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Mountain Jam 2016: Day 3

Saturday, the main day of Mountain Jam 2016 had arrived. Attendees stepped out into a brand new day of the weekend. The warmth started to set in as the fog fully broke at about 9 a.m. It was easy to tell the day ahead of music and festivities would be glorious, sun-filled and containing an item that many people would be crossing off of their musical bucket lists after nightfall.

The day started off with an act in Healey Hall that has helped bridge the parent-child festival gap at Mountain Jam for multiple years. Ratboy Jr., comprised of Timmy Sutton (rhythm acoustic, electric guitar, vocals) and Matty Senzatimore (drums, keyboards, bells, vocals) provide families with a friendly place to bring their children first thing in the morning. As we all know, the children get up early and must be entertained. Described as “Ween-esque,” whose “intergalactic folk music is paired with curious subject matter like eating clouds, high five-ing shadows, big-headed Mexican wrestling hopefuls, space fuzz and guitar pickin’ chickens,” by Out With The Kids, Ratboy Jr. has become just as important of an act at Mountain Jam as most other supporting acts the core attendees arrive to see.

Once the children had their fill of silliness to hold them over until after nap time, the rest of the spectacular and diverse schedule of music, events and workshops started to unfold. Next up in Healey Hall was the Paul Green Rock Academy, a school in Saugerties, NY, that is driven to show kids a path to success onstage through interactive performance-based lessons, with the goal of creating genuine music through creativity and experience. While the kids were rocking out the Hall, Rochester-based Mikaela Davis was performing on the Valley Stage. Mikaela was a late addition to the bill when Gary Clark Jr. had to suddenly back out. Shortly after, Darlingside, a Cambridge, MA, indie-folk band, hit the Mountain Stage. NYS Music was fortunate enough to be nearby when Darlingside stopped by Radio Woodstock’s live broadcast area for a quick set and captured a clip on Instagram.

The Mountain and Valley Stages’ next acts were dynamite, to say the least. After Mikaela Davis played, Con Brio, Son Little, Lettuce and Houndmouth finished out the Saturday music on the Valley Stage. Alternating from those acts on the Mountain Stage were Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, the Record Company, a Warren Haynes solo set (another addition from the Gary Clark Jr. cancellation) and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. Each of the last acts on the two concert field stages played to the audience as dusk turned to night.

While those bands played their sets, Healey Hall was home to a couple of workshops, one by Jay Blakesberg, in which he gave an abridged version of his book tour presentations he gives all over the country. Jay told NYS Music that he normally talks a lot longer about his books, but since he only had 45 minutes he chose to dedicate more time to a question-and-answer session and signing books for fans. There was also a documentary on Lettuce follow by an opportunity for participants’ questions, and then another documentary called A History of Cannabis in America. These events helped many attendees get more out of this mountain festival by allowing an in-depth view into portions of the music industry.

Once the sun was down, the face of the mountain filled to the point that a nine-year veteran attendee exclaimed that the crowd was the largest he’s ever seen on a Saturday night. He hypothesized that it could be attributed to large single-day ticket sales sparked by the 9:30 p.m. act, Beck. Unlike most acts at festivals, Beck came out late, but no one was upset once he hit the stage.

Beck opened up his set with “Devil’s Haircut” and naturally, the crowd erupted with cheers. Anyone who has seen one of his shows knows just how amazing the next hour and a half went. The set list of Beck’s performance was equally as eclectic as his history of songwriting and production. Aside from the opener, he played hits like “Loser,” “Que Onda Guero” and “E-Pro.” He also paid homage to the late artists Prince and David Bowie by covering “Raspberry Beret” in the latter half of his set and by playing part of “China Girl” during his band introductions in the middle of the encore, “Where It’s At.” Once Beck’s set was over, no one could stop talking about how electrifying he was. However, there wasn’t a soul who was worried about a lull in the fun, since the late-night acts to come were certain to keep people’s ears filled with topnotch music and help their feet continue to kick the dust around with a variety of impromptu dance moves.

The first act of the late night was Con Brio, playing their second set of the night, but this time in Healey Hall, which due to the last-minute schedule changes overlapped Beck’s set by a half hour. Next up was Thievery Corporation on the Mountain Stage. Lettuce finished off Saturday’s music in Healey Hall and played to a packed house, while the oh-so-common Mountain Jam rain finally made its first appearance of the weekend.

Slowly, but surely, people made their way back to their campsites to ensure everything was watertight in anticipation of any increased precipitation. The biggest hope on everyone’s mind was that the rain would move in and out while everyone was sleeping so Sunday’s big acts like Michael Franti, Brandi Carlisle and the Avett Brothers would be able to perform under clear skies. Little did they know the weather had different plans for Sunday.

Check out the photos below taken by our staff photographer, Steve Malinski, throughout Day Three of Mountain Jam.

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June 7, 2016
Mad Tea Party Jam: A Fusion of Art and Music Not to Miss

The Mad Tea Party Jam is a festival that friends have been buzzing about for years. This year, I am finally going to make it, and I’m excited to bring you the inside scoop of the weekend, garnished with a gallery by Amanda Siedner.

This year’s Mad Tea Party Jam will take place from June 16 through 19 in Artemas, PA, at the Four Quarters InterFaith Sanctuary, a new location for the festival. This will be the fifth anniversary of the event, which began as the wedding of Elise and Taco Olmstead, founders of the Appalachian Jamwich. Now it is an anniversary celebration that the couple shares with everyone, and it’s a gathering that focuses heavily on the art community, in addition to packing the weekend with amazing musical experiences (see the video below).

The Lineup

Topping this year’s lineup are Papadosio, Twiddle and Tauk, with each playing two sets. Other scheduled artists include Consider the Source (Radiohead Set), Big Something and Aqueous playing three sets each, two Broccoli Samurai sets, the Jauntee, the Primate Fiasco, Electric Love Machine (ELM), two Litz sets, Deltanine, Definition of One, Oh Kee Pa and more (see the full schedule here).

Artists and Workshops

Throughout the weekend, there will a team of live painters creating visual art for festival-goers to explore while enjoying the music. The weekend is jam-packed with alluring workshops. Notably, Dale Allen Hoffman, the key-note speaker, will offer “profound insights about Mary and the Divine Feminine” in his workshop “Isis-Magdalene and the Sacred Fire of Ecstasy.” You can learn sacred geometry/mandala making with Charles Gilchrist, or learn about innovative eco-sustainable architecture with Gariel Carazos. There will be a 90-minute vinyasa-style Yoga workshop with Courtney Gabinetti to help open your heart, and a Laughter Yoga Workshop with Damon Owen. Other workshops include an Empowerment workshop, Healing Through Hoop, Merkabah Light Body Activation, among others. You can see the full list of workshops and their descriptions here.

Camping

The new location seems to be a great fit for such a spiritual, art-geared event. According to the website, since 1994, “Four Quarters has been growing functional cultural alternatives, firmly grounded in an Ecological and Earth Spiritual perspective… A sacred place in the Alleghenies, set aside in perpetuity as a Sanctuary for Nature… and for People.” It will feature a shaded camping area perfect for hammocks, a swimming hole for festival-goers to dip into to cool off and two fishing ponds. You can learn more about the Four Quarters InterFaith Sanctuary on their website.

Mad Tea Party Jam offers a VIP experience that will feature camping closest to the stages and the VIP lounge, catered dinner with the bands, a VIP laminate and a Merch Package. There will be a costume theme on each of the three nights that the website encourages people to “interpret loosely;” Thursday is Toga, Friday will be Disco and Saturday plans for a Star Wars/Space theme.

Things to Know

According the Mad Tea Party website, festival-goers won’t be able to camp next to their cars, however, they will be able to drop their things off at their campsite before driving the car out to parking. Children are welcome at the festival; anyone under the age of 13 will be admitted for free. Water stations will be available, as well as a few small restrooms with showers, in addition to the porta-potties around the grounds. Mad Tea Party is a BYOB event for those of the legal drinking age, but Four Quarters will be selling bottles of their mead. Bad attitudes, glass, fireworks, pets are among things listed as not welcome at the festival.

June 7, 2016
Dark Star Orchestra Treats Buffalo Crowd to Three Sets

Back in 1972 the cost of a gallon of gas was 55 cents. Richard Nixon was our nation’s president, soon to experience a fall from grace. The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI. “American Pie” by Don McLean was #1 on the music charts. March 25, 1972 was the date in Grateful Dead history that Dark Star Orchestra helped us relive in Buffalo. That original show took place at the Academy of Music in New York City.

DSO took the stage at the sold out Town Ballroom in Buffalo NY right after 8:00 p.m. They started the night off with the classic “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” They would close the first set with “Bertha.” Throughout the night they teased the crowd saying they might play three sets.

By the start of the second set, DSO seemed to be feeding off the enormous amount of energy that the crowd was providing. “Mr. Charlie” got things started with set two. They would close this energetic second set with the sing a long classic “Casey Jones.”

The third set did not directly correlate with this date in Grateful Dead history. It was a filler set but you couldn’t ask for a better way to close out four hours of beautiful music. Songs like “Black Throated Wind” and “Tangled Up In Blue” really seemed to hit the sweet spot with the crowd. All in all it was a beautiful night of music. The crowd consisted of old school and new school Dead Heads. No matter what their age, every last one of them left the Town Ballroom with a huge smile on their face.

Set One: How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), Are You Lonely For Me Baby, Next Time You See Me, Brown Eyed Women, Smokestack Lightnin’, Sitting On Top Of The World, Sugaree, Looks Like Rain, Bertha

Set Two: Mr Charlie, Black Throated Wind, Deal, Playing In The Band, Turn On Your Lovelight, Casey Jones

Set Three (Filler): Chinatown Shuffle, Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues, Black-Throated Wind, Positively 4th Street, Tangled Up In Blue

June 6, 2016
Domefest 2016, The Flock Congregates for a Weekend of Pleasure

Smaller festivals are considered to be a more intimate and familiar experience. Domefest 2016 is certainly that, but on a whole different level. There is a palpable energy, a feeling that being a part of this Flock brings with it a love that pulsates in every interaction, welcomes you as you are and most importantly, makes you belong without any doubt.

This year’s Domefest was held in the beautiful back hills of Bedford, PA, at Front Royale Farm; it was the event’s seventh anniversary. The new location was favorable primarily to VA Flockers, PA Flockers and some from New York, but the Flock is everywhere, and some dedicated fans made a much longer drive. Over the years, the event has moved locations a number of times, most recently relocating from Tripp’s Farm in Terra Alta, West VA, where it was held last year. While making my rounds talking to veteran Flockers, I got the impression that this year’s location was the best one yet, due to proximity, ease of navigation and lay of the land.

On Thursday, everyone arrived at the farm greeted by sunlight and a warm breeze pushing the clouds overhead. There was a large forest camping area most of which lined a long stretch of the main cleared road. There was also an option for field camping in the Dome Field that some people opted for. A path with wooden bridges that were fairytale picturesque, albeit a little risky, connected the general camping areas to the concert area. Camps set up and hammocks suspended, the early arrivals had a chance to enjoy the afternoon sun, while soft sounds of acoustic guitars from nearby campsites floated on the wind, laughter and conversation filled the woods.

Music kicked off at 6 p.m. on the Flo Stage with Star City Disco, led by DigitalDevy. Lespecial followed at the main stage sparking the evening heat, spreading their melodies on hard electronic grooves and stirring vocals. This year’s Domefest had three stages again, the Flo Stage for in-between sets, the main Runa Stage and the Late-Night Stage, sponsored by the Bamboo Eater.

Electric Love Machine (ELM) took us into the first evening with an energetic, ethereal “Hattori,” a spectacularly haunting “Rabbit Hole,” closing with a hard grooving “Tomorrow knows.” After that, the Flock, in full dancing mode from ELM’s set, got ready to see the first Pigeons set of the weekend. This set featured old favorites and tracks off their newly released third studio album Pleasure, such as, “Burning Up My Time” and “Live It Up,” along with a first-time cover of “1999” (Prince tribute). Broccoli Samurai did not give people a chance to miss them; opening with a Lotus cover that stopped people in their tracks, and kept them dancing well into the early morning.

Friday morning was perhaps the best weather the Flock saw before rain took over for the rest of the weekend. Everyone emerged from their tents to meet the warm sun, shaded from the heat by the surrounding forest. Workshops kicked off with a Rise and Shine Yoga Flow both Saturday and Friday mornings, with the talented Rebecca Simms. Music kicked off at 1 p.m. with Mateo Monk’s soothing tones, “like gospel on a Saturday morning.” The Jauntee, Litz and McLovins kept the crowds glued in the concert area, while Puremotion and Vibe and Direct kept them from leaving during set changes. The Jauntee started the marathon with funky grooves, which Litz later picked up and reverberated with their unforgettable vocals by Austin Litz, closing out their set with the first song guitarist Justin Robb has ever written for the band, “If you haven’t heard our name, you’re overdue.”

The evening was beginning to gather more and more of the Flockers, as Aqueous played their first set of the weekend (live stream by our Amanda Siedner available in AQuaintences Facebook group), followed by a heavy Mantras set with a memorable “The Way Life’s Been Good During Wartime” mashup. The second night of Pigeons certainly did not disappoint, with a Funky start, “Funk e Zekiel,” slowing a little for “Walk Outside” and “Sunny Day” before bringing the funk back with “Penguins>Funkijam” and a “Julia” with an “Under the Sea” tease. The Pigeons played an original debut “Fun in Funk” before closing out with “Ocean Flows” and “E. The Liquid.” The rain was starting it’s own marathon right around that time. Consider the Source mesmerized the crowd for as long as possible, until they thinned due to the heavy outpour, but many were determined not to let weather deter them from the amazing set. ShwizZ took the stage as the sky really opened the water flow for the remainder of the night, but again those determined were not dismayed and danced with ShwizZ until 5 a.m.

Waking up on the last day of Domefest was a little less warm and a lot less sunny. Flockers were slower to emerge, hoping that the downpour would take a break, but a drizzle was present for the whole day. Music kicked off at 1 p.m. with Strange Machines and Out of Beardspace, while Mateo Monk once again soothed in between sets. The Hornitz rocked the stage with a cool “Dayman” cover (Always Sunny in Philadelphia), vibrating their horns through Dome. Mister F brought their funk with deep bass, synthesizers, high-energy tunes and great covers, at one point sharing the stage with Hornitz. Scrambled Greg got the crowds ready for a Splintered Sunlight Grateful Dead set. Deaf Scene rocked the crowd before and after the amazing Big Something set that got the rainy night rolling with “Closer” and later “Passenger>Tumbleweed” and “Love Generator>The Curse of Julia Brown” to finish. Pigeons closed out their festival with an amazing run, with a “Skipjack” teased with “Paint it Black,” “J-Town>Black Dog>Whoopie” with the Hornitz boys and a first-time cover of “99 Red Balloons” that was sublime. A “Zydeko” finished the set, weaving into “Rainbow” in the middle. The last late-night was held by ELM and Aqueous, who held a sizable crowd in the soft mist until early morning. ELM kicked off the rainy dance party with “Captain Disco” and later went into a fly “Weird Fishes” cover, and Aqueous took the crowd home with “Origami” and “Skyway>Dave’s Song>Kitty Chaser (Explosions)” with Marty teases in Origami and Dave’s Song.

This is the second year that Domefest has held three days of music. The stacked line up made it difficult for Flockers to leave the concert area, despite nature’s best attempt to wash them out. At the end of the weekend, although cold and wet, the Flock packed up with warmth in their hearts from the new memories and friendships that they will hold until we get to do it all over again next year. “Tell the right people,” Greg finished their last set with wisdom for keeping that very special energy that lives at Domefest alive.

June 6, 2016
Eagles of Death Metal Fly High at Upstate Concert Hall

There’s nothing quite like a good, old fashioned rock and roll show on a Tuesday night, am I right? Concert goers of all ages turned out on a summer-y weeknight at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park to see Palm Desert natives Eagles of Death Metal slay with their own brand of blues-rock.

Don’t let their name fool you, folks. They are NOT a death metal band. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) They are a rock and roll band. Unapologetic for their riff-heavy, get ya dancin’, tight jeans and leather jacket brand of rock- they even entered with panache. Frontman, Jesse “Boots Electric” Hughes came out on stage to E.L.O’s “It’s Magic,” proudly waving an American flag for all to see.

Hughes has not been a stranger to the headlines lately, being an avid Trump supporter, and a self proclaimed “gun-totin’ American.” The band themselves gained worldwide notoriety after the terrorist attacks at Bataclan in Paris this past November, where at a sold out show of 1500 people, 89 concert goers were tragically gunned down. Eagles of Death Metal made their return to Paris onstage with U2, giving a powerful performance of Patti Smith’s “People Have The Power.”

Fast forward to now, on their American Tour, their past tragedy not quite behind them, the band has created a new fan base of listeners. Their latest release, “Zipper Down” is filled with catchy, strut-worthy pieces, and they hit on all the best at Upstate Concert Hall.

The band opened with “I Only Want You” from their 2004 release, Peace, Love and Death Metal. The crowd immediately roared with delight, dancing, jumping, and sweating with Hughes. Keeping the momentum, they continued on to “Secret Plans” from 2008’s Heart On. Hughes co-founder and Queens of the Stone Age frontman, Josh Homme was not part of the night’s lineup, though it seemed he was there in spirit. At one point a fan screamed out “BETTER THAN HOMME” to his tour drummer. This delighted Hughes, who said he couldn’t wait to “call him up and tell him that. He’s gonna love that.” EODM then started playing their new material off of Zipper Down, starting with their single, “Complexity.” It was great to see the crowd chanting in unison, “My socks and underwear, I like to keep them clean. It’s so easy without complexity!” After that, the band performed “Skin Tight Boogie Baby,” a personal favorite off of their new album, for the very first time in front of a live crowd. “That means we’re going to f*ck it up,” boasted Hughes, though no mistakes were heard during the performance.

I’d be remiss to not mention the amazing sounds of Nashville female rockers, Thelma and the Sleaze, who are supporting Eagles of Death Metal on this leg of their tour. They really know how captivate an audience. Lead singer and guitarist, LG, looking like Janis Joplin, but sounding like Stevie Nicks mixed with a fire banshee, was all business, with no frills. It was so refreshing to see 4 women rock so hard. I’m sure they are used to taking people by storm, and Tuesday night was no exception.

The entire night was filled with pure, unadulterated rock and roll. The kind of rock and roll that flows through your veins and gets you excited about music again, and makes you feel something. Raw, visceral, sweaty, and fun. It was a fantastic evening, and I’m sure anyone who was there will say the same.

June 5, 2016
Summer Camp 2016: The Best of the Midwest and More

Summer Camp Music Festival has developed into a time-suspended Bonnaroo, c. 2002-2005. Big names and small alike are found at the annual festival in Chillicothe, IL, and while the size of the festival grounds have grown only as needed to accommodate growth, attendance reached a reported 30,000 in 2016, the festival’s largest year. But Summer Camp seems to know when to stop, unlike Bonnaroo; the number of stages has been mostly consistent for a number of years, and the propensity to add-on the big names is reserved for acts that fans may only get one chance to see this year, like Jason Isbell or Mudcrutch, and not reverting to bringing in an LCD Soundsystem or 2015 Outkast when they can be found at many festivals.

photos by Dave Decrescente

What makes Summer Camp standout is that it sticks to a lineup that works; start with moe., Umphrey’s McGee, a handful of Chicago and Midwest bands, the best funk and jam bands touring today, some new names, some DJs and a couple of random acts (Big Grizmatic, George Clinton and P-Funk) and you have a functional recipe that doesn’t need to be reevaluated each year to bolster the bottom line or appeal to a newer fanbase. Summer Camp remains an annual tradition for thousands, and the familiar yet diverse lineup with must-see acts from around the country is the origin of this tradition. Collaboration and a constant flowing party with the Midwest’s finest soundtrack is the focus of the weekend at Summer Camp, with a little rain mixed in for good measure.

Now when it comes to attending a large festival, or really any festival for that matter, it becomes impossible to see everything, and sacrifices need to be made. If you’ll see Turkuaz in two weeks, do you skip them and go see Future Rock, a band you might not see outside the Midwest? Or pass up a little Sunday night moe. for March Fourth? (Answers may vary.) That being said, when your RV blows a tire on the way out to Summer Camp, you can cross a few artists off your Thursday list and pray the tire repair gods smile kindly upon you. And with that, we begin at Summer Camp, in the Vibe Tent on Thursday night, with Wyllys.

Creating a bookend for NYS Music’s Summer Camp as he performed late night in the VIP tent until dawn on Sunday, Wyllys threw down a powerhouse set in the Vibe Tent, dropping nu disco on the unsuspecting crowd, followed by Break Science, who was joined the next evening by the Shady Horns on the Starshine Stage. After getting warmed up in the Vibe Tent, we headed to the Camping Stage and happened upon The Waydown Wanderers who come across as the next Railroad Earth and more than a string band with ardent fans packing the hill. Sun Stereo was a pleasant and energetic surprise, filling in for the delayed London Souls, while in the Red Barn, all guests were welcomed to join the Werks, Louis the Saint and Lettuce for the Thursday night pre-party.

Friday morning got hoppin’ with a dose of the Nth Power’s high-intensity soul, which transferred over nicely to Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds who woke the crowd on the Sunshine Stage with a healthy serving of funk and a cover of Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes.” Down at the Moonshine Stage, moe. dropped their first set of the weekend, featuring a monster “Haze,” and later played an acoustic “Not Coming Down” > “Wormwood” > “Okayalright” for the VIP crowd that evening.

At the Camping Stage, Aqueous tore into their second set of the weekend with “Origami” and “Kitty Chaser,” with Rob Houk behind the kit, a potentially great fit for a band that has been searching for a permanent drummer for the past six months. On Thursday night, Rob handed off the sticks to Vinnie Amico from moe., who sat in for Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” Jimkata followed with a lively set, highlighted by “In the Moment,” an indie-pop number that didn’t stray far from improvisational roots and showed the trio in great form.

On the Moonshine Stage, Greensky Bluegrass invited Al from moe. to join them for the Wood Brothers’ “Luckiest Man,” followed by bringing Keller Williams up for “For Sure, Uh Huh” and covering the Band’s version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” for good measure. Back up at Sunshine Stage, Umphrey’s rained down on the crowd with a ridiculous “Plunger” > “Wife Soup,” hit fans with a one-two punch of “Syncopated Strangers” and “Divisions” to close their first set of the weekend. A monster second set began with the recent arrival “Stinko’s Ascension” and “Ocean Billy,” which seemingly turned the spigot in the sky off for the rest of the night. A “2×2” sandwich with “Speak Up” and “In the Kitchen” > “Hurt Bird Bath.”

Between moe. and Umphrey’s sets, Future Rock’s livetronica hit the Starshine Stage, a Second City complement that kept the energy rolling from the two fire sets of Umphrey’s. Over at the Campfire Stage was one of the largest crowds of the weekend, where a few thousand filled in for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. For non-stop late night funk, this four piece from Baltimore was the perfect pre-Sunrise Kickball music you could ask for. Performing songs off their 2015 album Psychology, as well as covers of the “Cantina Jam” from Star Wars and “Psycho Killer,” and a second time ever played “We Put the Fun in Funk,” made for one of the most enjoyable and exhausting sets of the weekend.

After getting some post-Sunrise Kickball rest, Saturday began with Field Day activities. From 3 to 6 p.m., the music from Starshine Stage and Vibe Tent were the soundtrack to the games this year, and what a soundtrack it was. Unlike Pluto got things started during Dodgeball and Tug of War, treating us to trap and progressive house beats, perfect to warm things up on the field. Michael Menert and the Pretty Fantastics were pretty damn incredible, bringing a dose of soul to electronic music honed under Pretty Lights Music, aiding in an epic Capture the Flag that ended with the Yellow Team winning the event. When it was time for the Twister competition, Gibbz provided the perfect beats for the extended yoga session on a makeshift Twister board. Given that this Brooklyn DJ burst onto the scene only recently, having him as the beats to the last hour of Field Day was perfection in scheduling. (Oh, and the Red Team won Field Day, in case anyone was keeping score.)

Dopapod served as outro music as the weary legs of sweaty Scampers departed Field Day for some rest before another raging night of Umphrey’s and moe. A brief storm featuring a double rainbow cooled the festival down a bit before Umphrey’s, the timing of which is always welcome to keep dust down and chill the grounds slightly after a long hot day. Umphrey’s two sets were a hard rock lovers dream, with “Miss Tinkle’s Overture,” “Puppet String,” “Wizard Burial Ground,” “1348,” and “Nothing Too Fancy.” The encore of Mark Ronson’s “Daffodils” was perfectly executed before segueing back into “All in Time,” capping off an old-school set, perfect if you were celebrating your 200th Umphrey’s show that evening.

Heading back down to the Moonshine Stage, moe. gave a nod to two of the major music losses of 2016, David Bowie, with a cover of “Fame,” and Prince, with “Purple Rain.” The string of covered continued in the second set with Kyle Hollingsworth joining for “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” “Opium” and “Making Flippy Floppy,” the former and latter being usual Umphrey’s covers. “George,” “Wind it Up” and “Lazarus” closed out the set and fans moved onto campsites or late-night stages. Strolling back to the late-night music, Turbo Suit with Ryan Stasik performed a funked-out rendition of Nirvana’s Nevermind, and festival dark horse Sunsquabi threw down at the Camping Stage with serious drive behind his electro-funk.

Relaxing with a keg of Goose Island Green Line and the Field Day crew started the day off just right, with Tom Hamilton’s American Babies playing on Starshine Stage. Heading over for Umphrey’s day set, the “early” risers (1 p.m.) were treated to a “Cemetery Walk” > “Bad Friday” and some acoustic tunes as well, including “Gone for Good,” “No Diablo” and the Pixies’ “Where is My Mind?”before wrapping up the day with “Sociable Jimmy” > “JaJunk.”

Catching Twiddle in the Midwest made me curious if the Vermont group had the same response they did in the Northeast, and indeed they did. The largest audience of the weekend at Starshine was a captive one for a five-song set, including an energetic opener in “Apples” and an emotional “Hattie’s Jam” > “When it Rains it Poors,” featuring Chris Houser from the Werks on guitar.

Following Twiddle’s set, the Werks invited up Ryan and Mihali to join them on a shredtastic “G Funk” and closed their set with a cover of Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein.” Heading over quickly to the Red Barn for Make a Difference’s Everyone Orchestra set, guest bandleader Derek Chamberlain led a group including Al Schnier, Marc Brownstein, Jeremy Salken, Kyle Hollingsworth, Jennifer Hartswick, Tom Hamilton, Mimi Naja, Daniel Lamb, Nicholas Gerlach and Chris Gelbuda through his own funky creation, while Matt Butler handled conducting duties for an hour’s worth of on-the-spot all-star compositions.

Rushing back over to the Starshine Stage for Here Come the Mummies was worth it—this is one of the best festival acts, period. Award-winning studio musicians from Nashville, who are under contract and thus, cannot perform under their own names, keep their identity under-wraps by performing as mummies. But all the while, they put on the funkiest of shows, one honed in Nashville studios and elsewhere around the country, performing suggestive songs that will keep you smiling, while your feet and hips do the rest.

Tom Petty and Mike Campbell’s pre-Heartbreakers group Mudcrutch got their highly anticipated set off to a rousing start with the classic “Shady Grove,” selections from their first album, “Orphan on the Storm,” “Scare Easy,” “Crystal River,” and the Byrds’ “Lords of the Bayou.” The set had a handful of tracks off their latest release 2 that fit neatly into the middle of the set, including the outlaw cowboy tune and Benmont Trench penned “Welcome to Hell,” “Dreams of Flying,” “Beautiful World” and “Hope.” For those who don’t get to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers sell out sheds when they do tour, seeing Mudcrutch allows you to catch a slightly different Petty/Campbell outfit that is a resounding late-career success.

moe. finished the Moonshine Stage off with “Baba O’Reilly,” where they were joined by Yonder Mountain’s Allie Kral on fiddle, following up with “Spine of a Dog” > “Buster,” “Jazz Wank” > “Rebubula” with the benefit of quadrophonic sound emitted from speakers across the bowl. As an added tongue-in-cheek bonus, the Who’s Quadrophenia served as set-break music.

Set two began with a bittersweet moment for Summer Camp; Mike Armintrout bid farewell to the festival he had a hand in booking and marketing for 16 years, bringing a large number of Summer Camp staff to the stage as Al Schnier and festival promoter Ian Goldberg gave credit where credit was due to Armintrout, before an emotional on-stage audience.

moe. dropped a five-song set for the last notes of the Moonshine Stage, starting with a 30-minute “Recreational Chemistry” followed by “Kids,” and between both Rob was on top of his game on bass, a highlight of moe.’s sets this weekend for sure. A Floyd-ish “Silversun” and rockin’ “Timmy Tucker” all brought out Rob’s bass, something that Big Grizmatic’s crowd missed out on. An encore of Cream’s “White Room” featured a Rob on near-perfect vocals and a disco ball lighting up the entire crowd—the perfect ending to the weekend of the host band. Props to the guy behind me shouting out “Chicken rigis,” “Utica Club” and “Saranac” during lulls between songs, for a delicious reminder of home while the hometown band closed out their Midwest festival.

One last stop of the night was to catch Crosseyed and Phishless, a unique idea for a Phish cover band in that they only cover Phish covers and jam them out quite well. The five-piece group notably includes the sounds of a Languedoc guitar and Modulus bass, making the performance uncanny to what you might find at Wrigley Field in a few weeks. Covers of “Sneakin Sally Through the Alley,” “Roses are Free,” “Drowned” and even “When the Circus Comes to Town” were crowd pleasers, hinting at Phish but never fully crossing the line into being a Phish cover band.

As the RVs rolled out Monday morning and Scampers cleaned up their campsites to head home across the country, another year of Summer Camp was in the books. There are few festivals like Summer Camp, and many that can take a page from the successful chapter Jay Goldberg Presents writes each year.

photos by Dave Decrescente

June 5, 2016
The Stars Shone Bright at the Lakeview Ampitheater’s First Concert of the Summer with Ringo Starr

You couldn’t have dialed up a better evening to hold the first concert of the season at the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse Friday night, kicking off the summer concert series was the perfect show for the perfect night with Ringo Starr and His All Star Band.

With 80-degree temperatures, a slight breeze off the water and a utopic atmosphere, Ringo and his bandmates took to the stage early in the day to speak with media and answer questions about the upcoming summer tour. Having a chance to speak with all the talent on the stage was a surreal moment for this photographer/journalist, especially having owned and played his “You’re Sixteen” and “Photograph” 45’s over and over again until they skipped from wear and tear, was definitely a highlight of my career, and a little nerve wrecking as you can imagine.

As the band took the stage one by one, they all settled in and we were treated to a teaser of music from the show to come that evening. The little snippets of music were tantalizing and as the question and answer session began afterward, I knew that I had to ask them all something relevant and memorable, wanting to gain insight into each of their personalities. Little did I know, that I would be able to make Ringo laugh as I shared my lovable, but blonde personality with him and the band during my turn at the mic. This peek into each musician’s personality, and how Ringo had effected them on their musical journey, was insightful and exciting as they shared special moments of songs they first heard from Ringo. (in order as they speak on soundbite – Steve Lukather, Richard Page, Todd Rundgren, Warren Ham, Gregg Rolie, Gregg Bissonette and Ringo Starr)

As the press conference ended, the anticipation began to mount as the crowds made their way to the main gate. For those coming to future shows I highly recommend taking a look at this map and planning your trip accordingly. There are still some kinks to work out, however, as the summer goes on, these will be addressed I am sure. This venue is spectacular, and the views of the water and sunset that occur are breathtaking.

As the band took to the stage for the main event, Ringo’s sense of humor shone through immediately as he thanked everyone for coming to the venue built for him to perform. He also let those arriving late know that he would happily begin again so that they didn’t miss anything. It is this lovable and quirky personality that has endeared him to us for all these years. He was exactly as I imagined he would be; not pretentious at all, but down to earth, lovable, witty and fun to watch play and sing the entire night.

The entire evening of music was a trip down memory lane. Each band member shone through as they took their turn to sing their hits and play their parts. Gregg Rolie, who played with Santana at the original Woodstock, and some of my favorite albums as a member of Journey, was on keyboards and set a groove for the night as he played and sang hits such as “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen” and “Oye Como Va.” Definitely setting the mood and getting the crowd up and dancing, Rolie brought a Latin flavor to the evening with his additions to the setlist.

I was amused and impressed with my first time seeing Todd Rundgren perform. He had the audience up on their feet as he played “Bang the Drum All Day,” and his ability to punctuate the end notes on “Rosanna” and other songs throughout the night with high kicks, totally endeared him to the audience as they looked on grinning.

Warren Ham, who played in Bloodrock, Kansas, and AD, may have been high on the riser, but got down with his percussion, hit all of the high notes while up there, and rocked all wind instruments, especially on “Photograph,” stirring up the crowd and jazzing up the stage.

As I watched Gregg Bissonette play along side Ringo, their different styles were extremely complimentary. His energy and sideways smiles and glances toward Ringo sitting to the right have to be moments one could only dream of as a drummer.

The crowd inciter of the evening was Steve Lukather, who got the crowd up off their seats and singing along to not only his songs from Toto such as “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna” and “Africa,” but his guitar riffs and solos all night long were spot on and blew away the audience with cheers and ovations upon completion.

Richard Page from Mr. Mister delivered three of my favorite songs of the evening when he sang “Kyrie” and “Broken Wings,” and a newer one called “You Are Mine.” Between the background percussion from Ringo on the cajon, Steve Lukather’s guitar and crystal clear vocals, this beautiful ballad had a Caribbean feel and blended in nicely with the two songs following with the same rhythm. You would think that having such diverse musicians with such diverse sounds on the setlist would not flow smoothly. However that was not the case at all. The music flowed effortlessly, delivering hit after hit.

Finally, to watch Ringo perform was magical and mystical for everyone. His fun loving delivery of his songs and lyrics, facial expressions, witty banter and laying down the beats for those around him on stage definitely shone the brightest and is what makes him the Starr. To say there was a favorite moment or song would be tough to pinpoint, however, “Act Naturally,” a Buck Owens song found the crowd singing and dancing along. As the night grew darker, the music grew brighter with “Yellow Submarine,” “Photograph” and “A Little Help From My Friends,” engaging the audience and having them sing and dance along.

It didn’t matter what age you were, everyone knew the words, everyone knew the melody, and everyone sang along. All night long I found myself on my feet, hands clapping, and singing along as though I was back as a teenager once again listening to “She’s Sixteen” on my turntable.

Setlist: Matchbox (Carl Perkins cover), It Don’t Come Easy (Ringo Starr song), What Goes On (The Beatles cover), I Saw the Light (Todd Rundgren cover), Evil Ways (Willie Bobo cover), Rosanna (Toto cover), Kyrie (Mr. Mister cover), Bang the Drum All Day (Todd Rundgren cover), Boys (The Shirelles cover), Don’t Pass Me By (The Beatles cover), Yellow Submarine (The Beatles cover), Black Magic, Woman/Gypsy Queen (Santana cover), You’re Sixteen (Johnny Burnette cover), I’m the Greatest (Ringo Starr song), You Are Mine (Richard Page cover), Africa (Toto cover), Oye Como Va (Tito Puente cover), I Wanna Be Your Man (The Beatles cover), Love Is the Answer (Utopia cover), Broken Wings (Mr. Mister cover), Hold the Line (Toto cover), Photograph (Ringo Starr song). Act Naturally (Buck Owens cover), With a Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles cover), Give Peace a Chance (Plastic Ono Band cover)

Ringo will be touring up until his birthday celebration on July 2 in Los Angeles. Below please find the shows near your area. On July 7, Ringo has invited everyone to join him in front of Capitol Records in LA for his annual Peace and Love birthday event. Having celebrated each year since 2008 in this manner, Ringo hopes to bring awareness and spread peace and love to all on this planet.

June 5 Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
June 7 Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ
June 8 Cross Insurance Center, Bangor, ME
June 10 Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, Gilford, NH
June 11 DCU Center, Worcester, MA
June 14 FM Kirby Center, Wilkes-Barre, PA
June 12 Santander Arena, Reading, PA
June 15 St. George Theatre, Staten Island, NY
June 18 Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
June 17 Warner Theatre, Washington DC
June 19 Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
June 21 Foellinger Theatre, Fort Wayne, IN
June 22 Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH
June 23 Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI
June 25 Pinewood Bowl Theater, Lincoln, NE
June 26 Hartman Arena, Wichita, KS
June 28 Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
July 1 Humphreys Concerts, San Diego, CA
July 2 The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

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June 5, 2016
Mountain Jam 2016: Day 2

On June 3, festival-goers awoke in their tents, RVs, and hotel rooms to a beautiful day ahead. The temperature was in the low 60s, there was some light comfortable wind blowing through the mesh of tents, and some clouds in the sky, which kept the sun from waking people up hot and sweaty. Most importantly, there was the first full day of Mountain Jam 2016 ahead.

The day of music got underway on the Valley Stage with The Suitcase Junket, a one-man-band out of Amherst, MA. Matt Lorenz entertained the crowd with his adaptation of a music man, crooning out sweet lyrics, while smoothly playing a combination of a variety of instruments to accentuate those heartfelt vocals.

The next couple of acts to hit the Valley Stage were Marcus King Band and Love Canon. Marcus King and his band proved to be a crowd favorite and was invited to play a small acoustic set live on Radio Woodstock, which is broadcasting on-site all weekend. NYS Music captured a moment of that radio set on Instagram. Love Canon, a fast-paced bluegrass band with a keen ability to cover Top 100 songs got the late-afternoon crowd fired up for the evening to come. Their covers of J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold” and Africa’s “Toto” ensured that as few butts were on the grass or in chairs as possible.

The Mountain Stage had its first act early in the afternoon, with And The Kids, a band based in Northampton, MA, who labels themselves as not just indie rock, but as an existential and accessible form of music. After this unique and subtle yet powerful trio was a band who has worked hard to be thought provoking with the depth to assist generations with escaping the ease of apathy. That band with such an intense charge is Nahko and Medicine for the People. NYS Music was fortunate enough to catch a few minutes with Nahko, an artist with a great heart and his mind truly in an enlightened state.

“A lot of the music that I eventually opened up to that fueled my own style of writing came from [the Sixties]. The old story-telling of a time when there was a very strong movement, as far as a social movement goes, to become aware of yourself and to be involved in your political structure and to be involved in making democracy work for the people.” He goes on to explain that he doesn’t see his music having a political drive. Instead he prefers to label it as having political content and some non-fictional history lessons, which is ultimately positioned to open fans’ minds in order to do their part in shaping a better world.

The Santa Monica, CA based band was here playing their first Mountain Jam and were excited to say the least. The only disappointment was that they had to leave almost directly after their set. However, the reason was nothing short of incredible: they are performing at a Bernie Sanders rally in San Diego, CA.

The Mountain Stage then welcomed Courtney Barnett, the Melbourne, Australia-based singer, song writer, guitarist and all-around bad-ass performer. Courtney brought her attitude-filled full-bodied sound to the Catskill Mountains, introducing many to her music and galvanizing the crowd when she played The Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie” for her first time ever in front of an audience. NYS Music posted a clip of that excellent cover on Instagram as it happened.

Immediately after the Australian indie-rocker finished her set, Brooklyn’s own Turkuaz got things started on the Valley Stage. Anyone who has seen this power funk ensemble knows that the impending set they stand anxiously waiting to see will fill everyone’s ears with a ground shaking orchestration. Turkuaz shows everyone why this relatively young band has started to gain the momentum that is likely to carry them to very high places in the national music scene and possibly beyond.

As the evening led into night, Mountain Jam 2016 was captivated by the music of Jason Isbell and Chris Robinson Brotherhood, who was making their return after having been on the Mountain Jam X billing in 2014. By the time CRB was wrapping up their ever-soul-filled set, dusk had settled in nicely and the previously anticipated rain had decided to issue a stay of aquatic festival execution.

The soon to be chilly night was then taken over by an incredible pair of Mountain Stage acts. Wilco was tasked with firing up the crowd for the historical host of Mountain Jam, Warren Haynes. The veteran band completed their assignment with mastery, giving a massive crowd of long-time Wilco fans and first-timers alike the 90’s alternative rock fix they’d been seeking, whether they knew it or not.

After Wilco, there was a 30 minute lull. That gave people enough time to run and prepare for the host to present his musical bounty. Gov’t Mule took the stage just before 11:00 pm to a crowd itching to hear the drawl of that Southern rock. It’s not easy to forget how breathtaking of a show the Mule gives its fans, but if someone in that crowd had forgotten, they were immediately reminded when the band opened up with the Black Sabbath cover “Sweet Leaf.” They proceeded to give the audience some of their favorites, including “Thorazine Shuffle” and “Funny Little Tragedy,” which finished with a “Thorazine” reprise, Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” “Mule,” in which the festival was teased with riffs of “Shakedown Street,” and then finished with a “Soulshine” encore.

When Warren and his crew of troubadours left the Mountain Stage the crowd was split in two. Those who filed toward Healey Hall for The New Mastersounds and those who sought the comfort of their camp sites, RVs and hotels after a long first full day of Mountain Jam 2016. For the latter, rest was needed to ensure the best experience of the Saturday of music and events to come, while the former knew that it would take a powerful force to stop their momentum.

Today, the third day of the 12th annual Mountain Jam, the festival-goers are in store for a day filled with amazing music and other incredible events. Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, Beck and Thievery Corporation have Mountain Stage duties. Son Little, Lettuce and Houndmouth will be playing their sets on the Valley Stage. All the while there will be workshops, documentaries and Q&As from the likes of Jay Blakesberg and Lettuce. Late night will be covered by the sounds of Con Brio and then Lettuce. Whether you haven’t yet streamed Mountain Jam 2016 or if you have all along, be sure to visit Tourpedo to stream all of these great artists. In the meantime, check out these galleries from yesterday by our staff photographer, Steve Malinski.

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June 4, 2016
Charley Orlando Unveils Summer Tour Dates
Charley Orlando, the folk-rock singer-songwriter from Glenville, will perform across Central New York this summer.

The artist released the dates of his upcoming shows this week. He will perform solo at Funk n’ Waffles in downtown Syracuse at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 12. Tim Herron will also play that night.

The following weekend, Orlando is scheduled to perform at Cortland Beer Company in Cortland and Art on the Porches in Syracuse on Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18, respectively. In the Friday show, the singer will be joined, as he often is, by the musicians of his band RUHA.

One of Orlando’s other projects — Pearly Baker’s Best, a Syracuse-based Grateful Dead tribute band — will play twice this summer. The group will be at Funk n’ Waffles on Saturday, July 9, as part of Hippie Ball II before appearing at Ray Brother’s BBQ in Bouckville for the Jerry Garcia Celebration on Friday, Aug. 5.

Orlando has released 13 albums, most recently StarSeed in 2014. On his website, Orlando refers to the album as “an unconventional recording style creating rhythmic patterns and atmospheric layers in Ableton Live first, before adding guitar, harmonica, and finally vocals to each track.”

Charley Orlando summer 2016 tour dates:
- June 3 — Taste of Syracuse, Syracuse, NY — 5:45 p.m. (RUHA)
- June 4 — Maxwells, Syracuse, NY — 7 p.m. (solo)
- June 10 — Old City Hall, Oswego, NY — 7 p.m. (solo)
- June 12 — Funk n’ Waffles, Syracuse, NY — 8 p.m. (solo)
- June 17 — Cortland Beer Company, Cortland, NY — 8 p.m. (RUHA)
- June 18 — Art on the Porches, Syracuse, NY — 11 a.m. (solo)
- July 9 — Hippie Ball II, Funk n’ Waffles, Syracuse, NY — 8 p.m. (Pearly Baker’s Best)
- July 31 — KMASE & Cones, The Ice Cream Stand, North Syracuse, NY — 12 p.m. (solo)
- August 5 — Jerry Garcia Celebration, Ray Brother’s BBQ, Bouckville, NY — 8 p.m. (Pearly Baker’s Best)
- August 13 — SeedStock VIII, Cortland, NY — 12 p.m. (RUHA)
https://youtu.be/dUGkf-meigY
June 4, 2016
Hearing Aide: The DuPont Brothers ‘A Riddle for You’

The DuPont Brothers, a sibling duo from Burlington, VT, have the gift of being both poets and musicians, a rarity these days. It’s always refreshing to hear sibling duos, because you can sense the true bond felt between them. Whether they’re harmonizing or singing in unison, Sam and Zack hit every note head on and flawlessly, while at the same time giving each other the space to shine individually. Joined on their latest album by several Burlington-based stars, A Riddle for You showcases just what this corner of the world has to offer in the way of talent.

While guitars are the most prominent instrument on this album, interjections from the occasional fiddle, banjo and pedal steel are certainly welcome throughout. The musical influences of Neil Young come through strongly, perhaps most obviously on “Trespassers,” which sounds a lot like “Harvest Moon,” while hints of the musical stylings of Ray LaMontagne can be heard on songs such as “The Arbor.” Then there are songs like “The Positives of Ten Degrees” that offer a more unique and individual style, while staying true to the folk element that seems to prevalent to varying degrees.

In terms of the vocals, each brother has his own distinctive and divine voice, both being particularly easy on the ears. Zack’s strong vocals seem to come effortlessly, giving the sense that he must share his voice and music-writing talents with the world. With Sam taking over the vocal leads on the album’s fourth song, “Ben’s Song,” one can sense a heavy vocal influence from Nick Drake, with an almost otherworldly tone.

It would be fair to say that this album would be perfect for a stay-at-home date night, having it playing in the background, while eating a romantic dinner, providing background music during periods of conversation with its mellow under-spoken tone and intelligent lyrics to ponder upon during moments of silence. A Riddle For You has a way of really tugging on your heartstrings, having the quality of sounding familiar while at the same time offering a fresh twist on traditional folk music. The DuPont Brothers’ second album will be available in stores this June, so be sure to pick up a copy.

Key Tracks: Something to Write About, The Positives of Ten Degrees, Fuse

June 4, 2016