Blog

  • Turkuaz and lespecial Funk It Up Night Two at Brooklyn Bowl

    Turkuaz continued their 2016 Digitonium Tour with a 3 night run at Brooklyn Bowl, featuring lespecial for their second night. If any NY funk lovers were looking for something to do for 3 days in April, this was it.

    tkenna_turkuaz_bkbowlN2_015

    lespecial opened the night of groovy dancing and brought a lighter, funkier version of their death-funk/future-groove with some staples from Omnisquid such as “Fruit Wolf Dance”, “Sugaboi”, and “Pressed For Time”tkenna_lespecial_bkbowl_020 (guitarist/vocalist Gruskauskas’ vocal range truly shines on this track). The trio from Boston also featured classic cover of Les Claypool’s “My Name is Mud”, some new music in collaboration with some Turkuaz members and even a cover of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.” I’ve mentioned before in previous reviews, lespecial is truly one of my favorite bands to experience live as their genre-bending capabilities are unmatched!

    Succeeding their funk-band-in-arms, Turkuaz took the stage and opened with a fitting “Introduction” from their recent album, Digitonium. Following a strong intro, a very funked up “The Rules” from the 2011 album Zerbert , had the crowd dancing and bopping from the floor to the bowling lanes. It was at this moment I realized what I had been missing; Turkuaz truly brings the funk and I had seen the light in only their second song of the night. Each piece of the band plays a very integral part as each member not only brings their extreme talent to each instrument and vocal aspect but also their own unique style. Some favorites from the night included “The Generator” and “King Computer” from Digitonium and “Tip Toe Through the Crypto” and “It’s So Hard” from the Stereochrome EP.

    Turkuaz’s second set was very special as they dedicated the entirety of it to The Band. They opened with a very funky “Chest Fever” followed by an affectionately soulful “Ophelia” and then an extremely heartfelt “The Night They Drove Dixie Down.” “Up On Cripple Creek” seems to have been made for them to cover as they certainly shined in all aspects whilst rocking the track. Naturally, during “The Weight”, a beautiful sing-a-long manifested from the crowd and a very dancey “Don’t Do It” got everyone moving and shaking. Closing out with a fervent and almost spiritual “I Shall Be Released” it’s an understatement to say that Turkuaz did these anthems justice; they put their all into every track and made each one a unique experience. Turkuaz is an amazing spectacle of talent, color and funk. If you consider yourself a fan of live music and have not experienced a Turkuaz show, you’re doing yourself an injustice.

  • Hearing Aide: Baked Potatoes “Loaded”

    Baked Potatoes is a group of reggae, ska-rockers based out of Oneonta, New York. The first time I heard their album I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. A lot of the colors in my musical palette have been the likes of Reel Big Fish, Phish, and Badfish, so it was phenomenal to finally find a more accessible, equally talented group.

    baked potatoesThe guys follow opening track “The Builder” with a tune called “Blue Dream,” a lovely reggae song that evokes mental images of innocence, relaxation, and contentment. Guitar and drums gently ease listeners into a euphoric mix of horns and hand percussion. With that, the scene is set for the vocals, sung in a style adds to the overall reggae flavoring.

    After this, “Don’t Close The Door,” a song about winning a breakup, provides a nice change in pace to the album and leads into one of my favorite tracks on the album “Homewrecker.” Horns, a halftime drum shuffle, a vibey melody. THIS, this is what I need more of in my life. The precision of the guitar parts, the lyrics, and the way the instruments blend make this one of the highest of highlights in my books.

    There is no drop in quality throughout the entirety of this album. Sometimes in the middle on album the project’s goals can seem to go off the rails a little bit, not here. ”No Shirt No Shoes,” “Postcard Song,” and “Satellite Beach” are a block of 3 songs that I would say stray out of the norm, and become more like an experiment. These songs seem dip their toes in the water of a more poppy sound, a sound I can still relate to nonetheless.

    The project ends with “Satellite Beach” and “Unity,” two songs that give the album a strong finish. Unity’s rock-jazz influenced complexity makes it a strong ending song, and a great way to close out the project.  I hope that others share my excitement in the future of this great band. Seriously, if Baked Potatoes are in your area, try and make it out to a show. Take it from a guy who’s seen enough to Ska to know the cream of the crop.

    Key Tracks: Homewrecker, Blue Dream, Unity

  • Hearing Aide: Jocelyn & Chris ‘Edges’

    They say that talent runs in the family, and this is certainly the case for Jocelyn & Chris Arndt.  The two siblings are both students at Harvard and have a strong passion for making music.  They just released their LP called Edges on platforms Spotify, SoundCloud, and iTunes.  

     Jocelyn & Chris EdgesThe Arndts identify as rock artists and refreshingly don’t try to get too fancy labeling their music as a sub genre.  They tag team during the writing process and for recording, Jocelyn handles the vocals and keys, Chris plays lead guitar, group member Kate Sgroi plays bass, and David Bourgeois plays drums. Though the artists have management, publicity, booking, and legal representatives on their team, it looks as though they are not affiliated with a record label.  Up ahead in 2016, they two will be playing a few dates a month in places like New York, Virginia, Tennessee, and more.

    The most defining characteristic of their music is Jocelyn’s voice; it’s seductive, powerful, distinct, and quite bluesy.  She has such a unique vocal timbre that sounds like she’s emulating a once popular vocalist while adding a youthful flair.  One complaint or weak aspect of her voice is that each song sounds quite similar.  Furthermore, to get the sound she achieves, it sounds like her throat is constricted during certain notes.  However, it’s truly impressive that a woman of college age can sing with such passion and emotion.  The chorus of “More Than I Say I Do” is a great example of the powerful emotion she conveys through singing.

    The haunting distorted guitar is an element not found in a lot of music today.  Chris does a great job improvising little transition licks in between phrases to keep each song’s momentum going.  He’s jazzy licks and sweeps sound controlled and have direction.  “Cut the Cord” is a slower tune with heavy emphasis the piano’s block chords and includes a violin in the mix.  The texture gets quite light towards the end and the listener can truly appreciate the lyrics before bringing the instruments back.  The bluesy nature of their songs is perfectly exemplified in “Here to Stay.” The song features sax, trumpet, vibes, and a wailing guitar.

    The album sounds like a strong compilation of songs that aren’t overproduced, but allow for the rough edges, as per the album title, to shine through.  It seems like Jocelyn made a little music on her own in 2014 and 2015, but having her brother working with her seems like a move in the right direction.  It’s clear they know how to structure songs and how to incorporate their own compositional elements.  

    Moving forward, the duo/recording group will need to focus on making music in relation to one another.  It sounds as if the players are simply playing in time to cut and dry parts that are quite repetitive.  It almost sounds as if Jocelyn and Chris hired a bunch of studio musicians to follow a chart and provide backing materials.  There lacks a depth and personality with the other instruments.  This sample of songwriting is probably just the beginning and they will probably grow and devote more time to their music once they’ve finished school.

    Key Tracks: Here to Stay, Cut the Cord, Hot

  • The Human Experience/Gone Gone Beyond Thrive at House Of Yes

    From his recent performance at House of Yes in Bushwick, David Block (The Human Experience) brought a night full of heartfelt, new music with his live endeavor, Gone Gone Beyond. The event opened with the artists asking all in attendance to momentarily pause, hold the hand of the person closest to you and have a moment of gratitude; this task was quite easy as House of Yes seems to engender a feeling thankfulness any time I find myself there.

    The combination of The Human Experience and House of Yes is essentially a no-brainer; a musical artist that combines ethereal, tribal sounds with heavy, grooving bass and an amazing venue that feels as if a Burning Man camp was transplanted to Bushwick makes for a wonderful experience. The name of the event was “The Vibe” which was quite fitting as there certainly was an understanding and sharing of similar emotional and musical platitudes amongst all in attendance.

    Opening with “Ain’t Giving up on Love” from their self-titled album Gone Gone Beyond, Danny Musengo’s gratifying vocals and Block’s melodic piano chords had the crowd swaying and singing along to the chorus. Horns were brought out for “Back Swing” whilst an aerialist performed on some silks in the middle of the venue and I felt like I was in a circus tent in New Orleans, certainly a sight to behold. Closing with “Carnival” was proper as it got the crowd moving, dancing, and smiling as an entire aerial performance was occurring above the band on stage invoking carnival vibes tenfold. Following Gone Gone Beyond, was David Block himself as The Human Experience. Block’s ethereal, world sound were in full effect as many patrons were moving intently with their eyes closed as if to truly feel the music. As mentioned, the blend of The Human Experience and House of Yes is like no other; Block’s celestial sounds with HOY’s vibe and performers is an unparalleled experience.


  • Widespread Panic to Stop Touring

    Widespread Panic will stop touring following a New Year’s Eve show at the end of 2016.

    Widespread Panic, who celebrates 30 years together as a band this year, have decided that after this year, they will no longer tour. Fans will be happy to know that they still intend to play short runs like their famed Red Rocks run, and festivals like the New Orleans Jazz Fest, but will no longer go off on extensive tours.

    Speaking with Jackson, Mississippi’s Clarion-Ledger, Jo Jo Hermann, the band’s keyboardist, said “We’re really wearing it out this year because we’re basically going to call it touring-wise after this year; we’re not going to tour anymore.” He made sure to emphasize that the band is not retiring or breaking up. “We’re still all brothers and still going to play together. … It is really not that big of a deal, I don’t think.”

    Widespread Panic is currently in the middle of their spring tour, which takes them through the South and Midwest, ending with a sold-out three-night run in Chicago May 5 to 7. Following about a month off, they head back out on a 20-night summer tour, which kicks off June 17 in Rogers, Arkansas and includes a sold-out three-night run at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado June 24 to 26 and three nights in Las Vegas July 8 to 10 before closing out in Los Angeles on July 16. Tickets for many of their shows are still available. They have no further dates scheduled, but have hinted at a New Year’s Eve show.

  • Keller Williams’ KWahtro Livens Up the Westcott Theater

    On April 8, multi-instrumentalist and one-man jam band Keller Williams, hosted a night of tasteful jams and brought along a fancy new group of amazing musicians to the Westcott Theater in Syracuse. Adding Gibb Droll on acoustic guitar, Rodney Holmes on Drums, and Danton Boller on the upright bass, Keller dubbed the group The KW KWahtro (fun for quatro, meaning four). For anyone who’s seen Keller play live, whether solo or with any of his collaborations, knew the evening would be filled with danceable rhythms and charming lyrics.

    KWahtroWith no opening performers, the show kicked off shortly after 9 p.m. allowing the group time to dig in and get comfortable. As the house music faded and lights dimmed, the subtle sound of a muted acoustic guitar began to get louder and louder. Soon enough, a silhouette appeared at the back of the stage and Keller then slowly danced his way forward with the rest of the band following behind him. The audience cheered with excitement as Keller strummed his way into a funky instrumental before the rest of KWahtro joined in with a groove.

    Before the crowd knew it, the piece unfolded into the popular hip-shaking “Freaker By the Speaker,” followed with a jam that led into an upbeat version of Jerry Garcia‘s “Bird Song.” Keeping the rhythm flowing, Keller slightly changed direction and began singing “Birds of a Feather” by Phish, which rocketed the energy of the room.  Towards the end of the set, came an incredible jazzy drum solo from Rodney Holmes, known for his jazz influenced style. The ensemble re-emerged from the dark, strapped on their instruments and began into “Up From the Skies.”

    KWahtro The second set followed suit with Keller entering the stage in the same fashion. This time around, the whole band collectively began jamming into the hit song “Best Feeling,” from the album Breathe, made popular by Williams’ collaboration with The String Cheese Incident.  Included in the second half was a delightful “Scarlet Begonias” featuring a “China Cat” intro, “Victory Song,” and two new singles “Mantra” and “The Drop” from Keller’s most recent release, Vape.  KWahtro re-emerged from the shadows of the backstage and asked the boisterous crowd, “Would you like to hear a rockin’ cover or a rockin’ original?” With sincere acceptance for both options, the group graciously jammed out the original tune “High,” seguing into Joe Walsh‘s “Life’s Been Good” to end the evening.

    Overall, these four amazingly talented musicians can surely entertain any audience in any venue simply because they know how to hold a tight groove.  Judging by the response from the crowd, KWahtro is welcome in Syracuse anytime and hopefully they make their way back again in the near future.

    KWahtroSet One: Instrumental Intro > Freaker by the Speaker > Pets > Freaker > Bird Song > Birds of a Feather, Baby Mama, Ripped Six Pack > Cheaper by the Bale, Kiwi & Apricot, Hate, Greed, Love > Moving Sidewalk > Rodney Holmes Solo, Up From the Skies, Fuel for the Road

    Set Two: Best Feeling > Open-Close > The Sun & Moon’s Vagenda, China Cat Intro > Scarlet Begonias, Mantra, Apparition > Victory Song > Buena > Off Time Chorus Line > Breathe > The Drop > Breathe.

    Encore: High > Life’s Been Good

  • Hearing Aide: Snarky Puppy ‘Culcha Vulcha’

    culchaEight years ago, there weren’t many people who knew Snarky Puppy. Heck, the pups were in their infant stages only forming four years prior. That was the last time the band hit the studio though in the traditional sense. Fast forward to today and the band is leading a very real revival of jazz music, gathering fans along the way with recent albums performed and recorded live. After the band’s first Grammy win in 2014 with Lalah Hathaway for Best R&B Performance from Family Dinner – Volume 1, the group followed it up in 2015 with a Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album with Sylva, collaborating with the Dutch Metropole Orchestra. Both wins showcased the group’s formula of recording an album live with an audience, limiting retakes and capturing raw emotion.

    That was then, this (only one year later) is now. The band has decided to throw their recent formula for success out the window and head into the studio for something one can only expect to be a tightly controlled exploration of freedom and expression. The verdict is in and the new album doesn’t disappoint. On April 29, 2016, Snarky Puppy will release Culcha Vulcha, their eleventh album and first traditional studio album in eight years. Recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, the band set their eyes within their home state, just 600 or so miles from where they formed at the University of North Texas in Denton.

    Snarky Puppy is much like the ’92 Dream Team, all supremely talented individuals in their own right. And just like basketball, there’s not enough room within the bounds of a song for each to showcase those deep skills. Lucky for fans, this nine-track release strikes the perfect balance of calling the right player to shine on each track. Their understanding of timbre placement in both the forefront and background is vital in a group layered this deep and the band has always chosen wisely.

    The album is blown wide open right from the start of the first track, “Tarova”, which features a sleazy riff, oozing with confidence, swagger, and a dark, cool demeanor. The opening piece features the most amount of members on any one track (17), giving you their all right up front. The rhythmically syncopated backbeat provides the protagonist to the song’s melodic antagonistic color. Michael League’s bass seems to mediate between the two, but throughout all of the interplay, the song’s identity aggressively shines.

    Snarky-Puppy---Culcha-Vulcha

    As previous recordings have shown, Snarky Puppy has this way of bringing in worldly rhythm and feel to new audiences through their funk-laced, rhythmic jazz. As they say it’s, “music for the brain and booty”. While this influence ebbs and flows, “Semente” and “Palermo” are great examples of the worldly influence being more upfront, drawing a parallel to previous torch-carriers like The Derek Trucks Band.

    The album progresses down many paths, taking on different feels yet always remaining true to the band’s unique sound. It’s the ability to draw with pencil, oil paint, acrylic, or chalk yet still have something that screams your name. Even with a mixed roster on each song, you hear this truth through the evolution. “Beep Box” is a great example of their maturation, featuring a tonally rich, almost J. Dilla, hip hop-esque feel. It’s certainly new ground, but again, inherently Snarky Puppy through and through. The slow moving, futuristic piece strips them down to their forward-moving vision. Chris Bullock’s flute work on this is delicately divine amidst the underlying pulse of the beat.

    As with any other Snarky Puppy recording, it’s not about the individual tracks as it is the body of work and this is beautiful, dark, different, exploratory, and as layered as they’ve ever been. You can tell the band focused less on showing their talents and put that effort into pushing some new boundaries. What they’ve created with Culcha Vulcha is the next evolution of a dog whose getting even more bite.

    Key Tracks: Tarova, Beep Box, Palermo

    Culcha Vulcha will be available on April 29, 2016. You can pre-order the digital version on iTunes, the CD version on Amazon, or the CD and vinyl options through their website (vinyl ships in June).

  • Cousin Fungus Wows the Crowd at Finley’s of Greene Street

    On April 2, Finley’s of Greene Street in Huntington, NY was treated to a performance by Long Island based band Cousin Fungus. The bar was packed and the dance floor full as Cousin Fungus took the stage after the cover band Run for Covers.

    cousin fungus Finley'sAll the way in the back of the bar with an open overhead garage door, the stage set-up at Finley’s made it feel as though Cousin Fungus was performing in their own driveway. As the music started the crowd edged its way forward toward the long-time devotees already lining the front of the stage. The set list consisted of fan favorites Other People, Earth Turns, and Find Your Pipe along with unique jam style cover versions of the Traffic instrumental Glad and Grand Funk Railroad’s I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home.) The first song, Fanfare for the Common Man, was played in homage to the late Keith Emerson from the Emerson Lake and Palmer Band and two new original songs. Birthday was introduced following a special celebratory birthday shout-out to a fan and the show closed with their latest and greatest, Caravan.

    Throughout the show heads bobbed and the dancing intensified with each crescendo. It was evident that the band was feeding off the effervescent energy of the crowd. Dennis sang with style as he passionately pounded the keys and Henry and Thomas grooved to the music flowing from their guitar and bass. Although Chris was hidden behind his drum kit at the back of the stage, his ever present and integral beats were “visible” during each and every song. The boys were in constant communication with each other as they flowed from song to song with smiles on their faces!

    Customers come to Finley’s for fun and fellowship, and of course its large selection of craft beers. Cousin Fungus fans come from near and far to hear amazing music with great friends. This particular night the crowd got it all – Finley’s definitely delivered as promised!

    cousin fungus Finley's*Who is Cousin Fungus??

    A Long Island based band that hails from Port Washington, NY the journey of Cousin Fungus began in the early 90’s as a Phish cover band called Stash. Made up of brothers Henry, Christian, and Thomas Stanziale on guitar, bass, and drums respectively, along with friends Gary Menkes on keys and Billy Zweirlein on vocals their first performance took place in the summer of 1993 and they continued to play weekly in Port Washington. In the fall of 1993, Dennis Belline made an appearance with the band on keys, and when Gary moved off of Long Island Dennis became an official member. The band played all throughout the Northeast building a fan base now spreading from Long Island to Syracuse, NY. In late 1996 they debuted their first original song Rejhi and by the summer of 1997 they were playing mainly original songs. In April 1997, while performing at Hungry Charlie’s near Syracuse University the band was surprised when Jon Fishman walked into the bar. They invited him to the stage where he jammed out with them for the Phish classics Wilson, Funky Bitch, Rocky Top, NICU, and Slave to the Traffic Light. He returned to the stage for the encore drumming to Stash’s rendition of Derek and the Dominos Love So Sad. In October 1997, as the band focus moved toward solely original songs Stash changed its name to St. Ash. In March 1998 Billy Zwerlein left St. Ash and in May 1998 with Dennis now on lead vocals they renamed themselves Cousin Fungus, after a lyric from the song Low Tide High, and recorded their first album Thoughts of a Moth, which was released in the fall of 1998.

    The fan base continued to grow throughout the Northeast and eventually expanded into the Mid-Atlantic. Cousin Fungus had intentions to get back into the recording studio in late 2000 but the album was delayed when Dennis Belline made the decision to leave the band. The Stanziale brothers continued to play as a threesome and in spring of 2001 Mike Sanchez joined Cousin Fungus on guitar and vocals. In 2002 they hit the studio with Mike to record Share the Air, which was released in December of the same year. In 2003 Cousin Fungus welcomed new keyboardist, Mike Sydor, and two months later Mike Sanchez moved on in his pursuits. They continued their musical career as a 4-piece band until their last show together in December 2004.

    Since 2005, with over a decade of performing, the original members of the band reconnected for surprise shows all over Long Island. Thomas, Henry, Chris, and Dennis revived Cousin Fungus in 2012 when they returned to the Long Island music scene playing sporadic shows throughout the year. Cousin Fungus has been exciting its loyal fan base with more regular performances in the last 3 years, even performing at private parties. To the delight of fans, Billy has made a few surprise appearances on vocals.

    Since 2012 Cousin Fungus has performed all over Long Island…and beyond. The band is hard at work writing original songs to add to its repertoire and new shows are announced every few months.

    Cousin Fungus never lets down its fans. Friends and family can be seen at every show and a new generation of fans is evolving, to include the children of each band member! As the Cousin Fungus family continues to grow, old and new fans alike can be found dancing and singing along to each and every song. Definitely take a listen to Thoughts of a Moth and Share the Air and be sure to check the CF Facebook page for show announcements. Get out to a local show and experience all that is Cousin Fungus – you won’t regret it!

    Set List – CF Finley’s Greene Street 4/2/16 :

    Fanfare, Photo’s, Other People, Glad, Find Your Pipe, Birthday, I’m Your Captain (Closer to home), Caravan

    Full Show Audio: Recorded by Patrick Kelly.

    EARTH TURNS: Video Recorded by Henry Stanziale

    GLAD: Video Recorded by Henry Stanziale


    CF FINAL WATERMARK-5
    CF FINAL WATERMARK-7

    CF FINAL WATERMARK-8

    CF FINAL WATERMARK-9 CF FINAL WATERMARK-11

    CF FINAL WATERMARK-12

    CF FINAL WATERMARK-13

    CF FINAL WATERMARK-16

    CF FINAL WATERMARK-17

    CF FINAL WATERMARK-18

  • Deadgrass Livens Up Garcia’s With Midweek Dose of the Grateful Dead

    With its walls clad with Grateful Dead memorabilia and portraits of Jerry Garcia, Garcia’s continues its dedication to keeping the spirit of Jerry alive. A regular installment, DeadCenter Presents, brings the music of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead to the cozy club annexed to The Capitol Theatre.

    SMalinski - Deadgrass - Garcias-15

    Kicking off April’s series was Deadgrass, a collective of musicians from the Hudson Valley/greater NYC area delivering a captivating bluegrass interpretation of Garcia. Deadgrass is lead by Matt Turk (mandolin/guitar) and C Lanzbom, and joined by Clarence Ferrari (violin), Russ Gottlieb (banjo), and Dave Richards (bass).

    Their two-set, full length performance weaved in and out of mellow grooves and blistering licks. For a late evening, mid-week show, the initially docile crowd found the mark with dancing feet before long once “Truckin’” rolled around. There was plenty of solo trading throughout the entire show albeit slightly more abbreviated during the first set. As the midnight hour drew nearer, especially during the second set, things loosened up quite a bit more as the songs became increasingly improv-laden.

    SMalinski - Deadgrass - Garcias-1

    After a short break, the second much looser second set marched forward starting from “Cumberland Blues” and included the popular run of “Scarlet Begonias” -> “Fire on the Mountain,” strung seamlessly together with a jam that slowly folded in the two-chord progression of the latter. Everyone on stage demonstrated some phenomenal chops in the jams, but Lanzbom’s blazing electric guitar solo on “Franklin’s Tower” gripped everyone’s attention.

    One of the metrics for a Grateful Dead cover/tribute band is the vocal performance. On top of embodying the mix of structure and improv of the Grateful Dead in their set, Deadgrass did a great job in capturing the vocal harmonies and intonations led by Garcia. Both Turk and Lanzbom, who had a share in lead vocals, emulated Garcia’s performance well, particularly demonstrated by Turk on “Stella Blue,” a song in which the lyrics are a major component.

    SMalinski - Deadgrass - Garcias-9

    Deadgrass’ high energy and melodic bluegrass take on the Grateful Dead is refreshing and fun among the mix of the other great cover acts out there. For a Wednesday night, the DeadCenter series continues to be a substantial respite from the mid-week blues.

    [FinalTilesGallery id=’733′]

  • Aqueous Pushes New Live Release ‘From the ArQives’

    If there’s anything the fervent fans of Buffalo’s Aqueous have had to complain about the past few years it’s the lack of released live material. This all changed recently with a slew of high quality recordings including last years fantastic “Wizard of Oz” themed, Dark Side of the Moon infused Halloween show, the recent Boulder, Colorado release, and a bunch of new recordings on archive.org.

    Aqueous 02 20 2015 (16)

    On the heels of this flurry of activity the band has put forth the latest multi-track live set – From the ArQives: 2015-04-11 King’s Rook Club, Erie PA. This two set monster of a show features some of the bands most intense jamming and “type II” level improvisation within a slew of their top notch original material and some debut covers.

    Set one kicks off with “Complex Pt. I” and focuses on a mix of material including bust-outs of old school Aqueous tracks “Marty” and “They’re Calling for You” which made their first set-list appearances in close to a year. Also included is a super jammed out cover of Steely Dan’s “Josie.” Aqueous has covered many Dan songs throughout the years (Including a November 2015 cover of “Peg” featuring a Joel Cummins sit-in). Guitarist Mike Gantzer spoke about the Dan’s influence:

    “I always dig pulling out the occasional Steely Dan tune; they’ve personally been a huge influence on my writing and playing style. and often times their tunes are great catalysts for improvisation.”

    Set two continues the jam fest with notable versions of orginal tunes “Underlyer,” “Eon Don,” an “Aldehyde” sandwich with the meat being a cover of The Police’s “Canary in a Coalmine,” and a rare full version of the epic fifteen minute Cycles track “Staring into the Sun.” The audio was recorded and mastered by the bands sound and light engineer Ben Wayt and is available on SoundCloud and archive.org.

    Check out Aqueous in New York Saturday April 16 at Letchworth Pines in Portageville for a rare intimate two set show, and next Friday at Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs with Pink Talking Fish.

    April 11th, 2015
    King’s Rook Club, Erie, PA

    SET 1:
    Complex Pt. I > They’re Calling for You, Triangle, Marty, Josie¹ > Don’t Do It

    SET 2:
    Underlyer > Gordon’s Mule > Eon Don > Aldehyde > Canary in a Coal Mine² > Aldehyde, Staring into the Sun, What’s the Connection?

    ENCORE:
    Mosquito Valley Pt. 1 > Flagpole Sitta³

    Notes:
    ¹ Steely Dan cover, AQ debut
    ² Police cover, AQ debut
    ³ Harvey Danger cover, AQ debut

    Complex had a Josie tease by Steely Dan
    TCFY had a “Waves” tease by Phish and a “Wheels” tease by Cake.
    Eon Don contained a “devils pie” intro by D’angelo, and Master of Puppets by Metallica and Machine Gun by Hendrix teases.
    Staring into the Sun had a long improvised section.
    What’s the Connection had a “We Want the Funk” tease that was audience started.
    MV one had a “Chicken Grease” intro also by D’angelo.

    TCFY was last played on 2014-08-14
    Marty was last played on 2014-06-17