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Foreigner Turns Heads at Turning Stone

No Lou, no MickÂ … No Foreigner? NO WAY! Despite the fact that original Foreigner founding member and guitarist Mick Jones was not on stage last Tuesday, July 26, at the Turning Stone Event Center was not indicative of Foreigner’s inability to turn heads, wow the audience and put on a huge rock show at itsÂ sold out shows wherever it isÂ on tour.

The band performs all the classic and top Foreigner hits flawlessly, never missing a beat, a lick or even a second of doubt. The seasoned band, most who have been with this current version of Foreigner for the greater part of the last decade play the music as it was most likely heard in 1983. Close your eyes and you would swear this is the original Foreigner. For all intents and purposes, it really is Foreigner with Jones still performing when he is able. Jones, who has been hit or miss as of late due to speculated health issues was surely missed at the Turning Stone show, however the band which he cherry picked to become the new generation of Foreigner, picks up in his absence in superb form. Especially Bruce Watson, who is handling Jones amazing and timeless guitar work on all the Foreigner classics from “Hot Blooded” to “Feel’s Like the First Time,” “Dirty White Boy” and more.

Foreigner, one of the world’s best selling bands of all time with worldwide sales exceeding 80 million records, formed in New York City in 1976 by veteran English musician Mick Jones and American vocalist Lou Gramm. The band’s debut album, Foreigner was released in 1977 and featured the mega-hits “Cold as Ice,” “Feel’s Like the First Time” and “Long, Long Way From Home.” This year marks the 40th anniversary of Foreigner and the band has currently been promoting the iconic success of the band with Foreigner40 merchandise from t-shirts to guitar picks and highlighting the milestone at every show. Jones has recently discussed, in a 2016 interview, a possible 40th anniversary reunion tour, featuring the Head Games era lineup. If a 40th Anniversary reunion tour becomes a reality and, “… hopefully feasible and possible to pull it off next year,” as Jones relates, It may include a line-up of original members including Lou Gramm, Ian McDonald, Al Greenwood, Dennis Elliot and Rick Wills.

At just a little after 8:00 p.m. with the Turning Stone Casino Event Center totally blacked out, the pre-show recorded music stopped and gave way to Foreigner’s dramatic opening score as drummer Chris Frazier entered stage left and greeted the exuberant crowd with a wave of his sticks before sitting on his drum throne. At the same time, entering from stage right was Foreigner’s multi-talented keyboardist Michael Bluestein who also gave the crowd a well received greeting gesture before settling down behind his rig. As the opening score continued to build, the other members of Foreigner walked on stage including Jeff Pilson, Bruce Watson and Thom Gimbel. Then in an instant the house lights went up illuminating the band as lead singer Kelly Hansen ran out on stage and the band immediately broke into their first number, “Double Vision”. The large crowd at Turning Stone was now on their feet screaming and singing along and did not have time to catch their breath before Foreigner went right into their second song, “Head Games”. At 55 years of age, Hansen shows know signs of getting too old to rock as he has the stage energy and moves that keeps the fans engaged and entertained at the same time. Hansen performs and sings all the classic Foreigner songs effortlessly, all while running, jumping, leg kicks and mike stand twirling like a twenty something year old warped tour rocker. He shows know signs of letting up and seems to perform each show like it was his first.

Foreigner continued throughout the night with Hansen engaging in the crowd to interact and engaged with the band and each other. Next on the set the multi-talented Thom Gimbel, who plays guitar, sax, flute, and backing vocals, moved in place behind a diamond plated piano case as Hanson reminded the crowd of this next song being heard “Maybe in their late twenties” and chuckled as he introduced one of the top hits of the 1977 album, “Cold As Ice.” As expected, as soon as Gimbel hit those unmistakable first notes of the hit song, the crowd at Turning Stone went absolutely wild. There was no letting up from the hit parade as Hansen talked briefly to the crowd telling them to grab their partner, lover or just find someone in the crowd to hold on to as he announced Foreigner’s 1981 mega-hit power ballad “Waiting for a Girl Like You” featuring the talented Bluestein on keys. Despite this being the digital cell phone era, there were actually a few old school lighters in the air for this one.

Foreigner had the audience highly engaged and up on their feet for the entire set. Kelly Hansen urged the crowd to move up to the front of the stage where there was no barricade. It was elbow to elbow in front of the stage and Hansen, the energetic crowd pleaser made the fans feel a part of the show by high fiving them, running out into the crowd during “Head Games” interacting with fans as he circled the floor before jumping back up on stage. In fact, all band members were certainly into the performance and not lacking for energy. One highlight of the show was an acoustic version of “Say You Will”. Hansen shared this was the idea of bassist Jeff Pilson who arranged the song acoustically which ultimately led to their successful unplugged album Acoustique: The Classics Unplugged. Again, with much reverence for the Foreigner classics, Hansen announced the next song in their set, the mega 1977 hit that launched Foreigner into the big-time “Feels Like the First Time”. And again, as expected the crowd was enthralled in the moment, with most of them bodies deep in front of the stage waving and extending their hands in the air hoping to grab a high five or catch a guitar pick from one of the band members.

The hits kept coming all night including “Urgent” from the 1981 number one album Foreigner 4, Then Bluestein and Frazier got the already pumped crowd even more riled up with an amazing keyboard/synth solo followed by a killer Chris Frazier drum solo. At times Frazier would take a drink from his bottled water then dump the rest on his floor tom and thrash it while the water lit by an underneath spot illuminated the splashing liquid. “Juke Box Hero” and “Long, Long Way from Home” followed.

The kids backstage could probably barely contain their excitement and anticipation to join Foreigner onstage next to perform their number one and biggest hit to date, “I Want to Know What Love Is” from 1984’s Agent Provocateur album. One by one the students from the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School Choir made its way to the riser between keyboardist, Bluestein and drummer, Frazier as the intro to the number one song began. Foreigner has been inviting local high school and singing groups onstage to accompany them with this song for the last several years and it never gets old. This gesture continues to remain a very noble and gracious act on the band’s part. It is humbling to witness and very entertaining.

Foreigner completed its summer 2016 tour at the end of July. The band then departs for a European tour the first two weeks of August before returning to the states to finish up its regular show. A much anticipated acoustic tour begins in the fall of 2016 beginning in October running through the end of November 2016. Whether you’re an old fan or a newcomer to Foreigner, the band is timeless and the current line-up features hand picked top notch musicians that perform all the Foreigner hits with flawless sound, energy, and passion check out the upcoming tour dates, news and more at their website.

Foreigner’s Current Line-up:
Mick Jones – Founding Member, Guitarist
Kelly Hansen – Lead Vocals
Bruce Watson – Guitar
Thom Gimbel – Guitar, Sax, Flute, Keys
Jeff Pilson – Bass Guitar
Michael Bluestein – Keys
Chris Frazier – Drums

Set List:
1. Double Vision
2. Head Games
3. Cold As Ice
4. Waiting for a Girl Like You
5. Dirty White Boy
6. Say You Will
7. Feels Like The First Time
8. Urgent
9. Keyboard Solo
10. Drum Solo
11. Juke Box Hero
12. Long Long Way From Home
13. I Want to Know What Love Is (w/VVS School Choir)
14. Hot Blooded

August 2, 2016
The Werk Out 2016 Looks to Pack a Punch

Nestled inside the Legend Valley Concert Venue and Campground, the Werk Out looks to be the sleeper festival of Summer 2016. With a jam packed lineup and the intimacy of a smaller venue, this year’s festival features a variety of musical acts, vendors, craftspeople and activities. Now in it’s seventh year, the festival returns to Thornville, Ohio, August 4 through 6.

Headliners and host band The Werks will perform all three nights, while Twiddle and Dopapod will hit the stages for two nights. STS9 tops the lineup with two sets while funk masters Lettuce and The Motet lead the festival’s late night efforts.

The Werk Out will also play host to several tribute sets including the highly anticipated Twerkapod “Tribute to the 90s” featuring members of The Werks, Dopapod and Twiddle as well as Daft Phunk – a Daft Punk tribute performed by Earphunk.

Bluegrass sensation Greensky Bluegrass, rock/funk fusion band Kung Fu, hip-hop funktronica Manic Focus, NYC Funk outfit Turkuaz, and the Everyone Orchestra featuring Todd Stoops round out the already diverse, funky and fun weekend of music.

The festival is also packed with many of Ohio’s finest up and coming festival artists including Broccoli Samauri, reggae rock fusion Tropidelic, and Ghost Gardens.

Other must see non native Ohio see include North Carolina based rock jam fusion Big Something, Maryland-based band Litz, and New York state based bands Mister F and Teddy Midnight.

“Don’t miss the Glostik Willy late night set on Saturday Night/Sunday morning,” noted Grand Haven, MI, native Zachary Burns, a three-year vet of the Werk Out. He also suggests getting to the venue early to take advantage of wooded shady camping, as space in these areas is limited.

“Definitely don’t skip out in the Disc-O-Pizza vendor,” Burns also suggested. “ Some of the best/fairly priced festi food you can get.”

Columbus, Ohio native Jake Ashworth agrees with Burns. “When in need of food, seek out Disc-O-Pizza. And Gilligan’s has the best smoothies.”

Ashworth also mentioned taking advantage of the showers near the stage to stay cool and suggest if you want to post up in your hammock, to get there early because “the trees fill up fast.”

Music begins on Thursday at 4 p.m. Saturday day passes are available at the gate for $80. Weekend passes are still available and can be purchased in advance or at the gate. Camping is included. No alcohol is sold during the festival, however, according to the festival website, “Please bring your own alcohol for the weekend. And some to share.”

August 1, 2016
Slightly Stoopid Returns to Saranac With Red Eyes

Nothing beats a hot summer day like great live music, friends, a beautiful city, and beer. Cold, fresh-brewed beer at that. Utica, NY was certainly hoppin’ as Saranac Brewery hosted Slightly Stoopid, SOJA, and Zion I, The Grouch, & Eligh on July 22 in the outdoor courtyard.

Zion I, The Grouch and Eligh kicked off the summer evening in the brewery district with their bright harmonies, feel-good rhythms, and conscious hip-hop lyrics. Zion I is swiftly attracting fans on this tour promoting his new LP due out in September, titled The Labyrinth.

Humid air from the blistering sun didn’t seem to phase anyone in the audience as the cool, crisp ales flowed from the kegs and moistened the lips of the awaiting patrons. Following a brief refreshment break, SOJA danced onto the stage with instruments in hand and crushed a 45 minute set of their smile-inspiring original reggae-rock music, which included some dread swinging and tasty drum-line solos.

Front man Jacob Hemphill continuously gave props to Utica for their unmatched energy, in between songs from the Virginia-based groups’ most recent Grammy-nominated album, Amid the Noise and Haste. Before exiting the stage, Hemphill again gave praise to the tour headliners for their generosity as well as the crowd and Saranac Brewery, wishing everyone to “Thanks and Have a great … everything!”

Before Slightly Stoopid‘s set, Saranac’s own Fred Matt embraced the stage and took to the microphone to give a slurred thanks to all in attendance and took a traditional selfie, while holding up a fresh brew, stacked with a couple thousand excited fans behind him.

Moments later, a rumbling Star Wars Imperial March pumped from the PA speakers grabbing the crowds attention, making way for another Return of the Red Eye Tour performance. The group kicked into gear with “Champion of the Charles,” as Miles Doughty yelled out “It feels good to be back, Utica!” while fist-pumping his chest. After a few songs, Doughty and Kyle McDonald switched up instruments allowing McDonald to sing a few tunes including “Officer” and “Just Thinking” with special guests The Grouch and Eligh, before beautifully singing “The Prophet.”

Taking turns singing and switching guitars seemed to be of second nature to McDonald and Doughty as they each continuously electrified the audience with energy and inspiration. “Too Little Too Late” provided some fast-paced dancing for fans with it’s up-beat Ska rhythms and horn-play. Doughty playfully asked “Where’s all the good Utica chronic” before hammering out “Rolling Stone” and “Ain’t Got a Lot of Money.” Hard work and extensive touring was surely paying off for the west-coast group as the audience cheered and sang along through a set ending “Anywhere I Go.”

Returning for a solid 4-song encore, the group emerged amongst a dimly-lit stage to “Cantina Song,” further augmenting their semi Star Wars themed tour. While having much appreciation for the Grateful Dead, yet not being a “jam band,” Slightly Stoopid played a rather enjoyable take on “Franklin’s Tower,” sprinkled with some light piano work by Paul Wolstencroft. The group ended the night by staffing every inch of the stage with the help from SOJA on the Dennis Brown tune, “If This World Were Mine.”

Set: Imperial March (Star Wars), Champion of the Charles, Til it Gets Wet, Somebody, Up On a Plane, Hold It Down, Officer, Just Thinking (w/s/g Grouch & Eligh), The Prophet, This Version, Prayer For You, No One Stops Us Now, Collie Man, Too Little Too Late, Del Roy → 2 AM, Serious Man, Closer To the Sun, Stones 1, Bandoz, Ain’t Got A Lot Of Money, Don’t Stop, Don’t Care, Anywhere I Go

Encore: Cantina Song (Stare Wars), Franklin’s Tower, Train, Express Yourself, If This World (w/s/g SOJA)

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July 31, 2016
Slipknot and Marilyn Manson at Lakeview Amphitheater Syracuse

Slipknot and Marilyn Manson made a stop on their joint tour at the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse, NY on July 23. The tour features an aggressive schedule and will include stops in more than 30 cities across North America. Of Mice & Men joined as special guests.

First up was Southern California quintet Of Mice & Men lead by front man Austin Carlile. You can always tell when a band wants to be somewhere and really wants to play, when they hit the stage exactly on time and rip through as many songs as possible. That was the impression I got from Of Mice & Men and I can appreciate their effort and enthusiasm. Of Mice & Men tore through eight songs in thirty minutes that included booming vocals that alternated between screams and harmonic melodies, metal solos complete with whipping long hair and some seriously hard drum beats. Highlights of their set included “Public Service Announcement,” “Never Giving Up,” “You Make Me Sick” and “Pain” off of their upcoming release Cold World due out September 9.

After some uncertainty and much debate from fans as to whether or not Marilyn Manson would be healthy enough to play, the band took the stage. Manson previously cancelled his July 21 performance in Quebec City at the last minute due to illness. Manson started in with the theatrics immediately, throwing bags full of blue and red colored chalk into the crowd who responded by picking up the bags and throwing them in the air so that others could share in the fun. Manson’s set was full of oddities, including stained glass images of Manson in a Jesus-like pose at either end of the stage, a variety of microphones including one with a knife and one with brass knuckles, a Marilyn Manson $666 bill as the backdrop, a burning bible and even stilts.

The crowd filled in quickly as the first notes of “Angel With the Scabbed Wings” hit the air. Manson didn’t waste any time and jumped into the crowd to interact with the fans during the second song “Disposable Teens.” There was a bit of flopping around the stage, throwing of a few microphones and some of the singing was incomprehensible at times but the worst part of the set was two very lengthy delays, one 15 minute delay where Manson left the stage after the fourth song “mOBSCENE” and another lengthy delay before the final song of the evening “The Beautiful People.” I am guessing that the delays are due to Manson’s illness and that hopefully once he is feeling better, he will resume a full length performance. Despite the short set, Manson did a great job of engaging the fans. He performed the entirety of the Eurythmics’ cover “Sweet Dreams” perched above Paul Wiley (guitar) and Twiggy Ramirez (bass) on stilts. For the encore, Manson brought two female fans up on stage to help sing “The Beautiful People” while he ran through the crowd all the way to the sound board and shot off a cannon filled with Manson’s $666 bills.

Set list: Angel with Scabbed Wings, Disposable Teens, No Reflection, mOBSCENE, The Dope Show, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (Eurythmics cover), Antichrist Superstar

Encore: The Beautiful People

It was time for the final band of the evening. The crowd filled in when Manson hit the stage but it seemed much denser as Slipknot took the stage. A video of burning mannequins began playing in the background as the band members creeped onto the stage donned in their trademark masks and tore right into “The Negative One” off of their most recent release .5: The Gray Chapter.

Slipknot’s stage setup is intense. The band has three percussionists, one was set up center stage on risers, the other two were on either side of the stage with their equipment on hydraulic risers that moved up and down and spun around through the entire set. While the center percussionist played a traditional drum kit, the other two were playing on hollowed out kegs that appeared to be homemade drums. The band’s total of nine members come together to create an impressive sound. The band is known for their wild stage antics but fans were to expect things to be toned down a bit in light of lead singer Corey Taylor’s recent surgery. Taylor paused at one point to address his recent spine surgery, “I had surgery recently on my spine, who the f*** has to just have spine surgery for no reason?” He promised that the band was still going to deliver and they certainly did.

Slipknot played a selection of songs from their catalog including hits from their self-titled debut and their 2001 release, Iowa. Taylor asked the fans, “Who wants to go back to 2001 with me right now? Who wants to hear some songs off Iowa?” The band played “Distasterpiece,” “The Heretic Anthem” and later in the set “Left Behind” all tracks from Iowa.

Corey Taylor engaged the fans throughout often referring to them as “family” and requesting the lights go up so he could see their faces. The band played an extensive 18 song set. Fan favorites included “Psychosocial,” “Wait and Bleed,” “Duality” and “Spit It Out.” Taylor ended the evening by stating “I sincerely hope you have had as much fun as we have.”

Set list: The Negative One, Distasterpiece, Eyeless, Skeptic, Before I Forget, Killpop, Dead Memories, The Heretic Anthem, Psychosocial, Pulse of the Maggots, Left Behind, The Devil in I, Wait and Bleed, (sic)

Encore: Surfacing, Duality, Spit It Out

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July 31, 2016
Zac Brown Band Sling-Shots Their Way Into Syracuse’s Lakeview Amphitheater

Zac Brown Band brought a diverse mix of traditional mainstream country, bluegrass, gospel and even rock ‘n’ roll to create an unpredictable evening of music for an enthusiastic crowd at the Lakeview Amphitheater on Thursday July 21. The eight-piece group transitioned seamlessly from one music style to another while incorporating a unique array of sounds including a three man horn line, pizzicato violin interludes, Latin percussion and powerful backup vocalists.

The group kicked off their set with “Homegrown” followed by “Knee Deep” and “Whiskey’s Gone” before getting the crowed all revved up with the well-known “S.O.B.” (Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats cover). Brown was engaging and endearing throughout. He paused before playing “Tomorrow Never Comes” to invite the fans to “Forget whatever bull**** happened to you this week, this month or this year or whatever and just get lost in the music.” He took a moment to promote his new line of red wine and to let folks know it was being sold at the venue. The band also appeared to have a blast catapulting merchandise into the crowd using a hand-held cannon and giant slingshots.

The band took a short break midway through their set before coming back to delight fans with their notable covers of the Who’s “Baba O’Riley” and John Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane.” Both were interesting choices for a country band but they performed them well and the crowd responded by dancing and singing along. They ended their set with fan favorite hit “Chicken Fried” before coming back onstage to perform a two song encore that included “Let’s Go Crazy” (Prince Cover) and “Beautiful Drug.”

Zac Brown Band proved that they are much more than a mainstream country act. The show was well worth long waits in traffic both getting to and leaving the venue. Hopefully, the venue’s powers that be will continue to work to improve the traffic situation before next season.

Set list: Homegrown, Knee Deep, Whiskey’s Gone, S.O.B. (Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats), Goodbye in Her Eyes, As She’s Walking Away, Tomorrow Never Comes, Colder Weather, Sweet Annie, It’s Not Ok, I’ll Be Your Man (Song For A Daughter), Baba O’Riley (The Who), Toes, Loving You Easy, Jack & Diane (John Mellencamp), Keep Me in Mind, Castaway, Chicken Fried

Encore: Let’s Go Crazy (Prince), Beautiful Drug

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July 30, 2016
Kerfuffle Sells Out 3 Years In A Row

This past Saturday was one of the most scorching days of the year. It also happened to fall on Kerfuffle’s third birthday. Kerfuffle is the creation of Alternative Buffalo 107.7 FM. This has sold out every year so far, they bring a selection of popular alternative bands from different sub genres. They have nailed it every year thus far.

LA, rockers, The Moth and the Flame kicked things off this year. What makes TMTH such a distinct and fun band to listen to is their fearlessness and originality. They are not afraid to do what they want to do. They aren’t a cookie cutter pop band. There is the grittiness of Robbins’ vocals which glisten on the band’s recordings but give their performance life and depth.

Coleman Hell was certainly not what I expected when he first appeared onstage. The only song I knew by him was his radio hit “Two Heads”. That was the black sheep of his song list. Everything else was very much different and percussion-heavy synth-pop. He appeared on stage in a paisley 70`s bright colored suit, that look straight out of the 70`s. He was a very spiritual individual and talked about the energy being overwhelmingly positive at the event.

Pvris (Pronouned as Paris) is a band that shows no signs of stopping. They have continuously been moving up the ranks and stealing the spotlight left and right. Today was an exception, they definitely brought their game but not their A, maybe B-.The vocals were great but she didn’t hit the high notes that she typically does, which gave it a less sensation to the song.

Madisen Ward and the Momma bear were a breath of fresh air. Hailing from Kansas City, the duo performed lively, soulful acoustic folk tunes side-by-side for Madisen takes the lead on most of the verses, but his mother certainly held her own.

New Politics come to Buffalo what seems like several times a year. They sell out each and every time. The band is based out of Brooklyn, NY. The love the audience had for this band is undeniable; it is clear as to why. Front man David Boyd gets the crowd to its feet and is quite the hype man. He has full faith in his fans and lets them carry him away into the crowd as far as they’ll take him. Dave`s famous acrobatic moves our ones you find in a hip hop studio; he does head spins and somersaults with the greatest of ease! Grant it some of their stuff is something you will find at every show they do, but if its not broke why fix it? These guys stole the show as they do every time.

The Strumbellas are a six piece Canadian based band that played for the first time in Buffalo. They are alternative country rock but didn’t seem to woo the audience; they were rather uninterested in the bands performance. It’s hard to follow heavier hitter the New Politics.

Bloc Party are all the way from England, they had some technical difficulties after the first song. Even the first song you could tell there was trouble but they pushed through it. Lead singer Kele apologized a couple times saying “Buffalo doesn’t deserve this”. Buffalonians do what they do best and screamed from the crowd saying its ok and that they’ll wait, not in the sarcastic tone either; in the true we support you because this kind of stuff happens tone. After what seemed like the longest seven minutes of Bloc Party`s life they got their sound system working again. Once they did you could still sense the aggravation in the way they looked but they came back with what they could pull from the wreckage, which was restless punk ska music that had hints of old school wrapped up neatly into it.

The Violent Femmes are a flash back from the past for some people. I think most of us know the song “Blister in the Sun”. That dates back all the way to 1983. The guys are well seasoned and casual dressers for the most part. They haven’t changed a bit vocally from when they first began according the people who have known them from day 1. They had the crowd to singing a good handful of their songs and the main audience was roughly between the ages 16-30.

Awolnation, where do we begin? Let’s start by saying the entrance was one to catch attention. Lights were turned down low with a blueish hint haze. A woman dressed in a vintage looking space helmet, wearing a long black robe carrying a lantern appeared on stage. You can find her on their “Beautiful Things” music video as well. No words were spoken just haunting music. Then as quickly as she came she disappeared. As soon as that happened the audience knew it was time to get this party started; not that it hadn’t already. Front man and brain child Aaron Bruno took to the stage with the rest of his mates and when the bass dropped to start the chorus, the crowd erupted to pandemonium that would not cease until the night’s end. It was also refreshing to see a group of musicians who were so musically bound. There were moments of improvisation and jam band style expansions of songs. “Sail” stands out as an example of a song that sounds much stronger live than on the album. The song set was nothing short of impressive; their performance guaranteed more sellout crowds on return trips through Buffalo.

Kerfuffle was a success this year, the staff managed to keep their composure while aiding in keeping everyone cool hydrated and happy. The fans soaked up just about every performance that night and the headliner did not disappoint. Hopefully they can keep selling out and keep bringing heavy hitting bands that are relevant like they are doing now. Great job Alternative Buffalo, Kerfuffle is one to compete with.

July 30, 2016
The Weekend at Camp Springer

Camp Springer will be held July 29-31 at Stable Gate Winery.

Lineup includes Kat Wright & the Indomitable Soul Band, Reign of Kindo, Start Making Sense, Lawrence, Eggy, West End Blend, Jarryd Torff Group, Cookin’ Hooks, MNDLS, On the Spot Trio, Deadgrass, Kalahari, Nu Moon, and Warhov.

July 29, 2016
Rockin in the Heat, Vans Warped Tour Heats Up Darien Lake.

It was a balmy, cloudy start to the day for this years edition of the Van’s Warped Tour at Darien Center. Around twelve the weather turned and the sun decided to stay out making the weather quite enjoyable.

The Word Alive:

The five piece metal core band out of Phoenix, AZ; led by lead vocalist Tyler “Telle” Smith kick-started the day off from the second they took the stage. Immediately the crowd was engaged, singing along with Smith and the mosh pits starting immediately when the band took the stage. When the band played their hit track “Sellout” off their most recent album Dark Matter, the crowd went insane and a circle pit started and seamlessly didn’t end until the song was near its end. All in all, The Word Alive kicked off Vans Warped Tour with an enormous bang.

Four Year Strong:

The Boston, MA punk rock group, dressed in Hawaiian clad gear took the stage on the Journey’s right. From the jump off the band’s energy ignited the crowd. Playing a good combination of old and a couple new tracks, the band held high energy throughout their performance. With a crew member dressed up as Santa tossing out shirts to the crowd, Four Year Strong lived up to the performances of the past Warped Tour.

Ice Nine Kills:

The quartet metal core band took the stage and their set up was miraculous. With a giant skull set up with the drum set the middle, INK hands down had the best stage set up on the entire bill. Playing all of their hit songs like, Bury this hatchet in your head, and closing with Me, Myself and Hyde. From beginning to end INK crushed their time on stage and the crowd was involved right from the jump. Lead vocalist Spencer Charnas was the life of the stage as he came into the crowd and really ignited the place around him. Overall Ice Nine Kills put on one of the better performances of the day.

Every Time I Die:

The Buffalo, NY five piece in their first Warped Tour appearance in two years took the day. With it being their homecoming performance on the Vans Warped Tour the band did not pull any stops, with the Buckley brothers Jordan and Keith jumping into the crowd really exciting everyone in attendance for their performance. They debuted a new track off of their upcoming album Low Teens to be released on September 23 of this year. A special gift was given to anyone that purchased any merchandise from their tent, with any purchase a digital download of the new album was given. Overall, the hometown boys really brought down the hammer and heated up the already hot day with the best performance of the day, really showing that Buffalo metal will only live on through this band.

Sum 41:

In their first appearance in many years the Canadian quintet showed they still have the juice. Playing all of their classic hits and a new track off of their upcoming album Sum 41 definitely gave this writer the nostalgic feeling of being back in high school. With tracks like Still Waiting, In Too Deep, Fat Lip and The Hell Song; Sum 41 brought the crowd to life with all of their classics as their performance was towards the end of the evening. There wasn’t much room to stand as the revival of an old punk rock classic made their long awaited reunion. One of the most notable parts of their performance was when the band brought up fans from the crowd to party on stage with them, proving that this band is definitely ready to make their way back into the scene. Deryck Whibley looked like he never missed a beat and the band followed his lead and kept the crowd alive with their performance.

July 29, 2016
Night Lights Music Festival to Hold Battle of the Bands 2016

Night Lights Music Festival will hold a Battle of the Bands to give two bands an opportunity to perform at the sixth annual event on August, 25, 26 and 27, 2016. NYSMusic is proud to sponsor this year’s contest.

Interested bands are asked to submit a current Electronic Press Kit including a Hi-Res live video performance, a current band photo and social media details to nightlightsfestbands@gmail.com. All submissions must be received no later than 11:59 P.M. on Aug., 3, 2016. Finalists will be announced on Aug., 4th. Voting will run Aug., 5th through 12th. NYSMusic.com voters will have the final word, with the band with the highest number of votes will open up the festival’s Friday Main Stage. A second artist or band will receive the Judge’s Choice Award and a slot in the festival’s line-up.

The Night Lights Music Festival is a magical three-day event in Sherman, NY that combines the power of sound and light to give festival-goers a unique sensory experience. At the top of the bill are the renowned fusion/electronica powerhouse Beats Antique, two-time Grammy Award winning guitarist Eric Krasno, Moon Hooch, the London Souls, Ithaca’s Jimkata, Holly Bowling, and Buffalo’s groove-rock quartet, Aqueous.

This year’s festival will feature expanded and enhanced lighting trails and installations, and new daytime activities, such as a Kan Jam tournament, poetry readings from Just Buffalo Literary Center, yoga, Hoop-a-Thon from UltraHoops, swimming, biking/ hiking and much more.

For full lineup and more information on Night Lights Music Festival, visit their website.

July 29, 2016
So Right on a Friday Night in Saratoga with Dave Matthews

Saratoga Performing Arts Center has been a staple for Dave Matthews Band for so many years and the band busted open the two night run with So Right, fitting perfectly and setting the tone for the weekend. The band is celebrating their 25th year this tour and with their upcoming break next year the band is putting it all on the table as they poured through their catalog with favorites as well as mixing in a few newer tunes. Fan favorites Recently and Crash followed and kept the energy flowing through, it seemed like the band was having an incredible time on stage and continued to pour it on throughout the evening. The Crowd was mixed with younger and older fans alike and was great to see families enjoying the great lawn together.

Setlist: So Right, Recently, Crash, Raven, Warehouse, Bob Law, Proudest Monkey>Satellite, One Sweet World , Crush, Samurai Cop , Seek up , Idea of the you, Grey Street*, Death on the High Seas , Typical Situation , Too Much , Pantala Naga Pampa>Rapunzel Encore: Sister, Granny, Tripping Billies

*w/ Dave Pietro

July 28, 2016