Category: Finger Lakes

Aoife O’Donovan Uncorks a Perfect Night in Geneva

Traveling down a country road that didn’t veer from it’s straight path infinitely in either direction, the kind GPS voice eventually called for a turn down a perpendicular gravelly dirt path. It wound through a vast vineyard before arriving at a wooden barn. Visible inside through the large barn window, a stage was being set: drums, amps, guitars, all illuminated by a simple set of LEDs. As the crowd gathered, sampling the wine and meats being served up at the Ravines Wine Cellar, they oohed and aahed and tried to capture images of September’s beautiful full moon, aka the Harvest Moon, rising through the late summer sky. The crescent moon logo of the Smith Club Series, however, served as a reminder of the impending concert with Aoife O’Donovan.

Opener Brooke Annibale, comes from Pittsburgh via Nashville via Pittsburgh and back again. Her sound reflected her disjointed travels. Her beautiful voice sometimes reaching a more emotional gravelly strain, melodic strumming interrupted by dashes of brilliant fingerpicking, and simple rhythms shifting in surprising jolts. One of her songs took a cyclical path as well. “Alright,” off of her 2015 LP The Simple Fear (as most of the set was), was written while she was employed at Starbucks. After finally recording it a few years later, Starbucks bought the tune to play in their stores nationwide.

Headliner Aoife O’Donovan took the stage in front of the sell out crowd after a short break. Her band, Anthony Da Costa on guitar and Steve Nistor on drums, have been touring with her since January, in support of her early 2016 release, In the Magic Hour. “Lay My Burden Down” off of her 2013 debut Fossils was followed by “Magic Hour” off her latest, and the set continued with a healthy mix of both releases, sprinkling in some covers for good measure.

O’Donovan’s voice provided the melodies, her guitar the rhythms. Her song craft was like the perfect grapes, but as any vintner or artisan knows, that is just the base. She added Da Costa’s guitar and Nistors’s drums to fill the bottle with subtle and not-so subtle hints and flavors. Free from major rhythmic lifting, Nistor danced outside the edges with flourishes and broad swaths. Da Costa’s guitar added body and color, bringing out the best in every moment, constantly moving in fleeting moments of brilliance, rarely soloing but shining brightly when given the opportunity. O’Donovan had crafted this band perfectly. The timeless quality of her music mellowed warmly within the barns wooden walls, much like the wine aging in casks nearby.

During a two-song solo break, she veered from her planned set to grant a fan’s request of the rare “Diamond” from her former band Sometymes Why. She pulled off the unexpected change incredibly well and followed with a stunning rendition of the traditional Creole love ballad, “The Lakes of Pontchartrain.”

Throughout the evening O’Donovan chronicled the band’s travels that day through upstate New York. They started with coffee in a “beautifully tiled” cafe in Buffalo. A little while later they were stranded for two hours at the Pembroke Thruway rest stop when they mistakenly locked the keys in the rental car. They made it to the gig though, with time enough to sample Ravines’ wines, grab some dinner and rehearse for a “special silent movie soundtrack” set they were performing at Freshgrass. After the show they would head to their hotel in the foothills of the Adirondacks, in Utica. “We’re in the Finger Lakes now, how far are the Adirondacks?” she wondered aloud.

The evening ended as it had begun, with the room mesmerized by the Harvest Moon. In tribute of the full celestial moon, the band played a cover of the Neil Young tune that shared it’s name. A fitting finish to a perfect evening amongst the grapevines.

Setlists

Brooke Annibale: Like the Dream of It, Under Streetlights, Middle of the Mess, Alright, All Over Again, The Good Hurt, Patience, Remind Me

Aoife O’Donovan: Lay My Burden Down, Magic Hour, Stanley Park, Hornets, Magpie, Glowing Heart, Red & White & Blue & Gold, Beekeeper, Anyhow I Love You (Guy Clark), Diamond*, The Lakes of Pontchartrain* (Traditional), Donal Og (Traditional) > Porch Light, King of All Birds, Detour Sign, Oh Mama

Encore: Harvest Moon (Neil Young)
* O’Donovan solo

September 21, 2016
Aoife O’Donovan Coming to Geneva Friday Night

As a part of the Smith Opera House’s Club Series, Dan Smalls Presents brings Aoife O’Donovan to Ravines Wine Cellars this Friday night. O’Donovan is touring behind her sophomore solo effort “In the Magic Hour” released early this year, of which the New York Times wrote: “Sweetness and sadness find a tenuous balance in [her] voice — and in the songs on her second album…evokes the reverberant chamber pop observations of Grizzly Bear…[and] the lush austerity of Alison Krauss.” This week she also released a live album, “Man in a Neon Coat: Live from Cambridge,” which was recorded on one night this April at The Sinclair.

Singer/songwriter Aoife O’Donovan is best known for her work in the Boston progressive folk band Crooked Still. She has also been featured with Yo Yo Ma’s The Goat Rodeo Sessions and has made multiple appearances on Prairie Home Companion. At the top of picturesque Seneca Lake, at a beautifully sloping vineyard, amongst award-winning wines, there might not be a better setting to hear O’Donovan‘s sweet as honey vocals and airy harmonies.

Pittsburgh’s Brooke Annibale will open the evening showcasing her own evocative and timeless song craft. The music will get going around 8pm. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the Smith Opera House’s web site. Ravines Wine Cellars is located at 400 Barracks Road in Geneva.

September 13, 2016
Photo Gallery: Warren Haynes Brings The Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration To CMAC

On Thursday, August 4, Warren Haynes brought The Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration to Constellation Brands – Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua, NY. Photographer Jake Silco was on hand to capture the performance.

August 9, 2016
A Sober Saturday Night with Chris Young

Seeing an artist grow musically and gain fame over the years is truly amazing. Experiencing their headlining shows in a club is incredible, but as the sun set and the lights dimmed at the CMAC Amphitheater on July 2, Chris Young walked on that stage gleaming at a sea of his fans. A spectacular moment that induced goosebumps.

Tearing into his song “Underdogs” off of his latest album “I’m Coming Over,” Chris got the crowd going crazy, as his band’s riffs filled the amphitheater. Chris had three microphones set up, one in the middle of the stage and one on each side. This gave him the freedom to play his guitar and walk all around the stage interacting with the fans when he sang “Getting You Home.”

Chris performed more hits such as “Voices” and “Lonely Eyes,” which lead to the realization of how many hits Chris currently has on the radio. In between songs, Chris stopped to thank the audience several times making sure they knew that they were responsible for making his dreams come true.

About mid set Cassadee Pope, who opened for Chris, came out to sing their duet “Think of You.” The chemistry they have together on stage was simply mesmerizing. Chris and Cassadee sang in true duet form by facing each other and feeding off of each other’s energy to make the heartbreak of the song come to life. Once the song was over they embraced each other and Chris said, “Good Lord that girl can sing!”

From Chris’ stage presence, down to the way he interacts with his band members, shows how much he loves being a performer and musician. When Chris paused to thank his fans, he made it a point to introduce his band one at a time, treating the audience to solos.

Seeing Chris being so humble and sharing personal stories, shows that he is a great person as well as an entertainer. Before he performed “Who I Am With You,” Chris shared that he would be singing it at one of his friend’s wedding later this summer. He also shared a memory of having tickets on the lawn at a show with his mother in Murfreesboro, TN, where he grew up. Filling us in on his first gig, which was at a Mexican restaurant in Nashville, his payment was chips and a case of beer.

As the night went on Chris played “Aw Naw,” a ZZ Top cover, of “Sharp Dressed Man,” Keith Whitley’s, “When You Say Nothing At All,” “Neon,” and his latest single “Sober Saturday Night.” Ending the set with “I’m Coming Over,” Chris genuinely thanked his fans for making it his biggest hit that has changed his life forever.

After his touching “good bye”, the audience cheered bringing Chris back out to encore with “Save Water.”

[FinalTilesGallery id=’875′]

July 20, 2016
Kenny Chesney Leaves Audience Feeling Like Rock Stars at CMAC Stop

Thousands of members of the No Shoes Nation flocked to CMAC in Canandaigua to see their idol and leader Kenny Chesney on his Spread the Love tour. Kenny Chesney’s fans differ from other artist’s fans because they not only buy his music but are also buying and adopting his beach-bum lifestyle. You could sense this by the casual, easygoing vibe that filled the venue. People smiling with Coronas in hand made it clear that they were ready to unwind and let their workweek stresses melt away for the night.

Chesney himself made sure to let everyone know he was there to party by coming out onto the stage singing his hit “Beer in Mexico” while sporting his signature faded blue jeans, tank top and cowboy hat. All smiles, he welcomed the crowd’s cheers while going into another one of his hits “Reality.” He kept up the no worries beach vibe playing “Til it’s Gone,” “Summertime,” “Pirate Flag,” and “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems.”

Before playing “I Go Back” Chesney reflected on how many times he’s visited the area and said whenever the show is over at CMAC he always tells his crew that the rest of the summer has a lot to live up to because the crowd there is so great.

After a few more songs he brought out openers Old Dominion to perform “Save it for a Rainy Day,” a song the band wrote with him a few years back. Each member of the band joined in singing and playing with Chesney’s band and made the song a special treat for the audience.

Taking a break in between his hits, Chesney sang his new, more serious single called “Noise.” This song may not have had everyone singing along but it didn’t spoil the party mood.

Chesney threw in a cover of The Steve Miller Band’s “Space Cowboy.” He meshed this cover with Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds.” The set ended with his most well-known hit “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” and came back out for an encore with “Don’t Happen Twice.”

During his encore, Chesney brought a young girl on stage and he and Old Dominion signed a guitar to give to her. He also stayed for several minutes while the band played, signing autographs for lucky fans in the front, showcasing his love for his fans. Chesney also made sure to grab gifts that fans had given to him throughout the show including an old college fraternity composite that he was blown away by seeing. His appreciation for the signs, photos and other gifts from fans is another display of his true class act attitude.

Chesney performed for just over two hours and in that two hour span there wasn’t a moment he wasn’t beaming at his audience. He even had the venue light up the packed lawn so he could see each of his followers. You can’t argue with the fact that no matter where Chesney’s fans were in the crowd, he made sure to make each of them feel like a rock star for the night.

Setlist: Beer in Mexico, Reality, Til It’s Gone, Summertime, Pirate Flag, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems, Somewhere With You, I Go Back, Anything But Mine, Save It for a Rainy Day – (with Old Dominion),
Living in Fast Forward, Young, Noise, American Kids, You and Tequila, How Forever Feels, Big Star, The Joker – (Steve Miller Band cover), Big Star, Out Last Night, She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy

Encore: Don’t Happen Twice

[FinalTilesGallery id=’828′]

June 20, 2016
Marco Benevento Bringing Fred Short to Upstate New York

Marco Benevento, touring in support of his recently released half-concept/half dance-inflicted rock anthems album The Story of Fred Short, will make a run through upstate New York this week. Of the new album, the LA Times says, Marco “continues a rewarding effort to straighten his twisted sound into the guise of an indie-rock singer-songwriter, harnessing his inventive sonic palette into rewardingly bite-size pop songs that touch on disco and soul” while Boulder Weekly calls it “a swirling pastiche of deep grooves, buoyant pop filigrees and grinding old-school psychedelic reveries.”

Benevento has been keeping busy with sporadic dates in Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, playing with The Arcs and The Barr Brothers, and gearing up for the long-awaited reunion of the Duo. But his main focus has been his solo band, which features fellow JRAD-ian Dave Dreiwitz on bass and Andy Borger on drums. Seeing Benevento’s solo performances is to catch him in his element.

Starting on Thursday at the Montage Music Hall in Rochester, the band will continue to Hector at the Stonecat on Friday the 13th (watch out!) before hitting the Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo on Saturday night. Rochester’s own Mikaela Davis will open the shows with her gorgeous and unique harp-lead indie folk rock. And who knows, maybe she’ll even sit in with Benevento for a song or two, like she did recently in Brooklyn.

May 11, 2016
Falling Stars Fest at Boathouse Beer Garden

Boathouse Beer Garden will host the Falling Stars Fest on Thursday, June 30.

The Boathouse Beer Garden in Romulus is hosting the Falling Stars Fest, which features New Riders of the Purple Sage, Terrapin Flyer and Evil City String Band.

New Riders of the Purple Sage formed in the ’60s with Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead and Spencer Dryden of Jefferson Airplane as part of the band. They are seen as one of the pioneers of the country rock sound that took hold in the late ’60s with bands and artists like Bob Dylan, the Band and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Having retired in 1997, they reunited briefly in 2001 and were honored with a lifetime achievement award from High Times magazine. The band reunited with original members Buddy Cage and Dave Nelson in 2005 and have released two studio albums and a live album since the reunion.

Terrapin Flyer consists of Melvin Seals, a longtime member of the Jerry Garcia Band; Tom Constanten, former keyboardist for the Grateful Dead from 1968-70; and Mark Karan, a longtime member of Ratdog and guitarist for the Other Ones on their 1998 and 2000 tours.

The Evil City String Band is an old-time Appalachian string band from Ithaca.

Falling Star Fest starts at 6:30 p.m. June 30. Tickets are on sale now at an early bird rate of $25 through June 1, when they increase to $30. Tickets bought at the door will be $35.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwrqcQuZrTQ[/embedyt]

April 29, 2016
2016 March Madness – Elite Eight

We are into the fourth round of NYS Music’s March Madness 2016 and our field has been whittled down to just 8 bands from across New York State! This friendly tournament style competition runs through the month of March. Our goal is to bring new bands that you might not know about, but should, to your attention.

The last round was the closest ever with the widest spread being only 43% to 56% and a few races were separated by only 1 or 2%. Let’s hope this round proves to be equally as exciting.

We hit every corner of New York State from Long Island to Buffalo, The Catskills to the North Country and all points in between. NYS Music March Madness is a great way to discover a new and upcoming band and also to show your support and love for bands you see often. Established bands who have gained a larger audience are not included in this year’s March Madness. Instead, the bands who are on the cusp of greatness are the stars of this year’s tournament. There was only room for 64 but we made the tough choices and put in a wide variety for fans to choose from, there truly is something for everyone.

The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, Buffalo Iron Works, Funk n Waffles and The Waterhole each sponsored a regional bracket this year. And this round those brackets will each have their winner as we enter into the Final Four next week. These venues represent the best of what New York State has to offer and they celebrate music by allowing local and touring bands to perform for growing scenes across the state.

The Iron Works region finals are:

Blind Owl Band (jamgrass) vs Sly Fox and the Hustlers (blues funk rock)

Funk n Waffles final matchups are:

Waydown Wailers (roots rock) vs Folk Faces (folk jazz)

The Hollow Bar and Kitchen region has:

Sprocket (jam) vs Northern Faces (indie)

The Waterhole region finals give us:

Chris James & Mama G (Ameribeat) vs Big Mean Sound Machine (Afrobeat/dance)

Round 4, or the Elite Eight, voting begins at 12 noon EST on Friday, March 18 and closes at midnight on Sunday, March 20. Final Four voting begins at 12 noon on Tuesday, March 18 for the regional champions. Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!

[colorvote id=”27″ style=”wpcvp-poll”]

March 18, 2016
Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy Tour Makes 3 New York Stops

Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy announced that they will be play a short tour together, which will make stops in Port Chester, New York City and Canandaigua.

Guitarist Jeff Beck and bluesman Buddy Guy will co-headline the tour this summer. It kicks off July 19 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester and ends Aug. 10 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The tour includes stops at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City on July 20 and CMAC in Canandaigua on July 29. They also make a couple other stops in the Northeast at the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey on July 23 and the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey.

Jeff Beck, who replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds in 1965, has been a guitar powerhouse for the past 50 plus years. He credits blues great Buddy Guy as being a major influence on his career. Beck said in a press release, “Sharing the stage and this moment with Buddy is a dream for me. His concerts are legendary, and the music world would be a very boring place without his influence.”

In addition to the co-headlining dates, Jeff Beck is scheduled for a couple solo shows at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut on July 22 and at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. More dates for the tour with Buddy Guy are expected to be announced.

Jeff Beck/Buddy Guy tour dates:
July 19 – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
July 20 – Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
July 22 – Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, CT *
July 23 – Borgata Spa & Resort Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ
July 24 – Sands Bethlehem Event Center, Bethlehem, PA *
July 26 – PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
July 27 – Wolf Trap for the Performing Arts, Vienna, VA
July 29 – Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Perf. Arts Center, Canandaigua, NY
July 30 – Meadow Brook, Rochester Hills, MI
July 31 – Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL
August 3 – Ascend Amphitheatre, Nashville, TN
August 10 – Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA

* Jeff Beck solo show

March 16, 2016
The Sweet Sixteen of NYS Music 2016 March Madness

We are into Round 3 of NYS Music’s March Madness and our field is down to 16 bands from across New York State! This friendly tournament style competition runs throughout the month of March, bringing new bands you should know about to your attention.

These are bands you might not know about, but should know about. Recommended for inclusion in our field of 64 by the NYS Music staff, we hit every corner of New York State from Long Island to Buffalo, The Catskills to the North Country and all points in between. NYS Music March Madness is a great way to discover a new and upcoming band and also to show your support and love for bands you see often. Established bands who have gained a massive audience are not included in this year’s March Madness. Instead, the bands who are on the cusp of greatness are the stars of this year’s tournament. There was only room for 64 but we made some great choices and picked a wide array of genres to offer you competition.

We’d like to thank The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, Buffalo Iron Works, Funk n Waffles and The Waterhole for each sponsoring a regional bracket this year. These venues represent the best of what New York State has to offer and they all celebrate music by allowing local and touring bands to perform for growing scenes across the state.

Third round matchups in the Iron Works region include:

Stellar Young (Indie) vs Blind Owl Band (jamgrass)
Sophistafunk (funk hip/hop) vs Sly Fox and the Hustlers (blues funk rock)

Funk n Waffles third round matchups are:

Waydown Wailers (roots rock) vs Subsoil (psychedelic hip hop)
Folk Faces (folk jazz) vs Annie In the Water (acoustic rock)

The Hollow Bar and Kitchen region has:

Sprocket (jam) vs Let’s Be Leonard (jam)
Mister F (prog jam rock) vs Northern Faces (indie)

The Waterhole region brings together these matchups:

Super Killer Robots (rock) vs Chris James & Mama G (Ameribeat)
Big Mean Sound Machine (Afrobeat/dance) vs Formula 5 (funk jam)

Round 3 voting begins at 12 noon EST on Tuesday, March 15 and closes at midnight on Thursday, March 17. Round 4 voting begins at 12 noon on Friday, March 18 for the remaining 8 teams. Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!

[colorvote id=”26″ style=”wpcvp-poll”]

March 15, 2016