NYS Music 20​17

Author: Jim Rizzo

  • Downtown Barn 2017 Season Announced

    The Downtown Barn in Liberty announced its 2017 season, which opens May 5 and closes out on Oct. 20. The season features many local acts, including Slam Allen, Breakfast for the Boys and Upstate Rubdown.

    Liberty’s Downtown Barn, as with every season, kicks off on May 5 with New York Blues Hall of Famer Slam Allen, who also closes out the season on Oct. 20. The 2017 season features 26 affordable shows with most shows priced at $12 in advance and $15 at the door. This season features a number of local and national artists, including Gruppo Mondo, which features Peter Gabriel’s drummer Jerry Marrotta, on May 19 and Sept. 16, Gregg Allman’s music director Scott Sharrard on June 2 and Walter Parks, lead guitarist for Richie Havens, on July 1.

    The Downtown Barn opened in the center of the village of Liberty, tucked away in the Catskills, in 2013 as a small event space with a capacity of 120 seats. The stage was built from hardwood tongue and groove boards reclaimed from one of the silos on Max Yasgur’s farm, the location of the original 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair.

    Season passes that get you access to all 26 shows are available for $235.

    Downtown Barn Local Act Shows
    May 5 – Slam Allen
    May 6 – Shlomo Franklin
    May 29 – Chris Raabe
    June 10 – Lee Delray
    June 16 – Breakfast for the Boys
    June 30 – Rivergrass Revival
    July 7 – Jazzmosis
    July 15 – Halley Hiatt
    Aug. 4 – Cold Flavor Repair
    Aug. 11 – Rick Rourke and Lost Wages
    Aug. 12 – Cathy Patty
    Aug. 18 – Dead on the Tracks
    Aug. 19 – Chris Raabe
    Aug. 25 – Upstate Rubdown
    Sept. 9 – Yesah
    Sept. 23 – Chris Bergson and Ellis Hooks
    Oct. 7 – Rick Rourke and Lost Wages
    Oct. 20 – Slam Allen

  • Jon Fishman Runs for Local Government

    Jon Fishman, drummer for Phish and Syracuse native, recently announced that he is running for the Board of Selectman in the local government of his new hometown of Lincolnville, Maine.

    jon fishman

    Fishman is no stranger to politics. As an outspoken supporter of Bernie Sanders during the 2016 presidential campaign, he made the spotlight in New England and beyond, reaching out to fans of Phish to drum up support for the Democratic socialist candidate in his run for the nomination. It comes as no surprise that Fishman now credits Sanders as his inspiration for running for local office in Lincolnville. Sander’s message to his followers suggesting more people run for local office resonated with Fishman whose wife, Briar, currently sits on the local school board.

    Fishman is ready to jump in feet first. He has been attending Selectmen meetings and learning about the local government. He is quoted in The Free Press, “I really want to go into this with both feet. If I’m going to do it, I want to do a good job. I’m going to be engaged, and I have no interest in doing it half-assed.”

    Fishman is one of three candidates who filed paperwork indicating they are running for the two positions on the Board. The two incumbents, who are expected to file, have yet to do so.

  • Update: Chillfam All-Stars Pay Tribute to Michael Jackson at Phish After-Party

    The Chillfam All-Stars will play a tribute to Michael Jackson on Aug. 5 at the Gramercy Theatre for an afterparty during the Phish Baker’s Dozen run. The band is a supergroup of familiar faces and includes Elise Testone, Jen Hartswick and Natalie Cressman of the Trey Anastasio Band, Alex Petropulos of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Danny Mayer of the Eric Krasno Band, Eric Gould and Richard James of Pink Talking Fish, Adrian Tramontano of Kung Fu, Matt Wayne of the Bobby Deitch Band and Rob Volo of Deep Banana Blackout. Tickets go on sale this Friday at noon.

    Update 5/23/2017:

    Turkuaz is the latest act to announce a Phish afterparty during the Baker’s Dozen run. They play Irving plaza on Tuesday, July 25. Tickets for their show go on sale this Thursday, May 25, at noon.

    Update 5/4/2017:

    Matisyahu, Atlas Road Crew and Strange Machines will all play afterparties following Phish’s Baker’s Dozen shows.

    Strange Machines plays Wednesday, July 26 at Drom. Eggy opens the show. Atlas Road Crew hits up American Beauty on Friday, Aug. 4. Tickets for both shows are on sale now.

    The Cutting Room sees Matisyahu on Wednesday, Aug. 2. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Friday, May 5 at noon.

    Update 4/26/2017:

    Pink Talking Fish, Holly Bowling and the Motet will all play shows around Phish’s Baker’s Dozen run at Madison Square Garden. Following Phish on Tuesday, Aug. 1, Pink Talking Fish plays as Pink Talking Fish Are Dead at the Cutting Room. They also play an after-party on Friday, Aug. 4 at the Gramercy Theatre. They board The Jewel for a pre-party booze cruise the next day, Saturday, Aug. 5. The cruise is at 2 p.m.

    Holly Bowling brings her solo piano renditions of Phish and Grateful Dead songs to the Cutting Room on Saturday and Sunday, July 22 and 23 and Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 5 and 6. All her shows start at 4 p.m.

    The Motet plays an afterparty on the first night of the run, Friday, July 21 at B.B. Kings.

    Original Post:

    When Phish comes to New York City, the party tends to start well before the shows and it always ends long after they leave the stage. As with every Phish run at Madison Square Garden, a slew of pre-parties and afterparties are planned for their 13 night Baker’s Dozen run at the storied arena.

    Phish is set to play their historic 13 night run at Madison Square Garden beginning July 21 and ending on Aug. 6. CEG Presents has pre-parties and afterparties planned for just about every night of the Baker’s Dozen. Their run of shows kicks off a day early on Thursday, July 20 with Twiddle and Madaila. Twiddle finishes out a three-night run with a pair of Phish afterparties on Friday, July 21 and Saturday, July 22. All three shows are at Irving Plaza. Particle also plays an afterparty on July 21 at the Cutting Room. The DeadPhish Orchestra plays a 2 p.m. concert cruise on July 22 before the show.

    John Kadlecik brings Jay Lane of Ratdog to join his band for a pair of afterparties on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 25 and 26. Both shows are at American Beauty.

    The second weekend of the run has Dopapod playing two nights at the Gramercy Theatre on Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29. Also on July 29 are Bonerama at Iridium and Torus and the Mushroom Cloud at Drom.

    The final stretch of Phish shows see fewer afterparties. Zach Deputy hits up American Beauty after Phish on Wednesday, Aug. 2. Saturday, Aug. 5 has a pair of shows with Formula 5 at Lucille’s at B.B. King’s and Particle back at the Cutting Room for their “Director’s Cut.”

    Tickets for all of these shows, except Dopapod, are on sale now. The Dopapod shows go on sale on Friday, April 14 at noon.

  • Albany Tulip Festival Brings Minus the Bear and the Delfonics

    The Albany Tulip Festival, now in its 69th year, is the city’s signature spring event featuring a variety of activities for all ages. The music lineup features headliners Minus the Bear and the Delfonics along with several local acts, including Wild Adriatic.

    minus the bearHeld at Albany’s Washington Park, the Tulip Festival showcases local artisans and businesses, available on hand selling their crafts and food. The music is the main attraction with two stages featuring both national and local acts. The main stage headliners are Minus the Bear on Saturday and the Delfonics on Sunday.

    The Mother’s Day Weekend festival kicks off on Saturday, May 13 at 11:30 a.m. with the Tulip Queen coronation ceremony. The Mendelssohn Club of Albany performs during the procession and coronation on the Washington Park Lakehouse Stage. Music on the main stage begins at 1:30 p.m. with local act Wild Adriatic.

    The festival features other musical attractions, including the KidZone stage featuring entertainment for children of all ages. The Albany School of Rock has a tent at the festival where attendees can check out the future of music performing throughout the day.

    69th Annual Tulip Festival Schedule of Events
    Saturday, May 13
    Tulip Queen Coronation Ceremony
    Washington Park Lakehouse Stage
    11:30 a.m. – The Mendelssohn Club of Albany
    11:45 a.m. – Tulip Queen Procession (Begins at formal Tulip Beds by Moses Statue)
    12:00 p.m. – Tulip Queen Coronation (Lakehouse Stage)

    Main Stage
    Washington Park Parade Grounds
    4:30 p.m. – Minus The Bear
    3:00 p.m. – The Palms
    1:30 p.m. – Wild Adriatic

    Local 518 Stage
    Washington Park Lakehouse Stage
    4:45 p.m. – Dryer
    3:30 p.m. – Cannon the Brave
    2:15 p.m. – Jasper
    1:00 p.m. – Maurizio

    Sunday, May 14
    Main Stage
    4:30 p.m. – The Delfonics
    3:00 p.m. – Erin Harkes
    1:30 p.m. – Holly and Evan

    Local 518 Stage
    4:45 p.m. – Ramblin’ Jug Stompers
    3:30 p.m. – Dyer Switch Band
    2:15 p.m. – Sydney Worthley
    1:00 p.m. – Andrew Wheeler & Donna Marie Tritico
    12:00 p.m. – 19th Annual Mother of the Year Award

  • Taking Back Sunday to Tour with Every Time I Die

    Taking Back Sunday announced a summer tour with Every Time I Die that will be book ended by dates in New York, opening in New York City and closing out in Utica and Buffalo.

    taking back sundayLong Island’s Taking Back Sunday will head out on tour this summer with Buffalo metalcore act Every Time I Die. The 28 night tour takes them across the country and back, kicking off at New York City’s Webster Hall on July 14 and closing out on Aug. 19 with a hometown show for Every Time I Die at the Waiting Room Summer Stage in Buffalo. They make one other New York stop on Aug. 18 at the Saranac Brewery in Utica. The only other Northeast dates are July 16 at the House of Blues in Boston and Aug. 16 at Stage AE in Pittsburgh.

    Joining Taking Back Sunday and Every Time I Die are New Jersey’s Modern Chemistry for the first half of the tour and South Carolina’s All Get Out for the second half. Every Time I Die will be absent from the shows on July 20 and 22 in Orlando and Jacksonville, Florida, respectively.

    Prior to the start of the tour with Every Time I Die, Taking Back Sunday will perform at the Great South Bay Music Festival in Patchogue. New Found Glory, 311 and Saves the Day also play the festival.

    As part of the summer tour, the band is offering VIP passes that give fans early entrance into the shows, a VIP laminate and lanyard, an embossed journal and bookmark and access to an acoustic set. The VIP tickets are on sale now through the band’s website. General tickets for the summer tour go on sale Friday, March 24 at 10 a.m.

    Taking Back Sunday Summer Tour Dates
    July 14 – Webster Hall – New York, NY *
    July 16 – House of Blues – Boston, MA *
    July 19 – Masquerade – Heaven Stage – Atlanta, GA *
    July 20 – House of Blues – Orlando * #
    July 21 – Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL *
    July 22 – Mavericks – Jacksonville, FL * #
    July 24 – Gas Monkey Live! – Dallas, TX *
    July 25 – Tricky Falls – El Paso, TX *
    July 26 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ *
    July 27 – Hard Rock at the Pool – Las Vegas, NV *
    July 28 – Obervatory North Park – San Diego, CA *
    July 29 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA *
    July 31 – The Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA *
    Aug. 1 – Ace of Spades – Sacramento, CA *
    Aug. 3 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR ^
    Aug. 4 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA ^
    Aug. 6 – Knitting Factory – Boise, ID ^
    Aug. 7 – The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT ^
    Aug. 8 – Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO ^
    Aug. 9 – Bourbon Theatre – Lincoln, NE ^
    Aug. 10 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN ^
    Aug. 12 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI ^
    Aug. 13 – Crofoot Ballroom – Pontiac, MI ^
    Aug. 14 – Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH ^
    Aug. 15 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH ^
    Aug. 16 – Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA ^
    Aug. 18 – Saranac Brewery – Utica, NY ^
    Aug. 19 – Waiting Room Summer Stage – Buffalo, NY ^

    * with Modern Chemistry
    # without Every Time I Die
    ^ with All Get Out

  • Great Acorn Hunt with Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass

    Keller Williams brings his Grateful Grass to the Capitol Theatre in April, and prior to the show, attendees are invited to participate in the Great Acorn Hunt, a twist on the classic Easter egg hunt.keller williams acorn huntKeller Williams’ Grateful Grass, his bluegrass tribute to the Grateful Dead, plays the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on Thursday, April 20. As part of the festivities, fans are invited to take part in the Great Acorn Hunt. For the acorn hunt, much like an Easter egg hunt, acorn “eggs” will be hidden throughout the theatre. Participants will search for the eggs for prizes, such as tickets to shows at the venue and Keller Williams merchandise. The acorns are a nod to the Capitol Theatre’s squirrel mascot.

    Keller William’s Grateful Grass features Jeff Austin, Jeremy Garrett, Andy Hall and Danton Boller. They play a not-very-traditional bluegrass take on the music of the Grateful Dead. Opening the show is Love Canon, a bluegrass outfit from Charlottesville, North Carolina. Continuing with the night’s theme of non-traditional tributes, Love Canon covers musical hits from the ’80s, such as “She Blinded Me with Science,” “The Boys of Summer” and ZZ Top’s “Legs.”

    Tickets for the show are $30 and on sale now. The Great Acorn Hunt will begin promptly at 7 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m.

  • Tumble Down 2017 Lineup Includes Fruition, Aqueous

    Twiddle has announced the 2017 lineup for their second annual Tumble Down music festival, held on the Burlington, Vermont waterfront, will include Fruition, Madaila, Aqueous and more.

    Tumble Down, Twiddle’s music festival returning to Waterfront Park in their hometown of Burlington, Vermont July 28 and 29, features four sets from Twiddle along with sets from Americana/bluegrass act Fruition, Burlington psych pop band Madaila, Buffalo jammers Aqueous, and San Francisco-based Midnight North. The festival also features daytime sets from New York based acts Lucid and Teddy Midnight, along with Strange Machines, Holly Bowling and Vermonters Navytrain and The Mangroves.

    In addition to the waterfront festival, Tumble Down features late night performances each night. July 28 will see the Everyone Orchestra, conducted by Matt Butler and featuring Holly Bowling along with members of Twiddle, Fruition and Midnight North, at Higher Ground, while lespecial and the Pitchblak Brass Band play Club Metronome. On July 29, Mihali and Friends play Higher Ground, and Gang of Thieves with Backup Planet are at Club Metronome. All the late night shows start at 11 p.m. The Higher Ground shows are all ages and are $18 in advance or $23 at the door, while you must be 21 or over to attend the Club Metronome shows, which are $10.

    Tickets for Tumble Down 2017 and all the late night shows are on sale now. A two day pass for Tumble Down costs $63.

  • Phish to Release ‘St. Louis ’93’

    Phish has announced the release of St. Louis ’93, an archival collection of two shows from consecutive tours recorded at St. Louis’ American Theatre, as a 6-CD boxed set.

    In 1993, Phish went on tour in support of their fourth studio album, Rift, and, at the same time were, hitting up larger venues, like theaters and colleges. The first part of St. Louis ’93 finds the band on April 14, 1993 in the midst of an extensive winter and spring tour. The show is dubbed the “Roger’s Proposal” show as Trey Anastasio’s childhood friend, Roger Holloway proposed to his girlfriend on stage at the start of the second set. The show features a memorable “AC/DC Bag” > “My Sweet One” for Holloway and his fiancée, a creative “Stash” > “Kung” > “The Horse” mashup and a fantastic “Harpua” > “Runaway Jim.”

    The second half of St. Louis ’93 sees the band’s return to the American Theatre on August 16, 1993 in the middle of their summer tour. The tour saw the band taking greater risks and digging deep into their repertoire. From the press release:

    Unique interstitial jams connected many of the songs, adding an extra element of mystery to the proceedings. Highlights include a non-stop opening sequence of “Axilla” > “Possum” > “Horn” > “Reba” > “Sparkle” and the only “Mike’s Song” > “Faht” > “Weekapaug Groove” combination ever played. The show finished with an unexpected quartet of classic Phish covers, including Duke Ellington’s “Take The ‘A’ Train,” Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times,” “Amazing Grace,” and Felice & Boudleaux Bryant’s country standard, “Rocky Top.”

    St. Louis ’93 will be released on March 31. Several pre-order packages are available through the Phish website.

    Phish will play a 13-night run at New York City’s Madison Square Garden starting July 21 and concluding Aug. 6. Tickets for those shows go on sale today at noon.

    St. Louis ’93 Tracklist:

    CD 1/6
    April 14, 1993 Set I:
    1. Buried Alive >
    2. Poor Heart
    3. Maze
    4. Bouncing Around The Room
    5. It’s Ice >
    6. Stash >
    7. Kung >
    8. Stash
    9. Kung >
    10. The Horse >
    11. Silent In The Morning >
    12. Divided Sky
    13. I Didn’t Know
    14. Golgi Apparatus

    CD 2/6
    April 14, 1993 Set II:
    1. Roger’s Proposal
    2. AC/DC Bag >
    3. My Sweet One >
    4. Tweezer
    5. Mound
    6. Big Ball Jam
    7. You Enjoy Myself >
    8. Spooky >
    9. You Enjoy Myself

    CD 3/6
    April 14, 1993 Set II, cont’d:
    1. Harpua >
    2. Runaway Jim
    Encore:
    3. Lengthwise >
    4. Contact >
    5. Tweezer Reprise

    CD 4/6
    August 16, 1993 Set I:
    1. Axilla >
    2. Possum >
    3. Horn >
    4. Reba >
    5. Sparkle

    CD 5/6
    August 16, 1993 Set I, cont’d:
    1. Foam
    2. I Didn’t Know
    3. Split Open And Melt
    4. The Squirming Coil

    CD 6/6
    August 16, 1993 Set II:
    1. Mike’s Song >
    2. Faht >
    3. Weekapaug Groove
    4. Mound >
    5. It’s Ice >
    6. My Friend, My Friend
    7. Poor Heart >
    8. Big Ball Jam >
    9. Take The ‘A’ Train >
    10. Good Times Bad Times
    Encore:
    11. Amazing Grace
    12. Rocky Top

  • Hearing Aide: John Ginty ‘Rockers’

    John Ginty has recently released a new album titled, Rockers, featuring his band’s new lead vocalist, Aster Pheonyx. This is his fourth studio effort, which was set into motion following his discovery of Pheonyx’s powerhouse vocals when she opened for his band at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park. Following some backstage conversation and jamming, he invited her to perform with his band and the chemistry during the unplanned performance was what led to the birth of this swell new line-up and album.

    Ginty is a celebrated performer and recording artist, known not only for his mastery on organ and keys, but also his extensive catalog of performances as a session musician. His career kicked off in the mid-1990’s following his contribution on Neal Casal’s “Fade Away Diamond Time,” which opened a number of doors for him. He joined Jewel’s touring band soon after, and then, went on to perform on records by Citizen Cope, Matthew Sweet and Shannon McNally. Ginty joined Robert Randolf in 2000, as a founding member of Robert Randolf & the Family Band. He has performed with nationally acclaimed artists such as, Warren Haynes, Albert Castiglia, Cris Jacobs, Alecia Chakour, Todd Wolfe and more.

    His band also features Justine Gardner on bass, Maurice “Moe” Watson on drums and BKG vocals, and Mike Buckman on guitar. Special guests on the album include Jimmy Bennett (guitar), Paul Gerdts (BKG vocals), Josh Gannet (guitar, percussion, backwoods), Paul Kuzik (bass) and Reggie Noble as DJ.

    Aster Pheonyx certainly brings her own flair to the table, bringing spice to Ginty’s expertise with her compelling vocals. Pheonyx, a three-time winner of the Top Female Vocalist from the Elephant Talk Indie Music Awards, is influenced by artists like Beth Hart, Susan Tedeschi and Amy Helm, which is undeniable in the way her sound ripped through the 12-track album that she co-wrote with Ginty.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZgPXVv1Z5o

    The first track, “The Shark,” doesn’t feature vocals, and instead eases you in with a funky melody that has Ginty rip-roaring the organ. “Lucky 13,” a hard rocking blues number that features the full band and Aster’s raging vocals that fit the music like a glove, was released as a single prior to the album release, with an accompanying music video. It has an urgent tone that shows right off the bat the power of Pheonyx’s vocals, underlined by the band’s rock fusion. “Believe in Smoke” is a great track, because it showcases the successful combination of Ginty’s sound buttered by Aster’s vocals, before diving into a great jam at the end of the song. “WKYA” breaks up the music a bit with an amusing skit featuring Reggie Noble as a radio DJ interviewing Ginty.

    Another favorite was “Mountains Have My Name,” which is where one can really hear the Susan Tedeschi influence on Aster’s voice, while the keys in this track add a special element. This beautiful soulful number features Ginty on piano and is about a woman who is called away from her man by the mountains. The instrumental title track, “Rockers,” is the last track, and it is a great way to close the album, because it leaves the audience with a full lick of their musical capacity.

    John Ginty is currently on tour in the south. He returns to the Northeast for an album release party on Feb. 17 at Revolution in Morristown, New Jersey. He also plays the Fountain House in Newton, New Jersey on Feb. 24. Rockers will be released on Friday, Feb. 17. For tickets and more information visit here.

    Key tracks: Lucky 13, Believe in Smoke, Mountains Have My Name, Target on the Ground, Captain Hook

  • StrangeCreek Initial Lineup Announced

    The initial lineup for the 15th annual StrangeCreek Campout festival includes Max Creek, Zach Deputy, Ryan Montbleau and Pink Floyd tribute band The Machine.

    StrangeCreek Campout StrangeCreek Initial Lineuptakes place over Memorial Day weekend, May 26 to 29, at Camp Kee-wanee in Greenfield, Massachusetts. The recently-announced initial lineup includes headliners Max Creek, the Machine and two sets each from Zach Deputy and Ryan Montbleau. New Yorkers Consider the Source will play two sets, and the state is also represented in the lineup by Banooba.

    Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish tribute act Pink Talking Fish will play two sets at the festival, along with Grateful Dead tribute band Shake Down, Western Massachusetts band Bella’s Bartok and the Fritz and the Broadcast, both from Asheville, North Carolina. Other acts in the lineup include Hayley Jane and the Primates, the Alchemystics, Creamery Station, the Rev Tor Band and The Romano Project.

    StrangeCreek features several non-music activities as well. Being a family-friendly festival, attendees with children can check out the Family Worm. The Wormtown Holistic Village has activities for the body, mind and soul. Every night, at various places throughout the festival grounds, the Firewormz put on a fire show.

    Tickets for StrangeCreek Campout are on sale now and available for $110 through Tuesday, Feb. 14.