Category: Central NY

Breaking Benjamin, Disturbed Kick Off Amphitheater Tour In Syracuse

Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin kicked off their co-headlining summer tour at the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse, NY on July 9. The tour will include stops in more than 20 cities across North America. Alter Bridge and Saint Asonia joined as special guests.

First up was Toronto’s Saint Asonia lead by former Three Days Grace front man Adam Gontier. Saint Asonia released their debut self-titled album in 2015. Since then, they have toured with Motley Crue and Alice Cooper and more recently opened for Disturbed on some of their Canadian tour dates. Their single “I Don’t Care Anymore” has gained some traction and has been featured on Vevo and Spotify.

The next band up was Alter Bridge. Alter Bridge brings a powerhouse lineup with Myles Kennedy on lead vocals/guitar, Mark Tremonti on lead guitar, Brian Marshall on the bass and Scott Phillips on the drums. Alter Bridge got the audience going with their short but dynamic set that included “Isolation,” “Come to Life,” “Addicted to Pain,” “Blackbird,” “Cry of Achilles” and “Rise Today.”

Co-headliner Breaking Benjamin took the stage next. The crowd filled in quickly as the first notes of “So Cold” hit the air. Breaking Benjamin released a new album in 2015, Dark Before Dawn. The album reached number one on both the Billboard 200 and the alternative and rock charts. The album proves that the newly formed Breaking Benjamin lineup is still strong and can produce hit singles. In fact, I forgot how many hit singles Breaking Benjamin has until they starting ripping through one after another: “Sooner or Later,” the new hit single “Angels Fall” and “Blow Me Away.” They took a brief break from their hits to pay tribute to some of their personal favorites kicked off by the “Imperial March” theme from Star Wars. They teased some short clips of “Schism” by Tool, Nirvana’s “Smells like Teen Spirit” and “Walk” by Pantera. Then it was right back to the hits, “Blow me Away,” “Polyamorous” and “I Will Not Bow.” Lead singer Ben Burnley showed a lot of love to the fans, thanking them profusely and alternating between devil horns and a heart symbol. The band ended with fan favorite “The Diary of Jane” and Ben Burnley told everyone that he hoped to come back to Syracuse again soon.

Set list: So Cold, Angels Fall, Sooner or Later, Blow Me Away, The Imperial March/Schism/Smells Like Teen Spirit/Walk, Polyamorous, Ashes of Eden, Breath, Failure, Until the End, I Will Not Bow, The Diary of Jane

It was time for the final band of the evening. Before taking the stage, Disturbed got the crowd primed with a highlight video showing footage that spanned their expansive career. The message: “Music is a Weapon” was repeated throughout the video and set the tone for the band’s powerful set. Disturbed took the stage amongst an onslaught of impressive pyrotechnics and opened with “Ten Thousand Fists.” Everyone had a fist in the air as front man David Draiman commanded the audience to do his bidding. Draiman is one of the most authoritative lead singers in the business. There is something about his voice, his presence and his words that make the crowd take notice. Disturbed’s set was also full of hits, “The Game,” “Liberate,” and “Stupify” got the crowd revved up. They slowed things down a bit and Draiman showed the fans that he has serious vocal talent with their cover of the Simon and Garfunkel song “The Sound of Silence” off their 2015 album Immortalized. Looking back from the pit, all that could be seen was a sea of glowing cell phone lights and some lighters swaying in the air.

The fun continued with more pyrotechnics and more hits, “Stricken,” and “Indestructible” before the evening ended with Draiman calling on the fans one more time with his signature mantra, “my brothers, my sisters, my blood…we are all Disturbed” and the fans responded by going crazy as the band performed “Down With the Sickness.”

Set list: Ten Thousand Fists, The Game, The Vengeful One, Prayer, The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel cover), Inside the Fire, The Light, Stricken, Indestructible, Voices, Down With the Sickness

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July 22, 2016
DSO and Rob Barraco are Ready for Summer Tour

Next year will mark 20 years since a group of guys got together, under a shared love of the Grateful Dead, and started what would grow to be the country’s most well-known Dead tribute act. Rob Barraco looks upon his time in our interview with the legendary keyboardist.

Dark Star Orchestra

From humble beginnings in 1997 to packing a baseball stadium in 2015, Dark Star Orchestra has more than put in the work to earn such praise. Not only does the band recreate specific setlists from the Dead’s more than 2,300-show cannon, but the members are all very well versed in the era each show took place. Now, they do not play note-for-note renditions, but they do alter their improvisational style to portray a mood similar to the original.

“We get a show book (of GD shows) before each tour,” Rob Barraco, DSO keyboardist of 11 years, said in a phone interview. “Sometimes it’s the ’70s, sometimes it’s the ’80s or ’90s, and then I think ‘oh no’ then we start the show and it just does not matter. We are all locked in and that’s when the best improv happens. We play the songs, but it’s anyone’s guess what happens when we go off.”

And that is the spirit of what Jerry Garcia left behind. Any given night, once the words were over and he started his unique flurries of notes, anything could — and did — happen. DSO brings that same mindset across the country upward of 120 times each year, and this Sunday at the Saranac Brewery in Utica, you can see the magic that occurs. On Friday and Saturday, the band is playing Stateside Ampitheater at Jay Peak Resort in Jay. Vt., to lead up to the Saranac show.

A few days later, on July 26, DSO returns to Frontier Field in Rochester, site of the largest non-festival crowd the band has ever performed in front of. Last summer at the minor league baseball stadium, the band hit a grand slam, packing about 10,000 fans and delivering what can only be described as a no-hitter complete with an offensive explosion.

“It’s the biggest turnout we’ve ever had as the headliner,” Rob Barraco said. “We loved it, and the energy was palpable. We went and fed off of that, and the crowd gave us back so much love. It was so great that we’re going back.”

For DSO, the show marked a step up in terms of audience size. Typically a festival and mid-sized theater band, DSO has been inching toward playing larger venues over the last three years. Maybe coincidentally, that’s when bassist Skip Vangelas took over for Kevin Rosen, who retired in 2013. Rob Eaton, an original member, plays rhythm guitar; Jeff Mattson plays lead; Dino English and Rob Koritz handle the rhythm section and Lisa Mackey is a backup singer/dancer extraordinaire.

Barraco doesn’t hide his roots. He first saw the Dead in 1972, and continued to attend shows as often as possible up until around 1980, not long after graduation from a college in New Paltz. He recalls the Wall of Sound and the band’s universally renowned 1977 Spring Tour, where he said he was lucky enough to catch a large portion of the Northeast shows.

It was, however, when he got the chance to play with Phil Lesh in 2000 when his music performing dreams came true. He was a member of the timeless Quintet (featuring Warren Haynes and Jimmy Herring) and also toured with The Dead in 2002-03. He regularly played with Lesh until around 2012, and is very vocal about the lessons he learned from the legendary bassist.

“From the very first note I played with Phil, it was just complete improv,” he said. “Phil didn’t ask us to play like the Grateful Dead. He wanted us to be who we are, and it was magical every single night. We took the music and we did some crazy shit, man. With The Dead, they decided they wanted to be a bit more traditional, and that took a little adjusting. And Phil used to tell me, ‘it’s like playing in one band is a Ferrari and the other is a freight train.’ My heart will always be with Phil.”

In the summer of 2006, Phil and Friends did a co-headlining tour with GRAB (Mike Gordon, Joe Russo, Trey Anastasio and Marco Benevento), and they made a stop at Bethel Woods Performing Arts Center. Anastasio sat in with Phil almost every night, but the Bethel show was special for many reasons, not the least of which was because it took place on the same grounds that hosted the original Woodstock.

“We were playing (with Trey) and then we all started to realize something, that we were playing the same setlist the Dead played at Woodstock,” Barraco said with a laugh. “That’s Phil — he gave us the setlist, but just didn’t mention that we were doing that.”

Of all the lessons he took from Lesh, the main one was this: “In DSO, I can never get above myself. None of us do, and that really makes it so great.”

Rob Barraco attended Fare Thee Well last summer, and gave a fun anecdote of an encounter he had.

“Trey did a phenomenal job (at GD50.) On the last night, I ran into him backstage and he looked at me and said, ‘Do you realize that if it wasn’t for these guys we wouldn’t have a job?’ Phish never would have done what they’ve done. The Grateful Dead are the architects of the jam band scene. The Allman Brothers Band wouldn’t have started the jam band thing we have. And when Trey said that to me, I said, ‘no shit, dude,’ and that’s the truth.”

The band recently discussed the state of DSO, and they all agreed they would like to keep this thing going forever. Barraco said the only change, due to band members having children and wanting more family time, is that they’d like to cut the number of shows down to around 100 per year.

“We are all looking forward to this tour,” he concluded. “We are giddy for the baseball stadiums and I think we are really going to knock some doors down.”

July 20, 2016
Ameribeat Festival of Art’s 2016: Celebration of American Freedom & Freedom of Expression

Once a year families and friends gather at Sterling Stage Kampitheater, located in Sterling, New York to celebrate American freedom. This freedom was celebrated through music, art and dance. The three-day festival was held June 30 – July 3 and people of all ages joined for a beautiful weekend of love and laughter in a community where artistic expression is encouraged.

There were many arts and crafts available for children to take part in, which included painting, jewelry making, origami and much more, while everyone else enjoyed great music.

The festival featured The Heavy Pets, Sophistafunk, Rootshock, Freekbass, Flux Capacitor, and many more incredible artists such as The Primate Fiasco, who did their annual parade around the festival grounds allowing others to join in on the fun. The Ameribeat Orchestra, which includes Sterling family and alumni, one of which was Jack Brown, lead vocalist of Sophistafunk also took the stage, finishing off the set with a line that echoed through the forest, “Some come to chill, some come to rage, may the four winds blow you to Sterling Stage.”

On that note, make sure you make it to Last Daze of Summer, Labor Day weekend September 1-4, the last festival of the 2016 festival season at Sterling Stage featuring Max Creek two times, Ryan Montbleau, Formula 5 and many more to be announced.

Get your tickets here.

July 19, 2016
Jason Aldean and Friends Bring Circus to Lakeview Amphitheater

Making their way through New York this summer, the Jason Aldean and friends Six String Circus Tour recently made a stop at the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse.

Touring together with newcomers A Thousand Horses, this dynamic band is reminiscent of 70’s southern rock. Putting on an awesome set, they brought a bluesy and rock sound to those who were fortunate enough to get there early enough to see their set. This is definitely a band on the rise, and one you will want to check out next time they come to your area.

Following next was country music’s new favorite Thomas Rhett. Mentioning that this was his third appearance in New York, one thing he noticed was that New Yorker’s like to have a good time. That is correct Thomas, we sure do love our country music, and and with a full set of favorite tunes, a drum off that set the bar high, Thomas delivered the good time we New Yorker’s expect at our shows. Singing his ACM Single Record of the Year, “Die A Happy Man”, Thomas shared he wrote the song for his wife, Lauren, who was at home in Nashville. This dynamic young man has a fun loving personality that comes across in his performances, and the audience definitely joins in the fun.

As the black cloth fell, and the flood lights exploded, Jason made his way down the stairs belting out “Just Gettin’ Started” as he made his way to the primed crowd. Shaking hands and working the stage, fans erupted in noise. Only being allowed to see the first part of the performance, it appeared that the crowd would be in for one heck of a night if this energy continued.

As the summer breeze blew off the lake, and the fireworks exploded across the street at the State Fairgrounds, it was another amazing night that Central New Yorkers welcome amazing acts to the newly constructed Lakeview Amphitheater.

Setlist: Anthem, South Side, Make Me Wanna, Tangled Up / Cake By The Ocean, It Goes Like This, Beer With Jesus, T-Shirt, Die A Happy Man, Get Me Some Of That, Vacation, and Crash and Burn

Setlist: Just Gettin’ Started, Gonna Know We Were Here, Take A Little Ride, When She Says Baby, Night Train, Big Green Tractor, Lights Come On, A Little More Summertime (new single), Tattoos On This Town, Fly Over States, Tonight Looks Good on You, Asphalt Cowboy / Why / The Truth / Don’t You Wanna Stay, The Only Way I Know, 1994, Amarillo Sky, My Kinda Party (Brantley Gilbert cover), She’s Country, Dirt Road Anthem (Brantley Gilbert cover), Hicktown, Burnin’ It Down, and Crazy Town

July 19, 2016
Trombone Shorty Holds Dance Off on Day 2 of Syracuse Jazz Fest

Day 2 of this years’ 34th Annual M&T Syracuse Jazz Festival held at Onondaga Community College Campus in Syracuse, was the night that over 5,000 plus fans were waiting for. With a large roster of highly awarded artists and performers sharing 1 stage throughout 2 days and nights turned out to be an incredible event. As New Orleans’ own Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and the Orleans Avenue braced the lineup, other national and local bands brought their “A game” to get the crowds energized for the headlining act.

Returning to this years fest, the City of Syracuse Parks & Rec All-Stars kicked off the day with their fluid compositions, directed by the highly regarded Joe Carello. The all-stars swung through a 45 minute set, all taking turns at solos and giving the crowd a piece of their heart and souls.

Second Line Syracuse Brass Band was second in command of day 2 of the fest. Led by the Juilliard School of music master jazz trombonist Melissa Gardiner, the core group features one other trombone, two trumpets, a saxophone, sousaphone, and drums. The eight-piece ensemble performed a various array of original scores and a few covers.

Paulie Cerra and Andrew Lippman led Groove Legacy through a fantastic set of jazzy tunes, sprinkled with bluesy twists and soulful harmonies. Increasing with energy as the evening sun settled, the steadily growing audience was getting loose on their feet and enjoyed a new song recently recorded with Utica’s own Joe Bonamassa.

Originally scheduled was Larry Coryell and the Eleventh House. Tho, Larry is currently in post-surgery and was unable to perform, son and master jazz guitarist Julian Coryell led the group with determination to show Syracuse how to have a good time. Performing a variety of covers and originals, the group shined through the evening with many tasteful guitar licks and drum fills. Just as the group was ending, Executive Director Frank Malfitano rushed the stage accompanied with a beautiful plaque to present to the band, giving thanks for continuing to show up and perform considering the circumstances of Larry condition.

Malfitano briefly returned to the stage to give warm welcome to Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. The band bounced onto the stage one by one as drummer Joey Peebles kicked up a funky groove. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews dramatically appeared lastly with shades on, Trumpet in one hand and Trombone in the other. As the band got underway, they immediately cranked up the energy and didn’t let up until the their set was done. Aside from his skillful brass chops, Andrews danced his way across the entire stage, covering almost every inch replication the styles of James brown and Michael Jackson. At points, even gathering other members to march around in a huddle, while others shared solos and some spotlight. A memorable highlight of the nearly 2-hour performance was an intimate rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On,” along with accompanied with a crowd sing-a-long. Before closing out the weekend, Andrews eagerly invited Frank Malfitano up on stage to dance along to their mashup of “Mardi Gras Medly” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” representing their hometown of New Orleans.

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July 18, 2016
Doobie Brothers and Journey Chase Away Storms but Bring the Lightning to the Stage

As the Journey, Doobie Brothers, and Dave Mason tour made it’s way through New York state this past month, they made their final destination stop right here in Central New York at the newly constructed Lakeview Amphitheater.

This amazing structure, set on Onondaga Lake, features not only the most up to date, state of the art equipment, it offers concert goers a visual treat as well with an amazing picturesque backdrop. Although concert goers did not get to appreciate the spectacular sunset Lakeview offers on this particular night, the fiery stars were not absent as they shifted a little to the right burning up the stage with a heat and intensity. With a packed venue, both under the cover of the pavilion and out in the elements on the lawn, die hard fans were not deterred from attending by a few buckets of rain. After all, adverse weather for central New Yorkers, does not rain make.

As Dave Mason opened the evening, the concert goers of earlier years were up on their feet dancing and appreciative of this amazing songwriter/performers talents. Still rather early for those coming into the venue, it definitively was a treat for being prompt.

As the sets changed in what seemed to be record time, our hats are off to the stage crews as it was literally within minutes that Dave left the stage, that The Doobie Brothers took the stage. Starting off strong with “Jesus Is Just Alright”, this upbeat tempo set the tone for the rest of the set and an energy that proved that you can still rock and roll no matter what age you are. With a diverse mix of talent on the stage, each musician added their personal touch with vocals, personal comments, and of course some of the best instrumentals proving to all that they still have “it”. Entertaining the crowds with an extra long set and two encores, the fans were treated by some of the best music of the night making the Doobie Brothers a hard act to follow.

Again, within perhaps only enough time to fill your cup and make a pit stop, the stage was once again switched off and the scene set for the main event. Journey is one of those bands that is forever timeless. With a catalog of some of the most memorable songs, most covered songs, and most time poignant memories associated with them, it was a treat for this journalist to be present this evening as this was the first concert I ever saw back on October 9, 1981 at the Carrier Dome. Touring at the time for what is now celebrating it’s 35th anniversary, and first number one album, Escape was one of those albums and shows that one would never forget. That evening at the Dome, this teenage girl went through quite a bit to get to the nosebleed seats on the left side of the stage. Listening to the following set list, it seemed almost surreal to be in Syracuse once again watching and listening to almost an identical show.

Setlist from 1981 Show: Escape, Where Were You, Line of Fire, Don’t Stop Believin’, Stone in Love, Keep on Runnin’, Lights, Stay Awhile, Do You Recall, Lay It Down, Lovin’ You Is Easy, Walks Like a Lady, Guitar Solo, Dead or Alive, Drum Solo, Too Late, Who’s Crying Now, The Party’s Over (Hopelessly in Love), Wheel in the Sky, Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’, Any Way You Want It

There were a few changes though this time around for the better. I didn’t have to sneak out of the house and fear my parents grounding me, and this time I could see the stage and the performers. Present at both shows would be Neal Schon – founder & lead guitarist, Ross Valory – co-founder & bassist, Jonathan Cain – longtime member & keyboardist, Steve Smith – drummer; who is rejoining Journey for the first time since 1998, and newcomer Arnel Pineda – lead vocals; who was discovered via YouTube by Neal Schon. It’s difficult to compare the two shows as I really wasn’t close enough to notice, but to me it felt as though Arnel Pineda, who now is actually the longest running lead singer for the band, brought an energy that was lacking before. His spot on vocals, together with the most spectacular group behind him, made for one of the most high energy shows yet this year I’ve seen.

Ridden with solos from each musician, Neal proved why he is considered one of rock and roll’s all time greatest guitar players and Steve proved that his drum skills are off the chart. Drawn to keyboards, Jonathan’s beautiful playing as well as story he shared with his hit “Faithfully” moved me, while Ross laid down a bass line that often is overlooked but not under-appreciated by this crowd or this journalist. Contagious was Arnel’s energy levels as the band and crowd seemed to feed off of him. Humble too was he as he made an effort to shake hands, point and wave to fans, and make this show as interactive as could be. Yes, this was quiet an anniversary celebration for both the band, and this journalist.

All in all, it didn’t matter that storms blew over, as all the performers brought an air of electricity to the Lakeview stage. Faithful were the fans, as they welcomed these legends with Open Arms, and closed this evening out as another to go down in the pages as memorable. Dare we plan another anniversary show for 2051? I’m up for it!

Dave Mason Setlist: Only You Know and I Know, Rock and Roll Stew (Traffic song), The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (Traffic song), We Just Disagree, Dear Mr. Fantasy, Feelin’ Alright (Traffic song), and All Along the Watchtower

The Doobie Brothers Setlist: Jesus Is Just Alright (The Art Reynolds Singers cover) Rockin’ Down the Highway, Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While) (Kim Weston cover, Another Park, Another Sunday, Sweet Maxine, Eyes of Silver, Spirit, Clear as the Driven Snow, Piano Solo, Takin’ It to the Streets, The Doctor, Black Water, Long Train Runnin’,China Grove, Encore: Without You, Listen to the Music
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Journey Setlist: Separate Ways, Be Good to Yourself, Only the Young, The Star-Spangled Banner (John Stafford Smith cover), Stone in Love, Any Way You Want It, Lights, Piano Solo, Open Arms, Who’s Crying Now, Escape, La Do Da, Drum Solo, Guitar Solo, Wheel in the Sky, Faithfully, Don’t Stop Believin’, Encore:Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’
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July 17, 2016
String Cheese Incident and Twiddle Play to a Rainy Ommegang Crowd

Ommegang Brewery played host to jam heavyweights Twiddle and String Cheese Incident on Friday, July 8. Despite the rain, the crowd enjoyed fresh beers and the ideal setting for live music in Central New York.

Twiddle began their set with a 20 minute long “Gatsby the Great,” as fans packed the front of the stage. Ryan Dempsey was heavy on keys early in the jam and Mihali seemed to tease a Flecktones tune before seguing into “Jamflowman,” with “Layla” worked in towards the end. “Zazu’s Flight” followed, dedicated to Dylan, which moved into “Frankenfoote,” wrapping up a tight four song set of older Twiddle tunes.

As rainy as setbreak was, the crowd was treated to music referencing summertime and rain for the full 75 minute setbreak, making the extended break even more enjoyable, in addition to Ommegang’s beer selections.

SCI opened their set with “So Far From Home” > “Wheel Hoss,” raising the crowd out of the soaking rain that came through during setbreak and made brief appearances throughout their first set. The Michael Kang led “These Waves” is ideal island music with a jam that got extremely funky when Kyle Hollingsworth stepped up while Keith Moseley followed with “Until the Music’s Over,” both spacey and uplifting. Behind the band were impressive lights that matched up well with the band, a near perfect array and a highlight through the rain.

Of all the bands who cover the tune, String Cheese performs “This Must be the Place (Naïve Melody)” better than any other. The outro jam and crowd singing familiar lyrics were a huge highlight to the show. Seguing into “Hi Ho No Show,” a deep jam ensued after and led us into setbreak as a chill descended upon the crowd.

Set two was oddly mellower than set one, starting with “Climb” and beyond “Can’t Stop Now’, the set never seemed to reach the energy of set one. The newish “Falling Through the Cracks,” and jam ballad “Give me the Love” were relaxing and “Sirens” > “Miss Brown’s Teahouse” attempted to bring the energy back up, which peaked with “Land’s End” > “Colliding.” The encore of Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” > “How Mountain Girls Can Love” closed out the show with the same combo of mellowness and high energy that was found intertwined throughout the show, and wrapped up String Cheese’s first ever show in Cooperstown shortly before midnight.

July 15, 2016
Avett Brothers Light Up ‘Salina’ Street in Syracuse

Majesty, introspect and foot-stomping good times. All were on display as the Avett Brothers performed before a Landmark Theatre packed to its gilded ceiling on July 7 in Syracuse.

For two solid hours, the brothers Avett from Mount Pleasant, NC, and their fellow bandmates, exhibited a true appreciation for their audience and exceptional musicianship. A special award should be given to the Avett Brothers‘ road crew for the sheer athleticism required in all the instrument changes throughout the show.

The Avetts’ Appalachian roots are always on display, as evidenced by Scott Avett’s ever-present banjo. However, the band’s sound has evolved since its early millennium beginnings to include elements of punk, rock, soul and pop. This is a band of extreme musical talent, able to jump among genres without losing its core appeal; this is a band finally getting deserved recognition.

The recently released True Sadness, the Avetts’ ninth studio album, topped the Billboard charts in four separate categories last week (Americana/Folk Albums, Top Rock Albums, Alternative Albums and Top Album Sales). The near sold-out crowd assembled at the Landmark that Thursday evening had obviously done its homework, singing along to the new songs as if they were old friends.

Throughout the night, fans sang and danced and remained respectfully quiet at the appropriate times — and the respect was mutual. Several times Scott Avett expressed his thanks for being allowed to perform.

The crowd rose to its feet early during a raucous version of the band’s latest single “Ain’t No Man” and stayed that way until the final note of the night. Seth Avett brought down the house with a stirring solo take on “Souls Like the Wheels.”

While the brothers stood front and center directing the ensemble, it was impossible to miss the whirling dervishes located stage left. Tania Elizabeth and Joe Kwon won the night, proving highly entertaining while shredding their bows on violin and cello respectively.

The Avett Brothers have traveled a long way from their debut as an unknown Appalachian folk band to one selling out theaters and sheds across the country. The growth within the band has coincided with the growth in its sound; yet it is a sound that is still unmistakably the Avetts.

The band has made its way west on this tour, but will return to New York on Aug. 13 for a date at the Amphitheater at Coney Island.

Setlist: The D Bag Rag, Down With The Shine, Talk On Indolence, Ain’t No Man, Through My Prayers, Distraction #74, Salina, Victims Of Life, Will You Return?, February Seven, Smithsonian, Swept Away, True Sadness, The Perfect Space, I Killed Sally’s Lover, Murder in the City, Souls Like The Wheels, Die Die Die, Shame, Live And Die, Laundry Room, Satan Pulls the Strings, No Hard Feelings

Encore: You Are Mine, Stay a Little Longer, Head Full Of Doubt / Road Full Of Promise

July 14, 2016
Hometown Hero Stocks Onondaga Lake With Rare Phish

The venues on a Phish summer tour have become somewhat predictable. They’ve nailed down their favorite outdoor spot in nearly every region of the country, but not in Central/Western New York. They’ve bounced between Darien Lake, CMAC and Watkins Glen, never visiting the same place in consecutive years. This year, the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse opened up, and Phish decided to give the shed a whirl in it’s inaugural season. Will it become a regular or rare stop on Phish summer tours? Only time will tell, but they sure seemed to enjoy their first run of the place.

The venue sits on Onondaga Lake, once the most polluted lake in the country. After decades of remediation it is just now re-emerging as a viable natural resource for the city. The opening of the amphitheater is just one of the signs of the lake’s renaissance.

The band’s first set song selection was even more unpredictable than their New York venue choices. A rare take on their jazzy instrumental “Landlady” got things moving as the sun began it’s descent over Onondaga Lake in the background, but it would “Blaze On” for a little longer.

As if anyone in the audience weren’t already fully aware, guitarist Trey Anastasio introduced drummer Jon Fishman as a native of Syracuse, leading to a rare performance of his song “Ha Ha Ha.” That began 3-song run of Fishman-penned tunes, with his brand new rocker “Friends,” and the fan-favorite funk out “Tube” following.

The band continued to highlight its hometown hero throughout the show. Fishman was kicked out of band at Jamesville-DeWitt High School because he couldn’t keep the beat, so the story goes. One couldn’t help but wonder if he felt the need for a bit of retribution in his biggest show to date in his childhood home.

With enough imagination, every song seemed to have a connection to his Syracuse roots: past, present and future. Lyrics like “A statement from his former life,” “I’m going to be a genius anyway,” “He buried all his memories of home” and “Gonna give you one last chance to see, gonna shrug demands off of me” spoke directly to his mentality. Other songs like the beautifully rendered “Winterqueen,” just referenced the city known for it’s brutal winters. The bust-out of “Destiny Unbound,” played on this night with a punchy exuberance, could be in reference to Destiny USA, the mall that sat just a couple of miles down the lake shore. Or maybe, and perhaps more likely, there was no rhyme or reason to the song selection at all. We should just ask the Axis, he knows everything.

After a set stocked full with rare songs, including the second-ever “Timber,” off of their Halloween performance of Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House (wrapped cleverly around their long-time cover “Timber (Jerry)”) and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “The Ballad of Curtis Loew,” the band wanted to give Fishman one more chance to shine before the break. They were set to close with Edgar Winter’s drum-heavy prog-rock anthem “Frankenstein,” though keyboardist Page McConnell had some issues with his keytar, so they instead pulled one more rare treat out of the bag, closing with Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold As Love.”

The second set featured songs about water and waste and worms and monsters, perfect for a venue sitting on a quasi-toxic lakefront. But more importantly, it featured a non-stop, near-70 minute ride through their repertoire, The set-opening take on the Who’s “Drowned” plumbed multiple themes in a short period of time, dredging up anthemic rock, spaced-out funk and melodic noodling. With that exploration complete, they parsed their discoveries song by song. The normally adventurous “Twist” was contained as a straight ahead rocker, the oft-amorphous “Piper” was kept tight and punchy, and “Simple” swam around beautifully before slowly dissolving.

Diving back into their Chilling Thrilling material, a late-set “Martian Monster” featured some instrument-swapping by the band. Anastasio played on Fishman’s Marimba Lumina, bassist Mike Gordon picked up the guitar and McConnell grabbed the bass, in what became a rhythmic and jaunty jam. The members have pulled this stunt a few times over the summer tour already, making it perhaps the least surprising element of this full-of-surprises show, though still quintessentially quirky and exciting. Determined to get Fishman his big drum solo moment, the band did push through “Frankenstein” to close the second set, even without the signature keytar lead, with more excited exhortations from Anastasio about the drummer’s high school and hometown.

The blistering rocker “Character Zero” encore, in keeping with the thematic choice of songs, even if completely imagined, was clearly a tribute to long-time Syracuse news anchor Matt Mulcahy.

“Hometown hero stocks Onondaga Lake with rare Phish. News at 11.”

Setlist by Phish.net:

Soundcheck: Funky Bitch

Set 1: The Landlady, Blaze On, Ha Ha Ha, Friends, Tube, Destiny Unbound > My Friend, My Friend^[1]> The Mango Song, Timber -> Timber (Jerry) > Timber, The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > Mound, Winterqueen, Bold As Love

Set 2: Drowned > Twist > Waste > Piper > Simple > Breath and Burning, Rocky Top > Martian Monster^[2] > Golgi Apparatus > Frankenstein

Encore: Character Zero

[1] No “Myfe” ending.
[2] Trey on Marimba Lumina; Mike on guitar; Page on bass.

Notes: My Friend did not contain the “Myfe” ending. Simple contained a Magilla tease from Page. Martian Monster featured Trey on Marimba Lumina, Mike on guitar, and Page on bass.

July 12, 2016
Summer Nights: Rascal Flatts, Kelsea Ballerini and Chris Lane Heat Up Syracuse

The music of Rascal Flatts brings memories of summer cookouts, hanging by a bonfire with beers and friends and cruising down a lake in a pontoon boat, while the sounds of country music, the water lapping the hull of the boat and the motor fill the air. And the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse, NY, was the perfect venue for the June 24 Rascal Flatts’ concert. The venue sits with its back to Onondaga Lake and the concert’s starting time of 7:30 p.m. made it coincide perfectly with the sunset, which gave the horizon an almost picturesque rose-colored tint.

Dressed in a tight, white T-shirt and wearing rounded vintage sunglasses, Chris Lane opened the show and brought many ladies to their feet with his laid-back weekend party jam, “Saturday Night.” Keeping the crowd pumped up by asking “Syracuse, are y’all ready to celebrate the weekend or what?! Let’s do it!,” he continued his set with his pop-driven love ballads, “Her Own Kind of Beautiful”and “Who’s it Gonna Be.” Lane showed his musical range and that he knew how to play to his target audience, by including covers of classic boyband anthems such as the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” and ‘N Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye.” Lane finished his set with his latest single, from the album of the same title, “Fix.”

After a short break, new-comer Kelsea Ballerini continued the show. Ballerini released her first album in 2014 and has been touted by many industry experts as the next Taylor Swift. The fact that Ballerini is a tall, beautiful blonde with a smile bright enough to almost make this photographer have to lower the brightness settings on his camera, certainly helps her comparison to Country superstars Swift and Carrie Underwood. Ballerini is also one of only five women to score number-one hits on the Billboard Country Airplay Charts with their first two charted singles. Ballerini’s talent was further recognized when in 2016, she won the Academy of Country Music award for “Female Vocalist Of The Year.” Watching her vocal range, great energy and enthusiasm as she belted out “Yeah Boy,” “Dibs” and “Looking at Stars,” one could see that the hype surrounding her career was definitely warranted. Ballerini kept the crowd engaged between songs by encouraging us to sing-along with her, telling us about her first heartbreak, holding hands and even taking selfies with the crowd. Unsurprisingly, the crowd seemed to especially respond to Ballerini’s two hits, the upbeat “Love Me Like You Mean It” and “Peter Pan.” Great things are to be expected from Ms. Ballerini in the coming years.

Following a short period, which allowed the stage crew set up for the next act behind a large black curtain, Rascal Flatts took the stage to the cheers of the crowd. They kicked off their set with the same song that had been in my head since I arrived at the Lakeview Amphitheater earlier that day, “Summer Nights.” Lead singer Gary LeVox’s ability to hit the highest notes did not fail to impress. The concert was filled with shout outs to Syracuse, high fives/hand holding with the members of the audience, and on several occasions, Levox would take one of the many phones being held up by the fans in the front rows, turn around and take a selfie with the crowd in the background, before handing the phone back to the lucky fan. The group even ventured into new musical territory and in honor of the late, great Prince, played “Purple Rain.” The group wound down their set with the hit designed to honor their hordes of fans over the years, “Here’s To You,” before leaving the stage for a short time and returning for an encore with one of their biggest hits, “Me and My Gang.” Chris Lane and Kelsea Ballerini joined them on stage at this point creating a memorable grand finale.

Rascal Flatts Setlist: Summer Nights, I Like the Sound of That, Banjo, Come Wake Me Up/I Melt/I Won’t Let Go, Life Is a Highway, Why Wait, Stand, Bless the Broken Road/Open Arms (Journey cover), Rewind, Fast Cars and Freedom, Purple Rain (Prince cover), Love You Out Loud, My Wish, Take Me There, What Hurts the Most, Here’s To You

Encore : Me and My Gang

July 11, 2016