Category: Hudson Valley

Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy Pays Tribute to Keith Emerson

When it comes to rock and roll drummers, Carl Palmer joins the ranks of the most regarded drummers in the genre. Under the touring name of Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy, the drummer intended it to be a celebration of his 50th year as a professional musician. However, in early 2016 when tragedy struck his former bandmate Keith Emerson (who was set to join Palmer on a few shows), the show quickly turned around to a tribute to Emerson.

Palmer stopped by the Paramount Hudson Valley theater on June 16 with his performance, joined by Paul Bielatowicz on guitar and Simon Fitzpatrick on bass. Without Emerson’s legendary keyboard role in the mix of the sound, the group took a new form of power trio to interpret and present Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s music. Channeling the groundbreaking progressive rock format in this setting doesn’t seem like an easy task, but Palmer did it in a fresh way that was just as exciting as ELP’s recordings.

The two-set show started off with a punchy version of the Peter Gunn theme and continued with many of the iconic original and classical re-arrangements that make up the ELP library. Throughout the evening, Palmer took a moment between each song to break from the kit to share a story about the tune, particularly if there was a connection to Emerson. Most notably, he dedicated “Pictures of an Exhibition” to Emerson, which had been one of Emerson’s favorites.

Palmer’s band can properly be called a power trio — their sound was rich, robust, and complete to fill out the fresh take on ELP’s songs. In a way, it sounded like a really good garage band with a progressive rock influence.

Fitzpatrick alternated between bass and Chapman Stick, which coupled with Bielatowicz’s guitar recreated Emerson’s keyboard parts which defined many of ELP’s songs. Behind them (or rather, front and center on the stage), Palmer’s technical and powerful drum playing was just as, if not more, vivid than in his younger ELP years. Both Fitzpatrick and Bieltowicz had opportunities to show their chops with solos — an instrumental version of “Take a Pebble” by Fitzpatrick on Chapman Stick and Bielatowicz with a multi-part solo guitar solo right before the intermission.

Leading out of “Fanfare for the Common Man,” Palmer broke out an extended solo, fairly routine at the start. Building up the solo, he mixed in some electronic drums buried in the kit. After a few minutes navigating the kit, a grin grew on his face as he stood up to show off some Buddy Rich-style stick tricks that drew some quick applause.

Before calling it a night, Palmer introduced the encore by encouraging the audience to take their phones out and record and post a video of it in memory of Keith.

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July 14, 2016
Melissa Etheridge Sends a Pulse Through Peekskill

When Melissa Etheridge took the stage at the Paramount Hudson Valley, her presence was immediate as the sold-out theater greeted her with a standing ovation at her first notes. As she appeared from the shadow behind her wall of guitars adorning the stage it was apparent that she was just as excited to be there as the audience was.

For a solid two hours, Etheridge presented a dynamic set (with no break) complete with both delicate moments and high-energy songs. Although the show was a solo act, her two hour set wasn’t just a singer with a guitar. Using loop effects and some percussion she backed herself up with more than just a guitar. At one time, she played a game of guitar roulette – looping a few background percussion and rhythm lines as she contemplated which of her ten guitars to pick next to play a bit of the lead part.

With a few words shared between songs, she took particular attention – honest attention – to the surrounding Peekskill community citing the art that she took in earlier in the day. Particularly stunning to the audience was her lead into “Silent Legacy” where she picked up the bass behind her and introduced it as the bass guitar she had bought just that day from Division Street Guitars (a small shop just around the corner from the Paramount) which is a permanent addition to her collection and is appearing with her elsewhere on tour.

Etheridge’s setlist included many of her chart-topping songs and a few off her latest album This Is M.E. A few came in as requests including “Ready to Love” on piano which had never been recorded and only performed a few times. Two other highlights included the swampy tune “Stranger Road” played on her resonator and “Chrome Plated Heart” played on the candy blue guitar she called “Trouble” which included a lot of looping and soloing.

Etheridge responded to the Orlando shootings which occured just days prior in the way she knew how buy writing, recording, and releasing a brand new song, “Pulse,” just two days later. Three days after the song was received by the public, Etheridge paused near the middle of her set to reflect about it and the song before performing it for one of the first times live. It was just as emotional for Etheridge as is was for some of the audience who held up signs supporting the song (a surprise to her).

Etheridge brought a driving close to her set with a one song encore, building out a complete jam on the beautiful white 12-string Ovation. The ascending chord lines in the jam kept the audience wanting more each time, but sadly a show has to conclude at some point.

Setlist: Ain’t It Heavy, If I Only Wanted To, Silent Legacy, I Want to Come Over, Ready to Love, Pulse, Come to My Window, Stranger Road, The Weakness in Me, Chrome Plated Heart, I’m the Only One, Bring Me Some Water

Encore: Like the Way I Do

July 13, 2016
Paramount Hudson Valley Kicks Off 86th Anniversary With Michael McDonald June 25

The historic Paramount Hudson Valley theater in Peekskill celebrates its 86th year this Saturday June 25 with a special fundraising anniversary event featuring multi-Grammy award winning artist Michael McDonald. This year marks the third year of the theater’s stewardship by Red House Entertainment, who brought the venue back to life after it took a brief hiatus in 2012.

The evening starts at 8 p.m. with the Hudson Valley’s own Marc Von Em of the Rob Thomas Band. As a regular at clubs throughout NYC and the northeast, Von Em’s dynamic performance on both vocals and acoustic guitar round out a complete sound for a one-man show. Following Von Em’s set Michael McDonald’s son Dylan McDonald takes the stage with his band Dylan McDonald and the Avians for a set.

The evening’s headliner has made a name for himself apart from the bands he has worked with – Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers – along with many other musicians he has collaborated with after his time with those two bands. His work has won five Grammy Awards throughout his career. At the Paramount, McDonald will bring a collection of songs from his years with Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers along with his solo hits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3v8LEb1LxA

The 86th anniversary fundraising celebration at the Paramount will include giveaways and merchandise auctions. The theater asks for support “to assure [they] provide world-class entertainment to the Hudson Valley all year-round.”

Show: 8 p.m.
Tickets: $70/$90/$105/$130 available online or by calling the Paramount box office at 914-739-0039

June 22, 2016
Photo Gallery: Relive Mayfest 2016

The beautiful grounds of Surprise Lake Camp in Cold Spring, NY, provided the backdrop for the second annual Mayfest during Memorial Day weekend 2016. The offspring of SkyBaby Yoga and Catskill Chill Music Festival, Mayfest articulately blends music, art and yoga together, as a three-day, intimate wellness retreat. The vibe was bright and relaxing, and it was a welcomed addition to the arguably crowded festival scene here in the northeast.

Targeted at the yoga enthusiast, the daily schedule was packed with activities, ranging from various yoga classes, group meditation, workshops, lectures, pilates and hooping. At any give time between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., festival-goers had to choose from about nine different offerings—there was no excuse to hang out at your cabin or tent. As the sun was closer to setting each night, the focus shifted to the main stage, a stone seat amphitheater across from the lake, which was scheduled to go at the relatively early time of 11:30 p.m. each night (although it was cut about 45 minutes short on Sunday due to the weather). The one late night activity was the Sensory Collective, a “Cirque-de-Solei-esque” troop of performers who entertained attendees Saturday night, keeping us night owls happy until 1 a.m. on Sunday.

A review of individual bands or yoga classes is well beyond the scope of this photographer. I would advise to those reading this who might be interested in attending next year, if you take yoga on the regular, the lineup is mostly within your musical wheelhouse, and the location doesn’t change, then you shouldn’t hesitate to go. While only in its second year, everything is well run and the staff brings a wealth of experience to this event. Also, I would spring for the cabin rental; they were recently updated and place you closer to the action. Finally, it did seem most of the classes were still available to sign up when onsite, but chances are you will be going in knowing what classes you want to take. Procrastinating on the sign-up will be of no benefit.

Hopefully this has offered some sense of what went down in Cold Spring, and what to expect next year assuming no major deviation from the current formula. Of course, check out the pics below and see some of the sights of Mayfest from my perspective.

June 9, 2016
Mountain Jam 2016: Day 4

Unlike the previous three days, the weather at the onset of Sunday, June 5, at Mountain Jam 2016 was gloomy with continuing patches of rain. People throughout the campgrounds were picking up their equipment and assessing any damage. The storm hadn’t been overly aggressive, but that didn’t stop things like camping canopies from collapsing under the weight of accumulated rainfall.

Once everyone completed their morning cleanup, regular plans for the last day of the festival started. Parents and kids joined together in Healey Hall at 9 a.m. for Yogarama with Bari Koral, a yoga instructor who brings fun music into the mix to make yoga interesting for kids. And of course yoga for the older kids was next, led by none other than Michael Franti. Originally scheduled to be held in Dolan’s Lake Park, across Ski Bowl Road from the festival grounds, Franti’s yoga session had to be moved into Healey Hall due to the inclement weather.

After yoga with Franti, Michael joined Radio Woodstock in their Mountain Jam booth for an interview and a quick song. NYS Music was there to experience his time on the radio and sing-along with him and the rest of the crowd who gathered around; Franti loves to be surrounded by people, while he plays—it really fuels his love-filled music and performance.

Michael Franti acoustic session on Radio Woodstock #mountainjam #nysmusic #day4 #michaelfranti @spm222photo @mountainjam

A video posted by NYS Music (@nystatemusic) on Jun 5, 2016 at 1:10pm PDT

Meanwhile, Woodstock native Elijah Wolf, Boston-based Quilt and New York City’s London Souls played on the Valley Stage. The continuing mist didn’t stop fans from throwing on rain gear and enjoying themselves on the final day of Mountain Jam 2016. Like the previous day, the schedule had a change, and it caused Michael Franti’s Mountain Stage performance to be the last main stage show of the weekend—except this time the schedule change was caused by mother nature.

Severe weather alerts came across the PA system, and everyone was instructed to pack-up their belongings as quickly as possible and either leave the grounds or seek shelter immediately. No one knew exactly what to expect from the weather, but the general fear was that high winds would cause structures, like the stages, to become unsafe. Attendees complied as best as possible. Some were able to pack-up and depart, while others fastened down their equipment and congregated in the main lodge to wait out the storm.

Many festival-goers were sad that they had to miss the final three acts of the weekend—Brandi Carlisle, Third World and especially, the Avett Brothers. Safety is always understandable, but that doesn’t quell unrest about an upheaval of musical plans. Luckily, thanks to Radio Woodstock, a secret set popped up in the media loft where the radio station had been broadcasting all festival long.

The buzz about this secret set started to spread throughout the crowd inside the lodge, just downstairs from the loft, but no one knew exactly who was going to play and where. Suddenly, some stage crew started carrying in instruments and brought them up to the radio booth, followed by four gentlemen who make up the originally scheduled closing band, the Avett Brothers. After some audio setup, the indie-folk quartet played a four-song set over the airwaves and over the station’s PA system, which was turned up and pointed at the crowd downstairs. After each song, applause erupted from below. It was clear that the remaining festival-goers recognized just how lucky they were and how much they appreciated the Avett Brothers’ humble and apologetic attitude toward having to cancel last minute.

As the weekend finally drew to a close, people sat around recapping the events of this year’s Mountain Jam. Everyone had their own individual experiences, but the final product of all experiences was joy and an overall feeling of fulfillment. Much sought-after music had been enjoyed to the fullest, and everyone knew that the 2016 festival season was truly underway.

Check out the photo gallery below—captured by Steve Malinski—to experience the fourth and final day of the twelfth annual Mountain Jam.

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June 9, 2016
Mountain Jam 2016: Day 3

Saturday, the main day of Mountain Jam 2016 had arrived. Attendees stepped out into a brand new day of the weekend. The warmth started to set in as the fog fully broke at about 9 a.m. It was easy to tell the day ahead of music and festivities would be glorious, sun-filled and containing an item that many people would be crossing off of their musical bucket lists after nightfall.

The day started off with an act in Healey Hall that has helped bridge the parent-child festival gap at Mountain Jam for multiple years. Ratboy Jr., comprised of Timmy Sutton (rhythm acoustic, electric guitar, vocals) and Matty Senzatimore (drums, keyboards, bells, vocals) provide families with a friendly place to bring their children first thing in the morning. As we all know, the children get up early and must be entertained. Described as “Ween-esque,” whose “intergalactic folk music is paired with curious subject matter like eating clouds, high five-ing shadows, big-headed Mexican wrestling hopefuls, space fuzz and guitar pickin’ chickens,” by Out With The Kids, Ratboy Jr. has become just as important of an act at Mountain Jam as most other supporting acts the core attendees arrive to see.

Once the children had their fill of silliness to hold them over until after nap time, the rest of the spectacular and diverse schedule of music, events and workshops started to unfold. Next up in Healey Hall was the Paul Green Rock Academy, a school in Saugerties, NY, that is driven to show kids a path to success onstage through interactive performance-based lessons, with the goal of creating genuine music through creativity and experience. While the kids were rocking out the Hall, Rochester-based Mikaela Davis was performing on the Valley Stage. Mikaela was a late addition to the bill when Gary Clark Jr. had to suddenly back out. Shortly after, Darlingside, a Cambridge, MA, indie-folk band, hit the Mountain Stage. NYS Music was fortunate enough to be nearby when Darlingside stopped by Radio Woodstock’s live broadcast area for a quick set and captured a clip on Instagram.

The Mountain and Valley Stages’ next acts were dynamite, to say the least. After Mikaela Davis played, Con Brio, Son Little, Lettuce and Houndmouth finished out the Saturday music on the Valley Stage. Alternating from those acts on the Mountain Stage were Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, the Record Company, a Warren Haynes solo set (another addition from the Gary Clark Jr. cancellation) and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. Each of the last acts on the two concert field stages played to the audience as dusk turned to night.

While those bands played their sets, Healey Hall was home to a couple of workshops, one by Jay Blakesberg, in which he gave an abridged version of his book tour presentations he gives all over the country. Jay told NYS Music that he normally talks a lot longer about his books, but since he only had 45 minutes he chose to dedicate more time to a question-and-answer session and signing books for fans. There was also a documentary on Lettuce follow by an opportunity for participants’ questions, and then another documentary called A History of Cannabis in America. These events helped many attendees get more out of this mountain festival by allowing an in-depth view into portions of the music industry.

Once the sun was down, the face of the mountain filled to the point that a nine-year veteran attendee exclaimed that the crowd was the largest he’s ever seen on a Saturday night. He hypothesized that it could be attributed to large single-day ticket sales sparked by the 9:30 p.m. act, Beck. Unlike most acts at festivals, Beck came out late, but no one was upset once he hit the stage.

Beck opened up his set with “Devil’s Haircut” and naturally, the crowd erupted with cheers. Anyone who has seen one of his shows knows just how amazing the next hour and a half went. The set list of Beck’s performance was equally as eclectic as his history of songwriting and production. Aside from the opener, he played hits like “Loser,” “Que Onda Guero” and “E-Pro.” He also paid homage to the late artists Prince and David Bowie by covering “Raspberry Beret” in the latter half of his set and by playing part of “China Girl” during his band introductions in the middle of the encore, “Where It’s At.” Once Beck’s set was over, no one could stop talking about how electrifying he was. However, there wasn’t a soul who was worried about a lull in the fun, since the late-night acts to come were certain to keep people’s ears filled with topnotch music and help their feet continue to kick the dust around with a variety of impromptu dance moves.

The first act of the late night was Con Brio, playing their second set of the night, but this time in Healey Hall, which due to the last-minute schedule changes overlapped Beck’s set by a half hour. Next up was Thievery Corporation on the Mountain Stage. Lettuce finished off Saturday’s music in Healey Hall and played to a packed house, while the oh-so-common Mountain Jam rain finally made its first appearance of the weekend.

Slowly, but surely, people made their way back to their campsites to ensure everything was watertight in anticipation of any increased precipitation. The biggest hope on everyone’s mind was that the rain would move in and out while everyone was sleeping so Sunday’s big acts like Michael Franti, Brandi Carlisle and the Avett Brothers would be able to perform under clear skies. Little did they know the weather had different plans for Sunday.

Check out the photos below taken by our staff photographer, Steve Malinski, throughout Day Three of Mountain Jam.

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June 7, 2016
Mountain Jam 2016: Day 2

On June 3, festival-goers awoke in their tents, RVs, and hotel rooms to a beautiful day ahead. The temperature was in the low 60s, there was some light comfortable wind blowing through the mesh of tents, and some clouds in the sky, which kept the sun from waking people up hot and sweaty. Most importantly, there was the first full day of Mountain Jam 2016 ahead.

The day of music got underway on the Valley Stage with The Suitcase Junket, a one-man-band out of Amherst, MA. Matt Lorenz entertained the crowd with his adaptation of a music man, crooning out sweet lyrics, while smoothly playing a combination of a variety of instruments to accentuate those heartfelt vocals.

The next couple of acts to hit the Valley Stage were Marcus King Band and Love Canon. Marcus King and his band proved to be a crowd favorite and was invited to play a small acoustic set live on Radio Woodstock, which is broadcasting on-site all weekend. NYS Music captured a moment of that radio set on Instagram. Love Canon, a fast-paced bluegrass band with a keen ability to cover Top 100 songs got the late-afternoon crowd fired up for the evening to come. Their covers of J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold” and Africa’s “Toto” ensured that as few butts were on the grass or in chairs as possible.

The Mountain Stage had its first act early in the afternoon, with And The Kids, a band based in Northampton, MA, who labels themselves as not just indie rock, but as an existential and accessible form of music. After this unique and subtle yet powerful trio was a band who has worked hard to be thought provoking with the depth to assist generations with escaping the ease of apathy. That band with such an intense charge is Nahko and Medicine for the People. NYS Music was fortunate enough to catch a few minutes with Nahko, an artist with a great heart and his mind truly in an enlightened state.

“A lot of the music that I eventually opened up to that fueled my own style of writing came from [the Sixties]. The old story-telling of a time when there was a very strong movement, as far as a social movement goes, to become aware of yourself and to be involved in your political structure and to be involved in making democracy work for the people.” He goes on to explain that he doesn’t see his music having a political drive. Instead he prefers to label it as having political content and some non-fictional history lessons, which is ultimately positioned to open fans’ minds in order to do their part in shaping a better world.

The Santa Monica, CA based band was here playing their first Mountain Jam and were excited to say the least. The only disappointment was that they had to leave almost directly after their set. However, the reason was nothing short of incredible: they are performing at a Bernie Sanders rally in San Diego, CA.

The Mountain Stage then welcomed Courtney Barnett, the Melbourne, Australia-based singer, song writer, guitarist and all-around bad-ass performer. Courtney brought her attitude-filled full-bodied sound to the Catskill Mountains, introducing many to her music and galvanizing the crowd when she played The Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie” for her first time ever in front of an audience. NYS Music posted a clip of that excellent cover on Instagram as it happened.

Immediately after the Australian indie-rocker finished her set, Brooklyn’s own Turkuaz got things started on the Valley Stage. Anyone who has seen this power funk ensemble knows that the impending set they stand anxiously waiting to see will fill everyone’s ears with a ground shaking orchestration. Turkuaz shows everyone why this relatively young band has started to gain the momentum that is likely to carry them to very high places in the national music scene and possibly beyond.

As the evening led into night, Mountain Jam 2016 was captivated by the music of Jason Isbell and Chris Robinson Brotherhood, who was making their return after having been on the Mountain Jam X billing in 2014. By the time CRB was wrapping up their ever-soul-filled set, dusk had settled in nicely and the previously anticipated rain had decided to issue a stay of aquatic festival execution.

The soon to be chilly night was then taken over by an incredible pair of Mountain Stage acts. Wilco was tasked with firing up the crowd for the historical host of Mountain Jam, Warren Haynes. The veteran band completed their assignment with mastery, giving a massive crowd of long-time Wilco fans and first-timers alike the 90’s alternative rock fix they’d been seeking, whether they knew it or not.

After Wilco, there was a 30 minute lull. That gave people enough time to run and prepare for the host to present his musical bounty. Gov’t Mule took the stage just before 11:00 pm to a crowd itching to hear the drawl of that Southern rock. It’s not easy to forget how breathtaking of a show the Mule gives its fans, but if someone in that crowd had forgotten, they were immediately reminded when the band opened up with the Black Sabbath cover “Sweet Leaf.” They proceeded to give the audience some of their favorites, including “Thorazine Shuffle” and “Funny Little Tragedy,” which finished with a “Thorazine” reprise, Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” “Mule,” in which the festival was teased with riffs of “Shakedown Street,” and then finished with a “Soulshine” encore.

When Warren and his crew of troubadours left the Mountain Stage the crowd was split in two. Those who filed toward Healey Hall for The New Mastersounds and those who sought the comfort of their camp sites, RVs and hotels after a long first full day of Mountain Jam 2016. For the latter, rest was needed to ensure the best experience of the Saturday of music and events to come, while the former knew that it would take a powerful force to stop their momentum.

Today, the third day of the 12th annual Mountain Jam, the festival-goers are in store for a day filled with amazing music and other incredible events. Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, Beck and Thievery Corporation have Mountain Stage duties. Son Little, Lettuce and Houndmouth will be playing their sets on the Valley Stage. All the while there will be workshops, documentaries and Q&As from the likes of Jay Blakesberg and Lettuce. Late night will be covered by the sounds of Con Brio and then Lettuce. Whether you haven’t yet streamed Mountain Jam 2016 or if you have all along, be sure to visit Tourpedo to stream all of these great artists. In the meantime, check out these galleries from yesterday by our staff photographer, Steve Malinski.

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June 4, 2016
Mountain Jam 2016: Day 1

On the first day of the 2016 Mountain Jam at Hunter Mountain, there was a much expected buzz throughout the festival grounds. Thursdays of a four-day festival can be one of the greatest days; it’s the kick-off to the annual celebration of music and arts. Attendees, staff and volunteers are just gaining their bearings for the weekend to come, but most notably, Thursdays tend to be a bit more exclusive. Not everyone has a schedule that allows for them to arrive so early, making attendance on the first day much lighter than the rest. This was the case in Hunter on June 2.

Mountain Jam 2016 kicked off on the Valley Stage with a quartet of consecutive acts who were not only the musical welcoming committee as the first wave of fans poured in, but they were the catalyst for a day and evening of incredible music. Jane Lee Hooker, a New York City-based blues quintet, were first to play. The all-female blues band brought fervor and soul to the stage, which proved their respect to the blues craft and their namesake, John Lee Hooker. Next up was the Capital Region’s own Wild Adriatic; they lived up to expectation and performed an amazing set, which only substantiated the next act, Cabinet, a Pennsylvania bluegrass band that always makes the crowd shake and stomp.

The fourth band of the initial quartet was Donna the Buffalo, a Central New York-based band riddled with Americana influence from old-time Appalachian music to modern rock and country; this was the group’s first Mountain Jam billing. NYS Music sat down with Tara Nevins and Jeb Puryear, who founded the band in 1989. When asked how they came to be, Jeb said, “We’re both old-time fiddle players, and in that form of music, a lot of people jam with each other. All you have is acoustic instruments, so you can just meet easily.” He added that Tara was the first person he’d met that wrote songs like the ones heard on the radio. A smile instantly hit her face when he paid her that compliment.

Over the course of time, Donna the Buffalo, comprised of these old-time players Tara and Jeb, met back in the ’80s and evolved from acoustic fiddle and banjo music to a more modernized, electric bluegrass. “The music [Appalachian music] kind of predates bluegrass; the kind that bluegrass grew out of,” Tara added. “I started writing songs that were more pop-oriented and then Jeb started writing songs. Then we [started to] transfer to electric instruments, and thus, was the formation of Donna the Buffalo.” Although they evolved into a more modern sound, they still stick close to their roots, continuing to play bluegrass festivals around the country, including their own called the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in their hometown of Trumansburg.

As the evening progressed, the heavy hitters started to come out. The first Mountain Stage act was Train Play Led Zeppelin II. Festival-goers throughout the grounds were hypothesizing how the performance would go. Only those who had heard Train play Zeppelin tunes on Howard Stern’s Sirius/XM radio show knew just how amazing it was going to be. The band’s frontman, Pat Monahan, was a true embodiment of a young Robert Plant. The band masterfully moved through the entirety of Led Zeppelin II and finished off their set with a crowd-pleasing reprise of “Stairway to Heaven.”

After Train finished their jaw-dropping performance, an amazing duel between Marco Benevento and Superhuman Happiness on the Valley Stage and Umphrey’s McGee on the Mountain Stage commenced. Marco and his collaboration of astounding musicians and singers paid homage to the late David Bowie by covering a vast amount of his catalog, including legendary hits like “Oh You Pretty Things,” “Let’s Dance” and “Life on Mars.” Chills were brought to many spines in the audience as this well-orchestrated performance not only gave everyone a live listen of Bowie tunes, but paid breathtaking amounts of respect to Ziggy Stardust—a face, voice and mind that the music world and its fans miss very much.

The echos of Bowie off of Hunter Mountain were responded to by a true fan favorite, Umphrey’s McGee. Although the Thursday crowd was light, it seemed every soul in Hunter was on the concert field. The boys from Chicago started their set off with “Similar Skin,” after which Brendan Bayliss delivered the message that instead of everyone pacing themselves for the weekend to come, a full-on party should take place since they were only around for the one night. After that public service announcement, Umphrey’s kicked into “Rocker (Part II),” and it didn’t slow down much from there. As is often a staple at Mountain Jam, Warren Haynes came out to jam during the first set, helping to breakup “Higgins” with a mid-song jam of southern rock and blues.

Another guest hit the Mountain Stage to make an appearance. Dressed in his eye-grabbing garb for the Bowie tribute set, Marco Benevento sat with Joel Cummins during the adapted and absolute monster cover of Pink Floyd’s “Breath.” After the first set was over, the crowd was filled with electricity. Marco played his second set of Bowie music, which made way for the second set of Umphrey’s; this second set seemed to step-up from the groundwork laid out in the first. Starting off with “40’s Theme,” the band moved through their second set making head-banging and fist-throwing and, of course, the Ryan Stasik-patented style of rock horns, explode throughout the crowd.

The boys finished their set with a line of “Educated Guess, “Conduit” and “Relax, Have a Thunderkiss.” Surprisingly, the crowd didn’t chant out the so-often-heard “We want the Umph!” chant, but they came back onstage with a certain vengeance, encoring with “Hajimemeshite” into “Bridgeless” to end the night; the perfect bookend to a perfect first night of Mountain Jam 2016.

Today’s lineup has some much anticipated acts throughout the day. Jay Blakesberg is personally looking forward to Courtney Barnett and Jason Isbell, both hitting the Mountain Stage in the late afternoon. Also playing today are favorites Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Wilco and Warren Haynes’ own Gov’t Mule. Be sure to log into the live stream, so you don’t miss any part of the Mountain Jam 2016 weekend.

June 3, 2016
Hearing Aide: The Honeycutters “On the Ropes”

A follow-up to the chart-topping breakout album Me Oh My (2015), the Honeycutters’ latest release, On the Ropes, brings a breezy soundtrack for Sunday driving down that lonely country mile.

Frontwoman Amanda Anne Platt (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) comes on strong in the record’s opening title track, before lulling listeners along in “Blue Besides.” It’s the third song, “Golden Child,” that demands full attention, with its bluesy vocals, relatable lyrics and soul-bending composition.

Throughout 12 original songs, Platt shares personal stories from the battlefield that cover the spectrum of love, loss and learning, writing “I’ve been a stranger here before, I’ve been a soldier, I’ve been the war, and I’ve done my time on the wrong side of the door, I’ve been peaceful, I’ve been wild, I’ve been a Golden Child.” She’s down-to-earth in her delivery of tell-it-like-it-is advice (“hang up that halo and get by with the rest of us, let those wings go to rust…you’re not taking any chances, you’re looking for that easy answer”) from one strong-headed woman who’s “not hanging up my spurs, I’m just telling you I’ve learned.”

Although not as mountain as Gillian Welch, the Hastings-On-Hudson native and Skidmore College graduate’s sweet, natural vibrato is a refreshing sound coming out of the songstress’ current base of Asheville, NC. And accompanying bandmates, Rick Cooper (upright, electric bass), Josh Milligan (drums, vocals), Matt Smith (pedal steel, electric guitar, dobro) and Tal Taylor (mandolin), are the perfect mixer for a polished concoction of rock and country elements with a sprig of rural Appalachia.

From swingy, borderline pop-twang in “The Handbook” to steady rock in “Back Row,” highlighted by harmonica (played by Platt’s father, Mark) and electric guitar, to the slouchier slide and mandolin in “Useless Memories” to the trimmer distortion in “Ache” that makes the raw emotion feel real, and a jaunty, shimmery cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” it’s all here, before the record is capped off with a dusty picture of gunslingers and barroom girls in “Barmaid’s Blues.”

The Honeycutters have surely made something out of nothing with their fourth studio album, On the Ropes (out now through Organic Records); it’s alternative Americana at its finest, and Platt’s sincere songwriting is the gravy on the biscuits.

Key Tracks: Golden Child, Back Row, Ache, Hallelujah

https://soundcloud.com/user-123099651/sets/on-the-ropes

May 31, 2016
Local Limelight: Seymour – Indie Rock from New Paltz

Anyone whose life revolves around music, seeks out new ear candy as often as possible. The most difficult thing is to find something that really piques your interest, especially a complete album. During my third listen through the new self-titled album by Seymour, my interest was certainly piqued.

In a recent phone conversation with Steve Geary (rhythm guitar, bass, vocals), who co-founded the band with Avery Maracek (rhythm guitar, bass, vocals), I was able to learn quite a bit about the up-and-coming band from New Paltz. Steve and Avery met their bandmates, John Morrison (lead guitar) and Brandon Bera (drums), while they all attended SUNY New Paltz. As is common among college friends, they all hail from different places around New York State; Steve and John grew up in the Capital Region, Avery is from Western NY and Brandon is from the Westchester area.

They came together and melded their influences, which range from Avery’s exposure to jazz guitar via his father, to Steve’s adoration of ’90s indie rock and mixed it all with John and Brandon’s love of jam bands. The final product? A mixed sound of Weezer and Fountains of Wayne (circa Utopia Parkway) pumped into your ears from headphones, reminding you of your teenage years. Steve explained that he and Avery share the songwriting duties. He feels that with both of them writing they are able to create a symbiotic relationship, which generates a more than gratifying result.

When you press play to listen to the new album, you are instantly hit with the meta tune “Seymour,” their self-titled song off of their latest release. Although this is their first full-length album, these boys have an arrangement that shows just how much work they’ve put into the last two years since forming April 2014. While listening through the record, other earworms present themselves; the somber love song “Bleeding Heart” shows how there isn’t just surface feelings built into Seymour’s music, and this depth is further accentuated in their short but introspective song, “Tethered.” As mentioned before, this first Seymour album is truly easy to listen to on repeat.

To check out Seymour’s new self-titled album, you can visit their Bandcamp page. Also, be sure to check out their Facebook page and website. You can also catch them live at their upcoming show at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY, on June 18.

May 26, 2016