Category: Regions

Hearing Aide: Baked Potatoes “Loaded”

Baked Potatoes is a group of reggae, ska-rockers based out of Oneonta, New York. The first time I heard their album I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. A lot of the colors in my musical palette have been the likes of Reel Big Fish, Phish, and Badfish, so it was phenomenal to finally find a more accessible, equally talented group.

The guys follow opening track “The Builder” with a tune called “Blue Dream,” a lovely reggae song that evokes mental images of innocence, relaxation, and contentment. Guitar and drums gently ease listeners into a euphoric mix of horns and hand percussion. With that, the scene is set for the vocals, sung in a style adds to the overall reggae flavoring.

After this, “Don’t Close The Door,” a song about winning a breakup, provides a nice change in pace to the album and leads into one of my favorite tracks on the album “Homewrecker.” Horns, a halftime drum shuffle, a vibey melody. THIS, this is what I need more of in my life. The precision of the guitar parts, the lyrics, and the way the instruments blend make this one of the highest of highlights in my books.

There is no drop in quality throughout the entirety of this album. Sometimes in the middle on album the project’s goals can seem to go off the rails a little bit, not here. ”No Shirt No Shoes,” “Postcard Song,” and “Satellite Beach” are a block of 3 songs that I would say stray out of the norm, and become more like an experiment. These songs seem dip their toes in the water of a more poppy sound, a sound I can still relate to nonetheless.

The project ends with “Satellite Beach” and “Unity,” two songs that give the album a strong finish. Unity’s rock-jazz influenced complexity makes it a strong ending song, and a great way to close out the project. I hope that others share my excitement in the future of this great band. Seriously, if Baked Potatoes are in your area, try and make it out to a show. Take it from a guy who’s seen enough to Ska to know the cream of the crop.

Key Tracks: Homewrecker, Blue Dream, Unity

April 19, 2016
Spiritual Rez Northeast Run Blankets New York State

High energy ska and funk is headed towards New York this week with Spiritual Rez’s 2016 Northeast Tour. With live performances that elicit an incredibly powerful blend of reggae, rock, ska and jam, the group has been on a cross country tour amid the release of their upcoming album due out this summer.

The Northeast Tour brings the group to Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Erie, Brooklyn, New Haven, Boston, Portland, Burlington and Saratoga Springs over a two week period, providing ample opportunities for you to dance the night away and walk into work exhausted but smiling the next morning.

The as of yet untitled album, slated for an early summer release, was recorded in Los Angeles at Jim Kaufman Productions under the direction of Kenny Carkeet (Awolnation) and Max Collins (Eve 6). One of the many collaborators that took part in the album is trombonist Billy Kottage of Reel Big Fish, who is featured on the track “Bad Girl.” More jaw dropping collaborations will be revealed around the album’s release.

April 19, 2016
The Human Experience/Gone Gone Beyond Thrive at House Of Yes

From his recent performance at House of Yes in Bushwick, David Block (The Human Experience) brought a night full of heartfelt, new music with his live endeavor, Gone Gone Beyond. The event opened with the artists asking all in attendance to momentarily pause, hold the hand of the person closest to you and have a moment of gratitude; this task was quite easy as House of Yes seems to engender a feeling thankfulness any time I find myself there.

The combination of The Human Experience and House of Yes is essentially a no-brainer; a musical artist that combines ethereal, tribal sounds with heavy, grooving bass and an amazing venue that feels as if a Burning Man camp was transplanted to Bushwick makes for a wonderful experience. The name of the event was “The Vibe” which was quite fitting as there certainly was an understanding and sharing of similar emotional and musical platitudes amongst all in attendance.

Opening with “Ain’t Giving up on Love” from their self-titled album Gone Gone Beyond, Danny Musengo’s gratifying vocals and Block’s melodic piano chords had the crowd swaying and singing along to the chorus. Horns were brought out for “Back Swing” whilst an aerialist performed on some silks in the middle of the venue and I felt like I was in a circus tent in New Orleans, certainly a sight to behold. Closing with “Carnival” was proper as it got the crowd moving, dancing, and smiling as an entire aerial performance was occurring above the band on stage invoking carnival vibes tenfold. Following Gone Gone Beyond, was David Block himself as The Human Experience. Block’s ethereal, world sound were in full effect as many patrons were moving intently with their eyes closed as if to truly feel the music. As mentioned, the blend of The Human Experience and House of Yes is like no other; Block’s celestial sounds with HOY’s vibe and performers is an unparalleled experience.

April 18, 2016
Cousin Fungus Wows the Crowd at Finley’s of Greene Street

On April 2, Finley’s of Greene Street in Huntington, NY was treated to a performance by Long Island based band Cousin Fungus. The bar was packed and the dance floor full as Cousin Fungus took the stage after the cover band Run for Covers.

All the way in the back of the bar with an open overhead garage door, the stage set-up at Finley’s made it feel as though Cousin Fungus was performing in their own driveway. As the music started the crowd edged its way forward toward the long-time devotees already lining the front of the stage. The set list consisted of fan favorites Other People, Earth Turns, and Find Your Pipe along with unique jam style cover versions of the Traffic instrumental Glad and Grand Funk Railroad’s I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home.) The first song, Fanfare for the Common Man, was played in homage to the late Keith Emerson from the Emerson Lake and Palmer Band and two new original songs. Birthday was introduced following a special celebratory birthday shout-out to a fan and the show closed with their latest and greatest, Caravan.

Throughout the show heads bobbed and the dancing intensified with each crescendo. It was evident that the band was feeding off the effervescent energy of the crowd. Dennis sang with style as he passionately pounded the keys and Henry and Thomas grooved to the music flowing from their guitar and bass. Although Chris was hidden behind his drum kit at the back of the stage, his ever present and integral beats were “visible” during each and every song. The boys were in constant communication with each other as they flowed from song to song with smiles on their faces!

Customers come to Finley’s for fun and fellowship, and of course its large selection of craft beers. Cousin Fungus fans come from near and far to hear amazing music with great friends. This particular night the crowd got it all – Finley’s definitely delivered as promised!

*Who is Cousin Fungus??

A Long Island based band that hails from Port Washington, NY the journey of Cousin Fungus began in the early 90’s as a Phish cover band called Stash. Made up of brothers Henry, Christian, and Thomas Stanziale on guitar, bass, and drums respectively, along with friends Gary Menkes on keys and Billy Zweirlein on vocals their first performance took place in the summer of 1993 and they continued to play weekly in Port Washington. In the fall of 1993, Dennis Belline made an appearance with the band on keys, and when Gary moved off of Long Island Dennis became an official member. The band played all throughout the Northeast building a fan base now spreading from Long Island to Syracuse, NY. In late 1996 they debuted their first original song Rejhi and by the summer of 1997 they were playing mainly original songs. In April 1997, while performing at Hungry Charlie’s near Syracuse University the band was surprised when Jon Fishman walked into the bar. They invited him to the stage where he jammed out with them for the Phish classics Wilson, Funky Bitch, Rocky Top, NICU, and Slave to the Traffic Light. He returned to the stage for the encore drumming to Stash’s rendition of Derek and the Dominos Love So Sad. In October 1997, as the band focus moved toward solely original songs Stash changed its name to St. Ash. In March 1998 Billy Zwerlein left St. Ash and in May 1998 with Dennis now on lead vocals they renamed themselves Cousin Fungus, after a lyric from the song Low Tide High, and recorded their first album Thoughts of a Moth, which was released in the fall of 1998.

The fan base continued to grow throughout the Northeast and eventually expanded into the Mid-Atlantic. Cousin Fungus had intentions to get back into the recording studio in late 2000 but the album was delayed when Dennis Belline made the decision to leave the band. The Stanziale brothers continued to play as a threesome and in spring of 2001 Mike Sanchez joined Cousin Fungus on guitar and vocals. In 2002 they hit the studio with Mike to record Share the Air, which was released in December of the same year. In 2003 Cousin Fungus welcomed new keyboardist, Mike Sydor, and two months later Mike Sanchez moved on in his pursuits. They continued their musical career as a 4-piece band until their last show together in December 2004.

Since 2005, with over a decade of performing, the original members of the band reconnected for surprise shows all over Long Island. Thomas, Henry, Chris, and Dennis revived Cousin Fungus in 2012 when they returned to the Long Island music scene playing sporadic shows throughout the year. Cousin Fungus has been exciting its loyal fan base with more regular performances in the last 3 years, even performing at private parties. To the delight of fans, Billy has made a few surprise appearances on vocals.

Since 2012 Cousin Fungus has performed all over Long Island…and beyond. The band is hard at work writing original songs to add to its repertoire and new shows are announced every few months.

Cousin Fungus never lets down its fans. Friends and family can be seen at every show and a new generation of fans is evolving, to include the children of each band member! As the Cousin Fungus family continues to grow, old and new fans alike can be found dancing and singing along to each and every song. Definitely take a listen to Thoughts of a Moth and Share the Air and be sure to check the CF Facebook page for show announcements. Get out to a local show and experience all that is Cousin Fungus – you won’t regret it!

Set List – CF Finley’s Greene Street 4/2/16 :

Fanfare, Photo’s, Other People, Glad, Find Your Pipe, Birthday, I’m Your Captain (Closer to home), Caravan

Full Show Audio: Recorded by Patrick Kelly.

EARTH TURNS: Video Recorded by Henry Stanziale

GLAD: Video Recorded by Henry Stanziale

April 17, 2016
Keller Williams’ KWahtro Livens Up the Westcott Theater

On April 8, multi-instrumentalist and one-man jam band Keller Williams, hosted a night of tasteful jams and brought along a fancy new group of amazing musicians to the Westcott Theater in Syracuse. Adding Gibb Droll on acoustic guitar, Rodney Holmes on Drums, and Danton Boller on the upright bass, Keller dubbed the group The KW KWahtro (fun for quatro, meaning four). For anyone who’s seen Keller play live, whether solo or with any of his collaborations, knew the evening would be filled with danceable rhythms and charming lyrics.

With no opening performers, the show kicked off shortly after 9 p.m. allowing the group time to dig in and get comfortable. As the house music faded and lights dimmed, the subtle sound of a muted acoustic guitar began to get louder and louder. Soon enough, a silhouette appeared at the back of the stage and Keller then slowly danced his way forward with the rest of the band following behind him. The audience cheered with excitement as Keller strummed his way into a funky instrumental before the rest of KWahtro joined in with a groove.

Before the crowd knew it, the piece unfolded into the popular hip-shaking “Freaker By the Speaker,” followed with a jam that led into an upbeat version of Jerry Garcia‘s “Bird Song.” Keeping the rhythm flowing, Keller slightly changed direction and began singing “Birds of a Feather” by Phish, which rocketed the energy of the room. Towards the end of the set, came an incredible jazzy drum solo from Rodney Holmes, known for his jazz influenced style. The ensemble re-emerged from the dark, strapped on their instruments and began into “Up From the Skies.”

The second set followed suit with Keller entering the stage in the same fashion. This time around, the whole band collectively began jamming into the hit song “Best Feeling,” from the album Breathe, made popular by Williams’ collaboration with The String Cheese Incident. Included in the second half was a delightful “Scarlet Begonias” featuring a “China Cat” intro, “Victory Song,” and two new singles “Mantra” and “The Drop” from Keller’s most recent release, Vape. KWahtro re-emerged from the shadows of the backstage and asked the boisterous crowd, “Would you like to hear a rockin’ cover or a rockin’ original?” With sincere acceptance for both options, the group graciously jammed out the original tune “High,” seguing into Joe Walsh‘s “Life’s Been Good” to end the evening.

Overall, these four amazingly talented musicians can surely entertain any audience in any venue simply because they know how to hold a tight groove. Judging by the response from the crowd, KWahtro is welcome in Syracuse anytime and hopefully they make their way back again in the near future.

Set One: Instrumental Intro > Freaker by the Speaker > Pets > Freaker > Bird Song > Birds of a Feather, Baby Mama, Ripped Six Pack > Cheaper by the Bale, Kiwi & Apricot, Hate, Greed, Love > Moving Sidewalk > Rodney Holmes Solo, Up From the Skies, Fuel for the Road

Set Two: Best Feeling > Open-Close > The Sun & Moon’s Vagenda, China Cat Intro > Scarlet Begonias, Mantra, Apparition > Victory Song > Buena > Off Time Chorus Line > Breathe > The Drop > Breathe.

Encore: High > Life’s Been Good

April 17, 2016
Deadgrass Livens Up Garcia’s With Midweek Dose of the Grateful Dead

With its walls clad with Grateful Dead memorabilia and portraits of Jerry Garcia, Garcia’s continues its dedication to keeping the spirit of Jerry alive. A regular installment, DeadCenter Presents, brings the music of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead to the cozy club annexed to The Capitol Theatre.

Kicking off April’s series was Deadgrass, a collective of musicians from the Hudson Valley/greater NYC area delivering a captivating bluegrass interpretation of Garcia. Deadgrass is lead by Matt Turk (mandolin/guitar) and C Lanzbom, and joined by Clarence Ferrari (violin), Russ Gottlieb (banjo), and Dave Richards (bass).

Their two-set, full length performance weaved in and out of mellow grooves and blistering licks. For a late evening, mid-week show, the initially docile crowd found the mark with dancing feet before long once “Truckin’” rolled around. There was plenty of solo trading throughout the entire show albeit slightly more abbreviated during the first set. As the midnight hour drew nearer, especially during the second set, things loosened up quite a bit more as the songs became increasingly improv-laden.

After a short break, the second much looser second set marched forward starting from “Cumberland Blues” and included the popular run of “Scarlet Begonias” -> “Fire on the Mountain,” strung seamlessly together with a jam that slowly folded in the two-chord progression of the latter. Everyone on stage demonstrated some phenomenal chops in the jams, but Lanzbom’s blazing electric guitar solo on “Franklin’s Tower” gripped everyone’s attention.

One of the metrics for a Grateful Dead cover/tribute band is the vocal performance. On top of embodying the mix of structure and improv of the Grateful Dead in their set, Deadgrass did a great job in capturing the vocal harmonies and intonations led by Garcia. Both Turk and Lanzbom, who had a share in lead vocals, emulated Garcia’s performance well, particularly demonstrated by Turk on “Stella Blue,” a song in which the lyrics are a major component.

Deadgrass’ high energy and melodic bluegrass take on the Grateful Dead is refreshing and fun among the mix of the other great cover acts out there. For a Wednesday night, the DeadCenter series continues to be a substantial respite from the mid-week blues.

[FinalTilesGallery id=’733′]

April 16, 2016
DATSIK Brought The Heat On A Cold April Night In Buffalo

DATSIK had a sold out show at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo was a huge party. It was an unusually cold early April night here in the Queen city but that didn’t stop people from dressing for the occasion. DATSIK really brought the heat with his Spring Loaded Tour.

It was high energy from start to finish. OOKAY and DREZO really set the tone for the evening. By the Time DATSIK took the stage the night was in full bloom. The lazer light show was pretty epic. Especially in a venue like the Town Ballroom. DATSIK had 100% of the crowds attention. The crowd couldn’t wait for the next beat to drop. The bass was so loud that it actually caused my camera to power off more than once.

DATSIK’s love for his fans is apparent through his music and his actions. A handful of time bottles of water were passed out to people in the first few rows. He expressed his message of gratitude and love for the fans a few times throughout the night. DATSIK is a class act. He put on an amazing show for everyone’s ears and eyes.

It was an eventful night to say the least. On top of the beach balls and pool noodles being thrown around the crowd, DATSIK went crowd surfing on an inflatable raft. He lost his hat doing so. When he made his way back on stage he asked the crowd for it back. The hat hit the stage less than 10 seconds later. A fan in the crowd was granted permission to take control of the microphone for a minute. He proposed to his girlfriend. Thankfully she said yes, that would have been a little awkward if she didn’t.

The crowd was rowdy but respectful for the most part. Security at the Town Ballroom did their job and were nice about doing so. Ill be completely honest. EDM is not my first choice to see live. With that being said, I’m glad I chose to cover this show. It was a lot of fun on my end. I’m sure fans got their moneys worth at DATSIK’s Spring Loaded Tour stop in Buffalo.

April 15, 2016
Rochester’s Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Returning To Buffalo

Since forming in 2001, Rochester’s Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad (GPGDS) has been a steady force in the reggae and jam scene. The five piece band includes James Searl on bass and vocals, Chris O’Brian on drums and vocals, Dylan Savage on guitar and vocals, Dan Keller on guitar and vocals and Tony Gallicchi on keys.

GPGDS notes some of its musical influences as Burning Spear, Sublime, Phish and Bob Marley and the Wailers. The band has been playing at least 100 shows a year recently and have toured through many countries. They have played at music festivals like the Peach, All Good, Mountain Jam and Gathering Of The Vibes. Their current Where There’s Smoke Tour rolls into Buffalo this Saturday April 16 at the Tralf Music Hall.

Their latest album was released May 15 last year. It has a heavy bluegrass and country influence and features G. Love and his harmonica on the track “Humbolt County Gold.” It’s a welcome change hearing the addition of a banjo on a few tracks. Bright Days goes a long way to show how far the band has come and breaks down any barriers labeling the band in just the jam or reggae genres.

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad’s unique sounds and melodies will surely have your feet moving from the first beat. If any of their previous performances at the Tralf Music Hall are evidence of what is to come on April 16, you are not going to want to miss this show. Doors at 8:00 P.M. The show begins around 9:00 P.M.

If unable to catch GPGDS in Buffalo, the band is taking part in the MOVE Music Festival in Albany April 23.

April 15, 2016
Aqueous Pushes New Live Release ‘From the ArQives’

If there’s anything the fervent fans of Buffalo’s Aqueous have had to complain about the past few years it’s the lack of released live material. This all changed recently with a slew of high quality recordings including last years fantastic “Wizard of Oz” themed, Dark Side of the Moon infused Halloween show, the recent Boulder, Colorado release, and a bunch of new recordings on archive.org.

On the heels of this flurry of activity the band has put forth the latest multi-track live set – From the ArQives: 2015-04-11 King’s Rook Club, Erie PA. This two set monster of a show features some of the bands most intense jamming and “type II” level improvisation within a slew of their top notch original material and some debut covers.

Set one kicks off with “Complex Pt. I” and focuses on a mix of material including bust-outs of old school Aqueous tracks “Marty” and “They’re Calling for You” which made their first set-list appearances in close to a year. Also included is a super jammed out cover of Steely Dan’s “Josie.” Aqueous has covered many Dan songs throughout the years (Including a November 2015 cover of “Peg” featuring a Joel Cummins sit-in). Guitarist Mike Gantzer spoke about the Dan’s influence:

“I always dig pulling out the occasional Steely Dan tune; they’ve personally been a huge influence on my writing and playing style. and often times their tunes are great catalysts for improvisation.”

Set two continues the jam fest with notable versions of orginal tunes “Underlyer,” “Eon Don,” an “Aldehyde” sandwich with the meat being a cover of The Police’s “Canary in a Coalmine,” and a rare full version of the epic fifteen minute Cycles track “Staring into the Sun.” The audio was recorded and mastered by the bands sound and light engineer Ben Wayt and is available on SoundCloud and archive.org.

Check out Aqueous in New York Saturday April 16 at Letchworth Pines in Portageville for a rare intimate two set show, and next Friday at Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs with Pink Talking Fish.

April 11th, 2015
King’s Rook Club, Erie, PA

SET 1:
Complex Pt. I > They’re Calling for You, Triangle, Marty, Josie¹ > Don’t Do It

SET 2:
Underlyer > Gordon’s Mule > Eon Don > Aldehyde > Canary in a Coal Mine² > Aldehyde, Staring into the Sun, What’s the Connection?

ENCORE:
Mosquito Valley Pt. 1 > Flagpole Sitta³

Notes:
¹ Steely Dan cover, AQ debut
² Police cover, AQ debut
³ Harvey Danger cover, AQ debut

Complex had a Josie tease by Steely Dan
TCFY had a “Waves” tease by Phish and a “Wheels” tease by Cake.
Eon Don contained a “devils pie” intro by D’angelo, and Master of Puppets by Metallica and Machine Gun by Hendrix teases.
Staring into the Sun had a long improvised section.
What’s the Connection had a “We Want the Funk” tease that was audience started.
MV one had a “Chicken Grease” intro also by D’angelo.

TCFY was last played on 2014-08-14
Marty was last played on 2014-06-17

April 15, 2016
New York Minute: Charley Orlando Shares Vision for the Syracuse Music Scene

On any given afternoon in Syracuse, it is highly probable Charley Orlando will be spotted leaping nimbly to the stage to adjust sound equipment, prepping for the evening show. The sprightly Funk ‘N’ Waffles talent buyer keeps busy between selecting acts for the downtown Syracuse and university locations. He has become the gatekeeper for a flourishing downtown venue that stands as a go-to destination for music lovers thirsting for a dose of live music.

Aside from his technical dexterity, Orlando is also skilled in the art of compromise, acting as chief liaison between musicians and venues. With decades of experience performing in his own bands and booking acts for other venues, Orlando can empathize with the needs and desires of both parties to cultivate exciting show lineups. Behind every jaw dropping drum solo, contemplative guitar riff and danceworthy jam is a man devoted to elevating the Syracuse music scene.

On a Wednesday afternoon, Orlando took a quick break from his frenzied activity to kick back and discuss his key role at Funk ‘N’ Waffles. Manifesting a calm and collected presence, Orlando’s demeanor in conversation curiously juxtaposed the preceding flourish of activity. He instead channeled energy into exuberant responses, offering a sincerity through dialogue layered with gracious and friendly expression:

Ally Dean: You are the talent buyer for Funk ‘N’ Waffles. What has been your mission since the onset of your role with this venue?

Charley Orlando: To create a mid sized music venue for touring and local acts. To concentrate on a music community and grow it to a healthy point where musicians and venues all work together to prop up the music scene in CNY. Also the venue is designed to do all kinds of events besides music so we love doing community oriented events.

AD: What are your future goals for the venue?

CO: To keep growing the scene and the venue. To bring in bigger and bigger acts to a small intimate venue. To just be the best this place can be.

AD: Funk is a pretty sought after venue in Syracuse so you have plenty of acts soliciting a spot on the stage (I remember you quoted a staggering number of emails since December…) Are there bands on your radar that you have reached out to hoping to bring to the venue in the near future?

CO: We do get an enormous amount of inquiries (22,000+ emails since December of 2014). Really every band is on my radar. I am always looking for the next unique band. There is a lot of “same” going on out there so when I come across something that turns my head I go right for it. There are a number of great bands I have reached out to that will blow the walls off Funk … but I keep them close to my chest until it’s solid. Takes a bit to really dial in a top notch show.

AD: Are there aspects of Funk you would like to see changed, either with the physical venue or with the process for getting bands there?

CO: Funk is ever-evolving and that’s why I love it here. Sam Levey and Adam Gold and I work really well together and are always a step ahead of where we need to be. Kind of a dream team for me. The ideas are always flying and stuff gets done fast when we decide to move forward. Really we all want the same thing: the best venue in CNY.

AD: Pearly Baker’s Best and RUHA are your two current musical endeavors; what are your intentions with those projects?

CO: To have fun playing music. Pearly is a Grateful Dead Tribute Band so it’s pretty easy to get the right gigs and the band is sooooooo good! Everyone really knows The Dead and have seen them play (w/ Jerry Garcia) many times so we have close ties to the music. RUHA is a very unique original project that mixes acoustic guitar, organ, piano and ableton live triggers to fill it out. Great for festivals! Plus I love playing solo and do that quite a bit.

AD: Aaaand to keep things fun … are you feelin’ the Bern?

CO: Maximum Bern! Very into the message! It speaks to me … LOVE! Huh what a concept! April 15 Fuel the Bern’ is at the Palace Theater in Syracuse and April 16 Berning Man is at Anthology in Rochester. Two very important events for people that want change to come about!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fiel8ObUkHM

April 14, 2016