NYS Music 20​16

Category: Capital Region

  • Blink-182 Paves the Way for Next Generation of Punk at SPAC

    Blink-182 proved to everyone attending their summer tour last night in Saratoga Springs at SPAC that they are more than just “crappy punk rock.”

    With over 20 years of experience under their belt, it is not shocking that they spent their entire summer touring across North America in stadiums and amphitheaters.

    Blink-182 came to an almost entirely sold-out Saratoga Performing Arts Center on September 4. With A Day To Remember and All Time Low by their side, Blink-182 gave a performance that could only be described as breathtaking.

    Although the tour is split between openers All Time Low and All-American Rejects, All Time Low gave their final performance on Blink-182’s tour this night. Sharing the special moment with Saratoga, All Time Low gave what could be their best performance of the tour.

    Unfortunately for All Time Low fans, despite how preeminent their performance was, frontman Alex Gaskarth felt that the crowd in Saratoga Springs performance for them was not up to par. When Gaskarth asked fans to sing along, “Heyo”, with the band, little show attendees sang along with them. To his disappointment, Gaskarth said, “Wow, that is the worst that has been the whole tour.”

    A Day To Remember, who just released their newest album Bad Vibrations this week, gave the energetic and overly fun performance all fans hope for at any A Day To Remember concert.

    With confetti cannons, toilet paper and shirts being flung from a t-shirt cannon, A Day To Remember have mastered the art of making fans jump and scream through the duration of their performance.

    With years of performing and now six full-length albums to work with, A Day To Remember found a perfect setlist to show off all types of their sound with a blend of songs like, “2nd Sucks,” and “If It Means A Lot To You” in their setlist.

    Blink-182 played in Saratoga for the first time since the Honda Civic Tour in 2011. With fans waiting in line for hours and driving from all parts of New York to be there, the response from Blink-182 fans was incredible.

    Blink-182 is one of the most influential punk rock bands in my generation. Even All Time Low would stop every night to thank Blink-182 for bringing them on the road. Growing up listening to Blink-182, All Time Low are a first hand example of how inspiring of a band Blink-182 is for their genre.

    With the new presence of Matt Skiba on vocals and guitar as the replacement for longtime member Tom Delonge, it is hard to say which version of Blink-182 is better live. What can be said, is that Blink-182 put on a performance last night that fans will remember for years to come. Some songs off of their set like, “Reckless Abandon” and “I Miss You,” were stellar performances by Skiba to match Delonge’s vocals.

    Blending songs like one of their earlier hits “Carousel,” to newer songs like “San Diego,” into the setlist made it so that fans of Blink-182 from any era would be able to enjoy a nearly flawless performance.

    From an almost perfect setlist to little to no vocal or instrumental issues, Blink-182 put on a performance that left fans in awe. From the lawn seats to the pit, fans joined from all areas of Saratoga Springs to sing along to as many Blink-182 songs as they knew.

    Leaving the venue, all you could see was the sweat running down people’s faces, and smiles stretched across the faces of Blink-182 fans of all ages.

  • Hearing Aide: Ampevene ‘Rometheu’

    12 minutes and 30 seconds. That’s how long it takes to listen to Ampevene’s new EP, Rometheu. But that’s not the total sum of each of the songs; it’s just one extended track!

    Ampevene RometheuAmpevene is a band that stemmed from Gabe Stallman’s solo project as a guitarist.  Now the full band consists of Gabe Stallman on guitar and vocals, Mack Hogan on bass, Bob Morris on drums, and Ava Smith on keys, and Jeff Nania on saxophone.  The progressive rock group is based in Albany, so it wasn’t too far to the studio, The Recording Company, in Esperance, NY.

    It’s not clear by the song why it’s called “Rometheu,” but it is the word “Prometheus” without the first and last letter… Perhaps the song was inspired by Greek mythology?

    Rometheu starts out with a rock blues that’s very guitar and bass ostinato heavy. The beginning is not in standard 4/4 time, but rather it’s written with a 6/8 feel – where the first and fourth beat are emphasized in each measure. This helps give the track a flowing groove. At around 2:47, the mode shifts into a fast 4/4, really driving the piece forward.

    The lyrics are posted to accompany the track on Bandcamp, which is immensely helpful. The lines don’t seem to relate directly to one another in a story; the emphasis and poetry are behind each individual line. There are only vocals in the first quarter and very end of the song; it’s clear the music drives this track.

    The crazy guitar riffs and multi-instrument improvisation are awesome and the instruments sound flawless showcasing their melodic riffs.  There’s a point where there is a lack of a clear tonal center, and the band just creates a powerful wall of sound.  At around 6:07, a slower groove is established without saxophone at first to allow the audience to breathe after the more intense section.  It is here where the piano is high in the mix complementing the haunting guitar melodies. The experimentation with the guitar distortion, some organ sounds, and smooth saxophone is quite soothing and fun to listen to.

    The coolest part of this track is the juxtaposition between musical ideas/styles. It makes the piece dynamic and engaging throughout.  The slow section is immediately followed by a short, quicker ending featuring a quick line of lyrics. Rometheu is very impressive from a compositional standpoint as well as a musicianship standpoint.  It’s a track you can’t help but jam along to.

    Listen to it on bandcamp here.

  • Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin Tour Raise More Than 10,000 Fists at SPAC

    Capital Region area rock fans came out on a beautiful Tuesday summer night, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and had their faces melted off by one of the best rock lineups that have been assembled for a tour run. Fans were not only treated to some of the best bands in rock and metal today, all four bands have very recognizable frontmen. Metalheads had the pleasure of seeing Adam Gontier and super group Saint Asonia, Myles Kennedy with Alter Bridge, Ben Burnley and his band Breaking Benjamin, and Mr. oh wah himself, David Draiman of Disturbed.

    Breaking Benjamin SPACThe co-headlined Disturbed/Breaking Benjamin tour, not only saw four of todays best frontman, fans were also treated to some of the top musicians in the business. When you break down the lineup as individuals, you realize how good some of these musicians really are. Fans had the privilege to see the likes of guitarist Mike Mushok (Staind), guitarist Mark Tremonti (Alter Bridge), and Dan Donegan (guitar) and Mike Wengren (drums) from Disturbed, to name a few, perform right in front of their eyes.

    Every band on the bill was right down to business, and kept the talking to a minimum and the music on maximum. I like when bands introduced their songs and tell the back story of how they came about, and maybe for the singer to take a breather, but this was a welcome change, as it gives fans who paid their money, to hear more live music. The reason everyone buys a ticket for a live show is to hear music, and for some, drink beer and get shit faced. Less talking equals more songs that bands can put in their setlist, given the amount of time some bands have to play.

    Fans who were smart enough to show up early, saw Saint Asonia take the stage first. Drummer Rich Beddoe, came out pumped up, as he stood behind his kit and yelled to the crowd to get the fuck up, while he waited for the other members of the band to take the stage. The band started the night off with the song “Fairy Tale.” Frontman Adam Gontier sounded really good on vocals. Gontier also looked rested and healthy and sported a fresh Mohawk and some bad ass sunglasses. Gontier was full of energy. Guitarist Mike Mushok and bassist Corey Lowery showed a lot of fire while they played.

    Gontier thanked the fans for showing up early, and thanked them after every song. Gontier stated how beautiful upstate New York is, and before he actually named off a city, he told the crowd that he has recently moved to upstate NY, not far from Saratoga. Gontier also answered the question that many may have wondered. He stated that Saint Asonia will be around for awhile and that they were not gonna be a one album band like some.

    Before playing the song “I Hate Everything About You,” by Gontier’s former band Three Days Grace, Gontier said that the band is asked all the time if they play songs by their former bands. He then said “Fuck Yes we Do.” He then went one to say I’m gonna play a song that I wrote a long time ago for that other band. Saint Asonia ended with “Let Me Live My Life.”

    Breaking Benjamin SPACAlter Bridge took the stage in the second spot on the card. Alter Bridge started things off with “Addicted To Pain.” Singer Myles Kennedy was amazing on every track. I just wish his mic was turned up a little louder. Kennedy’s guitar skills are pretty good. The crowd had Kennedy smiling from ear to ear throughout the bands set, as fans sang each song with him.  Now talking about skilled guitarist, Mark Tremonti is a down right beast guitar. Watching him play live is almost mesmerizing. His guitar solos are on point and totally flawless. Tremonti was feeling really feeling it, as he would make facial expressions to the sound of his guitar. You can feel Tremonti’s passion as he plays. At one point, Tremonti was jamming so hard he accidently unplugged his guitar. Alter Bridge had the whole crowd going crazy during the song “Metalingus.” Kennedy gave props to a fan playing air guitar in the upper balcony. Kennedy told the fan that he loves seeing that shit. The band ended their set with “Rise Today.”

    disturbed Breaking Benjamin SPACdFirst headliner of the night was Breaking Benjamin. The band has been touring relentlessly over the last two years ever since frontman Benjamin Burnley pieced together a new lineup and studio album. Their stage set consisted of C.O.2 blasters, that would shoot off at various times during the bands set. The cool air from the blasters helped cool off the fans down front in the pit. The band started things off with “So Cold.” Being the Star Wars fan that frontman Benjamin Burnley is, the band played the “Imperial March Theme,” from the movie. Ben pledged his allegiance to the darkside of the force giving a shoutout to Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, and The First Order, as he wielded a red lightsaber.

    Guitarist Keith Wallen, provided the vocal duties for the song “Sooner Or Later,” doing a decent job in the process. Breaking Benjamin played a throwback cover medley that consisted of “Schism” (Tool), “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (Nirvana) and “Walk” (Pantera).

    Breaking Benjamin SPACBurnley told the crowd on many occasions, that they were singing along beautiful and to keep it going. Burnley gave a speech and paid tribute to the men and women in our Armed Forces. Breaking Benjamin ended their night with “The Diary Of Jane.”

    Fans by now were foaming at the mouths. For most in the venue, this was the first performance from Disturbed in the area in over four years, and for some, their first Disturbed concert ever. David Draiman and the rest of the boys showed that they were worth the wait. The band played a good mix of fan favorite tunes and some new tracks from the bands current studio album Immortalized.

    Disturbed kicked things off with “10,000 Fist.” Standing in the pit looking back, it looked like more than 10,000 fist were in the air, as frontman David Draiman conducted the packed crowd inside the Saratoga Performing Arts Center by pumping his fist in the air. Pyro was in full effect, as flames shot out from various parts of the stage that made it feel like your face was gonna melt off.

    These four guys have a one of a kind aura about them. When fans and critics talk about who’s the best this, and who’s the best that, all four musicians in Disturbed, should be in those conversations. There is no doubt that this band will be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame someday.

    Bassist John Moyer has this cool swagger about him as he plays, and his Go Pro camera that is attached to the end of his bass can prove it. Drummer Mike Wengren can bang the cans with the best of them. They way he can consistently twirl his drum stick and hit the cymbals on cue for an extended period of time is insane. Wengren also has one of the sickest looking drum kits in business. Guitarist Dan Donegan doesn’t get enough credit as a guitarist. His riffs and solos are some of the best in rock and metal. Singer David Draiman is one of the most recognizable voices not only in rock music but music alone. His style is like no other. His calm bad ass personality is intoxicating.

    After Draiman said to the crowd “My brothers, my sisters, my blood….SPEAK TO ME!,” to a deafening response from the crowd, the band jammed out song after song. At the mid point in the set. The lights started to dim down, as the band took on some different instruments while Draiman sat on a stool in the middle of the stage. It was now time for the song that has now made Disturbed a household name. It was time for the bands cover of the Simon and Garfunkel classic “The Sound Of Silence.” Seeing this performed live is not only amazing, but one hell of a concert moment to be a part of.  Every fan in the house lit up their lighters and cell phones like Draiman requested, and set the whole atmosphere for the performance.

    Near the end of the bands set, an intoxicated fan kept flipping off Draiman from the crowd. Draiman asked the fan, in David Draiman fashion, why the fan was giving him the finger. After not being able to hear what his response was he continued to the next song. Still flipping the singer off, when the song ended, Draiman acknowledged the fan again, and asked him to come closer so he could hear what he was saying. The fan responded incoherently something about making a bad deal with someone, and screwing him over. Draiman responded by saying that he didn’t think he made a bad deal and everyone is entitled to their opinion. He then said “But sir I would appreciate it if you would show me the respect I deserve by not flipping me off while I’m up on stage.” Disturbed ended one indestructible evening with “Down With The Sickness.” Disturbed showed why they are Immortalized by many.

  • The National: The Band an Ocean could not Break

    North Adams Mass sits in the nook of the Berkshires, a quaint college town known for its art, culture and its museums. Mass MOCA, (MOCA being short for Museum of Contemporary Art) hosts hundreds of displays as well as musical events. On June 11, The National was one of these and they made the museum theirs for the day.

    Known for a melodic somber sound, The National, found a way to take this feel and turn it into a rock show with emotions and waves of feeling – a rare find with bands of this genre. By digging deep into their whole catalog, the audience never knew what to expect, a tactic that left us with a phenomenal feeling. Opening up with the Trouble Will Find Me hit, “Don’t Swallow the Cap,’” the band knew they had the audience in their hands from the get go. After a few more rocking tunes the band slowed things down with the Grateful Dead classic, “Peggy-O,” citing that even though the dead didn’t write the song they still played it a lot so this is their homage to the Dead. This comes off the heels of the highly anticipated Day of the Dead – an album, four years in the making, featuring 59 tracks of Dead covers and over sixty artist.

    They kept things slow for the next two songs and then they treated the crowd by playing three new songs in a row. This is most likely a preview for an album that may see light sometime next year. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again… and again. This was the case when the band dug into their catalog again to bust out “Slow Show.” When they finally got it down, it was one of the highlights of the show. The passion that singer Matt Berninger sang with was second to none. These guys are rock stars.

    “About Today,” from the Cherry Tree EP, was a song that many wouldn’t anticipate would be good live. It’s a slow song which Berninger sings, slowly, almost a whisper “ How close am I, to losing you?” What made the song that much more enjoyable was their ability to captivate an audience with a song that rightfully so can put you to sleep. They kept the energy going and closed out the set with “Fake Empire” off the Boxer LP this song left the crowd wanting more, and more is what they received. The National came out with a four song encore ending with High Violets “Vanderlye Crybaby Geeks,” a sing along song during which the band played acoustic which was totally genius.

    In a show rife with slow and sad songs, the band was able to keep the crowd at attention and not drifting off into oblivion.

  • A Milestone at 10: Pondfest Continues to Innovate

    For any festival to survive – let alone thrive – for 10 years is an impressive feat. Bonnaroo and Coachella are two names that immediately pop into mind, but now it’s time to add Backwoods Pondfest to that list.

    This past weekend at Twin Ponds Campsite in Peru, N.Y., Pondfest, which is put on by northern New York band Lucid, celebrated its 10th birthday by throwing a truly cohesive party melding the fun of camping in the middle of the forest with live music.

    The lineup mixed the best that the Adirondacks has to offer, with some of the bigger acts of the festival circuit. Lucid, a band straight from the heart of the Adirondacks, has been a staple of the weekend since inception, and while this year was the same, it was also very different. Last year, the band announced it was taking a long break, but not officially breaking up and would continue to play events like Pondfest.

    And just to put any rumors to bed, bassist Chris Shacklett gave me a brief interview on Saturday afternoon to discuss the state of the band. First off, Lucid is not breaking up.

    “We are totally shifting our focus,” Shacklett said. “Instead of continuing to hemorrhage money, we are being smarter about what we do. There’s not going to be much in the way of touring anymore, but we’re going to do more things like this (Pondfest).”

    Along with Lucid, the other headliners were Melvin Seals and JGB, Pink Talking Fish (is Bowie), the Blind Owl Band and Twiddle’s guitarist Mihali Savoulidis and his ‘Frends’, who brought the surprise of a Twiddle set. NYS Music contributor Chelsea Wright was in attendance and gives us a first hand account of how it went down:

    “I received a message from Lowell, letting me know that there would be a special surprise Thursday night. I made the last minute decision to travel the two hours from Vermont for the ‘Mihali & Frends’ show, knowing that if Lowell promised a surprise, it was bound to be extra special. Having seen Mihali & Frends the weekend prior as a part of Twiddle’s first major event, Tumble Down, I knew that some amazing collaborations were going to happen – at his sold out Higher Ground show, he brought together musicians from Nahko & Medicine For The People, Twiddle, and the Kitchen Dwellers for two full hours of incredible jams.

    Pondfest Arriving just on time, I approached the stage and Mihali was just getting it started by inviting a few good Frends up to join him. It was like revolving doors, including some of my favorite musicians; Ryan Dempsey on keys, Jamie Armstrong on Sax, Joshua West on drums, to Kevin Sabourin on guitar and vocals. At one point Brad Hester from Annie in The Water came up and had a back and forth match on a kazoo, with Jamie’s sax. Then they switched it up to Chris Shacklett on bass, Lowell Wurster on percussion and vocals, the beautiful Meadow on vocals, and then the big surprise of a total shift into a set by Twiddle. After Twiddle finished, Mihali remained, and invited members of Capital Zen up to join him. It was an all-around party, with special moments that no one could have anticipated.”

    Arriving on Friday, I was greeted by multiple ambulances and state police cars with lights flashing all over. I was not allowed to enter for nearly two hours as the entrance was blocked for any cars getting in or out.

    When pressed for a reason, a State Police officer said, “We’re here because of some overdoses. Make sure you’re safe when you go in.”

    Derek Haviland, the press and marketing man for the festival, said there weren’t any overdoses in the sense that you’d think of, but rather that someone had simply imbibed a bit too much and just needed a little help. He hinted at a bit of an overreaction by local first responders.

    “Little towns like this aren’t really used to stuff like this, so I think they just took any and every precaution while they were here,” Haviland said, adding that the individual was fine by the following morning. “We are safety first; we took all the right precautions.”

    With my delayed arrival killing any chance at seeing Hayley Jane and the Primates, Bella’s Bartok, Thunder Body and Lucid, I arrived just as Melvin Seals was taking the stage. The longtime keyboardist for Jerry Garcia had a nice groove going for “Cats Under the Stars,” before starting right up into a Grateful Dead regular, “Sugaree.” “Strugglin’ Man,” “Rhapsody in Red” and “Money Honey” perfectly captured the essence of a JGB show, with swirling, noodly guitar and the big church organ sound. “Sisters and Brothers” and “Deal” were my personal favorites, with the latter coaxing an uproarious applause from the crowd of beards, sun dresses and dreadlocks.

    Pondfest Right after, on the Woods Stage, Syracuse hip-hop trio Sophistafunk took the audience on a positive mental trip with lyrics of encouragement, happiness and elation.

    Spiritual Rez then started the late night sets and there seemed to be a large congregation of fans in attendance mainly to see this band. After a set with some sit-ins, Rez gave way to Tweed on the Woods Stage at around 2:25 a.m.

    Tweed could be categorized as a jamtronic act, but I thought the set was more dreamy than anything else. Because of the downpour, I made the decision to hear the set from my tent which was about 300 feet from the stage. I drifted right off into blissful slumber.

    Waking up in the woods when the weather is hot but still pleasant, is everything I want in a festival morning. This morning was special as some of my favorite live acts were slated to perform. Making my way backstage to interview some folks, I bumped into Formula 5’s bassist and the young Gregg Allman-lookalike James Woods, who was energized and pumped for the band’s set later that afternoon.

    Pondfest After grabbing a sausage, egg and cheese, two coffees and water (thanks to my editor), I made my way to catch some of Doomf#@k, a band with some of the Lucid guys. I can only describe this act as a talented, humorous joke band.

    The Honey Smugglers were slated to perform on the smaller stage, but because the members of The Brummy Brothers, scheduled to perform on the main stage later, got into a car accident and were unable to make the trek, the Smugglers were asked to move from their slot and play on the main stage later.

    Formula 5 comprises young men from the Adirondacks, led by guitarist Joe Davis who totes a red Gibson SG, a guitar he loves with all his heart.

    “This thing is a beauty,” he said before loading in his gear.

    F5’s set consisted of some of the tightest jamming I have ever heard from the group. Matt Richards, who recently took over keyboard duties, displayed the energy and enthusiasm he brings to the band. Woods and Davis are a natural team, with Davis typically weaving his speedy licks around Woods’ boisterous bass lines.

    Mister F’s insane pace and tempo made them perfect for the late afternoon slot before Lucid and The Blind Owl Band satiated the crowd’s thirst for jams, before leading into Pink Talking Fish’s set in honor of David Bowie. The band weaved in songs from Bowie, Phish, Talking Heads and Pink Floyd seamlessly while guitarist Dave Brunyak shredded uncontrollably.

    Gang of Thieves, The Nth Power and Subsoil finished off the music with abandon and there wasn’t an unhappy soul in attendance.

    With 10 years under the belt, Pondfest shows no signs of slowing down, even a bit. Attendees often speak of the weekend as “going home” to see their friends and make new ones. With a great philosophy and positive outlook, Pondfest stands to be around and rocking the Adirondacks for years to come.

  • AWOLNATION ‘Sails’ Through Upstate Concert Hall

    AWOLNATION ‘sailed’ into Upstate Concert Hall on Wednesday, July 13, energizing the audience despite the imposing heat.

    Kicking off the evening were L.A. natives Irontom. With flamboyant gestures and high energy, the band quickly engaged the audience and became the highlight of the three sets of the evening. Irontom consists of guitarist Zach Irons, singer Harry Hayes, bassist Dane Sandborg, drummer Dylan Williams, and Daniel Saslow on keys. Lead singer Hayes was fascinating to watch as he gestured and mimed his way through the band’s set, almost reminiscent of Cage the Elephant’s Matt Shultz.

    AWOLNATION

    Unfortunately for the audience, Irontom’s set was over too soon, as time constraints forced them to end before their last song. Irontom has released a compilation album of their 2012-2014 recordings. Check out their upcoming tour dates.

    Following Irontom was San Francisco’s Finish Ticket, who just recently opened for Fitz and The Tantrums at UCH on June 23. While less energetic than Irontom (lead singer Brendan Hoye frequently cited the heat), Finish Ticket is reminiscent of Walk the Moon. The highlight of their set was a cover of the Killer’s “When You Were Young,” sounding perhaps better than the original.

    Finally, AWOLNATION took the stage around 10pm. Consisting of front man Aaron Bruno, Kenny Carkeet on keyboards and guitar, Isaac Carpenter on drums, and bassist Marc Walloch, AWOLNATION combines electronica and rock to create a unique sound. Their second album, Run, was released in March 2015.

    AWOLNATION

    Opening with “Run,” the band covered the majority of the tracks from their sophomore album, while also throwing in highlights from their debut. The crowd covered all of the floor at UCH, with little room left to spare. As the night went on, the temperature rose as condensation dripped from the ceiling.

    AWOLNATION didn’t let the heat slow them down, powering through “Hollow Moon,” “Not Your Fault” and “Jail Break,” joined by Irontom’s guitarist Zach Irons (replacing AWOLNATION’s Drew Stewart who left the band in September 2015), and with Irontom’s drummer Dylan Williams on one song.

    The band was thankful to be there and appreciative of their audience, frequently checking in with the crowd, telling people to look out for each other, and often remarking that their music “is for everyone.”

    AWOLNATION

    Highlights of their set include a drum solo, the appearance of inflatable shark pool toys in the audience (which one crowd surfer climbed atop), and “Dreamers” during the encore.

    The band closed the evening with a medley of “Now I Can See You” and crowd favorite “Sail.”

    Setlist: Run, Hollow Moon, People, Not Your Fault, Jailbreak, Soul Wars, Windows, Kill Your Heroes, Woman Woman, All I Need, Like People, Like Plastic, Drum Solo / Burn It Down, I’m on Fire, I Am, Dreamers, Sail

    Tune in below for an interview with AWOLNATION’s Aaron Bruno and Keller of WEQX, prior to their UCH appearance

  • Photo Gallery: Alive at 5 Welcomes Tumbleweed Highway and Molly Hatchet

    Tumbleweed Highway and Molly Hatchet performed in Albany at Alive @ 5 on August 4. The two bands gave a performance that rocked the hearts of all attending. The crowd roared with patriotism and pride as they listened to the sweet riffs and vocals of the southern rock bands. It put a great end to the Alive @ 5 free concert series for Summer 2016.

  • Joey Pettinato Uses Music to Control Disorder

    Joey Pettinato is about to make the biggest deal of his life at 16-years-old.

    Pettinato, known by his stage name of “JJ Savage”, is about to sign his first contract with Overit Studios in Albany.

    The contract with Overit states that the studio will pay for Pettinato’s various expenses needed for things like recording, mixing and mastering.

    Joey Pettinato
    “I feel accomplished, I feel blessed, lucky and grateful,“ said Pettinato.

    Since he was five-years-old, Pettinato has battled Tourette Syndrome. Despite taking medication, his tics are still recurrent, especially when he’s nervous. “I take medication and it helps a little, but I get some tics especially when I am nervous,” he said.

    He doesn’t battle Tourette Syndrome empty handed. Whenever Pettinato picks up his guitar, his symptoms disappear. “When I pick up the guitar, the music totally takes me over and I get no symptoms…it’s amazing,” said Pettinato.

    This discovery did not only surprise Pettinato, but also his family. “My dad noticed [the lack of symptoms]. He sat and watched me play and the more he applauded, the more I played,” he said.

    A gift from his parents, Pettinato starting playing the guitar at ten-years-old. Loving the instrument, he immediately started taking guitar lessons. “I remember playing for hours,” he said.

    Pettinato recalls playing one hour per day when he got his first guitar. “After week two I couldn’t put it down, I played every chance I got,” he said. The first song Pettinato learned in it’s entirety was, “Iron Man”, by Black Sabbath.

    Now 16-years-old, Pettinato plays music from home. Being bullied from other students for his tics, Pettinato left public school around sixth grade. He is currently homeschooled.

    “I tried to go back in eighth grade which lasted one day, and then again in ninth grade. It lasted a few days, but the kids laughing and making fun of me was too much.”

    Although Pettinato has been out of public school for many years, he still is bullied. “I get laughed at by kids my age everywhere I go,” he said.

    The bullying Pettinato faced was difficult for him, but only fueled his passion for music. When he was 13-years-old, Pettinato wrote and recorded, “We Are The Brave”, a song against bullying.

    “I made 200 copies and gave them to anyone who wanted one free of change, and mailed them everywhere at people’s request,” he said. Pettinato was sold-out of his song in about two weeks, with the farthest recording being sent out to Vietnam.

    “It’s nice to know, and it makes me proud I spread the word about anti-bullying all over the world.”

    Through his success, Pettinato now has five endorsements from companies like Sinister Guitar Picks, Von York Guitar Strings and Intex Cables. Besides these, Pettinato was recently made a Gibson Artist.

    This January, Pettinato attended the National Association of Music Merchants Convention in Anaheim, CA. After playing some guitars at a Gibson booth, he was approached by a Gibson representative who inquired about Pettinato becoming an official Gibson Artist.

    “Behind a set of curtains they heard me play and wanted to talk to me the next day,” he said. “On day two I went back, and the AR rep told me they wanted me on the Gibson team.”

    Spending most days playing the guitar, Pettinato started his first rock band, Savage Child, at 11-years-old. “We were together for about a year. We opened for local acts at Humpy’s and the Fuller Roadhouse,” he said.

    Pettinato is currently a member of the rock bands Obsidian, Backlash and the John Morse Band. His band Obsidian performed last weekend at the Red Buddha Lounge in New Jersey and PJs in Mahopac, Putnam County.

  • Pink Talking Fish Announce Fall Tour, New Years Eve Show

    Pink Talking Fish has announced a huge fall tour and a New Years Eve show that will close out the year in their hometown of Boston. The show will not only include the music of Michael Jackson alongside that of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish, but will include special guests Natalie Cressman & James Casey, both of Trey Anastasio Band.

    PTF fall tour includes stops at Catskill Chill, Wormtown, Luna Light and Hangtown music festivals and will perform Phish’s Gamehendge rock-opera in full at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT on September 15. Halloween weekend finds Pink Talking Fish in Covington, KY and Denver, CO performing as Pink Talking Fish is Bowie.

    Full Tour Dates through NYE:

    8/19: The Beachcomber, Wellfleet, MA
    8/20: Putnam Den, Saratoga Springs, NY – Track Week Party w/ Hayley Jane & The Primates
    8/31: The Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO – Phish PreParty w/s/g Greener Grounds
    9/1: Dulcineas, Denver, CO – Phish Pre-Party – intertwining sets with PTF & John K Band
    9/2: Dulcineas, Denver, CO – Phish AfterParty
    9/15: Higher Ground, Burlington VT
    9/16: Portland House Of Music & Events, Portland, ME
    9/17: Wormtown Music Festival, Greenfield, MA
    9/23-25: Catskill Chill Music Festival, Lakewood, PA – PTF & Pink Talking Fu: Prince Bowie
    10/6: Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY
    10/7: The Rex Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
    10/8: Backyard Fall Festival, Scranton, PA
    10/14: Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY
    10/15: Gypsy Sally’s, Washington, DC
    10/16: Luna Light Music & Art Festival, Darlington, MD
    10/18: Winstons, Ocean Beach, CA
    10/19: Teragram Ballroom,Los Angeles, CA
    10/20: Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
    10/21-22: Hangtown Music Festival, Placerville, CA
    10/27: Mercury Ballroom, Louisville, KY
    10/28: Madison Theater, Covington, KY – PTF is Bowie
    10/30-31: Dulcineas, Denver, CO – PTF Is Bowie
    11/9: The Pour House, Charleston, SC
    11/10: Smith’s Olde Bar, Atlanta, GA
    11/11: New Mountain Theater, Asheville, NC
    11/12: Southbound Brewing Company, Savannah, GA
    11/18: Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA
    11/19: Putnam Den, Saratoga Springs, NY
    12/1: The Magic Bag, Detroit, MI
    12/2-3: Woodlands Tavern, Columbus, OH
    12/31: The Paradise, Boston, MA – with Bearly Dead

  • LoCash and Skeeter Creek at Alive at 5

    With only a five percent chance of rain forecast before the Thursday, July 28 Alive At Five event, who knew that there would be a cloudburst when Skeeter Creek took the stage at the City of Albany’s “Country Night’ featuring LoCash as the headliner. Fans of Skeeter Creek and those who arrived early for the headliner were soaked within minutes, but most didn’t care. The show was for free and seeing two great bands, getting something to eat and drink to unwind before the weekend is what Alive at Five is all about.

    locashSongwriters and vocalists Chris Lucas and Preston Brust of the LoCash band have charted seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts so the fans were out in force by the start of their fine set at Broadway & Columbia Street in Downtown Albany at Tricentennial Park after the rain stopped.

    LoCash’s country music style is a mixed bag of styles with a spattering of rock and rap mixed in flawlessly. It’s all good and so singable with audience friendly hooks galore as the many thousands of fans proved time and again with a sing-a-long throughout the show.

    The City of Albany Events Department has a nose for selecting their ‘Country Night’ acts. They’re always on the brink of moving up to bigger venues in the very near future. Several years ago they brought in an ass-kicking concert by Lee Brice, and later Dustin Lynch, and look at them both now! Lee and Dustin have both opened up for major country acts at SPAC, with Dustin having just opened up for Luke Bryan at SPAC.