Category: Central NY

Caravan of Thieves Raise the Dead at Nelson Odeon

Imagine taking a journey on unfamiliar roads, and your GPS isn’t working. You’re left to trust your instincts, fairly confident that you’ll reach your destination, even if you don’t quite know what lies ahead of you. That’s a bit like seeing Caravan of Thieves for the very first time. The band performed at the Nelson Odeon on Saturday, November 19. Their multiple styles were all over the musical map. There were elements of swing, bluegrass, alt-country, folk, Americana, big band, gypsy rhythms, Celtic influences, and yes, disco, throughout the evening. Their infectious songs had the audience singing along on the choruses, or on familiar cover tunes, and earned the crowd’s trust that we’d all find our way to an enjoyable evening. Fuzz and Carrie Sangiovanni, the husband and wife guitarists that front the band, accompanied by Nicole Scorsone on violin and Rich Zurkowski on upright bass, led a nearly full house through a rollicking two sets of high energy, foot-stomping, hand-clapping, finger-snapping songs. When not playing guitar, Fuzz played extended solos on what looked to be the world’s most make-shift percussion kit, comprising of a five gallon plastic water bottle, a sauce pan, a spring, a coffee can, what may have been half of a fifty-five gallon drum, and other instruments not readily identifiable. His drum solos added to the band’s “anything goes” attitude and brought smiles and thunderous applause.

Many of their originals, such as the opening piece “Wasting My Time,” and “I Get Sad,” showcased the remarkable harmony of Fuzz and Carrie’s voices. Scorsone’s expressive violin and Zurkowski’s double bass, which he both plucked and bowed, deserve mention for the richness they added to Caravan of Thieves sound. The cover tunes were stunning in both their selection, and in their execution. The band put their own signature stamp on these pieces, rather than cookie cutter versions of the original recordings. These included a Beatles “Girl/Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” medley, an audience sing-along on Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and to begin their encore, an instrumental version of Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood,” followed by Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” I am going to go out on a limb and state that I’m fairly certain that no other band at any time or any place has ever played those two songs back to back.

For their finale, the band came down from the stage, gathered the audience around them, and played an unplugged rendition of their song “Raise the Dead.” This piece would be right at home in an Irish saloon, with reverence for the departed and celebration for the living, complete with a stomp, clap, and sing along chorus that those in attendance readily joined in. Maybe we didn’t know exactly how we ended up shoulder to shoulder with strangers, singing and stomping and clapping in public without a care in the world. But, I’m glad to have trusted Caravan of Thieves to get us there.

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November 22, 2016
Asking Alexandria has Clifton Park stand up and scream

Old school fans of Asking Alexandria cannot miss the 10 Years in the Black Tour. On November 15, Asking Alexandria alongside Born of Osiris, I See Stars, After The Burial, Upon A Burning Body and Bad Omens, brought the tour to Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park to showcase not only the best of the Sumerian Records, but the best of each band as well.

Asking Alexandria, headliners for Sumerian Records’ 10 year anniversary tour, have a surprise waiting for fans coming out this month. For any new fans of Asking Alexandria who expected to see songs from their latest release, The Black, performed on this year’s tour, you are surely mistaken.

Bad Omens opened the show with clean, intense, harsh vocals by vocalist Nicholas Ryan. They were the best way to start the night, especially impressive being the drumming by drummer Nick Folio. Their set allowed for the crowd surfers to come out early, and were just what the audience needed before watching Upon A Burning Body.

Texas natives, Upon A Burning Body, woke up the crowd to the fullest during, “Texas Blood Money.” A fan favorite by Upon A Burning Body, this was the first song of the night that really got everyone in the venue up and moving. At the end of the song, a couple in the crowd starting ballroom dancing to the Mexican interlude that followed the song.

Encouraging the crowd to be active, frontman Danny Leal invited fans to come up to him and give him a high five. “Don’t be afraid, every single one of you get the f-ck over here,” said frontman Leal.

Although this show was not a sell out and not everyone had arrived at the venue yet, during Upon A Burning Body’s set, there was a reminder of what a concert should really be like. A smaller number of fans were all working to get everyone off of their feet that wanted to crowd surf, and making sure they would get safely to the front of the venue.

Following Upon A Burning Body were metal group After The Burial. The excitement from Upon A Burning Body carried over into After The Burial’s set, with frontman Anthony Notarmaso encouraging shaking people around in the audience.

“If you came here with a friend start shaking this mother f-cker side to side. I promise if you do it, they will smile,” said Notarmaso before performing, “Collapse.”

Before performing their last song, the crowd was so upset about their set being over, fans started yelling profanities from the crowd towards the stage encouraging them to stay longer.

I See Stars, who released a their new album, Treehouse, over the summer, has gone from playing The Vans Warped Tour to being a part of this ten year celebration with Sumerian Records.

With their unique style of blending electronic and metal together, I See Stars were one of the most entertaining and energetic performances from the tour. Frontman Devin Oliver left no area of the venue untouched, whether by jumping on top of stereos to reach out to fans, or going up against the audience themselves.

“I want you to sing louder, I want you to jump higher,” said Oliver.

Although performing a majority of their set to promote Treehouse, there are some fans who were hoping for earlier I See Stars songs to appear on the setlist, like their 2012 song featuring Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria, “Endless Sky.”

All of the energy given off from Oliver was given back to him by the reactions from fans during their entire set.

Heavy metal quintet, Born Of Osiris, were the heaviest band on the tour, and fans knew it immediately. Although it can seem odd going from the upbeat style of I See Stars to the heavy style of Born Of Osiris, the shift was not as strange as fans may think.

Playing songs like, “Follow The Signs,” were exactly what they crowd needed to be ready for headliners Asking Alexandria.

Despite being named the, 10 Years in the Black Tour, fans of Asking Alexandria may find themselves pleasantly surprised about the content played by Asking Alexandria. This tour not only surprises original fans with old content, but they actually go through their evolution as a band.

Asking Alexandria, who reunited with original vocalist Worsnop and parted ways with vocalist Denis Stoff soon before the tour began, gave, according to Worsnop, “a whopping five days before the tour started,” to prepare for the tour.

With a lack of preparation and the confusion from fans, Asking Alexandria are using the 10 Years in the Black Tour to perform the stages of Asking Alexandria, starting with performing from Reckless & Relentless, followed by From Death To Destiny, and ending with songs from Stand Up and Scream.

According to Worsnop, bringing himself back into the mix makes the band feel they are back to how they were, “When it was five guys in a beat up RV in a Walmart parking lot in New Jersey.”

The chemistry between every member of the band surpasses any expectation. Despite being, in general, well-rounded musicians, the energy and connection between the members of Asking Alexandria is enjoyable for everyone to watch.

Every member of the band, whether it’s guitarist Ben Bruce, or guitarist Cameron Liddell, make sure to get up on speakers and get as close to fans as possible.

Worsnop, who has had vocal issues in the past, surprised the audience with the way his live performance has improved. His vocals, especially on songs like, “The Final Episode,” and “A Single Moment of Sincerity,” sound remarkably like the original recordings from 2009.

As well as going through the evolution of Asking Alexandria, the band also paused between songs to share stories and give background on some of the songs and the albums themselves.

“I’m not addicted to drugs anymore, that’s cool,” said Worsnop to introduce the middle of the show where they started performing songs off of From Death To Destiny.

The performance by every member of Asking Alexandria is not only incredibly impressive, but you get a sense that these five guys who started the band together, missed their time performing together. Any fan of Asking Alexandria looking to see old school Asking Alexandria songs performed, cannot miss out on the 10 Years in the Black Tour.

November 19, 2016
Rebuilding the Syracuse Art Scene: An Interview with Justin Pellingra

I can distinctly recall the brisk November night last year when a painter friend invited me to swing by a collaborative art space that had just popped up in downtown Syracuse. Intrigued to observe what happens when the eccentrics of the city converge under one roof, I curiously made my way to this space at 451 S. Warren Street dubbed The Vault. The room was still pretty raw: white walls dappled with spray paint and a few unfinished canvases propped up, poised to absorb the strokes of an inspired hand. A free-standing toddler-sized basketball hoop begged for attention on one side of the room while other playful participants took advantage of the open floor to propel themselves around in a wheelchair or practice tricks on a skateboard. One of these spirited wheelchair riders was none other than The Vault proprietor, Justin Pellingra.

The venue wasn’t officially open yet, but Pellingra had already opened the doors to let curious minds wander around his newly acquired property. As I observed this young entrepreneur roll around in what could be best described as an adult indoor playground, I wondered what would become of this venue that at the time seemed to have little direction, but infinite potential.

It has been a year since The Vault opened it’s doors and in that short span of time, Pellingra has run the gamut of artistic expression, fully utilizing this amorphous space by keeping the weekly schedule packed with live music, art showcases, gaming tournaments where people play bingo for money, film screenings, fashion shows and a flurry of educational and entrepreneurial opportunities to help local artists network and provide a platform for them to display their diverse talents to the community.

Pellingra has tirelessly cultivated his multimedia venture to elevate the arts in Syracuse and revive the culture he knows is waiting to make a comeback. The arts in Syracuse have gained intense momentum over the past few months thanks largely to Pellingra’s efforts. In the face of this success, code enforcement has forced Pellingra to relocate, but he is determined to uphold his mission to illuminate the artistic vibrancy of this talented city. I recently caught up with him at The Vault to discuss the past, present and future outlook for The Vault:

Ally Dean: What is your role at The Vault?

Justin Pellingra: Overall I want to shape the city. I see my role as being a social architect. I see Syracuse as this place that’s partially developed right now. It’s like a blank canvas in many ways and it’s just a matter of who’s going to step up and do it. I noticed there weren’t the proper venues for all this talent in the city. So I opened up my own place to have that platform and I’m letting everybody in. If you’re cool and you’re serious about what you’re doing or you have a passion, I’m gonna give you this platform. I film and do photography for everybody so they have a press kit to put out. I didn’t study film or photography in school so for me this was my education.

Now I have all these students coming and that I’m training to do live audio, recorded audio, interviews, how to be behind the camera and how to direct other people and learning how to get funding and all the resources we need for production. One of the other elements is to build the film industry here in Syracuse. That’s another blank canvas that’s a major industry for economic development which this city needs. But I think this city lacks visionaries. A lot of the people that are in charge in this city are doing it the same way it’s been done.

AD: What are the issues with code that are threatening to close you down?

JP: The issue is this back door. There’s a sidewalk that leads to the street and it’s about 20 feet. It’s owned by the neighbor. The neighbor is actually a cool guy. He has no problem with this door being an emergency exit. But what he doesn’t want to do is have it free for me to walk back there and go on his property. He wants to maintain his private property. The only way the codes will accept that this is a door is if the neighbor signs an easement which is an all eternity bridge that connects the two properties. He’d have to give up rights to his own property and it’s asking too much.

So even though we have 2,400 square feet in here, our occupancy is now being determined by only the two front doors, so it’s getting dropped from 260 to 49 people. If that happens it just doesn’t make it possible to continue doing what we’re doing. I can’t do business here and so it’s gonna return to the abandoned block it was. There’s been development since I’ve been over here which is cool, but in general there’s a lot of undeveloped property sitting around with nothing happening to them and you have someone like myself investing in these properties and they’d rather have it continue to be empty.

AD: This must be frustrating to handle…

JP: It sucks because I only have two dollars in my pocket and we were at the peak. We have two big music festivals coming up. Our calendar is booked. We’re in the highest demand we’ve ever been in. It’s at peak capacity with events everyday. It was a booming business. It seemed like something people needed. It was always amazing. I loved it, it was beautiful, it was wonderful. It was cool that I could provide a space where people could just be free for a while. They would escape their day and express themselves.

AD: It has been such a great space for artists to network. Where else would they get a chance to meet each other. Especially when you’re offering a space for so many different mediums. You’re bridging that gap between different arts.

JP: Right. And I made a point not to make it about making money on my end. I give other people the opportunity to make money first. I’d make it so that there was no risk. You don’t have to invest anything but your time and I’m gonna give you platforms and put you in front of people and allow you to try to sell your work. So many artists got their first commissions here.

AD: So you’ve started looking at new locations for the Vault?

JP: Yeah I’ve looked at some promising locations. They want a lot of money for some of these spots so we’ll see what happens. But I think Syracuse is ready for us to expand and move somewhere bigger.

AD: Could you start a crowdfunding campaign to help fund it?

JP: I have a very hard time asking for things, especially money, but I probably will.

AD: I’m sure you could get a bunch of local artists in on it. Have them offer a CD, a small piece of art or stickers.

JP: That’s a great idea because its always been a community space. I’ve stuck to certain principles through this whole process and one of them is “Can this be a business were everybody wins?” It doesn’t have to be at the expense of someone else. So much has always felt like compromise in business to me. The other thing I strive to do is to see what would happen if I literally just always gave to anyone that seemed like they needed anything or asked anything of me. I wanted to prove a lot of notions wrong.

Notions like “If you want something you have to go out and take it” or “Nobody gives a fuck so I don’t give a fuck” There’s so much of our culture that’s like that. I just want that to stop. Just be cool for a little bit, make a few friends, look out for them and watch over time how they look out for you. And you do that with 300 people and you just give to them all the time, now you have these little doses and they add up. I feel like I’ve been so prosperous and it’s not a financial thing. Everyday people call me looking for me, often just to say thank you or do something nice. If I look out for everybody else I’m of the belief that a lot of people are going to be looking out for me.

At first it might look like I’m just giving away everything I have and it seems kind of crazy but I’m not afraid to do this. This is how I’m gonna operate. And people have been incredibly generous in return. I don’t think this business, if you want to call it a business, could have operated without that. I think it’s special and different from any other music venue in town. I wanted to set an example of how it could be done.

AD: Do you see this as a long-term investment or do you just want to get it to a stage where it’s self-sustaining?

JP: Right now I’m invested in Syracuse. I’ve built too much to walk away from it. I know people have been inspired by what’s going on here and are going to be doing similar things. I feel like the demand is so high and supply is so low and I love doing it so I have to keep doing it.

AD: How are you managing all of the shows you already had booked?

JP: We’re going through a transition but it hasn’t slowed us down, all we did was change up how we’re doing it. The forty shows we have booked right now, we’re taking to a different location in the city, and calling it the “Live from The Vault Tour.” We’re highlighting those locations because it’s never been just about The Vault anyway. It’s been about the city and building up the culture. Places like this can’t survive without strong culture where people understand the value of it. So to build the culture we’ve been bringing our shows to other venues, adding a little bit of our flavor.

AD: Was “The Vault Tour” initiated because of getting shut down or was it already a concept you were interested in?

JP: We’re pretty good at working quickly and working with what we have. Literally the first day we got the notice it was a stop work order because of the door. We got that and had half an hour to promote a show at a new location. Originally we cancelled it, but then a half hour before it was supposed to start we hit social media hard and the show was huge.

November 14, 2016
Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds Soar in Syracuse

Prior to Saturday’s show at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater on October 29th, more than a few friends asked me, “what kind of music do Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds play?” Not one that prefers to pigeon-hole such a multi-talented band, I answered, “the good kind.” The band proved me correct, as the good kind covered a wide range from soul to blues, from rock to funk, from New Orleans to Memphis, from Motown to Muscle Shoals. In mere minutes, the Birds were sonically soaring and the crowd, both die-hard fans and first-time listeners, were hip-shaking their way to a memorable evening for all.

Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds have built a well-deserved loyal group of followers, dubbed “Party Fowl,” through frequent touring and high energy stage shows. The band’s return to the Westcott Theater marked their fifth Syracuse appearance in the last two years, and they ramped up their party reputation by playing in full Halloween regalia. The group was decked out as a chili pepper, pirate, pharaoh, banana, space cowboy, Zorro, and a nun the likes of which I never saw in my elementary school days.

Frontwoman Arleigh Kincheloe led the way, shimmying, sashaying, and practically skipping across the stage, seemingly incapable of standing still. She did manage to do so for an extended period, during her gorgeous rendition of an as yet unreleased song, “Matter of Time.” That song was a beautiful counterpoint just before the band segued from “Prison Cells” into a breakneck tempo version of the Ghostbusters theme. They followed that with a tease of the Addams Family theme during “Boogie Man.”

This is a polished group that clearly has fun playing music together and melds many different styles to form their sound, even paying tribute to Edvard Grieg’s moody “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” as the intro to “Who are You?” The rhythm section of Dan Boyden on drums and Josh Myers, in a pimptastic silver jumpsuit with ski goggles and a cowboy hat, kept the beat and bottom end steady. That allowed Jackson Kincheloe to exhibit his prolific harmonica skills, Sasha Brown to add savage guitar riffs, and Phil Rodriguez and Brian Graham to round out the sound with the punch of a brass section, on trumpet and saxophone, respectively. All of which formed a platform for Sister Sparrow’s powerful vocals and charismatic stage presence.

Sadly, this was one of the last five performances for the talented and entertaining Brown with the band, who announced last week that he will be leaving to explore other opportunities. The septet’s latest release, the live album Fowl Play, was released in March of 2016.

The evening began with a pair of forty-five minute sets from local musicians. Amanda Rogers opened the night with her own songs performed solo, on piano. Rogers selected tunes at whim from a songbook resting atop her keyboard. Her classical training shone through, with interesting chord changes setting the mood to her songs, and melodic runs showcasing her skills.

Following Rogers was Castle Creek, the performing entity fronted by Kim Monroe. This night, a shoeless Monroe played acoustic guitar in a four-piece outfit, accompanied by Nate Mansfield on acoustic guitar, John Jones on electric bass, and the ubiquitous Phil Leone on cajón box drum. Her own easy-listening songs with hints of blues music were mixed with popular covers including “Another Brick in the Wall,” and “Come Together.”

Prior to their encore, Arleigh Kincheloe turned to the Dirty Birds and said, “Okay. Let’s hit it hard.” The band counted off and tore into an explosive cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.” Any remaining non-believers in the congregation were converted. Following their last note, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds readily chatted with familiar faces, and fans both old and new, adding dozens of listeners to the Party Fowl flock, ready for the band to fly high once again.

Set list – Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Westcott Theater, Syracuse, NY 10/29/2016

Bad Love
Don’t Be Jealous
Make It Rain
Stereo
Borderline
Catch Me If You Can
Frankie
We Need a Love
Matter of Time
Prison Cells > Ghostbusters Theme
Boogie Man (with Addams Family Theme tease)
Mama Knows
Who Are You?
Millie Mae > Feel Like Funkin’ It Up (Rebirth Brass Band cover)
Sugar
Encore: Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin cover)

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November 1, 2016
Beaucoup Blue Provides the Elixir

Elixir /ih-lik-ser/ noun – a panacea; cure-all; sovereign remedy

Elixir is also the title of the soon to be released CD by Beaucoup Blue featuring a cover photograph of an antique elixir bottle from their hometown of Philadelphia. The father and son duo of David and Adrian Mowry, known as Beaucoup Blue, performed October 21^st at the Nelson Odeon in Nelson, New York. Their repertoire covered familiar themes of trains, tramps, trouble, troubadours, true love gone wrong, and truth as they see it. David, the elder of the duo, switched often between what appeared to be a vintage Guild guitar and a gorgeous Dobro resonator. Mixing slide guitar with a finger-picking style, thumb-strumming, and percussive gestures, he wrangled an impressive range of sounds from his instruments. He and his son Adrian traded lead vocals on songs that each, respectively, wrote with Adrian adding rhythm guitar and melodic flourishes on David’s songs.

Highlights of their own pieces were “Rounder,” “Hurry Down My Holley,” and “Lonely at the Top.” Particularly noteworthy was hearing how their selections of cover tunes were both respectful to the original songs and revised just enough to be their own enjoyable versions. These included Charlie Poole’s “If the River Was Whiskey (Hesitation Blues),” Tampa Red’s “It Hurts Me Too,” their closing song, “Rainy Night in Georgia,” written by Tony Joe White, and the encore, Junior Parker’s “Mystery Train.” They have an easy rapport with each other and their audience. Listeners were engaged throughout the night’s two sets lasting two hours, ten minutes. Beaucoup Blue reminded the audience that music can indeed be an elixir. Merci, Beaucoup.

A journey to the Nelson Odeon to hear live music is not only a treat for the ears but an eye-opener as well in learning how a distinctly different performance space operates. Owners Jeff and Linda Schoenfeld are now in their seventh year operating the former Grange Hall. It is a small, comfortable venue with a capacity of perhaps one hundred fifty. Wood floors, walls and ceiling provide a rich warm sound, managed superbly well by Ralph Meitz, the sound engineer. Ralph and the performers are the only people who are paid. A team of volunteers takes tickets, arranges seating, and manages a small concession area offering soft drinks, baked goods, coffee and tea. Artists and fans meet, mingle, and chat before and between sets and following the evening’s performance. The Schoenfelds have cultivated a loyal group of supporters by presenting a diverse array of acts that might be less well known, but are certainly not lesser talent than might appear elsewhere. They do so by having a relaxed atmosphere with few rules, treating everyone nicely, and doing all they can for the performers, including housing them in their home down the street and providing home cooked meals. These gestures are greatly appreciated by road-weary musicians used to long miles, cookie cutter hotel rooms, and scrambling to grab something to eat and head to the next show. It is a formula that has allowed the Schoenfelds to pay the bills and keep both patrons and performers happy and looking forward to returning. Central New York music fans should check the Nelson Odeon schedule and make it a point to attend a show or two.

October 26, 2016
Sturgill Simpson Simply Stuns the State

Outside, on the streets of Ithaca, the plants were dying and the leaves were falling. But inside, in the cozy majesty of the State Theater, country was ‘In Bloom’ as Sturgill Simpson took the stage Thursday night.

Simpson and his big band (Laur Joamets on electric & slide guitar, Chuck Bartels on bass, Bobby Emmett on keyboards, Miles Miller behind the kit and on backing vocals, Scott Frock on trumpet, Brad Walker on saxophone and Jon Ramm on trombone) played over two hours in a career-spanning set. There was no opening act, there was no encore and there wasn’t an unsatisfied soul walking out the door at the finish.

Simpson’s albums famously stretch the fabric of country music, adding in threads of soul, roots, blues and psychedelic elements. Live it plays as kind of a country soul revue, with a three-piece horn section, ever-present slick guitar and a keyboardist that isn’t afraid to mix in some spacey Moog. The band was utilized to full effect throughout the set, whether covering material from his debut High Top Mountain or his breakout sophomore release, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, each of which dominated the first half of the show. The music also moved the audience to full effect, from head to toe, with head bobbers, shoulder swayers, fist pumpers, booty shakers and foot stompers. Surprisingly, the most country the band sounded all night was in a phenomenal twanged-up cover of Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks.”

It was over an hour before they played material off Simpson’s latest, A Sailor’s Guide to the Earth. After a spacey and noisy intro, the album finally broke into the set with “Welcome to Earth.” The song built in intensity with the horns bursting out into a funky groove that smoothly found it’s way into the second track on the album, “Breakers Roar.” The set continued on as they tackled the entire album front to back. Simpson played the part of band leader throughout, coaxing more guitar, quickening the rhythm or adding more horns, simply with motions of his guitar or a nod of the head, commandeering the stage and in turn the packed theater. “Keep It Between the Lines” brought the outlaw country down to New Orleans with funky horns and B3 organ. They stretched the center out to fit extended solos in from nearly everyone in the band, including an extra groovy bass and drums section. It reached a fever pitch that was fit for a show-stopping set closer, but they were just getting started. Still yet to come was their stirring soul-country cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom,” the heavy-rocking “Brace For Impact,” with Simpson finally strapping on an electric, and the set-closing “Call to Arms” complete with a “Soulful Strut” jam and a proper off-the-rails scream-to-the-end finish.

Setlist: Living the Dream, A Little Light Within, Water in a Well > Long White Line > Call Me The Breeze (Lynyrd Skynyrd) > When the Levee Breaks (Led Zeppelin), ?, ?, The Promise, Railroad of Sin, It Ain’t All Flowers, ?, Some Days > Turtles All the Way Down, Hero, Welcome to Earth > Breakers Roar, Keep It Between the Lines, Sea Stories > In Bloom, Brace For Impact, All Around You > Oh Sarah, Call to Arms

October 18, 2016
Summer Reflections on the 2016 Great New York State Fair

Summer time is what NYS Music considers their busy season. With outdoor venues in full swing, festivals across the country, and every band that is touring out on the road at this time hitting the Northeast during the warmer weather, it becomes quite hectic keeping readers up to date on the latest of happenings. Sometimes once things settle down a bit, it is better to just reflect back with a cup of pumpkin spice coffee or a great Saranac Oktoberfest, and enjoy these highlights after the fact. In this case, it’s time to reflect on the 2016 Great New York State Fair.

With a brand new entrance, the Fair welcomed more than 1,117,620 visitors through its gates this year, breaking all previous records. With the new found space acquired after the demolition of the Grandstand area, the Fair was able to spread out a bit more giving fair goers more elbow room with its new configuration. With all concerts now completely free to Fair goers, it was a pleasure to be able to see a wide variety of acts as they visited Central NY this year.

The lineup this year offered a little something for everyone. Newcomers X Ambassadors made an appearance as well as Kesha, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Toto, Survivor, Macy Gray, Brian Wilson, Herman’s Hermits, Flo Rida, Culture Club, Rachel Platten, A Great Big World, and Chicago together with a multitude of other national and local acts from today and yesterday throughout the fairgrounds.

Being a child of the 80’s, Air Supply was one of those bands that dominated the airwaves during that time singing ballad after ballad touching the hearts of many. This Australian duo have been making beautiful music since 1975 and this long lasting duo was widely welcomed by fairgoers this year. Choosing from their expansive catalog of hits, such as “All Out of Love,” “Even The Nights Are Better,” and “Every Woman In The World” to name a few, Roger Hitchcock and Graham Russell jumped around the stage in the heat, waving and pointing to fans just as they did back in the height of their careers back in the 1980’s. Those in attendance were well entertained, and it was a pleasure to take the time travel back to my 7th grade dance once again.

Another band extremely popular in the 70’s and 80’s drew a huge crowd when The Commodores played on Day 5. Still moving and grooving like they did all those years ago, William King, Walter “Clyde” Orange and J.D. Nicholas played favorites such as “Nightshift,” “Easy,” “Three Times A Lady,” and their signature song “Brick House.” The electric experience had the crowd up on their feet the majority of the night singing and dancing along.

Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers also drew a large crowd. Playing favorites such as “Mandolin Rain” and “The Way It Is,” this musical master proved to be so much more than the pop star one expected. Traveling around in the early 90’s, Bruce joined the legendary group The Grateful Dead on tour, and has performed with legendary country performer Ricky Skaggs since 2007. You can see the influences of these two genres reflected in his new body of work which pleased me beyond belief. Concert attendees anticipated a remix of music that brought him to light and he delivered that and so much more with his new sound of bluegrass music. Amazingly entertaining was Mr. Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers. Yes indeed.

On the final Sunday fair goers had a nice mix of rock and blues as they welcomed legendary blues guitarist Robert Cray at the early show. Cray’s music was uplifting and catchy as he worked cute comparisons of love and food and animals into a mix of bluesy goodness that brought a smile to your face. With numbers like “Side Dish,” “Chicken In The Kitchen,” and “Great Big Ole House,” Robert Cray’s ability to work puns into his lyrics was endearing and his musical genius proved to the packed crowd that he is one of the greats.

Daughtry packed Chevy Court, as thousands of fans waited for the former American Idol star to take the stage. Surprised by the size of the crowd taking in the show,Daughtry howled at the crowd claiming that he “Did not know we had this many friends here in Syracuse. Damn, Ya’ll ready to have fun with us tonight? You ready to party with us?” Daughtry then led the crowd in clapping their hands as the band played “Feels Like Tonight.” Taking a quick breather after the song “Superman,” he shared with fans that the band was in the process of writing a new album and joked that the band didn’t have a new song yet to play for them, but all he knew was that it would be a rock album. Daughtry held the mic over the crowd several times as fans were singing along with him. Giving a shout out to his keyboardist, Elvio Fernandes, Daughtry shared that this local hometown hero was born and raised in Rochester. A very fan oriented musician, it was not a surprise when he called a fan to the stage to sign his guitar, and better yet, to have the entire band sign the guitar.

For fairgoers each year, there are tried and true exhibits, agriculture competitions, events, and food vendors one must visit to truly experience the fair. Whether it’s fried dough, wine slushies, rides, horse competitions, or the Indian Village, the Great NY State Fair has something for everyone’s taste. One of the new events that was most popular was the food truck contest. This event went over amazingly well as thousands took advantage of the $2 tasters all day long as the food trucks lined Chevy Court. From was peanut butter and jelly to meatballs, there was literally something for everyone. After a day long of tasting each purchase gave you an entry ticket to win prizes for both the taster and the food truck owner.

Literally thousands of new yorkers and tourists from beyond, visit the Great New York State Fair for 12 days at the end of summer, each year. Traditionally, the last day is reserved for the best deal, $1 admission. What appears to be the biggest day for attendance, has now become the busiest day for the Chevy Court. On Labor Day, Chicago entertained just over 30,000 people with a fantastic performance full of rocking guitar licks, heavy horn-playing, and soaring vocals. Beginning their 2-hour long set, the band embraced the stage for the first time in 26 years with an instrumental introduction before kicking off with “Questions 67 & 68” as “Dialogue (Part I & II)” followed. Throughout the whole show members took turns strutting their moves at the front of the stage, bringing fans deeper into their performance. Highlights of evening included their super hits, “Beginnings,” “Free,” “25 or 6 to 4,” and “Saturday in the Park” followed by a spectacular fireworks display at the front gate as attendees exited the fair for the last time.

Bruce Hornsby and The Noise Makers Setlist: On Western Skyline, Across the River, Funhouse, Tennessee Jed, Celestial Railroad, Pretty Polly, Every Little Kiss, Over the Rise, Jacob’s Ladder, Life in the Psychotropics, Mandolin Rain, The Way It Is, Encore: Rainbow’s Cadillac

Robert Cray Setlist: Chicken in the Kitchen, Poor Johnny, It Doesn’t Show, Nobody’s Fault but Mine, On the Road Down, Phone Booth, Two Steps From the End, Side Dish, Great Big Old House, I Shiver, Right Next Door (Because of Me), Strong Persuader, You Move Me. Encore: Time Makes Two

Daughtry Setlist: Go Down, Outta My Head, Feels Like Tonight, Waiting for Superman, Renegade, In the Air Tonight, Crazy, Tennessee Line, Home Sweet Home, Diamonds, It’s Not Over, Over You, Home, Long Live Rock & Roll. Encore: September, Purple Rain

October 17, 2016
Jason Isbell Takes Syracuse to Church

Three stained glass windows hung behind Jason Isbell and his band as they took the stage Thursday night at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse. The lit windows showed birds around an anchor, perhaps in reference to the second song of the set, “Stockholm” with it’s lyric “Ships in the harbor and birds on the bluff / Don’t move an inch when their anchor goes up.” Whatever the interpretation, one thing was for sure, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (Sadler Vaden on guitar, Jimbo Hart on bass, Derry DeBorja on keyboards, Chad Gamble on drums) were taking the theater to church, and they were reading from the Book of Isbell.

The show didn’t consist of too many extended rock outs though the musicians proved more than worthy of taking a song out to the woodshed on occasion, most notably for the bombastic guitar-fueled “Never Gonna Change” set closer. No, the highlighted items here were the songs, and o, what songs! Isbell’s last two albums, 2013’s Southeastern and last year’s Something More Than Free were met with much critical and award-winning acclaim. But no one needed the critics to tell them that they were witnessing the work of one of the greatest songwriters on the scene today.

The congregation sat in their pews, quietly attentive. They knew all the songs by heart, but they were there to hear Isbell’s voice sing Isbell’s words about Isbell’s life. His songs may be personal in genesis but, as with any great poetry, they are written to relate to any of its readers and listeners.

After lines of particular significance, the crowd would cheer loudly in approval. Amen! On the particularly poignant performance of “Cover Me Up,” with Isbell taking the stage solo for the first half, the audience was raucous after every single line. The rest of the band re-entered the stage one by one as the song built to a furious finish before some heavy mallet hits knocked it back down. The crowd weren’t the only ones to feel the power on that one. “Hell, let’s do that one again!” bellowed Isbell.

One enjoyable story was of the traditional spoken word variety. Isbell recounted the story of the band’s beginnings. He had been kicked out of his house and called up his good friend Jimbo Hart for a place to stay. He ended up sleeping in his kitchen on a futon he purchased for just that purpose. A few months later he also got kicked out of his band, the Drive-by Truckers. So he asked Hart if he wanted to be in his band. Hart again said yes and here they were, still playing music together.

In thanking tour mate Josh Ritter, Isbell said that Ritter’s on stage smiley personality was how he was off stage as well. “He’s either reading a different issue of the news than me or I’m just doing it wrong,” he quipped. Indeed, Ritter and his band (Mark Erelli on guitar, Zack Hickman on bass, Ray Rizzo on drums) played a joyful 45 minute opening set filled with his own brand of folk songs.

Unfortunately, they experienced some technical difficulties when the PA cut out, emitting a droning electronic beat. With the sound cut, the band went fully acoustic, and stood at the front of the stage for a two song un-mic’d performance. As a testament to both the acoustics of the beautiful old theater and the pure talent of the musicians on stage, they pulled it off perfectly, even producing the highlight of the set. To hear completely unfiltered voices and instruments come together is a rare treat, particularly in a venue of this size. It is always interesting to see how musicians will handle adversity during their set and, ever the optimist, Ritter made lemonade out of lemons.

Jason Isbell Setlist: Flying Over Water, Stockholm, 24 Frames, Outfit, Decoration Day, Traveling Alone, How To Forget, Different Days, Codeine, Elephant, Alabama Pines, Cover Me Up, If It Takes a Lifetime, Something More Than Free, Never Gonna Change E: Speed Trap Town, Super 8, Children of Children

Josh Ritter Setlist: Monster Ballads, Me & Jiggs, Cry Softly, Girl in the Water (acoustic, un-mic’d), Snow is Gone (acoustic, un-mic’d), ?, Henrietta Indiana, Long Shadows, When Will I Be Changed

October 13, 2016
Vaporeyes Announce Release of “Golden Baron EP”

Vaporeyes is back in downtown Syracuse in a very special way on Saturday, November 19 at Funk n Waffles Downtown, when longtime guitarist Jyms Tynyn will perform his final show with Vaporeyes. Come down and send Jyms off right and rage with Vaporeyes as they’ll be digging deep and getting crazy in what will also be their last show of 2016. Albany-based Lord Electro opens the night, with doors at 8, and cover $10.

To make the show even a bigger can’t-miss show, Vaporeyes will be releasing their latest album, Golden Road EP, on November 19.

Vaporeyes is a “psychedelic jam fusion” band whose sound seems to be constantly evolving. Sometimes tight as a tiger, sometimes strictly improvisation, sometimes electronic, dance, jazz, metal… but always trippy with a dose of in-the-moment flair. Vaporeyes has already shared the stage with such acts as Papadosio, RAQ, Tauk, Zoogma, Kung Fu, Aqueous, Brothers Past, DrFameus, and much more.

Hailing from Albany, NY, Lord Electro is coming to open up the night. They released their Debut self titled record in 2015 and have been consistently performing across the Northeast. Having already shared the stage with such heavy hitters including: The New Deal, Roots of Creation, G-nome Project, Conehead Buddha and Lucid, Lord Electro is on a mission to make feet move and booties shake!

October 11, 2016
Syracuse Sounds of Music Association Honors DeSantis Family

The Syracuse Sounds of Music Association is holding its annual dinner Oct. 20 at Traditions at the Links in East Syracuse. The dinner is a fundraiser for several non-profit organizations as well as for Syracuse Symphoria, the successor to the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and Syracuse Symphony guild. Money raised throughout the year is distributed through a grant process each December. This year’s dinner honors Mario and Maria DeSantis with the Ovation Award, an annual award presented for outstanding commitment to the Central New York music community. This year’s dinner honors Mario and Maria DeSantis and family with the Ovation Award, an annual award presented for outstanding commitment to the Central New York music community.

Mario DeSantis is best known as the leader of the DeSantis Orchestra. The band bearing his surname has been performing for 70 years and is now led by his daughter Maria, who has brought a modern flair to the orchestra.

For more than 20 years, the elder DeSantis provided the soundtrack to the long-running Syracuse children’s television show Magic Toy Shop. He also performed at the Baseball Hall of Fame for Cal Ripken, Jr.’s induction in 2007.

Syracuse Sounds of Music Association’s “Music Matters” event supports not only Symphoria but college music study scholarships as well as a variety of music non-profits in Central New York.

In the past year, the organization has raised over $35,000 through its various fundraisers and the Encore Thrift Shop it runs in Fayetteville. The money raised was distributed among several area non-profit music organizations, including CNY Association of Music Teachers, Syracuse Children’s Chorus, Syracuse Opera and the CNY Jazz Arts Foundation. The group also provided two $1000 scholarships to high school seniors planning to study music in college.

Reservations for the dinner can be made until Oct. 10 through the Syracuse Sounds of Music Association website.

Forty years ago, Central New York children were glued to their televisions watching the Magic Toy Shop. Take a step back in time to hear some of DeSantis’ work on the long-running show below.

October 4, 2016