Sterling Stage ended the 2016 festival season with Last Daze of Summer, a weekend of laughter, love, and creative expression. If you weren’t able to make it, make sure you check out next years festivals at Sterling Stage Kampitheater, located in Sterling, NY.
Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural, Jr., the performer who brought the unique sounds of Louisiana zyedco music to the world, passed away early Saturday morning in Lafayette, LA at the age of 68. Dural had been battling lung cancer since 2013. His long time manager Ted Fox confirmed the death in a Facebook post today.
Dural, given the nickname “Buckwheat” in his youth due to his hair resembling that of the Little Rascals character, became synonymous with the regional music that he championed. He performed at the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics as well as both of President Bill Clinton’s inaugurations.
Buckwheat Zydeco performed at the 2015 Syracuse Jazz Fest and provided one of the most entertaining and rollicking sets of the weekend. He had been scheduled to perform at the Earlville Opera House on Sept. 16 but was forced to cancel due to a recurrence of his lung cancer. In announcing the cancellation, Dural stated:
I hope everyone knows I truly believe ‘the show must go on’ and I’ve always tried to make that happen. But, I’ll need to fight this off first. So I’m sorry to say we will need to cancel or postpone some shows. But, you can’t beat the Wheat! I will be back. Soon. And, you can take that to your best bank.
Dural was born in Lafayette, LA in 1947. His father, Stanley Dural, Sr., was a farmer and Cajun accordionist. The younger Dural resisted his father’s music at first, gravitating towards playing the organ in the funk band he formed in 1971.
While performing with famed zydeco bandleader Clifton Chenier in the late ’70s, Dural took up his father’s instrument, eventually venturing out on his own to form Buckwheat Zydeco.
Dural and his band were the first zydeco band signed to a major label, signing with Island Records in 1987 for the Grammy nominated On a Night Like This. Throughout his career, he performed with Eric Clapton, U2, Ry Cooder, Keith Richards and Robert Plant.
Dural is survived by his wife, Bernite Dural; two sons, Sir Reginald M. Dural and Stanley Paul Dural III and three daughters, April Germain Dural, Stacie Durham and Tomorrow Lynn Dural.
It’s hard to tell what MC Chris took seriously while developing this album MC Chris is Dreaming. There are times where the listener may think, “This is a complete joke, he must have completed this album in a night. For heaven’s sake, the album cover looks like it was drawn with pen on loose leaf paper.” And half way through the album, one may think that was one of the quickest, nerdiest, and wittiest rhymes that’s ever been spat. In other words, the quality of the album is proportionate to how much time is invested to finding all the little hidden lyrical gems.
This album, set to drop September 30th, will sound absolutely ridiculous to anyone who has not heard of the genre nerd rap. MC Chris has a nasally and high pitched voice that spits culture driven lyrics driven by straightforward videogame-like beats. Take it as a whole and the album seems childish. But dissect it just a little bit and it becomes a pretty comical album.
This isn’t necessarily a concept album but there is some inspiration to it. Freddy Krueger haunts the dreams of the former Adult Swim contributor and while most of the songs are utterly ridiculous stories about how awesome he is, like “MC Chris Is The Shit,” or the death of Krueger, “Freddy’s Dead,” the album is pretty rewarding if listened to closely.
The beats can be very familiar, most likely a mockery of today’s popular rap sounds, and the lyrical content is a poetic version of literally anything that comes to his mind or dreams. The man must have ADD.
Granted there are some pretty clever lines that can be caught if listened to very closely. His nasally voice can be very distracting though and requires the listener to be completely invested into what he’s saying. Once someone is, they’ll find clever little lines like in “MC Chris is Dreaming.”
“MC Chris is dreamin’ / I’m not paying attention / My head’s in the clouds I’m on another dimension / I’m like a space cadet and a space camp convention.”
Written down, the lyrics do not seem so special but the relentless speed at which he says it makes it pretty remarkable. He keeps up that quick pace throughout almost all of the tracks and it makes it a fairly impressive run, but once again, the listener needs to be totally invested into the song to catch these lines. This album is similar to watching a Disney movie with loads of adult humor – the movie can be enjoyed as a whole, but watch it closely and find some pretty raunchy and rewarding cameos and easter eggs. In the album, these lines pop up one after another and can be hard to catch with the beats sometimes overpowering his squeaky voice.
Many of the tracks have to do with Freddy Krueger invading Chris’ mind which are entertaining but are some of the funniest parts of the album, these little run-on stories and dialogues between Chris and Freddy or Chris and the producers he’s trying to sell the album to. The two characters will go off on seemingly never ending tangents which shows some thought went into the chemistry of the characters but still makes one think, “These guys are just screwing around.”
Aside from the dialogues, other songs like “Sad Sack,” are a bit more raunchy but pretty funny. It’s a typical trap beat with lyrics about, well, his sack. It’s clever because usually songs with this kind of tone are more aggressive and hardened. But this is reminiscent of Eminem in terms of lyrics. It’s some pretty X-rated stuff, but the sharpness and speed of it makes it more professional.
“There’s a bit of a goo / in my fruit of the looms / but that isn’t why I lost a few of my dudes / I don’t need a big crew.”
It sounds so childish written down, and it is, but it must be compared to the quality of a TV show like South Park. It’s comical because of how narcissistic and sarcastic it is. MC Chris is Dreaming is the same thing.
If an open mind is kept, the album can be rewarding, but there’s a lot of time and focus to invest if the album is to be fully appreciated. Maybe when a lyrics sheet comes out the songs will need less attention and can be more easily enjoyed.
Key Tracks: MC Chris is Dreaming, Freddy’s Dead, Sad Sac
Saranac Brewery in Utica closed out its 2016 summer concert series with a bang Wednesday night. Dropkick Murphys’ 20th anniversary tour rolled into Varick Street, leaving a mass of sweaty and delirious flat-capped and kilted fans in its wake. The band last visited Utica in this very location on Sept. 20, 2012, and as Fred Matt mentioned when introducing the band, were the first to grace the Saranac stage in 2007.
The Celtic punk band has made a steady climb into mass consciousness since its formation in Quincy, MA in 1996. In 2004 the band re-imagined the song, “Tessie,” a song that helped push the Boston Red Sox to the first ever World Series title in 1903. The Dropkick Murphys’ version of the song is now one of three that is played at Fenway Park following each Red Sox victory.
The Murphys wear their love of hometown and the working man/woman proudly on their collective sleeves. This was made ever more present on this night when, prior to performing “Bastards on Parade” midway through the set, the band was presented with the first and only ever “You Give a Shit” Award by members of the local IBEW/CWA unit for their support of the union during the recent Verizon strike.
The show began with a rousing sing-along of the traditional Irish ballad “The Foggy Dew” and quickly escalated from there. “Out of Our Heads,” with the chant of “Here we go!” revving up the crowd, set the pace for the next hour and a half.
The Murphys faithful were given a bit of a scare early on during “Famous for Nothing,” when vocalist Al Barr took one step too many at the front of the stage and almost took a header into the pit. Fortunately, he recovered quickly and those not paying attention to the stage probably didn’t even notice the brief misstep.
The band employs dual lead singers. Al Barr provides the gravelly yet melodic Oi! style vocals while band founder Ken Casey lends his slightly gentler voice to the trad-Irish and rousing pub rockers when taking leads. In addition to the boisterous front men, the band also employs some top notch musicians in drummer Matt Kelly, guitarist James Lynch and multi-instrumentalists Tim Brennan and Jeff DaRosa. Brennan is imposing and animated. Whether he’s ripping chords on lead guitar or squeezing out notes on the accordion, his tall frame looms large onstage.
It isn’t often a mosh pit forms at Saranac, but when Dropkick Murphys are in town, you can be sure one does. The pit formed early and was active throughout the night, especially when the band broke into the first song they ever recorded, “Barroom Hero.”
Throughout the show, the band recognized the dedication of its fans. Casey invited one enthusiastic audience member to the stage to take his job for a song of his choice. The fan traveled from Raleigh, NC to see the band and Casey recognized him as one of their most die hard fans as he allowed him to take the lead on “Devil’s Brigade.” Following the performance, Casey said of the aspiring vocalist, “What he lacks in melody, he makes up for in enthusiasm.” A big hug between them sealed the arrangement and the fan headed back to the crowd.
The Murphys’ affinity for boxing is not a secret. Their 2005 album The Warrior’s Code was dedicated to Lowell, MA light welterweight fighter “Irish” Mickey Ward. Ward is most famous for his three epic battles versus Arturo Gatti in the early 2000s, fights that are still discussed in boxing circles today. Casey has even formed his own boxing promotion company, Murphys Boxing, promoting Danny O’Connor and Spike O’Sullivan.
The International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, a quick drive up I-90 from Utica. Barr recognized the museum’s Executive Director Ed Brophy, who was one of the night’s attendees, as the band broke into the titular song from their Mickey Ward-inspired album to a roar from the crowd.
The biggest surprise of the night was when the opening notes of the Cars’ “Just What I Needed” began. Some with puzzled faces looked around for recognition of the song, while others of older vintage immediately recognized the Boston new wavers’ song. This one wasn’t too well-received by those in attendance, at least not those who were the most vocal the majority of the night, but it was a nice surprise to hear it mixed into the setlist.
The set ended with the high energy songs the band has made its trademark beginning with “Rose Tattoo,” a Murphys original that could easily be mistaken for a trad-Irish song. Originally released on the band’s 2013 Signed and Sealed in Blood album, the band re-recorded it with Bruce Springsteen for the For Boston Charity EP to benefit the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing of 2013. A ripping version of “Going Out in Style,” a song that will be played at many a Murphys fans’ funeral in future years, followed.
Starting with the most famous banjo notes to open a song, the unmistakable “The State of Massachusetts” whipped up the crowd and the mosh pit and merged into the traditional “The Irish Rover” to close the set.
While encores are a given these days, the crowd still found it advantageous to encourage the band to return to the stage with the “Let’s go Murphys!” chant heard at each show. The band returned after a brief rest to Brennan’s accordion intro of the Woody Guthrie penned “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” a song made famous for its inclusion in Martin Scorsese’s Irish mob movie The Departed and a song that has become synonymous with Boston itself.
Continuing the fan-love, Casey invited all the ladies in the house to join the boys onstage for their last call classic, “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced.” Suddenly the Saranac stage was packed with fans bouncing and singing along to Casey’s ode to the beer goggles.
Casey then chose one lucky female fan to sing the parts of the modern day Murphys’ version of the Pogues classic “Fairytale of New York.” While the guest vocalist required some assistance with the lyrics from Casey, the fan held her own surprisingly well, much to the delight of those in attendance.
The night, and Saranac’s summer concert series, ended with a cover of the Sam Cooke soul classic “Having a Party” and a party it was, and there was no better way to finish off the summer. The crowd was left wanting more, exactly what Dropkick Murphys were striving for.
Dropkick Murphys Setlist: Out of Our Heads, The Boys Are Back, Famous for Nothing, The Gang’s All Here, Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya, Sunshine Highway, Sunday Hardcore Matinee, Bastards on Parade, Worker’s Song, As One, Cruel, Barroom Hero, Devil’s Brigade, You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory (Johnny Thunders cover), Memories Remain, The Warrior’s Code, The Gauntlet, Just What I Needed (the Cars cover), Rose Tattoo, Going Out in Style, The State of Massachusetts, The Irish Rover (traditional)
Encore: I’m Shipping Up to Boston, Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced, The Dirty Glass, Having a Party (Sam Cooke cover)
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The weather in Albany was near perfect for the 7th annual Pearlpalooza street festival on September 17, 2016. This all day, free event has become a favorite among people in the Capital Region, and this years festival did not disappoint. Attendees had plenty of craft and food vendors to browse while rocking out to the stellar music lineup. This year’s Pearlpalooza featured Galactic, Warpaint, Maybird, Bassh, The Greeting Committee, and Rechorduroys.
Remember dancing in your room to the hits of New Kids on the Block and Britney Spears, or singing along to the hits of Justin Timberlake, N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys?! Following on the heels of their sold out show at Arlene’s Grocery in August, The Boy Band Review is making its debut at the Hall at MP in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on Saturday, September 24.
Known as “the New Kids who bring the heat up to 98 degrees every time,” the Boy Band Review – Boy Band Tribute has already wowed full capacity crowds at high profile events and parties in Las Vegas, Milwaukee, and Chicago. Now they are transporting audiences in NY and on the West Coast back to the 1990’s. Their high energy 90’s throwback show includes full production lighting, video, dancing, and back-up singers to transport you back to your glory days.
Come get jiggy Saturday night with The Boy Band Review tribute show at the Hall at MP. This show is gonna be off the heezay!
Chris Duffy, bassist for The Magic Beans out of Nederland, CO, returns home to New York this weekend for three shows – Thursday in Albany at The Hollow, Friday in NYC at American Beauty and Saturday late night at Catskill Chill Music Festival. And Duffy is quite excited to be back home.
“It’s been a treat to come back and see East Coast family and friends. That’s the great thing about touring around; it’s a great time to reconnect with people, those who you miss a lot. Albany was so kind and welcoming to Dirty Paris’ music, so I can’t wait until The Magic Beans can have that kind of relationship with the area and in the Northeast.”
Brooklyn born and a graduate of Guilderland High School, Duffy formed Dirty Paris in 2008 with Dmitriy Bolotny, Thomas Lafond and Rob Morrison, performing throughout the greater Northeast into 2013. Dirty Paris developed a strong following in the region, drawn by the progressive and psychedelic elements in their modern jamband sound.
An Albany native until early 2015, Chris worked in production and lightning design work, getting to experience another side of the music industry, gaining insight towards the bigger picture, while working towards a music degree. Then in 2015, Duffy headed west to Los Angeles, working as a concert tech at The Greek Theater and Hollywood Bowl, and living with Dmitriy of Dirty Paris.
Then, in Duffy learned The Magic Beans, a jamband out of Nederland, CO, were auditioning bassists. He would join them for his first show on bass in Boulder, CO, in January of this year, capping a cross country journey in pursuit of music.
Duffy knew of The Magic Beans prior to joining them, thanks to his time in Dirty Paris. “I’d been on festival lineups with The Beans, but never saw them. They’re a touring jamband in the scene that I really liked, and it seemed there was some energy growing, and I felt that I could hop in on that and contribute.
It’s one thing to start a group from scratch from Day One like Dirty Paris, and having done that, it was nice to jump into a band that already had some momentum. For me to be traveling the country playing funky jam music is just want I want to be doing. And being based out of Colorado, given that I wanted to move there in the next few years, I knew it was exactly what I needed to do.”
Duffy classifies himself as a “funk/groove player who loves to get out there and explore in improvisation, where we don’t really know whats going to happen.” It was for this reason that Duffy knew The Magic Beans were a perfect fit. ” When I auditioned, and went to the one and only Beans show I went to before I was a member of the band, the crowd was buzzing and so supportive of the band, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. The music is fun and danceable, and there is an element, the lyrics, that come from the heart.
In addition to joining The Magic Beans comes the bonus of your own festival, Beanstalk. Held since 2013, Beanstalk is a The Beans own festival, and attracts a growing crowd each yeah, thanks in part to their fans support and an attractive lineup. Duffy recalls his first Beanstalk, “Looking at the past and this year’s lineup, we had Electron and The New Deal and bands that I had been looking up to for years, so it was a chance to jump in and surreal to see what was going to happen while being closely involved with a festival that has your band’s namesake; it’s an incredible thing and we’re excited about next year.”
The Magic Beans perform Thursday night at The Hollow with Space Carnival, then head to New York City to perform at American Beauty on Friday with The US Americans and Red Velvet. They’ll then perform late night at 2:30am in Club Chill at Catskill Chill Music Festival.
“Be yourself because everyone else is taken!” is the recurring theme in this spectacular Tony award winning musical brought to the Stanley Theatre by the Broadway Theater League of Utica. Executive Director, Derek Clark, opened the show by announcing that they had the first ever “Pledge for a Purpose Gala” on opening night benefiting the LGBTQ youth and the Q Center of Utica. This community oriented event was a huge success at bringing support to a very worthy cause.
Kinky Boots, is set in a Northampton shoe factory where young Brit Charlie Price (Adam Kaplan) inherits his fathers ailing business. His father believed that the most beautiful thing in the world was a shoe.
However, Charlie’s father’s dream was not his dream. He had already moved to London with his girlfriend and had no intention of staying in the family business. With a loyalty to his father he returns, and a chance encounter with a drag queen named Lola (J. Harrison Ghee), this pair come up with a brilliant idea to cater to a niche market as a way to save the shoe factory he has inherited.
Lola and her drag dancers (The Angels) wearing very exotic and glamorous costumes and insist that these stilettos must bear the weight of a man. So, with the help of an enormously humorous dedicated cast of employees, they make boots for “women who are men.” The only stipulation for Lola’s assistance in this endeavor, they must be RED “the color of sex and passion and danger”. Born are the thigh-high “kinky boot”. Lola’s rendition of “Sex is in the Heel” was a soulful and sultry number that included The Angels, her “gaggle of fabulous drags.” By the end of this number, every member in the audience was ready to buy into a pair of Kinky Boots.
Memorable performances by Lauren (Tiffany Engen) and Don (Aaron Walpole), leave audience members in stitches throughout the show. Lauren’s crush on Charlie is portrayed in the hilarious “The History of Wrong Guys” and her school girl giddiness in his presence is beyond believable. Don is portrayed as a very macho man and is convinced he knows “What a Woman Wants.” It’s a great ride watching him change his tune by the end of the show.
This Tony award winning musical based on Broadway’s own Harvey Fierstein’s book and with a score written by Cyndi Lauper is a beautiful story of acceptance, love, and tolerance. The musical definitely attempts to educate the audience on these virtues, and indeed it does! When Lola sings the moving “Hold Me in Your Heart” to her estranged father, the entire theatre broke into applause for a length of time before the show could continue.
The final song “Raise You Up/Just Be” had everyone on their feet singing and dancing as the entire cast belted out the lyrics JUST BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE. A long and enthusiastic standing ovation followed.
Kinky Boots proves to be a memorable night at the theatre. It is a breathtaking event from the sets, to the elaborate costumes, upbeat songs, amazing dance routines that include cartwheels and splits, and a good blend of humor and reflection. It sends a valuable message to challenge each of us to accept others for who they are. As it makes it’s way across North America, it is definitely a must see performance.
TOUR DATES:
Pittsburgh, PA – Sep. 20 – Sep. 25, 2016
Tokyo, Japan – Oct. 5 – Oct. 30, 2016
Osaka, Japan – Nov. 2 – Nov. 6, 2016
Worcester, MA – Nov. 29 – Dec. 4, 2016
Waterbury, CT – Dec. 6 – Dec. 11, 2016
Wilmington, DE – Dec. 13 – Dec. 18, 2016
Ottawa, ON – Dec. 27 – Jan. 1, 2017
Salt Lake City, UT – Jan. 17 – Jan. 22, 2017
San Jose, CA – Jan. 24 – Jan. 29, 2017
Sacramento, CA – Jan. 31 – Feb. 5, 2017
Vancouver, BC – Feb. 7 – Feb. 12, 2017
Edmonton, AB – Feb. 14 – Feb. 19, 2017
Calgary, AB – Feb. 21 – Feb. 26, 2017
Spokane, WA – Feb. 28 – Mar. 4, 2017
Tucson, AZ – Mar. 14 – Mar. 19, 2017
Denver, CO – Mar. 21 – Mar. 26, 2017
Dallas, TX – Mar. 28 – Apr. 9, 2017
Clearwater, FL – Apr. 11 – Apr. 16, 2017
West Palm Beach, FL – Apr. 18 – Apr. 23, 2017
Sarasota, FL – Apr. 25 – Apr. 30, 2017
Jacksonville, FL – May 2 – May 7, 2017
Indianapolis, IN – May 16 – May 21, 2017
Dayton, OH – May 23 – May 28, 2017
Richmond, VA – May 30 – Jun. 4, 2017
Toledo, OH – Jun. 6 – Jun. 11, 2017
Louisville, KY – Jun. 13 – Jun. 18, 2017
Traveling down a country road that didn’t veer from it’s straight path infinitely in either direction, the kind GPS voice eventually called for a turn down a perpendicular gravelly dirt path. It wound through a vast vineyard before arriving at a wooden barn. Visible inside through the large barn window, a stage was being set: drums, amps, guitars, all illuminated by a simple set of LEDs. As the crowd gathered, sampling the wine and meats being served up at the Ravines Wine Cellar, they oohed and aahed and tried to capture images of September’s beautiful full moon, aka the Harvest Moon, rising through the late summer sky. The crescent moon logo of the Smith Club Series, however, served as a reminder of the impending concert with Aoife O’Donovan.
Opener Brooke Annibale, comes from Pittsburgh via Nashville via Pittsburgh and back again. Her sound reflected her disjointed travels. Her beautiful voice sometimes reaching a more emotional gravelly strain, melodic strumming interrupted by dashes of brilliant fingerpicking, and simple rhythms shifting in surprising jolts. One of her songs took a cyclical path as well. “Alright,” off of her 2015 LP The Simple Fear (as most of the set was), was written while she was employed at Starbucks. After finally recording it a few years later, Starbucks bought the tune to play in their stores nationwide.
Headliner Aoife O’Donovan took the stage in front of the sell out crowd after a short break. Her band, Anthony Da Costa on guitar and Steve Nistor on drums, have been touring with her since January, in support of her early 2016 release, In the Magic Hour. “Lay My Burden Down” off of her 2013 debut Fossils was followed by “Magic Hour” off her latest, and the set continued with a healthy mix of both releases, sprinkling in some covers for good measure.
O’Donovan’s voice provided the melodies, her guitar the rhythms. Her song craft was like the perfect grapes, but as any vintner or artisan knows, that is just the base. She added Da Costa’s guitar and Nistors’s drums to fill the bottle with subtle and not-so subtle hints and flavors. Free from major rhythmic lifting, Nistor danced outside the edges with flourishes and broad swaths. Da Costa’s guitar added body and color, bringing out the best in every moment, constantly moving in fleeting moments of brilliance, rarely soloing but shining brightly when given the opportunity. O’Donovan had crafted this band perfectly. The timeless quality of her music mellowed warmly within the barns wooden walls, much like the wine aging in casks nearby.
During a two-song solo break, she veered from her planned set to grant a fan’s request of the rare “Diamond” from her former band Sometymes Why. She pulled off the unexpected change incredibly well and followed with a stunning rendition of the traditional Creole love ballad, “The Lakes of Pontchartrain.”
Throughout the evening O’Donovan chronicled the band’s travels that day through upstate New York. They started with coffee in a “beautifully tiled” cafe in Buffalo. A little while later they were stranded for two hours at the Pembroke Thruway rest stop when they mistakenly locked the keys in the rental car. They made it to the gig though, with time enough to sample Ravines’ wines, grab some dinner and rehearse for a “special silent movie soundtrack” set they were performing at Freshgrass. After the show they would head to their hotel in the foothills of the Adirondacks, in Utica. “We’re in the Finger Lakes now, how far are the Adirondacks?” she wondered aloud.
The evening ended as it had begun, with the room mesmerized by the Harvest Moon. In tribute of the full celestial moon, the band played a cover of the Neil Young tune that shared it’s name. A fitting finish to a perfect evening amongst the grapevines.
Setlists
Brooke Annibale: Like the Dream of It, Under Streetlights, Middle of the Mess, Alright, All Over Again, The Good Hurt, Patience, Remind Me
Aoife O’Donovan: Lay My Burden Down, Magic Hour, Stanley Park, Hornets, Magpie, Glowing Heart, Red & White & Blue & Gold, Beekeeper, Anyhow I Love You (Guy Clark), Diamond*, The Lakes of Pontchartrain* (Traditional), Donal Og (Traditional) > Porch Light, King of All Birds, Detour Sign, Oh Mama
Encore: Harvest Moon (Neil Young)
* O’Donovan solo