NYS Music 20​17

Author: Neil Benjamin Jr.

  • Throwdown at moe.down: A look back at the Festival’s Origins

    This week we begin a three-part series looking at the history of moe.down, one of the longest running music festivals in New York State history. The first part of the series looks at moe.downs 1 through 5.

    moe. is New York’s jam band, plain and simple. The five-piece started in New York and they have played throughout New York quite often in their 25+ year career.

    They began hosting a weekend long festival in Central New York starting in 2000, and this July 4-6 will be the 16th iteration of the formerly-Labor Day weekend festival many fans hold near and dear.

    The first moe.down, at Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin, featured a hodgepodge of musical talent including, of course, moe., Martin Sexton, Les Claypool, David Grisman and Charlie Hunter, among others. Fans of moe. were thrilled to get three nights of their favorite band, and a bunch of other guests.

    Phil, a moe. fan who attended the first four moe.downs, said he loved every single second.

    “Well, One was special because it was … one,” he said. “Didn’t really know what to expect.”

    Phil said he had seen moe. three times prior, but was stoked to spend a weekend with them and a cavalcade of other artists. In a sense, it was a learning experience for everyone involved.

    “The first year was small, and the staff didn’t really know what was going on,” he said.

    moe.down 2, in 2001, expanded the lineup to jammier heights, featuring Donna the Buffalo and the Disco Biscuits, which were both big hits with some in attendance.

    Jeff Titmus, a 2002 Plattsburgh State graduate, grew up with moe. in his repertoire of music, attending, he says, the first 11 moe.down festivals.

    “I vividly remember the second festival because I had just heard the Disco Biscuits and I was quite intrigued to see them live,” he said. “Events of that night got a little hazy. Me and my friends may have raged a little too hard and I remember something that stuck with me. A security guard approached us, and we assumed he was going to tell us to stop doing what we were doing, but instead he came and simply told us he hopes we’re enjoying the festivities and to be safe. Some festival security can be a bit, uh, dickish, but never at a down. Very fan friendly.”

    In an interview a few years ago with the Post Standard newspaper in Syracuse, guitarist Chuck Garvey summed up the group’s thoughts on the long running family friendly vibe that moe. presents.

    “We’ve got all our families there and friends from across the country who come to hang out,” said Garvey. “I’ve got five sisters, my parents, all my nieces and nephews, and the other guys have the same. It’s a big party for us.”

    With the advent of social media and the growth of cell phones turning the media landscape upside down, it has become very easy to schedule meetups, find friends and gather any information you need at the tip of your fingers. It wasn’t always that way, though, especially in the early days of moe.down.

    “Before the Facebook, and Phantasy Tour, there was the “L” – a listserv group,” Phil said. “Many of us old timers met on the “L.” In any event, we’d make it a point for all of us to gather for a group picture. And at the group picture, we’d swap CDs, beers, etc.”

    In 2002, moe. added some more Central New York flavor to the lineup, adding Syracuse blues wizards Los Blancos to the bill.

    moe.down 4 featured some pop flavor added to the jammy recipe, as They Might be Giants and The Flaming Lips were added. Yonder Mountain String Band and a young Umphrey’s McGee were on the bill, as was Antigone Rising. It was also the first year that guitarist Al Schnier performed with his solo band Al and the Transamericans.

    “Honestly, the lineup in 2003 was my least favorite they’ve ever done,” moe. super fan Jacqueline Finnerty said. “But how great is it that it can be a weak lineup but we still get three nights of the best band on earth to look forward to?”

    Snow Ridge in Turin has a special place in the band’s heart, according to Garvey.

    “We grew up out there. Most of us skied at Snow Ridge when we were kids,” Garvey told the Post Standard. “We wanted to bring a cool festival to the area, and no one else was doing it at the time.”

    Year five of moe.down featured a shift to a bigger lineup. Phish’s Mike Gordon played with the Benevento Russo Duo, H.O.R.D.E. Tour veterans Blues Traveler played a bouncy show and acts like Leftover Salmon, Michael Franti and Spearhead and Trainwreck were also on the bill.

    The first five years of moe.down saw some soaring heights from the band, lineups and the audience. In talking with a small percentage of moe.’s loyal followers, it became very clear that this time was integral in the band growing its insanely loyal following.

    In the following five incarnations, the band fiddled with some things, and kept others the same. Check back next week for part two, featuring an in depth look at moe.down 6 through 10.

    moe.down setlists courtesy of the Internet Archive

    moe.down 1, September 1 through 3, 2000

    9/1/00 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    With Kirk Huhas of freebeerandchicken on keyboards.

    Jim solo > Bring It Back Home*, Nebraska*, Akimbo, Can’t Seem To Find, Plane Crash, Bring You Down > Brent Black, Understand, Seat Of My Pants > Sensory Deprivation Bank

    E: Tambourine**, Down By The River

    * With Martin Sexton on tambourine. ** Al, Chuck, and Kirk on tambourines.

    9/2/00 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    With Kirk Huhas of freebeerandchicken on keyboards.

    1: Al solo > Head, New York City, Hi and Lo > Moth*, Recreational Chemistry*# > Wildwood Weed*#^ > Sweet Emotion*#^ > Tommy The Cat*#^

    2: Vinnie solo > Water, Captain America, Fathead rap** > Johnny Lineup**##, Opium^^, Mexico@

    E: Meat@%

    * With Jay Lane of Ratdog on percussion. # With Les Claypool on bass and vocals. ^ First time played. ** With members of Fathead. ## First verse only. ^^ With a member of Fathead on keyboards. @ With the saxophonist from Fathead. % With Emilio from Nyquil on violin.

    9/3/00 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    With Kirk Huhas of freebeerandchicken on keyboards.

    1: Rob solo > Timmy Tucker*, Blue Eyed Son, Spine Of A Dog > Yodelittle

    2: Chuck solo > Four > Buster, Rise, St. Augustine, Rebubula**

    E: Time Again#, San Ber’dino

    * With Joe Craven of the David Grisman Quintet on percussion. With “Gil’s Theme“. ** With “I Know You Rider” (traditional) tease. # Jim on bass, Rob on washboard. Fireworks display during “San Ber’dino”

    mow.down 2, August 31 through September 2, 2001

    8/31/01 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Moth > Lazarus > Bring You Down > Brent Black > St. Augustine > Time Ed > Moth

    E: Don’t Fear The Reaper

    9/1/01 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin,NY

    1: Captain America, San Ber’dino* > Happy Hour Hero**, Spaz Medicine, Good Guys and Bad Guys#, Suck The Head## > Gummin’ Your Nub##^, Plane Crash^^

    2: Spine Of A Dog% > Buster, Livin’ Again > Timmy Tucker

    E: Voodoo Lady%%

    * With members of Project/Object. ** With Gibb Droll on guitar. # With Cracker Van Beethoven. (David Lowry on vocals, Johnny Hickman on mandolin, Victor Krummacher on acoustic guitar, and Jonathan Siegel on violin.) ## With The Radiators. Last “Suck The Head” 2/7/99. ^ First time played. ^^ With Ed Volker on keyboards. % With “Funkytown” (Lipps, Inc.) tease. %% Jim on drums, Vinnie on percussion.

    9/2/01 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    1: Understand, Nebraska, Hi and Lo > Kyle, The Faker > Kids

    2: New York City, Rise > Recreational Chemistry*, Meat** > Bullet > Rebubula

    E: Bring It Back Home

    * With “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” (Iron Butterfly) tease. ** With Jim Lomonaco of Yolk on bass.

    moe.down 3, August 30 through September 1, 2002

    8/30/02 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Meat*, 32 Things, Spine Of A Dog > Buster**, Understand, The Ghost of Ralph’s Mom, Hi and Lo > Brent Black

    E: Godzilla

    * With Jon Fishman on drums and Jamie Masefield on mandolin. ** With “Gin and Juice” (Snoop Doggy Dogg) tease.

    8/31/02 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Set I, afternoon set.

    1: Akimbo, Not Coming Down > Okayalright, Mexico, New York City, Bring It Back Home

    2: St. Augustine, Shoot First, Crab Eyes, Tambourine, Captain America* > Recreational Chemistry

    3: Seat Of My Pants** > Sensory Deprivation Bank**#, Gone, Bullet## > Kyle^ > Kids

    E: Timmy Tucker > Gin and Juice^^ > Timmy Tucker

    * With “Don’t Fuck With Flo” tease. ** Jim on drums, Vinnie on percussion. # With Seth Yacovone on guitar. ## With “Timmy Tucker” tease. ^ With Govinda of the Grapes on flute. ^^ First time played.

    9/1/02 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    1: Head, Nebraska, It, Cornflake Girl > Happy Hour Hero, Moth > moe./Galactic Jam* > Galactic/moe. Jam* > Moth

    2: Opium** > Rebubula, Rise, Plane Crash

    E: Don’t Fuck With Flo, Bodhisattva

    * With Galactic. ** With “China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider” (Grateful Dead) tease.

    moe.down 4, August 29 through 31, 2003

    8/29/03 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Buster* > Spaz Medicine > Not Coming Down > Wormwood > Okayalright, Shoot First, New York City**, Understand, 32 Things, Cornflake Girl > Recreational Chemistry#

    E: San Ber’dino

    * With Jim Donovan of Rusted Root on percussion. ** With Antigone Rising. # With Steve Drizos of Dexter Grove on percussion.

    8/30/03 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    1: Akimbo, Captain America > Rise, Money > Time Ed > McBain*

    2: Four** > Plane Crash, Gone > She Sends Me > St. Augustine# > Brent Black > drumz

    3: Jam > Rebubula##

    E: Spine Of A Dog > Four reprise

    * First time played. ** With “Us and Them” (Pink Floyd) tease. # With “Gil’s Theme.” With “Dancing Days” (Led Zeppelin) tease. ” ## With “Big World”, “So Long”, “Gil’s Theme”, “Brent Black”, “McBain”, and “Spaz Medicine” teases.

    8/31/03 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    1: Bring It Back Home, Nebraska, Hi and Lo > Timmy Tucker* > Opium*

    2: McBain**, The Faker > Kids, It, Kyle > Meat

    E: Johnny Lineup

    * With Nate Wilson on keyboards. ** With “Crosseyed and Painless” (Talking Heads) tease.

    moe.down 5, September 3 through 4, 2004

    9/3/04 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Kyle’s Song > Kids, New York City, Shoot First, Spaz Medicine > Crab Eyes, Buster > Four Sticks (Led Zeppelin) > Take Five > Buster, Letter Home, Tailspin* > Meat**

    E: St. Augustine

    9/4/04 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Lost Along the Way, Seat of My Pants, Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’, Summer o i > Understand, Dr. Graffenberg > Rebubula*

    She Sends Me, Akimbo, Brent Black1> Timmy Tucker

    Mountain Song> Not Coming Down> Wormwood> Okayalright> Happy Hour Hero> Sensory Deprivation Bank> Recreational Chemistry

    E: Tambourine, Hi and Lo> Big World, Enter Sandman

    9/5/04 Snow Ridge Ski Area Turin, NY

    Plane Crash> Where Does the Time Go?> Yodelittle, Captain America> Mexico, Bearsong

    Faker> Moth, McBain> George1, Mayor of moe.ville> Mayor of moe.ville jam2, Y.O.Y.> Plane Crash

    E: Nebraska, Spine Of A Dog

  • Packed Lineup Highlights Strangecreek’s 15th Year

    There are few things in life that are certain, and the Strangecreek Campout festival has become one of those things.

    This weekend at Camp Kee-Wa-Nee in Greenfield, Mass., the Wormtown Trading Company will celebrate the 15th iteration of the beloved Western Massachusetts festival, headlined every year by Connecticut mainstay Max Creek.

    Festival founder Mark Blanchette sees this year as being one of the stronger lineups he’s put together.

    “We’re getting a lot of great feedback on this year’s lineup and it looks like it will be a very festive gathering indeed,” says Blanchette. “It looks like we’re going to celebrate 15 years of StrangeCreek with a whole lot of friends this year.”

    Other headliners include Badfish: A Tribute To Sublime and The Eric Krasno Band, who will join returning mainstays Max Creek, Ryan Montbleau and Zach Deputy, as well as The Machine, Pink Talking Fish and more than 70 other bands on multiple stages over three days and three nights, along with food and craft vendors, family activities, a community bonfire, and roaming musicians.

    If you have a weekend pass in hand, you can arrive on Thursday and pay only $30 for early entry. If you purchase tickets before Friday, it will cost you $145, but be prepared to spend $160 if you buy at the gate. And honestly, there isn’t a better deal in the Northeast festival circuit than Strangecreek.

    Gates formally open Friday at 9 a.m., and guests need to be packed and on their way home by noon on Monday. In between, it’s fun, sun, jams and, literally, magic. New to family camping this year is the addition of a magician, who will add to the wonder of a highly celebrated weekend. There will also be guided stargazing.

    Another new and anticipated feature is the Holistic Village, a place where revelers can go “nurture body, mind and soul in natural, healthful ways.” Jeff Bujak will be hosting a silent show, where fans will listen to him perform through headphones. Think Silent Disco style.

    Camp Kee-Wanee is an inclusive summer day camp with an emphasis on the arts. Wormtown’s music festivals provide a key source of funding for the camp’s summer programming; the camp has been home to Wormtown’s StrangeCreek Campout and their fall show, Wormtown Music Festival, since 2003

    In addition to Max Creek, Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime and The Eric Krasno Band will be making their debut appearances. Ryan Montbleau and Zach Deputy are back on the bill along with hybrid cover band Pink Talking Fish and The Machine.

    New York progressive wizards Consider the Source will be thumping the main stage, along with the Werks, David Gans, who is celebrating the life of Grateful Dead keyboardist and crooner Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, and area favorites Hayley Jane and the Primates.

    Western Massachusetts grown The Alchemystics, Dead cover band ShakeDown, Albany area favorites Gang of Thieves, The Z3, Beau Sasser Trio and Skeleton Keys are other notable bands on the bill with ties to the state of New York.

    Llama Lasagne, a rotating collective of Pioneer Valley musicians who concoct thematic concerts featuring a mix of musicians from local bands are putting on a special “theme” set for the third straight year.

  • Book Review: Peter Conners’ ‘Cornell ’77’

    May 8 will mark 40 years since the Grateful Dead descended upon Ithaca and performed a concert that would go down as the most talked about show in the band’s 30-year history.

    Many people say it’s the greatest performance in the Dead’s storied history, and it’s easily the most documented show the band ever performed. In the new book, “Cornell ’77,” author Peter Conners dissects the famous and infamous concert at Barton Hall on the Cornell campus in a variety of ways, from culling excerpts of local media at the time, to finding and interviewing attendees of the show, to emailing with the living band members.

    The history of the Grateful Dead has been documented endlessly in print form, with full band documentaries, autobiographies, fan accounts and everything in between. But Conners’ book is the first time a single show has been viewed on such an in-depth level, and with good reason: May 8. 1977, is the most downloaded Grateful Dead concert ever, and has been streamed live more times than any other.

    Conners clearly spent his time in piecing together information for the book. He rounded up newspaper clippings from the time, both previewing and reviewing the show, located a few people who attended the concert and spoke on record, and even got some of the band members to give their input.

    The first chunk of the book gives a history lesson of sorts into the Dead up until that time, including a great deal about the famed Wall of Sound, and more importantly a lot of insight about the near breakup, which turned into a hiatus, in 1974.

    The most interesting parts are in the chapter titled “Cold Rain and Snow,” where Conners depicts a few fans’ experiences of the entire day, from traveling to the area, to getting in the show and how the fans viewed the music at the time. Fan Robert Wagner, who traveled from North Carolina to upstate New York, gives anecdotes about experiencing snow in the spring that catapult the reader back to 1977. This chapter easily is the book’s selling point.

    Something that has been documented ad-nauseam is listener reviews of the show. Conners did not attend the show — he was a Deadhead in his youth, however — but did give some of the better breakdowns of the songs performed that night that I have ever read. At times, Conners’ comparisons were a bit odd: he compared “U.S. Blues’” line about skinning a goat to a cat, which left me wondering what he meant; later, he compared “quaaludes running through the bloodstream” to the jam in “Supplication,” and I was, admittedly, a bit lost. But in the end, Conners ended up giving readers a completely unique review of the show, breaking each song down, while providing a little history and context for each one.

    While the premise of the book is initially intriguing, “Cornell ’77” does have its shortcomings. At times, the book appears to have not been edited very well, as it has a few glaring grammar problems.

    But my main issue with it, is that Connors seems to have pulled most of his information from other sources, while seemingly being unable get much information directly from the four living members of the band. Drummer Mickey Hart pours his heart out, as always, but outside of Planet Drum, the rest of the band is nearly absent outside of Conners taking quotes from past interviews conducted by others. That makes the book not feel fully authentic.

    If you’re a seasoned Deadhead, this book won’t provide you with much new information.

    But if you’re new to the Grateful Dead, this is a book I highly recommend checking out, as your eyes will be opened to an era of the Dead many think is the unquestioned leader in the handful of iterations of a rock and roll band beloved by its followers.

  • A Quarter Century Q and A with Greg Bell

    Greg Bell has been promoting and putting on shows in the Capital Region now for 25 years. All month long in April, he will be celebrating that milestone with shows each weekend at the Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Albany.

    In late march 1992, Bell formed a partnership with his friend Dale Metzger called Two Fools Present. They proceeded to put on what turned out to be the first of many shows promoted by Greg. It was held on April Fools Day at the Masonic Hall on lower Madison Avenue. The bands who played were the Sharks, Hard Times, Motherjudge and Brian Kenny and Friends. Two Fools worked together for an outdoor festival and two or three more club shows and parted ways. In 1993 Bell teamed up with Jeff Guthrie to form Guthrie/Bell Productions. Jeff left the business a few years later but Bell continues to work under that name today.

    NYSMusic caught up with Bell to talk about his career and how he’s made it this far while staying so successful.

    Neil Benjamin: You’ve been putting on shows locally for a while, and now you’re celebrating a big anniversary. What’s it been like to be such a huge part of the Albany music scene?

    Greg Bell: I had always been a part of the local music scene .I had many friends in local bands and I probably went to at least one show per week from my college days until  I started promoting on my own. One of the reasons that I started putting on shows was to give local musicians  and the audience a situation to be in that treated them with respect instead of being treated as a product. I was always involved with the local music scene . One night , out drinking with a friend , we decided to throw a party with some friends’ bands just for fun . It was sort of like Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland saying “lets put on a show” in an Andy Hardy movie. The first show went well , so we did another . then another and it just sort of snowballed

    NB:Do you know how many shows you’re promoted?

    GB: Probably around 2,000.

    NB:What was your favorite show to put on? Can you share a memory or two?

    GB:Probably a tie between the first time that i had moe. play the Palace and the Phil and Friends show at the Glens Falls Civic Center when Trey Anastasio showed up and sat in for the entire show. the moe. show was exciting for me as they were the first band that I had taken from a small club situation to a big theater show . The Phil show is a given. I first saw the Dead in 1970 and here I was promoting a show with a member of the Dead and a member of Phish on stage. It was an amazing feeling.

    NB: How long do you plan  to do this?

    GB: According to my wife, until I die.

    NB: What’s the most difficult aspect of promoting shows around here?

    GB:The hardest thing for me is putting on an amazing band to a small crowd. I try to promote bands that I think people should see and I feel like I let some bands down when the turnout sucks. Only do this if you love music. If you do it for money, find something else.

    NB: How many concerts do you think you’ve attended and who is your favorite band?

    GB:My favorite band has been the Grateful Dead for 47 years . I couldn’t even guess how many shows that I have attended, but it’s a lot.

    NB:You attend most of the shows you put on. Is your family supportive of what you do and why?

    GB:My family is very supportive . My wife designs all of my flyers and posters as well as Bellstock tee shirts and loves coming to shows . My kids have been attending my shows since they were born and are proud of what I accomplished. They also like the fact that I can get them into concerts that they want to see.. One thing that I made sure of is that putting on shows was secondary to my family . I never missed a school concert or function  . I never missed their soccer games or track meets .I was a teacher , so I was able to spend all summer with my kids.

    NB:How has your approached changed over time as society and technology change? Is it easier or harder to promote in the social media age?

    GB:My approach hasn’t changed. Word of mouth is the way to go. Technology has made things easier, but handing out a flier is the best way to get people in the door.  The danger with technology is that it makes promoters lazy. It is so easy to just to think that you just need to send out a Facebook post or a text to get the word out. I truly believe that the personal touch of talking to people at shows and handing out flyers to people while explaining why they should come to a show is the best way to promote. I am at almost every show that I put on and I am constantly in contact with the people who attend my shows. They know that I only put on shows that I want to see and I think that gives my shows some credibility.

    Catch Guthrie/Bell’s 25th anniversary shows at The Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Albany:

    April 1 Wreckloose w/ School Bus Yellow and Hartley’s Encore
    April 15 Eastbound Jesus w/ Elrod & Motherjudge and the Grassroots Rebels [featuring members of Jerkwater Ruckus ]
    April 28 Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets w/ Lynch [featuring members of Conehead Buddha and Schleigho] and the Eastern Highs [featuring members of Free Beer & Chicken]

    All shows are 18+, tickets $12 in advance, $15 day of show. Doors at 7:30, show at 8pm

  • Hearing Aide: Dangermuffin ‘Heritage’

    Melding multiple genres, Americana quartet Dangermuffin has put together eight unique tracks for its new album, titled Heritage, which is set to drop on March 31.

    Kicking off the album with a Corona-in-the-sand vibe is the wavy and groovy “Ancient Family,” an almost surfer dude type of track, but with a more elegant and highbrow vibe. It’s a solid song to blast on a beach vacation with your friends, or late-night at home when you want to wind down.

    “Fidel” continues the seashore and ocean theme, except this time it’s strictly a reggae song with quite the fun nearly sky, rhythmic musical interlude in the middle. “Kindred Sun” starts out sounding like a slowed down version of “Jack Straw” by the Grateful Dead, but quickly morphs into a psychedelic excursion based around the biggest star in our solar system.

    “Methuselah” begins with a simple drum beat that slowly builds into a five note rhythm that might play out very well on the live stage. “One Last Swim” combines a country feel with bluegrass twang that simply adds to the eclecticism of Heritage.

    “Sea and the Rose” brings back the breezy and free feel of the beginning of the album, enlisting the use of the clavicle in a simple but quite effective way. “Waves” would have closed out the album in the perfect way, adding a little bit of all the themes on the previous six songs. The gentle guitar leads and danceable rhythms make this the feel good song of the record. “Ode to my Heritage” closes out the album in an old timey, campfire circle sort of way.

    Dangermuffin hails from Charleston, S.C., and this album reflects the light and airy ways of the south. A little pickin’, a little grinnin’ and a lot of soul and groove have given Dangermuffin an album to be proud of.

    Key Tracks: Waves, Methuselah, Kindred Sun

  • Fundraiser for Albany Icon Greg Nash set for Thursday

    Greg Nash, a beloved Albany based drummer, recently suffered a massive stroke, and to help with medical expenses, a benefit will be held on Thursday, March 23 at the Hollow Bar and Grill on Pearl Street beginning at 5 p.m. The event is being advertised as “Love For Greg.”

    Greg Nash

    A group of local and regional bands are coming together to help their brother and you can check them all out for just $10, of which all the proceeds will go to benefit Nash. Saratoga rockers Wild Adriatic, as well as Super 400 and Sean Rowe will headline the event, which runs until midnight. Sly Fox and the Hustlers, Let Go Daylight, Soul Sky, The Erotics, Blackcat Elliot, Toys in the Attic, Dashboard Anthem, Last Daze, Under the Den, Vatrano Road, Two Guys, Herb Carter, Erin Hawkes and Luke McNamme round out the bill.

    Event organizers said they are making special t-shirts to be sold that will also help Greg Nash, drummer of local legends Ten Year Vamp.

  • The Bad Plus Deliver the Goods at the Egg

    The Swyer Theater at The Egg Center for the Performing Arts is a quaint and ideal setting for laid back musical performances. When The Bad Plus, a three-piece jazz band originally from Minneapolis but now out of New York City, visited the Swyer on Sunday, it was apparent from the start that the band really enjoys playing the room.

    It was a show of minimalism, as the only lights on in the theater were three dimly lit bulbs that focused on the band. The seating area was dark, and nary a sound was made from the crowd except gentle applause at the conclusion of each number. The Bad Plus are billed as an avant-garde jazz trio, but what they delivered on Sunday was far from the righteous, self-centered nature the genre often produces.

    Ethan Iverson handles piano duties, Reid Anderson plays the stand-up bass and Dave King provides the backbeat. Out of the gate King stepped forward and led the band on a funky acoustic exploration that saw a good deal of improvisation, especially from Iverson, who displayed a master ability to use a mix of space and fills to create a very unique mix.

    Throughout the night, Anderson would address the audience and give little anecdotes about what they’re playing. He spoke about how the group got their start by taking popular music, such as Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” and tearing the songs down and arranging them in their jazzy style. I didn’t notice any such songs on Sunday, which added another layer of special to the very unique show. The Bad Plus have released 14 albums, almost entirely consisting of original compositions.

    Just before the encore, Iverson and Anderson linked up for a sort of rockabilly-swing groove that caught me off guard. If the audience hadn’t set the tone early on of high focus and quiet, I would have stood up and danced a little bit. The crowd showed its appreciation by giving a standing ovation that spanned the length between set close and encore start.

    I entered the show without any expectations for the band, but I walked out a new fan of The Bad Plus.

    Setlist: Hear You (Anderson), Self Serve (Iverson), Time After Time (Lauper), Thrift Store Jewelry (King), Inevitable Western (Iverson), Gold Prisms Inc. (King), Law Years (Coleman), The Robots (Kraftwerk), County Seat (Iverson), Seven Minute Mind (Anderson)
    Encore: I Walk the Line – (Cash)

  • Formula 5’s Albany Jaunt a Hometown Throwdown

    On February 4 at the Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Albany, two area bands brought the popular venue to its knees with twists, turns, jams and family.

    Opening for Formula 5 was Ampevene, which brought a progressive feel to open the show. Led by guitarist and songwriter Gabe Stallman, Ampevene led the growing crowd through an hour of fun. There was a good deal of energy and musicianship from the hard working band.

    After a short break, Formula 5, who are putting the finishing touches on their upcoming album All Points North, took the stage with a handful of the band’s family members in the crowd.

    “Pedro” opened the show and set the tone for a highly improvisational, four-song opening stanza that saw guitarist Joe Davis unleash his now signature fury upon his red Gibson SG. After 15 or so minutes, the band landed on a Dire Straits cover, “Money For Nothing.”

    The pairing of “Excalibur” and “Come Along” closed the set, with both tunes lasting well over 10 minutes. Formula 5 had opened their hometown show with the poise and confidence of a seasoned rock band. It’s clear that the start of their current and lengthy tour, coupled with all the time spent in the studio, is doing wonders for the band.

    Wasting no time to start the second set, the foursome leaped right into a song off the new album, “Trout Waters Pt. I.” Davis and keyboardist Matt Richards quickly locked into a groove that bled into an “Out of Water Jam,” which saw the band extend the song to nearly 20 minutes. At one point, drummer was playing a sort of off beat techno beat that allowed the rest of the band to throw down a dance party.

    Following the conclusion of Trout Water Pt 2 was another new tune, “Q&A,” continuing the theme of jamming out every song in the second set. A take on the Talking Heads’ “Burning Down The House” gave way to another song off the new album, ” Sad Bed.”

    Up next was a surprise cover of Jeff Beck’s “Thelonious,” a song that showed off the chips of bassist James Woods. “Earthbound Tim” and “Catch Me” put the finishing touches on a set that never let up. There wasn’t a lull in the energy at any point, showing how far Formula 5 has come in the last few years.

    On February 18 in Hudson Falls, Formula 5 will play a show that happens to fall on Davis’ birthday. The band has started a march of sorts to sell out the show, which would be a first for the band.

    But first, Formula 5 will settle into a show at the Brooklyn Bowl on Tuesday, February 7, with fellow Albany bands Mister F and Goose.

    You can download the Hollow show here.

    Formula 5 Setlist:

    Set 1: Pedro* -> Money For Nothing&, Excalibur, Come Along

    Set 2: Trout Waters, Pt. I -> Out Of Water Jam -> Trout Waters, Pt. II Q&A > Burning Down The House^ -> Sad Bed* -> Thelonious! Earthbound Tim* -> Catch Me

    Encore: It Goes…

    * Unfinished
    & Dire Straits cover
    ^ Talking Heads cover
    ! Jeff Beck

    Ampevene setlist: Florida, Pre Kong Jam, Kong, Rometheu, Rometheu Outro Jam, Tracalysis, Valencia, Pre Tumultuous Jam (first time played), Tumultuous

  • A Grown-Up Formula 5 Heads Out on Tour

    When Formula 5 set its sights on 2016, the band was about to head out on its first full tour, had a brand new keyboardist at the helm and was planning a trek into the studio.

    With all of that in the rear view, the road tested band from Albany has even bigger plans for 2017, with a 25-date tour starting February 1 coming on the heels of a successful Kickstarter campaign for a new album, titled All Points North.

    Making stops in Albany (Feb. 4, The Hollow Bar and Kitchen), Brooklyn (Feb. 7, Brooklym Bowl), Hudson Falls (Feb. 18, Hudson Music Hall), Rochester (Feb. 23, Heads Brewing), Buffalo (Feb. 24, Nietzsche’s, Buffalo) and Lake Placid (Feb. 25, Smoke Signals), the four-piece rock group is saturating its local market in hopes of gaining more solid footing in areas they hit last year.

    “Our goal is really to solidify our fan base with this tour,” Matt Richards, keyboardist, said last week while sitting inside Overit Studios in Albany, adding some more work to the new album. “We wanna make sure we’re known not just to our friends, but to everyone in the scene. We’re also trying to get more people involved, active.”

    The last part of Richards’ quote was referring to the band’s desire to put together a street team, spreading word-of-mouth info about the band, and also using social media platforms to help promote Formula 5. “The best bands have such dedicated fan bases,” Richards added. “The common goal is to spread the music and get the community out there and seeing shows.”

    On Feb. 4, Formula 5 rolls into a hometown venue — The Hollow Bar and Kitchen — that Richards said is one of the band’s favorites. They play there a handful of times a year, and it serves as a reunion venue of sorts for the band’s family and friends. Ampevene is opening the show.

    Richards said that while the band has a hectic schedule and cannot always personally greet those who come to see them play, they get to communicate in other ways.

    “So many friends come out,” he said. “We end up knowing everyone in the crowd, but I don’t get to go around and see them all. Can’t really talk too much when we’re getting ready, but we still have dialogue with them — head nods, smiles and stuff like that. We communicate without talking.”

    Richards added that the show on Feb. 18 is special because it’s guitarist Joe Davis’ birthday. The Hudson Music Hall in Hudson Falls has a capacity of around 100, and Richards said the band’s goal is to sell out the venue without an opening act. He said it would be the first time they’ve accomplished that feat.

    Six shows of the tour are co-headlining dates with Mister F, a progressive jam group from the area. Formula 5 is also heading back to many of the same venues the band played in Colorado last year. Richards said the goal is to build on the “traction” they gained in the state last year.

    Being the new guy in the band doesn’t show in the enthusiasm Richards — whose wide-range of influences include Steely Dan, Phish, Umphrey’s McGee, YES, former Albany jam group Ominous Seapods, Queen, Pink Floyd Dave Brubeck, Stevie Wonder, Vince Guaraldi and McCoy Tyner — has for the band, the writing process and his outspokenness. In recording All Points North, for which Richards wrote four songs and contributed to another, the band put in 55 hours in over the first week. They basically had to live at the studio. Richards and Davis live a short drive from the studio, while bassist James Woods and drummer Greg Marek are a bit farther out.

    Because of that, Richards and Davis have been in the studio tirelessly in recent days putting the finishing touch on the tracks. While Richards said none of the songs are yet a finished product, they’re getting to that point.

    “Each track gets to a certain spot, then we bring all the other tracks there, too,” he said. “Right now I’d say we’re at 98 percent on each one, so there’s not a ton left to do.”

    As for the feel of the album, Richards said the foursome have suffered and matured a lot in the last year, contributing to the more “grown up” sound.

    “It’s a makeup of less feeling good, more feeling uncertainty, loss, a darker feeling,” he said. “We have had loss in the band, van difficulties on the road, personal relationship issues. There’s still that Formula 5 that’s pure feel good, but there’s also a departure from that.”

    “We tried to stay away from jams in the studio. There are some great individual solos, but we focused more on the songs here.”

    While no official release date has been set, Richards said fans won’t have to wait too long to hear the finished product.

    If you’re interested in assisting Formula 5’s street team, head on over to the band’s Facebook page and get in touch.