NYS Music 20​16

Tag: Spafford

  • Dance 2016 Away in the Big Apple

    New Year’s Eve and New York City go hand-in-hand. While the celebration and ball drop in Times Square receive the most attention from people around the world, there are also a ton of musical happenings in the city, with Phish’s storied Big Apple New Year’s Eve run at Madison Square Garden, December 28 to 31, 2016 being one of the big highlights. Here’s a rundown of the shows happening, some billed as Phish after-parties and some shows worth mentioning on their own accord. There’s something for Phish fans and non-fans alike in the city during the days leading up to 2017.

    American Beauty, just a block from MSG, is hosting several Phish-related events. They kick off the run on Dec. 27 with a free show by Phish tribute band Jibooty and a late set from Escaper. The show starts at 7 p.m. The following four nights, they feature Phish pre-parties and after-parties. Dec. 28 sees PEAK and Gang of Thieves playing a pre-party at 4 p.m. for $5 and Particle and J. WAIL playing the after-party at 11:55 p.m. for $20. Dead Sessions plays tribute to the Grateful Dead for both the pre-party at 4 p.m. and after-party at 11:55 p.m. on Dec. 29. These shows are $20 each. Phanart presents a free pre-party on Dec. 30 with Formula 5 starting at 3 p.m. Spafford and the Magic Beans play two nights on Dec. 30 and 31 after Phish. They start at 11:55 p.m. and are $25 for each night. The pre-party on Dec. 31 features the Stella Blues Band paying tribute to the Grateful Dead at 4 p.m. with a $15 cover.

    DROM in the East Village hosts two Phish after-parties on Dec. 28 and 29. Aqueous plays the 28th with Mungion. The show starts at midnight with tickets at $12.50 in advance or $17 at the door. The 29th sees lespecial with Chromatropic. The show starts at 11:30 p.m. with tickets going for $12 in advance or $15 at the door.

    The Cutting Room, a handful of blocks from MSG, is also hosting several Phish parties, all presented by CEG. Elise Testone brings her “Thankful for Amy” tribute to Amy Winehouse with several special guests for an early show at 8 p.m. and a Phish after-party at midnight on Dec. 28. Tickets for both are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Kung Fu plays an after-party on Dec. 29 at midnight with tickets at $18 in advance or $20 at the door. Holly Bowling pays tribute to Phish and the Grateful Dead through her solo piano work at pre-parties on Dec. 30 and 31. The shows start at 4 p.m. with tickets running $15 in advance or $20 at the door. The Marcus King Band plays the after-party on Dec. 30 at midnight. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.

    The Brooklyn Bowl has a series of shows leading up to the new year. Zeppelin Bowl, featuring Gene Ween, Scott Ian and John Medeski, takes place on Dec. 28 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 and still available. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead plays a sold out show on Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. Late night on the 29th is Talib Kweli performing a DJ set at midnight for $10. Kamasi Washington and the Budos Band are playing Dec. 30 and New Year’s Eve. Tickets are $40 for the 30th and $65 to $75 for New Year’s Eve. Both shows start at 8:30 p.m. Sleigh Bells is playing a DJ set late night at midnight on the 30th for $15 with Animal Collective doing the same on New Year’s Eve for $20 to $25.

    Being New York City, there are plenty of other shows taking place that are worth checking out. See below for a rundown.

    Wednesday, Dec. 28
    PEAK with Gang of Thieves @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 4 p.m. – $5 *
    Zeppelin Bowl feat. Gene Ween, Scott Ian, John Medeski @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 8 p.m. – $20
    “Thankful for Amy” with Elise Testone @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 8 p.m. & 12 a.m. – $20 each #
    Aqueous with Mungion @ DROM (East Village) – 12 a.m. – $17 #
    Particle with J. WAIL @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 11:55 p.m. – $20 #
    Madaila @ Arlene’s Grocery (Lower East Side) – 11:55 p.m. – $10 #
    Hayley Jane and the Primates do Bowie @ Lucille’s at B.B. King’s (Times Square) – 11:59 p.m. – $10 #

    Thursday, Dec. 29
    Harlem Gospel Choir @ B.B. King’s (Times Square) – 12:30 p.m. – $30
    Dead Sessions @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 4 p.m. & 11:55 p.m. – $20 each * #
    Joe Russo’s Almost Dead @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 8 p.m. – $40
    Dar Williams @ The Bell House (Brooklyn) – 8 p.m. – $25-$30
    The Skints with The Far East and Rude Boy George @ Knitting Factory (Brooklyn) – 8:30 p.m. – $20
    The Lone Bellow @ Bowery Ballroom (Lower East Side) – 9 p.m. – $30
    Start Making Sense @ Irving Plaza (Gramercy/Flatiron) – Doors 11 p.m. – $20
    lespecial with Chromatropic @ DROM (East Village) – 12 a.m. – $15 #
    Kung Fu @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 12 a.m. – $20 #
    Talib Kweli (DJ Set) @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 12 a.m. – $10

    Friday, Dec. 30
    Formula 5 @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 3 p.m. – free *
    Holly Bowling @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 4 p.m. – $20 *
    David Wax Museum with Auld Lang Syne @ Mercury Lounge (Lower East Side) – 6:30 p.m. – $20
    Tower of Power @ B.B. King’s (Times Square) – 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. – $45 each
    Snarky Puppy @ Irving Plaza (Gramercy/Flatiron) – Doors 8 p.m. – $45
    Gov’t Mule @ Beacon Theatre (Upper West Side) – 8 p.m. – $50-$60
    Kamasi Washington with The Budos Band @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 8:30 p.m. – $40
    The Lone Bellow @ Bowery Ballroom (Lower East Side) – 9 p.m. – $30
    Cymbals Eat Guitars with Haybaby @ Mercury Lounge (Lower East Side) – 10:30 p.m. – $20
    Pink Talking Fish plays Animals @ Gramercy Theater (Gramercy/Flatiron) – 11 p.m. – $29.50 #
    Spafford with The Magic Beans @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 11:55 p.m. – $25 #
    Sprocket with Kabina @ The Bitter End (Greenwich Village) – 12 a.m. #
    The Marcus King Band @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 12 a.m. – $20 #
    Sleigh Bells (DJ Set) @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 12 a.m. – $15

    Saturday, Dec. 31
    Stella Blues Band @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 4 p.m. – $15 *
    Holly Bowling @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 4 p.m. – $20 *
    Snarky Puppy @ Irving Plaza (Gramercy/Flatiron) – Doors 8 p.m. – $60
    Rainer Maria with Snail Mail @ Saint Vitus (Brooklyn) – 8 p.m. – $25
    Kamasi Washington with The Budos Band @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 8:30 p.m. – $65-$75
    Gov’t Mule @ Beacon Theatre (Upper West Side) – 9 p.m. – $65-$75
    Guided by Voices @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (Brooklyn) – 9 p.m. – $70
    The Lone Bellow @ Bowery Ballroom (Lower East Side) – 10 p.m. – $40
    All-Star James Brown Dance Party @ Gramercy Theater (Gramercy/Flatiron) – 12 a.m. – $35 #
    Spafford with The Magic Beans @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 11:55 p.m. – $25 #
    Animal Collective (DJ Set) @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 12 a.m. – $20-$25
    Snarky Puppy @ Irving Plaza (Gramercy/Flatiron) – Doors 1 a.m. – $35 #
    The New Deal @ B.B. King’s (Times Square) – 1:30 a.m. – $30 #

    * Billed as Phish pre-party
    # Billed as Phish after-party

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJyf5NqiMNE[/embedyt]

  • NYS Music Interview: Ten Questions with Spafford

    Spafford is a four-piece act from Phoenix, Arizona that has been steadily gaining recognition in the southwestern states since 2012. Following a successful “Breakout Tour” this fall in the Midwest, including two sold-out shows in Chicago, these Arizona funk rockers are ready to spread their horizon even further and head East, as they continue to grow on a national scale. NYS Music took this opportunity to make sure that you’re familiar with the name Spafford and the sound in an interview with their drummer Nick Tkachyk.

    The group consists of Brian Moss (guitar), Jordan Fairless (bass), Andrew “Red” Johnson (keys) and Nick Tkachyk (drums). Their sound can be described as an electrofunk therapy, which combines deep sonic exploration and jam-heavy improvisation. With jams that stretch anywhere from 10 minutes to 30, their songs expand typical song structure, offering an original take on funk-dance-rock music.

    In the past, they’ve shared the stage with prominent acts like Widespread Panic, Particle, EOTO, the Motet, and they’ve performed festivals such as Arizona’s McDowell Mountain Music and Gem and Jam Music Festivals. For the summer of 2017, they have already been announced on the bill for the Electric Forest in Rothbury, MI and Resonance Festival in Thornville, OH.

    On New Years Eve, you can catch them on Dec. 30 & 31 for Phish after-parties with the Magic Beans, at the American Beauty Bar in NYC, and see for yourself why this four-piece is gaining momentum.

    This spring, the Arizona act will hit the road with Umphrey’s McGee for their 2017 tour. Spafford will be fitting in gigs in between their shows with Umphrey’s, including a date in Philadelphia on Jan. 24 and in New Jersey on Jan. 25. For a full list of tour dates, tickets and information, please visit here.

    Karina Verlan: Where did the name Spafford come from?

    Nick Tkachyk: The word “Spafford” is the middle name belonging to our Lighting Designer/Social Media Guru/General Awesome Dude, Chuck Spafford Johnson. The original name of our band, or should I say “the” band because myself and Red were not in the band yet, was “Officious Tort Feezer… or Freezer”. Apparently this is a legal term for a general wrong doer. Either way, the tort thing didnt work out, Brian and Jordan decided to name the band Spafford, and the rest is the future!

    KV: You’ve toured on the West Coast and central states for a while; how do you anticipate breaking through on the East coast?

    NT:We were meant for the East Coast. We were meant for West Coast. We were meant for people… and their ear hearts.

    KV:How excited are you to be joining Umphrey’s McGee on their tour this spring?

    NT:My scale of excitement for this upcoming occasion can be explained in two words… Cannot. Explain. (mostly due to excess excitement, and the inability to explain myself when excessively excited)

    KV:Who writes the music in your band and how do you decide on your setlists?

    NT:Music is a collaborative effort. Always. Every song is different. Our song writing process is extremely personal and sacred for me, and “us.” Honestly, as a drummer, I don’t “write” songs per-say, however when coming up with specific parts for a Spafford song, I love contributing to the greater good (for lack of a better word) that is Spafford! Setlists are whatever.

    KV:What has been the biggest challenge for you thus far as a band?

    NT:THE MUSIC. (and “challenging” in a very inspiring, creative, and GOOD way!)

    KV:Where would you like to see your band 5 years from now?

    NT:Sharing as much positive, emotional and RAW energy with people through music as possible.

    KV: Is there anyone alive or dead that you would do anything to have them sit in with you?

    NT:Bernard “Pretty” Purdie. Nuff said.

    KV:What was your favorite venue thus far? Favorite set that you’ve done?

    NT:The word ‘Favorite’ when it comes to MUSIC, in my opinion, is poppycock. As an artist, I believe I don’t have the luxury of preference. All art IS. And all ART is GOOD. But okay… Favorite venue: Vinyl Las Vegas. Favorite set: First time we played there for a Further afterparty.

    KV:If you added an another instrument to your band, what would it be?

    NT:Another Brian Moss.

    KV: Have you surpassed any of your early goals as a band thus far?

    NT: Can I borrow your fingers and toes. Yes.