Tag: sophistafunk

Photo Gallery: Adirondack Independence Music Festival 2016

Lake George hosted the Adirondack Independence Music Festival on September 30th, and October 1st. With the lineup this year, you would never guess that this is only the 2nd year for this event. This years festival featured sets from headlining acts; Robert Randolph and the Family band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and the Spin Doctors, as well as some local favorites Rich Ortiz, and Formula 5. Were excited to see this festival grow in the upcoming years! Check out the full 2016 lineup below, and re-live some photos from Saturday!

October 8, 2016
Just Say YES: Everyone Orchestra Gathers in Syracuse

On Thursday night at the Westcott Theater, Matt Butler and Everyone Orchestra concocted a musical potion that had us all under a spell.   Butler played the role of lead hypnotist as he memorized not only the crowd, but also the band that he so craftily pulled together for this outstanding evening of sonic surprises.

Binghamton-based three-piece, Several Sons, opened the blissful trifecta of acts with their mellow harmonies and soulful unplugged sound. Their performance featured Bradford Allen on cajón drum for the entirety of the performance, which created a backyard fire-pit vibe. Kevin Ludwig took over the lead vocals and rhythm guitar, paving the way for Jack Bucher to display his bluesy chops on lead guitar. The mostly instrumental set list was capped off by a folk rock original, “Moonshine,” paying tribute to the act of getting drunk with friends. What a way to send us off into a set break.

Located just a couple of cities to the left of Syracuse is the blue-collar, “Bills Mafia” community of Buffalo, NY. Football probably holds the title for most discussed topic of conversation on a Saturday night, but I can guarantee that the local groove-rock quartet, Aqueous, is definitely on the minds of many Western New Yorkers. Their appropriately named, “2016 Random Company Tour,” fits the bill perfectly as the entire room anxiously awaits their arrival to the stage.    As they entered to DMX’s “Party Up (Up In Here)” blaring on the speakers, we hoped they were about to make us lose our minds (sorry, I went there) and lose our minds we did.

“Strange Times” was first up and allowed Mike Gantzer and Dave Loss to share the spotlight on vocals and guitar solos. The two methodically went line-for-line on this lyrically appealing tune before dropping into a sludgy, greasy transition. Evan McPhaden pounded away on bass to symbolically clean up the jam goo.   Solid improvising segued into “The Median” off the 2014 album, Cycles. Rob Houk’s drumming showcased their genre blending skills by combining elements of progressive rock and reggae with a hint of electronica. There was one point towards the end of “Median” where it almost sounded like a completely different piece, but long time fan, Mitch (the guy on the rail whose head seemed to explode note to note), explained that this phenomenon is common during one of their juiciest originals.   Loss then seamlessly goes back and forth from guitar to keys while Gatzner pans for gold on lead guitar during the third and final song of the set, “Don’t Do It.” The crowd was definitely thirsty for more after the brief second act, but with Everyone Orchestra being served as an entrée, just about the entire room decided to take a break outside to work up an even stronger appetite.

Butler appeared on stage with his 7-piece mixture of talent to specify the guidelines of the show. He would be writing notes to the band and the crowd on his simple yet effective white board while signaling to all of us via hand gestures, screams resembling words and Hulk Hogan-like crowd controls. Realistically, Butler runs the show like a drag race in the movie Grease, “Rules are, there ain’t no rules.” The ceremony began with Butler warming up the fingers of the esteemed group of musicians as they delivered a tight and funky beat that got the room dancing immediately. Eric Yates deserves the first MVP award of the night due to his funky banjo plucking while Ryan Montbleau deserves a shout out for creating the lyrics, “What do I see in my sight? Westcott Theater on a Thursday night.” Rob Derhak’s bass was bumping along with Emanuel Washington’s drumbeat when Butler asked the crowd to throw an idea at Montbleau for additional lyrics. The best we could up with was “sexy night” which morphed into an entire band-crowd, call-response of “Ugly, sexy night, yeah!”

After a brief stretch of weirdness, the conductor brought us all back down to planet Earth and asked Yates to pick away on the banjo during a fast-paced, unusual and unplanned cover of Bob Dylan’s “Buckets of Rain.” The Westcott was transformed into an old-timey honky-tonk as the band turned the Dylan cover into something reminiscent of Johnny Cash in his prime. Montbleau and Yates had a dueling guitar-banjo section before turning the spotlight to moe.’s Al Schnier for a signature guitar solo. Syracuse’s own Adam Gold from Sophistafunk kicked off the next piece with a heavy yet buttery organ solo. Butler did an amazing job of hazing the Everyone Orchestra freshmen as each member of Sophistafunk joined the group for the first time on Thursday. The conductor wrote, “This is Part A” on the iPad while scribbling up directions on his whiteboard for only the band’s eyes to see. Tommy Weeks took over to deliver a spectacular sax solo before returning to Gold for a spacey synth solo. The baton was passed back to Montbleau for an Everyone Orchestra modification of his original “Dead Set” which features the lyrics “Observe your mind, and stop your thinking” which is good advice for a band expected to go with their gut on these improvised reconstructions.

Aqueous guitarist Mike Gantzer returned to the stage and the applause grew when Butler informed us that it was his birthday. “Soft” was written on the whiteboard as Gantzer took over with a silky guitar riff. The crowd participation was at an all time high as we yelled “Birthday” to celebrate the joyous occasion. The band was fully in sync at this point in the performance and it was evident through the design of a new smash hit “Hotel Party” which Montbleau creatively developed before our eyes.   “There’s ice in the bathtub” and “Everyone’s invited” were only some of the outstanding sporadic lyrics sung by Montbleau which brought a collective smile to the room. Gantzer channeled the energy of Jerry Garcia, with a liquid fuzz distortion on his incredible solo before Gold killed the keys on Butler’s command. After the Holiday Inn jungle boogie, the show wrapped up in an epic formation of nine band members with the addition of David Loss from Aqueous and the return of Eric Yates on banjo. The conductor looked more like a mad scientist as he circled the stage giving each and every member one last time to shine. The evening was capped off with birthday boy Gantzer’s in-your-face knockout solo.

Butler thanked the crowd and noted that after 15 years of asking members of different bands to come together so that he can live his dream, they keep showing up and they keep showing up! There is no question that this traveling circus of insane talent brought the goods to Syracuse on Thursday. Some bands spend years touring and writing music together to find out what it is that makes them unique. Matt Butler pulls the rabbit out of his hat night after night by creating the magic rather than searching for it. He is a composer, a communicator, and a connector all in one while leaving his mark on music through his whiteboard, iPad and multitude of invisible air instruments.   When asked to join the Everyone Orchestra in the future, just say, “Yes” and strap in for a truly special ride.

Aqueous Setlist: Strange Times> The Median, Don’t Do It

Everyone Orchestra Setlist (To the best of my ability): Funky Intro, Jam (Ugly Sexy Night), Buckets of Rain*, Part A Jam> Dead Set**, Gatzner’s Birthday Jam, Hotel Party Jam, Set Closing Jam

*Bob Dylan Cover (Blood on the Tracks)

** Ryan Montbleau Cover (For Higher)

September 20, 2016
Ameribeat Festival of Art’s 2016: Celebration of American Freedom & Freedom of Expression

Once a year families and friends gather at Sterling Stage Kampitheater, located in Sterling, New York to celebrate American freedom. This freedom was celebrated through music, art and dance. The three-day festival was held June 30 – July 3 and people of all ages joined for a beautiful weekend of love and laughter in a community where artistic expression is encouraged.

There were many arts and crafts available for children to take part in, which included painting, jewelry making, origami and much more, while everyone else enjoyed great music.

The festival featured The Heavy Pets, Sophistafunk, Rootshock, Freekbass, Flux Capacitor, and many more incredible artists such as The Primate Fiasco, who did their annual parade around the festival grounds allowing others to join in on the fun. The Ameribeat Orchestra, which includes Sterling family and alumni, one of which was Jack Brown, lead vocalist of Sophistafunk also took the stage, finishing off the set with a line that echoed through the forest, “Some come to chill, some come to rage, may the four winds blow you to Sterling Stage.”

On that note, make sure you make it to Last Daze of Summer, Labor Day weekend September 1-4, the last festival of the 2016 festival season at Sterling Stage featuring Max Creek two times, Ryan Montbleau, Formula 5 and many more to be announced.

Get your tickets here.

July 19, 2016
Snarky Puppy and Sophistafunk Drop Jaws at the Landmark Theatre

A fitted crew neck sweater and scarf might evoke an air of jazzy inclination, but Snarky Puppy’s Michael League can also adeptly discuss his intricate technical knowledge of music composition like an old pro. During an intimate pre-show mentoring session at the Landmark Theatre Thursday May 5, the composer and bassist divulged snippets of his process for composing to a group of drooling fans and fellow musicians, including members from local funk group Casaroja. Cherie Yurco, editor of both Making Music Magazine and International Musician launched the session with a few questions before opening the floor to the young audience.

The clattering of equipment echoed throughout the extravagant, high ceiling theater, muffling League’s voice as he discussed the complexities of collaborating in a collective of over twenty rotating musicians. “It’s a lot of personalities,” he divulged with a thoughtful smile. But Snarky Puppy has a knack for attracting talented, down-to-earth musicians who are easy to work with, something League doesn’t take for granted. Regarding the success of Snarky Puppy, League paraphrased a Malcolm Gladwell quote suggesting, success is based not just on talent, but on circumstances, which for League breaks down to an assemblage of the right people at the right time. Despite an abundance of talent, Snarky Puppy was not an overnight success, spending nearly the first decade of its existence in the red. League explained humbly, “It’s hard to go to bed every night knowing you’re failing.” But a love of experimenting and playing with sound kept an ember glowing, which eventually ignited into the international success the band is today.

Aside from good chemistry, producing quality music is a function of truly understanding methodology of music composition. When asked about his writing process for “Flood,” League referred to himself as a “concept fiend,” offering a textbook response in the truest sense of the word. Where some musicians might disregard the cliched, blanket question with a humdrum and vague reply, League got real technical, real quick. Discussing dividing whole tones and cord progressions with no roots, he began to sound more like a mathematician than a musician. The explanation left many audience members wide eyed, mouths agape and reaching into their pockets for pen and paper to take note, an omen of things to come for Snarky Puppy’s impending performance.

Local funk group Sophistafunk opened the show, the four members aligned stage left on the vast platform, producing a heavy, heart pounding sound bigger than the sum of its parts. The recent addition of Tommy Weeks on saxophone heightened the sophistication of their grooves beyond what Jack Brown (vocals) Adam Gold (keys/bass/vocals) and Emanuel Washington (drums) have done in the past.

Gold took a moment between songs to praise the headliner, relishing in the honor of opening for the renowned group, beaming “We remember getting our faces melted right off our faces by Snarky Puppy.” Towards the end of their set, percussionist Nate Werth joined Sophistafunk with a snappy cowbell performance over Washington’s shoulder, who every so often glanced back at Werth, exchanging wide smiles.

The compelling, non-circular momentum of Snarky Puppy’s brand immediately took hold of the room as soon as the first notes were struck. Werth, relocated to the left rear, conjured his percussive effects from a vast arsenal of noise-making tools, keeping rhythm on a glistening metallic setup wobbling on stage with every beat. Joined by fellow percussionist Jason “JT” Thomas, Caleb McCampbell and Shaun Martin (keys), Justin Stanton (keys/trumpet), Jay Jennings and Michael “Maz” Maher (trumpet), Chris Bullock (sax/flute) and Bob Lanzetti (guitar), the ten-man lineup littered the room with musicianship that didn’t clutter the sound despite the hefty crew. Every instrument retained a right to be on stage, emitting purposeful sound and adding style. Even amidst the medley of notes, disciplined silences punctuated songs with a finessed restraint, demonstrating mastery of navigating crucial white space, allowing the audience short moments to catch their breath.

Leading the musical expedition, League remained hyper aware of every musician around him, maintaining eye contact with his peers, and smiling throughout the entire performance. His hearty grin exhibited not only a true pride for the talent of his band mates, but also the sheer joy of honing a craft and getting to do what he loves every single day. With two encores, both met with a standing ovation, it’s clear Snarky Puppy has made it.

May 13, 2016
Local Talents Unite to Fund the Bern at the Palace Theater

A cavalcade of vehicles armed with Bernie Sanders political stickers barricaded the streets surrounding the Palace Theater in Syracuse on Friday, January 8. Bernie supporters flocked to the 1920’s era theater for a diverse assortment of musicians who volunteered their time and talents to bring awareness to Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign and to Fund the Bern. Presented by Funk ‘N Waffles, the event was initially slated to be held at the downtown location before widespread interest garnered the need for a larger event space. With a more suitable venue in place, Sophistafunk, Joe Driscoll, Root SHOCK, The Fat Peace, Subsoil, Charley Orlando and Castle Creek were among the large assembly of local talent who performed for the roughly 700 attendees who coalesced at the Eastwood locale.

With the iconic fluorescent sign beckoning onlookers from the James Street sidewalk, spectators filtered through glass doors and down a carpeted entryway. A gaggle of smiley volunteers donning outfits littered with political pins greeted passersby asking them to sign the petition to get Bernie on the ballot in NY state. Just beyond the congregation of friendly volunteers, the corridor opened into a lobby bustling with jubilant activity as guests happily sipped on adult beverages and talked politics.

The theater room seats were amply filled with Bernie devotees as Chris Merkley sweetly grazed a slide guitar, serenaded the attentive audience from a dimly lit stage, soft spotlight outlining his seated figure. Merkley exuded a city-meets-country vibe sporting a hip purple beanie and dishing out a satiating serving of country blues. By the end of his set, a few brave souls had ventured to the open space between seating and stage, dance moves demonstrating their satisfaction.

Castle Creek, named one of New York State Music’s “Bands on the Rise” filled the theater with blues-infused fire, drum beats furnished by Sophistafunk’s Emanuel Washington. Kim Monroe asserted robust lead vocals, piping through a petite frame as she strummed away at her electric guitar, while Chris Eves (guitar/vocals) tactfully interjected attention-grabbing guitar work. Among the sparse dancers at the family friendly event, a young woman clothed in fashionable Sunday school attire merrily spun in circles, jostling a preschooler in her arms who giggled in delight.

Charley Orlando, a familiar face to frequenters of Funk ‘N Waffles Downtown, wielded harmonica and guitar, inviting a number of musical guests including Merkley and Eves to play alongside. Orlando’s song choices seemed to consciously reflect the themes of the event with lines like, “I try to listen more than speak,” which could reflect Sanders’ more diplomatic demeanor in contrast to Republican candidate Donald Trump’s “carnival barker” disposition.

As Rochester-based Subsoil began their set later in the evening, the bohemian hip-hop group featuring Mooney Faugh and Laz Green on the mic invigorated the room with dancing and excitement as theater goers abandoned their seats, forming a mob at the foot of the stage. Trailing their performance, environmental activist Renee Vogelsang briefly brought attention to current environmental struggles, championing Sanders’ support of many of these efforts. Reggae collective The Fat Peace followed, infusing some funk into the ongoing dance party, keeping the crowd on its toes when the drummer mysteriously disappeared. The remaining band members resigned to gawking awkwardly at the abandoned drum kit and speculating the drummer’s whereabouts until his much anticipated return. Directly after their set, the projection screen behind the stage displayed a video of Bernie Sanders addressing a Muslim student’s concerns regarding racism in America. The room filled with cheering and applause as the video ended, before reggae group Root SHOCK immediately took the stage, sustaining the audience’s animation and radiating energy with a snappy, high-powered performance. Jessica Brown seared ear drums with a spicy heat that seduced a crowd, amorously applauding her howling mid-song vocals. Joe Driscoll followed, revving up the crowd with catchy beats and praises for Sanders.

Sophistafunk rounded out the musical marathon with an overall well-polished performance despite a few brief moments of disorienting beats and the unsettling sound of popping cables. Crowd undeterred, dancing raged on until nearly 1 a.m. as performers from earlier in the night including Joe Driscoll and members of Castle Creek joined Sophistafunk to bid the crowd farewell.

January 14, 2016