March Madness. Instead, the bands who are on the cusp of greatness are the stars of this year’s tournament. There was only room for 64 but we made the tough choices and put in a wide variety for fans to choose from, there truly is something for everyone.

    The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, Buffalo Iron Works, Funk n Waffles and The Waterhole each sponsored a regional bracket this year. And this round those brackets will each have their winner as we enter into the Final Four next week.  These venues represent the best of what New York State has to offer and they celebrate music by allowing local and touring bands to perform for growing scenes across the state.

    The Iron Works region finals are:

    Blind Owl Band (jamgrass) vs Sly Fox and the Hustlers (blues funk rock)

    Funk n Waffles final matchups are:

    Waydown Wailers (roots rock) vs Folk Faces (folk jazz)

    The Hollow Bar and Kitchen region has:

    Sprocket (jam) vs Northern Faces (indie)

    The Waterhole region finals give us:

    Chris James & Mama G (Ameribeat) vs Big Mean Sound Machine (Afrobeat/dance)

    Round 4, or the Elite Eight, voting begins at 12 noon EST on Friday, March 18 and closes at midnight on Sunday, March 20. Final Four voting begins at 12 noon on Tuesday, March 18 for the regional champions. Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!

    [colorvote id=”27″ style=”wpcvp-poll”]

  • Palace Theatre Looking to Expand?

    Albany’s Palace Theatre recently spent $600,000 to buy properties that reside on North Pearl Street and along Wilson Street near the downtown venue, as reported in Biz Journals.

    Palace Theatre ExpandAccording to a statement, “The Palace Theatre” acquired property behind the building up to Wilson Street in anticipation of future projects. Palace management felt the timing was right to buy as there is development beginning to happen around the theatre. No specific plans for the lots has been announced at this time.

    Will we see an expansion, outdoor events, or more parking downtown? There are many options for the Palace with this purchase. Stay tuned…