Vermont based jam band Twiddle has announced their headlining debut at famed venue Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado. Twiddle will perform two sets on Star Wars day, Friday, May 4. Twiddle will also share the stage with California based roots/reggae/dub outfit Stick Figure. Florida based world beat/indie band the Hip Abduction will play in support.
Twiddle has graced the Red Rocks stage twice in support of String Cheese Incident (2015) and the Disco Biscuits(2016). Their 2017 show with moe. was cancelled after moe. announced a hiatus while bassist Rob Derhak underwent treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer.
The announcement comes as Twiddle hits the road in 2018 along with Stick Figure and Iya Terra for sixteen dates. Twiddle has had a stellar year in 2017 and continued to make headlines. The year was highlighted by a showing on the Billboard charts as their much-anticipated release PLUMP debuted at #6 on the Alternative New Artist Album charts and a sit-in from Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh at the band’s Tumble Down Music Festival.
Self-taught musician Scott Woodruff writes, produces and records under the moniker, Stick Figure. Woodruff tours with a full band to craft his live shows. His latest release, Set in Stone, has solidified the musician’s vision of a new melodic subgenre.
The Hip Abduction toured in support of Twiddle during August and September of 2017. The vibrant St. Petersburg, FL-based collective celebrates a mutual appreciation for West African and early Jamaican reggae/dub music.
Twiddle Fan Club and AEG presales are available online as of the announcement. Several pre-sale VIP packages are available with options including a special VIP performance at Red Rocks on Thursday, May 3. General on sale goes live on Friday, December 15 at Noon EST.
Buffalo groove rockers Aqueous will be making their Town Ballroom headlining debut this New Year’s Eve. In anticipation of the evening, the Buffalo based quartet has announced that in addition to their own catalog, they will be dedicating a set of music to the English virtual band, Gorillaz.
“AQ draws from many different bands’ catalogs for inspiration, and the Gorillaz catalog is one that all four of us are HUGE fans of,” noted Aqueous frontman and guitarist Mike Ganzter via press release. “Their catalog integrates four styles of music that we all love: hip-hop, rock, punk and electronic, and once the idea got thrown out there to do a Gorillaz themed set, it was clear that that was the vibe we wanted to really set our NYE party over the top!”
This past March, Aqueous made their performance debut at the Town Ballroom opening in support of Vermont’s genre fusing jam band, Twiddle. As AQ steps into the headlining position to close out 2017, Ganzter reveals the evening’s importance to the band. “This city has so much love for us and has supported us on a really profound level at every turn,” he said. “We’re coming into this gig with true gratitude and a mission to deliver in a big way at a venue that we all grew up seeing our favorite bands perform at.”
Buffalo post-rock art band Lazlo Hollyfeld has been added in support.
On Thanksgiving eve, Ganzter stopped by the Lazlo Hollyfeld annual Thanksgiving Eve show for an unannounced sit-in. Besides their own unique brand of musical stylings, Lazlo Hollyfeld is also known for their perfected tribute sets, including performances of the Talking Heads, Radiohead and most recently, Arcade Fire.
Aqueous is currently finishing up a nearly three month tour of the greater United States before retuning home to celebrate the New Year with their hometown fans. AQ will kick off 2018 with performances on Jam Cruise as well as tour in support of Papadosio for recently announced dates in February and March.
Tickets for Aqueous’ NYE Gorillaz bash at Hometown Ballroom are $20 in advance and are still.
Aqueous Upcoming Tour Dates
Dec. 6 – Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge
Dec. 8 – Fort Collins, CO – Hodi’s Half Note
Dec. 9 – Frisco, CO – The Barkley Ballroom
Dec. 12 – Davenport, IA – Redstone Room
Dec. 13 – St. Louis, MO – The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy
Dec. 14 – Lexington, KY – Cosmic Charlie’s
Dec. 15 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands Tavern
Dec. 16 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Rex Theater
Dec. 29 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium * Dec. 31 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
Jan. 17 – 22 – Miami, FL – Jam Cruise
Multi-platinum artist 311 rolled into Western New York for the first time in fifteen years on Monday July 10. Known for their high energy shows and polished sound, 311 didn’t disappoint with a well-produced stage show and a setlist that was as diverse as the band’s 27 year career span.
Despite scattered rain showers, music fans across Western New York poured into the venue for a night of high energy music. UK rock/reggae fusion outfit the Skints’ opened the evening with up-tempo rock roots infused tunes that immediately connected with attendees. Despite scattered rain showers and gray skies, the Skints energized the crowd with a mix of reggae style beats layered with hints of London punk.
Danish Rock New Politics took the stage to showcase their Euro style of edgy, gritty rock. Lead vocalist and Frontman David Boyd mesmerized the growing crowds with raw energy and enthusiasm. The band performed a mix of songs from their three studio albums including “Everywhere I Go (Kings & Queens),” “Dignity” and “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.” The band’s cover of the Beastie Boys classic “Sabotage” was also a crowd favorite.
311 took to the stage before sunset, opening with “Perfect Mistake” from their latest release Mosaic. Early in the set, 311 established the tone of the evening with instant energy as they launched into two of the band’s most well-known early singles “Come Original” and “All Mixed Up.”
Other evening highlights included “Homebrew,” the opening track from the band’s 1994 album Grassroots as well as “Amber” from the band’s 2002 From Chaos. As dusk settled in, 311’s neatly placed “Sunset in July” provided the perfect transition into the second half of the band’s performance.
The evening’s sunset performance provided a diverse glimpse into 311’s two distinct performance styles. Designs by longtime lighting designer Joe Paradise were perfectly executed by the band’s production team and as night fell 311 transitioned from providing high energy nostalgia to showcasing high end production. A mix of traditional stage lighting and LED programming created the perfect backdrop for new songs like “Too Late” yet was perfectly crafted for the band’s entire catalog like “Don’t Stay Home” or the first set closer “Creatures (For A While).”
311 returned to the stage to close the night with a three-song encore. “Beyond the Gray Sky” from the band’s 2003 album Evolver was a soft but stunning example of the 311’s ability to create mesmerizing moments. The night concluded with the band’s first #1 single “Down.”
Throughout the evening, 311 performed with polish and precision. Yet, their distinctly produced sound translates well into their live performance. Vocalist/guitarist Nick Hexum and vocalist Doug “SA” Martinez exchange vocal passing with amazing quickness, energy and accuracy. Martinez performs with an intense energy that is simply stated- fun to watch. Guitarist Tim Mahoney, Bassist P-Nut and Drummer Chad Saxton nail musical execution at its highest level on stage.
311’s Summer Tour continues Friday July 14 as the band makes a festival appearance at the Great South Bay Music Festival in Long Island. Although the band has no more upcoming dates after that in New York State, fans can catch 311 in nearby in Asbury, NJ on July 15 and Hartford, CT on July 22. The band will conclude their 8-week summer tour on August 20 in San Diego.
311’s return to the greater Buffalo area was hosted by 103.3 The Edge and was part of the Artpark Coors Light Music Series
Setlist: Perfect Mistake, Come Original, All Mixed Up, Homebrew, Hey Yo, Beautiful Disaster, Sunset in July, Wildfire, Too Much Too Think, Bass Solo, Sick Tight, Amber, One in the Same, Applied Science, Til the City’s on Fire, Freeze Time, Extension, Don’t Stay Home, Too Late, Creatures (For A While)
The Four Quarters Interfaith Sanctuary released a statement via e-mail after reports of illnesses at the venue caused concern to attendees of two festivals. Over the course of two weekends, a multitude of symptoms were reported from patrons, staff, volunteers and musicians during the Mad Tea Party Jam and the WickerMan Burn.
Anyone suffering symptoms associated with viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu) are encouraged to contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The venue is working with local health officials to collect accurate data. Organizers of both events as well as the venue are hoping this data can help further explain what happened and why some some attendees became ill.
To our Visitors and Friends
Recently we have suffered at Four Quarters outbreaks of a very contagious Viral GI illness that is following the pattern of the 2008 season outbreaks. We have been in contact with our public health officials about Viral GI prior to the outbreak at The Mad Tea Party and have been in continuous contact since Sunday morning, June 18th. We have been forwarding contact information, hospital information, test reports and samples directly to the PA Epidemiological Dept, and will be meeting with them on site shortly.
We have confirmed with some public health officials that this is a “hot” season for Viral GI with outbreaks emerging. It is our own opinion that we are experiencing a very contagious variant this season with one day incubation times, less than 24 hour mean duration and high transmissiblity through surfaces.
We have confirmed ill parties arriving on site and passed this information forward, while protecting identities of individuals and venues involved. It is important to remember that the virus can travel through casual contact with surfaces and does not reflect on the personal habits of the persons afflicted; in fact, for the virus to survive every person casually infected must, on average, infect another person.
In working with the PA Health Dept after our experience with Viral GI in 2008, we put into place policies and improvements under their recommendation. We believe these policies prevented a much wider outbreak at Mad Tea Party.
* We quarantine campers and campsites that display symptoms of any kind of GI distress, until it is known they are not infectious, and we supply these camps with chlorine wash-down supplies. We track arrival times, travel histories and first symptoms of cases reported to us.
* We educate through signage and publications about the nature of Viral GI. Much of our staff has passed Safe-Serve educational certification.
* During high risk events we continuously clean and chlorine wash-down all potties, water spigots, hand-wash stations and smooth public surfaces many times during the day.
* Our water supply is tested and licensed with daily chlorine readings and monthly sampling. We volunteered for this highest level of testing.
* Food vendors are safe-serve certified and are Health Dept. inspected prior to events. Our own kitchen is licensed to the commercial level with safe-serve certified staff.
This announcement is intended to answer in small part some of your concerns. Please understand that science takes time and we are currently focused on supplying the raw data that will allow the experts to identify and understand what may be an especially contagious variant. If you have information to share do call PA HEALTH at 717-787-3350. As you travel and attend events, be very aware of the increased risk factors for Viral GI and practice good hygiene in it’s prevention, with Wikipedia @ Norovirus a good reference. As we receive information back from the science community we will pass it on to you.
In closing we wish to express our sympathy and concern to those people who have experienced this contagion, and our appreciation to those who have shared with us their medical histories. Our praise for the outstanding work of EMS and sanitation staff who went far beyond the call of 16 hour shifts to treat patients and keep the facilities clean. And our thanks to the very many people whose recent messages of support and appreciation for our work, has made that work worthwhile.
Orren Whiddon
Four Quarters InterFaith
Anyone who attended Mad Tea Party Jam over the past two weekends are encouraged to disinfect supplies, wash clothing, and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen. According to the Center for Disease Control, the virus that causes Viral GI may be present in vomit and stools both before and after symptoms are present. Proper hand hygiene is the best way to prevent infecting others.
NYS Music will continue to update this story as it develops.
Patrons, staff, volunteers and artists at the Mad Tea Party jam have reported a multitude of illnesses over the weekend. Many attendees of the three day event reported sickness through social media that prevented performances and sent several people to the hospital. The festival was held at the Four Quarters Interfaith Sanctuary in Artemis, Pa.
Mad Tea Party released a statement via their Facebook Page on Sunday evening.
Despite our best efforts to maintain the health safety of our patrons, people were falling ill. We ourselves are seeking any and all answers. The Pennsylvania Center of Epidemiology has been contacted by the venue in order to properly ascertain what has happened this past weekend. In order to better understand and identify the issue and better yet, how to fix this issue, we are openly asking people to report their own health issues to the Pennsylvania board of health. Please call this number in order to aid us. 1-877-PA HEALTH
We will be posting more information as it is received.
Headliner Papadosio was forced to cancel their third and final performance of the weekend which was scheduled for Saturday night. Three of the band’s five members were reportedly too ill to perform.
Ona Hogarty of Bedford, PA was taken to the emergency room at War Memorial Hospital in Berkley Springs, PA. She reported to NYS Music that doctors there gave her a dysentery diagnosis. She said doctors noted that dysentery is often given as a broad term diagnosis to stomach viruses accompanied by bloody stools. Hogarty is awaiting test results to further explain her illness.
Online accounts point to a potential Norovirus outbreak. Although the symptoms match reports from sick attendees, NYS Music has been unable to confirm the official cause of the weekend’s illnesses. Symptoms were reported as early as Friday morning. Norovirus is often the cause of mass outbreaks in nursing homes, cruise ships and daycare centers.
A similar situation was reported at last weekend’s WickerMan Burn. A pinned post on the WickerMan Burn Facebook group early Sunday morning, dated June 16, read:
The organization team and the 4QF board of directors are sympathetic and full of compassion for those who got sick after WickerMan. You have all already heard that we test the water and septic systems, that we bleached everything we could as often as we could, and that some number of people still got sick. We can’t go back into the event and change the fact that a highly contagious illness got passed around.
However, by Sunday evening, the post was updated with the above text deleted. Only an explanation about norovirus and stomach bugs remained from the original post. Several post in the group were made, questioning the link between the illnesses over the two different weekends.
Although the venue has signs posted about norovirus prevention at the showers, the venue offered no other warning about potential issues from the previous weekend.
While the organizers of Mad Tea Party Jam have been open with its patrons, Four Quarter’s has been silent about the situation. Over the past two days, long-time attendees of the grounds are commenting on their positive experiences in vast numbers, which has some of the sick attendees crying fowl. Brooke Lown of Richmond, Va, who became ill early Saturday morning told NYS Music, “It’s really upsetting and makes me feel like we are going to have to try hard for this to be taken seriously and be addressed. They are all trying to play it off like we don’t have personal hygiene and are just some dirty hippies who are always bound to get this sick at fests.”
This story is developing and NYS Music will bring you the latest developments. Request for comments from Mad Tea Party Jam and Four Quarters Interfaith Sanctuary are pending. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is working to provide accurate data on the total number of cases reported, both over the weekend and throughout the venue’s history.
In January of 2015, Vermont based jam quartet Twiddle launched a Kickstarter for Plump Chapters Oneand Two. With their fan’s help, the band set out to launch two separate chapters. Fifteen months after Chapter One’s December 2015 release, Twiddle has unveiled Plump Chapter Two, the second half of the two-volume set.
Plump Chapter Two is juicy. It’s full of variety. It’s thick with unexpected sounds. It’s a glimpse into the vast musical variety that makes Twiddle such a success live. Producer Ron Saint Germain (311, Bad Brains, Sonic Youth) masterfully brings Twiddle’s self-professed ability to “spin tall tales over an intricate soundscape of hi-def shred” to life. At its completion, Chapter Two reads like a nod to the master sounds of the 90’s alternative rock scene. And at the height of 90’s throwback in fashion, pop culture and music, Plump Chapter Two is just the right sound at the right time.
The album begins and ends at the hands of Twiddle’s pianist and keyboard guru Ryan Dempsey. “Enter” is only a mere 30 second glimpse into Dempsey’s contribution throughout the album. His compositions and his performance throughout Plump Chapter Two are whimsical and cartoonish, yet somehow also romantic and tortured. Dempsey deserves MVP nods for magically weaving the most classically branded sounds flawlessly throughout the album.
“Enter” is the perfect introduction to “Orlando’s”, a 9-minute jam vehicle which is a nicely packaged glimpse into Twiddle’s catalog history, with over a dozen references to some of the band’s most beloved songs, characters, and mantras. But the song is also a peek into the band’s live show. Simply stated: the tune is catchy. It contains the sing-a-long type of ear worm that gets stuck in your head. The song is highlighted by the powerhouse duo of Dempsey and bassist Zdenek Gubb. Together, the pair weave groovy and unique gems that put bounce in your knees. It’s a wonderful trend that, thankfully, is repeated more than once.
Originally called “L.A. Beach Song,” “Moments” has the potential to be the album’s most prevalent single. It’s the perfect showcase of guitarist and lead vocalist Mihali Savoulidis’ ability to write delicious hooks and positive emotionally fueled lyrics. The feel-good vibe of “Moments” makes it the perfect summer tune. If radio takes the bait, this song has the potential to be everywhere by early fall.
While Chapter Two has plenty of shiny, radio friendly hooks, it is also full of unexpected moments. The album is littered with typical tinges of sadness, love and angst. But it’s the new way with which the band handles this subject matter that is the album’s biggest suprise. When the band revealed the album’s third track “Juggernaut” this past April at the PlayStation Theater (NYC), fans were surprised and delighted by the tracks shock and awe factor. But the song’s live reveal does nothing for the power of the studio version. The song is angry, forceful, and political, yet it still has a conscience. “Juggernaut” feels part Rage Against the Machine, part Beastie Boys.
Yet, despite the expansion of this edgier studio sound into the Twiddle catalog, Savoulidis stays true to his lyrical values. As with all his poetic content, Savoulidis continues to show a duality in his prose which is sometimes whimsical, heartfelt, and hopeful while managing to create a subconscious call to action.
Chapter Two is also home to Twiddle’s signature yarn spinning tales via “Nicodemus Portulay” and “The Fantastic Tale of Ricky Snickle.” In the middle of the album, sits “Forevers.” This one take, improvisational piano piece showcases Dempsey’s classical training at it’s finest.
Bassist Zdenek Gubb is a quiet force behind Twiddle’s most unique showings. His musical growth is the most evident, especially between Chapters One and Two. It’s in instrumental songs like “Milk” and “Peas and Carrots,” of which Gubb is given full songwriting credit, that listeners truly hear the musical creativity inside his head. Dempsey’s piano arrangements highlight both song’s unique timing signatures and unexpected transitions.
Drummer Brook Jordan contributes lead vocals and full songwriting credit for two of the albums tracks “New Sun” and “Drifter.” There is an easy, soft timbre in Jordan’s vocal work. “Drifter,” which has yet to be released live, is poised to be the album’s sleeper hit. The song contains finely placed instrumental work by both Savoulidis and Dempsey. Jordan’s signature mellow and smooth songwriting style is the perfect base for the tune to take on new life live with plenty of space for musical exploration.
Towards the end of Chapter Two are three golden nuggets. “Blunderbuss” which was debuted live almost a year ago, when the band played the Captiol Theatre in May 2016, is a powerhouse instrumental. Technically, the song is a knock out. It is rich in tone and musically sound, but the studio version is missing a certain “je ne sais quoi.” There is an edge and grit to the song live that doesn’t quite fulfill its full potential in the studio.
“Fat Country Baby” a quick and playful bluegrass tune is a mere 70 seconds but requires multiple listens to appreciate the vast layered production quality. “Dinner Fork” is a perfect blend of Dempsey’s signature sounds – part classical, part terrestrial. All four members bring something different to the song. Savoulidis’ guitar brings an edge while Jordan and Gubb’s respective rhythm work lays a solid base for Dempsey’s handy work.
Through of all of its success, Plump Chapter Two misses only on superficial levels. There are often abrupt transitions in feeling between tracks. It’s an unused opportunity to create a story with the songs presented on Chapter Two. And although tracks like “Juggernaut” and “Moments” are perfectly placed in terms of commercial viability, the album’s track listing order could have made for a much more impactful finished product.
Savoulidis shows great restraint vocally throughout the album. His powerful lyrical content is highlighted by rich diction and confident conveyance. But that clarity of delivery also appears to have sacrificed a small amount of emotional delivery. It’s a tricky balance for even the most seasoned of vocalists. While both Savoulidis and Jordan nail their respective vocal work, much like its predecessor Chapter One, both of Twiddle’s main vocalists have yet to find a way to blend their voices.
Newly remastered songs from Chapter One, which includes a rerecorded 2017 version of Twiddle’s “When It Rains, It Pours ” will be released with Chapter Two as the band’s first ever two-volume set. Chapter One’s “Five” is represented twice with both a new radio edit and the original album version. As of release day, Plump will only be available for purchase and download as a two-disc set.
Plump Chapter’s One and Two drops April 28 via all major downloading sources including iTunes and Amazon. Pre-order of the double disc are now available and includes three immediate downloads accessible immediately. In addition, a double disc vinyl set is available for purchase through Twiddle’s website, however vinyl will not be shipped until August 2017.
Primus has announced a slate of dates for July and August. The band takes to the road with special guest Clutch starting July 17 in Charlotte.
Claypool and company have only announced one stop in New York State, July 21 at the Dome in Henrietta, just outside of Rochester. The two-month long tour includes a variety of stops across the country including eastern dates. in Raleigh, Detroit, Lancaster, Boston, Portland (Maine), Burlington, Asbury Park, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The July 27 show in Burlington is a part of the Lake Champlain Festival, which also includes Twiddle’s Tumble Down Festival.
The tour heads to the midwest and west coast in August with dates in Milwaukee, Mankato, Cedar Rapids, Kansas City, Dallas, Tempe, Las Vegas, Bonner, Troutdale, Eugene, Seattle and Stateline before closing the tour at the Greek in Berkeley on the 18th.
According to Clutch’s website, both bands will be performing full sets with no openers or supporting acts.
Tickets for these newly announced shows go on sale this Friday, March 24 at 10 a.m. local time. A pre-sale begins Tuesday, March 21 at 12 p.m. ET via Primus’s website.
Vermont jam band Twiddle and Buffalo groove rockers Aqueous teamed up for a legendary weekend of music. Saturday March 4, not only marked Twiddle’s first two-night run at the historical venue, but also marked Aqueous’ debut. Saturday night was marked a sell out, while Sunday night ticket sales landed just under capacity.
Aqueous made the most out of their debut weekend. The band’s hometown fan base came out in full support, with many AQ fans traveling to witness the group’s first shows at the Town Ballroom. Mike Abrahamson made the five hour drive from Hudson Falls, NY and commented, “I’ve never heard a crowd that loud for the opening band. It was insanity.”
Saturday night, Aqueous opened with the fan favorite “Strange Times.” Moving forward, the set progressed to a newer tune, the recently debuted “Second Sight.” “Numbers and Facts” took a highly talked about turn, when the band switched gears midway and debuted a cover of the NWA classic “Express Yourself,” featuring bassist Evan McPhaden on vocals with Twiddle bassist Zdenek Gubb on bass duties. McPhaden took to crowd surfing before returning to the stage to conclude “Numbers and Facts” with the band. Aqueous closed out their debut set with the high energy “Don’t Do It” from their EP Best in Show.
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Twiddle held nothing back on night one, instantly commanding the room with “Blunderbuss” an intense, high energy instrumental that is slated for release on the upcoming Plump – Chapter 2. Their Saturday night set was a varied list of fan favorites that spanned the band’s catalog including “Brick of Barley,” “Carter Candlestick,” “Indigo Trigger” and “Lost in the Cold.”
Twiddle also welcomed Aqueous guitarist Mike Ganzter for the Twiddle instrumental “Latin Tang.” Ganzter’s guitar work added an incredible layer of guitar harmonies. It also added an incredible layer of on-stage camaraderie. There is an evident level of musical respect and appreciation between the two bands that shines, specifically when Gantzer and Twiddle guitarist Mihali Savoulidis take the stage together.
The night concluded with Ganzter returning to the stage with McPhaden on synth. The pair sat-in with Twiddle for the Ray Parker Jr. hit “Ghostbusters.” The encore choice was inspired by a plaque in the venue, listing the site at one of Western New York’s most haunted buildings. Formerly known as the Town Casino and used as a speakeasy during Prohibition, employees of the Town Ballroom often report ghost sightings, unexplained sounds through the venue’s basement tunnels and the venue’s equipment often turning on without explanation.
Both bands used Saturday night’s momentum to launch a Sunday night burner. Aqueous came out firing, bringing a unique twist to some of their most beloved tunes. The night was kicked off with “Underlyer” and “Marty.” AQ then fired into an alternative funk version of “Eon Don” (nicknamed “Eon Ron”) before bringing on Twiddle drummer Brook Jordan for the David Bowie classic “Let’s Dance.” Vocals on the tune were handled by Aqueous drummer Rob Houk. Aqueous concluded their two-night run at the Town Ballroom with the high energy favorite “Origami.”
Longtime Buffalo fan Matt Shotwell enjoyed the band’s take on songs he’s heard at many previous shows: “Still can’t get over how they gave seemingly every song at least a slight reworking. New tempos, new licks and teases aplenty.”
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Sunday night proved that Aqueous is poised to move into larger venues. Their sound is built to fill a larger space. Abrahamson summed it up best telling NYS Music, “The boys absolutely commanded the attention of the room without hiccups. The sound was perfect in my opinion. It can be hard to upscale your sound to a bigger stage but they had no problem whatsoever.”
Their incredible use of layers and depth, enhanced by Lighting Director Ryan Bress, showcased an entire stage package that hometown fans have longed to see. Bress, also went on to light Twiddle both nights to rave reviews.
Twiddle brought high energy on Sunday night. The mellow mood established by first set opener “Subconscious Prelude” was quickly turned on its ear as the band turned the Town Ballroom into a dance party fueled by “Apples>Funkytown>Apples.” Set one also contained fan favorite “Gatsby the Great” and concluded with the instrumental tune “The Catapillar.”
Set two kicked off with “Earth Mama” followed by the moody and edgy combination of “Wasabi Eruption > The Box.” The four-song set concluded with “Syncopated Healing” featuring Ganzter on a quitar solo that had fans of both band’s talking. NYS Music Photographer Tim Merrill, who was shooting at the time even noted that “Gantzers solo during syncopated had me in tears in the pit. It was beautiful.” Ganzter returned to the stage with Twiddle for a Radiohead “Karma Police” encore.
Taylor Cauwels, who traveled both nights from Rochester, summed up the feelings of a lot of fans at the conclusion of the weekend. She told NYS Music, “So thankful for this band and the medicine they provide. I leave every show with more “frends” than I came with. The amazing feelings that radiated throughout the Ballroom were almost overwhelming. My cheeks still hurt from smiling so much.”
Gantzer left the weekend feeling supported by their local fan base. “I feel a true sense of pride and admiration for our fan base at this moment in time,” he said. “Our hometown crowd really brought it (as they always do), and the weekend was full of absolute magic because of their incredible energy and excitement; it was a shared experience and one that I’ll likely never forget.”
The weekend was not only a success for Twiddle and Aqueous, but also for the Twiddle fan funded organization The White Light Foundation. The charity held its first event in Buffalo successfully raising money for two Western New York charities, Crisis Services and Going to The Dogs Rescue.
Ganzter noted that, “We also have been having THE BEST time with the twiddle boys and their awesome crew, so we’re psyched to keep this momentum going with them on and off stage!”
Twiddle and Aqueous hit the road together again and head to Keene, New Hampshire on March 17 and March 18. The two bands will also be making stops together in Stroudsburg, PA and Washington, D.C. before concluding their shows together at the Playstation Theatre in New York City on March 31 and April 1. Aqueous was also recently announced on Twiddle’s Festival Tumble Down which will be held in Burlington on July 28 and July 29.
Twiddle Setlist via uTwiddle.net
Saturday 3/4/2017 Set 1: Blunderbuss, Polluted Beauty, White Light, Brick Of Barley, Carter Candlestick
Set 2: Wildfire, Indigo Trigger, Dr. Remidi’s Melodium, Latin Tang[1], Lost In The Cold Encore: Ghostbusters[2]
Show Notes: [1] “Latin Tang” featured Mike Gantzer (Aqueous) on guitar. [2] “Ghostbusters” featured Mike Gantzer (Aqueous) on guitar and Evan McPhaden (Aqueous) on bass.
Sunday 3/5/2017 Set 1: Subconscious Prelude, Apples -> Funky Town -> Apples, Gatsby The Great, Dusk ‘Til Dawn, The Catapillar
Set 2: Earth Mama, Wasabi Eruption -> The Box, Syncopated Healing[1] Encore: Karma Police[1]
Show Notes: [1] “Syncopated Healing” and “Karma Police” featured Mike Gantzer (Aqueous) on guitar.
Aqueous setlist via – aqueousband.com
Saturday 3/4/2017 Set 1: Strange Times, Second Sight, Numbers and Facts > Express Yourself1 2 3 > Numbers and Facts, Don’t Do It
Show Notes: 1NWA cover, Aqueous debut 2 Evan rapping (Last Evan rap – 2013/5/11 436 shows)3 Gubb [Twiddle] on bass, Donkey Kong theme in DDI, Post rapping Evan crowd surfed. #rockstar
Sunday 3/5/2017 Set 1: Underlyer > Marty, Eon Don > Let’s Dance1 2 > Complex Pt. I, Origami
Show Notes: 1 Rob on vocals 2 Brook Jordan [Twiddle] on drums, Let’s Dance last played 2016/8/11 67 shows
Relix Magazine has announced it will be holding the first Relix Live Music Conference on Wednesday May 10th. The one day event will happen at Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn. Ticket sales begin Friday, March 10.
Organizers say the event will be geared toward professionals in live music. The conference will be a showcase of new technologies, music management, and publicity while bringing together many leaders in today’s ever-changing music industry. Panels and presentations will be moderated and presented by a variety of industry leaders including Red Light Management, CID Entertainment,Head Count, Madison House Presents, and AEG Live.
The day long event will feature a variety of panels and discussions focusing on subjects important to the music industry. According to the event website, moderated panels include industry topics like talent buying, artist management, publicity and music festivals. Presentations will also take place on topics such as ticketing, technology and event activism.
Legendary promoters Peter Shapiro and Ron Delsner are slated to give the event’s keynote speeches. The speeches will be moderated by Rolling Stone Senior Editor David Fricke.
In 1974, Relix Magazine was launched as a handmade newsletter designed to connect fans that recorded the Grateful Dead. It eventually expanded into a music magazine covering a wide variety of music. The magazine is the second-longest continuously published music magazine in the United States.
Event organizers noted that they hope the Relix Live Music Conference will serve as a resource to bring together “all the pieces and people that help bring a live show to life.”
Tickets for the event will go on-sale to the public on Friday, March 10 at noon.
Vermont-based jam band Twiddle packed the Palace Theater in Albany with a near capacity crowd on NYE. Fellow Vermont two piece Soule Monde and Buffalo groove rockers Aqueous opened in support.
photo by Steven Rauch
Twiddle pleased fans with two sets of music. The night opened with Twiddle’s most recent song “Moments.” The first set also included “Blunderbuss,” the band’s newest instrumental piece, which was debuted this past May at the Capitol Theatre. Twiddle’s first set also included fan favorites “Lost in the Cold,” “Doinkinbonk,” and first set closer “Apples.”
Twiddle took to the stage just before midnight with the members of Soul Monde and Aqueous to ring in the new year with “Auld Syne Lang”. As the clock struck midnight, fans in the venue’s balcony lobbed hundreds of green and purple balloons onto concert goers on the venue’s lower level. Everyone also stayed onstage for a rendition of ALO “Barbeque”. The second set also included an extended version of “Polluted Beauty,” “Jamflowman” and “Frankenfoote.”
Twiddle returned to the stage for their encore with Aqueous’ Mike Gantzer and Dave Loss, as the band debuted the classic hit “Layla.” Although the band is often know for teasing the tune, it was the first complete performance of the song.
The Albany performance closed out a stellar year for Twiddle, who continue to develop a growing fan base, perform sold out shows and grow into larger venues as well as their own festival Tumble Down, which will enter its sophomore year this summer.
photo by Steven Rauch
2017 is already shaping up to be another stellar year for the band. Announced dates include a January stint on Jam Cruise as well as the Jungle Jam in Costa Rica in March. Twiddle hits the road with Aqueous in support for several dates including multiple two night runs in February and March. Twiddle is on a short respite until the end of the month.
Setlist:
Set One: Moments, Doinkinbonk!!!!, Lost in the Cold, Blunderbuss, Daydream Farmer, Dusk til Dawn, Apples
Set Two: Auld Lang Syne (with Soule Monde and Aqueous) BBQ (with soule Monde and Aqueous), Polluted Beauty, Zazu’s Flight, Jamflowman, Frankenfoote
Encore: Layla (with Mike Gantzer and Dave Loss of Aqueous)
Twiddle has graced the Red Rocks stage twice in support of String Cheese Incident (2015) and the Disco Biscuits(2016). Their 2017 show with moe. was cancelled after moe. announced a hiatus while bassist Rob Derhak underwent treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer.
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