NYS Music 20​16

Category: Regions

  • Albany Palace Theatre Announces $65 Million Upgrade

    Announced at a news conference this morning, the Palace Theatre in Albany has put plans in motion to expand and renovate the historic venue. The approximate cost of the project is $65 million.

    palace theatre albany

    This is one of numerous other projects to upgrade and reinvigorate downtown Albany, alongside improvements to the Times Union Center and the Albany Capital Center convention building (set to open March, 2017).

    According to the Times Union, the planned changes to the Palace Theatre include an addition of a second smaller theater on North Pearl Street and an expansion of the lobby. Changes to the lobby will include more concessions, an elevator, and expanded paths for wheelchair access. The most noteworthy change is the development of a post production facility for digital production companies to mix sound and video.

    The Palace originally opened doors in October 1931, presenting vaudeville acts and films. It underwent previous renovations in 2002 and 2003, and now houses diverse events. According to the Times Union, in the past four years the Palace has increased its number of shows by 53 percent.

    Upcoming events can be found here.

  • Pianist Holly Bowling Reimagines Phish’s “Chicago Wedge,” Announces San PhranArt Vinyl Release Party

    Known for her classical reinterpretations of Phish and Grateful Dead jams, San Francisco pianist Holly Bowling is soon to issue her arrangements of Phish’s “Chicago Wedge” (July 20, 2014) and “Glens Falls Twist” (Oct. 23, 2013) on vinyl.

    Holly Bowling Vinyl Release

    Bowling released her debut album Distillation Of A Dream: The Music Of Phish Reimagined For Solo Piano through Royal Potato Family last year, which featured a reimagining of the Vermont quartet’s “Lake Tahoe Tweezer” (July 31, 2013) that Bowling has also issued on vinyl. The latest vinyl compilation will be a companion to continue the series of her piano “jam transcriptions,” and is pressed on 150-gram red transparent vinyl with album artwork from a linocut Isadora Bullock print. Only a 500 limited-edition run is available; copies can be picked up here, or for those heading west for Phish’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium shows, Bowling will host a record release party at PhanArt’s San PhranArt Show on Tues., July 19 at Mezzanine.

    Here’s what Bowling shared about her second record via Facebook:

    Catch Bowling at Twiddle’s Tumble Down in Burlington, VT, July 29 and 30, and at the Night Lights Music Fest in Sherman, NY, on Aug. 27, before she heads to the southeast. And watch as Bowling walks viewers through her “jam transcription” process for the “Chicago Wedge” in the video below:

  • 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

  • Dweezil Zappa and Twiddle Both Play Whatever The F#%K They Want

    Canalside is one of the premier outdoor concert venues in beautiful Buffalo New York.  July 7 the free concert series brought Dweezil Zappa and Twiddle into town. Bryan Johnson and Family opened the night of music on the waterfront. Their set was high energy while providing a laid back sound.

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    Twiddle took the stage next. They opened with Amydst The Myst. Buffalo’s own Mike Gantzer of Aqueous joined in on the fun during Apples and Indigo Trigger. The quartet from Vermont closed their set with Catapiller.

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    Twiddle Set List:

    Amydst The Mist, Apples%, Indigo Trigger%, Catapiller

    % w/ Mike Gantzer (Aqueous)

    Set List Courtesy of uTwiddle

    Dweezil Zappa is currently on tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Inventions debut album “Freak Out”. He paid tribute to his late father by using a replica of Frank Zappa’s Gibson Roxy SG. That 80’s medley they played halfway through the set was a trip.

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  • Journey Review: When The Lights Go Down at SPAC, You Want to be The-e-er-ere

    Leather-vested and sweat-covered, Neal Schon unearthed a solo that — even amid the political hatefest and madness of 2016 — could unite America. The SPAC lighting backdrop transformed into a slideshow montage of soldiers, flags and the like as the Journey founding member serenaded the crowd with an improvisation-heavy guitar rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.”

    Though the concert was the Fifth of July — not the Fourth — Schon’s tight fretwork and re-defining of the term “rock anthem” could be appreciated at anytime. Nearly 50 years into his musical career, he had not lost much in strum speed, not any in his tonal quality.

    The masses hooted and hollered, as you might expect an upstate New York crowd to do for an homage to the troops, but the three-minute solo, just half an hour into Journey’s set, was far from the show’s sole highlight.

    Without an unfair comparison to the voice of Steve Perry, lead singer Arnel Pineda’s vocals were rich, rangeless and did justice to the classics. The Filipino, now in his ninth year heading the band, was running and hopping around the stage like a man half his age for many of the upbeat songs — “Any Way You Want It” and “Wheel in the Sky”. In the slower, ballad-like hits — “Faithfully”, “Lights”, “Don’t Stop Believing” — he focused more on the notes, avoiding any pitch wavers a jump or leg-kick might cause to a sentimental song.

    Drummer Steve Smith was an unsung hero of the Journey set. Smith, who backed the band from 1978 until 1985, through much of its heyday, rejoined the band this year after Deen Castronovo left in the fallout of a domestic violence arrest.

    Smith’s rolls were precise and military-like and his cymbal work seemed effortless during his solo, about two-thirds through the band’s performance. The drummer, using a traditional grip for increased roll speed, may have delivered the best drum solo at the venue since 2013, the last time Neil Peart and Rush were in town; Smith’s work on the kit was simply incredible.

    Journey was the third band in the night’s lineup, immediately preceded by fellow Bay Area group — and also fellow notable Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame snub — The Doobie Brothers.

    A fan’s first observation of The Doobie Brothers taking the stage is likely the band’s size. With four men on guitars and basses across the front, two kit drummers in the back, and a saxophone and keyboard player too, the group’s look is imposing, and the sound was too.

    The Doobie Brothers were not as sing-along as Journey was (do not be mistaken, there were more than a couple patrons joining in on “Black Water”), but instead were jamming more. Whereas Journey’s song interludes isolated individuals soloing on their instruments, The Doobie Brothers had more collective instrumental sections.

    The first performance of the concert came from singer Dave Mason, originally of Traffic. Mason performed three of his own songs, including “We Just Disagree”, as well as three from Traffic.

    Mason’s guitar playing showed little wear from the years, as he demonstrated ample ability. The singer closed his set with “All Along the Watch Tower”, originally by Bob Dylan and made famous by Jimi Hendrix.

  • Houston Police Arrest 130 in Gear Theft Ring

    Rock Feed reports that the Houston Police Department has announced the arrest of 130 individuals in connection to a massive band gear theft ring that has been going on for over a year. The crime ring would steal vans and trailers filled with expensive equipment of touring musicians. Among those arrested, some were gang members, while some of the suspects have lengthy rap sheets, with a long criminal history.

    An extensive undercover investigation by law enforcement led to the massive amount of arrest. In a recent press conference, authorities said that more arrests are imminent in the coming weeks. The 130 person arrest has resulted in over 200 charges filed, while recovering almost two million dollars in stolen goods. Criminals would avoid pawn shops and use word of mouth to sell items on the black market. Some of the goods would even be transferred to Mexico.

    The Houston P.D. said that the thieves would also target and score big ticket items fast, including motorcycles, which one business lots its entire lot overnight. The ring would use concert venues as a hot spot for such items, as it was easy to steal large quantities of merchandise, quickly.

    Lt. Mike Osina of the Houston P.D. said, “These thieves were stealing anything and everything they could put their hands on. They went after trailers they saw parked on the streets of Greater Houston.”

    Captain Edwards of the Houston P.D. stated,

    “To date the amount of property recovered is estimated to be upwards of 2 million dollars. In the course of this past year, this collaborative effort, through cooperation and communication, flexibility and a focused work ethic has led to the dismantling of this criminal enterprise.”

    In May of 2015, country singer Zane Williams, had his van and trailer stolen, losing a 100 year old violin in the theft. Earlier this year, Americana rockers the Black Lillies, had their van and trailer stolen, leaving the band stranded in Houston with no way back to their hometown in Tennessee.

  • 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

  • Hometown Hero Stocks Onondaga Lake With Rare Phish

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Setlist by Phish.net:

    Soundcheck: Funky Bitch

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

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

    Encore: Character Zero

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

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

  • 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

  • PhanArt Announces Lineup for San Francisco, Burlington Shows

    Trapped in time and don’t know what to do about scoring that next only-found-on-lot shirt to add to the collection? Relax, and seek out a PhanArt show coming to a tour near you this summer, including debuts in San Francisco, California and the Green Mountain State. If you’re heading west to see the Phish from Vermont’s two-day Bill Graham arena run, stop by the aptly dubbed San PhranArt Show on Tues., July 19 at Mezzanine in San Francisco. And later on this month, PhanArt will host A Country Crisp Sunlight on July 30 at Club Metronome in Burlington, VT, as part of Twiddle’s Tumble Down festival.

    phanart san franciscoThe San PhranArt Show will feature Phish-inspired merchandise from more than 20 artists and vendors. Think a one-stop shop for all things music: special edition tour shirts, posters, pins, stickers, photography, Henrietta’s Secret bikinis and more in one location. Hand-selected for this exhibition are artisans like Ryan Kerrigan, Super Rad Cape Co., TRiPPs Prints, Isadora Bullock, Ant Pharms Tour Pins and Designs, Fred Sutter, Level 42, Drivenpunk Glass and Terry O’Brien. The Mockingbird Foundation will also be on hand selling The Phish Companion 3. And stick around for the Pink Talking Phish after-party at Mezzanine from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. with Will Magid’s Alligator Spacewalk.

    PhanArt‘s A Country Crisp Sunlight at Club Metronome coincides with Twiddle’s Tumble Down, a weekend music experience at the Waterfront Park in Burlington. This showcase will feature some of the finest fan-based creations from White Light Foundation, the Phactory, the Shakedown Shop, Burns Designs Art by Joshua Letourneau, Pin Me Down, YEMshades, Dirty Birdz Goods, JEMagination, Sneaky Pig Productions, the Eden’s Rose Foundation and Greg Horowitz Photography. Holly Bowling will provide the soundtrack for the day — Grateful Dead and Phish piano interpretations — with a noon performance at the historic Nectar’s, which is located below the art-show venue.

    tumbledown

    Since 2013, PhanArt exhibitions have been hosted in Atlantic City, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami and Philadelphia, and the events, produced by Pete Mason of PhanArt and NYS Music, continue to promote unique artisan goods, while strengthening the music community and raising funds for charitable arts causes. And as always, PhanArt shows are free to the public, and both upcoming exhibits will be held from 12 to 5 p.m.