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Dead and Company at Citi Field June 25-26

Dead and Company returned to New York City having first visited Madison Square Garden this past fall. Their two-night run at Citi Field was met with excellent weather, some cool breezes, the return of Donna Jean Godcheaux to the microphone, and a chance for Oteil Burbridge to sing a chorus of “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad.”

The band had previously in this tour made many song debuts not heard in the fall tour, though they broke out “Throwing Stones” for the first time.

Dead and Company’s two shows at Citi Field had some more energy than their other appearance in New York at Saratoga Performing Arts Center a week prior, though to be fair to SPAC the crowd was much bigger as was the venue. Almost a year after Mayer experienced Fare The Well from the audience, he continued his Dead and Company trend to impress Dead Heads with his growing adaptability to the Grateful Dead format and style. To the New York City crowd, Mayer’s guitar and vocal work flowed even better than at their October/November 2015 shows at Madison Square Garden.

Check out NYS Music’s gallery from the June 25 show below the setlists.

June 25: (listen on archive.org)

Set 1:
Shakedown Street*, Jack Straw, Althea, Loose Lucy*, Ramble On Rose, Sugaree*, Passenger*, Casey Jones

Set 2:
Dark Star, Friend of the Devil*, Scarlet Begonias* -> Fire on the Mountain* -> Drums# -> Space -> The Other One -> Wharf Rat -> Throwing Stones+

Encore:
Ripple, One More Saturday Night

June 26: (listen on archive.org)

Set 1:
St. Stephen, The Music Never Stopped*, Bertha*, Black-Throated Wind, Peggy-O, Box of Rain, Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad*

Set 2:
Truckin’ -> He’s Gone*, Help on the Way* -> Slipknot! -> Franklin’s Tower* -> Drums -> Space -> Days Between, China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider*

Encore:
Samson and Delilah*

Notes:
*With Donna Jean Godcheaux
#Oteil Burbidge on marimba
+Dead and Company debut

July 12, 2016
Hollywood Vampire Joe Perry Collapses During Show

Sunday evening provided a scare to members of the rock collective Hollywood Vampires and its fans at the Ford Amphitheater at Brooklyn’s Coney Island. Shortly into the band’s set, Joe Perry, long time Aerosmith guitarist, began to feel dizzy and sat down on the drum riser. Moving off to side stage he collapsed and was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital.

Continuing with the show, the band was unaware of his condition and wished their friend and colleague well in unison with fans.

Keeping up with his progress through social media, he is currently “stable and resting” at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

Thanks to all of the fans reaching out and asking about Joe. He is stable right now, with family and is under the best care.

— Joe Perry (@JoePerry) July 11, 2016

With a full schedule still up in the air, Alice Cooper has kept fans updated through social media posts and for the time being, the show must go on.

Vampires! Confirmed – We WILL see you in Ohio tomorrow night & for the rest of our dates! Thanks for supporting Joe! pic.twitter.com/VAd127zxhi

— Alice Cooper (@RealAliceCooper) July 11, 2016

Hollywood Vampires 2016 Tour Dates

July 12 Kettering Fraze Pavilion, OH
July 13 Mount Pleasant Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, MI
July 14 Cadott Rock Fest, WI
July 16 Clarkston DTE Energy Music Theatre, MI
July 18 Fargo Scheels Arena, ND
July 22 Rohnert Park Green Music Center, CA
July 23 Jacksonville Brtt Festival Pavilion, OR
July 24 Saratoga Mountain Winery, CA
July 25 Paso Robles California Mid-State Fair, CA

July 12, 2016
Hometown Hero Stocks Onondaga Lake With Rare Phish

The venues on a Phish summer tour have become somewhat predictable. They’ve nailed down their favorite outdoor spot in nearly every region of the country, but not in Central/Western New York. They’ve bounced between Darien Lake, CMAC and Watkins Glen, never visiting the same place in consecutive years. This year, the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse opened up, and Phish decided to give the shed a whirl in it’s inaugural season. Will it become a regular or rare stop on Phish summer tours? Only time will tell, but they sure seemed to enjoy their first run of the place.

The venue sits on Onondaga Lake, once the most polluted lake in the country. After decades of remediation it is just now re-emerging as a viable natural resource for the city. The opening of the amphitheater is just one of the signs of the lake’s renaissance.

The band’s first set song selection was even more unpredictable than their New York venue choices. A rare take on their jazzy instrumental “Landlady” got things moving as the sun began it’s descent over Onondaga Lake in the background, but it would “Blaze On” for a little longer.

As if anyone in the audience weren’t already fully aware, guitarist Trey Anastasio introduced drummer Jon Fishman as a native of Syracuse, leading to a rare performance of his song “Ha Ha Ha.” That began 3-song run of Fishman-penned tunes, with his brand new rocker “Friends,” and the fan-favorite funk out “Tube” following.

The band continued to highlight its hometown hero throughout the show. Fishman was kicked out of band at Jamesville-DeWitt High School because he couldn’t keep the beat, so the story goes. One couldn’t help but wonder if he felt the need for a bit of retribution in his biggest show to date in his childhood home.

With enough imagination, every song seemed to have a connection to his Syracuse roots: past, present and future. Lyrics like “A statement from his former life,” “I’m going to be a genius anyway,” “He buried all his memories of home” and “Gonna give you one last chance to see, gonna shrug demands off of me” spoke directly to his mentality. Other songs like the beautifully rendered “Winterqueen,” just referenced the city known for it’s brutal winters. The bust-out of “Destiny Unbound,” played on this night with a punchy exuberance, could be in reference to Destiny USA, the mall that sat just a couple of miles down the lake shore. Or maybe, and perhaps more likely, there was no rhyme or reason to the song selection at all. We should just ask the Axis, he knows everything.

After a set stocked full with rare songs, including the second-ever “Timber,” off of their Halloween performance of Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House (wrapped cleverly around their long-time cover “Timber (Jerry)”) and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “The Ballad of Curtis Loew,” the band wanted to give Fishman one more chance to shine before the break. They were set to close with Edgar Winter’s drum-heavy prog-rock anthem “Frankenstein,” though keyboardist Page McConnell had some issues with his keytar, so they instead pulled one more rare treat out of the bag, closing with Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold As Love.”

The second set featured songs about water and waste and worms and monsters, perfect for a venue sitting on a quasi-toxic lakefront. But more importantly, it featured a non-stop, near-70 minute ride through their repertoire, The set-opening take on the Who’s “Drowned” plumbed multiple themes in a short period of time, dredging up anthemic rock, spaced-out funk and melodic noodling. With that exploration complete, they parsed their discoveries song by song. The normally adventurous “Twist” was contained as a straight ahead rocker, the oft-amorphous “Piper” was kept tight and punchy, and “Simple” swam around beautifully before slowly dissolving.

Diving back into their Chilling Thrilling material, a late-set “Martian Monster” featured some instrument-swapping by the band. Anastasio played on Fishman’s Marimba Lumina, bassist Mike Gordon picked up the guitar and McConnell grabbed the bass, in what became a rhythmic and jaunty jam. The members have pulled this stunt a few times over the summer tour already, making it perhaps the least surprising element of this full-of-surprises show, though still quintessentially quirky and exciting. Determined to get Fishman his big drum solo moment, the band did push through “Frankenstein” to close the second set, even without the signature keytar lead, with more excited exhortations from Anastasio about the drummer’s high school and hometown.

The blistering rocker “Character Zero” encore, in keeping with the thematic choice of songs, even if completely imagined, was clearly a tribute to long-time Syracuse news anchor Matt Mulcahy.

“Hometown hero stocks Onondaga Lake with rare Phish. News at 11.”

Setlist by Phish.net:

Soundcheck: Funky Bitch

Set 1: The Landlady, Blaze On, Ha Ha Ha, Friends, Tube, Destiny Unbound > My Friend, My Friend^[1]> The Mango Song, Timber -> Timber (Jerry) > Timber, The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > Mound, Winterqueen, Bold As Love

Set 2: Drowned > Twist > Waste > Piper > Simple > Breath and Burning, Rocky Top > Martian Monster^[2] > Golgi Apparatus > Frankenstein

Encore: Character Zero

[1] No “Myfe” ending.
[2] Trey on Marimba Lumina; Mike on guitar; Page on bass.

Notes: My Friend did not contain the “Myfe” ending. Simple contained a Magilla tease from Page. Martian Monster featured Trey on Marimba Lumina, Mike on guitar, and Page on bass.

July 12, 2016
Journey Review: When The Lights Go Down at SPAC, You Want to be The-e-er-ere

Leather-vested and sweat-covered, Neal Schon unearthed a solo that — even amid the political hatefest and madness of 2016 — could unite America. The SPAC lighting backdrop transformed into a slideshow montage of soldiers, flags and the like as the Journey founding member serenaded the crowd with an improvisation-heavy guitar rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Though the concert was the Fifth of July — not the Fourth — Schon’s tight fretwork and re-defining of the term “rock anthem” could be appreciated at anytime. Nearly 50 years into his musical career, he had not lost much in strum speed, not any in his tonal quality.

The masses hooted and hollered, as you might expect an upstate New York crowd to do for an homage to the troops, but the three-minute solo, just half an hour into Journey’s set, was far from the show’s sole highlight.

Without an unfair comparison to the voice of Steve Perry, lead singer Arnel Pineda’s vocals were rich, rangeless and did justice to the classics. The Filipino, now in his ninth year heading the band, was running and hopping around the stage like a man half his age for many of the upbeat songs — “Any Way You Want It” and “Wheel in the Sky”. In the slower, ballad-like hits — “Faithfully”, “Lights”, “Don’t Stop Believing” — he focused more on the notes, avoiding any pitch wavers a jump or leg-kick might cause to a sentimental song.

Drummer Steve Smith was an unsung hero of the Journey set. Smith, who backed the band from 1978 until 1985, through much of its heyday, rejoined the band this year after Deen Castronovo left in the fallout of a domestic violence arrest.

Smith’s rolls were precise and military-like and his cymbal work seemed effortless during his solo, about two-thirds through the band’s performance. The drummer, using a traditional grip for increased roll speed, may have delivered the best drum solo at the venue since 2013, the last time Neil Peart and Rush were in town; Smith’s work on the kit was simply incredible.

Journey was the third band in the night’s lineup, immediately preceded by fellow Bay Area group — and also fellow notable Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame snub — The Doobie Brothers.

A fan’s first observation of The Doobie Brothers taking the stage is likely the band’s size. With four men on guitars and basses across the front, two kit drummers in the back, and a saxophone and keyboard player too, the group’s look is imposing, and the sound was too.

The Doobie Brothers were not as sing-along as Journey was (do not be mistaken, there were more than a couple patrons joining in on “Black Water”), but instead were jamming more. Whereas Journey’s song interludes isolated individuals soloing on their instruments, The Doobie Brothers had more collective instrumental sections.

The first performance of the concert came from singer Dave Mason, originally of Traffic. Mason performed three of his own songs, including “We Just Disagree”, as well as three from Traffic.

Mason’s guitar playing showed little wear from the years, as he demonstrated ample ability. The singer closed his set with “All Along the Watch Tower”, originally by Bob Dylan and made famous by Jimi Hendrix.

July 12, 2016
PhanArt Announces Lineup for San Francisco, Burlington Shows

Trapped in time and don’t know what to do about scoring that next only-found-on-lot shirt to add to the collection? Relax, and seek out a PhanArt show coming to a tour near you this summer, including debuts in San Francisco, California and the Green Mountain State. If you’re heading west to see the Phish from Vermont’s two-day Bill Graham arena run, stop by the aptly dubbed San PhranArt Show on Tues., July 19 at Mezzanine in San Francisco. And later on this month, PhanArt will host A Country Crisp Sunlight on July 30 at Club Metronome in Burlington, VT, as part of Twiddle’s Tumble Down festival.

The San PhranArt Show will feature Phish-inspired merchandise from more than 20 artists and vendors. Think a one-stop shop for all things music: special edition tour shirts, posters, pins, stickers, photography, Henrietta’s Secret bikinis and more in one location. Hand-selected for this exhibition are artisans like Ryan Kerrigan, Super Rad Cape Co., TRiPPs Prints, Isadora Bullock, Ant Pharms Tour Pins and Designs, Fred Sutter, Level 42, Drivenpunk Glass and Terry O’Brien. The Mockingbird Foundation will also be on hand selling The Phish Companion 3. And stick around for the Pink Talking Phish after-party at Mezzanine from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. with Will Magid’s Alligator Spacewalk.

PhanArt‘s A Country Crisp Sunlight at Club Metronome coincides with Twiddle’s Tumble Down, a weekend music experience at the Waterfront Park in Burlington. This showcase will feature some of the finest fan-based creations from White Light Foundation, the Phactory, the Shakedown Shop, Burns Designs Art by Joshua Letourneau, Pin Me Down, YEMshades, Dirty Birdz Goods, JEMagination, Sneaky Pig Productions, the Eden’s Rose Foundation and Greg Horowitz Photography. Holly Bowling will provide the soundtrack for the day — Grateful Dead and Phish piano interpretations — with a noon performance at the historic Nectar’s, which is located below the art-show venue.

Since 2013, PhanArt exhibitions have been hosted in Atlantic City, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami and Philadelphia, and the events, produced by Pete Mason of PhanArt and NYS Music, continue to promote unique artisan goods, while strengthening the music community and raising funds for charitable arts causes. And as always, PhanArt shows are free to the public, and both upcoming exhibits will be held from 12 to 5 p.m.

July 12, 2016
Phish in Hartford July 9 2016

Phish stopped in Hartford on Saturday July 9 for the penultimate show of the Northeast leg.

The first set featured a fantastic “Meat”, “Vultures” > “Free” segment which was the anchor while a “You Enjoy Myself” set closer kept the crowd buzzing all setbreak. The “Down with Disease” to open the second set took a bit for them to find their footing, but once they did it was worth the wait. “Sand” was funked out and led into a stellar version of “Tela,” with Trey nailing the solo. A “Lizards” encore is always a perfect choice and sent the crowd into the night with smiles on their faces.

Setlist via Phish.net

Set 1: Pigtail, The Moma Dance, Birds of a Feather, Meat, Vultures > Free, Let me Lie, Halley’s Comet > Julius, You Enjoy Myself[1]

Set 2: Down with Disease^[2] > Sand > Tela, Carini > Twenty Years Later > Run Like an Antelope > Backwards Down the Number Line

Encore: The Lizards, Loving Cup

[1] Trey on Marimba Lumina, Page on bass, Mike on keys for portion of the jam.
[2] Unfinished.

July 11, 2016
WEQX Presents: AWOLNATION @ Upstate Concert Hall July 13

This Wednesday AWOLNATION will headline the stage at Upstate Concert Hall with guests Finish Ticket and Irontom.WEQX presents AWOLNATION, an electro rock band formed and lead by Aaron Bruno. The American band is signed onto Red Bull Records, and their first EP, Back from Earth, was released on iTunes in May of 2010. Their first studio album, Megalithic Symphony, followed just a year later with hits such as “Sail” that hit #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on the Billboard Rock Songs chart, and #5 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.

Bruno has performed in other bands such as Home Town Hero and Under the Influence of Giants. He writes all his own music and will be performing with his band through October including festivals such as the Billboard Hot 1oo fest in NYC this August.

http://awolnationmusic.com/

Doors 7:00 PM Show 8:00 PM

Click here for tickets!

July 11, 2016
Summer Nights: Rascal Flatts, Kelsea Ballerini and Chris Lane Heat Up Syracuse

The music of Rascal Flatts brings memories of summer cookouts, hanging by a bonfire with beers and friends and cruising down a lake in a pontoon boat, while the sounds of country music, the water lapping the hull of the boat and the motor fill the air. And the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse, NY, was the perfect venue for the June 24 Rascal Flatts’ concert. The venue sits with its back to Onondaga Lake and the concert’s starting time of 7:30 p.m. made it coincide perfectly with the sunset, which gave the horizon an almost picturesque rose-colored tint.

Dressed in a tight, white T-shirt and wearing rounded vintage sunglasses, Chris Lane opened the show and brought many ladies to their feet with his laid-back weekend party jam, “Saturday Night.” Keeping the crowd pumped up by asking “Syracuse, are y’all ready to celebrate the weekend or what?! Let’s do it!,” he continued his set with his pop-driven love ballads, “Her Own Kind of Beautiful”and “Who’s it Gonna Be.” Lane showed his musical range and that he knew how to play to his target audience, by including covers of classic boyband anthems such as the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” and ‘N Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye.” Lane finished his set with his latest single, from the album of the same title, “Fix.”

After a short break, new-comer Kelsea Ballerini continued the show. Ballerini released her first album in 2014 and has been touted by many industry experts as the next Taylor Swift. The fact that Ballerini is a tall, beautiful blonde with a smile bright enough to almost make this photographer have to lower the brightness settings on his camera, certainly helps her comparison to Country superstars Swift and Carrie Underwood. Ballerini is also one of only five women to score number-one hits on the Billboard Country Airplay Charts with their first two charted singles. Ballerini’s talent was further recognized when in 2016, she won the Academy of Country Music award for “Female Vocalist Of The Year.” Watching her vocal range, great energy and enthusiasm as she belted out “Yeah Boy,” “Dibs” and “Looking at Stars,” one could see that the hype surrounding her career was definitely warranted. Ballerini kept the crowd engaged between songs by encouraging us to sing-along with her, telling us about her first heartbreak, holding hands and even taking selfies with the crowd. Unsurprisingly, the crowd seemed to especially respond to Ballerini’s two hits, the upbeat “Love Me Like You Mean It” and “Peter Pan.” Great things are to be expected from Ms. Ballerini in the coming years.

Following a short period, which allowed the stage crew set up for the next act behind a large black curtain, Rascal Flatts took the stage to the cheers of the crowd. They kicked off their set with the same song that had been in my head since I arrived at the Lakeview Amphitheater earlier that day, “Summer Nights.” Lead singer Gary LeVox’s ability to hit the highest notes did not fail to impress. The concert was filled with shout outs to Syracuse, high fives/hand holding with the members of the audience, and on several occasions, Levox would take one of the many phones being held up by the fans in the front rows, turn around and take a selfie with the crowd in the background, before handing the phone back to the lucky fan. The group even ventured into new musical territory and in honor of the late, great Prince, played “Purple Rain.” The group wound down their set with the hit designed to honor their hordes of fans over the years, “Here’s To You,” before leaving the stage for a short time and returning for an encore with one of their biggest hits, “Me and My Gang.” Chris Lane and Kelsea Ballerini joined them on stage at this point creating a memorable grand finale.

Rascal Flatts Setlist: Summer Nights, I Like the Sound of That, Banjo, Come Wake Me Up/I Melt/I Won’t Let Go, Life Is a Highway, Why Wait, Stand, Bless the Broken Road/Open Arms (Journey cover), Rewind, Fast Cars and Freedom, Purple Rain (Prince cover), Love You Out Loud, My Wish, Take Me There, What Hurts the Most, Here’s To You

Encore : Me and My Gang

July 11, 2016
Melissa Etheridge brings sexy back at the Beacon Theatre

Singer, songwriter and activist, Melissa Etheridge, who is currently on tour with Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, stopped by the Beacon Theatre in New York City on Wednesday night to strut her stuff, flash her pearly whites and remind us what sexy music sounds like.

Watching Etheridge perform her hits from the 80’s, 90’s and the 00’s is a sensual pleasure for the ears and the heart. Her still stellar raspy signature voice commanded the audience as she tore through all her hits including “I Want to Come Over”, “Pulse”, “Chrome Plated Heart”, “I’m the Only One”, “Bring Me Some Water”.

Her Grammy award winning, “Come to My Window” had everyone on their feet and reminiscing about the longing and ache we’ve all felt for another.

Her pumped up, energetic encore of “Like the Way I Do” practically blew the roof off the Beacon and left us all howling for more.

Ms. Etheridge is on tour across the states and Canada all summer long. Come October, she’ll joining the reigns of many with her own cruise, “Melissa Etheridge and Friends, Rock the Boat” sailing from Tampa to Mexico.

July 10, 2016
Syracuse Jazz Fest Day One Begins and Ends with A Bang

Day one of the Syracuse Jazz Fest couldn’t have dialed up better weather, a better lineup, or better setting as the crowds filled in to the Onondaga Community College campus like a wave coming into shore. With music in the wind, literally, this spectacular day went down in the record books as a huge success.

Kicking off the day with locals Scottie Madonia, Sam Smith, Dunhan Hall, David Millen, Rick Bostick, and Nick DeMaria who make up NOTEified, they welcomed special guest Julia Goodwin to entertain early arrivers with hits from Stevie Wonder, Peggy Lee, Herbie Hancock, some Snarky Puppy, and Annie Lennox.

However it was Julia’s cover of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” that blew away the audience and would make Billy Joel himself sit up and take notice. Her voice is full of passion, yet strong and effortless, and with the accompaniment of some amazing musicians, this young group rocked the stage opening what would become the 34th epic weekend of music for the Syracuse Jazz Fest.

Next up was a band of amazing local artists from the Central NY region who paid homage to the late Mark Murphy. Mark was instrumental in the Syracuse musical scene as well as making his mark on the world with his innovative song writing and acting abilities. Discovered in the 50’s by Sammy Davis Jr. at the Ebony Jazz Club, Murphy was considered by his peers to be one of the greatest jazz vocalist ever, touching their lives and influencing their sounds. With six Grammy nominations and more than 40 releases over his 40 year career, the stage was full of top notch musicians this past weekend ready to celebrate his life and accomplishments.

Randy Brecker 2016 Artist in Residence, Joe Carello, Jay & Marty Ashby, Ronnie Leigh, Nancy Kelly, and Darmon Meader, took to the stage together with Peter Eldridge, Lauren Kinhan, and Kim Nazarian also known as the New York Voices. Their set celebrated some of his greatest songs and memories they each shared with him over the years. Known as a whistler it was fitting that during this set, a wind blew up and blew his sheet music all over the crowd reaching those in a way so fitting for the legend.

As the sun began to set, it was time for the The Mavericks to heat up the stage and the party to begin. Those not familiar with this vivacious group were in for a real treat. Best known as country musicians, their eclectic mix of sounds can best be described as a Bakersfield sound. You’re familiar with it…it’s a recipe with a Tex Mex flavor, a bit of rockabilly, a tad of Latin, some rock and roll, and traditional country to make a unique country mix that is the perfect recipe. These spicy entertainers are not only outstanding musicians, they have one of the best stage presence I’ve ever seen.

It didn’t matter that this music wasn’t traditional Jazz per se, because with a voice like a purr and a smile that melted all the girls hearts, Raul Malo mesmerized that audience from the get go, making his mark on this event. Joined by band members Paul Deakon on drums who laid down the beat and percussion for the evening, he set the stage for Eddie Perez’s rocking solos. With flying rock star hair and the best rhinestoned pants that would make any vaquero proud, Eddie’s rifts brought the house to their feet. Rounding out this dynamic group was the one only oh so very colorful Jerry Dale McFadden on keyboards. This charismatic musician won the crowd over the minute he took the stage in his dapper green suit. This band stood out as a cohesive group. No one member outshone the other, instead they each complimented and played off of each other and the crowd throughout the whole set. With an elite ensemble of brass rounding out the group, these gentlemen had that crowd on their feet dancing in no time flat.

Singing a setlist of some of the most versatile songs this evening, they had this journalist’s attention as they played a personal favorite “Harvest Moon”, a Neil Young cover that Malo made his very own. Getting into a patriotic mood for the 4th of July weekend, his rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “That’s America to Me”, demonstrated the varied influences other musicians have had on the band. As the smiles grew wider on the audience’s faces, the toes began tapping moreso, it was no time flat that the audience was eating out their hands and becoming part of the show. Feeding off this energy, and throwing in their rendition of Guantanamera by Pete Seeger and Twist and Shout made famous by the Isley Brothers, Mr. McFadden danced his way across the stage from one end to the other, inciting the crowd in a happied frenzy. Yes, it was crystal clear they were going to be a very tough act to follow on this gorgeous July evening.

As the sun set, and the fire began to fade in the sky, the mood also changed on stage as it was time for the headliner Michael McDonald to take the stage. Sharing a personal message, this humanitarian personally spoke about the state of this country, perfectly segwaying into “Freedom Highway” and “Sweet Freedom”. It was a joy to sit back and listen to this melodic voice once again.

Seeming timeless, Michael McDonald surrounded himself with an amazing ensemble with Bernie Chiaravalle on guitar/vocals, Dan Needham on drums/percussion, Mark Outhit on sax/keyboards, Pat Coil on keyboards, Jacob Lowery on bass/vocals, and Drea Rhenee’ rounding out the group on back up vocals and percussion. Whether real or Memorex, McDonald’s voice is spot on and the emotions are heartfelt as he closes his eyes and belts out his music.

As the night ended, fitting it was to have the evening end with a bang, with the fireworks display for all those who gathered on this holiday weekend to enjoy friends, community, and music at it’s best.

The Mavericks Setlist: Back In Your Arms, All Night Long/Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In, Stories, All That Heaven Will Allow, There Goes My Heart, Dance the Night Away, Harvest Moon (Neil Young cover), Only Question Is, Loving Tonight, Acoustic, The House I Live In, That’s America To Me (Frank Sinatra cover), Ride With Me, Fall Apart, Every Little Thing About You, Dance In the Moonlight, Summertime, Come Unto Me, Bring Me Down, and Guantanamera/Twist and Shout (Pete Seeger cover/the Isley Brothers cover)

Michael McDonald Setlist: Freedom Highway, Sweet Freedom, It Keeps You Runnin’ (The Doobie Brothers song), I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near), I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Marvin Gaye cover), Hurt Me, Obsession Blues, You Don’t Know Me (Eddy Arnold cover), Here to Love You (The Doobie Brothers song), Ain’t No Love, Minute by Minute (The Doobie Brothers song), This Is It (Kenny Loggins cover), What a Fool Believes (Kenny Loggins cover). Encore: On My Own (Patti LaBelle cover), Yah Mo B There (James Ingram cover), Takin’ It to the Streets (The Doobie Brothers song)

July 10, 2016