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Lespectacle 6.0 Returning to Brooklyn

On Saturday, November 5, lespecial will roll into The Paper Box in Brooklyn for the 6th annual “Lespectacle 6.0. ” The sixth installment of the annual throwdown will include performances by Supersillyus Lifeband, Ross Jenssen, Tsimba, and The Beatbox House in addition to lespecial’s two-sets of “death-funk” festivities.

The Connecticut based trio is sure to rage with their circus of talent for a late night in Brooklyn as the event is slated from 9pm until 4am. Keep an eye out for band member sit-ins during each performance as this lineup of artists cannot be contained! Tickets for “Lespectacle” are still available for a short time, but after the band’s killer 2016 Fall Tour, they won’t be around for long. You can purchase tickets here.

November 5, 2016
Nietzche’s Treats Buffalo to First ‘Folkfest’ Across Five Days Next Week

This Fall, Nietzche’s debuts their first ever “Folkfest,” a 5-day festival featuring 48 musical acts from Wednesday, Nov. 9 through Sunday, Nov. 13.

Folkfest is a follow up to a successful Jazz-Fest this past spring, and a new direction for Allentown and Nietzche’s that aims to bring together a wide range of musicians, including local faces and nationally touring acts.

Wednesday

Music will kick off on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. with Tyler Westcott and his trio performing gypsy jazz and old-time swing. The headliner on Wednesday, Folkfaces, will take the stage at 11:00 p.m. Folkfaces, a local Buffalo band, is known for their energetic, whiskey-drinking Americana music, fused with beautiful ballads. Music will go until 1:00 a.m., alternating sets between the main stage in the back, and the front barroom. Other acts on Wednesday include Sam Marabella & band, The Brothers Blue and Nickel City String Band.

Thursday

Thursday is a Singer-Songwriter Showcase, with 15 performances over the course of the night! Each set will be 20 minutes long, with music kicking off at 8:00 p.m. and going until 1:00 a.m. The showcase will feature new artists and well-known local faces to the Buffalo music scene, including Bobby Angel, Joe Bellanti, Jungle Steve, Jack Topht, and Jeff Goldstein.

Joe Bellanti

Friday

Friday will feature both local artist and touring acts, and will begin with a happy hour led by The Neville Francis Band. The Shelf Life String Band will kick the night off at 10:00 p.m. in the front barroom. Rear View Ramblers, the first headliner of the night, will then take the main stage at 10:30 p.m.

Rear View Ramblers draw inspiration for their sound directly from Buffalo, playing music that reflects “struggling days being young and broke, to playing music in Allentown and the Elmwood Village, to finding true love in a dive bar on the most random occasions.”

The Observers takes the stage at 11:30 p.m. in the front barroom, taking you on a journey of the human experience through music. The next headliner, nationally touring act, DiTrani Brothers, begins at 12:30 a.m. on the main stage.

DiTrani Brothers, Bobby and Walker, originally hail from North Bend, Washington, but began traveling coast to coast with their songs in 2013. Since then, the duo has evolved into a full band, complete with Dana Hubanks on washtub bass, and Eddie Gaudet on drums. Together, the band plays originals inspired by ragtime, Roma swing, and the traditions of these genres. After DiTrani Brothers, Friday’s music wraps up with a final performance in the front barroom at 1:30am from TCBand.

Saturday

Saturday’s festivities with the first headlining act of the evening, The Steam Donkeys, performing at 8:30 p.m. on the main stage. With a long and well documented history as one of Buffalo’s longest standing country rock/folk outfits, The Steam Donkeys have seen their fair share, with multiple national tours, album releases, and lineup changes since its formation in 1991.

Local acts Catskill Mountain Boys and Rob Falgiano continue the party, before headliner Tough Old Bird hits the front barroom at 10:30 p.m. Formed in Fillmore, NY by songwriting brothers Matthew and Nathan Corrigan, Tough Old Bird provides a blend of authentic folk and blues that create a vision of the rural landscape it comes from. The group features a mix of electric guitar, accordion, harmonica, and acoustics that provide a sound that is at once both ancient and modern.

Seth Faergolzia’s 23 Psaegz follows Tough Old Bird with a set at 11:30 p.m. on the main stage. Touted as the 2010 successor to Seth Faergolzia’s 13-year project, Dufus, 23 Psaegz carries on the warm, weird legacy of Dufus by “stretching the boundaries of musical experience with unmatched craze and care”. Although the group was originally formed to perform Seth’s puppet-rock-opera “23 Psaegz”, it carried on to eventually become a collaborative backing ensemble for Faergolzia’s web of musical endeavors.

After a performance in the front barroom by Twenty Thousand Strongmen, final headliner of the evening, PA Line, will wrap up Saturday night on the main stage at 1:00 a.m. PA Line exhibits an original performance with musical styles ranging from Mumford and Sons, to Simon and Garfunkel. Each performance aims to get the feet dancing and create intimate emotional connections between artists and fan.

PA Line

Sunday

After such a headliner-packed Saturday night, Sunday’s music starts in the early afternoon, with Michael Faltyn kicking off on the main stage at 2:00 p.m. Performers alternate between the front barroom and main stage until the festival concludes with the weekend’s final performance by Ann Phillippone at 6:00 p.m.

Ann Philippone

Singer-songwriters Kathryn Koch and Sam Sugarman will provide support for the headliner for the evening, Tiny Rhymes, who will perform at 5 p.m. on the main stage. Tiny Rhymes is a folk group that draws more inspiration from the classical, chamber, and indie worlds than the country of bluegrass realm of folk. On Tiny Rhymes’ song-writing abilities, Artvoice writes, “Some people like to write songs while others tell stories. Vocalist/guitarist Sharon Mok tells her audience a story. Her voice floats beautifully above the acoustic sounds of her ‘chamber-folk’ band only to be matched with the soothing sounds of cello and violin.” The group features members all classically trained, but remaining instinctive in their composition and arranging choices.

November 5, 2016
Hearing Aide: Spiritual Rez “Setting in the West”

This is not just a reggae album. This group of Boston, Massachusetts dwellers have created an in depth and diverse Jamaican roots album that stands out miles ahead of most contemporary bands alike. Setting in the West is the fourth album from Spiritual Rez since the birth of the band in 2002 and they’ve really nailed the niche they define themselves. Their sound is heavy on a powerful reggae sound, but it’s garnished with a number of genres, with hints of pop, rock and funk that set the sextet above most other reggae groups.

Each song is diverse and though each song is heavily rooted to a reggae groove, they manage to make the first two songs sound like two different bands. The first track, “Sober,” has the exact recipe for a reggae song, but the drums and bass line gives the song a certain power that isn’t found in most songs in that style. The tonality changes throughout the song so things stay interesting, instead of falling into a drone which some reggae songs tend to do. The sound is still sultry and lazy but a more prominent beat perks up the song while still holding the roots of the genre.

But then, “Red Room” comes on, and the listener is taken to a whole new world of pop beats. Featuring rapper Duddy B and loads of computer generated tones, this track sounds like something that would be played on today’s pop radio stations. There’s a hint of popping, staccato guitar riffs, but an almost complete delete of all other reggae influences. It’s still just as good as any other song in this collection, but might be a deal breaker for some listeners as well as “Tidal Wave” and “Digital Age.” There are still traces of the defining characteristics that made reggae sound the way it does, but the band is obviously trying to reach a greater audience. The producer of the album, Kenny Carkeet, a founding member of AWOLNATION, might explain the more pop based tunes, which was definitely a smart move as Spiritual Rez strives for greater recognition.

For those that may see these tracks as the band selling out, worry not because the majority of the tracks stick to a standard reggae formula, still dropping hints of dance, funk and rock into the mix, with “Bad Girl” and “Square Grouper” show casing the talents of the group. The spice of a reggae group is the horn line, with Quinn Carson (trombone) and Julian Dessler (trumpet) deserving much credit for making this band sound the way it does. Although there are countless reggae bands without such, the duo brings a more cultured and complex sound that helps separate this group from others. Of course, the talents of Toft Willingham (vocals), Ian “Meat” Miller (drums), Jesse Shaternick (bass) and Mohamed Araki (keys) are not to be undersold being the backbone of the group, setting up a solid and groove for every track.

Spiritual Rez will be spending some time in New York this year playing from Canton to New York City all this month. More info is on their website.

Key Tracks: Sober, Bad Girl, Square Grouper, Whisky

November 4, 2016
A Tribe Called Quest Makes Big Return with New Album and SNL Musical Guest Gig

For the first time since 1998, one of hip hop’s most influential groups, New York’s A Tribe Called Quest, will be releasing a new album Nov. 11 via Epic Records entitled We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service. The album can be pre-ordered here. The entire album was recorded at Q-Tip’s home studio in New Jersey.

Some of the major musical guests on this album include Andre 3000 of Outkast, Kendrick Lamar, Busta Rhymes, Jack White, and Elton John. The album was recorded just before Phife Dawg passed away back in March due to complications from diabetes.

Currently, there has been no official announcement of an upcoming tour to support this album, but is more than likely in the works.

NBC has just announced that the Tribe will make its Saturday Night Live debut Nov. 12 along with Dave Chappelle, who will also be making his SNL debut as host.

Check out the album artwork below.

November 4, 2016
Clutch uses Psychic Warfare to sell out Upstate Concert Hall

For a band that gets little to no radio play in the Capital Region front man Neil Fallon and the other members of Clutch had a sold out Upstate Concert Hall on its feet singing every word to every song Saturday night.

There was no light show and no gimmicks. Clutch is a straight forward kick you in the teeth rock band and that is just what they did as they ripped through their seventeen-song set. They opened the show with the crowd favorite “Burning Beard” and didn’t stop until the last song, “X-Ray Visions,” off their latest release Psychic Warfare.

Neil Fallon tells just as much of a story with his vocals as he does with his movement, like a king holding court with spastic movements and commanding vocals, he owns the stage every second he is on it. Fallon’s vocals as well as the rest of the band are just as crisp and clean live as they are on their recordings. You must see Clutch live to appreciate their genius.

Show openers Kyng are a solid three piece from Los Angeles who really got the crowd going. They tore through their eight-song set from their three albums. The crowd at UCH really responded to the band and they showed their appreciation by hanging out at their merch booth for much of the night.

After Kyng left the stage Zakk Sabbath, Zakk Wylde’s Black Sabbath tribute band, invaded UCH and played the music of the gods. I believe that there was just as much anticipation for this band as there was for Clutch. They tore through six classic Sabbath songs with the highlight of the night for me anyway was when they completely tore up “War Pigs.” If there was anyone to front a Sabbath tribute band the lead Berserker himself is more than capable to wear the crown that Ozzy possesses.

Kyng setlist: Burn the Serum, Trails in Veins, Pushing & Pulling, Pristine Warning, Self Medicated Man, Breathe in the Water, Electric Halo, Falling Down

Zakk Sabbath Setlist: Children of the Grave, Snowblind, Supernaut, War Pigs, Into the Void, Fairies Wear Boots

Clutch Setlist: Burning Beard, Decapitation Blues, Crucial Velocity, Noble Savage, The House That Peterbilt, Sucker for the Witch, The Face, A Quick Death in Texas, The Soapmakers, Firebirds!, Cyborg Bette, Power Player, Passive Restraints, Cypress Grove, X-Ray Visions, Encore: Spacegrass, The Wolf Man Kindly Requests…

November 4, 2016
Gregg Allman Announces Winter Tour Following NY Residency

Gregg Allman has announced his winter tour, which will officially kick off at the end of December in Savannah, GA at the Lucas Theater for the Arts and go through January 21^st in Macon, GA at the Grand Opera House.

Before hitting the road down South, Allman will be making a long stop in New York for his widely anticipated 10-night residency at City Winery, which will kick off this week on November 6^th and continue until November 19^th.

Per press release, Allman said, “I love coming to New York and staying a while. It feels natural.”

This year’s residency at City Winery is all the more anticipated, since his dates in New York sold out last year.

Following his stay in New York, Allman and band will do a two-night NYE run at the Lucas Theater for The Arts in Savannah, GA. The Lucas Theater is a beautiful, historic landmark; officially opened in 1921. The theater underwent an intensive restoration before it’s grand reopening in 2000.

Allman will hit Athens, GA on Jan 3-4 at the Georgia Theater; and then hit MS at the Beau Rivage Casino, LA at the Golden Nugget Lake Charles, a two-night run in Birmingham, AL at Iron City, before hitting another Mississippi casino, Horseshoe Tunica Hotel & Casino, and Chattanooga, Tennessee at the Tivoli Theater.

The band will complete its tour with a four-night run in Macon, GA at the Grand Opera House Jan., 17-21.

Allman was forced to cancel a number of dates this summer due to a bout with pneumonia. Now recovered, he has also hinted at the possibility of the Allman Brothers Band returning to the road after a two-year hiatus.

GREGG ALLMAN –WINTER 2016-2017

NOVEMBER

6 – New York, NY – City Winery

7 – New York, NY – City Winery

9 – New York, NY – City Winery

10 – New York, NY – City Winery

11 – New York, NY – City Winery

13 – New York, NY – City Winery

14 – New York, NY – City Winery

16 – New York, NY – City Winery

17 – New York, NY – City Winery

18 – New York, NY – City Winery

DECEMBER

30 – Savannah, GA – Lucas Theatre For The Arts

31 – Savannah, GA – Lucas Theatre For The Arts

JANUARY

3 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre

4 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre

6 – Biloxi, MS – Beau Rivage Casino

7 – Lake Charles, LA – Golden Nugget Lake Charles

10 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City

11 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City

13 – Robinsonville, MS – Horseshoe Tunica Hotel & Casino

14 – Chattanooga, TN – Tivoli Theatre

17 – Macon, GA – The Grand Opera House

18 – Macon, GA – The Grand Opera House

20 – Macon, GA – The Grand Opera House

21 – Macon, GA – The Grand Opera House

November 4, 2016
Phish Pay Tribute to David Bowie on Final Night of Vegas Run

There are many reasons to venture to Las Vegas – gambling, award winning restaurants, shopping, swank hotels, and of course, the numerous live shows that decorate the Strip. But it is rare that one band would attract 16,000+ fans to travel to Las Vegas for four nights of music and revelry throughout Sin City, and that is where the allure of Phish stands above and beyond others.

Arriving the night before the musical madness began, the air was electric with Phish fans peppering the hotels along the strip, heading to Brooklyn Bowl to check out The New Deal and The Disco Biscuits, and settling in for a very long weekend of music. There is so much that Vegas offers, so adding in a quality dinner with friends, hopping on the High Roller, partaking in the west coast only delicacy of In-n-Out Burger, renting a cabana by the lazy river at MGM or trying your luck at the tables were competing with preparing for Phish each night, for these are not shows you just show up to at 7:30 pm. Fans likely had packed schedules thanks to Phish each night and selecting what to do during the day thanks to this cornucopia of the usual Vegas offerings.

Yet when it’s getting close to showtime and you’re ready to wander through MGM Grand towards the Garden Arena, passing top notch restaurants and shops along the way, the energy becomes palpable and that familiar buzz that you only find outside a Phish show makes an appearance. You’ll find this in any city Phish plays in, but when you have one of the greatest live bands ever performing in America’s Playground, the experience is unique with vivacity and vibes that are truly sky high.

October 28th kicked things off with “Martian Monster,” and the next two nights that followed featured opening songs from the 2014 Halloween album Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House. A surprise set two opener of “Crimes of Mind” stunned the audience, while a 25 minute “Golden Age” took the cake as the jam of the night, with “Simple>Light” not far behind. Saturday’s show featured an hour long second set segment “Mercury > Piper > Scents and Subtle Sounds > Tweezer > I Always Wanted it This Way” that had no let up and brought out one song that was left off Big Boat (Mercury) and one new Big Boat track that fans had been clamoring to hear live (I Always Wanted it This Way.) Sunday’s first set was littered with energetic jam vehicles “Ghost,” “Chalkdust Torture” and “Stash,” while the second set “Down with Disease” and “Birds of a Feather” that opened the set took fans on a 37 minute psychedelic journey deep into Type II jamming. However the “Harry Hood > Have Mercy > Harry Hood” was the big surprise of the night, dropping a rarely played song (the first in 5 years) right in the middle of one of Phish’s oldest compositions.

Then there was Halloween. The popular rumor that was afloat for weeks beforehand, and even given some credence over the summer from those in the know was that Phish would perform David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, perhaps with an orchestra. When fans arrived, they received a PHISHBILL featuring the iconic cover of Bowie’s album, with each Phish band member’s face photoshopped onto Bowie’s over four separate bills. Fans dressed as Bowie took particular joy in seeing the cover, flipping the page open and seeing that yes, Phish was about to honor Bowie. High fives, gleeful smiles, joyful tears and utter amazement were seen in the faces of nearly all fans as they walked in with PHISHBILL in hand, prepared for music history to be made.

Halloween started with “Carini,” throwing fans off from the expected number off Chilling Thrilling, but “Your Pet Cat” followed to keep the theme running. There was not a moment in the set where things slowed down until “Petrichor” appeared late in the set, with mixed reactions throughout the crowd akin to the mixed reactions towards its inclusion on Big Boat. But the first set was just the appetizer; the second set was the meal we had waited all day to gorge on.

The entire performance of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, with six strings, three backup singers (Celisse Henderson, Jo Lampert and frequent collaborator Jennifer Hartswick) found Phish embracing the album fully and diving in deep for a performance that delivered in every way. Starting with a powerful “Five Years,” and ending with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide,” Phish poured everything into each of the 11 songs. “Starman,” with Mike Gordon leading on vocals, let the children boogie throughout the arena, arms outstretched and singing along with each word. Trey put down his guitar and put forth an impressive vocal performance on “It Ain’t Easy” with Jennifer, Celisse and Jo driving home the powerful tune, while Page stepped away from his piano for “Ziggy Stardust,” Trey nailing the solo and fans air guitaring and fist pumping through one of the most memorable tracks on the album. “Suffragette City,” soundchecked on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon earlier in October, was the most rousing number of the night, pure rock ‘n’ roll from start to finish. But the finale of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide,” sung by Trey sans guitar, was the most powerful number of the night, with the refrain “You’re not alone” sending waves of chills through the audience.

The third set brought out the heavy jams and pushed the envelope for fans dancing their way through the ninth and final set of the run. A dark “46 Days” led to “Sand,” which was followed by “Twist” that led to a drums segment with the full band surrounding Fishman’s kit and Trey on the marimba lumina. An 11-minute “2001” had hints of Bowie’s “Fame” and was the dance highlight of the night. Closing out the set was “Slave to the Traffic Light,” as good as you can get for a weekend closer, followed by an appropriate acapella encore of Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” with no follow up needed. Fans and musicians will look back at the Halloween show as a banner moment in rock ‘n’ roll history as one of the greatest live bands ever paid immense tribute to one of the greatest and most unique musicians ever.

Twist drums jam #phish

A video posted by pete mason (@phanart) on Nov 1, 2016 at 1:19am PDT

Setlists via Phish.net

October 28, 2016
Set 1: Martian Monster, No Men In No Man’s Land, Dogs Stole Things, Beauty of My Dreams, Destiny Unbound, Limb By Limb, Home, When the Circus Comes, Steam > The Wedge, Cavern, Walls of the Cave
Set 2: Crimes of the Mind, Golden Age > Simple > Light > Twenty Years Later > Blaze On, The Squirming Coil
Encore: Bouncing Around the Room, Bold As Love

October 29, 2016
Set 1: The Birds, Kill Devil Falls, 555, Roggae, Gumbo, Lawn Boy, Wilson, Maze, Wingsuit, More
Set 2: Mercury > Piper > Scents and Subtle Sounds[1] > Tweezer > I Always Wanted It This Way[2], The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Golgi Apparatus
Encore: Shine a Light > Tweezer Reprise
[1] No intro.
[2] Trey on Marimba Lumina.

October 30, 2016
Set 1: The Dogs, Ghost, Funky Bitch, Chalk Dust Torture, Army of One, Heavy Things, How Many People Are You, Stash, Theme From the Bottom > Suzy Greenberg
Set 2: Down with Disease[1] -> Birds of a Feather , Fuego, Miss You, Harry Hood -> Have Mercy -> Harry Hood > A Day in the Life
Encore: Character Zero
[1] Unfinished

October 31, 2016
Set 1: Carini[1], Your Pet Cat, AC/DC Bag > Free > Possum, What’s the Use? > Wombat, Tube, Wolfman’s Brother, Ass Handed, Petrichor > Run Like an Antelope[1]
Set 2: Five Years[2], Soul Love[3], Moonage Daydream[4], Starman[3], It Ain’t Easy[5], Lady Stardust[6], Star[5], Hang On to Yourself[5], Ziggy Stardust[7], Suffragette City[5], Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide[4]
Set 3: 46 Days > Sand > Twist[8], Meatstick > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Backwards Down the Number Line > Slave to the Traffic Light
Encore: Space Oddity
[1] Lyrics changed to reference Trey’s shirt.
[2] Phish debut; With Sylvia D’Avanzo, Alisa Horn, Todd Low, Antoine Silverman, Alissa Smith, and Hiroko Taguchi on strings; Trey on acoustic.
[3] Phish debut; With Sylvia D’Avanzo, Alisa Horn, Todd Low, Antoine Silverman, Alissa Smith, and Hiroko Taguchi on strings and Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, and Jo Lampert on backing vocals; Trey on acoustic.
[4] Phish debut; With Sylvia D’Avanzo, Alisa Horn, Todd Low, Antoine Silverman, Alissa Smith, and Hiroko Taguchi on strings and Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, and Jo Lampert on backing vocals.
[5] Phish debut; With Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, and Jo Lampert on backing vocals.
[6] Phish debut; Trey on acoustic.
[7] Phish debut.
[8] Trey on Marimba Lumina and Mike and Page on percussion.

November 3, 2016
moe. Treats Philly to a Tarantinoe. Dance Off

Tarantinoe. Halloweenoe. The Fillmore in Philadelphia hosted moe.’s annual halloween bash this past weekend, featuring two back-to-back nights of movie-themed fun. After last years epic Star Wars theme, the band and their crew knocked one out of the park with a celebration based on movies and characters of Hollywood writer/director, Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino‘s gruesomely violent and detailed story writing presented the band and crew with an incredible amount of inspiration for set lists, costumes, and stage design.

Leading into Friday evening, moe. held a special one-hour meet and greet at The Foundry, a smaller venue located above the Fillmore, giving fans a chance to hang out with the band and enjoy some of their signature Saranac Hoppy Hour Hero beer at special pricing, including some specialty cocktails named after a few of moe.’s songs. Shortly after, fans dressed in various character outfits began to fill the venue in anticipation for the party to begin. The stage, subtly dressed with red velvet crowd control rope, stanchion posts, and a popcorn machine gave the appearance of a movie theater. Some lucky guests in the front row were even treated to some buttery popcorn as they patiently waited.

Within moments, Vinnie, Chuck, Jim, Al, and Rob all appeared on stage dressed to impress as the five main Reservoir Dogs, with black suits, sunglasses, and narrow ties. Moe. then kicked off the two-night event with the popular surf tune “Misirlou” the opening song to Pulp Fiction, before playing an alternate version of their own song “Crab Eyes” called “Crazy 88.” The three front men did a miraculous job re-writing lyrics to their own songs to fit the story line of some of Tarantino’s most popular movies. Next up was “Django,” an original score by Al, which he recorded and submitted to the producers of the movie Django Unchained. Although the song was liked and considered for the movie, it never made its way to the final cut. Closing out the first set with a crowd pleasing “Stuck in the Middle” from Reservoir Dogs, the group followed with a simply altered yet hefty version of “meat,” titled “gimp.”

The best surprise of the evening was Vinnie Amico singing “Magic Carpet Ride” which segued into a lyrically altered “Bear Song” before reprising the ending of M.C.R. Dialogue samples from Pulp Fiction were in abundance both nights as “Buster” began with a conversation clip between Jules and Vincent Vega about how filthy dogs and pigs are. The dancing continued as the guys jammed into “Jazz Wank” with a slightly altered but tasty “Four” following before finishing the set with an energetic “Pussy Wagon.”

To everyone’s delight, Al appeared for his usual encore announcements dressed in a sparkly gold dress with matching blonde wig. The dress appeared to look quite uncomfortable as Al suggested that everyone give props to women, he then proceeded to blow the lid off of The Fillmore with “WooHoo” from Kill Bill and “Godzilla” to close out night one.

Night two exceeded expectations with better attendance, more costumes, and higher energy than the previous show. Front of House Sound Engineer Steve Young and the crew, did a smashing job on creating a visually and purposeful set which included a chopped up Cadillac, separated into two pieces. Repainted and polished, the front and back of the caddy lit up with color-changing LED lights while the headlights and brakes lit up in sync with different sections of the songs. Stuffed with a cooler full of beverages for the band, the trunk provided some fun entertainment. A camera linked to the video screen on stage hid behind the cooler capturing moments of the guys smiling, waving, and showing off their beer cans to the crowd. The immensely thought out detail also included personalized “moe.ron” license plates with moe. stickers neatly stuck to the bumper, two walls designed like Jack Rabbit Slims restaurant and Crown Pawn Shop from Pulp Fiction, and a window cutout that displayed the bands’ extra guitars like they were for sale. It was a job well done, for sure!

The first set began with “Battle Without Honor Or Humanity” from Kill Bill and without huddle, the group blasted into a power-driven “Annihilation Blues.” Bringing back the cool surf energy, the group played out The Centurions’ “Bullwinkle Part II”. Chuck cleverly changed “Shoot First” into “Shot Marvin,” before they rocketed through “CalifornIA,” and closed out the set with a thrilling “Head” turned into “ear.”

After leaving enough time to mingle, have a drink and hit the bathroom, the house lights dimmed and a hilarious video montage of the band acting out a murderous gangster scene entertained the audience until moe. emerged to the stage with new costumes, appearing as if they just committed the slaying backstage. While Jim and Rob simply added masks to their black suits, Chuck morphed into Jules Winniefield, Vinnie into Vincent Vega, and Al into Jackie Brown (once again wearing a dress). But the dress didn’t stop Al from firing on all cylinders that night, especially while singing “Girl You’ll Be a Woman Soon” to the solos in during the “Vinnie Vega” and “Budd.”

The funkiest dance number of the evening was “Jungle Boogie” which featured a collage of Samuel L. Jackson samples, interestingly timed by Jim. A laid-back instrumental jam helped the band lead into “Watching Pulp Fiction,” finishing up the last segue of the night. Starting with an audio clip from the movie, moe. rounded up the second set with “Kill Bill,” the altered version of “Billy Goat.”

For the last hurrah of the weekend, contestants for their “dance off” twisted around stage as the band played “You Never Can Tell,” to remake the iconic Jack Rabbit Slim’s dance scene. Audience cheered to whom they thought was the best, thus eliminating one pair at a time to become the winners of the grand prize, a band-signed bowling pin and their own table at the side of the stage to enjoy the last song. Moe. then finished off strong with a lengthy rocking “Recreational Chemistry” before thanking everyone they possibly could for making the weekend so special, especially the fans.

See the band-made video clip from the show on their Facebook page.

Friday Set – 10/28/16

I: Misirlou*, Crazy 88^, Cissy Strut, Django#, Stuck In The Middle**, gimp.^^

II: Magic Carpet Ride*** > Wolf Song^^^ > Magic Carpet Ride***, Buster > Jazz Wank > Four > Pussy Wagon^^^^

Enc: Woo Hoo****, Godzilla

* FTP (cover – Dick Dale) > Pulp Fiction
^ alternate lyrics Crab Eyes
# FTP (original – al. song)
** FTP (cover – Stealers Wheel) > Reservoir Dogs
^^- alternate version of meat.
*** FTP (cover – Steppenwolf) > Reservoir Dogs
^^^ alternate lyrics for Bearsong
^^^^ alternate lytics for Paper Dragon
**** FTP (cover – 5.6.7.8.’s) > Kill Bill

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Saturday Set – 10/29/16

I: Battle Without Honor Or Humanity* >(nh) Annihilation Blues, Bullwinkle Part II**, Shot Marvin^ > CalifornIA > ear.^^

II: Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon***, Vinny Vega^^^ > Rumble**** > Budd^^^^ > Jungle Boogie% > Watching Pulp Fiction#, Kill Bill#

Enc: You Never Can Tell%%, Recreational Chemistry

* FTP (cover – Tomoyasu Hotel) > Kill Bill
** FTP (cover – The Centurions) > Pulp Fiction
^ alternate lyrics to Shoot First
^^ alternate lyrics to head.
*** FTP (cover – Neil Diamond) > Pulp Fiction
^^^ alternate lyrics to Timmy Tucker
**** FTP (cover – Link Wray & His Ray Man) > Pulp Fiction
^^^^ alternate lyrics to Bring You Down
% FTP (Kool & The Gang) > Pulp Fiction
# alternate lyrics to Stranger Than Fiction
## alternate lyrics to Billy Goat
%% FTP (cover – Chuck Berry) > Pulp Fiction}

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November 3, 2016
Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds Soar in Syracuse

Prior to Saturday’s show at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater on October 29th, more than a few friends asked me, “what kind of music do Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds play?” Not one that prefers to pigeon-hole such a multi-talented band, I answered, “the good kind.” The band proved me correct, as the good kind covered a wide range from soul to blues, from rock to funk, from New Orleans to Memphis, from Motown to Muscle Shoals. In mere minutes, the Birds were sonically soaring and the crowd, both die-hard fans and first-time listeners, were hip-shaking their way to a memorable evening for all.

Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds have built a well-deserved loyal group of followers, dubbed “Party Fowl,” through frequent touring and high energy stage shows. The band’s return to the Westcott Theater marked their fifth Syracuse appearance in the last two years, and they ramped up their party reputation by playing in full Halloween regalia. The group was decked out as a chili pepper, pirate, pharaoh, banana, space cowboy, Zorro, and a nun the likes of which I never saw in my elementary school days.

Frontwoman Arleigh Kincheloe led the way, shimmying, sashaying, and practically skipping across the stage, seemingly incapable of standing still. She did manage to do so for an extended period, during her gorgeous rendition of an as yet unreleased song, “Matter of Time.” That song was a beautiful counterpoint just before the band segued from “Prison Cells” into a breakneck tempo version of the Ghostbusters theme. They followed that with a tease of the Addams Family theme during “Boogie Man.”

This is a polished group that clearly has fun playing music together and melds many different styles to form their sound, even paying tribute to Edvard Grieg’s moody “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” as the intro to “Who are You?” The rhythm section of Dan Boyden on drums and Josh Myers, in a pimptastic silver jumpsuit with ski goggles and a cowboy hat, kept the beat and bottom end steady. That allowed Jackson Kincheloe to exhibit his prolific harmonica skills, Sasha Brown to add savage guitar riffs, and Phil Rodriguez and Brian Graham to round out the sound with the punch of a brass section, on trumpet and saxophone, respectively. All of which formed a platform for Sister Sparrow’s powerful vocals and charismatic stage presence.

Sadly, this was one of the last five performances for the talented and entertaining Brown with the band, who announced last week that he will be leaving to explore other opportunities. The septet’s latest release, the live album Fowl Play, was released in March of 2016.

The evening began with a pair of forty-five minute sets from local musicians. Amanda Rogers opened the night with her own songs performed solo, on piano. Rogers selected tunes at whim from a songbook resting atop her keyboard. Her classical training shone through, with interesting chord changes setting the mood to her songs, and melodic runs showcasing her skills.

Following Rogers was Castle Creek, the performing entity fronted by Kim Monroe. This night, a shoeless Monroe played acoustic guitar in a four-piece outfit, accompanied by Nate Mansfield on acoustic guitar, John Jones on electric bass, and the ubiquitous Phil Leone on cajón box drum. Her own easy-listening songs with hints of blues music were mixed with popular covers including “Another Brick in the Wall,” and “Come Together.”

Prior to their encore, Arleigh Kincheloe turned to the Dirty Birds and said, “Okay. Let’s hit it hard.” The band counted off and tore into an explosive cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.” Any remaining non-believers in the congregation were converted. Following their last note, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds readily chatted with familiar faces, and fans both old and new, adding dozens of listeners to the Party Fowl flock, ready for the band to fly high once again.

Set list – Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Westcott Theater, Syracuse, NY 10/29/2016

Bad Love
Don’t Be Jealous
Make It Rain
Stereo
Borderline
Catch Me If You Can
Frankie
We Need a Love
Matter of Time
Prison Cells > Ghostbusters Theme
Boogie Man (with Addams Family Theme tease)
Mama Knows
Who Are You?
Millie Mae > Feel Like Funkin’ It Up (Rebirth Brass Band cover)
Sugar
Encore: Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin cover)

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November 1, 2016
Avenged Sevenfold Surprises Fans with New Album Drop, Pop-Up Shows

With the holiday season rapidly approaching, Avenged Sevenfold has decided to play Santa Claus, and give A7X fans an early Christmas present in the form of the band’s new seventh studio album The Stage. The music world was going crazy after the band’s virtual performance on top of the Capital Records building in Los Angeles on Oct. 27.

An announcement that the band was working on a new CD would have been great news, but with all the hints that A7X has been showing the past couple of weeks, fans had a feeling something huge was around the corner.

Others in the music business have released an album in this fashion before, but only through a digital media source. Avenged Sevenfold fans can head right out and pick up a physical copy of The Stage at any record store.

Since the announcement, Sirius/XM Octane has been playing tracks off the new album with intro’s by A7X frontman M. Shadows. Shadows recently had an interview with Sirius/Xm’s rock and metal DJ Jose Mangin, to talk about how the release came about.

Mangin showed some love to A7X for breaking the mold for an album release. He asked Shadows the reason why the band decided to go this route to release the new album:

There’s a million reasons, but I guess the most prominent reason would be just the lack of, you know, originality in the way people are releasing records these days. The internet is so quick, things happen instantly. When your parents have iPhones, and they know everything that’s going on, you know everyone is connected and you can do something like this and the word is gonna get out there. A lot of it has to do with our boredom of having to go through three to four singles before you get to the record release, and then three months later it’s finally out, and all the excitement is gone. We just wanted to give the fans the cherry on top right off the bat and just say, here it is. You thought that we were messing around for a year, but we’ve been working.

A lot of bands, you’re hearing what people are saying. You know their reviewing this, you’re hearing the vibe of the record before you even get to hear the music and that’s just wrong to me. Like I want people to make their own decision. Listen to the music and figure it out for yourself instead of being fed the press release. Like, this is what its going to sound like and it’s our favorite most melodic heaviest thing ever. It’s just so boring at this point.

After Mangin plugged all the ways on media you can hear the album, he wanted to confirm that fans could purchase a physical copy immediately from retailers. Shadows replied:

Well that’s the craziest thing, Props to Capitol Records for being able to pull that off. This is the first surprise release that actually has a physical release with it. You know when you talk about Radiohead or Kanye (West) or Beyoncé, it was all digital, but we’ve been able to sneak records into the stores. So you can go anywhere and pick it up now.

After joking with Shadows about hiding the new album with a fake cover or labels, Shadows confessed, “We definitely had some fake labels going around, and we also had (Chris) Jericho’s fake album title.”

A7X set up pop up shops in New York and Los Angeles over the Halloween weekend to celebrate the release and for fans to get their hands on some A7X merch.

The Stage Tracklist:

01. The Stage
02. Paradigm
03. Sunny Disposition
04. God Damn
05. Creating God
06. Angels
07. Simulation
08. Higher
09. Roman Sky
10. Fermi Paradox
11. Exist

October 31, 2016