NYS Music 20​17

Author: Steve Malinski

  • Trey Anastasio Band Opens ‘Paper Wheels’ Tour At The Cap

    On Friday, April 14, the hallowed halls of The Capitol Theatre welcomed a sold-out crowd for the first of two nights there for the start of Trey Anastasio’s Paper Wheels tour. The magnificent sound and history of The Cap made it the perfect setting for a tour opener, not to mention a diverse setlist composed of Anastasio and Phish tunes along with a few debuts and covers.

    Set 1 opened with bassist Tony Markellis setting the pace on “Sand” and Anastasio quickly found his mark, clearly showing his excitement to be on the stage with his long-time solo act bandmates. With plenty of improv intertwined in the songs, the set carried on with TAB staples and closed with a funky version of “Gotta Jiboo.” The band made a few debuts and covers in the first set to the delight of the crowd. An original new tune written by Anastasio and Tom Marshall “This Crazy World I Know” made its debut as did a cover of Portugal. The Man’s brand new single “Feel It Still” off of that band’s yet-to-be-released album Woodstock, expected some time this year. Included in the Set 1 covers mix were TAB’s interpretation of George Harrison’s “What Is Life,” Bob Marley’s “Soul Rebel,” and by audience request, Toots and The Maytal’s “Sweet and Dandy.”

    The second set was much looser and groovier with a greater focus on opening the songs up to feature improvisation from everyone on stage, including an impromptu moment with Cyro Baptista getting goofy on percussion. It opened with the salsa-inspired “Curlews Call” and “Night Speaks To A Woman” before getting to the first of two songs in the set from Paper Wheels, “Liquid Time.” Ray Paczkowski’s keyboard introduced “Alaska,” a tune introduced by Anastasio in 2008 prior to Phish’s reunion and reminiscent in feel to a faster version of the Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed.” Things got funkier as “Simple Twist Up Dave” came around with the slow groove of “Windora Bug” following, featuring Markellis on vocals. Speaking of vocals, Jennifer Hartswick had the theatre roaring after her performance on the band’s cover of Gorillaz’ “Clint Eastwood” and again on their take on Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” to close the set.

    After closing the second set with a high-energy and powerful performance of “Dazed and Confused,” the band returned for an encore starting with another debut.  The traditional Irish tune with roots in 17th century Scotland, “The Parting Glass,” was a pleasant surprise to hear. The a cappella rendition was led by Anastasio on the first verse, complimented with beautiful harmonies from Casey, Hartswick, and Cressman. Anastasio and his band blazed the end of the show with “Push On Til The Day” with the horns bringing out their inner Tower of Power to add a punch to the song.

    Night One Setlist, 4/14/2017:

    Set 1: Sand, Mozambique, Cayman Review, What Is Life, This Crazy World I Know, Sweet And Dandy, Speak to Me, Pigtail, Feel It Still, Valentine, Soul Rebel, Gotta Jibboo

    Set 2: Curlews Call, Night Speaks To A Woman, Liquid Time, 49 Bye Byes, Alaska, Heavy Things, Simple Twist Up Dave, Windora Bug, Shine, Clint Eastwood, Dazed and Confused

    Encore: The Parting Glass, Push On Til The Day
    Night Two Setlist, 4/15/2017:

    Set One: Drifting, Magilla, Sometime After Sunset, Alive Again, O-o-h Child, 1977, It Makes No Difference, Small Axe, Last Tube, Lever Boy, Bounce

    Set Two: Money Love & Change, The Way I Feel, Tuesday, Ocelot, Goodbye Head, Architect, The Devil Went Down To Georgia, MacArthur Park, Ether Sunday, First Tube

    Encore: Black Dog

  • A New York City St. Patrick’s Day with Larry Kirwan and Friends

    Every St. Patrick’s Day, the New York City streets and subways flood with green from onlookers of the 5th Avenue parade and thirsty pub-goers. With many options for a good St. Pat’s show or party from uptown to down and across to Brooklyn, one might almost need to throw a dart at a subway map to plan their night. But near Times Square a staple of the New York Irish scene returned to BB King’s to put on the perfect show for the occasion. For a second St. Patrick’s Day in a row, Larry Kirwan brought his songwriting and music from the retired Black 47 to the midtown blues club along with entertainment from some friends.

    The evening started right on time with the dinner crowd being treated to a set from the Lia Fail Pipes and Drums from Mercer County, NJ performing traditional Irish and Scottish tunes including the 1916 Easter Uprising inspired “Foggy Dew.” Singer-songwriter Pat McGuire, a native New Yorker who calls Galway home, was greeted with admiration from the crowd starting to gather near the stage. As a pleasant surprise to many in the room, former Black 47 member Geoff Blythe joined McGuire for most of the set on soprano/tenor sax. The two complimented each other very well, especially on McGuire’s new songs. His set included a nod to his hometown, “A Song for New York,” in tribute to the Hurricane Sandy victims and storm cleanup efforts.

    Returning to the BB King’s stage following McGuire’s set was Rory K, an independent hip-hop artist from the city, with a short set from a genre that was certainly the odd one out from the other acts yet fit in well. This year Rory drew more folks into his self-written lyrics with a high-energy and charismatic stage presence, debuting within the set a brand new song, “Talkin’ that Talk.”

    With just the blink of an eye between sets, we arrived at the main act of the evening, Larry Kirwan & Friends. With the retirement of Black 47 two and a half years prior on the same stage, Kirwan’s band for the night returned from the previous St. Patrick’s Day show –  Coty Cockrell (keys), Deni Bonet (violin), Rene Hart (double bass) and former Black 47 bandmate Thomas Hamlin (drums). The band had a tighter sound this time around giving a different take on the arrangements of the Black 47 songs in the set.

    The band’s instrumentation was that of a typical rock setup but with upright bass, keys, and violin – a bit of a contrast to Black 47’s horn and uilleann pipe section, so the feel of the performance was inherently different from what longtime fans of the band had been used to. But that’s not to say anything about the quality of the show. The tunes in their different arrangement stood in their own right for a perfect show, with Cockrell’s keyboard lines and the pretty sounds of Bonet’s violin complimenting the original songrwriting well.

    Concurrent with giving a performance with plenty of dancing to be had, Kirwan brought one of his former band’s recognizable elements to the show – politics in the form of song. A number of songs in the set came from Kirwan’s fervor for the history and stories of his home country of Ireland. Just like in the Black 47 days, these songs engaged a passionate audience, particularly the anthem to the Irish labor activist James Connolly. In more current affairs, Kirwan debuted a new single, “Second Coming Blues,” fueled by the recent election season and inspired by William Butler Yeats’ 1919 poem similarly titled “The Second Coming.”

    The show also featured a few surprises mixed throughout. The first was an appearance received with much applause by Cait O’Riordan (from The Pogues), who Kirwan introduced with a fun little story about when he attended that band’s first gig in NYC. Right after a rendition of The Pogues’ “I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Everyday,” the band paid tribute to David Bowie with a cover of “Heroes” to which Kirwan had penned an extra verse about Belfast. Rory K stepped back out on stage for a father-son moment during a section of “Fire of Freedom,” and perhaps one of the most exciting moments for long-time fans was the reunion of Kirwan and Black 47 co-founder Chris Byrne for “Walk All The Days.”

    Before the night was over, the Kirwan treated BB King’s to one of Black 47’s MTV hits “Funky Ceili,” a song that for some intangible reason does not seem to get worn out with time, and the night closed with a large sing-along on the choruses of Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone.”

    The evening was by no means low key but was rather a fun-filled, laid back way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and a show well worth checking out next time it rolls around on the calendar. Until then, Kirwan has some solo gigs/talks popping up which can be found between Facebook and the Black 47 website.

    Setlist: Livin’ In America, Bas In Eirann, Five Points, Camptown Races/Hard Times, Big Fellah, I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Everyday (w/ Cait O’Riordan), Heroes (David Bowie), Fanatic Heart, Sean MacDiarmada, Redemption Song -> Fire of Freedom, Second Coming Blues, Walk All The Days (w/ Chris Byrne), James Connolly, Funky Ceili

    Encore: Like A Rolling Stone

  • Al Di Meola Celebrates New and Old Songs at Paramount Hudson Valley

    A steady crowd gathered for a musical treat as guitar virtuoso Al Di Meola brought his tour to a close on its last stop at Paramount Hudson Valley on Feb. 26. His stop at the historic Peekskill theater in support of his latest release Elysium, also marked a celebration of the 40th anniversary of one of his first releases Elegant Gypsy.

    S Malinski - Al Di Meola - Paramount Hudson Valley-3

    Before starting his first set, Di Meola took a couple of minutes to introduce his band, most of whom he has known or played with for many years – Philippe Saisse (keyboards, marimba), Gumbi Ortiz (percussion), Elias Tona (bass), Luis Alicea (drums) and Evan Garr (violin). Kicking off with the fast-paced and melodic “One Night Last June,” the first set intertwined tightly-knit improvisation traded between band members with Di Meola’s brilliant songwriting. Before wrapping up the set the theater was treated to a throwback to Di Meola’s days as a teenager playing with the prog supergroup Return to Forever with “Medieval Overture.”

    S Malinski - Al Di Meola - Paramount Hudson Valley-8

    As skilled as Di Meola is on electric guitar, he is equally talented on acoustic guitar and started the second set with a few acoustic songs by himself and later with some help from the rest of the band. He opened this portion with a work-in-progress titled “Ava’s Dream Sequence,” inspired by his daughter. Leading back into the electric portion of the second set was a teaser of Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.” The set was exciting with a looser, more improvised feel to it focusing more on his older compositions/collaborations.

    S Malinski - Al Di Meola - Paramount Hudson Valley-2

    Perhaps the most appreciable part of Di Meola’s performance was the career-spanning diversity of the setlist. Not only did he perform songs from early in his career including a few from Elegant Gypsy (to mark that album’s 40th anniversary), but he included recent compositions from Elysium and a few favorites from his collaborations with Chick Corea and Return to Forever. It was nothing short of a top-notch end to a tour.

    Setlist

    Set 1: One Night Last June, Flight Over Rio, Babylon, Senor Mouse, Adour, Medieval Overture

    Set 2: {acoustic set}, Black Dog, Midnight Tango, Song to the Pharaoh Kings, Dark Eyed Tango, Egyptian Danza

    Encore: Chiqualin, Race With Devil on Spanish Highway, Sorceress

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  • Al Di Meola Bringing ‘Elegant Gypsy’ 40th Anniversary Tour to Paramount Hudson Valley Feb. 26

    Pioneer of jazz and Latin fusion guitar Al Di Meola is on the road celebrating the 40th anniversary of his second studio album Elegant Gypsy as well as his 2015 release Elysium. With a number of dates around the United States and Canada this past month, he concludes the tour this Sunday night at Paramount Hudson Valley in Peekskill.

    Since his first release in 1976, Di Meola has established himself as a prolific writer and virtuoso of the guitar, blending jazz, rock, and Latin music into his songwriting. With an extensive career over the past 40 years he has tallied over 20 albums to his name and collected many accolades and awards for his work. In his career he has also collaborated with several notable names including Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White as part of the super group Return to Forever when he was just 19 years old.

    Di Meola’s February tour is an extension of an extensive 2016 world tour for Elysium to help mark the 40th anniversary of Elegant Gypsy. Sunday’s show at Paramount Hudson Valley starts at 7pm with tickets still available here or by calling the box office at 914-739-0039. Special meet-and-greet packages are available by calling the box office which include access to the soundcheck and a pre-show  Q&A with Di Meola in the theater.

    Joining him on tour is Philippe Saisse (keyboards, marimba), Gumbi Ortiz (percussion), Elias Tona (bass), Luis Alicea (drums) and Evan Garr (violin).

  • Grateful Dead Announce Official Release of Legendary Cornell ’77 Show

    One of the Grateful Dead‘s most revered shows is finally seeing the light of day in an official release this spring to mark the show’s 40th anniversary.

    The band played its first of three shows (1977, 1980, and 1981) on May 7, 1977, booked by the Cornell Concert Commission after some troubles with booking live acts in the years prior. May ’77 wasn’t first live Cornell campus appearance from the Grateful Dead family however. The Jerry Garcia Band had performed at Cornell’s Bailey Hall less than two years prior on 10-27-1975. The May 1977 lineup for the Grateful Dead included the core of Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, as well as Donna and Keith Godcheaux.

    Photo: dead.net

    The official release, in the form of a 5-LP box set and CD, will contain the entire Cornell ’77 show mastered from the Betty board tapes. Not only will this Barton Hall show be released, included in another 11-CD box set (May ’77: Get Shown The Light) will be 5/5/77 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven, CT, 5/7 at Boston Garden, and 5/9 at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.

    Cornell ’77 Poster designed by Cornell alumnus Jay Maybrey

    Many sources of the Barton Hall show have been circulated over the years, including unofficial soundboards (heard over on archive.org) which are of decent quality, though with some flaws inherent to the taping and matrix mixing process. Rolling Stone gave a sneak preview of “Morning Dew” from the upcoming release and after listening to the bootlegs of Barton Hall, the release promises to be a fantastic treat for Deadheads.

    The various release formats for the Cornell ’77 show and the other May 1977 shows debut on May 5 and pre-orders for it are available now over at dead.net. Only limited quantities of the 5-LP vinyl box set of the Cornell ’77 show are available.

    Peter Conners, author of “Growing Up Dead” and other works on the Grateful Dead is working on a book titled “Cornell ’77,” chronicling the Dead’s appearance at Cornell set to be published by Cornell University Press.

  • Gaelic Storm Hits The Paramount with Irish Cheer

    A mainstay of the Celtic touring bands, Gaelic Storm returned to the Hudson Valley in January with a delightfully entertaining night of music to wrap up one segment of touring before heading back out on the road for a number of shows in Florida.

    Hitting the stage with a swift start, Gaelic Storm quickly warmed the room up with “Pina Colada in a Pint Glass.” The mood for the night was set early with some quick jokes from the stage about football including an affectionate jab at the Jets. Before the set was through, the band had a little dance contest fun for both the ale-tipped adults and the few kids in the crowd, to the tune of “Darcy’s Donkey.”

    With over 3,000 shows under their belt in their 21 years, it’s no surprise that the band was so natural and comfortable with being on stage. With plenty of humor and wit, singer Patrick Murphy was cracking jokes and sharing plenty of stories between songs which, most of the time, were as entertaining as the music itself.

    After a break, Gaelic Storm came back for a looser, rowdier second set with a set of jigs and their version of the classic “Whiskey in the Jar,” getting a few more dancers in the isles. The second set also brought the entertaining far-fetched, but possibly true, story behind “The Night I Punched Russell Crowe” and audience favorite “Scallywag” to close the set.

    The band returned for a two song encore starting with a cover of “Stand By Me” and their own “One More Day Above the Roses.” Before the last song, Murphy took a moment to praise the Paramount – “small towns have the nicest theaters” – a remark made with regard to the many venues the band has played.

    Set 1: Pina Colada In A Pint Glass, Jigs, Never Drink ‘Em Dry, Cape Cod Girls, Rustling Goat Gang, Girls’ Night In Galway, Girls of Dublin Town, Darcy’s Donkey, Black And Tan
    Set 2: Jigs, Whiskey in the Jar, The Night I Punched Russel Crowe, Rubber Arm, Drink the Night Away, Green Eyes/Red Hair, Scalliwag

    Encore: Stand By Me, One More Day Above The Roses

  • Moon Hooch, Karma Darwin, and Honeycomb Get Geared Up For New Year’s At Daryl’s House

    Just before the New Year’s weekend began, Daryl’s House Club welcomed three local/regional acts on December 29 for a uniquely fun night of music to help get warmed up for the weekend. The night started with a set of homegrown Hudson Valley rock from just down the road in Brewster courtesy of  Karma Darwin. After hearing their live set it was fairly obvious why they make frequent appearances at Daryl’s House. Their sound was solid, built off a nice blend of rock, jam, and rhythm.

    Stepping over the Massachusetts border we arrived at a unique five-song set from freestyle beatboxer Honeycomb. His set was composed entirely from his beatboxing, each tune and freestyle consisting of percussion, melody and even some apparent harmony all at once. The beats were seamless and clean to the point where he would be a direct competitor side-by-side against any drum-and-bass DJ. As a common collaborator with the night’s headliner, Honeycomb was joined by members of Moon Hooch on his final song.

    Hailing from Brooklyn with a NYC subway busking origin, Moon Hooch’s Wenzl McGowen (sax/contrabass clarinet/EWI) , Mike Wilbur (sax), and James Muschler (drums) quickly turned Daryl’s House into a Union Square station dance session with “Something Else” from their recent 2016 album Red Sky. Through the set they touched upon their other two albums as well, This Is Cave Music (2014) and Moon Hooch (2013) and brought Honeycomb back out for some help during their encore.

    Using only tenor and bari saxes, a contrabass clarinet, drums and some electronic effects/processing, Moon Hooch approaches the conventional sounds somewhat unconventionally and turns them into rhythmic hooks and lures – the embodiment of exploring sound and its interaction with other sounds and the ears absorbing it. That was the driving force behind a sustained level of energy that gripped their set from start to finish, from the hyped-up “Number 8” through the entrancing arpeggios of “St. Louis” and extended sustained notes that require a level of mastery to achieve on the sax.

    Moon Hooch’s sound on their four albums, including their latest free EP release Joshua Tree (check out NYS Music’s review of that album here) is incredibly fun to listen to, but remarkably infectious in their live performance. While most of their live show is composed, there is plenty of improv and room for surprises different from the CD version of their songs that make it a must-see performance for fans who have only heard their CDs, vinyl, or videos.

    Aside from the arrangement and composition of the songs in the live setting, Moon Hooch has a tight-knit energy driven stage presence that the audience thrived from, and even vice-versa. The cozy setting of Daryl’s House lets the audience get right up close with the band, which got everyone in the room (Moon Hooch included) chewing into the experience of the show.

    Moon Hooch is back in New York at Buffalo Iron Works on Feb. 8, Waterhole in Saranac Lake on Feb. 9, and Brooklyn Bowl on Feb. 18 as well as several other shows around the Northeast in the next month.