NYS Music 20​16

Category: Manhattan

  • (Board) Walk Me Out, Dark Star Orchestra at Ford Amphitheatre Coney Island

    On Sunday July 31, Dark Star Orchestra tested the waters of the newly opened Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk. They got the crowd moving right away with a rocking “Passenger” as fans young and old exchanged high fives. As per usual, there were several setlist detectives in the audience trying to determine what classic show the band was recreating before our eyes and ears. I discovered an early Easter egg as only one drummer appeared on the stage, hinting at the fact that Mickey Hart was not present for this gig.

    dark star orchestra coneyLead guitarist Jeff Mattson did an exceptional job filling Jerry’s shoes for “Sugaree,” before Rob Barraco tackled Pigpen’s “Mr. Charlie.” The “Black Throated Wind” that followed had a particularly hot ending as Rob Eaton embodied the role of Bob Weir. Always searching for a Grateful Dead setlist motif, I instantly became fascinated with the gambling aspect of “Loser” that was presented in the fifth spot. At every DSO show, us setlist detectives are attempting to discover the recreation by playing the hand we are dealt by the band members, and we had no chance of losing this time. Another ace was drawn once Barraco jumped back on the lead vocals for “Next Time You See Me,” channeling Pigpen in what was sure to be an early 70’s performance. Lisa Mackey, normally filling in as Donna, covered the harmonica for the tune during her first appearance of the night. A standard “El Paso” gave way to another song referencing a card game, “Dire Wolf.”

    dark star orchestra coneyThe spirit of Pigpen returned for “Two Souls in Communion,” relaxing the audience before a spaced-out “Playing In The Band.” After the 15-minute-plus version, I had enough set list evidence to predict the band’s recreation. I knew it was something from Europe ’72 as classic Pigpen tunes were frequent, yet they jumped in the deep end for “Playin’.” With assistance from a quick Google search, I discovered that they were recreating the iconic final show of their European run, May 26, 1972 from London. The show would be Pigpen’s second to last performance with the band, and symbolically the next song after my setlist discovery was “He’s Gone.”

    dark star orchestra coneyA familiar “Cumberland Blues” and “Jack Straw” led to “Chinatown Shuffle,” which is the last tune Pigpen ever sang on stage. In fact, the four songs sang by Pigpen in the first set would follow him to his grave after that hallowed evening. My lyrical deck of cards theory returned with the “diamond-eye Jack” during “China> Rider.” On the eve of Jerry’s birthday, a wave of euphoria came over the crowd during the “Not Fade Away> Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad> Not Fade Away” sandwich that closed out the mesmerizing and particularly long first set.

    An extended “Truckin’” reminded the New York audience of the ways and means as the second set caught fire early. The band treated us to the night’s second sandwich with “The Other One > Morning Dew > The Other One.” It isn’t clear if Jerry is singing directly to Pigpen during one of his final nights, but this version is one of the best in Dead history and DSO did an excellent job recapturing the emotion from over 44 years ago. Not only was the “Dew” sang with such emotion, but the jam that ensued showcased bassist Skip Vangelas dropping some serious Phil-bombs to test the foundation of the newly built venue.

    dark star orchestra coney“Sing Me Back Home” gave us a moment to catch our breath before the “high-lo jack and the winner takes the hand” lyrics brought a smile to my face during “Me and My Uncle.” “Ramble On Rose” brought the casino-night motif to a close and presented the “aces back to back” before a high-energy two-pack of “Sugar Magnolia” and “Casey Jones” closed the second set. As the 11PM curfew rounded the corner, DSO remained on stage and quickly wished Captain Trips a happy birthday. A fellow setlist detective gave me a pat on the back as the May 1972 discovery was confirmed. Closing out the Sunday, the band gave us one more reason to enjoy the weekend with “One More Saturday Night.” Outside the venue, dozens of fans roamed the beach holding balloons with smiles on their faces (I can only assume for Mr. Garcia’s birthday). The first ever Grateful Dead recreation at the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island was a massive success and I predict the energy to return during two nights of Phil & Friends in mid-September. Decades after that magical night on the other side of the Atlantic, Deadheads were once again treated to the peace, tranquility and curiosity of a beautiful experience, just like waves upon the sand.

  • Dopapod and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Plan Huge Fall Tour

    Dopapod and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong announced today a co-headline tour kicking off October 5 in Jacksonville, FL and ends December 17 in Indianapolis, IN.  The more than 30 shows will cover much of the eastern half of the country, making stops in Saratoga Springs, Buffalo, Syracuse and New York City along the way. The two bands bring an incredible dose of funk with them, and have become staples on the festival circuit for many years.

    Rochester native and Dopapod vocalist/guitarist Rob Compa shared his thoughts on the tour. “Pairing up made too much sense not to do!  We’re always crossing paths, whether it be barely missing each other along tour or at festivals.  After a while it became clear that we ought to do something cool together.  I’m happy that this finally came together.”

    Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s frontman Greg Ormont added jokingly, “We’ve always wanted to tour with a band whose name is a palindrome but ABBA and Emily’s Sassy Lime are always too busy, so we ended up with Dopapod. Fortunately, they’re great friends and even better musicians, so it should be an epic few months on the road.”

    Both groups recently shared the stage in Philadelphia, PA at The TLA where Dopapod keyboardist Eli Winderman sat in with Pigeons on their original song, “F.U.”

    Dopapod & Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Fall 2016 Tour Dates:

    10/05 Jacksonville, FL: 1904
    10/06 Gainesville, FL: High Dive
    10/07 St. Petersburg, FL: State Theatre
    10/08 Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Culture Room
    10/09 Orlando, FL: Venue 578
    10/11 Macon, GA: Cox Capitol Theatre
    10/12 Columbia, SC: Music Farm
    10/14 Darlington, MD: Luna Light Music Festival
    10/26 Saratoga Springs, NY: Putnam Den
    10/27 New Haven, CT: Toad’s Place
    10/29 Northampton, MA: Pearl Street
    11/02 Syracuse, NY: Westcott Theater
    11/03 Buffalo, NY: Iron Works
    11/04 TBA
    11/10 TBA
    11/11 Charlottesville, VA: Jefferson Theatre
    11/12 TBA
    11/17 TBA
    11/18 New York, NY: Irving Plaza
    11/30 Asheville, NC: The Orange Peel
    12/01 Atlanta, GA: Terminal West
    12/02 Charleston, SC: Pour House
    12/03 Raleigh, NC: Lincoln Theatre
    12/06 Chattanooga, TN: Revelry Room
    12/07 Nashville, TN: Exit In
    12/08 St. Louis, MO: Old Rock House
    12/09 Iowa City, IA: Gabe’s
    12/10 Chicago, IL: Bottom Lounge
    12/14 Ann Arbor, MI: The Blind Pig
    12/15 Kalamazoo, MI: Bell’s Brewery
    12/16 Milwaukee, WI: Mirimar Theatre
    12/17 Indianapolis, IN: The Vogue Theatre

  • Photo Gallery: Happy Owl Fest 2016

    This past Saturday, on one of the hottest days of summer, the Happy Owl Fest flew into the quaint, Grateful Dead-esque ‘venue bar’ known as American Beauty, located in the midtown section of Manhattan. Typically, I would not be very excited to be inside for a festival in the middle of the summer, but fortunately, this venue’s air conditioning battled the 100 degree heat without mercy. At times, there were rumblings of people actually being cold. Add to this the ample selection of good craft beer, and American Beauty’s only food offering, a free personal cheese pizza with each beer, and you have a lovely way to spend the better portion of your weekend day. I haven’t even talked of the line up yet, which of course was the reason I was there in the first place.

    The schedule was ambitious, including nine acts between the hours of 3pm and 3am, with a bonus side hustle of the Phish webcast from Chula Vista, CA, which was projected in the main bar while the bands played on in the main stage area. I was one happy camper that I was able to catch the full sets of Polyvamp, Sylfox and the Hustler, Formula 5, and Sprocket. Alone across these four bands was an eclectic mix of music that should satisfy a majority of musical tastes. In sum, the Happy Owl Fest navigated improvisational rock, funk, and electronic with a dash of blues, not necessarily all at the same time.

    Should this event take place again next year under similar circumstances, I wouldn’t hesitate to make the trip. The balance between venue, beer, food, music and price of admission was quite welcome. The only suggestion I would make is for the venue to make a small investment in a house lighting system. On one hand, the noir scene makes for a rare experience in dedicated club venues these days. On the other hand, a little lighting action would would inject some energy into the room, in this photographer’s opinion.

    Till next year, enjoy my gallery from the first Happy Owl Fest.

  • Say Hello to Temple of the Dog – Legendary Tribute Band Announces Brief Tour for 25th Anniversary

    Temple of the Dog, a six-piece all-star project, will tour this Fall in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their only album’s release back in April of 1991,  the self-titled Temple of the Dog.

    The band is comprised of Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave (guitar/vocals), Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Jeff Ament (Bass), Eddie Vedder (vocals), Mike McReady (lead guitar) and Matt Cameron (drums). The group was together for only a year, preceding the 1992 breakthroughs for both Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Vedder will not be performing on this tour, however. 

    It was an emotional, history-laden project that was brought to life from the grief of losing a close friend and musician, Andrew Wood, to a drug overdose. Wood was known for having great potential, rising in the booming Seattle music scene in the ‘80’s, associated with bands such as Green River, Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone, and shared time with many musicians, in the tight-knit musically “incestual” community.

    The loss was hard on Cornell, fellow band-member and housemate of Wood, who found an outlet by writing a couple of songs, later to become “Reach Down” and “Say Hello 2 Heaven,” on Temple of the Dog. He approached Gossard and Ament, also reeling from the loss of Wood weeks before their Mother Love Bone first CD release, to see if they wanted to record with him. What started as an idea for an EP became something much bigger, when the songs came pouring out, and they decided to make it into an album. The addition of Matt Cameron, also in Soundgarden at that time, brought in McReady. Eddie Vedder was later added from an audition the group held. 

    Temple of the Dog received moderate attention when it was first released April 1991 by A&M records. However, after the explosion of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden on the Grunge scene, A&M rereleased the album the next year to a sweeping fandom that didn’t all care to understand the tender intricacies of the project.

    Although the group had two semi-reunions, it was deemed that they would never perform together. There was speculation that it would just remain as a tribute to Andy Wood, too painful for the group to perform. In a press release, Chris Cornell said, “We wanted to do the one thing we never got to do … play shows and see what it feels like to be the band that we walked away from 25 years ago.”

    On September 30, 2016 UMe will release a 25th Anniversary Temple of the Dog, remastered and newly mixed by Brendan O’Brien.

    The tour will hit five cities:

    11/4- Philadelphia, Tower Theater

    11/7- New York, Madison Square Garden

    11/11- San Francisco, Bill Graham Civic Center

    11/14- Los Angeles, The Forum

    11/20- Seattle, Paramount Theater

  • Jane’s Addiction Partner with Dinosaur Jr at the Capitol Theatre

    Alt-rock founding fathers Janes’ Addiction’s Sterling Spoon Tour is celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversaries of both the band’s sophomore studio LP Ritual de lo Habitual and Lollapalooza, the eclectic festival co-owned and directed by Jane’s frontman Perry Farrell. The tour will stop at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on Sunday, July 17, with support from jangle-noise rockers Dinosaur Jr. The appearance will constitute the third consecutive night of NYC-metro area performances, following on the heels of tour stops at Coney Island and Asbury Park, NJ.

    Playing in or near New York City is always a sort of homecoming for Perry Farrell, who left his hometown of Queens after high school to pursue dreams of surfing the California coast. The band’s only live album aside from their 1987 self-titled debut was recorded in NYC in 2013.

    Jane’s and Dinosaur Jr both hail from the broad mid-80s world of independent, do-it-yourself music, but they represent opposite coasts and distinct stylistic leanings. Jane’s Addiction blazed a trail by combining heavy metal and post-punk sensibilities into an art-rock fusion music that retained its integrity even after being picked up by a major label. Dinosaur Jr made a name for themselves as the first notable indie band to infuse their songs with soaring guitar solos reminiscent of the seventies rock music that the punk movement had rebelled against. Thirty-plus years on from their formation, this pairing of bands offers audiences a chance to see two highly influential acts who are alike in having historically had difficulty staying together over the course of their respective careers but have recently been enjoying periods of stability and creative fruitfulness.

    The string of eight shows that Dino Jr is set to play with Jane’s Addiction comes just weeks in advance of the August 8 release of their eleventh studio album Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not. See Dinosaur Jr playing “Tiny” from the forthcoming album on The Late Show with Jools Holland:

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwJN6Ac-dcE[/embedyt]

    See live video of Jane’s Addiction’s jammed out masterpiece “Three Days” from Ritual performed last month in London:

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G0ZzaBadZU[/embedyt]

    The Capitol Theatre, famous as a venue for classic rock acts and performers who follow closely in their footsteps, is an apt place for Jane’s Addiction and Dinosaur Jr to prove that they too are part of the unified history of rock and roll.

  • Beartooth Ready To Get Aggressive With NY This Fall

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

    Beartooth 1

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

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

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

    Beartooth Tour:

    10-02 – House Of Blues – Chicago, IL

    10-04 – Mill City – Minneapolis, MN

    10-05 – Summit – Denver, CO

    10-06 – Complex – Salt Lake City, UT

    10-08 – El Corazon – Seattle, WA

    10-09 – Hawthorne – Portland, OR

    10-10 –  Ace of Spades Sacramento, CA

    10-11 – Observatory –  Santa Ana, CA

    10-12 – The Regent – Los Angeles, CA

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

    10-15 – Nile – Phoenix, AZ

    10-17 – Backstage – San Antonio, TX

    10-18 – House Of Blues – Houston, TX

    10-19 – House Of Blues – Dallas, TX

    10-21 – State Theater – Tampa, FL

    10-22 – Beacham – Orlando, FL

    10-23 – Revolution – Fort Lauderdale, FL

    10-24 – Masquerade – Atlanta, GA

    10-25 – The Underground – Charlotte, NC

    10-27 – Soundstage – Baltimore, MD

    10-28 – TLA – Philadelphia, PA

    10-29 – The Chance – Poughkeepsie, NY

    10-30 – Stone Pony – Asbury Park, NJ

    10-31 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY

    11-02 – Palladium – Worcester, MA

    11-03 – Webster – Hartford, CT

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

    11-05 – Mr. Smalls – Pittsburg, PA

    11-06 – Orbit Room – Grand Rapids, MI

    11-08 – House Of Blues – Cleveland, OH

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

    11-11 – Express Live! – Columbus, OH

  • Dead and Company at Citi Field June 25-26

    Dead and Company returned to New York City having first visited Madison Square Garden this past fall. Their two-night run at Citi Field was met with excellent weather, some cool breezes, the return of Donna Jean Godcheaux to the microphone, and a chance for Oteil Burbridge to sing a chorus of “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad.”

    The band had previously in this tour made many song debuts not heard in the fall tour, though they broke out “Throwing Stones” for the first time.
     S Malinski - Dead and Company - Citi Field-22

    Dead and Company’s two shows at Citi Field had some more energy than their other appearance in New York at Saratoga Performing Arts Center a week prior, though to be fair to SPAC the crowd was much bigger as was the venue. Almost a year after Mayer experienced Fare The Well from the audience, he continued his Dead and Company trend to impress Dead Heads with his growing adaptability to the Grateful Dead format and style. To the New York City crowd, Mayer’s guitar and vocal work flowed even better than at their October/November 2015 shows at Madison Square Garden.

    Check out NYS Music’s gallery from the June 25 show below the setlists.

    S Malinski - Dead and Company - Citi Field-23

    June 25: (listen on archive.org)

    Set 1:
    Shakedown Street*, Jack Straw, Althea, Loose Lucy*, Ramble On Rose, Sugaree*, Passenger*, Casey Jones

    Set 2:
    Dark Star, Friend of the Devil*, Scarlet Begonias* -> Fire on the Mountain* -> Drums# -> Space -> The Other One -> Wharf Rat -> Throwing Stones+

    Encore:
    Ripple, One More Saturday Night

    June 26: (listen on archive.org)

    Set 1:
    St. Stephen, The Music Never Stopped*, Bertha*, Black-Throated Wind, Peggy-O, Box of Rain, Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad*

    Set 2:
    Truckin’ -> He’s Gone*, Help on the Way* -> Slipknot! -> Franklin’s Tower* -> Drums -> Space -> Days Between, China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider*

    Encore:
    Samson and Delilah*

    Notes:
    *With Donna Jean Godcheaux
    #Oteil Burbidge on marimba
    +Dead and Company debut

  • Hollywood Vampire Joe Perry Collapses During Show

    Sunday evening provided a scare to members of the rock collective Hollywood Vampires and its fans at the Ford Amphitheater at Brooklyn’s Coney Island. Shortly into the band’s set, Joe Perry, long time Aerosmith guitarist, began to feel dizzy and sat down on the drum riser.  Moving off to side stage he collapsed and was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital.

    Continuing with the show, the band was unaware of his condition and wished their friend and colleague well in unison with fans.

    Keeping up with his progress through social media, he is currently “stable and resting” at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

    With a full schedule still up in the air, Alice Cooper has kept fans updated through social media posts and for the time being, the show must go on.

    Hollywood Vampires 2016 Tour Dates

    July 12 Kettering Fraze Pavilion, OH
    July 13 Mount Pleasant Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, MI
    July 14 Cadott Rock Fest, WI
    July 16 Clarkston DTE Energy Music Theatre, MI
    July 18 Fargo Scheels Arena, ND
    July 22 Rohnert Park Green Music Center, CA
    July 23 Jacksonville Brtt Festival Pavilion, OR
    July 24 Saratoga Mountain Winery, CA
    July 25 Paso Robles California Mid-State Fair, CA

  • Melissa Etheridge brings sexy back at the Beacon Theatre

    Singer, songwriter and activist, Melissa Etheridge, who is currently on tour with Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, stopped by the Beacon Theatre in New York City on Wednesday night to strut her stuff, flash her pearly whites and remind us what sexy music sounds like.

    Melissa Etheridge Beacon TheatreWatching Etheridge perform her hits from the 80’s, 90’s and the 00’s is a sensual pleasure for the ears and the heart. Her still stellar raspy signature voice commanded the audience as she tore through all her hits including “I Want to Come Over”, “Pulse”, “Chrome Plated Heart”, “I’m the Only One”, “Bring Me Some Water”.

    Melissa Etheridge Beacon TheatreHer Grammy award winning, “Come to My Window” had everyone on their feet and reminiscing about the longing and ache we’ve all felt for another.

    Her pumped up, energetic encore of “Like the Way I Do” practically blew the roof off the Beacon and left us all howling for more.

    Melissa Etheridge Beacon TheatreMs. Etheridge is on tour across the states and Canada all summer long. Come October, she’ll joining the reigns of many with her own cruise, “Melissa Etheridge and Friends, Rock the Boat” sailing from Tampa to Mexico.

    Melissa Etheridge Beacon Theatre

  • Hearing Aide: Eric Krasno “Blood From a Stone”

    Eric Krasno and his debut solo album Blood From a Stone references an original composition, as well as the effort he put into singing on an album for the first time; indeed for him the experience was like drawing blood from a stone. Taking the album as a whole, the soul infused into the rock throughout the album (featuring Derek Trucks, the London Souls and more) creates a binding production, a step in a slightly different direction that will be welcomed by Krasno’s fans throughout this more than two-decade career.

    Fans will find a rock and soul project, rather than the jazz and funk instrumental feel of Krasno’s Chapter 2. “This is more of a lyrical and songwriting album with elements of improv and funk in there. This was more about presenting the songs and letting them take life from there,” said Krasno.

    The two-time Grammy winning Krasno shared that the album finds its influences in the era of Stax Records, with elements of Hendrix, psychedelic rock and the Grateful Dead, lyrically speaking. “I have very eclectic tastes from hip hop to Neil Young, and I pulled from many influences but made it a cohesive project — that was the toughest thing after wanting to go in so many different directions,” he said.

    In recent years, Krasno has seen a shift to the studio, producing albums for Allen Stone, Tedeschi Trucks and Aaron Neville, and started a record label, Feel Music Group. Reflecting on working with such legends, Krasno said, “Neville was a dream come true to produce for one of my favorite singers.” He has gotten a healthy amount of attention from the New York Times, which has helped to spread the word and brings new fans into the fold. Bowlive, an eight-night event that aims for a Spring 2017 return to Brooklyn Bowl, “helps the whole family grow — from Lettuce to Soulive, to Bowlive and the new record label.”

    Blood From a Stone shows a soul stirring and haunting “Jezebel,” an “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” influenced “Curse Lifter” featuring Derek Trucks, and “Wicked this Way,” a full bodied mellow funk number, featuring Alicia Chakour on vocals. The album’s longest track, “Please Ya,” is deeply bluesy, pain creeping from the words over the longing from a sad tempo. The flow to the album along with variety in the tracks makes it a passive or active listen — sit back or dive in, no matter what you’re easily hooked.

    The Eric Krasno live band will feature Danny Mayer (Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan), Mary Corso (Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan), Eric Kalb (the Dap Kings), Alex Chakour (Charles Bradley), and DeShawn Alexander (a Berkelee student whom Krasno met when he taught a Master Class recently) which was brought together after the studio album was complete. While the London Souls are featured on the album and Nigel Hall, too, Krasno set out to create a band that could tour in support of the album. Krasno went with musicians he’d worked with, whom he felt would rep the album well. Check out Eric Krasno Band tour dates and catch this new soul rock group as they draw blood from a stone.

    Key Tracks: Waiting on Your Love, Jezebel, Unconditional Love, Curse Lifter