NYS Music 20​16

Category: Hudson Valley

  • Daryl’s House Club Welcomes Moon Hooch, Honeycomb, and Karma Darwin

    As the year draws to an end and people gear up for New Year’s celebrations, Daryl’s House Club in Pawling will help kick the weekend off with three New York area acts this Thursday December 29 – Honeycomb, Karma Darwin, and headliner Moon Hooch.

    Based out of Massachusetts, Honeycomb is a beat box performer with a loyal following and a successful ranking finish in the 2015 American Beatbox Championships. Not only does he have a lot of studio experience including a collaboration with Moon Hooch, he has also worked with many DJs and jam bands at festivals. Appearing also before the headliner is Karma Darwin out of Brewster, NY. Formed in 2013, the band has an 18-track self-titled album and has won the Capitol Theatre’s (Port Chester) battle of the bands contest in May 2014.

    From their busker days in the NYC subways five years ago, Brooklyn’s Moon Hooch has since exploded, gaining many followers and refining and refocusing their drum-and-sax dance sound to build off the energy commonly found at their live shows. Earlier in 2016 the band released its second full-length album Red Sky and just before Christmas released The Joshua Tree EP, available for free (or small donation) from their website.

    Doors open at 5 p.m., show time is at 8 p.m.

    Tickets: $15 available from Daryl’s House here.

  • Tony Markellis Keeping Busy

    Bassist Tony Markellis, best known for his work with the Trey Anastasio Band, The Mamas and the Papas, Paul Butterfield, David Bromberg, and his own group, the jazz ensemble Kilimanjaro, will be playing a host of local shows in the Northeast to close out 2016.

    tony markellis

    On Sunday, Dec. 4, Markellis will join the Burns Sisters, a folk duo from Binghamton, performing their holiday show at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs. Then, on Friday, Dec. 9, he will return to Caffe Lena with Jeanne O’ Connor and the New Standard to treat Saratoga Springs to fresh renditions of classic hits from the 1960s and 70s. Next, performing with moe. drummer Vinnie Amico’s side-project, the progressive newgrass outfit Floodwood, Markellis will travel to Wilkes-Barre, PA for stops at the Jazz Café on Saturday, Dec. 10, and for a private concert on Sunday, Dec. 11.

    Markellis returns to New York, rejoining the Burns Sisters for their holiday shows at the Hangar Theater in Ithaca on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 16 and 17, and at Six on the Square in Oxford on Sunday, Dec. 18. Lastly, in bringing 2016 to a close, Markellis will reunite with his longtime running mates in Kilimanjaro for a New Year’s Eve performance at the First Night Burlington festival.

    And don’t miss a chance to see Markellis with the Trey Anastasio Band this upcoming spring. New York fans will get first crack at TAB tour with two Capitol Theatre shows on April 14 and 15.

  • Interview: NYS Music talks to The Other Brothers

    The Other Brothers have been bringing a soulful twist to funk and R&B in the greater New York City area since 2012. They’ve  since appeared on stage with artists like Goose, Bushicks, with members of Kung Fu and Deep Banana Blackout and more.

    This six piece includes Brandon Bera (drums), Chris Owens (vocals), Gabe Marquez (organ and keys), Jared Nelson (percussion), John Morrison (guitar) and Jordan Mendelson (bass), all of whom are SUNY New Paltz students, both current and graduated.

    They took out some time this weekend to answer a few questions for NYS Music about their origin, creative process, and future aspirations.

    Karina Verlan: What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?

    The Other Brothers: We would say we’re neo-soul, but with some jam flavor. Our sound is derived from a handful of records that we’ve been in love with for the past few years, including Voodoo (D’Angelo), Channel Orange (Frank Ocean), and Off the Wall (Michael Jackson). We take a lot of cues from Phish, who we’ve collectively seen a million times. The Band is also a big influence on us, especially since we live in the Hudson Valley where they set up shop.

    KV: How long have you all known each other? How did you meet?

    TOB: John & Chris met at a Phish show at Bethel Woods in 2011. Then John heard Chris jokingly sing Creed at a house party and was very impressed. In fall 2012 John met a then-freshman Brandon at a jam session at the then-house of Matt Richards (of Formula 5) where they had a memorable “Good Times Bad Times” jam. Brandon met Jordan through a mutual friend at the very start of college (2012) and they jammed together in the dorms as well as in jazz ensembles. Then in the past year we met Jared and Gabe through jam parties and mutual friends.

    KV: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

    TOB: Our goal has always been to write soulful tunes based in a real moment or feeling so that our audience can share that experience with us. Whether they are funky, slow and soulful, or dark, we try to keep the original emotion as raw as possible. We try to keep the tunes loose so that we can jam on them if the mood strikes at a particular show. The recent addition of Gabe (organ/keys) and Jared (percussion) has opened everything up. They’re both great musicians and they’re really elevating our sound.

    KV: What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?

    TOB: We have a cozy rehearsal space at Castle Studios in New Paltz, where we practice usually 3 times per week depending on schedules. We keep it mostly productive, working on new material or polishing up old tunes. We also spend a lot of time kicking it and jamming on covers we’ll never play – just having fun. The other nights of the week we are usually out seeing music in New Paltz or shredding with our favorite vinyl at our house (Brandon, John, and Jordan live together).

    KV: What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?

    TOB: Play music with people you love to be around. We’re always joking around with each other and we care about each other. The stronger your friendship is, the stronger the musical relationship will be. Also, support your friends’ bands and local scene as much as you can.

    KV: What was the most exciting gig that you have done in 2016 thus far?

    TOB: Our gig at American Beauty in NYC in support of the B.R.Y.A.C. Funk All Stars (of Kung Fu and Deep Banana Blackout) was too much fun. We had an amazing audience of friends and new fans. It was also our first full show with Gabe on keys, and he just crushed it. Halloween weekend at Neptune’s in Lake George was insane – the crowd was killer and Formula 5’s Lord of the Rings improv set was simply incredible music.

    KV: What is your dream gig, venue, and supporting artist?

    TOB: Someday we’ll host our own festival in the beautiful Hudson Valley with Breakfast for the Boys, Formula 5, and Let’s Be Leonard. Be on the lookout… We’re also looking forward to our gig at Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve 2023 with Anderson Paak opening.

    KV: How can fans-to-be best gain access to your music?

    TOB: If you sign up for our email list and we will send you a copy of our album which we’re recording in February at Art Farm studios in Accord. For now we have a few demos on our site. Also be on the lookout for our live release medium called Noach’s Roaches from chemist, brewer, and archivist Adam Noach.

    KV: How do you feel about the influence of the internet on the music business?

    TOB: It’s causing a shift in focus back to live performance because that’s where the money is now, which is fine by us because that’s where we thrive. We’re big Vulfpeck fans, and Jack Stratton is currently reinventing the game in terms of music marketing, which is cool to see.

    KV: Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list?

    TOB: We don’t have a standard setlist and play mostly originals with some covers. We’ve played our song “Addicted to Weed” at pretty much every recent show because it’s such a fun groove. Also a big tune for us is called “In the City,” which is about all the social injustice our country is facing. We have a few covers that are in pretty heavy rotation including “Nothing from Nothing” (Billy Preston) and “Who Did That to You” (John Legend). We’ve covered a wide variety of artists from Eminem to Radiohead.

    KV: Which gig are you most excited for before the end of the year?

    TOB: We have three more shows this year. We’re playing Thanksgiving Eve at the Hollow in Albany with our good friends the Late Shift and Loveport. Then December 2nd we have a hometown banger scheduled at Snug Harbor in New Paltz with our best friends Formula 5.  December 3rd we hit Rockwood Music Hall in NYC where we always enjoy a nice crowd.

  • Photo Gallery: Dopapod w/ Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

    Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY played host to Dopapod and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong on Saturday, November 19. Check out some of the the action below.

    Dopapod pigeonsPigeons Playing Ping Pong Setlist: Walk Outside, Stay, Too Long, Lightning, Poseidon, >Horizon->Eyes of the world->Horizon, King Kong, Fortress, Time to Ride

    Dopapod Setlist: My Elephant Vs. Your Elephant, Flipped, FABA, November, Nuggy Jawson, Foxy Lady*, Nude^, Vol. 3 #86, The happy song->Trickery, Braindead
    Encore: Blast, You Oughta Know”
    *Jimi Hendrix Cover
    ^Radiohead Cover
    “Alanis Morrisette Cover

  • Albany Institute of History and Art Hosting ‘Rock the Museum’ Event this Saturday

    This Saturday Nov. 12, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., The Albany Institute of History and Art is holding the Rock The Museum event, featuring an exhibit from photographer Patrick Harbron.

    rock-roll-graphic-d78f3496Harbron is a New York City and Hudson Valley resident who spent his career photographing the early careers of rock icons such as Blondie, Elvis Costello and The Police as well as the later careers of The Who, Genesis, The Grateful Dead and KISS.

    Attendees will get a rare opportunity to explore more than 70 of Habron’s concert and portrait photographs of influential musicians from the 1970s and 1980s. The exhibition also includes some of his concert posters, memorabilia, and souvenirs, as well as guitars from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Guests are encouraged to wear concert attire.

    Tickets for Rock the Museum are available at the Albany Institute of History and Art’s website.

  • “From One Chord to Another,” Sloan Celebrates a Landmark at Daryl’s House

    Sloan has been at it for 25 years, but could easily have been a footnote in Canadian music history if not for their fortitude. Formed at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax in 1991, the alt-rock quartet has made a name for itself in its homeland, winning several East Coast Music Awards and a Juno Award for Best Alternative Album — 1996’s One Chord to Another. This album, however, almost never happened at all.sloan Sloan was signed to Geffen Records early on, as label executives rushed to find the next Nirvana. As part of a burgeoning Halifax music scene that included Eric’s Trip and Thrush Hermit, that saw a gold rush to the maritime province from the labels, Sloan was the band that survived.

    The band’s first two albums Smeared and Twice Removed were released on Geffen in 1992 and 1994 respectively. After a dispute with the label over lack of promotion for Twice Removed,  the band took some time off, leading some to believe they had broken up. Sloan self-produced and self-released the follow-up to Twice Removed, One Chord to Another.  Sunday night, the band rolled into Daryl’s House Club in Pawling for an intimate rendering of that landmark album on its 20th anniversary of release.

    Sloan has made its bones sharing writing duties, vocals and instruments among the band’s four original members: Chris Murphy, Jay Ferguson, Patrick Pentland and Andrew Scott. Power chords, hand claps and Beatle-esque harmonies are hallmarks of the Sloan sound.  All these elements were firmly in place for the intimate audience of hard core Sloan fans this night.

    Make no mistake, this is not a simple pop band. To survive 25 years in the business requires more than just catchy songs. The lyrics from each of the members reveal a depth that belies the catchiness of the music.

    Throughout the history of pop music, many of the most poignant songs have carried a sense of darkness. The Beatles exhibited this to the extreme in “Run For Your Life” from the Rubber Soul album.  And while Sloan has never intro’ed a song as bluntly as John Lennon did with,”I’d rather see you dead little girl than to be with another man,” a quick glance at Sloan’s song titles bears this out: “Everything You’ve Done Wrong,” Nothing Left to Make Me Wanna Stay.”  Sloan has the songwriting chops to turn a subject such as unrequited love into dark poetry with a pop melody.

    Daryl’s House Club is an offshoot of Philly Soul legend and half of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo Hall and Oates, Daryl Hall’s popular internet, now MTV Live show, Live From Daryl’s House. Hall opened the club in Pawling in 2014 as a venue to feature intimate gigs similar to those seen on his show. Tickets are sold as reserved seating or standing tickets and all reserved seats are at tables, allowing patrons to enjoy a meal and some drinks prior to and during a performance. The main performance space has room for a couple of hundred patrons. Wait staff meander in and out of the seated areas, taking orders and delivering dishes. It makes for a a dinner theater type atmosphere that doesn’t much allow for audience participation during a show, especially one for a band with such uptempo music.

    This tour is a celebration of the band’s watershed moment. They’re playing the One Chord album in its entirety during the first set of each show. However, the music they were celebrating almost seemed like an afterthought as patrons ate their dinner during the performance.  Murphy commented on this fact a couple of times during the set, “Finish chewing your food and sing along with us on this one,” he said, introducing “G Turns to D.”

    Despite the limitations on audience participation, though with many in the crowd being in their late 30s/early 40s, there may not have been a whole lot of physical participation anyway. The band rallied through the album in its entirety. The participation in the chugging “G Turns to D” included many hand claps and singing along from those in attendance. A smooth transition into the Beatles, by way of Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys, “A Side Wins” had fans swaying in their seats.

    The set concluded with “400 Metres,” a song that wouldn’t be out of place on a Pavement album with its speak-talk lyrics. The hypnotizing keyboard presence mixed with Pentland’s guitar ended the set with a chill vibe reminiscent a late night ’70s FM radio show.

    “Coax Me,” opened the second set, encouraging the devoted to sing along. This opened the doors to a rousing second set featuring many of Sloan’s greatest hits, including what is probably its best known song, “Money City Maniacs” as well as “Losing California,” a song requested all night long by some of the more boisterous fans in attendance.

    The band seamlessly traded instruments and vocals throughout the night. Murphy stepped behind Scott’s sparse drum kit while Scott grabbed a guitar and sang and Ferguson took up the bass several times. The formula of equals behind this band is what has kept it going for 25 years. All four members contribute to the whole. And while there’s a formula to the sound, Sloan is far from formulaic. Their songs echo past eras, yet remain uniquely their own.

    Those in attendance on this night were the Sloan faithful in downstate New York. Some traveling great distances to see their cult heroes in the intimacy of Daryl’s House. They were treated to a special show from one of music’s hardest working bands.

    In a more fair world, Sloan would be playing a sold out show at Madison Square Garden rather than a small downstate club in front of noshing patrons on a Sunday night in October. Somehow, you can’t help but wonder if Sloan prefers it this way though.

    Sloan’s One Chord to Another 20th Anniversary Tour continues throughout the U.S. in November, finishing with a show in Buffalo at the Iron Works Nov. 19.

    Check out some fan-shot video of Sloan’s encore performance of “If it Feels Good, Do It” from the Daryl’s House Club show below.

  • Hearing Aide: Shovels and Rope “Little Seeds”

    Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, better known as Shovels and Rope, pour their hearts out in the newest release, Little Seeds. What I found so fascinating about the album was the fact that they were able to touch upon so many different types of folk and Americana music, but still manage to paint a light coat of something distinctly them. While the songs may sound incredibly different from beginning to end, the duo’s gently massaged track selection presents an incredibly supple flow that highlights their talent and eclectic taste.

    The first and second tracks introduce a band that is confident, gritty and loud! While some of the later songs may be appropriate for a quiet evening of snuggling up with your honey, “I Know” and “Botched Execution” would be more suitable for a late night party with some of your closest friends. It isn’t until the third track, “St. Anne’s Parade,” where we step into the chill zone with the soothing vocal harmonies and soft, simple acoustics that frequently drift into Little Seeds. I would consider this “soulful Americana” as Hearst and Trent passionately belt out the well-written lyrics.

    “The Last Hawk” picks the tempo up in the most pleasant way and reassures the listener that this album is going to stylistically take us for a ride. As much as this studio project was about their personal experiences, many Upstate New Yorkers will connect with the references to Woodstock and Saugerties in this particular story. “Mourning Song” has a lyrical structure similar to that of a traditional Irish folk tune and tells the tale of a grieving wife’s connection with her deceased lover through music. The theme of birth and death and all that we feel in between is presented throughout Little Seeds, but the duo’s songwriting ability is so hardy that the same concepts are presented in such unique and different ways.

    “Johnny Come Outside” is another one of the calmer, thought provoking numbers which has a hook resembling Bob Dylan’s widely covered “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.” Where Dylan has had an influence on generations of folk, blues and Americana artists, Shovels & Rope are planting the seeds that will grow into the next garden of fresh young sonic storytellers. “San Andreas Fault Line Blues” introduces us to yet another taste of bluesy gospel music, but this time one can hear Johnny Cash casting his light on the duo’s lyrical approach. “BWYR” is a haunting and topical song that profoundly delivers the ugly messages of racial injustices in a world where all we need is some peace. The faint sounds of police sirens whisper in the background of this enlightening and important piece of poetry. “Eric’s Birthday” seamlessly fades into the last track, “This Ride,” and delivers the euphoric reminder of life and love before sending us all on our way.

    Whether you have just given birth to a new child or have recently lost someone, Little Seeds will help you reflect. Ever experience loneliness, bliss, heartache or confusion? Listen to this album. If you enjoy gathering around the campfire with family and friends or spending the day alone in a busy city, this release is for you. Filled with powerful messages, spiritual symbolism, and deeply expressed life lessons, Shovels & Rope have created a robust collection of songs that you can play in front of your grandparents, your grandchildren and everyone that you meet along the way.

    Key Tracks: St. Anne’s Parade, The Last Hawk, Johnny Come Outside

  • Taste of Country Music Festival 2016, Day Three: Jake Owen Fights The Cold To Close Out A Three Day Party

    The third day of the Taste of Country Music Festival 2016 kicked off around 1:30 pm on June 12th in Hunter, NY. Coming back to the mountain for the third and last day of the festival was bittersweet for me. On one hand, I was looking forward to seeing country super star Jake Owen perform. But on the other hand, I knew that once he finished his performance, the awesome three day Taste of Country festival would be over until next year.

    Taste of Country Music Festival 2016Despite the weather being fairly pleasant and warm the first two days of the festival, the third day of the festival had 40 mile per hour winds which made it feel more like a late fall NY day. At one point there even appeared to be snow flakes in the air. Needless to say, I immediately regretted not packing any sweatshirts or coats for what I assumed would be a blazingly hot three day summer music festival.

    The day started on the festival’s main stage with the up and coming country group, Outshyne. The group was started in 2007 in South Carolina by high school friends who had previously only participated in rock bands. The members of the group did not start to appreciate country music until after they had graduated High School and had grown into adulthood.  The group members site their main influences to be Merle Haggard, Lynyrd Skynyrd and John Mayer. Outshyne has a notable rock vibe to some of their music and has recently gained considerable ground on the country music scene, with their latest single “That Girl”. They had a country rock sound to their music that reflected their roots.

    Taste of Country Music Festival 2016Up next at around 3 pm was country music veteran, Neal McCoy who started his country music career in 1981 by winning a talent contest. Since then he has released 10 studio albums and 34 country music singles. This included three platinum albums, one gold album and seven top 10 country hits. I had never seen Mr. McCoy in concert, and did not know what to expect when the 58 year old took the stage. I was impressed with the amount of time he took interacting with the crowd, shaking his butt, and even jumping up and down. McCoy had more energy on stage than half of the younger performers that I have had the pleasure to photograph and his anecdotes made the crowd laugh and stay engaged throughout his performance.

    Taste of Country Music Festival 2016After a short break, Mr. “Buy me a Boat” himself, Chris Janson took the stage. Janson moved to Nashville when he was 19 years old, in 2005 to become a country music star. Like so many country stars of today he began his career first proving himself as song writer. His first hint of success came in 2012 when he wrote the Tim McGraw hit, “Truck Yeah”. But his dreams did not actually come true until, despite not being backed by a record label at the time, he came out with the song, “Buy Me A Boat”. He sent the song to country radio show host, Bobby Jones, who loved it and as a result played the song on his show. Following the exposure, the song became a favorite of country music fans around the country and jumped to the top of the country charts. The mega hit caught the attention of major record labels around the country and Janson was soon signed to Warner Music Nashville.

    Janson has a blue collar style and friendly demeanor that makes him a perfect country music star. Several times during the concert, Janson would break into energetic harmonica solos, announcing at one point, “are ya’ll ready to see how 135 pounds of skinny white boy can play this harmonica like you never seen?!” to cheers of the crowd. When Janson would play the harmonica, he would throw his entire body into the performance, swinging his arms and legs, dancing back and forth and truly enjoying every second of it. Janson even threw a few lines from Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark” and Hank William’s “Country Boys Can Survive” into his performance to keep things interesting.

    I was especially impressed with Janson’s latest single, a song that he wrote about his wife named “Holdin’ Her”. In the song, Janson tells the story of how he met his wife and how much love he feels when he hold’s his her in his arms. Off to the left of the stage, I could see Janson’s wife, Kelly Lynn Janson holding their beautiful infant son, Jesse Bo Janson in her arms (pictured in the gallery at the bottom of the page).  During several of the songs, I could see a smile come across Janson’s wife’s face as she watched her husband perform.

    Taste of Country Music Festival 2016Following Janson’s amazing set, I rushed over to the secondary, indoor concert stage of the festival to watch newcomer, Jake Worthington perform. The twenty year old, Texas native attempted to start his country music career in 2013, by auditioning for the fifth season of the NBC reality music competition show, “The Voice”.  Unfortunately, he was not chosen by any of the judges and did not make it on to the show.

    Worthington showed his resilience by coming back and trying out for the sixth season of the show. This time Worthington was chosen by three out of the four judges, including Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Shakira, but he unsurprisingly picked country music star, Blake Shelton as his coach for his show. Not only did Worthington make it on the show but he finished the season in second place. All three songs that Jake performed on the show became iTunes top 10 hits.

    Shortly after his success on the show, Worthington was signed to record label, W3 Entertainment and released his self titled debut album. Despite his young age, Worthington has a twangy, heartfelt, vintage country sound that reminds me of how country music used to sound decades ago. I would not be surprised to see him accomplishing great things in the industry in the coming years.

    At around 6 pm, I rushed back to the main festival stage to watch veteran country singer, Gary Allan begin his performance.  Allan has been performing since the age of 12, when he would tour country bars with his father’s band. He was offered a record contract at the age of 15, but was forced by his parents to reject the offer and finish high school. After high school, Allan spent several years finding his sound. At the age of 29, in 1996 he signed a contract with Decca Records. Since then, he has released 11 albums and has had four number one singles.

    While playing his set, Allan and his band solidified their country music star status by passing around a bottle of Jack Daniels. Allan has what I would describe as a great balance of modern pop country while still keeping some songs faithful to the original, old school, country music sound.

    Giving another newcomer a chance to shine on the secondary stage, up next was up and coming singer, Adley Stump. Like several other performers in this years Taste of Country Festival, Stump got her start on NBC’s singing competition reality show, “The Voice” and was on Blake Shelton’s team during the competition. Earlier this year, Stump was recognized with a Grammy Amplifier award, and was the featured music performer at the 2015 Miss USA telecast. I was truly impressed by the passion that Stump displayed during her performance. She kept a large smile across her face, dancing around, shaking hands with the crowd throughout the whole show.

    As a photographer, it was a challenge keeping up with her, but at the same time, when an artist loves what they do, they are also quite a bit more fun to shoot. You could tell that there was nowhere else that she would rather be at that moment. She played a mixture of country favorites and her own songs. I especially loved the upbeat, full of attitude song, “Like This” and the heartfelt salute to our troops and the families that support them from home “Stay At Home Soldier”. Her impressive vocal range also made it easier to feel the emotion behind her songs.

    Last but most definitely not least, Jake Owen took the main festival stage around 7:45 pm. Despite the images of warm summer days, beautiful beaches displayed on the large screen and fake palm trees on the stage behind Owen, a 40 mile per hour, freezing cold wind with some snow flurries made things feel like the concert was taking place in early November rather than early June. I was honestly shocked that I was seeing snow flurries in June. Before I traveled to Hunter Mountain, I was warned to expect crazy weather due to the altitude, so I packed a poncho and an umbrella. What I forgot to pack was a decent coat. Despite the cool weather, Owen’s performance kept the cooled crowd captivated with a memorable performance.

    Owen kicked off his set with the title track of his latest album, “American Love”. Despite the weather, Owen stuck to his tradition of performing in bare feet, and did not seem to be phased by the cold weather. At one point during the show, Owen jumped off stage and interacted with fans in the front rows. Owen showed the range of his talent by mixing some of his hits with the theme song from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Drake’s “Hold On We’re Going Home” and even “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce. Owen prefaced his hit song “Beachin’,” by laughing and saying “Who wants to go to the beach with me……in 40 mile an hour winds”. Owen closed out an amazing set and an unforgettable Taste Of Country Music Festival with his first number one hit, “Barefoot Blue Jean Night”.

    After three days of awesome music, extremely unhealthy yet delicious food, and meeting hoards of friendly country fans, Hunter Mountain had begun to feel like a second home to me. I always found it amazing how strangers who would ordinarily ignore each other in their normal day to day life, could become almost instant buddies during a music festival. There is something wonderful about a good concert that can take an ordinarily shy person and turn them into a “smiling, while singing at the top of their lungs” party animal. The environment created, somehow punches through the awkward/shy barrier that prevents strangers who have never met from becoming friends. I suppose that knowing that everyone around also loves country music, is great common ground to start on.

    During the festival, I met many very cool and interesting people. As I was in the crowd with my professional grade Canon 5D Mk III taking some pictures of the concert, a short woman in a gray cowboy hat, who reminded me of my grandmother, yelled at me and with a big smile across her face, asked me if I would take a picture of her and her friends. I smiled and agreed, she pulled a small drugstore disposable camera out of her pocket and dropped it on the ground, she picked it up and handed it to me. Looking at the cardboard covered camera, I smiled and offered to use my own camera. That is the way I met Santa Bellino, Jessica McGraw and Paul Campione Jr. who traveled from Staten Island, NY to enjoy the festival (pictured below).

    Over the three days of the festival, I also met a group calling themselves the Taste Of Country Family. The group started in 2014, during the second annual Taste of Country Music Festival with 4 people from Marlborough, Massachusetts, John Trotta, Danielle Trotta, Britney Hisman and Bethany Hisman. Since then, the group has grown every year and now includes over 31 people from New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Rhode Island and New Jersey. Each year of the festival, the group creates a community of tents at one of the official Taste of Country camp grounds and spends the weekend partying and enjoying country music.

    In addition to the concerts which usually don’t start until after noon, a typical day includes a campfire breakfast (with mimosas), drinking games, and later at night sitting by the camp fire singing songs while one of the group members, Tyler Senecal, plays the guitar. This year they even had group T-shirts with the phrase “BEER CAMPIN & COUNTRY MUSIC” made for the group. I find it amazing that this festival was able to bring all of these strangers together over the years and in my opinion this group embodies what the Taste Of Country Music Festival is all about.

    The 2016 Taste of Country Music Festival was an amazing experience and I look forward to coming back next year, as a reporter or even just as a country music fan. As of this writing, two major headlining artists have been announced for the Fifth Annual, 2017 Taste Of Country Music Festival, Jason Aldean and Sam Hunt.

  • Watch The Big Takeover’s “Come Before Five” Video

    The Hudson Valley’s The Big Takeover has released the official video for “Come Before Five,” the upcoming single on their upcoming album, due out in January. Lead singer and songwriter neenee Rushie says the song is “about a girl waiting for something she knows she’ll never get.” Directed by Liz Paradise & Zach Thomson, the video was filmed at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, NY.

    Big Takeover Love Understands come before five In the next month, the band is playing throughout New York State, including October 1 at Snugs in New Paltz, Damn Sam’s Harvest Fest on October 8 in Lauren, NY, The Liberty in Rhinebeck for a special Halloween show on October 29, and a very exciting New Years show announcement forthcoming.

    Video credit: The Big Takeover (c) 2016 and Big Takeover Production (BMI)

  • Catskill Chill Closes out Summer at New Minglewood

    Catskill Chill rounded out the New York summer festival season September 24-26 with a stacked line-up and a new location.   Moving just a few miles from its former location in Hancock, NY, the Catskill Chill found a new home this year in Lakewood, Pa. Previously held at Camp Minglewood, this year the Chill found its new home at New Minglewood and included an extra day of camping and more music.

    The festival’s inaugural Thursday night pre-party was a great addition to the weekend. Twiddle highlighted the evening with two sets including a sit-in with Scott Hannay of Mister F.  Although the turn out for the night’s first two bands, Aqueous and Jimkata, was light, the packed house for Twiddle verified that many festival goers had taken advantage of the Thursday night ticket.

    Arriving early had more benefits than just the music.  Many festival attendees enjoyed the ability to set up camp and explore the grounds before the barrage of attendees arrived on Friday.  “The best part of the Thursday ticket was being able to get the choice camping spots.” Jennifer Bliss of Saratoga Springs, NY told NYS Music. “It was also nice to have our camp ready to go, so that we could really enjoy the music on Friday.”

    Mike Gordon drew the largest crowd of Friday Night to the main stage. Among the songs performed, the Phish bassist debuted “Let’s Go,” a tune generally reserved for a Phish set list. George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic also enjoyed a great turn out, many of whom had never seen the master of funk live.  “I had only heard the name George Clinton, but didn’t really know what he was about.  Thinking about it, that set might have been my favorite of the weekend.  I liked that Chill has artists like that on their line-up,” noted Brian Thomas of Cleveland, Ohio.

    Catskill Chill

    Other much talked about sets on Friday night included Pink Talking Fish and Pink Talking Fu. The Pink Talking Fish set included a variety of Phish, Talking Heads and Pink Floyd with a sit-in from Kung Fu’s Tim Palmeri on “Great Gig in the Sky” and “Crosseyed and Painless.” The B Stage was turned into a dance party during Pink Talking Fu (Pink Talking Fish and Kung Fu.)  The two bands highlighted the music of David Bowie and Prince in a tribute set that featured both top 40 hits and beloved deep tracks. Shira Elias of Turkuaz and Hayley Jane both sat in for vocal performances throughout the set.

    Friday’s sleeper sets included music by Funky Dawgz Brass Band, Mister F and Goldfish.  All three bands are well worth seeing and turned out amazing performances.

    Saturday’s main stage was highlighted with an assortment of musical styles that kept the variety going throughout the day. Ryan Montebleau, Cabinet and Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass added an element of relaxation and chill while Lettuce and Particle were funky and dance worthy.

    The B-Stage popped off thanks to sets from Turkuaz and Tauk. Formula 5, Big Something and the Magic Beans all generated note-worthy buzz at their various sets on Saturday as well.

    Saturday was the day of tribute sets, providing a plethora of familiar music performed by some of the festivals most beloved artists.  Fikus and Shwizz came together to perform as Shwikus Plays the Beatles, while the Heavy Pets played the 80’s and Lespecial paid tribute to Primus.

    “I just loved all of the tribute sets at Chill,” mentioned Nick Augustine of Silver Springs, MD. “Every one that I saw was executed perfectly!”

    The most intriguing set of the night went to Turbine, whose RadioDead set was at times mind twisting and enigmatic. The concept –  Radiohead songs played in the style of the Grateful Dead and Grateful Dead songs played in the style of Radiohead.  Turbine did a stellar job of translating the songs into the respective styles, so much so that many attendees couldn’t quite wrap their heads around what they were hearing.  “Wait, is this Radiohead or the Dead?” was overheard often during the set.

    For the second year in a row, members of Dopapod and Turkuaz brought the house down during their tribute set, this year with a tribute set to the preppie-loved classic soft rock of the 80s known as Yacht Rock.  The set was fun, campy and executed with perfection. It’s a nod to both groups of Berklee trained musicians, as they take such care with music that could otherwise be dismissed.  Somehow they find a way to celebrate not only the music, but the production quality that feels like you are square in the middle of a musical time capsule.

    Josh Schwartz (Turkuaz) receives MVP nods for his spot on vocal tribute to soulful baritone Michael McDonald. However, Rob Compa who tackled vocals on the Eagles classic “Hotel California” as well as the entire Dopakuaz crew wins honorable mention during a production perfect version of the song. The set also included the most “had to be there” moment as Dopapod bassist Chuck Jones took to the Chill Fam seas with a stage dive and crowd surfing adventure.

    The Chill Fam All-Stars tribute to Michael Jackson was another highlight of the night, however, many festival attendees were turned away as the Late Night Hall was packed to capacity before the music even started.  However, despite not everyone being able to attend, the set was highlighted by the vocals of Elise Testone, whuch were a milky and smooth compliment to the original. The Chill Fam All- Stars included Eric Gould (Pink Talking Fish); Adrian Tramontano and Robert Somerville (Kung Fu); Shira Elias, Chris Brouwers and Michelangelo Carubba (Turkuaz); Danny Mayer (Eric Krasno Band); Steve Molitz (Particle) and Robert Volo on trombone (Deep Banana Blackout).

    Sunday’s Main Stage was highlighted by performances from Dopapod, Greensky Bluegrass and Electron.  Although the festival grounds and attendance at sets appeared to begin to thin out by Sunday afternoon, festival goers that stuck it out were also treated to great performances by Perpetual Groove, Tom Hamilton’s American Babies, The Werks and Broccoli Samurai.

    Sunday’s most noteworthy performance went to Pigeons Playing Ping Pong.  They made the most of their two sets, including a two-hour cover set late night at Club Chill. The set was one of the most sit-in heavy of the weekend including performances by Tom Hamilton, Shira Elisa (Turkuaz), Steve Molitz (Particle), Elise Testone, and Rob Somerville (Kung Fu).

    The New Minglewood grounds felt like home for many Catskill Chill veterans. The added facilities of more “play areas” including the basketball courts by the B-Stage created a fun vibe that more people plan on taking advantage of next year.  Wins for the new location included closer parking to the camping grounds, more common areas and the B-Stage, whom many felt housed the best music and sound of the weekend.

    However, despite the great sound at both the main stage and the B-stage, many festival attendees found themselves hanging outside both Club Chill and the Late Night Hall due to the facilities acoustics.   “It was really loud in both the indoor venues,” noted Mike Dustin of Allentown, PA, “For the most part, we chose to just sit outside and listen there.  It just literally sounded like we were watching music in a high school gym.  So much of the sound quality was lost.”

    Most of this year’s attendees agreed that the cabins, vendors and security were in sync with previous years.  However, it was noted by several folks that this year the port-a-potties in the camping areas could have used much more attention, as the usual daily cleanings of the facilities seemed to have been missed in at least one location.

    As the weekend’s attendees packed up and returned home, most were happy with the new location and the line-up. But beyond that, it was the Chill Fam vibe that most were pleased to be a part of.  “Chill is my favorite festival – hands down,” said Kelly Kepler of Portland, Maine. “I was scared that this year would be different, that changing the location would mean all the things we loved about Chill would be different. Honesty, I think it was better.  It was a great way to bond with new people because everyone was on even ground. It only made our little Chill family stronger.  I can’t wait for next year!”