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Woods are Gorgeous in Ithaca

Hot on the heels of the release of their new critically-acclaimed and fan-approved new album, City Sun Eater in the River of Light, Brooklyn-based Woods opened their tour in Ithaca at The Haunt. The quintet peppered their set with the newly minted tunes, all of which were being played for the first time.

The album pushes the band’s sound deeper into psychedelic grooves, heavily influenced by Ethiopian jazz. There was a fairly clear distinction between the new songs and the older material based on the advancement of their sound. Despite being opened fresh out of the box, they were masterfully tight and sounding like well-worn classics.

Fans had a couple of weeks to absorb the new tunes, and many in the crowd were singing along. But more than that, there was a familiarity with the new music, and each song was greeted with a smile as if to say, “Oh yeah, this is a good one.” As each successive new one was added into the mix, it became obvious, if it wasn’t already prior, that this new album was a keeper. as solid as anything in Woods’ catalog.

Lead singer and guitarist Jeremy Earl, guitarist Jarvis Taveniere, drummer Aaron Neveu, and bassist John Andrews were joined by new keyboard/sax/tambourine/backing vocalist Kyle Forester. He may have been playing his first show, but his presence was immediately felt as he aptly rounded out the sonic landscapes.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV1L-QyUay4[/embedyt]

Their highlight-worthy take on “The Take,” had Neveu getting dense beats with mallets, while Earl and Taveniere worked through some syncopated melodies. Eventually Neveu switched to sticks, pounding the song into a long trippy ride featuring some nice sax and guitar interplay that was reminiscent of some classic Traffic jams.

Their older material made strong appearances as well. They showcased their folksier side with “Cali in a Cup” and “Shepherd,” while a set-closing take on “With Light and With Love” gave a glimpse into the evolution that occured to arrive at their current sound. It was an adventure in rock and groove that wrapped up the evening perfectly.

Setlist:
Morning Light, Politics of Free, Leaves Like Glass, Hollow Home, Sun City Creeps, The Take, New Light, Cali in a Cup, Shepherd, Can’t See At All, Creature Comforts, With Light and with Love
E: Blood Dries Darker, Moving to the Left

April 27, 2016
Yonatan Gat Floors at the Bug Jar

Ex-Monotonix guitarist Yonatan Gat returned to the Bug Jar in Rochester and thoroughly scrambled the minds of all in attendance without ever taking the stage. The band set up, as they do for all of their shows regardless of venue, in the middle of the floor. Everyone always yearns to be as close to the stage as possible, and here they had the opportunity to be on the stage. Gat’s trio includes Gal Lazer, playing some of the most frenetic drums outside of the Muppet universe, and Sergio Sayeg holding down the fort on a powerfully grooving bass.Each member of the band is illuminated by a single floor lamp. Gat is lit with a red gel, the others bathed in green. Whenever a musician is playing the light remains on. When they take a break, whether it be just 5 seconds or a full minute, the light turns off. It’s somewhat of a mental improvisational exercise for the musicians. In addition to concentrating on they and their mates are playing, they also need to pay attention to their lighting. What at first feels a little gimmicky, is actually also a musical enhancement for the audience as well. Once privy to their system, you come to anticipate the next move. Like some Pavlovian experiment, when you see the light turn back on (particularly when it’s Lazer’s) you’re fully ready for the music to immediately turn up a notch.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aoa7TCVDgs[/embedyt]

Entirely instrumental, save for short period, on this evening, of indistinguishable chanting, is a world-infused psychedelic rock that is equal parts head-banging and head-swirling. In a nearly non-stop set they weaved in and out of themes from their 2015 release, Director. Melodies from “East to West,” “Casino Café” and “Theme From a Dark Party” all made their way into the ether over the course of an all-too short 40 minute set.

Improvisational bands often speak of connecting with their audience in ways that enhance the experience for musicians and on-lookers alike, giving each performance it’s own unique flavor. When the band exists within the audience, this effect is all the more apparent and effective. Though when you invite the crowd into your space, you certainly run some risk. As so happened on this night. An inebriated man stepped up and tried his hand at some unintelligible shout-singing into Gat’s mic. As it’s always interesting to see how a class comedian can handle a heckler, it was also telling to see how this one played out. The band initially worked the “singing” into it’s improv, jamming along with him, Gat seeming particularly amused with the ordeal. But when he overstayed his welcome, Lazer, taking advantage of the close-knit staging, reached out from his kit and quickly and forcefully grabbed the mic stand, ripping it to the ground without missing a beat. Problem solved.

With the short set and no encore, the crowd, easily doubled from Gat’s show last fall, left only wanting more. And when they come back, the audience will likely double in size again, to witness what is a wholly unique must-see live music experience.

April 26, 2016
Talking Bernie & 4/20

We sit around in the green room at The Hollow in Albany, NY, listening to the muffled sounds of Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets play their opening set of the 4/20 Party above us. From my left to my right sit Formula 5’s Joe Davis (guitar, vocals), Matt Richards (keys, synth, vocals), and James Woods (bass). They’re a great group of guys who have an incredible rapport, making fun of one another and seldom not laughing or smiling. It’s no wonder they have a symbiotic stage presence and ability to make the music talk to the crowd.

We start talking about the fact that they are playing their first official 4/20 party and what kind of importance the day has. Aside from the obvious sociopolitical talking points and stoner jokes, Joe quickly says, “It’s just another day,” which receives instant consensus from his bandmates. They talk about how the day does mean a lot to many people and it’s a great opportunity to play a show on a day that’s so widely celebrated.

Formula 5 is no stranger to playing in front of large crowds during massive celebrations. The Monday before, they played in front of 4,000 people at the Albany Rally for Bernie Sanders, at which the 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate gave an invigorating and inspiring speech. When asked about their individual experiences they all gave answers filled with excitement and pride, reflecting on a day that they really didn’t see coming.

Matt’s friend, Brian Maier, organized the rally and invited Formula 5 to be the musical act to support Bernie. Since the event was planned and announced in short order, the band found out only two days before, on Saturday. “It all happened really quickly,” said Woods. “Matt let us know (Saturday night) that [the rally] was Monday morning.”

Load-in was Sunday night and first set started at 11 AM on Monday. It was an experience few bands ever get; organizing with Secret Service, playing for a large room where people attending were there for something other than music, and the intensity of meeting one of the most popular Presidential candidates in the history of the US.

“It was a sweet experience for us,” said Joe. “I had never been to a political rally or anything like that before. To go to one in my hometown and to be a part of it was pretty sweet.” He went on to talk about how, contrary to what he thought an event like that might be like, the energy was very high and attributed it to Bernie’s ability to really get a crowd excited about changing the country for the better.

Matt added that their exposure as a band has grown quite tremendously since being able to support Bernie Sanders at his rally. Playing for 4,000 people and getting publicly thanked by Bernie at the commencement of his speech has boosted their social media support by the hundreds and grew their video exposure by the thousands. “It was a very surreal experience playing to that many people,” he said. “It was very different from any show we’ve ever played; not just the experience, but the atmosphere itself.”

Being entertainment for the day, while not being the main attraction, along with the typical club security experience being replaced by Secret Service police officers made for a truly unique adventure. Matt was probably the most excited to talk about dealing with the Secret Service. “It was kind of cool just being backstage in an area where no one is allowed to be,” which is quite different from even the most strict security at the green room door. Matt continued to boast about Secret Service commanding him that he wasn’t allowed to be backstage and being able to reply, “No, I can. I actually can. I’m in the band.”

Even with Matt’s ability to tell those federal police officers what was what, they still had to follow strict protocol, especially when getting to meet Bernie after his speech was done. They were guided in very structured fashion to what they called, in unison, the “safe room.”

After we wrapped up our conversation they took the stage. They instantly galvanized the crowd by opening up with a flow of “Q&A” into Phish’s “Makisupa Policeman,” followed by “Pokeman Battle Theme” and then back into “Q&A.” For a relatively young band Formula 5 has an ability to act as one musical organism as if their 4 years was more like 14. They paid homage to the day of celebration by playing “Low Rider,” featuring Mister F’s Scott Hannay on synth, as well as laying down a crowd favorite “Legalize It” jam.

If you didn’t get a chance to see this 4/20 show, don’t fret. The momentum of Formula 5’s schedule won’t be stifled any time soon. Their summer is filled with great shows and festivals, some of which they couldn’t even share because of impending announcements. Their announced festival billings include Disc Jam and Ohana Music and Art Festival. They also have some exciting shows coming up including a few with Dude of Life, Steve Pollak, and his band, Fluid Druids. Keep an eye on Formula 5’s Facebook page and website to keep track of updates to their growing summer schedule.

April 26, 2016
Sevendust’s Lajon Witherspoon Talks Tour, Family, and More

Sevendust has been around for 20 years, but the last 12 months may have been their biggest yet. The band has attracted a lot of new fans thanks to a well-deserved Grammy nomination. They released their most acclaimed album to date: Kill the Flaw. They just played sold out shows in New Zealand and Australia. And… starting today they are headlining a tour here in the states.

As front man, Lajon Witherspoon said to NYS Music, “This (Sevendust) is a great thing, we can never stop now. After the Grammy nomination it created a spark and it opened the door.” The door has been opened and Sevendust is taking advantage.

This will be the band’s first headlining tour since the Grammy nomination for their song “Thank you,” and if the set lists from Australia are any indication of what’s to come, fans are going to be excited to hear some classics mixed into the new. Lajon said that the band “is not sure of the set list, yet. (It’s hard) setting up and picking a set list with so much music.” But they do plan on tapping into each album, to “make it a true Sevendust experience.”

As for new music, besides Kill the Flaw, the band is constantly coming up with new stuff. LJ explained that “(They) have grown as writers, grown as artists, and grown as men.” They have families now, and take the much needed time away to reset and do things the right way. This keeps the music fresh-minded, and obviously with recent success, relevant. Lajon also squashed any rumors, past or present, of this being the band’s last tour, “we can never stop now, the cats in the band really love each other.”

Time off the road is as important as time on the road, especially with young kids. Lajon welcomed a son into the world in December, and juggled that with the Grammy nomination, a New Years Eve show and planning the New Zealand/Australia and the U.S. tours. Before going on the road, he even fit time in to watch his daughter’s first softball game.

Being an attentive dad and a great musician is in Lajon’s blood. His father was in a disco era band, and he remembers going to see his dad play around Nashville as a young kid. “The instruments were so much bigger. I got to go to sound check and I still remember the colors on the walls and wanting to be an artist.” Those experiences laid the groundwork for Witherspoon’s start in music – initially soul, and then bringing that soul to the metal world. It’s that unique sound that has helped influence many bands in the metal and hard rock scene today, the fusion of soul and metal.

The Kill the Flaw tour consists of thirteen headlining dates and a rock festival nearly every weekend. For the headlining shows, you can expect well over an hour of high-energy rock and roll. Get to the shows early because one of metal’s new stars, Like A Storm, will be opening the shows, and perennial powerhouse, Trivium, is providing direct support. This is a line-up that you can’t miss.

Mark your calendar, the dates are:

Apr. 26 – Baton Rouge, LA @ The Varsity Theatre
Apr. 27 – Birmingham, AL @ Iron City
Apr. 29 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
Apr. 30 – Fort Myers, FL @ Fort Rock
May 01 – Jacksonville, FL @ Welcome To Rockville
May 03 – New York, NY @ Playstation Theater
May 05 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater
May 07 – Charlotte, NC @ Carolina Rebellion
May 08 – Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head
May 13 – Clear Lake, IA @ Surf Ballroom
May 15 – Somerset, WI @ Northern Invasion
May 17 – Sioux Falls, SD @ The District
May 18 – Arlington Heights, IL @ Home Bar
May 20 – Columbus, OH @ Rock On The Range
May 21 – Reading, PA @ Reverb
May 22 – Schaghticoke (Albany), NY @ Rock ‘n Derby
May 24 – Flint, MI @ Machine Shop
May 25 – Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
May 27 – Shreveport, LA @ Riverside Warehouse
May 28 – Pryor, OK @ Rocklahoma

Note: 2016 has been a rough year for music legends, we’ve lost David Bowie, Merle Haggard, Phife Dawg, Glenn Frey, and now Prince. I found out about all the deaths in the normal way, well, the normal way “now” – through social media, except Prince. I found out about Prince’s death from another rock legend, Sevendust’s Lajon Witherspoon. We were on the phone talking about the upcoming tour, Grammy nominations, and influences. And, like any musician over the past 40 years, Prince touched LJ’s work, and like any music lover over that same time frame, Prince touched my life. When Lajon told me that him and his publicist, Kevin Chiaramonte, just heard Prince passed, I was truly at a lost for words.

April 26, 2016
Acting a Fool at the First Fool’s Paradise

The inaugural Fool’s Paradise two day concert was a fantastic weekend for visitors to the oldest city in the country, St. Augustine. The music flooded the St. Augustine Amphitheatre and featured Lettuce, Griz, Chris Robinson, and many more incredible artists. There were occasional showers in the forecast but nothing serious enough to deter the music lovers from dancing and enjoying the music. This event had a wonderful first year and offered some unique activities reminiscent to jam cruise.

On Friday at six the power duo Goldfish took the stage. The two multi-instrumentalists are currently touring South America, The United States, and Europe, sharing their latest release Games Continued. After watching a few minutes of Goldfish their talent is impossible to deny. Both musicians hail from the most southern tip of Africa and have been called, “the duo to see this year.” The duo play upright bass, flute, saxophone, and synthesizers.

Up next was Lettuce who played a powerful set that got everyone dancing and set the tone for the rest of the evening. Following was fellow headliner Griz. The set was powerful, dynamic and was the perfect mix of funk, and electronic jams. Mid set Lettuce joined Griz for a perpetual groove that radiated from everyone’s feet up through their fingertips. The energy was high and the audience absorbed the music and recycled its energy into non-stop dancing.

The music ended at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre at 10:30 due to the venue’s proximity to local residents. This was by no means the end of the party. Many attendees had previously purchased late night show tickets for sets that would be held in the Elk’s Lodge which was practically on the premises. Friday night’s late night featured both Vulfpeck and Lettuce side project Break Science.

It was previously mentioned that Fool’s Paradise is reminiscent of Jam Cruise because of the fun and exciting excursions that could be taken with the artists. The excursion tickets were sold separately and included mini golf with Jesus Coomes, and Adam Deitch of Lettuce, sailing with Shady Horns and a zip-line adventure Borham Lee at The Alligator Farm The greatest part of these excursions was being up close and intimate with the artist doing something you both like.

The amphitheater also had a healthy array of eats and crafts vendors to explore.

The Shipwreck Stage, located near vendor row in the parking lot of the amphitheater started the party rocking each day before the amphitheater stage opened.

Saturday began with the Groove Orient, and Herd of Watts on the Shipwreck Stage. After the stage closed for the weekend, Brasstracks started the amphitheater grooving. Nikki Glaspie and the Nth Power followed and brought the funk. Vulfpeck took the stage at five-thirty and also provided some background music for a spontaneous wedding which happened right on the amphitheater stage. The crowd cheered for the happy couple as they eagerly read their unique self-penned vows.

Vulfpeck was quite engaging with the audience and lead everyone in singing three part harmonies while dancing to their funky beats. One thing is undeniable, each member of the band is extremely versatile. Every few songs the guys would switch instruments with each other, transforming their whole sound. The lead singer was especially energized because it was his 30th birthday. He took a picture and sent it to his mom for all the people at the festival.

Chris Robinson’s Soul Revue was a once in a lifetime line up. The band’s all-star cast featured George Porter Jr. of The Meters, Ivan Neville, Nikki Glaspie, Eric Krasnoyarsk and Neal Casal featuring the Shady Horns. The bass was thumping and the horns wailing. Their set was definitely one of the high points of the weekend.

The artist at large was Cory Henry of Snarky Puppy. Henry effortlessly alternated from keys to drums numerous times and was a great addition to every band that he sat in with.

Lettuce’s final set also featured Nigel Hall, and Cory Henry. Late night sets followed at the Elk’s Lodge with Goldfish and Fools of Funk which was a collaboration between some of the members of Lettuce, Nigel Hall, Weedie Braimah, Eric “Benny” Bloom, Ryan Zoidis, and Cory Henry.

Fool’s Paradise was an intense, fun, and funky weekend in an amazing venue. The St. Augustine Amphitheater has excellent amenities and terrific staff. Purple Hat Productions did a bang up job in creating such an incredible concert. The talent was limitless, the production quality was seamless. The crowd was harmonious. See you next year in Fool’s Paradise After year one you can expect anything to happen in paradise.

April 25, 2016
Killswitch Engage Brings Metal to Binghamton

Hardcore metal fans were out in force this past week in upstate New York. On April 15, 2016 Killswitch Engage rolled into the Magic City Music Hall in Binghamton, along with guests Toothgrinder, Memphis May Fire and 36 Crazy Fists.

Fists were pumping, bodies were slamming, moshing and surfing and all horns were thrown in full fledged tribute to heavy metal with a packed house of well over 1000 fans in attendance. Toothgrinder from Asbury Park, NJ started the night off at 7:30 followed by Anchorage, Alaska based metal legends 36 Crazy Fists and finally Memphis May Fire, hailing from Dallas, Texas who performed an inspiring 40 minute set with a few of their hits including “Beneath The Skin”, “Stay The Course” and “Vices.”

All three opening acts set the stage for “Killswitch Engage,” who took the stage at 10:10 p.m. and brought an hour and fifteen minute non-stop assault to the revved up crowd in Binghamton. Frontman Jesse Leech led the metal onslaught along with the shredding guitar duo of Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel and the thunderous earth shaking bass of Mike D’Antonio and drummer Justin Foley.

Killswitch, from Westfield, MA performed a whopping seventeen song set list that included tracks from five studio albums such as Alive and Breathing, The End of Heartache, As Daylight Dies, Disarm the Descent and their newest studio album just released in March, Incarnate.

Killswitch came out hitting hard with the number four track “Strength of Mind” off their new chart topping album Incarnate. From there they went on to perform “A Bid Farewell”, “Numbered Days” and “Alone I Stand”, the first track off the new album.

Metal fans were not disappointed as all four bands from different corners of the U.S. brought the house down with a massive sound, tons of high packed energy and crowd involvement. Killswitch continues its year-long tour in support of Incarnate throughout 2016, eventually heading to Europe on June 3, then back to the North America on July 17 before heading back to Europe for November and December dates.

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Setlist: Strength of Mind, A Bid Farwell, Numbererd Days, Alone I Stand, Beyond The Flames, The Arms of Sorrow, The New Awakening, Hate by Design, Take This Oath, Always, This Fire Burns, Rose of Sharyn, Embrace the Journey, My Last Serenade, The End of Heartache, My Curse, and In Due Time

April 24, 2016
Pink Talking Fish, Aqueous Energize Putnam Den

After a muggy day in the Capital Region, two regional bands – Pink Talking Fish and Aqueous – took to the stage at the Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs and saturated an already soggy crowd with funk and fun, sprinkled with some purple.

Buffalo favorites Aqueous started the show around 9:30 p.m., leaping right into “Aldehyde,” which saw snazzy work on the wah pedal from guitarist Mike Gantzer. Slowly bleeding into “Origami,” Aqueous had a few stop and starts led by interim drummer Rob Houk, who is in the running to take over as full-time drummer.

“Complex Pt. I,” “Peaches” > “Warren in the Window” and “Numbers and Facts” rounded out the well executed setlist. During “Warren,” Gantzer and fellow guitarist Dave Loss heavily teased Phish’s “Meatstick” that was greeted with an uproarious cheer from the half-full crowd. “Peaches,” a cover of a song by the Presidents of the USA, was the crowd favorite of the set, with everyone belting, in unison, the catchy chorus.

Following a short break, Pink Talking Fish emerged, with guitarist Dave Brunyak playing a few melodies over the house music. Wasting no space or time, the band kicked off two sets with “In the Flesh”>”Tube”>”Life During Wartime,” and a final reprisal of “Tube,” with Brunyak nailing the bluesy ending that Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio wrote into the diddy.

“Have A Cigar”>”Wild Wild Life”>”Simple”>”Pigs” brought a mellow, then rocking mood to the set. Bassist Eric Gould led the segment, bopping the band through some of Phish, Talking Heads and Pink Floyd’s most iconic songs.

“This Must Be The Place”>”Fearless”>”Esther Interlude”>”Run Like An Antelope” completed the set, giving a sweaty crowd a much needed breather. The second set featured “Ghost,” with an irregular breakdown in the middle, and “Money,” complete with the opening and closing cash register noise from the original.

“The Lizards”>”Crosseyed and Painless”>”One of these Days”>”Lizards” was easily the highlight. The band doesn’t seem to miss even a single note, making this group of musicians maybe the only capable people to get up and perform the music of three of rock’s most beloved groups.

In fitting fashion, the band covered Prince’s “Purple Rain” (a song Phish has been performing for years) as a tribute to the passing of the Purple One. “Loving Cup” sent the crowd home happy and satiated.

Aqueous

Putnam Den, Saratoga Springs

Set 1: Aldehyde > Origami, Complex Pt. I, Peaches > Warren in the Window, Numbers and Facts

Notes: Meatstick [Phish] and Linus and Lucy [Vince Guaraldi] teases in Warren

Pink Talking Fish

Set 1:
In The Flesh>
Tube>
Life During Wartime>
Tube
Have A Cigar>
Wild Wild Life>
Simple>
Pigs (3 Different Ones)>
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)
Fearless*>
Esther Interlude>
Run Like An Antelope

Set 2:
Moon Rocks>
Ghost>
Money>
Making Flippy Floppy**>
Timber Ho>
Young Lust
The Lizards>
Crosseyed And Painless
One Of These Days***>
The Lizards
Cities
Seamus>
Birds Of A Feather

E:
Purple Rain%
Loving Cup

*w/ Prince Caspian tease
**w/ Rift tease
***w/ “Still Waiting” vocals
%solo piano performance by Richard James

April 23, 2016
Slick Rick Becomes a U.S. Citizen

English-born rapper and long-time Bronx resident Ricky “Slick Rick” Martin Lloyd Walters became an American citizen last week in New York after a protracted 23-year battle.

In a statement, Walters said:

I am so proud of this moment – and so honored to finally become an American citizen. This has been a long time coming for me, and I am relieved to finally put this long chapter behind me. I want to thank everyone – my family, friends and fans – who have supported me and stuck by me over these 23 years. I am truly blessed – and stay tuned, I will have more to announce soon.

The rapper rose to fame in the early 1990s on the strength of his storytelling style of rap exhibited on his Def Jam debut The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. The album featured some of Walters’ biggest hits including, “Children’s Story,” “Teenage Love” and “Hey Young World.”

Walters moved to the Bronx from London when he was 11 years old. He quickly became immersed in the hip-hop culture and joined Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew as MC Ricky D soon after finishing high school.

The legal battle behind his citizenship began in 1990 when he was sentenced to prison for the self-defense shooting of his cousin, who had been hired and subsequently fired as his bodyguard. A bystander was also injured in the incident. Walters spent five years in prison on charges of attempted murder and residency issues with Immigration and Naturalization Services.

When released from prison, Walters was threatened with deportation, spending several years in and out of prison. New York Gov. David Paterson granted Walters a full pardon in 2008, clearing the path to citizenship.

Walters has been credited as the most successful British-American rapper and also one of the genre’s most sampled artists. He has collaborated with Jay Z, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot and Outkast.

Walters has dedicated much of his time to mentoring youth and raising funds for issues impacting under-served communities.

Slick Rick embarks on a short spring tour throughout the Midwest and Southeast on May 7. Dates can be found on his website.

April 23, 2016
Hearing Aide: BREN ‘Hot Lunch’

BREN, from Plattsburgh, have just released their debut EP, Hot Lunch. In a world where many will say punk rock is dead or watered down, those skeptics have not heard BREN. BREN is a three piece ensemble that can honestly call their music punk, complete with nasally vocals screaming personal lyrics. Yes, this is fun punk rock and you can dance to it, but to actually sit down and listen to the lyrics being sung and written by Matt Hall, there is a lot more going on and that is what makes this debut album a must-have.

Opening with “Parade”, and the lyric repeating “ There was something there, there was something there! I’m not imagining it.” shows that this punk rocker has a paranoid, more emotional, side to him. This could be ground breaking: a three piece punk band that actually has something personal to say in a punk rock setting. In “If there was something going on.” Hall paints a perfect upstate New York autumn of contemplation and anger. This song is brilliant. But in the 1:28 second rant if you don’t pay attention, the fast paced music will take away from the song’s meaning.

“Dream Song” is different from the other tracks on the album in a few distinct ways. The lyrics are short, but sweet. Matt sings “ I kissed you in a dream last night” and then there’s an instrumental bit that showcases Sarah Mundy’s bass slapping as well as Zach Hircsch’s drums. This is a direction punk rock does not often take. The songs are usually short and to the point with very little to show in the jamming out sense. This song, however ,was different, letting listeners know that this group is more than three power chords and yelling – they are the real deal. In the album closer, “I’m better now”,the lyrics take us on an American Psycho journey through some very dark imagery in pleading her to talk to him again, because he’s better now. The song seems to be a metaphor for going through a rough patch in life. This album has the potential to reach many different audiences, and each unique listener can find their own meaning.

KEY TRACKS: Parade, Dream Song, If There Was Something Going on

April 23, 2016
Photo Gallery – Marco Benevento at the Music Hall of Williamsburg

Marco Benevento returned to his native Brooklyn to celebrate the release of his most recent record, The Story of Fred Short. The Music Hall of Williamsburg offered an intimate and comfortable backdrop for the energetic, smart, and at times quirky tunes that would fill the near two hour set.

Anyone who has been to a show with Marco in the driver’s seat, or even riding shotgun, can attest that you won’t leave disappointed. Supporting him on this Saturday night was Andy Borger on drums, and Karina Rykman on bass. The trio was joined during the encore by Mikaela Davis on harp and Katie Jacoby on violin, kicking the set up just one more notch. Fortunately for anyone who missed out, there are more shows in the near future for you to soak up all the aforementioned ear candy (line-up subject to change). Till then, enjoy this photo gallery highlighting a few moments from the evening.

April 22, 2016