Category: Capital Region

  • Beartooth Ready To Get Aggressive With NY This Fall

    Lost, aggressive youth of NY, are you ready to let out your aggression? Then join the boys from Beartooth this Fall as the band brings the U.S. edition of “The Aggressive Tour” to North America. Special guest to help support the tour will soon be announced. The stops in 32 cities across the nation with tickets costing around $20.

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    The tour kicks off at the House of Blues in Chicago and wraps up in the band’s hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Beartooth has been touring in support of its second studio album Aggressive, which was released in June to many positive reviews.

    Beartooth recently made a stop in upstate New York this spring at the first ever Rock N’ Derby festival in Schaghticoke in May.

    Several New York venues are included on the tour. The Chance in Poughkeepsie is first up on the tour Oct. 29 followed by Irving Plaza in New York  Oct. 31, and Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on Nov. 4.

    Beartooth Tour:

    10-02 – House Of Blues – Chicago, IL

    10-04 – Mill City – Minneapolis, MN

    10-05 – Summit – Denver, CO

    10-06 – Complex – Salt Lake City, UT

    10-08 – El Corazon – Seattle, WA

    10-09 – Hawthorne – Portland, OR

    10-10 –  Ace of Spades Sacramento, CA

    10-11 – Observatory –  Santa Ana, CA

    10-12 – The Regent – Los Angeles, CA

    10-14 – House Of Blues – San Diego, CA

    10-15 – Nile – Phoenix, AZ

    10-17 – Backstage – San Antonio, TX

    10-18 – House Of Blues – Houston, TX

    10-19 – House Of Blues – Dallas, TX

    10-21 – State Theater – Tampa, FL

    10-22 – Beacham – Orlando, FL

    10-23 – Revolution – Fort Lauderdale, FL

    10-24 – Masquerade – Atlanta, GA

    10-25 – The Underground – Charlotte, NC

    10-27 – Soundstage – Baltimore, MD

    10-28 – TLA – Philadelphia, PA

    10-29 – The Chance – Poughkeepsie, NY

    10-30 – Stone Pony – Asbury Park, NJ

    10-31 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY

    11-02 – Palladium – Worcester, MA

    11-03 – Webster – Hartford, CT

    11-04 – Upstate Concert Hall – Clifton Park, NY

    11-05 – Mr. Smalls – Pittsburg, PA

    11-06 – Orbit Room – Grand Rapids, MI

    11-08 – House Of Blues – Cleveland, OH

    11-09 – The Ready Room – St. Louis, MO

    11-11 – Express Live! – Columbus, OH

  • Albany Palace Theatre Announces $65 Million Upgrade

    Announced at a news conference this morning, the Palace Theatre in Albany has put plans in motion to expand and renovate the historic venue. The approximate cost of the project is $65 million.

    palace theatre albany

    This is one of numerous other projects to upgrade and reinvigorate downtown Albany, alongside improvements to the Times Union Center and the Albany Capital Center convention building (set to open March, 2017).

    According to the Times Union, the planned changes to the Palace Theatre include an addition of a second smaller theater on North Pearl Street and an expansion of the lobby. Changes to the lobby will include more concessions, an elevator, and expanded paths for wheelchair access. The most noteworthy change is the development of a post production facility for digital production companies to mix sound and video.

    The Palace originally opened doors in October 1931, presenting vaudeville acts and films. It underwent previous renovations in 2002 and 2003, and now houses diverse events. According to the Times Union, in the past four years the Palace has increased its number of shows by 53 percent.

    Upcoming events can be found here.

  • Journey Review: When The Lights Go Down at SPAC, You Want to be The-e-er-ere

    Leather-vested and sweat-covered, Neal Schon unearthed a solo that — even amid the political hatefest and madness of 2016 — could unite America. The SPAC lighting backdrop transformed into a slideshow montage of soldiers, flags and the like as the Journey founding member serenaded the crowd with an improvisation-heavy guitar rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.”

    Though the concert was the Fifth of July — not the Fourth — Schon’s tight fretwork and re-defining of the term “rock anthem” could be appreciated at anytime. Nearly 50 years into his musical career, he had not lost much in strum speed, not any in his tonal quality.

    The masses hooted and hollered, as you might expect an upstate New York crowd to do for an homage to the troops, but the three-minute solo, just half an hour into Journey’s set, was far from the show’s sole highlight.

    Without an unfair comparison to the voice of Steve Perry, lead singer Arnel Pineda’s vocals were rich, rangeless and did justice to the classics. The Filipino, now in his ninth year heading the band, was running and hopping around the stage like a man half his age for many of the upbeat songs — “Any Way You Want It” and “Wheel in the Sky”. In the slower, ballad-like hits — “Faithfully”, “Lights”, “Don’t Stop Believing” — he focused more on the notes, avoiding any pitch wavers a jump or leg-kick might cause to a sentimental song.

    Drummer Steve Smith was an unsung hero of the Journey set. Smith, who backed the band from 1978 until 1985, through much of its heyday, rejoined the band this year after Deen Castronovo left in the fallout of a domestic violence arrest.

    Smith’s rolls were precise and military-like and his cymbal work seemed effortless during his solo, about two-thirds through the band’s performance. The drummer, using a traditional grip for increased roll speed, may have delivered the best drum solo at the venue since 2013, the last time Neil Peart and Rush were in town; Smith’s work on the kit was simply incredible.

    Journey was the third band in the night’s lineup, immediately preceded by fellow Bay Area group — and also fellow notable Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame snub — The Doobie Brothers.

    A fan’s first observation of The Doobie Brothers taking the stage is likely the band’s size. With four men on guitars and basses across the front, two kit drummers in the back, and a saxophone and keyboard player too, the group’s look is imposing, and the sound was too.

    The Doobie Brothers were not as sing-along as Journey was (do not be mistaken, there were more than a couple patrons joining in on “Black Water”), but instead were jamming more. Whereas Journey’s song interludes isolated individuals soloing on their instruments, The Doobie Brothers had more collective instrumental sections.

    The first performance of the concert came from singer Dave Mason, originally of Traffic. Mason performed three of his own songs, including “We Just Disagree”, as well as three from Traffic.

    Mason’s guitar playing showed little wear from the years, as he demonstrated ample ability. The singer closed his set with “All Along the Watch Tower”, originally by Bob Dylan and made famous by Jimi Hendrix.

  • WEQX Presents: AWOLNATION @ Upstate Concert Hall July 13

    This Wednesday AWOLNATION will headline the stage at Upstate Concert Hall with guests Finish Ticket and Irontom.awolnationWEQX presents AWOLNATION, an electro rock band formed and lead by Aaron Bruno. The American band is signed onto Red Bull Records, and their first EP, Back from Earth, was released on iTunes in May of 2010. Their first studio album, Megalithic Symphony, followed just a year later with hits such as “Sail” that hit #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on the Billboard Rock Songs chart, and #5 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.

    Bruno has performed in other bands such as Home Town Hero and Under the Influence of Giants. He writes all his own music and will be performing with his band through October including festivals such as the Billboard Hot 1oo fest in NYC this August.

    http://awolnationmusic.com/

    Doors 7:00 PM Show 8:00 PM

    Click here for tickets!

  • UPDATE: Missing Connecticut Man’s Car Located, Deceased Body Found Inside

    One week after disappearing en route to a Phish show at SPAC, the family of Jason Czech has revealed that police have located his car in Meriden, Connecticut according to a report by WTEN in Albany.

    A deceased body was found inside the car but the identity of the deceased has not been officially determined.  A post in the Facebook group Remembering Jason Czech from someone appearing to be a family member, has confirmed that the body found in the car Friday night is Czech.


    Jason Czech of Branford, Connecticut has gone missing while headed to Phish at SPAC this past Saturday, July 2. His family have not had contact with him since his departure on July 1.

    Czech was supposed to meet a friend at SPAC for the show. However, soon before it was set to begin, Czech texted that he was not going to make it. He was last seen on camera at a bar in Hartford, Connecticut. Family reported him missing on Monday, July 4.

    No one meeting Czech’s description has yet been found in any local hospitals. There has also been no trace of his car.

    A Facebook group titled Find Jason Czech has since been created, seeking more information and with the intent of developing a timeline surrounding Czech’s disappearance. It can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/findjasonczech/. While his whereabouts are still unknown, there is some speculation that he may be have been planning to attend future Phish dates in Hartford or Mansfield.

    Czech is described as 6-foot-2 and weighs 240 pounds. He has green eyes and red hair, and drives a Honda Accord with Connecticut license plate 865-SJE.

    Brandford, Connecticut’s police crime tip line can be called anonymously with any information at 203-315-3909.

  • Phish Brings Joy to SPAC Night 3

    Phish returned to SPAC to close out their 3-night run. Following two incredibly fun shows, excitement and expectations for the Sunday show were sky high. The weather was as perfect as Saturday night. Fans roamed the packed lots well before the show, and, upon entering the venue, were greeted with easier security lines than the previous night. While the music may not have met the expectations of those hungry for a monster show, it had its moments, and everyone was filled with love and joy.

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    The first set was filled with many of their fun shorter songs that didn’t see much jamming, kicking off with “The Wedge” and “Heavy Things.” The dance party got started when the band launched into “Tube.” While a very fun Gordon song, “Sugar Shack” has been on many fans’ drop list for Phish, preferring it played by Gordon’s solo band. Anastasio hasn’t seemed to be able play it well. McConnell came out from behind the keys to croon the audience with “Lawn Boy” before a fast-paced “Sparkle” made it’s triumphant return following an absence in 2015. Excitement built as the first notes of “It’s Ice” were heard, followed by “Guelah Papyrus,” but the band took it down again with “Ocelot.” The set ended on a high note with “Possum” that brought the energy through the roof and glow sticks flying as everyone waited in anticipation of what would likely be a big second set.

    When Phish came back to open the second set with “Soul Shakedown Party,” the increased energy and excitement could be felt throughout the crowd. Then came the funk. “The Moma Dance” featured an extended Type II jam that brought us all to outer space, clocking in around 17 minutes and competing for best version. While much of the rest of the set was less interesting musically, the love throughout the crowd could be cut with a knife. “Joy” brought some needed relaxation to the set with the band telling us “we want you to be happy,” and the happiness spread like a wildfire. New song “Breath and Burning” came next, played for a third time this summer after its debut at Deer Creek. The energy returned at the end of the set with “Axilla > Theme from the Bottom > Harry Hood > Show of Life.” We all knew who our friends were during “Theme” as we were surrounded by them. “Harry Hood” featured a blissful jam and could have ended the set, but the band had another message for us. “Show of Life” returned for the first time since New Year’s Eve 2013 to close it out. When the band came out for the encore, we were all surprised that it would be “Rock and Roll.” It was, however, a fitting cap to what was a euphoric set as our lives had all just been saved by rock and roll.

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    The crowd was slow to disperse following the set as high fives, hugs and smiles were exchanged among new friends. The three-night run had come to a close, leaving all of us just a bit closer to finding ourselves in this show of life. Everyone walked out even more excited for the remainder of the tour. Next stop, Portland!

    Setlist by Phish.net

    Soundcheck: Winterqueen (x2), Guelah Papyrus

    Set 1: The Wedge, Heavy Things, Tube, Sugar Shack, Lawn Boy, Sparkle > Sample in a Jar, It’s Ice > Guelah Papyrus, Ocelot > Scent of a Mule, Possum

    Set 2: Soul Shakedown Party, The Moma Dance > Twist > Joy > Breath and Burning, Axilla > Theme From the Bottom > Harry Hood > Show of Life

    Encore: Rock and Roll

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTxvxCal92k[/embedyt]

  • Phish Sets the Gearshift Out of Control for SPAC Night Two

    Phish’s second night at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center was preceded by a beautiful early summer afternoon, a welcome change from Friday’s thunderstorms that served as the soaking precursor to the night one show. Fans also seemed to feel more settled, ready to dive into the middle of the run, despite having to wait in the lengthy security lines.

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    The boys kicked things off with “Crowd Control,” a solid but rather underwhelming choice considering the intensity that would awaken later in the show. Mike Gordon took the lead vocals on the “555,” with accompaniment from John Fishman before sailing into some improv grooves on “Seven Below.” The consistently upbeat and funky “Back on the Train” had fans howling with delight. Trey Anastasio slammed into a solo only to be matched by Page McConnell’s key shreds. This led to “Army of One” with additional impressive displays of jazz inspired liberties on keys. The “Divided Sky” included the basic choreographed dance jumps of Anastasio and Gordon. The song included its lengthy pause in which all four members appeared still as statues. The raw human emotion could not be hidden as a wide grin on Anastasio’s face shined like a pillar of light, letting the 20,000 or so die-hard fans know he was just as happy to be in the spa city as they were.

    “Martian Monster,” a Halloween 2014 debut track, gave Anastasio another chance to demonstrate melodic percussion on Fishman’s marimba lumina as he did the previous night during the massive and lengthy “Chalkdust Torture.” A quick “Rift” followed by “Water in the Sky” moved into a slamming “46 Days.” Chris Kuroda’s new LED light boards beamed throughout the song, mimicking the look of liquid in motion as Anastasio and McConnell drove the song to the first set’s closer, “Walls of the Cave.”

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    The jam-heavy second set began with “No Man in No Man’s Land” before diving into the intensity of “Fuego,” featuring long and deep improvisations and jams. The crowd sang along the tune’s “whoa-ohs” and simultaneously tossed boat loads of glow sticks into the night sky. “Light” included some type II style jams before teasing back the lyrics of “No Man in No Man’s Land” and ended with a fun rendition of TV on the Radio’s “Golden Age.”

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    The later half of the second set was stocked with tour debuts, beginning with “Taste,” which featured some intricate piano playing that moved throughout the song with McConnell’s directive. “Horse” glided right into “Silent in the Morning,” as it typically does. The ever perky “Julius” made it nearly impossible not to boogie down before the foursome took to the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” bringing the second set to a triumphant close. A small child on her father’s shoulders graciously accepted Anastasio’s guitar pick as a token of his appreciation for even his youngest fans.

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    A bubbly “Bouncing Around the Room” kicked off the two-song encore before exploding into “Run Like an Antelope,” demonstrating the extensive musical prowess of all four members and closing SPAC night 2 with a bang.

    As if your face hadn’t fully melted off after nights 1 and 2, there’s still time to grab the mop and bucket for night 3 at SPAC this evening. As they say, “never miss a Sunday show.”

    Setlist via Phish.net
    Soundcheck: Funky Bitch, How Many People Are You, Miss You, Tide Turns

    Set 1: Crowd Control, 555 > Seven Below > Back on the Train, Army of One, Divided Sky, Martian Monster[1] > Rift, Water in the Sky > 46 Days, Walls of the Cave

    Set 2: No Men In No Man’s Land > Fuego > Light -> Golden Age > Taste, The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Julius, A Day in the Life

    Encore: Bouncing Around the Room, Run Like an Antelope
    [1] Trey on Marimba Lumina.

  • 24 Songs and a Monster Chalkdust Torture Keep the Energy Flowing at Phish’s First Night at SPAC

    Phish made their triumphant return to SPAC for the first time since 2014 and brought with them a boatload of energy for a top show of tour thus far. The rain and tornado warnings peppered the pre-show with downpours and lightning, but a break in the weather gave the fans a chance to stroll Shakedown in the West 50 lot and catch up with friends new and old before heading into the venue for the band’s only three-night run on the east coast, and it’s a highly anticipated run at that.

    Opening the night with “Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan,” “The Birds” and “NICU,” Phish brought in the high energy from the outset, followed by “Cities” > “David Bowie,” which recalled the Ventura 98 “Bowie” > “Cities” > “Bowie,” if slightly short on replicating the magic from that sandwich.

    “Free,” “Uncle Pen” and “Halfway to the Moon” followed, which kept the energy rolling prior to “Let’s Go,” the sole debut of the night and a new tune penned by Mike Gordon with the most promise thus far. It could easily stand out as the single off the forthcoming Bob Ezrin-produced album expected later this year. First impressions and a few relistens give a JGB funk vibe mixed with Gordon’s “Andelman’s Yard”; fans will definitely be clamoring for “Let’s Go” throughout the tour.

    “Waiting All Night” dropped the tempo down slightly before a 10-plus minute “Bathtub Gin” took the reins and stood out as a highlight Type I jam of the set. A brief “Golgi Apparatus” seemed to be the set closer, but Trey let the crowd know “We’re gonna do one more,” leading into the perfect set closer, “The Squirming Coil.” A better first set in terms of song selection and maintaining energy could not have been scripted. Any dwelling on the memory of the storm that preceded the show had effectively been erased.

    The new light rig for Phish this tour is an upgrade visually and aesthetically, and it will get even better given how lighting designer Chris Kuroda evolves through each tour. The depth of the screens plus regular lighting mixed in accents the band in a different manner but accompanies the new material perfectly.

    #Phish @magicofspac Night 1

    A photo posted by pete mason (@phanart) on

    The second set of SPAC didn’t wait to get rolling, jumping out with “Sand” > “Carini,” two songs that signaled a stepping off point for Type II jamming. It was the “Chalkdust Torture” though that reigns supreme as the jam of the night and thus far of the tour, clocking in at more than 22 minutes and featuring intense, exploratory jamming, Trey on the Marimba Lumina, Mike on keys and a tone that derives from the drive-in set at Magnaball last August. Phish picked a great song to get weird during, rivaling the Randall’s Island “Chalkdust” from 2014 and creating its own moniker “SPACDust” almost immediately.

    Trey on the Marimba Lumina during a huge Chalkdust Torture jam at #SPAC #phish

    A video posted by NYS Music (@nystatemusic) on

    A mellow “Prince Caspian” and “Bug” followed and while not nearly as high energy as the 45 minutes that preceded, there was no drop off from the crowd response and thus, no complaints. “Shine a Light” by the Rolling Stones made its first debut of the tour, as did “My Sweet One,” thanks to a banner hanging in the balcony before the song. Trey pointed to the fans and led the band into the bluegrassy love song for a short two minutes. “Sleeping Monkey,” always welcome, teased Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” in the intro, and eventually jumped into “2001” out of the blue, dropping funk late into the set ahead of a set closing “Fire.” The band returned to the stage to close the show with “Character Zero,” not relenting on the energy one bit.

    Phish is having a lot of fun at SPAC, and it was only the first night. Given the extensive song selection already this tour, rare covers, new Phish songs and tour debuts, we could be looking at the best three-night SPAC run since 2012, if night one is any indication.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Soundcheck: Alaska, Let’s Go, Unknown Trey Song, Unknown Mike Song
    Set 1: Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, The Birds > NICU, Cities, David Bowie, Free, Uncle Pen, Halfway to the Moon, Let’s Go[1], Waiting All Night > Bathtub Gin > Golgi Apparatus, The Squirming Coil
    Set 2: Sand > Carini > Chalk Dust Torture[2] > Prince Caspian > Bug, Shine a Light, My Sweet One, Sleeping Monkey > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Fire
    Encore: Character Zero

  • Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival: More than Music

    Beyond the incredible lineup promised for its four-day length, Grey Fox Bluegrass festival is guaranteed to host a unique music experience for every concert-goer this summer. Its ongoing activities and performances are sure to fill your whole weekend with activities, with plenty of opportunity to relax and enjoy the music as well. No matter what kind of concert-goer you are, we have a recommended event for you.

    If you have kids

    Unlike many other concerts that have booted out younger audiences with emerging festival culture, there is still a happy, safe place for families at Grey Fox. The Family Stage is live all weekend, featuring a variety of activities like tie dying and making instruments. There is also the well-known Bluegrass Academy for Kids, or BGA, which serves as a festival-long mock summer camp. Kids can learn to play and sing traditional bluegrass songs, featuring several performance opportunities.

    If you have time, swing by the Creekside Stage to learn about the business of bluegrass and opportunities to study music from the International Bluegrass Music Association and Berklee College of Music. Oh, and no need to worry about loud noise at night with the specially marked quiet areas for families that could use some sleep after a long day of music.

    If you’re a musician

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    Starting the minute you move in on Wednesday, musicians roam from all over Grey Fox to partake in their annual Open Mic. On a first come, first serve basis, you and your band (sadly, no solo acts) can play among with musical peers to add your voice to the vast space of Walsh Farm. With continuous jamming throughout the weekend, you can repair your own instrument or buy a new one with the various music vendors throughout the festival. Make sure you drop your name in the raffle as well for your chance to win a Deering banjo or a Beard Resonator guitar.

    If you’re a foodie

    If you plan on camping for four days, you should plan on buying some meals and snacks along the way. Luckily, Grey Fox offers more variety than your average festival cheeseburger. There is a variety of breakfast food, smoothies, pastries, pizzas, picnic foods, Greek specialties, Thai cuisine, Mexica10464343_10154174334272454_4697731366359745459_nn food, and various vegetarian wraps and entrees.

    The festival also features handcrafted beer from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., New York State wines, coffee varieties, and other beverages to pair with your meals. For those with a sweet tooth, make sure to indulge in gourmet ice cream, chocolates, and crepes for that extra sugar rush, with vendors lining the festival common areas.

    In addition to loving great music, most Grey Fox attendees fall under some or all of these umbrellas, and with endless kid’s activities, yoga and mediation, musical training, artisan shops and products, and endless food and drink choices, there is bound to be something for everyone, and we can’t wait to see what this year will have in store for us. The countdown is 14 days.

    Never been to Grey Fox? Check out some of last year’s photos.

    Otherwise, join in and buy your tickets here.

  • Fitz & The Tantrums Dance the Night Away

    American neo-soul and indie-pop band, Fitz & The Tantrums strutted into Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on June 23 to a large crowd of 18 and under kids accompanied by parents who for the most part stayed near the back of the venue.

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    The Los Angeles band, fresh off the Firefly Festival in Dover the weekend before, dominated the stage from the start in support of their third and self-titled album, Fitz & the Tantrums featuring “HandClap.”

    Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs delighted the energetic crowd during their 19-song set, which included the band’s classics “Out Of My League,” “Money Grabber,” “Walker” and “6 AM.” Although the band’s style has progressively changed over the past few years, there’s no denying their stage presence and dedicated fan base.

    Opening the night were fellow Californians, Finish Ticket. Signed back in 2014, the band performed a surprisingly hypnotic set which even included a cover of the Killers’, “When You Were Young.”

    Fitz & The Tantrums Set List:

    Get Right Back
    Spark
    Don’t Gotta Work It Out
    Out Of My League
    Run It
    Breaking The Walls
    Breakin’ The Chains of Love
    Walking Target
    Complicated
    Fools Gold
    Roll Up
    Do What You Want
    Money Grabber
    Tricky
    Burn It Down
    L.O.V.
    HandClap
    6AM
    Walker

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