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  • Taste of Country Music Festival 2016, Day Three: Jake Owen Fights The Cold To Close Out A Three Day Party

    The third day of the Taste of Country Music Festival 2016 kicked off around 1:30 pm on June 12th in Hunter, NY. Coming back to the mountain for the third and last day of the festival was bittersweet for me. On one hand, I was looking forward to seeing country super star Jake Owen perform. But on the other hand, I knew that once he finished his performance, the awesome three day Taste of Country festival would be over until next year.

    Taste of Country Music Festival 2016Despite the weather being fairly pleasant and warm the first two days of the festival, the third day of the festival had 40 mile per hour winds which made it feel more like a late fall NY day. At one point there even appeared to be snow flakes in the air. Needless to say, I immediately regretted not packing any sweatshirts or coats for what I assumed would be a blazingly hot three day summer music festival.

    The day started on the festival’s main stage with the up and coming country group, Outshyne. The group was started in 2007 in South Carolina by high school friends who had previously only participated in rock bands. The members of the group did not start to appreciate country music until after they had graduated High School and had grown into adulthood.  The group members site their main influences to be Merle Haggard, Lynyrd Skynyrd and John Mayer. Outshyne has a notable rock vibe to some of their music and has recently gained considerable ground on the country music scene, with their latest single “That Girl”. They had a country rock sound to their music that reflected their roots.

    Taste of Country Music Festival 2016Up next at around 3 pm was country music veteran, Neal McCoy who started his country music career in 1981 by winning a talent contest. Since then he has released 10 studio albums and 34 country music singles. This included three platinum albums, one gold album and seven top 10 country hits. I had never seen Mr. McCoy in concert, and did not know what to expect when the 58 year old took the stage. I was impressed with the amount of time he took interacting with the crowd, shaking his butt, and even jumping up and down. McCoy had more energy on stage than half of the younger performers that I have had the pleasure to photograph and his anecdotes made the crowd laugh and stay engaged throughout his performance.

    Taste of Country Music Festival 2016After a short break, Mr. “Buy me a Boat” himself, Chris Janson took the stage. Janson moved to Nashville when he was 19 years old, in 2005 to become a country music star. Like so many country stars of today he began his career first proving himself as song writer. His first hint of success came in 2012 when he wrote the Tim McGraw hit, “Truck Yeah”. But his dreams did not actually come true until, despite not being backed by a record label at the time, he came out with the song, “Buy Me A Boat”. He sent the song to country radio show host, Bobby Jones, who loved it and as a result played the song on his show. Following the exposure, the song became a favorite of country music fans around the country and jumped to the top of the country charts. The mega hit caught the attention of major record labels around the country and Janson was soon signed to Warner Music Nashville.

    Janson has a blue collar style and friendly demeanor that makes him a perfect country music star. Several times during the concert, Janson would break into energetic harmonica solos, announcing at one point, “are ya’ll ready to see how 135 pounds of skinny white boy can play this harmonica like you never seen?!” to cheers of the crowd. When Janson would play the harmonica, he would throw his entire body into the performance, swinging his arms and legs, dancing back and forth and truly enjoying every second of it. Janson even threw a few lines from Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark” and Hank William’s “Country Boys Can Survive” into his performance to keep things interesting.

    I was especially impressed with Janson’s latest single, a song that he wrote about his wife named “Holdin’ Her”. In the song, Janson tells the story of how he met his wife and how much love he feels when he hold’s his her in his arms. Off to the left of the stage, I could see Janson’s wife, Kelly Lynn Janson holding their beautiful infant son, Jesse Bo Janson in her arms (pictured in the gallery at the bottom of the page).  During several of the songs, I could see a smile come across Janson’s wife’s face as she watched her husband perform.

    Taste of Country Music Festival 2016Following Janson’s amazing set, I rushed over to the secondary, indoor concert stage of the festival to watch newcomer, Jake Worthington perform. The twenty year old, Texas native attempted to start his country music career in 2013, by auditioning for the fifth season of the NBC reality music competition show, “The Voice”.  Unfortunately, he was not chosen by any of the judges and did not make it on to the show.

    Worthington showed his resilience by coming back and trying out for the sixth season of the show. This time Worthington was chosen by three out of the four judges, including Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Shakira, but he unsurprisingly picked country music star, Blake Shelton as his coach for his show. Not only did Worthington make it on the show but he finished the season in second place. All three songs that Jake performed on the show became iTunes top 10 hits.

    Shortly after his success on the show, Worthington was signed to record label, W3 Entertainment and released his self titled debut album. Despite his young age, Worthington has a twangy, heartfelt, vintage country sound that reminds me of how country music used to sound decades ago. I would not be surprised to see him accomplishing great things in the industry in the coming years.

    At around 6 pm, I rushed back to the main festival stage to watch veteran country singer, Gary Allan begin his performance.  Allan has been performing since the age of 12, when he would tour country bars with his father’s band. He was offered a record contract at the age of 15, but was forced by his parents to reject the offer and finish high school. After high school, Allan spent several years finding his sound. At the age of 29, in 1996 he signed a contract with Decca Records. Since then, he has released 11 albums and has had four number one singles.

    While playing his set, Allan and his band solidified their country music star status by passing around a bottle of Jack Daniels. Allan has what I would describe as a great balance of modern pop country while still keeping some songs faithful to the original, old school, country music sound.

    Giving another newcomer a chance to shine on the secondary stage, up next was up and coming singer, Adley Stump. Like several other performers in this years Taste of Country Festival, Stump got her start on NBC’s singing competition reality show, “The Voice” and was on Blake Shelton’s team during the competition. Earlier this year, Stump was recognized with a Grammy Amplifier award, and was the featured music performer at the 2015 Miss USA telecast. I was truly impressed by the passion that Stump displayed during her performance. She kept a large smile across her face, dancing around, shaking hands with the crowd throughout the whole show.

    As a photographer, it was a challenge keeping up with her, but at the same time, when an artist loves what they do, they are also quite a bit more fun to shoot. You could tell that there was nowhere else that she would rather be at that moment. She played a mixture of country favorites and her own songs. I especially loved the upbeat, full of attitude song, “Like This” and the heartfelt salute to our troops and the families that support them from home “Stay At Home Soldier”. Her impressive vocal range also made it easier to feel the emotion behind her songs.

    Last but most definitely not least, Jake Owen took the main festival stage around 7:45 pm. Despite the images of warm summer days, beautiful beaches displayed on the large screen and fake palm trees on the stage behind Owen, a 40 mile per hour, freezing cold wind with some snow flurries made things feel like the concert was taking place in early November rather than early June. I was honestly shocked that I was seeing snow flurries in June. Before I traveled to Hunter Mountain, I was warned to expect crazy weather due to the altitude, so I packed a poncho and an umbrella. What I forgot to pack was a decent coat. Despite the cool weather, Owen’s performance kept the cooled crowd captivated with a memorable performance.

    Owen kicked off his set with the title track of his latest album, “American Love”. Despite the weather, Owen stuck to his tradition of performing in bare feet, and did not seem to be phased by the cold weather. At one point during the show, Owen jumped off stage and interacted with fans in the front rows. Owen showed the range of his talent by mixing some of his hits with the theme song from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Drake’s “Hold On We’re Going Home” and even “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce. Owen prefaced his hit song “Beachin’,” by laughing and saying “Who wants to go to the beach with me……in 40 mile an hour winds”. Owen closed out an amazing set and an unforgettable Taste Of Country Music Festival with his first number one hit, “Barefoot Blue Jean Night”.

    After three days of awesome music, extremely unhealthy yet delicious food, and meeting hoards of friendly country fans, Hunter Mountain had begun to feel like a second home to me. I always found it amazing how strangers who would ordinarily ignore each other in their normal day to day life, could become almost instant buddies during a music festival. There is something wonderful about a good concert that can take an ordinarily shy person and turn them into a “smiling, while singing at the top of their lungs” party animal. The environment created, somehow punches through the awkward/shy barrier that prevents strangers who have never met from becoming friends. I suppose that knowing that everyone around also loves country music, is great common ground to start on.

    During the festival, I met many very cool and interesting people. As I was in the crowd with my professional grade Canon 5D Mk III taking some pictures of the concert, a short woman in a gray cowboy hat, who reminded me of my grandmother, yelled at me and with a big smile across her face, asked me if I would take a picture of her and her friends. I smiled and agreed, she pulled a small drugstore disposable camera out of her pocket and dropped it on the ground, she picked it up and handed it to me. Looking at the cardboard covered camera, I smiled and offered to use my own camera. That is the way I met Santa Bellino, Jessica McGraw and Paul Campione Jr. who traveled from Staten Island, NY to enjoy the festival (pictured below).

    Over the three days of the festival, I also met a group calling themselves the Taste Of Country Family. The group started in 2014, during the second annual Taste of Country Music Festival with 4 people from Marlborough, Massachusetts, John Trotta, Danielle Trotta, Britney Hisman and Bethany Hisman. Since then, the group has grown every year and now includes over 31 people from New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Rhode Island and New Jersey. Each year of the festival, the group creates a community of tents at one of the official Taste of Country camp grounds and spends the weekend partying and enjoying country music.

    In addition to the concerts which usually don’t start until after noon, a typical day includes a campfire breakfast (with mimosas), drinking games, and later at night sitting by the camp fire singing songs while one of the group members, Tyler Senecal, plays the guitar. This year they even had group T-shirts with the phrase “BEER CAMPIN & COUNTRY MUSIC” made for the group. I find it amazing that this festival was able to bring all of these strangers together over the years and in my opinion this group embodies what the Taste Of Country Music Festival is all about.

    The 2016 Taste of Country Music Festival was an amazing experience and I look forward to coming back next year, as a reporter or even just as a country music fan. As of this writing, two major headlining artists have been announced for the Fifth Annual, 2017 Taste Of Country Music Festival, Jason Aldean and Sam Hunt.

  • Reed Mathis Resurrects Beethoven in Buffalo

    Bassist Reed Mathis is embarking on a new adventure. His album, Beathoven, just out September 30, features nine different trios tackling his rearrangements of Beethoven’s 3rd and 6th Symphonies.

    But the true nature of the project is the live band, with Jay Lane (Primus, Ratdog) on drums, Todd Stoops (RAQ, Kung Fu) on keys, and Clay Welch, a young guitarist who literally honed his craft while following Mathis’ old band Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. As Mathis explained before leaving the stage at set break, Beethoven’s music was conceived from improvisation and was heavily improvised on when Beethoven himself performed. Mathis felt it was time to take the music out of the museum, dust off the 200-year-old masterpieces, and get back to the true spirit of the original music. So he is taking it on the road for a couple of years with his new band, to resurrect the life of the long-dormant spirits. They stopped at the Iron Works in Buffalo during their short tour surrounding the release of the album.

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    Writing good songs has long been a crutch for many jambands. Many rely on playing lots of cover material, some exclusively so. Though if you are going to do that, you might as play material from one of the greatest composers of all time. Beethoven’s original music served as a mere blueprint, an inspiration, and a launching off point for what became deep dives into massive exploratory soundscapes. The first piece they played, the 3rd movement of the 3rd Symphony, aka “Rebirth,” clocks in just over five minutes on the album. Live, on this night, it ran 45 minutes. Their jams flowed from theme to theme, each taking on a life of it’s own before dissolving or sometimes abruptly shifting into the next. This constant movement kept the long-windedness feeling remarkably shorter, easily digested and invigorating.

    The quartet played wonderfully off of each other, under the direction of Mathis, who belted out instruction now and again. Encouraging for more of the same when he heard something he liked, calling for a change when it was time to move on, etc… At one point, during the second composition, he almost brought the music to a stop as he took a survey of those on stage and all in attendance if they liked the last bit they had played. It was something new they were testing out. Moments like these and the freshness of the music to both the band and audience, gave the concert a feeling of an intimate dress rehearsal. It felt like we were in on the ground floor of something big.

    The music wasn’t just electric, but eclectic as well. Each member brought a full arsenal to the table. Mathis’s bass could hold the groove or step up and become the lead in any number of unique sounds he could conjure from his numerous pedals. Lane’s drumming, highlighted often, was a constantly moving rumble rolling the music forward with a controlled chaos of bops booms and crashes. Stoops could fill in every empty space with swirls of organ or take the lead in mystifying runs through Beethoven melodies on a variety of keyboards. Welch’s guitar was the line that tied through it all, jawing directly with Mathis, dancing with Stoops’ plinks or crunching out rhythms along with Lane, all the while, never devolving into self-indulgent soloing. It was some high brow jamming, or as Mathis calls it, CDM (Classical Dance Music).

    If you’re wondering what Ludwig himself would think of it all, you need look no further than his infamous trip to San Dimas in 1989. He would love it of course! And so did we.

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  • Hearing Aide: Electric Beethoven’s “Beathoven”

    cover-reedmathis-beathoven_optReed Mathis has a lengthy resume as a bassist in the jam scene as a member of Tea Leaf Green, a touring member of Billy & the Kids and longtime part of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. Seems like he doesn’t take a break in his schedule.

    Recently, while on the road, he decided to rearrange a few of classical composer Beethoven’s symphonies, “Symphony No.3” and “Symphony No. 6.” When finished, Mathis pieced together an incredible lineup of other musicians, and recorded them by traveling all over and record the music in its natural environment. Page McConnell and Mike Gordon, of Phish, Marco Benevento, Matt Chamberlain, Joe Russo, Robert Walter and Mike Dillon are some of the cast Mathis recruited for an album that really re-imagines Beethoven in a modern — and proggy, jammy — way.

    The result is Electric Beethoven, and their debut album Beathoven track “Awakening of Happiness,” featuring Russo and Luke Bolla, answers any question you’ll have about what the band sounds like, as the piano-heavy track melds rock and blues aspects, as well as a little psychedelia, with the noticeable Beethoven composition sound. Andrew Barr and Steve Pryor are featured on “Scene by the River,” before Galactic drummer Stanton Moore and Jared Tyler take over a danceable “Rain Dance.”

    The appetizer of “Shepherd’s Dog” (McConnell and Jason Smart) pairs perfectly with the main course, “In Memory of a Great Man” (Gordon and Russo.) The sometimes jazzy, sometimes trippy “Funeral March” (Benevento and Chamberlain) make up a powerful middle of the order combination, which stands out as the most interesting interpretation on the recording.

    “Rebirth,” featuring the Barr Brothers, and “Finale” (Moore and Walter) close the album with two numbers filled with jazzy guitar lines, intricate piano parts and a dash of some down south funk.

    If you didn’t know who Beethoven was or were unfamiliar with his catalog, you wouldn’t mind in any way. Mathis manages to turn music you focus on into music you boogie to, without losing even a shred of integrity from the original compositions. If this album is any indication, this band is going to see its moment in the sun on the festival circuit in the next few years.

    The band performed last week at the Catskill Chill, and are currently out playing a string of dates in support of the new album.

    Beathoven tracklist

    1. Awakening of Happiness (feat. Joe Russo & Luke Bolla)
    2. Scene by the River (feat. Andrew Barr & Steve Pryor)
    3. Rain Dance (feat. Stanton Moore & Jared Tyler)
    4. Thunderstorm (feat. Matt Chamberlain & Mike Dillon)
    5. Shepherd’s Song (feat. Page McConnell & Jason Smart)
    6. In Memory of a Great Man (feat. Mike Gordon & Joe Russo)
    7. Funeral March (feat. Marco Benevento & Matt Chamberlain)
    8. Rebirth (feat. Brad Barr & Andrew Barr)
    9. Finale (feat. Stanton Moore & Robert Walter)

    Key Tracks: Rain Dance, In Memory of a Great Man, Funeral March

  • Watch The Big Takeover’s “Come Before Five” Video

    The Hudson Valley’s The Big Takeover has released the official video for “Come Before Five,” the upcoming single on their upcoming album, due out in January. Lead singer and songwriter neenee Rushie says the song is “about a girl waiting for something she knows she’ll never get.” Directed by Liz Paradise & Zach Thomson, the video was filmed at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, NY.

    Big Takeover Love Understands come before five In the next month, the band is playing throughout New York State, including October 1 at Snugs in New Paltz, Damn Sam’s Harvest Fest on October 8 in Lauren, NY, The Liberty in Rhinebeck for a special Halloween show on October 29, and a very exciting New Years show announcement forthcoming.

    Video credit: The Big Takeover (c) 2016 and Big Takeover Production (BMI)

  • Initial Lineup for Pre and After Parties for Phish NYE Run Announced

    CEG Music has announced a string of pre- and after-parties for the four-night New Year’s run at Madison Square Garden in NYC.

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    On the first night of the run, you can catch a late-night set by Thankful for Amy at the Cutting Room on 44 E 32nd St. Thankful for Amy is a nine-piece all-star tribute to Amy Winehouse, featuring talented singer/songwriter Elise Testone, also known for being an American Idol finalist, joined by members of Trey Anastasio Band, Snarky Puppy and more. 

    Thursday, Dead Sessions performs at the American Beauty Bar, located on on 251 W 30th St., before and after the Phish show. Dead Sessions is a 16 year long project known for its authentic and unique renditions of Grateful Dead classics that features a rotating cast of musicians. In the past, members have included artists from big names like TAB, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, and Assembly of Dust.

    On Friday Dec. 30, The Marcus King Band will do an after-party at the Cutting room. Marcus King is a young phenomenon with dazzling music ability and style that he describes as “soul-influenced psychedelic southern rock.” This is only improved by members of his band, as they “[broaden] his sound, touching upon everything from funky R&B to Southern soul and Americana in the process.”

    Finally, on New Year’s Eve, catch Holly Bowling at the Cutting Room, for a pre-party prior to the Garden party. Bowling is a talented pianist rapidly growing in popularity due to her impressive renditions of beloved songs by Phish and the Dead, which she transforms into solo piano interpretations. Snarky Puppy will be playing at the Irving Plaza, for an after-party that is not to be missed. Celebrate the new year with this talented ensemble of an array of musicians, as they take you on a journey of an eclectic, unclassifiable jazz/funk/global collective. Snarky Puppy is a 2014 Grammy Award winner for “Best R&B Performance,” and was nominated in 2016 for the “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.”

    More shows are to be announced. NYS Music will bring you updates as the announcements come.

    For more information, visit the official Phish After-Parties website.

  • Slick Rick’s Coming Home Tour

    London born and newly naturalized U.S. citizen hip-hop legend Slick Rick will begin his “Coming Home Tour” in the United Kingdom on Friday, November 25, 2016, at Mantra in Manchester. The tour will continue the next night at 02 Forum in London, followed by stops at 02 Academy, Bristol on Sunday the 27th, Birmingham’s 02 Institute on Monday the 28th, and The Sugar Club in Dublin, Ireland on Tuesday the 29th, before concluding in Brighton at the Concorde 2 on Wednesday, November 30. Not only is this a homecoming for the rapper from Mitcham, Surrey, it’s his first ever UK tour. For tickets and tour information, visit Rick’s website.

    slick rick tourSlick Rick is known the world over for his glamorous accessorizing, which has often included capes, robes, crowns, extensive jewelery, and his celebrated eyepatch, but truly it’s the lasting cool of his landmark raps that affirms his status as pop pioneer and hip-hop icon. Timeless ballads “La Di Da Di” and “The Show,” have been sampled over 700 times combined, influencing musicians from every generation since their release, including the likes of Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Kanye West, Nas, TLC, Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, and the Beastie Boys.

    DJ Kaos and the Rickettes will accompany Rick the Ruler on the Coming Home Tour, which comes in wake of a 23-year battle with the United States Immigration Bureau that kept him from traveling abroad. For more on that story, click here.

    Slick Rick is on Instagram @therulernyc, Twitter @therulernyc, and Facebook SlickRick.

    Tour Dates:
    Nov. 25 – Mantra – Manchester
    Nov. 26 – 02 Forum – London
    Nov. 27 – 02 Academy – Bristol
    Nov. 28 – 02 Institute – Birmingham
    Nov. 29 – The Sugar Club – Dublin, Ireland
    Nov. 30 – Concorde 2 – Brighton

  • Hearing Aide: Dave Keller “Right Back Atcha”

    Northeastern blues can be heard echoing from the mountains of Vermont in Dave Keller’s new album Right Back Atcha. The September 23 release date came just a day after the start of fall and his lyrics are symbolically vibrant with a colorful spirit and a life-changing attitude.

    dave kellerRecorded in the Green Mountain State, Keller recruited a 3-piece horn section, two backup vocalists and a small string ensemble to collaborate with his usual members of The Dave Keller Band. The diverse talent was used right off the bat in “It’s Time You Made Up Your Mind,” which serves as the opening track and the lone cover on the album. Willie Clayton originally brought the song to the studio during the peak of his funk-soul era in 1974 and much like Keller, Clayton didn’t see much in the way of commercial success or critic recognition until he was ripe into his 40s. Keller tips his hat to the roots he knows best while adding his own modern blues sound to this underplayed gem.

    Title track, “Right Back Atcha” has a very seductive brass and bass combination highlighted by Jessica Friedman’s baritone sax. Although the lyrical structure is very inventive, I found the song somewhat off putting, as I know that Keller is around the same age as my father and singing about his sexy time with a woman.   The album artwork on the back of his LP lets us know Keller is still getting freaky and his not-so-subtle innuendos complete the picture. Putting my personal issues with the song’s story behind, Keller nails his silky guitar solo and gets some help from the backup vocalists to bring this sonic, sweaty bang to a finish.

    After the most provocative track on the album, Keller hits us with his first love ballad entitled, “Deeper Than The Eye Can See.” Original band member, Ira Friedman, warms the tune up with a soft piano introduction before Keller gently harmonizes with the female backup singers. This lyrically and vocally soulful composition is reminiscent of Van Morrison’s “Tupelo Honey” and will leave you feeling all the feels the same way Van the Man does.

    “Circles” clocks in as the longest track of Right Back Atcha, which allows time for the Hammond B3 organ to really drive home the profound message. If “Deeper Than The Eye Can See” is Keller’s way of expressing the beauty of being in love, “Circles” tells the tale of how shitty life can be during the confusing parts. He lets his guitar solo do the crying as Friendman’s B3 steals the show during this deep-rooted blues piece.

    Vermont may one of the least populated states in the country, but that doesn’t prohibit their bands from getting funky. While Keller’s subject matter may be geared towards an older crowd in terms of the over-the-hump, post mid-life crisis topics presented in the lyrics, I can still get down with the eclectic musical arrangements he brought to the studio. This isn’t the type of album that someone in their twenties would throw on during a party, but give me twenty more years of experience and Right Back Atcha may be found on my iPhone 17 shuffle.

    Key Tracks: Right Back Atcha, Circles, You Make It Easy

  • Catskill Chill Closes out Summer at New Minglewood

    Catskill Chill rounded out the New York summer festival season September 24-26 with a stacked line-up and a new location.   Moving just a few miles from its former location in Hancock, NY, the Catskill Chill found a new home this year in Lakewood, Pa. Previously held at Camp Minglewood, this year the Chill found its new home at New Minglewood and included an extra day of camping and more music.

    The festival’s inaugural Thursday night pre-party was a great addition to the weekend. Twiddle highlighted the evening with two sets including a sit-in with Scott Hannay of Mister F.  Although the turn out for the night’s first two bands, Aqueous and Jimkata, was light, the packed house for Twiddle verified that many festival goers had taken advantage of the Thursday night ticket.

    Arriving early had more benefits than just the music.  Many festival attendees enjoyed the ability to set up camp and explore the grounds before the barrage of attendees arrived on Friday.  “The best part of the Thursday ticket was being able to get the choice camping spots.” Jennifer Bliss of Saratoga Springs, NY told NYS Music. “It was also nice to have our camp ready to go, so that we could really enjoy the music on Friday.”

    Mike Gordon drew the largest crowd of Friday Night to the main stage. Among the songs performed, the Phish bassist debuted “Let’s Go,” a tune generally reserved for a Phish set list. George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic also enjoyed a great turn out, many of whom had never seen the master of funk live.  “I had only heard the name George Clinton, but didn’t really know what he was about.  Thinking about it, that set might have been my favorite of the weekend.  I liked that Chill has artists like that on their line-up,” noted Brian Thomas of Cleveland, Ohio.

    Catskill Chill

    Other much talked about sets on Friday night included Pink Talking Fish and Pink Talking Fu. The Pink Talking Fish set included a variety of Phish, Talking Heads and Pink Floyd with a sit-in from Kung Fu’s Tim Palmeri on “Great Gig in the Sky” and “Crosseyed and Painless.” The B Stage was turned into a dance party during Pink Talking Fu (Pink Talking Fish and Kung Fu.)  The two bands highlighted the music of David Bowie and Prince in a tribute set that featured both top 40 hits and beloved deep tracks. Shira Elias of Turkuaz and Hayley Jane both sat in for vocal performances throughout the set.

    Friday’s sleeper sets included music by Funky Dawgz Brass Band, Mister F and Goldfish.  All three bands are well worth seeing and turned out amazing performances.

    Saturday’s main stage was highlighted with an assortment of musical styles that kept the variety going throughout the day. Ryan Montebleau, Cabinet and Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass added an element of relaxation and chill while Lettuce and Particle were funky and dance worthy.

    The B-Stage popped off thanks to sets from Turkuaz and Tauk. Formula 5, Big Something and the Magic Beans all generated note-worthy buzz at their various sets on Saturday as well.

    Saturday was the day of tribute sets, providing a plethora of familiar music performed by some of the festivals most beloved artists.  Fikus and Shwizz came together to perform as Shwikus Plays the Beatles, while the Heavy Pets played the 80’s and Lespecial paid tribute to Primus.

    “I just loved all of the tribute sets at Chill,” mentioned Nick Augustine of Silver Springs, MD. “Every one that I saw was executed perfectly!”

    The most intriguing set of the night went to Turbine, whose RadioDead set was at times mind twisting and enigmatic. The concept –  Radiohead songs played in the style of the Grateful Dead and Grateful Dead songs played in the style of Radiohead.  Turbine did a stellar job of translating the songs into the respective styles, so much so that many attendees couldn’t quite wrap their heads around what they were hearing.  “Wait, is this Radiohead or the Dead?” was overheard often during the set.

    For the second year in a row, members of Dopapod and Turkuaz brought the house down during their tribute set, this year with a tribute set to the preppie-loved classic soft rock of the 80s known as Yacht Rock.  The set was fun, campy and executed with perfection. It’s a nod to both groups of Berklee trained musicians, as they take such care with music that could otherwise be dismissed.  Somehow they find a way to celebrate not only the music, but the production quality that feels like you are square in the middle of a musical time capsule.

    Josh Schwartz (Turkuaz) receives MVP nods for his spot on vocal tribute to soulful baritone Michael McDonald. However, Rob Compa who tackled vocals on the Eagles classic “Hotel California” as well as the entire Dopakuaz crew wins honorable mention during a production perfect version of the song. The set also included the most “had to be there” moment as Dopapod bassist Chuck Jones took to the Chill Fam seas with a stage dive and crowd surfing adventure.

    The Chill Fam All-Stars tribute to Michael Jackson was another highlight of the night, however, many festival attendees were turned away as the Late Night Hall was packed to capacity before the music even started.  However, despite not everyone being able to attend, the set was highlighted by the vocals of Elise Testone, whuch were a milky and smooth compliment to the original. The Chill Fam All- Stars included Eric Gould (Pink Talking Fish); Adrian Tramontano and Robert Somerville (Kung Fu); Shira Elias, Chris Brouwers and Michelangelo Carubba (Turkuaz); Danny Mayer (Eric Krasno Band); Steve Molitz (Particle) and Robert Volo on trombone (Deep Banana Blackout).

    Sunday’s Main Stage was highlighted by performances from Dopapod, Greensky Bluegrass and Electron.  Although the festival grounds and attendance at sets appeared to begin to thin out by Sunday afternoon, festival goers that stuck it out were also treated to great performances by Perpetual Groove, Tom Hamilton’s American Babies, The Werks and Broccoli Samurai.

    Sunday’s most noteworthy performance went to Pigeons Playing Ping Pong.  They made the most of their two sets, including a two-hour cover set late night at Club Chill. The set was one of the most sit-in heavy of the weekend including performances by Tom Hamilton, Shira Elisa (Turkuaz), Steve Molitz (Particle), Elise Testone, and Rob Somerville (Kung Fu).

    The New Minglewood grounds felt like home for many Catskill Chill veterans. The added facilities of more “play areas” including the basketball courts by the B-Stage created a fun vibe that more people plan on taking advantage of next year.  Wins for the new location included closer parking to the camping grounds, more common areas and the B-Stage, whom many felt housed the best music and sound of the weekend.

    However, despite the great sound at both the main stage and the B-stage, many festival attendees found themselves hanging outside both Club Chill and the Late Night Hall due to the facilities acoustics.   “It was really loud in both the indoor venues,” noted Mike Dustin of Allentown, PA, “For the most part, we chose to just sit outside and listen there.  It just literally sounded like we were watching music in a high school gym.  So much of the sound quality was lost.”

    Most of this year’s attendees agreed that the cabins, vendors and security were in sync with previous years.  However, it was noted by several folks that this year the port-a-potties in the camping areas could have used much more attention, as the usual daily cleanings of the facilities seemed to have been missed in at least one location.

    As the weekend’s attendees packed up and returned home, most were happy with the new location and the line-up. But beyond that, it was the Chill Fam vibe that most were pleased to be a part of.  “Chill is my favorite festival – hands down,” said Kelly Kepler of Portland, Maine. “I was scared that this year would be different, that changing the location would mean all the things we loved about Chill would be different. Honesty, I think it was better.  It was a great way to bond with new people because everyone was on even ground. It only made our little Chill family stronger.  I can’t wait for next year!”

  • One Night in Buffalo with Quilt and Mutual Benefit

    Two underappreciated indie-rock bands made a stop at Mohawk Place in Buffalo on Saturday night. Mutual Benefit opened the evening with the ambient instrumental “Madrugada,” also the lead track off of their latest release, Skip a Sinking Stone. Members switched between guitars, keys, flute and melodica to create the soundscape that served as the perfect introduction to their set, a pleasant drift into the dream state.

    As it dissolved into “Skipping Stones” (as it does on the album), the opening lyrics, “You are the first thing I see / When I open my eyes when I wake from a dream” reinforced the dream-like quality of the music that would envelope the room for the next 40 minutes. It was two guitars, bass and drums. Nothing too unusual, save some flute here and banjo there and a drum kit composed mostly of hand drums, but together they formed a blanket of sound, soothing, mellow and beautiful. It was the soundtrack of your most pleasant and colorful dreams. The songs drifted in and out of nothing, and like your subconscious thoughts, once the next began the last became a distant nearly forgotten memory. Each song existed wholly in the moment. img_20160924_204736651

    “What’s today, is it Thursday?” asked lead man Jordan Lee. It was Saturday. “For us, every day is Thursday, it’s a blessing and a curse.” The set closed with their most energetic number, “Golden Wake,” again with the all too appropriate line, “We woke for golden morning hours / Just to soak in all the power.”

    With our minds sufficiently relaxed and pliable, Boston’s Quilt emerged to knead and massage our mental state into the trippiness of 60’s psychedelia. There is a sound that resides in the musical real estate between “Taxman” and “Crimson and Clover.” They find plenty of room to explore the landscape therein though, showing their influences but sounding fresh and original all the same.img_20160924_220327590

    The quartet that started as a trio had grown to a quintet, with keyboardist June West joining guitarist Shane Butler, guitarist Anna Fox Rochinski, drummer John Andrews and bassist Keven Lareau. They opened with the enchanting “Passersby” off of their early 2016 release Plaza. Throughout the set, composed fairly democratically between their three albums, it was apparent that what set them apart was the incredible songwriting and unique and various vocals. They have a knack for “discovering” new music that seems to have existed forever. Familiar, yet exciting and new. Rochinski, Andrews and Butler all shared vocal duties, harmonizing in pairs and altogether, both syncopated and out-of-sync, injecting a variety of different elements and surprises through their voices alone.

    During extended improvisations, notably the early set “Saturday Bride” and late set “Secondary Swan,” like oil in a lava lamp, the music oozed slowly up and around themes, collapsing into itself and reforming into something different but similar. The environs did nothing to aid in this mental transportation, a dive bar with limited lighting, dark and overpowering backdrop, and disappointing crowd threatened to cut off the escape. But the music powered through.

    “Is it Sunday?” Rochinski inquired. “No? Well it feels like Sunday.” It was in fact, most definitely still Saturday. It must be tough to keep track though, whether touring in a dream state or a time warp. No matter, that night was the right time to partake in a little bit of both, via Quilt and Mutual Benefit.

    Setlists

    Mutual Benefit: Madrugada > Skipping Stones > Closer Still, Let’s Play / Statue of a Man, Lost Dreamers, ?, Strong Swimmer, ?, Advanced Falconry, Golden Wake

    Quilt: Passersby, Young Gold, Saturday Bride, Eliot St., Roller, Searching For, Arctic Shark, Hissing My Plea, Penobska Oakwalk, Secondary Swan, Talking Trains

  • MTV Live teams with nugs.net for Weekly Jam Series

    Jam fans looking for a live fix at home will soon be able to get it via MTV Live beginning Oct. 2. The recently re-branded cable channel (formerly Palladia) has teamed up with nugs.net for a weekly series of live music from the nugs vaults called nugs.net Live Stash.

    According to Jambase, the premiere episode airs this Sunday night and features a performance from the Disco Biscuits at their Camp Bisco festival this July. Each week’s broadcast will feature shows from the nugs.net vaults.

    The show airs at 9:00 p.m. each Sunday and according to the Jambase post, Widespread Panic will be visiting living rooms across the country on Oct. 9 in a show taken from the band’s July visit to Red Rocks.

    Further examination of the trailer (shown below) reveals clips from Dead and Company, Phil and Friends and moe.