The state’s premier outdoor concert venue is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer as Saratoga Performing Arts Center kicks off its golden anniversary concert season with the fourth running of the SPAC Rock and Run, which offers 5k, 10k and half marathon distances, on May 15. Albany-area siblings Jocelyn and Chris Arndt, who were breakout artists at last fall’s Utica Music and Arts Festival, will perform as part of the SPAC Rock and Run Races.
The annual Freihofers Saratoga Jazz Festival, featuring headliner Smokey Robinson in addition to three 2016 Grammy Award winners, Jon Cleary, Christian McBride, and Eliane Elias, takes place June 25 and 26.
California reggae-fusion act Slightly Stoopid has announced their ninth annual cross-country summer tour, bringing them to Saranac Brewery in Utica on July 22.
The Return Of The Red Eye Summer Tour will criss-cross the country, hitting amphitheaters and pavilions throughout North America, with supporting act SOJA announced as direct support for most dates. Zion I, the Grouch & Eligh and Fortunate Youth will also perform on select portions of the tour, with all acts aside from Fortunate Youth performing at Saranac Brewery on July 22.
Return of the Red Eye Summer Tour Dates:
6/15 Redmond, WA – Marymoor Park # *
6/17 Eugene, OR – Cuthbert Amphitheater # *
6/24 Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre # *
6/25 Irvine, CA – Irvine Meadows # *
6/26 Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl # *
6/30 Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex # *
7/01 Las Vegas, NV – TBA # *
7/02 Stateline, NV – Harvey’s Outdoor Arena # *
7/03 San Luis Obispo, CA – Avila Beach Resort # *
7/09 San Diego, CA – Sleep Train Amphitheatre # *
7/15 Houston, TX – The Lawn at White Oak Music Hall # *
7/16 Corpus Christi, TX – Concrete Street Amphitheater Pavilion # *
7/17 New Braunfels, TX – Whitewater Amphitheater # *
7/21 Portland, ME – Maine State Pier # *
7/22 Utica, NY – Saranac Brewery # *
7/24 Simsbury, CT – Simsbury Performing Arts Center # *
7/29 Portsmouth, VA – Portsmouth Pavilion # *
7/30 Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater # *
7/31 North Charleston, SC – Riverfront Park # *
8/03 Des Moines, IA – Brenton Skate Plaza # *
8/04 Kansas City, MO – Crossroads # *
8/06 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre # *
8/07 Council Bluffs, IA – Stir Cove # *
8/11 St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre # !
8/12 Cocoa, FL – Riverfront Park # !
8/14 St. Petersburg, FL – Vinoy Park # !
8/18 Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion # !
8/19 Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage # !
8/20 Philadelphia, PA – Festival Pier # !
8/21 Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion !
8/25 Minneapolis, MN – Cabooze Outdoors # !
8/27 Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion # !
# with SOJA
* with Zion I, The Grouch & Eligh
! with Fortunate Youth
Aside from their famous hot wings, Shifty’s in Syracuse is known for hosting some incredible musicians including local quintet The Lightkeepers. The 2016 SAMMY awards nominated group settled in last friday night and cooked up a heater to a packed house, hungry for more than just chicken. Nestled into one corner of the tavern, no bigger than a port-o-potty, is where the five-piece rock band stationed themselves allowing the most room possible for their fans to dance comfortably.
As folks trickled in, the band eagerly took the stage and kicked off the first set with the very groovy tune “Miracle,” from their recent self-titled album. Jes Sheldon led the band on this swinging song with her sassy, powerhouse vocals that rival the likes of Aretha Franklin and Amy Winehouse. Swaying and twisting her slender frame from song-to-song, provoked the crowd to boogie without hesitation. Aaron Fried escorted the parade on Bob Dylans’ “Serve Somebody” and their original, “Empty” with some distinct bass-influenced rhythms. Participation from the audience began to pick up as they helped sing a soulful rendition of “Come Together” by the Beatles. Having never played at Shifty’s as The Lightkeepers until now, the group collectively played their cards right, mixing up a balanced list of originals and covers.
After a short break, the troop of entertainers hit the stage once again and brought the fire with a funky original, titled “Bruteforce.” Following closely was an attractive trio of segued covers “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” “The Weight,” and “Hard to Handle.” P.J. Will governed the rhythm guitar on “Rock Steady” with funky-fast guitar wahs while Mike Vincitore tore up the proverbial rug with his untamed six-string guitar. Tucked neatly along the photo-blanketed back-wall, sat Jim Dunham on the drums, vigorously driving the Lightkeepers with his cognizant flow and time-keeping.
A slow psychedelic rendition of “Whole Lotta Love” featuring a heap of sensual vocals and swelling guitar licks brought the energy of the room to a lull only for brief moment before the band jumped into the riff-heavy, “Cryin’ Shame.” Before closing out the second set, the ensamble knocked down the Doors with “Light My Fire” and a new unreleased rock song titled “Damaged.” Nearly consumed by the supportive crowd, the band finished up the evening with a spot-on “Soulshine” segueing into “Sugaree” for one last heightening sing-a-long. Check out the full set list below and be sure to catch another show coming up where you can purchase their full length album and some cool swag.
Listen to “Mr. Coltrane” (written by P.J. Will) and “Snowflake” (written by Aaron Fried) performed at Shifty’s and recorded by sound engineer Patrick Allen.
Set I: Miracle, Birdie, Just Dropped In, Gypsy Lights, Serve Somebody, Empty, Come Together, Mr. Coltrane, Snowflake, The Thrill is Gone, Mae, Love the One You’re With, River of Atonement, Tried & True, Water Needs Wine, Gimme Shelter
Set II: Bruteforce, Boogie On Reggae Woman > The Weight > Hard to Handle, Rock Steady > Mr. Charlie, Mexican Plane, Save Me > Stormy Monday, Whole Lotta Love > Cryin’ Shame, Astronaut, Valerie, Light My Fire, Dear Mr. Fantasy, Damaged
A welcome addition to the North Country music scene, Plattsburgh Blues and Jazz (PB&J) is a new live music series featuring top blues and jazz performers. On Sunday, March 6, PB&J will feature Biscuit Miller and the Mix. Biscuit was recently honored as Bass Player of the Year at the Blues Music awards.
Biscuit has a heavy touring schedule of more than 250 appearances in the U.S. and abroad. “Biscuit and the Mix put out one of the best performances on the national blues scene. They’ll have the crowd up and dancing like it’s a Saturday night in Memphis!” says Laura Carbone, a music photographer from Plattsburgh who recruits the acts from around the U.S. and Canada.
The show on Sunday, March 6 will be held at The Champlain Wine Company. Doors open at 6 pm, show starts at 7 pm. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. All event proceeds from PB&J shows go to the 30 City Foundation to fund the artists and to bring new performers to Plattsburgh. Tickets can be purchased online at Plattsburghbluesandjazz.com and in person at the Champlain Wine Company located at 30 City Hall Place.
PB&J was launched on February 12 with a performance by Swampcandy, an Americana blues duo out of Maryland and winners of Best Emerging Artist at Floydfest. Upcoming shows include:
Def Leppard will embark on a 55-city 2016 North American tour, which will include three New York dates, starting with the Moonstone Festival in Orlando, Florida, on May 1. The tour will extend all the way to the beginning of the fall season, ending at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Oct. 10.
Joining the boys from England for the extensive tour will be REO Speedwagon and Tesla. STYX will appear on select dates near the beginning of the tour, replacing REO Speedwagon on some dates.
Def Leppard will make three stops in New York. The first will take place on June 27 at the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse, then on July 11 they’ll play Nikon at Jones Beach in Wantagh and Darien Lake Aug. 31.
Def Leppard was formed in 1977. The band’s third studio album, Pyromania, and their fourth studio album, Hysteria, are both certified Diamond with more than 10 million copies sold. With smash hits like “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” “Love Bites,” the title track “Hysteria,” “Animal,” “Rocket” and “Armageddon It,” it’s not wonder that the Hysteria album alone has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide.
Def Leppard has released 11 studio albums and sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Def Leppard also holds the honor of being one of five rock bands to have two studio albums released in the United States to reach diamond certification.
Def Leppard, Reo Speedwagon, Tesla tour dates:
05-01 – Moonstone Festival – Orlando, FL
05-04 – Cajundome – Lafayette, LA*
05-05 – American Bank Center – Corpus Christi, TX*
05-07 – State Farms Arena – Hidalgo, TX*
05-10 – Century Link Center – Bossier City, LA
05-11 – Verizon Arena – Little Rock, AR
05-13 – Greensboro Coliseum – Greensboro, NC
05-15 – Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, CT
05-17 – PPL Center – Allentown, PA
05-18 – Big Sandy Arena – Huntington, WV
05-20 – Amway Center – Orlando, FL**
06-22 – Xfinity Center – Boston, MA
06-24 – Darling’s Waterfront -Bangor, ME
06-25 – Videotron Centre – Quebec City, QC
06-27 – Lakeview Amphitheater- Syracuse, NY
06-29 – Hershey Park Stadium – Hershey, PA
07-01 – Klipsch Music Center – Indianapolis, IN
07-02 – Hollywood Casino – Chicago, IL
07-05 – Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH
07-06 – Summerfest – Milwaukee, WI
07-08 – First Niagara Pavillion – Pittsburgh, PA
07-09 – Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, MI
07-11 – Nikon at Jones Beach – Wantagh, NY
07-13 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ
07-15 – DTE Music Theatre -Detroit, MI
07-16 – Molson Canadian Amphitheater -Toronto, ON
08-06 – Alliant Energy Center -Madison, WI
08-08 – Ford Center – Evansville, IN
08-10 – Jiffy Lube Center – Bristow, VA
08-12 – Aaron’s Amphitheater – Atlanta, GA
08-13 – Walnut Creek Amphitheater -Raleigh, NC
08-17 – Oak Mountain Amphitheater -Birmingham, AL
08-19 – Austin 360 – Austin, TX
08-22 – Cynthia Woods Pavilion -Houston, TX
08-24 – Gexa Energy Pavilion – Dallas, TX
08-26 – Sprint Center – Kansas City, MO
08-27 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater – St. Louis, MO
08-29 – Blossom Music Center – Cleveland, OH
08-31 – Darien Lake Performing Arts Center – Darien Center, NY
09-14 – Metra Park – Billings, MT
09-16 – USANA Amphitheater – Salt Lake City, UT
09-17 – Pepsi Center -Denver, CO
09-19 – Isleta Amphitheater – Albuquerque, NM
09-20 – Ak-Chin Pavilion -Phoenix, AZ
09-22 – Irvine Meadows Amphitheater – Irvine, CA
09-24 – Toyota Amphitheater – Sacramento, CA***
09-25 – Shoreline Amphitheater – Mountain View, CA
09-28 – Taco Bell Arena – Boise, ID
09-30 – Matthew Knight Arena – Eugene, OR
10-01 – Tacoma Dome – Tacoma, WA
10-04 – CenturyLink Center – Omaha, NE
10-05 – Xcel Energy Center – Minneapolis, MN
10-07 – La Crosse Center Arena – La Crosse, WI
10-08 – Huntington Center – Toledo, OH
10-10 – U.S. Cellular Center – Cedar Rapids, IA
*STYX to appear / No REO Speedwagon
**No REO Speedwagon
***No Tesla
Spring has sprung, and the funk is deep at Funk n Waffles in Syracuse. NYS Music is proud to present these great shows on Saturday nights throughout March at the popular downtown Syracuse venue.
Gigantosaurus Rex is angular, obtuse, and dynamic and while they are not a jamband, they bring a crushing sound created by three musicians.
Baked Potatoes is a 7 piece reggae band from Oneonta who love to put smiles on people’s faces. The Potatoes have been mastering their live performance with countless Upstate NY concerts playing with Sammy Adams, HR, The Sheds, The Fat Piece & many more. Having just released their debut EP, Waiting For The Weekend, Baked Potatoes is a band that will keep you dancing & wanting more.
Grooverockers Our Friend Band brings blues and funk and push musical boundaries through live improvisation and fresh takes on pre-existing material.
Folkfaces out of Buffalo play a rowdy blend of rootsy folk, jazz, and blues, fusing classic forms with contemporary feelings and irresistibly danceable energy. Their inspiration comes from the mountains of Appalachia to the deltas of Mississippi, the swamps of Louisiana to the Concrete Jungle of the Rustbelt. Specializing in merriment and sticking it to the system, Folkfaces make the crowd dance and the hierarchy shatter.
Root SHOCK blends roots reggae, dancehall, heavy drum & bass, and soulful vocals with conscious lyrics into positive dance music will make you want to move. The band has been surprising and delighting crowds across the Central New York region and beyond, bringing their unique high-energy style spearheaded by the stunning vocals of Jessica Brown to a wide range of settings. The band’s dedication to spreading music with a positive message has paid off in entertaining, elevating, and energizing music lovers of all walks of life! 2016 promises to be an explosive year for Root Shock, as they’ve finally made time to record their first studio album, are anchoring a monthly Syracuse reggae night designed to bring the best and most diverse acts that modern reggae has to offer to the area. They’re not stopping there though; the band is set to hit the road to spread their uplifting message and vibes and take their renowned live performances to the masses!
With a style as unique as its members are diverse, Mosaic Foundation is forward thinking reggae that stays true to the roots. Formed in 2009 and based in the Finger Lakes region of New York, the band has grown a loyal following, thanks to electric live performances and three studio releases. Blending roots, ska, dub, dance-hall and beyond, Mosaic is an exploration in reggae that is pushed to the limits and sometimes spills over. With lyrics that inspire dancing in the moment, and activate the mind in reflection, the songs encourage positivity, sustainable living and community.
A thunderous dance party that fuses Afrobeat, Jazz, Funk,and Psychedelia, Big Mean Sound Machine is charting new musical territory with it’s latest release Contraband, recorded live in summer and winter of 2013. Big Mean continually re-defines the boundaries of dance music; meditation meets party time.
All shows start at 8pm each night. Visit Funk n Waffles for more info.
Watch the Oscar’s or go see live music? Leo and Chris Rock or Leon Russell and Dave Mason? It wasn’t a close call when The Egg announced the pairing of two legendary musicians from the 60s who have continued to create and perform music to crowds for nearly half a century.
Dave Mason (no relation) got the night started with songs spanning his career, featuring solo work and songs written during his time with Traffic. A darker “Dear Mr. Fantasy” came early in the set and was hauntingly bluesy, a theme reprised throughout the set. An extended blues jam was patient and went beyond with Johnne Sambataro (guitar) and Anthony Patler (keys) taking requisite solos; they synced up well and carried the song through its motions without a need to rush. “Good 2 U” came from a certain era of 70s rock that is smooth, accessible and engaging without being too jazzy or improv reliant. The set closed with “Feelin’ Alright,” rearranged slightly for a darker vibe, as well as the encore of “All Along the Watchtower.”
The only subpar aspect of Mason’s set was the backdrop for the band. What amounted to a computer screen broadcasting behind the band was basically a billboard for albums and dated promo for the artist as though he was just getting around to branding himself in 1995 and never updated his ad set. There were some albums, cover art and his music catalog along with some old photos, but it felt as though Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam could have used a much more psychedelic feel to their stage presence, beyond the music.
After a short change over, Leon Russell took to his white grand piano to perform Elvis’ version of “I Got a Woman” and didn’t hesitate to keep playing the hits. “Rolling in my Sweet Baby’s Arms” and “Let the Good Times Roll” fit the label of not soft rock yet not hard rock. It was Goldilocks rock: just right. Russell told stories about playing The Concert for Bangledesh at George Harrison’s behest and performing in Woodstock for Bob Dylan, including on “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall.”
A classic country version of “Wild Horses” was highlighted by the pedal steel of Beau Charron who was versatile on the keys and mandolin over the course of the night. “I’ve Just Seen his Face” by The Beatles had a Widespread Panic sound to it which was followed shortly after by a remark about the All-Star Mad Dogs and the Englishmen set that he performed at Lockn’ Festival this past September. “Delta Lady” and “The Ballad of Mad Dogs and Englishmen” both reminded me of that powerhouse set with Tedeschi Trucks Band, Chris Robinson and the singers from the original album, all of which Russell spoke highly of in reminiscing. “Roll Over Beethoven” served as the final song of the night, and while a dual encore of Dave Mason and Leon Russell would have been great, there were no complaints to be had from a night of classic rock at The Egg.
Twiddle returned to Buffalo in their first ever headlining show at the Town Ballroom this past Thursday. The packed house was treated to Twiddle history as guitarist Mihali Savoulidis cased his signature Becker Hornet and debuted two new guitars from DGN Custom Guitars.
The Twiddle evening was also a Town Ballroom debut for hometown band Funktional Flow.
The night’s set list only included one song, “White Light”, from the band’s latest release PLUMP- Chapter One. The evening was packed full of Twiddle fan favorites like “Brown Chicken, Brown Cow” and “Cabbage Face.” The setlist also saw a healthy dose of jam friendly tunes and covers including ALO’s “BBQ” and Tears for Fears “Mad World.”
Twiddle continues to promotes a packed schedule including a slot at the Lockn’ Music Festival and their own two-day summer concert event Tumble Down in Burlington, VT this July.
Setlist: Atlantic Mocean > BBQ > Atlantic Mocean, Brown Chicken Brown Cow, Orderly Chaos, Wildfire, Jamflowman[1], Cabbage Face, White Light -> Pachelbel’s Canon In D -> White Light
Encore: Mad World
[1] “Jamflowman” contained a “Layla” (Eric Clapton) tease.
Ten Cent Howl does the Americana genre proud on their latest album Ain’t It Strange. Featuring the deep and distant voice of Bill Smith, who sounds like he is coming to us from a different era a half century ago, this band makes it nearly impossible for listeners to not be tapping their feet and singing along after just one listen. All the songs on the album seem to be characterized by the perfect mix of catchy lyrics in the choruses, interspersed with beautiful poetry that is definitely worth focusing on. Also, as an added bonus, if you are of the opinion that one can do no wrong as long as there’s a mandolin playing, then this album is for you.
Sounding like they come from a simpler time, unspoiled by the marvels of modern technology, Ten Cent Howl offers a refreshing glimpse into rural American living through their vacillatingly uplifting and melancholy songs, many of which are about love lost and found. While one can say this has been done already, Ten Cent Howl manages to put more on the table, with each band member seeming to be giving it their all on each and every tune. Featuring Jerry Hall on the bass, Harmony Griffin and Tim Pitcher on guitars, Peter Ramos on drums, and Bill Smith on guitar and lyrics, this band sounds like they have been playing together for decades, just like the music of the past, passed down through the generations. Listening to this album, one feels as if they have been transported to a country bar in the ‘50s, the way the harmonica licks come flying, the pedal steel strings are picked and the extraordinary harmonies that are belted out.
From the Johnny Cash-sounding “33 Days” to the Roy Orbison-esque “This Is Real,” there is something to please everyone on this album, appealing to those who appreciate an album for its instrumentals, with its ideal mix of electric guitar, pedal steel, mandolin, and harmonica, as well as to those who are more interested in the vocals, with Bill Smith’s perfectly polished yet old timey quality, and fellow band members Hall, Griffin, Pitcher, and Ramos, who all seem to be able to harmonize so flawlessly. With a growing fan base in the Buffalo area, the band’s hometown, having numerous gigs lined up at local hotspots Sportsmen’s Tavern, where the band celebrated its release of Ain’t It Strange on February 27, as well as other area favorites including 189 Public House and Tudor Lounge, one can only hope that these guys will venture further to bring their wonderful timeless take on Americana music to the rest of the world. In the meantime, give Ain’t It Strange a listen; I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
Key Tracks: Never Ceases, This Is Real, In View of Her
moe. threw an amazing party Jan. 11-14 in Jamaica. This year’s Throe.down was combined with Little Feat’s annual destination festival called Feat Camp, and it was held at Jewel Paradise Cove in Runaway Bay, Jamaica.
Now that we’ve had a little time to ruminate on the amazing experience (yeah, yeah, we know, it’s been a long time), here are our top 10 favorite things about moe.’s Tropical Throe.down 2016.
1. Rob playing an entire song laying down
It was pretty epic. During the final moe. show of the festival, bassist Rob Derhak sat down in a chair for a few moments earlier in the show, but later on, someone switched the upright chair out with a lounge chair. Rob took the bait and sat down, laying back and kicking his feet up in front of him as he picked away at the laid-back new tune “Montego,” an instrumental debuted at the band’s New Year’s run in Albany.
Toward the end of the song, guitarist Al Schnier grabbed an inflatable whale that had been making its way around the resort pools for the last few days and the stage that night. He threw it on the ground near Rob and sat down straddling it as the two jammed with Rob slapping the shit out of a nasty bass solo.
The song transitioned into “Billy Goat,” a song that Rob sings, meaning he had to stand up. It was pretty entertaining to watch him try to haul himself out of the chair while playing the lead-in to the song without stopping. After some bad attempts with his legs flailing awkwardly, he finally took a second from playing so he could get up. Then he launched into a badass “Billy Goat” to end the set.
2. Sweet Billy Payne sit-ins
Little Feat’s keyboard player Bill Payne sat in with moe. on a handful of songs throughout the festival: “Sensory Deprivation Bank”>”Happy Hour Hero” on the second night and the Jimmy Cliff classic “The Harder They Come” and “Bring You Down” on the final night. moe. has had plenty of keyboard players sit in over the years, but Payne may be one of the best — he meshes well with the band’s sound while filling it out in strategic places. And the guys definitely seem to have fun playing with him.
It’s not the first time that Payne has sat in with moe. He joined the guys for their Halloween 2014 show in Las Vegas. The show was “The Big Lebowski”-themed, and Payne dressed as the Stranger, the movie’s narrator.
3. 85 and sun
We all know it hasn’t been the coldest winter in the Northeast, but it was still a huge relief to be in a place where it’s 85 degrees and sunny nonstop. And the resort where Throe.down was held, the Jewel Paradise Cove Beach Resort & Spa, was great — three swim-up bars, great food, the hot tubs were hot and the pools were refreshing, and you were never far from anything. Plus the service was usually super helpful, you could go on a free glass-bottom boat tour or snorkeling expedition or try their kayaks or other boats, and there was even a super-fast waterslide in the middle of the resort.
And Jamaica is an amazing place. Many of the people there seem to be friendly and positive people. We had several people tell us, “In Jamaica, there are no problems, only situations,” and we heard the refrain “No problem” each time we asked for anything.
4. “Ziggy Stardust” in honor of Bowie, “Donkey Show,” and other amazing music
Memorable musical moments at Throe.down were abundant. But the most poignant was probably when the band played “Ziggy Stardust.” David Bowie had died the day before, but it wasn’t until Jan. 11 that the news started to spread, and that night, moe. payed tribute to the rock icon with one of his most well-known songs. It was the third time moe. played it — they debuted it in 1999, and they brought it back out again for their Star Wars-themed Halloween 2015 show.
The least poignant moment — but still a super entertaining one — was when the band finished out Throe.down with “Tijuana Donkey Show,” the first time they had played it since 2007. Originally a song from side project Ha Ha the Moose, moe. played “Donkey Show” a handful of times between 2004 and ’07 before giving it up. Until the crowd insisted that it be the Throe.down 2016 encore. Percussionist Jim Loughlin, who drums for Ha Ha the Moose as “Sludge,” took over the drums while drummer Vinny Amico covered percussion.
The band also broke out “Defrost” again, which they played on New Year’s Eve for the first time in eight years. It was in heavy rotation in the mid ‘90s, but the band stopped playing it for an 11-year gap, pulling it out once in 2008, then again New Year’s Eve.
Other notable moments:
– moe. occasionally played a great version of Little Feat’s “Spanish Moon,” but with Little Feat co-hosting the festival with moe., they decided not to play what has become a popular cover among fans. But that didn’t stop moe. from teasing it a bit. During their Jan. 11 show, moe. played an extended jam featuring melodies from “Spanish Moon” in the middle of their “Cissy Strut” encore, getting close but never quite getting into the full song.
– They also teased ZZ Top’s “Waitin’ For the Bus” during the second set opener, “Puebla,” on Jan. 11.
– It was their frst time playing “Cantina Band” from Star Wars in a show that wasn’t billed a being “Star Wars” themed (third time overall).
5. If you like pina coladas…
And besides the regular shows, the daytime acoustic set was a whole other mess of fun. The guys played the set at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville in Ocho Rios, but before the show, most of the band members joined fans on a catamaran ride and lunch with a company called Cool Runnings. The boat launched from Mahogany Beach in Ocho Rios and everyone was given a chance to snorkel, then there was a lot of rum punch, loud music and dancing. Some of the band members may have learned how to twerk.
Then, after lovely outdoor buffet lunch, everyone was bussed to Margaritaville, where moe. played a super fun acoustic set in the sun. They played some great covers including “Escape” — the “if you like pina coladas” song — the Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun,” “Cajun Moon” by J.J. Cale, and the Talking Heads’ “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody),” first played this New Year’s Eve. The song had the staff swaying to the tune by the end.
The set also included “Blue Eyed Son,” “That Country Tune” and “Johnny Lineup,” along with a few other tunes the band plays more regularly.
There’s something amazing about sitting on a deck, sipping margaritas and basking in the sun while listening to one of your favorite bands play a few dozen feet away. Even if the sound wasn’t perfect, it was still super entertaining. Jimmy Buffet would be proud.
6. Medeski Martin & Wood
The instrumental trio was billed as a special guest, and special they were. They refer to their music as an “amalgam of jazz, funk, ‘avant-noise’ and a million other musical currents and impulses,” and that pretty accurately described what it was like to see them play three days. The band swings from one influence to the next in a way that’s very fun and engaging, if sometime a little hard to follow. Their cover game was on point (or on fleek? Is that how you use that term?), ranging from Duke Ellington to David Bowie. MMW’s “avant-noise” bit seemed too much for a few of the fans to take, but for the most part, the crowd bobbed their heads and danced along as the creative trio brought them on an enjoyable musical journey.
And fans who stayed on for an extra day at the end of the festival were lucky enough to see both John Scofield and Warren Haynes sit in with MMW for a few songs. Both musicians were arriving for Government Mule’s Island Exodus 7, which began at the same resort the following day.
And with a band full of guys who are so cool and down to earth, that’s awesome. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to ask them all the moe. questions that have been keeping you up at night, like why did they stop playing “Disembodied Head,” or what on earth is going on with “Lazarus” these days, or what’s up with moe.down? But you might just find yourself cutting them a break and shooting the shit about the weather when you run into them, cuz hey, they’re on vacation too.
10. The drum stick trick
Watch this, paying special attention to Jim right around 1:01:45.
Jim and Vin are freakin’ ninjas. Apparently they’ve done this before. It’s amazing.
The annual Freihofers Saratoga Jazz Festival, featuring headliner Smokey Robinson in addition to three 2016 Grammy Award winners, Jon Cleary, Christian McBride, and Eliane Elias, takes place June 25 and 26.
Aside from their famous 
Joining the boys from England for the extensive tour will be REO Speedwagon and Tesla. STYX will appear on select dates near the beginning of the tour, replacing REO Speedwagon on some dates.
Dave Mason (no relation) got the night started with songs spanning his career, featuring solo work and songs written during his time with Traffic. A darker “Dear Mr. Fantasy” came early in the set and was hauntingly bluesy, a theme reprised throughout the set. An extended blues jam was patient and went beyond with Johnne Sambataro (guitar) and Anthony Patler (keys) taking requisite solos; they synced up well and carried the song through its motions without a need to rush. “Good 2 U” came from a certain era of 70s rock that is smooth, accessible and engaging without being too jazzy or improv reliant. The set closed with “Feelin’ Alright,” rearranged slightly for a darker vibe, as well as the encore of “All Along the Watchtower.”
The only subpar aspect of Mason’s set was the backdrop for the band. What amounted to a computer screen broadcasting behind the band was basically a billboard for albums and dated promo for the artist as though he was just getting around to branding himself in 1995 and never updated his ad set. There were some albums, cover art and his music catalog along with some old photos, but it felt as though Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam could have used a much more psychedelic feel to their stage presence, beyond the music.
5. If you like pina coladas…