NYS Music 20​16

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  • Hearing Aide: Bruce Katz Band ‘Out from the Center’

    91o6m87zkl-_sl1500_Bruce Katz Band, the Hammond B3 and piano legend based in Woodstock, released his latest album, Out from the Center, on September 16. The album, released by American Showplace Music, features Katz’s longtime bandmates Ralph Rosen on drums and Chris Vitarella on guitar and vocals. All three members contributed songs to the effort, with Vitarella receiving a special “featuring” mention for his significant presence throughout.

    The aptly named title track literally sits at the midpoint of the album, but is also it’s centerpiece, it’s highlight, and the gravitational center that pulls the rest of the tunes together. The name is apt also for the feeling actual song itself, with its extended deep dive into swirling organ and languid psychedelic guitar jams, it’s certainly moving ‘out from the center’. If the intent wasn’t quite clear, maybe the parenthetical title “Hippie Tune” will drive the point home a little better. This is the blues through the filter of the Allman Brothers, which makes sense given that Katz has served as sideman for Gregg Allman, Jaimoe and Butch Trucks.

    The surrounding tracks, revolving around it’s jamming core (out from the center), hew closer to the traditional blues. Though, what is your traditional blues? Katz explores them all, in a journey across the blues landscape. From Southern rock to Texan boogie-woogie to St Louis style to New Orleans funk, no lonely avenues are left untravelled. Each style is played impeccably across 11 all-original tunes. These blues aren’t really all that blue though, the music is light and joyful, more of an escape from the doldrums than an excuse to stay there. The album cover’s bright purples, yellows and oranges speak perfectly to the product inside.

    Key Tracks: Blues From High Point Mountain, Out from the Center, Dis-Funkshunal

  • Hearing Aide: MC Chris is Dreaming

    mc-chris-is-dreamingIt’s hard to tell what MC Chris took seriously while developing this album MC Chris is Dreaming. There are times where the listener may think, “This is a complete joke, he must have completed this album in a night. For heaven’s sake, the album cover looks like it was drawn with pen on loose leaf paper.” And half way through the album, one may think that was one of the quickest, nerdiest, and wittiest rhymes that’s ever been spat. In other words, the quality of the album is proportionate to how much time is invested to finding all the little hidden lyrical gems.  

    This album, set to drop September 30th, will sound absolutely ridiculous to anyone who has not heard of the genre nerd rap. MC Chris has a nasally and high pitched voice that spits culture driven lyrics driven by straightforward videogame-like beats. Take it as a whole and the album seems childish. But dissect it just a little bit and it becomes a pretty comical album.

    This isn’t necessarily a concept album but there is some inspiration to it. Freddy Krueger haunts the dreams of the former Adult Swim contributor and while most of the songs are utterly ridiculous stories about how awesome he is, like “MC Chris Is The Shit,” or the death of Krueger, “Freddy’s Dead,” the album is pretty rewarding if listened to closely.

    The beats can be very familiar, most likely a mockery of today’s popular rap sounds, and the lyrical content is a poetic version of  literally anything that comes to his mind or dreams. The man must have ADD.mc-chris-animated

    Granted there are some pretty clever lines that can be caught if listened to very closely. His nasally voice can be very distracting though and requires the listener to be completely invested into what he’s saying. Once someone is, they’ll find clever little lines like in “MC Chris is Dreaming.”

    “MC Chris is dreamin’ /  I’m not paying attention /  My head’s in the clouds I’m on another dimension / I’m like a space cadet and a space camp convention.”

    Written down, the lyrics do not seem so special but the relentless speed at which he says it makes it pretty remarkable. He keeps up that quick pace throughout almost all of the tracks and it makes it a fairly impressive run, but once again, the listener needs to be totally invested into the song to catch these lines. This album is similar to watching a Disney movie with loads of adult humor –  the movie can be enjoyed as a whole, but watch it closely and find some pretty raunchy and rewarding cameos and easter eggs. In the album, these lines pop up one after another and can be hard to catch with the beats sometimes overpowering his squeaky voice.

    Many of the tracks have to do with Freddy Krueger invading Chris’ mind which are entertaining but are some of the funniest parts of the album, these little run-on stories and dialogues between Chris and Freddy or Chris and the producers he’s trying to sell the album to. The two characters will go off on seemingly never ending tangents which shows some thought went into the chemistry of the characters but still makes one think, “These guys are  just screwing around.”

    Aside from the dialogues, other songs like “Sad Sack,” are a bit more raunchy but pretty funny. It’s a typical trap beat with lyrics about, well, his sack.  It’s clever because usually songs with this kind of tone are more aggressive and hardened. But this is reminiscent of Eminem in terms of lyrics. It’s some pretty X-rated stuff, but the sharpness and speed of it makes it more professional.

    “There’s a bit of a goo / in my fruit of the looms / but that isn’t why I lost a few of my dudes / I don’t need a big crew.”

    It sounds so childish written down, and it is, but it must be compared to the quality of a TV show like South Park. It’s comical because of how narcissistic and sarcastic it is. MC Chris is Dreaming is the same thing.

    If an open mind is kept, the album can be rewarding, but there’s a lot of time and focus to invest if the album is to be fully appreciated. Maybe when a lyrics sheet comes out the songs will need less attention and can be more easily enjoyed.

    Key Tracks: MC Chris is Dreaming, Freddy’s Dead, Sad Sac

  • Saranac 2016 Concert Series ‘Going Out in Style’ with Dropkick Murphys

    Saranac Brewery in Utica closed out its 2016 summer concert series with a bang Wednesday night. Dropkick Murphys’ 20th anniversary tour rolled into Varick Street, leaving a mass of sweaty and delirious flat-capped and kilted fans in its wake.  The band last visited Utica in this very location on Sept. 20, 2012, and as Fred Matt mentioned when introducing the band, were the first to grace the Saranac stage in 2007.

    The Celtic punk band has made a steady climb into mass consciousness since its formation in Quincy, MA in 1996. In 2004 the band re-imagined the song, “Tessie,” a song that helped push the Boston Red Sox to the first ever World Series title in 1903. The Dropkick Murphys’ version of the song is now one of three that is played at Fenway Park following each Red Sox victory.

    dropkickmurphys-markmcgauley-8069The Murphys wear their love of hometown and the working man/woman proudly on their collective sleeves. This was made ever more present on this night when, prior to performing “Bastards on Parade” midway through the set, the band was presented with the first and only ever “You Give a Shit” Award by members of the local IBEW/CWA unit for their support of the union during the recent Verizon strike.

    The show began with a rousing sing-along of the traditional Irish ballad “The Foggy Dew” and quickly escalated from there. “Out of Our Heads,” with the chant of “Here we go!” revving up the crowd, set the pace for the next hour and a half.

    The Murphys faithful were given a bit of a scare early on during “Famous for Nothing,” when vocalist Al Barr took one step too many at the front of the stage and almost took a header into the pit. Fortunately, he recovered quickly and those not paying attention to the stage probably didn’t even notice the brief misstep.dropkickmurphys-markmcgauley-8124The band employs dual lead singers. Al Barr provides the gravelly yet melodic Oi! style vocals while band founder Ken Casey lends his slightly gentler voice to the trad-Irish and rousing pub rockers when taking leads.  In addition to the boisterous front men, the band also employs some top notch musicians in drummer Matt Kelly, guitarist James Lynch and multi-instrumentalists Tim Brennan and Jeff DaRosa. Brennan is imposing and animated. Whether he’s ripping chords on lead guitar or squeezing out notes on the accordion, his tall frame looms large onstage.

    It isn’t often a mosh pit forms at Saranac, but when Dropkick Murphys are in town, you can be sure one does. The pit formed early and was active throughout the night, especially when the band broke into the first song they ever recorded, “Barroom Hero.”dropkickmurphys-markmcgauley-7974Throughout the show, the band recognized the dedication of its fans. Casey invited one enthusiastic audience member to the stage to take his job for a song of his choice. The fan traveled from Raleigh, NC to see the band and Casey recognized him as one of their most die hard fans as he allowed him to take the lead on “Devil’s Brigade.” Following the performance, Casey said of the aspiring vocalist, “What he lacks in melody, he makes up for in enthusiasm.” A big hug between them sealed the arrangement and the fan headed back to the crowd.

    The Murphys’ affinity for boxing is not a secret. Their 2005 album The Warrior’s Code was dedicated to Lowell, MA light welterweight fighter “Irish” Mickey Ward. Ward is most famous for his three epic battles versus Arturo Gatti in the early 2000s, fights that are still discussed in boxing circles today.  Casey has even formed his own boxing promotion company, Murphys Boxing, promoting Danny O’Connor and Spike O’Sullivan.

    The International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, a quick drive up I-90 from Utica.  Barr recognized the museum’s Executive Director Ed Brophy, who was one of the night’s attendees, as the band broke into the titular song from their Mickey Ward-inspired album to a roar from the crowd.

    The biggest surprise of the night was when the opening notes of the Cars’ “Just What I Needed” began. Some with puzzled faces looked around for recognition of the song, while others of older vintage immediately recognized the Boston new wavers’ song. This one wasn’t too well-received by those in attendance, at least not those who were the most vocal the majority of the night, but it was a nice surprise to hear it mixed into the setlist.

    The set ended with the high energy songs the band has made its trademark beginning with “Rose Tattoo,” a Murphys original that could easily be mistaken for a trad-Irish song. Originally released on the band’s 2013 Signed and Sealed in Blood album, the band re-recorded it with Bruce Springsteen for the For Boston Charity EP to benefit the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing of 2013.  A ripping version of “Going Out in Style,” a song that will be played at many a Murphys fans’ funeral in future years, followed.dropkickmurphys-markmcgauley-8206Starting with the most famous banjo notes to open a song, the unmistakable “The State of Massachusetts” whipped up the crowd and the mosh pit and merged into the traditional “The Irish Rover” to close the set.

    While encores are a given these days, the crowd still found it advantageous to encourage the band to return to the stage with the “Let’s go Murphys!” chant heard at each show. The band returned after a brief rest to Brennan’s accordion intro of the Woody Guthrie penned “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” a song made famous for its inclusion in Martin Scorsese’s Irish mob movie The Departed and a song that has become synonymous with Boston itself.

    Continuing the fan-love, Casey invited all the ladies in the house to join the boys onstage for their last call classic, “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced.” Suddenly the Saranac stage was packed with fans bouncing and singing along to Casey’s ode to the beer goggles.

    Casey then chose one lucky female fan to sing the parts of the modern day Murphys’ version of the Pogues classic “Fairytale of New York.” While the guest vocalist required some assistance with the lyrics from Casey, the fan held her own surprisingly well, much to the delight of those in attendance.

    The night, and Saranac’s summer concert series, ended with a cover of the Sam Cooke soul classic “Having a Party” and a party it was, and there was no better way to finish off the summer. The crowd was left wanting more, exactly what Dropkick Murphys were striving for.

    Dropkick Murphys Setlist: Out of Our Heads, The Boys Are Back, Famous for Nothing, The Gang’s All Here, Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya, Sunshine Highway, Sunday Hardcore Matinee, Bastards on Parade, Worker’s Song, As One, Cruel, Barroom Hero, Devil’s Brigade, You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory (Johnny Thunders cover), Memories Remain, The Warrior’s Code, The Gauntlet, Just What I Needed (the Cars cover), Rose Tattoo, Going Out in Style, The State of Massachusetts, The Irish Rover (traditional)
    Encore: I’m Shipping Up to Boston, Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced, The Dirty Glass, Having a Party (Sam Cooke cover)

    [ngg_images gallery_ids=”108″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_slideshow”]

  • Photo Gallery – Galactic and Warpaint, Pearlpalooza 2016

    The weather in Albany was near perfect for the 7th annual Pearlpalooza street festival on September 17, 2016. This all day, free event has become a favorite among people in the Capital Region, and this years festival did not disappoint. Attendees had plenty of craft and food vendors to browse while rocking out to the stellar music lineup. This year’s Pearlpalooza featured Galactic, Warpaint, Maybird, Bassh, The Greeting Committee, and Rechorduroys.

    Pearlpalooza 2016

  • Chris Duffy Returns to New York with The Magic Beans

    Chris Duffy, bassist for The Magic Beans out of Nederland, CO, returns home to New York this weekend for three shows – Thursday in Albany at The Hollow, Friday in NYC at American Beauty and Saturday late night at Catskill Chill Music Festival. And Duffy is quite excited to be back home.

    “It’s been a treat to come back and see East Coast family and friends. That’s the great thing about touring around; it’s a great time to reconnect with people, those who you miss a lot. Albany was so kind and welcoming to Dirty Paris’ music, so I can’t wait until The Magic Beans can have that kind of relationship with the area and in the Northeast.”

    Chris Duffy

    Brooklyn born and a graduate of Guilderland High School, Duffy formed Dirty Paris in 2008 with Dmitriy Bolotny, Thomas Lafond and Rob Morrison, performing throughout the greater Northeast into 2013. Dirty Paris developed a strong following in the region, drawn by the progressive and psychedelic elements in their modern jamband sound.

    An Albany native until early 2015, Chris worked in production and lightning design work, getting to experience another side of the music industry, gaining insight towards the bigger picture, while working towards a music degree. Then in 2015, Duffy headed west to Los Angeles, working as a concert tech at The Greek Theater and Hollywood Bowl, and living with Dmitriy of Dirty Paris.

    Then, in Duffy learned The Magic Beans, a jamband out of Nederland, CO, were auditioning bassists. He would join them for his first show on bass in Boulder, CO, in January of this year, capping a cross country journey in pursuit of music.

    Duffy knew of The Magic Beans prior to joining them, thanks to his time in Dirty Paris. “I’d been on festival lineups with The Beans, but never saw them. They’re a touring jamband in the scene that I really liked, and it seemed there was some energy growing, and I felt that I could hop in on that and contribute.

    It’s one thing to start a group from scratch from Day One like Dirty Paris, and having done that, it was nice to jump into a band that already had some momentum. For me to be traveling the country playing funky jam music is just want I want to be doing. And being based out of Colorado, given that I wanted to move there in the next few years, I knew it was exactly what I needed to do.”

    Duffy classifies himself as a “funk/groove player who loves to get out there and explore in improvisation, where we don’t really know whats going to happen.” It was for this reason that Duffy knew The Magic Beans were a perfect fit. ” When I auditioned, and went to the one and only Beans show I went to before I was a member of the band, the crowd was buzzing and so supportive of the band, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. The music is fun and danceable, and there is an element, the lyrics, that come from the heart.

    In addition to joining The Magic Beans comes the bonus of your own festival, Beanstalk. Held since 2013, Beanstalk is a The Beans own festival, and attracts a growing crowd each yeah, thanks in part to their fans support and an attractive lineup. Duffy recalls his first Beanstalk, “Looking at the past and this year’s lineup, we had Electron and The New Deal and bands that I had been looking up to for years, so it was a chance to jump in and surreal to see what was going to happen while being closely involved with a festival that has your band’s namesake; it’s an incredible thing and we’re excited about next year.”

    The Magic Beans perform Thursday night at The Hollow with Space Carnival, then head to New York City to perform at American Beauty on Friday with The US Americans and Red Velvet. They’ll then perform late night at 2:30am in Club Chill at Catskill Chill Music Festival.

  • Ghost Kick Off Popestar Tour in Rochester, NY

    Ghost is back on the road once again and is giving fans their biggest show yet – the Swedish metal group, lead by Papa Emeritus III, kicked off their Popestar Tour Friday, September 16 in Rochester, NY. The show was held at the Main Street Armory which was home for a few days while the band worked out the kinks in the new production they were debuting for the first time ever.

    The show was kicked off by the duo that goes by Zombi. It was a synth set that kept fans occupied while they waited patiently to see the debut of Ghost’s new production. Everyone knew it was time for Ghost when the lights dimmed and their signature entrance music “Masked Ball” played over the house speakers.

    To coincide with their new release, the Popestar EP which hit shelves that day, Ghost opened up the night with “Square Hammer.” Fans in Rochester were the lucky ones who got to see the new single performed live for the first time ever. Together with a new stage setup, which featured a trippy looking black and white checkerboard floor, Ghost was full of surprises all night long.

    It didn’t take long Friday night for fans to realize something besides the production was different on the stage. Although the Nameless Ghouls’ identities are kept secret, there was an apparent change in the band. As rumors sparked throughout the room and comments flooded live Facebook streams, it was confirmed that the Ghoul who goes by Omega had been replaced. Sadly, Omega, who was one of the original members of the band, was not in Rochester and would not be with the band on this tour. It remains unconfirmed whether or not Omega is gone for good, but he was certainly missed Friday night.

    With Omega’s departure, it’s with open arms that fans of Ghost welcome a new member. This new member is handling bass duties for the band and the original bassist, Water, has taken over the second guitarist role. Any fan of Ghost could easily identify Water as the Ghoul who was taking over Omega’s role.

    What fans couldn’t answer though was, “Who’s the new bass player?” The new bass player is certainly a tiny one, which leads many to believe that the new member is indeed a female. This tiny Ghoul, who rocks the red nail polish, seemed a bit nervous on stage at first but warmed up throughout the set. To help confirm the rumors about the new Ghoul, she used a black guitar pick that had a pink symbol for Water. Overall, for her first show, the new Ghoul did a great job in the Water role. Original Water, who’s now playing as Omega, was outstanding. As Papa Emeritus III said in previous shows when he introduced Water on the bass, he plays a mean guitar.

    Once fans realized there were new faces behind the masks and processed that Omega wasn’t there, they were able to appreciate the new production the band brought. This time around, Ghost had pyro, CO2 cannons, and confetti cannons. Throughout the night, these added bonuses would pop up and give Ghost’s live show an added punch. Songs like “Square Hammer,” “From The Pinnacle To The Pit,” “Year Zero,” and a few others featured those new added bonuses.

    Papa Emeritus III, the front man of Ghost, engaged the crowd all throughout the night. He took a poll of where the crowd came from and it seemed like Buffalo was the clear winner. Other cities Papa mentioned were Niagara Falls, Syracuse, Albany, and obviously Rochester. One of the best things about seeing Ghost live is the humor of Papa Emeritus III. It’s almost impossible to go see a Ghost show without laughing once.

    The Popestar Tour setlist was fairly similar to what Ghost has been playing since Meliora came out, but the show is certainly different. Papa no longer introduces his Ghouls, which also supports the rumors of a lineup change. Some new songs have been added while others have been cut. The balance between albums Meliora, Infestissumam and Opus Eponymous was fairly done. The only song off the setlist that wasn’t part of those 3 albums was “Square Hammer.”

    The night came to a close in typical Ghost fashion. The song, “Monstrance Clock,” has been Ghost’s go to song to end shows for quite some time. For anyone who hasn’t had the chance to see Ghost yet, this tour is the one to certainly check out. The Popestar Tour runs all the way through October and wraps up in Brooklyn, NY on November 12. From now until November, the Ghost will make their way all across the United States and select cities in Canada.

    Setlist: Square Hammer (Live Debut), From The Pinnacle To The Pit, Secular Haze, Stand By Him, Con Clavi Con Dio, Per Aspera ad Inferi, Body and Blood, Devil Church, Cirice, Year Zero, He Is, Absolution, Mummy Dust, Ghuleh/Zombie Queen, Ritual, Monstrance Clock

  • The Boy Band Review: Get ready to travel back in time to the 1990’s!

    Remember dancing in your room to the hits of New Kids on the Block and Britney Spears, or singing along to the hits of Justin Timberlake, N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys?! Following on the heels of their sold out show at Arlene’s Grocery in August, The Boy Band Review is making its debut at the Hall at MP in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on Saturday, September 24.

    The Boy Band ReviewKnown as “the New Kids who bring the heat up to 98 degrees every time,” the Boy Band Review – Boy Band Tribute has already wowed full capacity crowds at high profile events and parties in Las Vegas, Milwaukee, and Chicago. Now they are transporting audiences in NY and on the West Coast back to the 1990’s. Their high energy 90’s throwback show includes full production lighting, video, dancing, and back-up singers to transport you back to your glory days.

    Come get jiggy Saturday night with The Boy Band Review tribute show at the Hall at MP. This show is gonna be off the heezay!

  • Donna the Buffalo to Perform at Cohoes Music Hall Grand Reopening Weekend

    Donna the Buffalo will be performing at the Cohoes Music Hall Grand Reopening Weekend on Sept. 29th, in Cohoes, joined by special guests, the Nellies.

    DtB has done over 25 years of extensive touring, attracting a herd of fans that is devoted to following its tribe. Their music is feel-good, accessible, and groove-heavy while elements of cajun/zydeco, rock, folk and country make their sound distinct and memorable, especially when coupled with their beautiful songwriting.

    The quintet includes Jeb Puryer (vocals, electronic guitar), Tara Nevins (vocals, guitar, fiddle, accordion, scrubboard), David Nevins (Hammond organ, Honer clavinet, piano), Kyle Spark (bass) and Mark Raudabaugh (drums).

    In a press release, Puryer talks of his inspiration:

    Rolling off all the great protest songs and the socially conscious music like Bob Marley and the Beatles and Bob Dylan – all of that stuff. So that, to me, is sort of like a tradition to write from; that angle as a way of reflecting on what you feel about the world and how you feel it could be better and getting to a different place as a society. There’s also the strength that comes from music and gives you the feeling like you can change those things and make some progress, and then express some of the particulars about what you’d like to change.

    The Cohoes Music Hall is a historic venue that dates back to 1874. It has been closed for over a year after receiving more than $30,000 in city-funded renovations for things like new seating, curtains, a projection system, refinished floors, new lighting, and sound systems, Albany.com reports.

    Albany’s Palace Theater announced back in March that it has signed a three-year contract to help Cohoes Music Hall bring its business back. Officials report that they expect up to 60 performances in the first year following the renovation, and they expect that to double annually during the three-year period.

    Tickets for the show can be found on Cohoe’s Music Hall website. For more Donna the Buffalo information and tour dates, please visit the band’s website.

  • 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.

    aoife odonovan genevaOpener 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

  • Tad Robinson Brings a Heart Full of Soul to The Dev

    Two steps past the front door of The Dev to load in for a Friday, September 16 performance in Utica, Tad Robinson took a quick glance left and figured he and the band were about to be pigeon-holed into playing in the front window of the small bar. Twenty-five years ago, that would have been the case, with the likes of Danny Morris, Sonny Rhodes, Hubert Sumlin, and others having done so. The bar has expanded since then, added a raised stage, and co-owner Tim Schram has avoided having The Dev be pigeon-holed by featuring a wide variety of live music styles, with a commitment to primarily original music.

    The Indianapolis based Robinson is an eight-time Blues Music Award nominee. His 2016 Soul Blues Album of the Year nomination was for Day Into Night, his fourth release on the renowned  Severn Records label. A diverse crowd of blues fans, bar regulars, out of town businessmen, and neighborhood residents were all captivated by Robinson’s voice and the musicianship of him and his band. Backing Robinson were Paul Holdman on guitar, Jeff Chapin on drums, and Kevin Anker on keys, who has appeared on and co-produced Robinson’s recent recordings.

    Tad RobinsonA smooth, stylish, distinctly different vocalist, Tad Robinson impressed with both tone and control by knowing when to punch a phrase and when to lay back. He also exhibited notable harmonica skills, particularly on the chromatic harp. Holdman took the lead for a song of his own with a bit of a gospel touch, and Robinson often gave Anker plenty of room to showcase his abilities on the Hammond keyboard. Remarkable moments during the two set show included “Rained All Night” from Back in Style, Little Walter’s “Last Night,” and a crowd-pleasing rendition of the O.V. Wright southern soul classic, “A Nickel and a Nail.”

    Tad Robinson