NYS Music 20​17

Author: Dave Ostroff

  • Rock the Block Summer Concert Series Continues in Downtown Cohoes

    The Rock the Block Summer Concert Series makes a comeback this year and  will have, “without question…. the greatest lineup,” Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse said in The Record.  The series started June 8 but runs until August 10, and will feature ten unique bands every Thursday between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Some guests include a country group appropriately named Big Sky Country, “know-‘em by heart classic song” cover band the Audiostars, and Celtic rock band Hair of the Dog. Guests will have the opportunity to  purchase food and drinks at the venue but are asked to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets as well as the whole family.

    The Lineup:

    July 6 – Big Sky Country
    July 13 – E.B. Jeb 
    July 20 – Audiostars
    July 27 – Hair of the Dog 
    August 3 – Cryin’ Out Loud 
    August 10 – John Morse and the River Junction Band

  • Free Winswall Park Concert Series in Ballston Springs

    Winswall Park will hold the The Ballston Spa Business &  Professional Association’s free concert series, Concerts in the Park. Local groups will hit the stage every Thursday between 6 and 8 p.m. following the afternoon farmer’s market, and will run from June 29 through  Aug.  31. BSBPA promises a diverse lineup  including: The Ballston Spa Community Concert Band, bluegrass group North and South Dakotas and 50’s rock group The Lusture Kings. The town site encourages those who are interested to bring the entire family as well as their blankets and chairs.

    The Lineup:

    June 29th – The Ballston Spring Community Band 
    July 6th – North & South Dakotas 
    July 13th – Emily Teller 
    July 20th – The Lustre Kings
    July 27th – The Bluebillies 
    Aug. 3rd – Union Fire Company Band 
    Aug. 10th – Blues Noir 
    Aug. 17th – Seth and the Moody Melix 
    Aug. 24th – Sirsy
    Aug. 31st – The Coteries 

  • Clifton Park Free Summer Performing Arts Series Makes its Debut July 2

    July 2 marks the beginning of the Performing Arts at the Common & Performing Arts Family Series at the outdoor Clifton Common Stage. The series will offer free shows geared towards adults on Sunday nights with kids shows being featured on Wednesday nights.

    Some of the performers on Wednesday nights include: Let’s Get Cookin’, “a fun-filled performance that utilizes drama, music, complex rhythms, and acrobatics,” The Puppet People featuring their performance, The Last Dragon, comedian Sylvia Fletcher as The Magic Trunk and many others. The Town of Clifton welcomes the entire family to these shows but invites an older audience to their free Sunday shows. Some acts include: The Accents, soulful indie pop group Sirsy, Fiddler on The Roof performed by The Not So Common Players and a plethora of other works.

    Clifton Park, located just north of Albany is a fitting location for a series like this. The stage they will be using for both of the series is a smaller one but has an ample amount of lawn seating to fit hundreds of people. It’s an ideal place to enjoy a late summer’s night show by honest and hardworking performers set at the best price – absolutely free.

    More information about all these events are found on the Town of Clifton’s website. Most shows start after 7 and, as previously mentioned, there is no charge for any of these events.

  • When Deep Banana Blackout and The Breakfast Converge: Deep Banana Breakfast

    After three decades Deep Banana Blackout still has their charm. On Friday, June 16, DBB  played alongside The Breakfast, who both now have another excellent performance to put under their belts. Their performance Deep Banana Breakfast, although typical, was well received by the wide demographic of people that attended. 

    Typically, the Fairfield Theater Company gains the attention of people who seemingly aren’t so interested in the band that’s playing, but are more attracted to the idea of seeing live music on Friday night. They come to almost every show the FTC has to offer but always seem so uninterested, sometimes leaving halfway through a show. But not this time. The men and women were flabbergasted by the momentum and energy that DBB brought. Their well-rounded and classic sound combined with a contemporary layout made for an absolutely epic night that was enjoyed by patrons of all ages. 

    The Breakfast played for an hour and fifteen minutes with their efforts not going unappreciated. The only gripe some people might have had with their performance was that they came out swinging hard – they peaked early and as the room filled out it was easy to see the crowd had lost interest come the end of their set. They consist of: Tim Palmieri on guitar and vocals, Adrian Tramontano of Kung Fu on drums and vocals, Chris DeAngelis on bass and vocals and Jordan Giangreco on keyboards  and vocals. They’re very technical and multi-directional with enough talent to last for years. Listeners can sense influences of rock, jam, funk and hints of jazz throughout their pieces. They too have been playing for almost three decades and still performed with unrelenting energy.

    DBB, who’s show wasn’t the most incredible one they’ve ever done by any means, was much appreciated for their consistency. There are some member changes compared to their performances 10 years ago, but the feel of their show is still alive and well and that is something to appreciate. There were a few teases and a wide variety of tastes and styles that fluctuated throughout the show. Their selections ranged from a crowd favorite, “Bump and Sway,” to Peter Gabriel’s, “Sledgehammer,” to a lively version of James Brown’s, “Turn Me Loose, I’m Dr. Feel Good.” They played about fifteen total songs before moving to the highlight of the night when The Breakfast combined with DBB to play The Allman Brothers ”Stand Back” and “Southbound” as tribute to the late Greg Allman. As stated before, the show didn’t blow people away – patrons were drinking and talking the majority of the time and kept the smoking section of the patio full the entire time. What was most astounding was the consistency of the group over all of these years. 

    It’s a shame to see these two groups don’t have plans to work together again anytime soon because they compliment each other beautifully and have a plethora of talent and experience under their belts. DBB’s next show is in Westport, CT at the Blues, Views and BBQ Fest @ Levitt Pavilion and The Breakfast has no plans at the moment. Hopefully this performance is well received enough to have them do a similar show like this one.

  • The Brooklyn Bowl and Brewery in Contract for $37.4 Million

    The Atlas Capital Group is looking to ‘strike’ a deal with the Williamsburg Building owners which houses the Brooklyn Bowl and Brewery. According to The Real Deal, ACG’s intentions are not entirely clear, but they are likely to,  “eventually reposition it.”

    Brooklyn Brewery
    Tea Leaf Green at the Brooklyn Bowl

    The real estate group will not make a move until at least 2021- that is when the lease for the Brooklyn Bowl expires and the brewery adjacent to it is set until 2025. It is unclear as of now, but ACG will likely want both parts of the property and will not take action until the latter date. More information is still to come.

    Jam Base spoke with co-owner Peter Shapiro who said, “In terms of the story nothing changes for us. We hope to be 61 Wythe Avenue [the current location] for a long time.”

    The Bowl has been a hot spot for fans and bands of all sizes since 2009. It’s held acts such as Guns N’ Roses, Elvis Costello, the Roots to just recently, the auction of Jerry Garcia’s famed guitar, ‘Wolf’.

  • Jerry Garcia’s ‘Wolf’ Crosses Auction Block for $1.6 Million

    Any Dead fanatic would recognize this guitar – Wolf was built by Doug Irwin in 1972, played by Jerry Garcia on and off until 1993, was sold to philanthropist Daniel Pritzker in 2002, who just let it roll through an auction at the Brooklyn Bowl for almost $2 million.

    jerry wolfThe guitar sold for $1.6 million with a buyer’s premium of $300,000 on top of a dollar for dollar match from an anonymous organization, meaning the Southern Poverty Law Center received $3.2 million form the auction. The SPLC is an organization, “dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to [seek] justice for the most vulnerable members of our society.”

    Pritzker said, “I’ve been a fan of the Dead since I was a kid, and playing this iconic guitar over the past 15 years has been a privilege. But the time is right for Wolf to do some good.”

    jerry wolfWolf saw action across the globe in the hands of Jerry Garcia, from New York to the Great Pyramids of Egypt. It was recognized for Garcia’s love of the instrument, the devilish cartoon-like wolf engraved below the bridge and the effort that went into making it.

  • Hearing Aide: The Mountain Carol EP

    There’s not much information to be found about The Mountain Carol aside from their origin and what their intentions are. They’re from Saranac, NY and make “infinite music for infinite people.” They say their creations are the result of “countless musical and non-musical influences [formed] into a sound described by some spiritually-minded fans as ‘too powerful.’” It’s an ambiguous statement but the mysteriousness of the group does make the tracks more intriguing.   

    the mountain carol

    This EP has just three recordings but sheds enough light on the band to give everyone an idea of what they’re after. Their tracks can be a tad repetitive due to the drum track, but a relentless, chopping beat gives the laid back melody some direction and energy. The guitar gives every track a hopeful and pleasant drifting-through-space experience as well as a subtle synth that contributes to the same feeling. The percussion is distant, lacking of bass tone and the vocals are a little unintelligible as a result of loads of echo, but it creates the open and spacey effect they’re going for.

    “Mountain Carol” is up first and has a synthesized, persistent drum beat that contrasts with a clean and reverb-filled guitar. Under the breathy vocals is drone tone from a synth that helps fill out the song and gives it more life. It would have been nice to see a change of scenery in the percussion section because the track does clock in at 6:11 and the same beat over and over again does get a little monotonous. At the very least, a break in the drum track would be extremely impactful. Although the song does blend very well from  section to section, it can be easy to get distracted, making it hard to appreciate each part.

    “All Is Lost” has a less organic feel to it, containing a funkier guitar and a very 80’s drum fill that jumps out from time to time. This song does take a rest from the relentless drum beat which makes more of an effect than the group might think. The point of the song style is to put listeners in a trance, which it does well, but a quick pause from the perpetual drums is a quick and simple way to draw the listener’s ears back in. One would hope they would continue to do this trick in future tracks because the ears tend to wander as they delve into a song that’s over six minutes long.

    “Adventure Safari” is a change of pace, moving back to more natural sounds with the most prominent tone coming from an acoustic piano which sounds a bit dated but holds a beautiful character. The track would not have sounded the same with an electric piano and it was an excellent choice to use an acoustic one. The transition from bridge to what could be defined as a chorus is a little rocky, but the track is still unique and true to their ideologies. Listeners get the sense that they’re being carried along through a variety of environments, all of which are pleasant places to be with bright lights awaiting them at the end of their trips. This track is the most captivating of the the three because there’s less obvious instrumentation and more alluring sounds, like that off wisps of wind and drops of rain, all of which are synthetically created.

    It’s a special collection and a valiant effort from the group. A bigger sound would be a good step forward – maybe more instruments and less obvious ones that could definitely make this sound more immersive than it already is. The EP is available on BandCamp.com with an option to purchase all the tracks.

    Key Tracks: Adventure Safari, Mountain Carol, All Is Lost

  • The Meadows Festival, Featuring Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Jay Z, Weezer, NAS, Gorillaz Announced for September in Queens

    The second year of the Meadows Festival, held in Citi Field, is set to host a plethora of artists reaching across a variety of genres. Tickets went on sale May 10 with prices starting at $275, plus fees, for an early bird three day general admission ticket.

    the meadows festivalIt is unclear if any more artists will be added to the lineup, but can be expected with such a large gap of time between now and the first day. Last year, there were several late additions to the lineup, which would lead people to believe the same will happen this year. The current lineup can be found on the festival’s website and includes some of the following: Future, Bassnectar, LL Cool J ft. DJ Z-Trip, M.I.A., Foster the People, Big Gigantic, Milky Chance, and over 40 more.

    The first year of the festival went off with a few glitches both during and prior to the event. First, according to the Meadows website, Kanye West’s show ended a bit early due to a, “very frightening and unexpected family emergency.” Refunds were not issued, which may have flustered many patrons after Founders Entertainment, creators of Governors Ball and the Meadows, billed West’s performance as a make-up show after his Governors performance was cancelled due to heavy rain.

    Legal trouble came about prior to the event after the announcement of festival’s partnerships and supporters. A report by Billboard.com revealed that the festival announced it had the support of the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Alliance (FMCPA), which was false. The poor communication resulted in a clash between Founders Entertainment and the FMCPA mainly because of two large events being held in the same general area on the same day (the Meadows Festival and the Makers Faire.)

  • The Motet and West End Blend at The Fairfield Theatre Company

    Although the mid-week blues were in full swing, West End Blend (WEB) and The Motet managed to put a pep in the step of almost every single attendee at The Warehouse in Fairfield, Connecticut. WEB set the scene and style of the night, something that needed to be done due to the lack of enthusiasm that filled the building. Then The Motet capped it all off and blew away the audience with their relentless energy and zealous attitude. Once again, a very wide array of people attended due to the location of the up-and-coming venue, but everyone was able to find some aspect of the show they loved.

    West End Blend is based out of Hartford and showcased their funk and soul styles, but didn’t show much else. Their show was well performed and obviously well rehearsed, but the music wasn’t anything that would revolutionize the idea of funk -rather it just solidified it, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They had the formula: A solid drummer, funky horn line, groovy bassist, talented but reserved guitarist and an eye/ear catching lead singer. But it’s all been done before. They did not come short of a great performance by any means, but they didn’t knock the socks off most people there. That may have been because they were seen as the opening band or maybe it was because they only performed in front of a handful of people. The crowd just didn’t respond very well – they barely even welcomed them to the stage. Hopefully, and more than likely, they will headline a venue and get some well deserved recognition instead of being seen as just the opening band.

    Some of their most memorable tracks were “Say Hey!” which featured one of the most iconic parts of the band, 27-year-old trumpeter Mike Bafundo and his fascinating ability to sound like a funky Louis Armstrong. He and lead singer Erica Bryan have two very contrasting voices which made for a unique sound that the crowed looked forward to for the remainder of their performance. “Get Bye’ was another highlight, featured as one of their most popular songs on Spotify and was one of the only one that ventured outside of the stream line funk sound. The lazy tempo and an even lazier horn line resulted in a danceable but reggae feel. Other songs did not stray far from the funk band formula like “Attitude,” “Too Heavy” and “The Scene” which were plenty of fun and soon to be released on an upcoming album – the date is TBA.

    The Motet on the other hand had a more memorable performance.  Most of the credit goes towards the front man Lyle Divinsky. In a funk band, the lead singer needs to be like a conductor. He/she needs to draw attention to separate parts of the group because they are all required to be in unison to make the iconic sound. The horns stay reserved for the majority of the song but make a big pop during breakdowns and chorus’ – the same applies for the strings and synths. So he/she needs to work the whole stage and keep everyone’s eyes and ears moving – something Lyle has mastered and something that would change the whole attitude of WEB if Bryan were to follow in his footsteps. The Motet came out strong with “Damn!” which has been a favorite to open with for the majority of their shows including their prior Warehouse show and their first time Headlining the Red Rocks Amphitheater. It’s a perfect, straightforward ice breaker with a great funk formula that can easily flaunt their ability to build and climax flawlessly. “Damn!” is off their 7th studio album, Totem, and shows that the group is nowhere near out of ideas for funky tracks. Their sound is very familiar but manages to be unique, something that might only be true to their live performances, as their studio recordings are a little less impactful.

    They moved on to, “Like We Own It,” “Rynodub,” and “The Truth,” all of which were well received. “So High” came up and The Warehouse saw some incredible solo’s from the hornline. The crowd responded really well to Drew Sayers on saxophone. He had plenty of emotion and was able to work his way through the solo in an abstract but palatable way. He was smooth and well thought out and wasn’t afraid to take some risks. Trumpeter Gabe Mervine eventually came out of his shell after some sound board complications. He seemed concerned he wasn’t coming through clearly, but was able to focus after the problem was resolved. Keys player Joey Porter also had a few astounding and greatly appreciated solos, one of which was during “So High” where he played through a vocorder. It fit flawlessly into the songs style and got one of the biggest reactions out of the crowd.

    Drummer and founder Dave Watts never really had a moment to shine unfortunately, nor did bassist Garrett Sayers. Granted both of them have a very important role to play and not a lot of time so flaunt their abilities, but they both deserved a little more limelight than they were given. Garrett had a small chance to solo but he is such an entertaining musician and it would have been nice to see him a bit closer to the audience both literally and musically.

    The music was all incredible, but it all seemed more like an act or play because of Devinsky’s energy and charisma. He is best described as an actor but his personality comes off as genuine. He was so grateful for everyone’s enthusiasm, for being able to play at The Warehouse and was very appreciative of his band mates and their talents. Not only was he appreciative, he was sweating bullets and showed no signs of fatigue. His personality was just charming to everyone and a good part of the bands demeanor stems from Devinsky’s actions. They closed out with a cover of “Getten to Know You” by Parliament and “I Feel For You” by Prince and finished on their own “Closed Mouth Don’t Get Fed.”

    This show was definitely a highlight for The Warehouse and one would hope and expect this won’t be the last time The Motet performs there. They will unfortunately be heading South and West for the first part of the summer, but will be seen at Disc Jam 2017.

  • Dopapod and Aqueous at The Fairfield Theater Company

    It was unexpected turnout on Sunday, April 9, with a sea of die-hard fanatics coating the lower level of The Warehouse – so much so that even front man Rob Compa was surprised by their numbers. Fairfield isn’t necessarily the hub of all things jam band related, so it was fantastic to see the fairly seasoned venue collectively pull in a wide variety of artists and crowds. Aqueous warmed up the Fairfield Theater Company stage prior to Dopapod’s performance which consisted of two full sets and and encore. Everyone was thrilled, engaged and once again, due to the location, the venue pulled in a vast age demographic. The more mature and less familiar audience was perched around the ledge of the top floor, thoroughly enjoying the performance. Both groups were tight, virtually flawless and a perfect fit for a laid-back Sunday night party.

    Several months ago, Aqueous underwent a key member change with drummer Rob Houk filling the seat and making himself very comfortable. He was admitted in early June of 2016 and seamlessly fits the groups numerous style variations. He delivered a smooth performance all the way through, working through the inevitable drop of a stick a during a tastefully flamboyant drum fill and quickly grabbing another one from his bag without hesitation. All other members worked the stage well, but unfortunately came off a bit lifeless aside from the enormous voices coming from the instruments. Although they were limited to a small space due to being surrounded by Dopapod’s equipment, it would have been more visually engaging to see some enthusiasm from McPhaden and Loss. It may not have been the time nor the place considering the venue type and turn out, but it’s a new area that draws a different crowd and being as engaging as possible would have helped gain more respect and attention from those not used to seeing this type of performance.

    Aside from  some of their lackluster body language, Aqueous walked out with one hell of an entrance as the Chariots of Fire theme song played over the PA system. They lead a powerful performance which was unfortunately only appreciated by the 30-40 people that arrived before Dopapod’s time on stage. It started with  a funky favorite, “Second Sights,” which literally turned some heads. The early birds had their noses in their drinks, backs to the stage and were deep in conversation until the first first hit of that iconic “Shaft”-like funk theme song filled the room. They then flaunted their wide range of styles and tones and broke out into “Strange Times,” a classic rock sound which blended into a genre classic, “Peg” by Steely Dan. They dove into a classic Aqueous sound with “Staring Into the Sun” and, again, most of the limelight was drawn to a very animated Gantzer who was bobbing and weaving like a boxer around his small section of stage. They capped off the set with the heavy and funky track “Numbers and Facts” and left on a very positive note.

    Setlist: Second Sight > Strange Times, Peg > Staring Into the Sun > Numbers and Facts

    Aqueous left over a large round of applause for the valiant effort and immaculate performance while fans were still rolling in. Dopapod set up in a semi circle, making this an even more intimate experience aside from the time of the week and the amount of attendees. Although this was not a night that would be defined as the most memorable yet, it did not stop them from giving it their all.

    Aqueous wasn’t the only group that underwent a percussive change – original Dopapod drummer Neal “Fro” Evan is back on the throne, placed stage left. Although this is old news to fanatics, a naive eye would not have known he took a hiatus. Speaking of percussion, a special guest sat in on accessory drums, Adrian Tramontano of Kung Fu. Although he laid low behind “Fro”,  his stylings and flavors came through subtly and tastefully  under a very energetic Dopapod. It is unknown whether he will follow Dopapod all the way to Disc Jam.

    About 15 minutes of chatter and socializing went by until Dopapod opened up with “Give It a Name.” It’s a hard hitting track perfect for establishing their dominance in an venue that may not be so familiar with their style. Fans were excited, but were undoubtedly less enthusiastic compared to prior performances. Everyone could be heard chatting away during the breaks in their tracks and were even caught spacing out at times, but the presence of the group brought together new and old fans which made this performance nothing short of a good time. They moved on to “Super Bowl” and over to “Brain Dead,” both of which were obvious fan favorites.

    They moved forward with their fairly sarcastic song “Nerds” and threw a reggae twist on it prior to performing a well orchestrated mash-up of The Donkey Kong Country theme, a new song “Trickery” from their latest album and “Dracula’s Munk,” all of which are incredible funky and very well blended together. Before the end of the first set, sentimentality kicked in when a comedic birthday song and cake was given to Jake Berkowitz.

    Set two was a little short lived and contained “Picture in Picture” with teases of Snarky Puppy followed by “PLSS,” “Bahbi,” “I Am” and “Cure.” Knowing it would be an early night for most, they kept the encore tight but interesting by playing “We’re Not Alone” and “Freight Train Filled with Dynamite,”  during which, members switched instruments and had Gantzer join in for some solo time.

    Everyone was content by the end of the night, even though it wasn’t the most incredible and mind-blowing performance the two groups have put together. But one would hope that this isn’t the last time Dopapod or Aqeuous are invited back to The Fairfield Company.

    Setlist: Set 1 – Give it a Name, Braindead Pt. 2, Nerds, Donkey Kong Theme > Trickery > Dracula’s Monk > Trickery > Donkey Kong Theme > Trickery

    Set 2 – Picture in Picture, PLSS, Bahbi, I Am (Whale Song), Cure

    Encore – We Are Not Alone, Freight Train Filled With Dynamite

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