NYS Music 20​16

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  • Daryl’s House Plans to Expand With New Outdoor Venue Space

    On Halloween 2014, Hall & Oates performed for the opening night of Daryl’s House in Pawling — owned by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Daryl Hall himself.

    This week, the Poughkeepsie Journal reported that the venue is in the planning process to add an outdoor venue space for more than 1,000 guests. The current house hosts a combined restaurant and music space similar to its former tenant, the Towne Crier Cafe, which relocated to Beacon in 2013.

    Dary’s House already has a few class acts lined up for what they are calling the Backyard Concert Series, including Todd Rundgren, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Lucius, Shovels & Rope, and Colin Hay, with more to be announced.

    While the prospect of the outdoor venue is being received well locally, the venue is still in the planning process. The property owners have to obtain the necessary permits, otherwise the outdoor events won’t be able to take place.

    Daryl’s House grew out of the “Live From Daryl’s House” series that Hall began as a web series in 2007.

    Read the Poughkeepsie Journal’s article, which includes a brief interview with Hall.

  • Legends Alert: Leon Russell and Dave Mason at The Egg on February 28

    Rock legends Leon Russell and Dave Mason will perform at the Hart Theater at The Egg Performing Arts Center on Sunday, February 28 at 7 PM. Part of the American Roots & Branches concert series, the two rock music icons will perform individual sets with their bands, performing a variety of classic songs from their storied repertoire, including Leon Russell’s “Delta Lady,” made famous by Joe Cocker, and Traffic’s “Feelin’ Alright,” among many other hits from across their careers.

    Tickets for the concert are $34.50 and $39.50 and are available at The Egg Box Office at the Empire State Plaza, or by telephone 518-473-1845

  • Hearing Aide: Trinity Park Radio “TPR Comes Alive”

    TPR, short for Trinity Park Radio, just released a live album playfully titled TPR Comes Alive. Many nuances throughout this album make it an unique adventure from Cleveland to Chicago (more on that later), and these fun loving college guys have etched themselves a niche in the live music scene. Some live albums overshadow the band with long drawn out jams, and don’t highlight the personality of the band and focus on their ability. TPR connects with their audience in a more intimate way, making them feel as if they are part of the show. By recording in a cozy setting, the listener feels like they’re one of the people in the crowd.

    Right off the bat, “King of the Park” hits you in the face with pure adrenaline charged rock and roll while “Cleveland Gary” shows a different side of the band – a softer, more emotional side. “You’re on Fire” is a catchy little number with a fun repeating title phrase which speeds up to astronomical speeds, bringing out a silliness from the band members as they get increasingly excited and deliver that energy through the speakers.  TPR also put a hip spin on a grade school classic, the famous “Stop Drop and Roll.” These lads added rock ‘ n before the roll and all are left singing along. That wasn’t the only point in the album where the lyrics were ironic, the title “I Love Dick’s….Sporting Goods”, is another perfect example.

    The album closes out with “Carl Winslow,” yes, that Carl Winslow, the Chicago mailman from the ABC hit “Family Matters.” It’s a delightfully hokey song telling stories of Steve Urkel and others cast members, but the music itself is the most catchy part, although you may find yourself confused by the band saying Carl Winslow, as the music doesn’t fit the character at all – a middle class, mid-America man – does not translate to hard kicking guitar riffs and slamming drums.  Again, this fits the over riding motif of the album, with the titles and the lyrics making the listener believe they are going to hear one thing, but the music delivering another.

    Listening to TPR Comes Alive, the amount of effort put in becomes clear straight away. You can tell they don’t take themselves too seriously, but they are far from a joke. TPR is having fun toeing that line, and if they stay they the course it can only mean a bright future for these guys from Upstate New York.

    Key Tracks: Cleveland Gary, King of the Park, You’re on Fire

  • Twiddle Brings Plumperdump to Packed Syracuse Crowd

    Twiddle rolled into Syracuse this past Saturday to a sold out crowd at the Westcott Theater.  The third stop on the band’s Plumperdump Tour was also the third sold out show of the short winter run.  An indication that the band’s stock is rising, backed by a continuously growing fan base.

    The house wasn’t packed with just Twiddle fans from central New York.  Before the band took the stage, the room was energized by swarms of fans from all over the Northeast. Some chatted about the half day drive or relived the tour’s first two shows in Maine and Rhode Island and many new fans simply waited in anticipation of their first Twiddle show.The evening’s set list showcased songs from the band’s latest release, PLUMP- Chapter One, as well as a playful blend of covers and Twiddle fan favorites.  The music showcased a growth in exploration of self-education. Twiddle has found ways to weave together its new momentum and classic jams; a seemingly tricky task of bridging a new polished studio sound while exploring the space between the choruses.

    Beyond the much hyped message of the band’s music, is a less discussed musical workmanship that sometimes get lost within the hype of “frends” and “pe^king”.  What fans of the band are witnessing so far on the Plumperdump Tour, is the harmonious blend of the band’s musical journey; a tasty mix of hooky lyrics and feel good singalongs with whimsical improvisational composition while still creating an effective and intriguing blend.

    Twiddle is on a journey, that if continued, will shine best during the summer festival season, where Twiddle is poised to play a mix of regional festivals and high profile events, such as this summer’s Lockn’ Music Festival.

    The high profile growth seems to be giving the band a new approach to its performance. On this tour, Twiddle plays with an overwhelming sense of  love for the journey.

    In the show opener “Syncopated Healing” as well as in the evening’s extended version of the PLUMP single “Every Soul”, the band presented with a cleaner  and brighter quality to their sound.

    In “Carter Candlestick” and “Doinkinbonk”, Twiddle continued to showcase an onstage brotherhood by creating stand out moments for bassist Zdenek Gubb, who has eagerly driven the band toward a more dark, funky, but yet playful groove.

    What makes Twiddle endearing is that, as highlighted in the evening’s version of the disco classic “Funkytown”, they explore a more playful space.  Among their own original material, the song “Dr. Remidi’s Melodium” treated fans to the signature Twiddle reggae/funk/rock fusion that kept the crowd in a rhythmic bliss of engaging lyrics and danceable grooves.

    Twiddle also seems to be finding new ways to take risks within its sets.  The first set ended with not only a rousing rendition of the Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon”, but also a  seldom heard vocal jam.  And although they may not be the first jam band to explore this technique, they are doing it their own way.  The Twiddle vocal jam is a captivating blend of beat-boxing and vocal rhythms that mimics the best video game soundtracks and electronic grooves – a group of twenty something musicians playfully distorting and manipulating the sounds of its generation into a unique musical moment.

    The only downfall of the evening was that the energy of the crowd felt too big for the venue.  The Westcott Theater staff found themselves turning fans away at the door.  And while continued sellouts are great to encourage the band to book larger venues, it’s that larger space that the band’s sounds is looking to fill.  For a band like Twiddle that is clearly looking to attract a mix of fans while blending a variety of musical textural sounds, the band will only continue to grow if the size of the spaces they play grows as well.

    Twiddle continues the Plumperdump tour Thursday, Feb. 25 at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo before heading to the Upstate Music Hall in Clifton Park on Friday, Feb. 26 with Formula 5 and Irving Plaza in New York City on Feb. 27.

    Setlist: Syncopated Healing, Every Soul, Carter Candlestick, Five, Dr. Remidi’s Melodium, Dusk ‘Til Dawn, Doinkinbonk!!! > Funky Town > Doinkinbonk!!!, Rocky Raccoon

    Encore: Hattibagen McRat

  • Reid Genauer, Children’s Author

    Reid Genauer is a well-known musician, best known as the frontman for Strangefolk and Assembly of Dust, and a tech executive. He can now add children’s author to his résumé.

    JeffreysJungle

    Jeffrey’s Jungle, as the book is titled, is Genauer’s first foray into writing books. The book, illustrated by Genauer’s friend Alan Close, is a playful, 24-page children’s book aimed at ages 4 to 9. The story chronicles a young boy, Jeffrey, and his imagination as he’s left at home while his mom runs some errands. The curious boy cranks up the heat in the house, sprouting a jungle throughout the home, waterfalls and all.

    Genauer was inspired to write poetry when he was 10 after reading Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. As he moved towards songwriting, he drew inspiration from Jerry Garcia’s longtime songwriting partner, lyricist Robert Hunter. Genauer’s style is often compared to that of Hunter, Steely Dan or Neil Young. His writing style, which will feel very familiar to those who love his music, is very lyrical and bouncy.

    Screen Shot 2016-02-24 at 10.23.48 PM

    Bill Nershi of String Cheese Incident is quoted in the press release:

    Reid’s a great song writer. He has a natural approach to a song that is artful, lyrically acrobatic and accessible. He and I have always bonded about the role of song craft in the sea of musical improvisation. Writing a children’s book is a natural extension of what he does best. Not surprisingly his book comes off as mischievous and fun loving as he is.

    In addition to writing Jeffrey’s Jungle, Genauer has written more than 100 children’s poems and plans to publish a series of books over the years to come. Jeffrey’s Jungle is available now on Amazon.com.

  • All Good Music Festival Retired

    After nearly 20 years of great music and fun, All Good Music Festival & Campout is retiring.

    All_Good_Festival_2011

    Tim Walther and Junipa Conteno-Süslü began promoting and producing shows as a way to highlight the growing jamband scene in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore area. The All Good Music Festival, which commenced in 1997, was the culmination of their work, bringing many touring acts to a single location. The festival began at Wilmer Park in Brandywine, Maryland and, after bouncing around for a couple years, landed on the festival’s longtime home at Marvin’s Mountaintop in Masontown, West Virginia. It was held there until 2012, when it moved to Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio.

    The festival had become a mainstay in the early days of music festivals, but was not without problems. In 2011, a truck crashed through the camping area over some tents, killing one and severely injuring three others. The driver blamed the parking lot attendants and security guards who guided him to park on a steep grassy area near tents and other vehicles, but failed to guide him out of his space upon leaving. Families of the victims sued him, along with about a dozen organizers and promoters.

    All Good Music Festival has showcased both big names and newcomers to the jamband scene, as well as alternative rock acts. Well-known acts such as the Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh & Friends, Furthur, Primus, the Flaming Lips, and Cake have made appearances at the festival. Many popular smaller and regional acts have also been featured at All Good, including Brew, the Slip, the Werks and Brooklyn’s Moon Hooch. While Phish was broken up in 2006, the headliners were Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon with the Benevento/Russo Duo.

    The retirement was announced via a post on the All Good website.

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpiKzK12HWI[/embedyt]

  • Country Music Says Goodbye to the Legendary ‘Southern Gentleman’, Sonny James

    Country music bid a sad farewell to the one they called ‘The Southern Gentleman,” Sonny James (James Hugh Loden).

    Coined “The Southern Gentleman” due to his polite mannerisms, this country legend was raised in a musical family in Hackleburg, Alabama on his families farm. Dubbed “Sonny” shortly after a performance of “Sonny Boy”, this mandolin playing singing musical protege earned his nickname at the age of three.  Country music was mostly live performances and the family group, known as “Sonny Loden and The Southerners” would frequently play local radio station shows, theaters, auditoriums, and school houses throughout the southern United States.

    sonny jamesAs time went on, the band disbanded and Sonny continued his musical career on stage and radio and then evolved with the time into television and even outer space.  Sonny was the first country performer to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, made appearances on both the Bob Hope Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and The Johnny Cash Show, as well a numerous others, hosted the first ever Country Music Awards show together with Bobbi Gentry, and even was the first to have country music in space as his recordings were requested to go along with the Apollo 14 space mission to the moon.

    His career is an assemblage of honors and awards which include the following:

    • 1961 – Became the first country artist (recording division) to be honored with a star in the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame
    • 1962 – Joined the world famous Grand Ole Opry
    • 1967 -Hosted the first CMA Award Show
    • 1960’s and 70’s – Named Male Artist of The Decade by Record World
    • 1987 -Inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame
    • June, 2001 – Male Golden Voice Award – Golden Voice Awards
    • November, 2001 – Master Achievement Award, R.O.P.E. AWARDS
    • June, 2002 – Career Achievement Award – The Country Music DJ Hall of Fame and Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.
    • August 30, 2006 – Country Music Hall of Fame
    • 2009 – Inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame

    Sonny James made a name in country music in the early 1960’s by introducing his new sound of R&B to the country music audience during a time of civil unrest and bringing light to number one hits such as Since I Met You Baby, It’s Just A Matter of Time, Endlessly, Empty Arms and Bright Lights, Big City previously recorded by Ivory Joe Hunter, Brook Benton, Clyde Otis and Jimmy Reed.

    According to Billboard statistics, for almost 20 years (1960-1979) Sonny James spent more time in the Number One chart position than any other artist in country music — a total of 57 weeks, 16 Consecutive #1 Singles, a feat never before accomplished in Country Music, Pop or Rock ‘n Roll.

    Sonny James could be consider the first country crossover as his 1957 hit “Young Love” made it way to number one on the pop charts.

    In addition to his own musical talents, Sonny James could also be credited as an award winning producer.  Working together with Marie Osmond back in the early 1970’s, James recorded Marie Osmond’s first three albums.  The first single released, Paper Roses” was a song previously released by Anita Bryan in 1960 on the pop charts.  Released in 1973 and promoted through country radio, Marie’s version climbed the country charts to number one, crossing over to the pop charts, easy listening, and international charts and earned her a Grammy nomination, making her a household name in the country music industry.

    A legendary musician and well loved and admired by all that knew him, Sonny James truly left his mark on Nashville’s country music family.

  • Hearing Aide: Bump ‘Broken Fix’

    One of the timeless dangers of cataloguing relationship woes through song is the risk of drowning in cringe-worthy cheesiness. Bump and their debut album Broken Fix is swimming in an industrial vat of artery-clogging Velveeta. Released in October, the self produced album was recorded over the course of a week in an old barn in Cambridge, NY. Mixed by JJ Beck at Akin Studios and mastered by Larry DeVivo at Silvertone Mastering.

    bumpFormed in Saratoga Springs, cheesemongers Todd Pasternack (guitar), Angela Ford (bass), Gregory Nash (drums) and special guest Kirk Juhas (piano/B3) comprise Bump, and have formulated an almost unpalatable recipe over-salted with boring and predictable lyrics in a watered-down interpretation of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Any hope for attaining béchamel quality music on this album is melted by weak vocals.

    The first track “Hello Again” serves up Pasternack’s whiney voice with Ford’s backup vocals adding more confusion than complexity to the laid-back rock flavor. He opens the song, “Hello again, did my text get through? And are we still friends, or did we lose that too? Just send me a picture of your broken heart, tell me once again we should never have started to care.” Predictability breeds familiarity, so despite the eye-roll inducing lyrics, many listeners can at least relate to their meaning.

    “Wrecking Ball” opens with grungy guitar before Ford’s voice emerges, evoking a gentle Pocahontas quality that doesn’t support the musical tone reminiscent of “The General” by Dispatch. An alien-like mid-song lyrical breakdown is an intriguing experiment that seems out of character for the album as layers of Ford’s voice hauntingly echo each other.

    In full Flight of the Concords fashion, “How Could You Go So Low” presents feathery falsetto and restrained instrumentation, emphasizing the exaggerated vocals. “Anymore” holds a promise of redemption with bluesy jazz instrumentation and whirling organ before the words “Just can’t maintain this lifestyle anymore/Will my spirit no longer fly? The wings are paralyzed,” interrupt the mystical instrumentals.

    Key tracks: Wrecking Ball, How Could You Go So Low, Anymore

  • Ed Mann Joins Paul Green’s Rock Academy for Tribute to Frank Zappa

    Ed Mann, Frank Zappa‘s longtime drummer, will join forces with Paul Green’s Rock Academy for a special night of Zappa music at The Hollow in Albany on Saturday, March 5.

    Ed Mann Zappa Paul Green, founder of School of Rock and inspiration for Jack Black’s character in the movie of the same name, has been teaching children to play rock music, including that of Frank Zappa, since 1998. His students have played Lollapalooza, Carnegie Hall, CBGB and Austin City Limits. They have worked alongside many Zappa collaborators including Ike Willis, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Denny Walley, Adrian Belew and Mike Keneally.

    The Rock Academy is about to kick off a yearlong collaboration with Zappa drummer Ed Mann, who has appeared on more Zappa albums than any other member of the band. Mann has had a successful career post-Zappa as well, including teaching music at different colleges, recording for film composers and pioneering the development of holistic sound therapy. In 2012, he began working with various jam bands on percussion and as sound artist.

    The show takes place on March 5 at 8 p.m. at The Hollow Bar and Kitchen. Tickets are currently available for $12 in advance or $15 at the door the night of the show. Acoustic Trauma will play a late set beginning at 11 p.m.

  • Steely Dan Touring This Spring and Summer

    Steely Dan is hitting the road again this spring and summer, kicking off its tour at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have booked several New York dates in addition to the opener, including stops in Niagara Falls, Bethel and Saratoga Springs.

    The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will first hit up theaters and event centers on the initial leg of the Dan Who Knew Too Much tour before Stevie Winwood joins them, hitting sheds and amphitheaters country-wide throughout the summer months.

    Following the tour opener in Port Chester April 18-19, the band makes a quick jaunt to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for a show April 22.

    The short spring leg visits the Seneca Niagara Events Center in Niagara Falls April 29, before wrapping at the Borgata in Atlantic City April 30.

    Following a month-long break, the tour picks back up in Cincinnati, where fellow Hall of Famer Steve Winwood joins the tour.

    Full tour information is available at Steely Dan’s Facebook page. Ticket sales begin Feb. 26.  Information is available here.

    Steely Dan’s The Dan Who Knew Too Much Tour Dates:

    4/18 — Port Chester, N.Y.
    4/19 — Port Chester, N.Y.
    4/22 — New Orleans, La.
    4/24 — Birmingham, Ala.
    4/27 — Wallingford, Ct.
    4/29 — Niagara Falls, N.Y.
    4/30 — Atlantic City, N.J.
    6/7 — Cincinnati, Ohio*
    6/8 — Detroit, Mich.*
    6/10 — New Buffalo, Mich.*
    6/11 — Chicago, Ill.*
    6/13 — Morrison, Colo.*
    6/14 — West Valley City, Utah*
    6/16 — Mountain View, Calif.*
    6/18 — Hollywood, Calif.
    6/19 — Las Vegas, Nev.*
    6/22 — Dallas, Texas*
    6/23 — Kansas City, Mo.*
    6/25 — Little Rock, Ark.*
    6/26 — Atlanta, Ga.*
    6/29 — West Palm Beach, Fla.*
    6/30 — Tampa, Fla.*
    7/2 — Charlotte, N.C.*
    7/3 — Camden, N.J.*
    7/4 — Holmdel, N.J.*
    7/7 — Mansfield, Mass.*
    7/9 — Bethel, N.Y.*
    7/10 — Saratoga Springs, N.Y.*
    7/12 — Bristow, Va.*
    7/13 — Colonial Heights, Va.*

    * with Steve Winwood opening