NYS Music 20​16

Tag: Sprocket

  • 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]

  • Photo Gallery: Happy Owl Fest 2016

    This past Saturday, on one of the hottest days of summer, the Happy Owl Fest flew into the quaint, Grateful Dead-esque ‘venue bar’ known as American Beauty, located in the midtown section of Manhattan. Typically, I would not be very excited to be inside for a festival in the middle of the summer, but fortunately, this venue’s air conditioning battled the 100 degree heat without mercy. At times, there were rumblings of people actually being cold. Add to this the ample selection of good craft beer, and American Beauty’s only food offering, a free personal cheese pizza with each beer, and you have a lovely way to spend the better portion of your weekend day. I haven’t even talked of the line up yet, which of course was the reason I was there in the first place.

    The schedule was ambitious, including nine acts between the hours of 3pm and 3am, with a bonus side hustle of the Phish webcast from Chula Vista, CA, which was projected in the main bar while the bands played on in the main stage area. I was one happy camper that I was able to catch the full sets of Polyvamp, Sylfox and the Hustler, Formula 5, and Sprocket. Alone across these four bands was an eclectic mix of music that should satisfy a majority of musical tastes. In sum, the Happy Owl Fest navigated improvisational rock, funk, and electronic with a dash of blues, not necessarily all at the same time.

    Should this event take place again next year under similar circumstances, I wouldn’t hesitate to make the trip. The balance between venue, beer, food, music and price of admission was quite welcome. The only suggestion I would make is for the venue to make a small investment in a house lighting system. On one hand, the noir scene makes for a rare experience in dedicated club venues these days. On the other hand, a little lighting action would would inject some energy into the room, in this photographer’s opinion.

    Till next year, enjoy my gallery from the first Happy Owl Fest.

  • March Madness 2016: And the Winner is… Sprocket!

    At midnight on Sunday night, NYS Music closed the polls on another successful March Madness. With only a handful of votes separating Capital Region blues rockers Sly Fox and the Hustlers, and Brooklyn’s best kept secret, Sprocket. When the dust settled, Sprocket had 51% of the final vote in this year’s March Madness. It was truly a case of every vote counting and the NYC jam community stepped it up.

    The quartet got their name from the dog in Fraggle Rock, and includes members Thomas Tompkins, Nate Rosler, Dan Haller, and Angelo Miliano. They have been around since 2011 but it wasn’t until last year that they ventured out of the Big Apple.  Besides playing a few key shows in Upstate New York, Sprocket also played to a sold out Hard Rock in Chicago during Fare Thee Well last summer.

    sprocket march madnessAs far as March Madness was concerned, the band didn’t know they were even in the tournament at first. Tompkins said, “I saw the bracket come up on my (Facebook) newsfeed and thought, ‘It would be cool to be a part of that,’ automatically thinking we weren’t. Then saw we were. That was pretty awesome.” Haller added, “We were honored, frankly. We know, respect and have had the pleasure of playing with a bunch of the bands in our bracket, and were honored to be in such great company!”

    Fueled by social media votes started coming in, Sprocket had to face Tim Britt from the Utica area in the first round and Buffalo’s Second Trip in the second round to make it onto the Sweet Sixteen.

    Dan Haller commented on the support Sprocket got from it’s dedicated followers, “It was really fun to get our fanbase engaged in spreading the word about the contest. We were pulling for a bunch of bands in the tournament, including Sly Fox and The Hustlers, who we squared off against in the finals.”

    sprocketIn the Sweet Sixteen, Sprocket narrowly escaped the round with 53% of the vote over Saratoga’s Let’s Be Leonard. That win had them faced off against Northern Faces and a win carried them into the Final Four.

    Tompkins has spent the time to listen to every band in the tournament and there are already plans in the works to play with a few of them. “I really enjoyed the energy and vibe from Sly Fox, which was that you know you’re going to have a good time seeing them. After that I reached out to Gary.” Haller added, “Plans are even being made for us to share the stage in a few months.” Tompkins gave props to the tourney, “The contest has been helpful already in getting the name out there.”

    In the Final Four, Sprocket faced off against Big Mean Sound Machine from Ithaca, before going toe to toe with Sly Fox and the Hustlers in the Finals.

    What’s next for Sprocket? There are discussions of starting a Brooklyn-based festival for a contingent of bands from the city. And sometime in the future there are dreams of hopping on the “Sprocket Rocket” and playing a show on the moon.  There are also plans on a second record and hopes to see the band at a few festivals this summer.

    Upcoming Shows:
    4/13 at Goldsounds in Brooklyn with Eminence Ensemble
    6/6 at Brooklyn Bowl w/ The Jauntee and Tweed

  • NYS Music’s 2016 March Madness – The Finals

    And then there were two … We started NYS Music March Madness 2016 with 64 New York State bands who are all ready to make a name for themselves outside their local scenes. These fresh faces were spread over many genres and all over The Empire State. In fact, our Final Four represented four distinct regions around the state; Folkfaces in Buffalo, Big Mean Sound Machine from Ithaca, Sly Fox and the Hustlers representing the Capital Region and Sprocket from New York City.

    But only two bands could make it to the finals, so congratulations to the blues-rock stylings of Sly Fox and the Hustlers and Brooklyn’s newest jam sensation, Sprocket.

    Sly Fox and the Hustlers is a high-energy blues/funk band band out of the Capital Region. The band formed in 2010 and has shared the stage with many notable names within their genre, such as Blues Traveler, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robin Trower, and Soulive’s Sam Kininger.  Their latest full-length LP American Gypsy was released earlier this year and is available on their website.

    Brooklyn’s jam quartet, Sprocket, was conceived in late 2011 and didn’t work their way out of the city scene until 2014. They released their debut album Tropical Bushwick last March and have headlined NYC’s The Knitting Factory, Webster Hall Studio and the Mercury Lounge.

    The Finals: Sly Fox and the Hustlers (blues funk rock) versus Sprocket (jam).

    Buffalo Iron Works, Funk ‘n Waffles, The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, and The Waterhole each sponsored a regional bracket this year and we’d like to thank them and all the venues that support local, original music around the state.

    The Finals voting starts at noon EST on Friday, March 25 and ends at midnight on Sunday, March 27. Vote now for your favorites!

  • NYS Music’s March Madness 2016: The Final Four

    We started with 64 New York bands who have a strong presence and fan base, and are ready to make a name for themselves outside their respective music scenes. These fresh faces are spreading over many genres and all over The Empire State.  After 4 rounds of voting 64 has been whittled down to four. For the sake of 2016 March Madness jargon, “The Final Four.”

    Throughout this tournament the voting has been the closest that we’ve ever seen.  More than a few match-ups ended up at 51% to 49% splits. Many more ended with a margin of less than 10% of the vote.  It goes to prove our local music scenes are alive and well, regardless of the city or genre.

    Buffalo Iron Works, Funk ‘n Waffles, The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, and The Waterhole each sponsored a regional bracket this year and a winner has been named in each of their brackets.

    Match-up 1 will be the Iron Works winner: Sly Fox and the Hustlers (blues funk rock) versus the
    Funk ‘n Waffles winner: Folkfaces (folk jazz).

    Sly Fox and the Hustlers is a high-energy blues/funk band band out of the Capital Region. The band formed in 2010 and has shared the stage with many notable names within their genre, such as Blues Traveler, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robin Trower, and Soulive’s Sam Kininger.  Their latest full-length LP American Gypsy was released earlier this year and is available on their website.

    Folkfaces mixes of folk, jazz, and blues into an upbeat blend perfect for letting loose.  The band calls the Buffalo area home and have recently released their single “Institution Blues” off their album Freedom Fries. The band lists a wide variety of influences, from French guitarist Django Reinhardt to American folk legend Woody Guthrie, and the more contemporary Tedeschi Trucks Band.

    The second match-up is The Hollow Bar and Kitchen winner: Sprocket (jam) versus The Waterhole region finals give us: Big Mean Sound Machine (Afrobeat/dance)

    Brooklyn’s jam quartet, Sprocket, was conceived in late 2011 and didn’t work their way out of the city scene until 2014. They released their debut album Tropical Bushwick last March and have headlined NYC’s The Knitting Factory, Webster Hall Studio, and the Mercury Lounge.

    Big Mean Sound Machine hails from Ithaca and tours with more members than the other three Final Four bands combined, a full stage of 13 touring members.  Their unique Afrobeat, dance, funk combination has been together since 2009, but has seemed to be catching fire as of late.  They are currently touring the East Coast.

    The Final Four voting begins at 12 noon EST on Tuesday, March 22 and closes at midnight on Thursday, March 24. The Final Round voting begins at 12 noon on Friday, March 25 and we close Sunday, March 27, at midnight. Vote now for your favorites!

    Check back for our final two Friday at noon!