The Lilly’s Pad was low-key but very much alive with Rohn Lawrence and Friends lighting up the intimate venue as they do every Monday night. The venue, found above Toad’s Place in New Haven is the epitome of a jazz lounge; soft lighting, a few tables and sectional couches lining the walls of the room, drinks in hand and people enjoying a relaxing night of incredible music
Lawrence on guitar, Jay Rowe on keys and Trever Somerville on drums brought a huge sound to the small venue that captured the whole audience. It was a diverse crowd, a few students, a family or two, some regulars and good friends of the band members, and they loved every second of the show.
Smooth yes, but just jazz? No. This was a night of everything smooth: jazz, funk, blues, soul. They had it and mastered it all.
All of these genres require one to pour plenty of emotion and feeling into the songs and everyone on stage was obviously lost in their sound. Lawrence was perched on a stool for the night but by no means was he stagnant. Every note he hit was an emotional decision and you could see it in his face. His eyes shut, head rolling and bobbing on his shoulders and body twisting.
Somerville was in the same seated predicament but that didn’t stop him from moving around in his throne and pumping out some intriguing and driving grooves off of his four piece set. He was tight, technical throughout the whole night and brought a big sound from the tiny set.
Rowe was just as into it as the others while managing to play bass on his upper board and mess around with his lower synthesizer to add a unique color to the already gripping performance. All of the band members were working double time like Rowe, with Lawrence singing and working a plethora of pedals below him and Somervillie accompanying the band with backup vocals.
The night started out with an energetic piece “This Is Where You Belong” off his second album Hangin’ On a String. It instantly drew the crowd in from the bar with Lawrence’s unique guitar tone and the intricate drumming from Somerville. It had a very jazzy tone to it but managed to be fairly aggressive and that was very prominent when Rohn soloed. One could even say it he was shredding away, not an adjective associated with smooth jazz. The night continued with a variety of smooth tones and took a shift when Rohn introduced his guest star, Wallace Gary.
Lawrence brings on a guest musician every Monday, and this week the venue was treated to a very emotional Gary who fit the sound of Rohn and friends flawlessly. With his bright red leather jacket and acid wash jeans, Gary brought more than one type of color to the stage. His voice was very fitting and diverse, singing a few covers from Chaka Kahn’s “Tell Me Something Good” to Prince’s “Kiss” and absolutely nailing every note.
The four of them made for a unique, powerhouse team that had everyone in awe at the unexpectedly big sound from a small band in an even smaller room. Rohn Lawrence and Friends play every Monday night for five bucks at the door and is definitely a friendly and inviting place for anyone to try once.
And we’re back! Music Festival season hits hard around the country in May, with Summer Camp Music Festival being a destination event for fans of all things jam and funk, Umphrey’s McGee and moe., and more at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL. NYS Music heads west this weekend, as many do when bands like Aqueous, Jimkata, Break Science, moe., Lettuce, Dopapod, Turkuaz, among others, perform at the same four-day festival, now in its 16th year.
Summer Camp has a lot going on, making it tough to see it all, but far from overwhelming like mega-festivals. Check out the full schedule here, or create your own on the Summer Camp app (recommended). To break down the music, camping and activities, here’s a sampling of the live performances for each day of Summer Camp:
Thursday
There is a lot of Chicago love on Thursday, and the Second City takes center stage with Chicago Funk Mafia (3:30-4:30 p.m.), Family Groove Company (6:30-7:30 p.m.) and Future Rock (8-9 p.m.), all at the Starshine Stage.
Make your way to the nearby Camping Stage for Buffalo’s Aqueous (8:30-9:30 p.m.), where they typically have quite the crowd of AQuaintences, one that should merit Starshine Stage in future years.
Heading into the late night of Summer Camp Day One, you’ll want to hit the Vibe Tent at 11 p.m. for Adam Dietch’s Break Science and stick around after for a nu-disco DJ set from Wyllys. Down at the Campfire Stage, the London Souls rock from 1:30-3 a.m., winding down the day with ease, before the heavy hitters arrive on Friday with the majority of the crowd.
Friday
It’s a given that you’ll probably see moe. (2:30-4 p.m., Moonshine) and Umphrey’s (7:45-11:15 p.m., Sunshine), but there are many other bands to discover at Summer Camp, even those that might be the next moe. and Umphrey’s — just venture through the festival grounds and find some new music to explore.
Two highly talented acts can be found at Starshine Stage on Friday afternoon. Soul never sounded so smooth coming from the Nth Power (1-2 p.m.) and experimental prog-rock from Tauk (5-6 p.m.) is a sound you need to experience firsthand, despite having some incredible albums under their belt. One band I have been eagerly waiting to see live is prog-funk band Earphunk, performing at the Campfire Stage (4:30-5:30 p.m.)
There will be a trio of New York bands to check out on the Camping Stage, starting with Aqueous at 3:30 p.m., followed by Jimkata at 5 p.m. and Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad at 6:30 p.m. After Umphrey’s, late night is looking prime at Campfire Stage with Turkuaz (11 p.m.-12 a.m.), Mike Dillon’s New Orleans Percussion Consortium (12:30-1:30 p.m.) and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong closing out the stage (2-4 a.m.). And then return to the Sunshine Stage field (if you still have the energy) for sunrise kickball—the best unofficial activity at Summer Camp.
Saturday
Have you ever wanted to combine a carnival, circus and funk band all at the same time? Then Marchfourth! is your wake-up remedy today. Head over to Sunshine Stage at 1 p.m. to see one of Portland, Oregon’s heavy hitters blow you away. You can’t go wrong with Steve Kimock and Friends who grace the Moonshine Stage at 2 p.m., bringing keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, bassist Bobby Vega, drummer Jay Lane and guitarist/vocalist Leslie Mendelson together for a set of blues, Grateful Dead and classics. Check out a recent setlist for a taste of what’s to come.
At this point, you should be heading over to the Vibe Tent for Field Day. More details on this day below, but while you’re taking part in the always eventful activities surrounding Field Day, Gibbz will surprise you with his voice and musicianship at 5 p.m. in the Vibe Tent. Then, you can turn around and walk over to Starshine Stage for Dopapod, another of the heavy hitters on a stacked stage.
One of the next great supergroups, Hardworking Americans, featuring Todd Snider and bassist Dave Schools from Widespread Panic, hit the Sunshine Stage at 6:45 p.m., followed by two more sets of Umphrey’s (9 p.m.-1 a.m.) and of course, late night moe. (10 p.m.-2 a.m.), which will make you feel like you’re at moe.down, but with a few thousand extra people clamoring to the hillside. And after moe., if you still have the energy, late night includes Slow Magic, Shiba San and Grandtheft in the Vibe Tent until 4 a.m.
Sunday
Exhausted yet? If not, Sunday will do the trick. You’ll have the heavy hitters and a lot of decisions to make today in order to drain all the life you can out of Summer Camp 2016. Start the day at Starshine with American Babies at noon, Main Squeeze at 2 p.m., Twiddle at 4 p.m., The Werks at 6 p.m. and Here Come the Mummies at 8 p.m. Or head to Moonshine for the New Mastersounds, the Motet, George Clinton and P-Funk, Lotus and more moe.
Sunshine Stage hosts Umphreys McGee (1-2:30 p.m.), Ani DiFranco (3:15-4:15 p.m.), Yonder Mountain String Band (5-6 p.m.), Jason Isbell (6:45-8:15 p.m.), Mudcrutch (9-10:30 p.m.) and Big Grizmatik (11:45-1 a.m.). Have you ever wanted to be in more than one place at a time? The Sunday lineup alone will make you support cloning. Top your weekend off at Campfire stage with Kung Fu at 10:30 p.m., Horseshoes and Hand Grenades at midnight and Dopapod playing from 2-4 a.m.
Check out the full lineup below—but there’s more…
Counselor and Camping Options
You should listen to your counselors. Seriously, these are the pros who know Summer Camp inside and out. They’re the best resource for Scampers of all ages and experience levels (myself included). Read the handbook, which covers virtually every detail and question about the festival, and if you still have questions, join the Facebook group where you can find answers to virtually any question that may arise over the weekend.
When it comes to camping, unless you’re in an RV, I recommend the field between Sunshine and Camping (Area D in the map above). Why? Because you are proximate to five stages—Sunshine, Starshine, Vibe Tent, Camping and Soulshine Tent (very underrated, even late at night)—and although there is no shade, you’ll love being able to catch a set of music while chilling between sets of music. The Woods are a solid option as well if you have a smaller set up, but fear not—the sprawling area in the woods is one of the coolest areas to walk through at any festival, night or day.
And while you are at Summer Camp, Make a Difference! there are so many ways to leave Three Sisters Park better than how you found it; clean up trash, cigarette butts, bring a reusable water bottle, recycle your waste and check out the Soulshine Tent to find ways to bring some of that positive energy from Summer Camp back home with you.
Then, of course, what do you do when you want to relive a little bit of Summer Camp from your youth? You participate in Field Day! Yes, Field Day is an annual tradition at Summer Camp, one that has a rightful place in the history of the festival. Started in 2011, the annual event takes the cake as the most unique and most fun non-musical component of Summer Camp. Sign up online, and the first 100 get a free team bandana on Friday from noon–1 p.m. at the Vibe Tent. Come back Saturday at 3 p.m. and participate in capture the flag, arm wrestling, spelling bee, banana eating contest and much more, with a Champions ceremony at noon Sunday. Field Day is open to all, the smack talk is free and it has become a growing event everyone should check out, whether as spectator or participant.
The Field Day staff shared a little insight into why you should take part in Field Day:
The number-one reason why people should sign up is because of the amount of awesome people you’ll meet doing so, especially myself Ashley Pardy. What keeps me coming back is all of the memories, and the Red Team wins. I mean would you leave a team that has won almost every year?” – Ashley Pardy
“You will meet amazing people, laugh your ass off and drink free beer. Participating in one of the many cool activities at Summer Camp will make your festival experience unique beyond just seeing shows.”
– Jessica Coughlin
“Bragging rights.” – Elizabeth Cox
What memories of past years keep these wonderful staff keep coming back, year after year?
I come back year after year because the people are so amazing. Favorite memory is Sheppy nearly getting arrested by some serious looking state troopers for defacing an American flag, while simultaneously being hoisted on our shoulders raising the red flag after yet another contested victory.” – Anthony Piccirilli (Shep talked his way out of it and the cop came to our keg party.)
“Every time kids will tell me it was their favorite part of Summer Camp. Knowing that we can make people so happy just by being silly is so rewarding. I have seen Field Day bring together lifelong friends who would have never otherwise met. And it is a chance to make a difference like with our ‘big butt challenge’; we picked up 3,500 cigarettes last year! Field Day feels like ‘Revenge of the Nerds: the Grownup Hippie Edition.’ We are all just a bunch of kids, best friends who get to run around our own personal playground at Summer Camp year after year.” – Jessica Coughlin
“Mud Tug-o-War, Drunken Spelling Bees, Sheppy drunken walks with the cup.” – Elizabeth Cox
“Drunken Spelling Bees.” – Anthony Piccirilli
The Palmer kids showing up to Field Day when they were middle schoolers, joining our staff and literally growing up in front of us at Field Day becoming the coolest kids at Summer Camp, aka, ‘the front row family.’” – Jessica Coughlin
And while sunrise kickball isn’t an official activity, it has been the unofficial opening ceremony of the games for six years now. This is one of the highlights of Summer Camp; at 5:30 a.m. come to the Sunshine Stage for a game of kickball with 200 Wookiees led by Ryan Stasik. There will be trampolines, bacon at second base and no apparent rules; it is the most beautiful and absurd shit-show ever witnessed, and one worth staying up for!
There you have it; NYS Music gives you the ins and outs of Summer Camp 2016. Make sure to follow us all weekend on Twitter and Instagram to live vicariously if you can’t make the trip to the Midwest.
Charismatic Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie has brain cancer. The news was shared on the band’s website early Tuesday morning. A press conference with more details, is scheduled to be held at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto at 11 a.m.
Despite the devastating news, the iconic Canadian band still plans to tour one more time this summer. In the statement, band members said:
This feels like the right thing to do now, for Gord, and for all of us. What we in The Hip receive, each time we play together, is a connection; with each other; with music and it’s magic; and during the shows, a special connection with all of you, our incredible fans.
Further details on the tour should be released later in the week.
According to the announcement, the 52 year-old Downie, who has four kids and is married to Laura Leigh Usher, was diagnosed in December. The band continues, “Since then, obviously, he’s endured a lot of difficult times, and he has been fighting hard. In privacy along with his family, and through all of this, we’ve been standing by him.”
The Tragically Hip can trace its origins to the Kingston, Ontario bar scene in 1983. Downie, along with drummer Johnny Fay, bassist Gord Sinclair and guitarists Rob Baker and Paul Langlois, has served as a Canadian ambassador since the band’s breakout single “New Orleans is Sinking” in 1989, a song that, throughout the years, has served as Downie’s laboratory for improvisation.
While the band never did break it big in the United States, cities along and near the Canadian border have been frequent tour stops for the 14-time Juno Award-winning band. The Hip’s trio of albums in the mid-’90s (Road Apples, Fully Completely and Day For Night) cemented the band’s status as Canadian royalty.
Downie has not only been one of the most charismatic frontmen in rock and roll for almost 30 years, he’s also been a mentor to many Canadian artists. On the band’s lone live album, Live Between Us, Downie introduces the song “Grace, Too” by thanking the opening act: “This one is for the Rheostatics. We are all richer for having seen them tonight.” That hat tip from Downie exposed the Rheostatics to thousands of people who had otherwise not heard of them. This gesture is the epitome of Gord Downie.
The band is set to release its 14th studio album, Man Machine Poem, through Universal Canada on June 14. Two singles have been released thus far with titles that may have foreshadowed today’s announcement,”Tired as Fuck” and “In a World Possessed by the Human Mind.”
Tragically Hip performed in Canandaigua last July 4, playing its Fully Completely album fully and completely.
Click through below and turn up the volume for the Hip’s Woodstock ’99 performance of “Courage (For Hugh MacLennan)”
Dark Star Orchestra (DSO), the Grateful Dead tribute band hailing out of Chicago Illinois, will return to the Town Ballroom in Buffalo. Since forming, DSO has played 2,200-plus shows, recreating Grateful Dead concerts in their entirety.
To any Dead Heads that need their fix, this show is not to be missed. It’s been more than 20 years since Jerry Garcia has passed, but the Grateful Dead’s music lives on with the passion and extensive touring DSO has displayed over the years.
Dark Star Orchestera has had a slightly changing line up throughout its existence; the current band members include Rob Barraco (keys/vocals), Rob Eaton (guitar/vocals), Dino English (drums/percussion), Rob Koritz (drums/percussion), Lisa Mackey (vocals), Jeff Mattson (guitar/vocals) and Skip Vangelas (bass/vocals), and look forward to their return to Town Ballroom.
Tickets for the May 24 show are still available and can be purchased from Ticket Fly or through the Town Ballroom box office; door open at 7 p.m.
During Sunday night of the first-ever Rock ‘N Derby, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine asked the crowd for a moment of silence for late drummer Nick Menza. “I don’t know if you know this or not, but Nick went to heavy metal heaven last night,” he said, before leading the group into “Trust.” Watch the homage to the former bandmate in the video below.
On May 21, Menza, 51, died onstage during a performance with his current band, OHM, at the Baked Potato in Los Angeles. According to an official statement, Menza collapsed three songs into the set, and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful; it was later reported that he suffered a massive heart attack and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
The late heavy metal drummer was with Megadeth during the group’s peak commercial success in the 1990s. Nick Menza contributed his signature drumming style to the albums Rust in Peace (1990), Countdown to Extinction (1992), Youthanasia (1994) and Cryptic Warnings (1997).
After news of Menza’s passing became known, the Twittersphere and other social media channels were abuzz with expressions of sympathy from former bandmates Mustaine, David Ellefson, Marty Friedman and Chris Poland, among other rockers like Steve Lukather (Toto) and author J. Marshall Craig who was working with Menza on his memoir. In the excerpt below from Megadeth’s Facebook page (see the full post above), Mustaine explained his personal relationship with the former bandmate:
…As a player, Nick had a very powerful jazzy flair, unpredictable and always entertaining. And as great a drummer as he was, the time spent with him as a person, a bandmate, and a friend was even more fun. There were several times we discussed him coming back to the band, but for various reasons it never came together. We’ve been in touch all along, he had come out to our shows recently, and he had remained a great friend, a true professional and a larger than life personality…”
Before Megadeth played the May 22 show at the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds during Rock N’ Derby, Mustaine announced plans to honor Menza through an all-alumni benefit concert in California on the Albany rock station Q103, according to Loudwire. Stay tuned for updates on this Megadeth band members reunion show.
Iowa based Christopher the Conquered’s first full-length album I’m Giving Up On Rock and Roll, released May 13, is made up of personal lyrics, powerful vocals and theatrics that are hard to match to any of his contemporaries. While listening to the album, one can often draw parallels to Elton John and Billy Joel, while the lyrics, drawing upon universal themes and experiences, are occasionally reminiscent of Ben Folds. Despite these attempts at drawing parallels, in the end, the sound is uniquely that of Christopher the Conquered, leaving the listener sold from the first track.
The nine-track record opens with the song “I’m Giving Up on Rock and Roll,” complete with powerful vocals reminiscent of Allen Stone and gospel-like background singers, before slowing down to only Christopher’s voice. Christopher has explained that the song ultimately is about giving up on the idea of living behind a facade and misrepresenting oneself, adding that the person he wants to be onstage is the same person he wants to be offstage. Ultimately, one begins to see the truth behind this sentiment in the lyrics throughout the album.
In the second track, “Mystery,” Christopher sings: “I’ve been thinking a lot these days about how life’s not really real/We all wanna believe it’s there/but it’s just this thing meant to conceal/The fear we have about our end and what it’s gonna do with us.” With lyrics such as these, he perhaps emphasizes a universal feeling many have experienced but do not often articulate.
In the following song, “On My Final Day,” Christopher highlights the realization — or fear — of what people will say once he’s gone. He sings, “I just tried to share what I found to be the truth/But no one wants to listen when they know they know it, too.” These seem to be the key lyrics to the album, continuing the lyrical themes grounded in shared experience and struggle.
The middle of the album slows the tempo down, sidestepping previous themes to discuss love and relationships. The song “Everybody Rains,” stands out because of the upbeat piano and positive feeling it creates in the listener, blending thematically with the following “Be A Good Person.”
The album ends on a humorous, tongue-in-cheek note with “I’m Not That Famous Yet.” Lyrically, this album is memorable due to its honesty, while its sound feels simultaneously retro and contemporary.
Christopher the Conquered is currently on tour in support of his latest release. He has two New York dates: Aug. 4 at Mercury Lounge in New York City, and Aug. 6 at Amityville Music Hall.
Key Tracks: I Guess My Heart’s Out of Tune Again, Everybody Rains, On My Final Day
Clutch is one of the headliners for the Rock ‘N Derby Festival, taking place in Schaghticoke May 20-22 and is currently on tour with Lamb of God and Corrosion of Conformity. NYS Music recently had a chance to sit down with the man who keeps the beat for the venerable Clutch, Jean-Paul Gaster.
When you’re in high school, you probably have a group of friends that you swear you’ll be tight with until the end of days. Perhaps that group of friends forms a band in someone’s garage or your parents’ basement. An oath is taken among yourselves that you’ll always be a band, no matter what.
Odds are, that high school band probably doesn’t make it through graduation. Sometimes though, it does. All of a sudden, 25-26 years later, you look out in front of you during a show at say, Upstate Concert Hall, and see one of the guys you made that pact with oh-so-long ago, accompanying you in the rhythm section of one of rock’s longest running lineups.
If your name is Jean-Paul Gaster, and you play drums in the Frederick, MD based band Clutch, that buddy you’re looking at is your high school pal and band mate, bassist Dan Maines.
Clutch’s foundation can be traced back to the halls of Seneca Valley High School in Germantown, MD, where the members of the band met. Gaster, Maines and guitarist Tim Sult got together to form Clutch in 1991. Original vocalist Roger Smalls left the band shortly after formation and was replaced by another friend, Neil Fallon. The band has been going strong ever since.
Gaster is a drummer’s drummer and a student of the instrument. We spoke at length about Clutch’s longevity and influence; the value of side projects; the festival scene and drumming as a mental exercise.
Mike Kohli: One of the things I’ve noticed with you guys – I’ve seen you perform a few times over the past couple years – is the way you interact with each other. I know you’re all friends from high school. Is that something that comes naturally? Do you just kind of give each other a look onstage and go with it? How’s the onstage chemistry work?
Jean-Paul Gaster: Yeah, there’s definitely a lot of unspoken dialog going on up there. I think it just comes with playing with the same guys for so long. I think musicians do that in general . I think we’re in a unique situation because we’ve been doing it for so long. Even in the writing process, we might play for 45 minutes and there might not be a whole lot of verbal communication, sometimes none at all. But we manage to put these ideas together with sort of pointing and grunts.
MK: Kind of a universal language…
MK: When I go to shows – I’m into a lot of different types of music- but typically when I go to a show, I watch the drummer. Now, I’m by no stretch of the imagination, a drummer. I do play a mean steering wheel though.
When I caught your show with Corrosion of Conformity in Clifton Park a few months ago, watching your style, it’s got a jazzy feel to it, kind of like Bill Ward of Sabbath, Ginger Baker of Cream. You mentioned them before as big influences on you. Have you had any formal jazz training or did you teach yourself how to play?
JPG: Early on, I took a few lessons, but I never really practiced. It wasn’t until I was about 23 when I started studying with a man named Walter Salb (Click the link for a short documentary on Salb). He was a professional teacher/instructor/player in and around Washington, D.C. for many many years. He actually started playing professionally in 1946, so he was definitely from the big band/swing era.
I learned a tremendous amount of stuff from him. A lot of it was thinking about jazz and what it means to play jazz. But i think more than that, he really taught me to be a musician and to be prepared for any musical situation. He wanted his students to be able to do any kind of gig and to play that music with authority and confidence. Those kinds of lessons had a really lasting impact on me. I miss that guy. He passed away about ten years ago.
MK: I’m sorry to hear that. Sounds like he was a really big influence on you.
JPG: Yeah, he definitely was. He lived life to the fullest all the way to the end; I will say that.
MK: I’m kind of into the jamband scene, stuff like Phish and moe., those types of groups. Sometimes I’ll come across people who for whatever reason, still don’t know who Clutch is. Why that is, I don’t know. You guys have been around for such a long time and have been a big influence on a lot of bands. You’re solid, a solid rock and roll band.
However, one thing I’ve noticed about you guys, you don’t fit neatly into any one mold. You’re not a metal band. You’re not a classic rock band. You came about during the grunge era, but you don’t fit into that category. You’re kind of in-categorizable. So when I try to describe Clutch to people who haven’t heard of you guys, I tell them you’re kind of a jamband. Your setlists aren’t always the same. You do stretch stuff out. You throw some improv in there. Have you ever been involved with any of the bands in the jamband scene? Say Warren Haynes or Govt Mule…
JPG: We like those bands a lot. I’m a huge fan of the Allman Brothers, Govt Mule. Warren Haynes’ playing, I think, is just incredible. You know, a few years ago we spent a lot of time trying to break into that scene a little bit. In retrospect, I think we were still, for those folks, I think there was a little too much for them. Maybe a little too much music coming at them. So, yeah, definitely familiar with that scene. Would love to play with some bands in that scene. I think that maybe that they weren’t really ready for us at the time. But stuff changes. And hopefully we’ll be able to get our music out to some of that scene.
I think the coolest part of being in this band is that we’re able to pull from so many different genres. We’ve played with so many different kinds of bands through the years. When you come to a Clutch show, it’s really a mishmash of different kinds of music fans. And I’m very proud of that. And I think that has a lot to do with the longevity of the band and the band’s ability to draw like we do. These days, pretty much all over the world.
MK: That’s exactly what I see when I go to the shows. There are guys who look like me, just a regular everyday joe, there’s college-aged people, there’s the stereotypical headbanger looking guys…It’s really a testament to what you guys do. You can draw all different types of people.
JPG: It’s a beautiful thing.
MK: Working with Neil…when I listen to Clutch, I envision Neil’s voice, his vocal style, as another instrument in the band. But also, his lyrical style, it’s almost percussive, the way he delivers the lyrics. So he’s almost like a multi-instrumentalist in that way. How does it play with you? Do you guys get together and work lyrics out so that they have that percussive style?
JPG: I’ll say this. Neil writes all of the lyrics, which in this band is a great thing. Because, speaking for myself, my lyrics would suck (laughter). I think the last time I tried to write lyrics it was sometime in high school and it wasn’t good.
So, we are well aware of Neil’s virtuosity and talent. I think he’s probably the most talented lyricist in rock and roll today. It has to do with being able to pull from so many different sources. Much like the way we put together our music. I think a lot of bands spend a lot of time asking, “Is this our band? Is this the kind of music our band can play?” The great thing about Clutch, you can literally go up there and play whatever you want whether it’s in a live situation or getting together to write new songs. There are no rules. So in that respect, I think we’re very fortunate.
Neil Fallon of Clutch
Speaking directly to the rhythmical feel of Neil’s lyrics, I think a lot of it has come directly from hip hop. Early on, Chuck D from Public Enemy was a big influence on him. We listened to a lot of hip hop as a band in the early and mid 90s. That had a lot to do with it for sure. And as a drummer, I react to whatever is happening rhythmically within the band more so than in a melodic sense so I’m listening for those things. On Psychic Warfare for instance, I paid particularly close attention to the way Neil syncopated his lyrics and how they were swung. That gave me a lot of inspiration as to how to play that part, how to best support that vocal.
MK: That whole hip hop thing, that’s really what came across to me. His vocal style is hard driving as well as hip hop. You summed it up perfectly.
MK: Any plans for anymore Bakerton Group stuff? (The Bakerton Group is a Clutch side project that works primarily as an instrumental outfit, incorporating elements of blues and other sounds outside the typical Clutch sound.)
JPG: No immediate plans. I will say, we did have a request from someone to record one of the Bakerton Group songs. We certainly said, “Of course. Go for it!” That was an interesting request. We haven’t had that in a while. The Bakerton Group project gives us the opportunity to play a little bit differently than we do in Clutch. Mainly because it’s mostly instrumental stuff. It’s sort of a laboratory for us.
Having said that, we’ve been so busy with Clutch stuff, we really haven’t had much time to do it. We did Earth Rocker, and there was a tremendous amount of momentum that came off of that record and that’s really flowed right into Psychic Warfare. And I know we’re going to be really busy on Psychic Warfare for at least another year.
MK: That’s terrific. You guys deserve to be busy. I pre-ordered Psychic Warfare on vinyl and when it was delayed and delayed, I ran out to the nearest store and bought the CD on release day. I had it on repeat for like four days straight. I really soaked it up. It’s definitely my favorite album of 2015, to say the least.
JPG: Wow, thank you.
MK: Festival season is heating up. Do you enjoy the festival circuit?
JPG: Festivals are fun because you get to play with a lot of bands that you normally wouldn’t play with. And more importantly, there are lot of folks there who don’t necessarily know about Clutch who will be given the opportunity to check us out.
MK: Do you get to mingle a lot with other bands when you play festivals?
JPG: Sure. Sometimes you run into old friends. Sometimes you make new friends. It’s always a good time. And it’s nice to be outside and not so much in a rock venue. It’s a different kind of environment, when you spend 6 or 7 nights a week in the dark theaters and clubs, it’s nice to get outdoors.
MK: Is King Hobo (another Gaster side project with the motto: “Get funky or get out.”) still a thing? I know it has to be tough to get together with Per Wiberg (keyboardist) from Opeth and Thomas Andersson from Kamchatka. Do you still work on stuff with those guys?
JPG: Sure. There’s some new stuff in the works with those guys. That was an incredible time to be able to go over there (The band recorded at Wiberg’s home in Sweden in 2005.) and record with Thomas and Per. I try to do as much of that as I can.
You know, with every side project, at the end of the day, all that energy ultimately comes back and makes Clutch a better thing. Every time you play with somebody new you’re going to learn something. There’s gonna be some energy there that you pick up on that’s gonna eventually translate back to your day gig, which for us, is Clutch.
MK: Do you do stuff over the Internet? Throw a few tracks in Dropbox and go back and forth with it?
JPG: Yeah, we definitely do that kind of thing. It’s great to be able to take advantage of the technology available to us. We weren’t able to do that 10-15 years ago.
MK: What do you listen to when you’re just going about your day?
JPG: I listen to all kinds of stuff. I’ve been listening a lot recently to Miles Davis’ Live at the Cellar Door. It’s the complete recordings that he eventually edited down to make Bitches Brew. Jack DeJohnette is on that record. Dave Holland is on that record. Just last night I was listening to Robert Palmer’s Sneaking Sally Through the Alley. That’s an incredibly funky record. He’s got the Meters as his backing band on that record.
MK: Yeah, yeah, that’s quite different than the Palmer who became a hit in the 80s.
JPG: I very much enjoy that recording. Really I listen to pretty much anything. The blues – Muddy Waters, B.B. King. Reggae stuff. Bob Marley and Augustus Pablo. I like dub a lot. I will say these days, I don’t listen to a lot of loud rock and roll. I do on occasion. I find myself always trying to pull influence from other stuff. And I think that’s what makes the rock and roll better.
MK: Your drum kit, I’ve noticed, is a lot of vintage equipment. Is that all you play?
JPG: I have vintage kits. I have newer kits as well. But I will say, the newer kits I have, and I’m speaking specifically about my Gretsch USA Custom kit. Really, it’s the same drum and the same design that they’ve been making for 50-60 years. There’s a lot of modern stuff out there that’s great, that sounds good.
I prefer to go with that older style tone. I don’t muffle my drums much at all. Playing a drum that’s wide open, that’s not muffled in anyway is much more difficult than playing one that’s muffled or has pillows in the bass drum. And the sound that you get out of a drum that’s wide open like that has a lot of possibility. You can get to a lot of different sounds, a lot of different dynamics depending how you hit that drum, how you address that drum in the context of what the music is.
I find that vintage drums or drums in the style of vintage drums, give me a little bit more tonal color to work with. I don’t play a big kit. I have a bass drum, two tom toms, a snare drum and a couple cymbals and that’s about it. I look to my drums to give me a lot of options. And I feel like with drums like that, they really respond to how you tune them and how you play them ultimately.
MK: Rumor has it, you’ve been known to practice on your drum pad for eight hours at a time while on the bus…
JPG: (laughter) Eight hours may be a little bit more than what really happens. I will say that when I’m out on the road, i have a practice kit and a couple of drum pads. And when you’re out there, that’s what you do 24 hours a day.
So when I wake up i think, “What do i need to do to make this the best show it can be?” I think about the drums all day long. Before sound check I try to warm up. After sound check I’ll typically get something to eat and then I’ll hit that practice kit until showtime. I’m there sometimes for three or four hours, but the time moves quickly.
Practice for me is not a tedious thing. I had an interviewer say to me one time, “I hear that you practice very often.” And i explained to him, “Sure, I’ll practice three or four hours a day sometimes.” He says, “Well, doesn’t that get boring?” (laughs) I said, “Only if you find practice boring.” I don’t. I find it to be very meditative.
There are points in the practice routine where you really reach a mental state in which time is irrelevant and you’re only considering the concept in front of you and how it relates to other stuff that you’re doing. I get a lot of enjoyment out of that. A lot of relaxation. So much of what we do now is mental. What I mean by that is, drumming has become more mental than physical for me. So, many of the exercises I’m working on are not really how fast can you hit the pad or how quickly can you play paradiddles. I’m really trying to deconstruct stuff. I’m trying to get inside the drums, subdivide things into what I haven’t done before. It’s a very mental thing for me.
MK: Well, that’s good to know. I get tired just watching you.
(laughter)
MK: I don’t want to take up too much more of your time, just one more thing: A buddy of mine, who went to the show with me back in October, wanted me to mention something to you. He’s been home brewing for a while and is on the verge of opening a brewery here in our town. He said, “If Clutch plays opening night of the brewery, I will close the doors the next day. It cannot be topped.”
(laughter)
You guys wanna call his bluff?
JPG: (laughter) Ha ha, no. But we’ll take some of his beer.
MK: Nice. OK, I’ll let him know.
MK: Thanks for taking time to speak with NYS Music. Good luck with the rest of the tour and keep on rockin’.
An evening of acts defying easy categorization at the Montage Music Hall on May 12 began with Rochester-born Mikaela Davis and her harp-led melodies. Her band, whittled to a trio from its usual quartet format, consisted of Alex Coté on drums and Shane McCarthy on bass. The lack of guitar pushed the harp to an even more prominent position in the music, and “Other Lover,” off a special tour sampler CD, was a slow groover with a nifty mid-song breakdown. Coté shined early and often, taking control both in backing and leading positions. The magnificently exotic (particularly to the Montage stage) harp was adorned not only with spiraling LED lights, but with many effects pedals as well, pushing its sound into strange and different spaces.
After the set closed with, “In My Groove,” a brand new song, ironically about needing to write a new song, the opening band found itself in the unusual position of being called back for an encore. They hesitantly took the stage, and with nothing prepared, they winged a cover of Gillan Welch’s “Caleb Meyer” — nice choice, nice execution and impressive all around.
Davis mentioned that in the trio format she felt they were resembling Marco’s band, with the bass, drums and said that there was pretty much a harp sitting inside the piano. It certainly rings true with the unique approaches they take to their instruments.
Davis wasn’t the only one playing with a modified band. Karina Rykman was filling in on bass for Dave Dreiwitz in Marco Benevento’s band. She matched Dave’s signature smile and bass stylings perfectly, while filling out striped pants that complemented Marco’s candyman-meets-madman outfit better than Dave ever could. Andy Borger maintained his spot behind the kit, as he has for a handful of years.
When Marco introduced the band, he also introduced the audience to his piano, Gibbs. It fittingly shares a name with the street just around the corner from the venue, where the famous Eastman School of Music resides. The piano was a $100 purchase off of CraigsList, which to put it mildly, has been slightly modified to Benevento’s tastes.
Touring behind his freshest release, The Story of Fred Short, the band kicked right into the new material with a set-opening take on the infectiously catchy “Dropkick.” Moving back in time they continued with “If I Get To See You At All” off Swift and then”Atari” from Invisible Baby.
It was right back to the present with the full presentation of the side B conceptual Fred Short suite of songs. This was pulled off brilliantly with special sound and lighting effects and the works. The “Stay in Line” section was particularly fiery. Borger and Rykman took charge and pounded it into submission.
But “The Real Morning Party” had only just begun, with ripping versions of a by-request “RISD,” “The Knife’s “Heartbeats” and “Limbs of A Pine” that featured a quick return into “Dropkick.” The 90-minute set finished up with the whole crowd singing along to “At the Show.”
The show came full circle during the encore as Mikaela Davis re-emerged. The modified harp and the modified piano played side-by-side for rollicking takes on David Bowie’s “Heroes” and the Rolling Stones’ “Let’s Spend the Night Together.”
The Oneonta Theatre is fortunate to be the next stop on the Rev Tour Band’s northeast tour performing “The Last Waltz Live,” a re-creation of The Band’s concert film. On May 21, join fellow fans of The Band for an evening that has lived on in our memories for so long, and — thanks to bands like Rev Tour Band — will continue to do so for decades to come.
The Rev Tour Band, founded by frontman Tor Krautter in 1996, has been extensively touring the East Coast since its inception, but more recently, they have come to focus on delivering audiences a live rendition of The Band’s The Last Waltz, a movie that recorded a special moment in rock history, as the iconic group’s final concert. During the concert, which was filmed by Martin Scorsese at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom, numerous special guests joined The Band on stage, including Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Eric Clapton, to name just a few. On Rev Tour Band’s “The Last Waltz Live” tour, the roles of these special musical guests are performed by musicians from the local scene, making each show a unique experience as the band travels from city to city. During Rev Tour’s stop in our neck of the woods this weekend, guest performers will include none other than the legendary Darcy Gibson, Ned Brower, Steve Dillon, Randy Miratello and John Scarpulla, among many other equally as legendary local characters.
On top of the magical night of music you will surely be treated to, you will at the same time be supporting a good cause: the St. James Food Pantry. This worthy organization, through its “The Lord’s Table” program, offers a free hot meal every weeknight for those in need. All concert attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food donation of any size (specific needs at the moment include peanut butter, juice, crackers and rice).
For those looking to reminisce and re-live an incredible moment in rock history, come on out to the Oneonta Theatre this Saturday night. The show will start at 8 p.m., but doors will open at 7 p.m., so be sure to get there early to grab yourself a drink and settle into a good spot for what’s sure to be a fun musical adventure.
Massachusetts-based American Roots Rock quintet Daemon Chili is hitting the road this summer in support of their sophomore album released earlier this year, titled Mercy of the Sea.
Their 10-city tour is set to start June 3 in New Hampshire before trekking though New York with two stops in SaranacLake and Syracuse following shortly after. Their tour wraps up at Arlene’s Grocery in New York City on Oct. 8.
Daemon Chili is made up of five members including singer Michael Dion (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) formerly of Hot Day at the Zoo, Steve Benson (pedal steel, electric mandolin), Jason Moretti (lead guitar), Jay Breen (drums) and Jason Samiagio (bass). The group formed in the fall of 2013 and quickly hit the studio to begin recording. Their first album, titled Rise Up, was released in 2014 to great reviews of their transition from acoustic string band to a roots rock force.
Mercy of the Sea details provided by the bands website:
The band’s second album, Mercy of the Sea (2016), is Daemon Chili’s first official full-length studio effort, which peaked out at number 5 on the Relix/Jambands.com Radio charts. This album marks the band’s unquestionable metamorphosis into a musical outfit that truly defies genre categorization. The album also features a myriad of additional musicians whose talents help to round out a sophisticated musical juggernaut that heaves up-and-down with purpose and intention. The lineup includes Max Chase (Amulus) on keys; Nick Heys (Hot Day at the Zoo) on piano; Seth Bailin, Mike Kaskiewicz, Alex Allman (The Party Band) on horns; and Jes Sheldon (The Lightkeepers) on backing vocals.
Lawrence on guitar, Jay Rowe on keys and Trever Somerville on drums brought a huge sound to the small venue that captured the whole audience. It was a diverse crowd, a few students, a family or two, some regulars and good friends of the band members, and they loved every second of the show. 
Despite the devastating news, the iconic Canadian band still plans to tour one more time this summer. In the statement, band members said:
To any Dead Heads that need their fix, this show is not to be missed. It’s been more than 20 years since 
Dark Star Orchestera has had a slightly changing line up throughout its existence; the current band members include Rob Barraco (keys/vocals), Rob Eaton (guitar/vocals), Dino English (drums/percussion), Rob Koritz (drums/percussion), Lisa Mackey (vocals), Jeff Mattson (guitar/vocals) and Skip Vangelas (bass/vocals), and look forward to their return to Town Ballroom.
Iowa based Christopher the Conquered’s first full-length album I’m Giving Up On Rock and Roll, released May 13, is made up of personal lyrics, powerful vocals and theatrics that are hard to match to any of his contemporaries. While listening to the album, one can often draw parallels to Elton John and 
An evening of acts defying easy categorization at the 
