NYS Music 20​17

Author: Timothy J. Bopp

  • JJ Grey and Mofro: Greetings from the Sunshine State

    Jacksonville Florida’s own JJ Grey and Mofro played to an enthusiastic crowd at Clifton Park’s Upstate Concert Hall on Thursday October 19. These seasoned veterans of the road have been playing since the 1990’s and are currently five weeks into their tour spreading the gospel of the electric blues and soul to audiences around the nation. The band has deep roots in the south which is apparent in the nine studio albums that they have created since their inception.

    JJ Grey and Mofro
    JJ Grey & Mofro getting “Janky” at the Upstate Concert Hall 10/19/17

    The current lineup of the band consists of JJ Grey on vocals, harmonica, and electric guitar, Dennis Marion and Marcus Parsley on trumpets, Todd Smallie on bass guitar, Craig Barnetter on drums, Zac gilbert on guitar, and Eric Brigmond on keyboards.

    JJ Grey and Mofro

    The night kicked off with Pittsburgh PA’s 10 piece soul powerhouse The Commonheart. Led by front-man Clinton Clegg, the energy was palpable with high energy renditions of The Commonheart originals “I Am A Ram “ and “Aloysius” off of their 2016 LP Grown. The Commonheart were a tight knit unit that was exceptionally good at getting the Upstate crowd grooving by offering them up a heaping helping of Electric Soul and RB. The highlight of the opening set was a gritty version of Randy Newman’s soul classic of “You Can Leave Your Hat On” that would have made the Commitments jealous.

    JJ Grey and MofroGrey thanked the crowd for singing and began reminiscing about his days working at a lumberyard in Jacksonville, Florida adjacent to a tiny church located in a nearby strip mall. He recounted days drinking iced tea and listening to the church’s preacher singing and playing spiritual hymns on guitar, while the ladies in the choir sang along. He went on to say that was one of his inspirations for what he calls his band’s “Rock and Roll Revival Show.”JJ Grey and Mofro

    Grey then switched out guitars and got comfortable sitting down playing electric slide guitar on John Anderson’s Blue Grass classic “Seminole Wind.”  The song was a unique and “Janky” interpretation of the song, which was dedicated by Grey to his grandmother.  Grey said that she lived in the “good old bad days,” being born in a tent on a tobacco farm in Georgia.  It was apparent that her strength in overcoming such a tough and hard scrabble life was a great inspiration to Grey.

    The evening ended on a high note with an encore comprised of a rousing rendition of the Beatles classic “Hey Jude”  with the audience singing the chorus until the very last note. JJ Grey & Mofro will continue touring the U.S. with dates scheduled into the Spring.

    Setlists:

    The Commonheart:  Show Me The Light, Questions, Cannonball, You Can Leave Your Hat On, Do Right, Save Me, Aloysius

    JJ Grey & Mofro:  How Junior Got His Head Put In, Light A Candle, Every Minute, Brighter Days, 99 Shades, Gal’ Young’en, Seminole Wind, Lochloosa, Orange Blossoms, Lazy Fo Acre, Ol’ Glory, Shining Down, Hey Jude

  • JJ Grey and Mofro: Tasty Soul from the Sunshine State

    Since the 1990s, JJ Grey and Mofro have been dishing out hearty helpings of southern soulful blues rock. Based out of Gainesville, Florida, these seasoned road veterans have played around the globe spreading their brand of musical expertise that hearkens to the likes of Otis Redding, Jerry Reid, and The Allman Brothers Band. Lead singer and soul-bent swamp rocker John Higginbotham aka “JJ Grey” infuses his music with a definitive southern flavor, transporting all who listen to the landscape of his youth. If you have a hankering for upbeat feel good music and you love to, as lead singer Grey states, get “Janky” this is the band for you.

    The current lineup of JJ Grey & Mofro includes JJ Grey on vocals and electric guitar, Dennis Marion and Marcus Parsley on trumpets, Todd Smallie on Bass guitar, Craig Barnette on drums, Zac Gilbert on guitar, and Eric Brigmond on keyboards.

    Live Nation Promotions will be presenting JJ Grey & Mofro along with special guests The Commonheart at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park NY on Thursday October 19. Get tickets here.

  • The Wailers: Preserving the Musical Legacy of Reggae Great Bob Marley

    The Legendary Wailers, Bob Marley’s famed backing band,  will be performing the Reggae icon’s hits when they play at the  Cohoes Music Hall on Tuesday October 17. The Wailers have long been the caretakers of Marley’s musical legacy since his premature death from cancer back in 1981. The band continues to tour around the world in order to spread Marley’s timeless message of “Jah Love” just as he requested they do prior to his death.

    The Wailers Legacy

    The current version of the band, steered by famed bassist and founder Aston “Familyman” Barret, along with original Wailers‘ guitarists Julian Marvin and Donald Kinsey, spread Marley’s message and music to a new generation of fans.  That message of love is masterfully channeled to the audience by Rastaman lead vocalist Joshua David Barrett.  The Wailers bring infectious Jamaican Reggae dance music wherever they go. If you love to groove, this is a show not to miss.  Tickets are available at the Cohoes Music Hall box office.

  • Buddy Guy: Ambassador of the Chicago Blues

    Legend. A term bandied about a lot in today’s pop culture, especially when it comes to the music industry. The term is used so frequently that a lot of times it seems watered down and loses its meaning altogether. Then there are the times when that badge of honor seems small in comparison to the person it is describing. Such is the case for legendary electric Chicago blues icon Buddy Guy. George “Buddy” Guy, born in Lettsworth, Louisiana back in 1936, earned his chops in the 1960s, playing with blues icon Muddy Waters as a house guitarist at Chicago’s famed Chess Records. If that isn’t enough (and it is), Buddy has earned seven Grammy awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 by none other than Eric Clapton.buddy guy chicago blues Guy has influenced multiple generations of great electric blues men including Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Buddy has been instrumental in securing the future of the blues as an American musical art form by fostering the next generation of blues musicians. Such is the case of 17 year old blues prodigy and New Bedford, Massachusetts native Quinn Sullivan.

    Sullivan opened at Buddy Guy’s August 15 performance at the Hart Theater at the Empire Performing Arts Center in Albany. He is currently touring in support of his third LP Midnight Highway that was released in January of this year. Discovered by Guy at the tender age of seven, Sullivan in the last ten years has already amassed a career with credits that most musicians would kill for. He has performed at Eric Clapton’s blues showcase Crossroads in 2013 and has had the privilege of playing with the late, great B.B. King. The Damn Right Blues Band played double duty during the night’s performance, backing up both Sullivan and Guy through both their sets. The roster of the band includes Tom Hambridge on drums, Orlando Wright on bass, Ric Hall on guitar and Marty Sammons on keyboards.

    Sullivan kicked off his second appearance at The Egg with the radio friendly “Lifting Off” off of Midnight Highway and though still a teenager, Sullivan looked like a seasoned veteran on the stage. Sullivan’s impressive guitar playing abilities were showcased spectacularly with a version of the blues classic “Little Wing” that would have made both Hendrix and Clapton proud. The highlight of the 45 minute set was title track “Midnight Highway” which illustrated an advanced level of song craftsmanship which was completely on point. After a brief intermission, it was Buddy Guy’s turn to take the stage. Guy was greeted by an an extremely enthusiastic and rowdy crowd. Mr. Guy went straight into a ripping version of “Damn Right I Got The Blues” which featured a sublime piano solo by keyboardist Marty Sammons. Buddy set the raucous tone of the night’s performance by commencing a series of pelvic thrusts that hearkened back to the days of Elvis Presley, much to the delight of an appreciative audience. Mr. Guy told the crowd that he was going to “play it so funky you can smell it.” One crowd member chimed back, “We can smell it.”

    The high point of the performance came later in the set when Buddy busted out a spirited version of “Someone Else Is Steppin’ In” off of his 1994 release Slippin’ In. The 81 year old Guy took the party off the stage by playing the number while strutting around the excited crowd.

    Guy, who is a consummate story teller, went on to tell the audience how he met Sullivan and was so impressed with his ability to play guitar that he wound up taking him to Clapton’s Crossroads festival. Sullivan joined Guy on stage where they proceeded to trade guitar licks back and forth before Sullivan went into a medley of Clapton’s “Strange Brew” and Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile w/ Slight Return.”

    Things got a bit serious when Buddy brought up the tumultuous state of race relations in America, a reference to the recent violence that unfolded at a white supremacy rally held in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier in the month. Mr. Guy went into a stirring version of “Skin Deep” which preaches love and understanding between all people regardless of race or religion, pointing out that our differences are skin deep. The 90 minute set concluded on more of a high note with Guy’s rendition of “Meet Me In Chicago” which left the audience on their feet. Guy will be continuing to play throughout the remainder of the summer with dates scheduled into the fall.

    Setlists:

    Quinn Sullivan: Lifting Off, Getting There, Little Wing, Cyclone, Midnight Highway, She Gets Me, Going

    Buddy Guy: Damn Right I Got The Blues, Hoochie Coochie Man, Fever, Born To Play Guitar, Grits Ain’t Groceries, Whose Making Love To Your Old Lady, Boom Boom, She’s 19 years Old, Sweet 16, Someone Else is Steppin’ In, Ain’t That Peculiar, Well Alright, StrangeBrew/Voodoo Child w/ Slight Return (Medley), Feels Like Rain, Skin Deep, Meet Me In Chicago

  • Drive-By Truckers: Protest Rock At The Egg

    It’s been a long and inspired ride for the Athens Georgia based Drive-By Truckers. Since their debut album Gangstabilly almost 20 years ago, the band has seen numerous band lineup changes and produced multiple critically acclaimed LP’s. Co-founders of Drive-By Truckers Patterson Hood (lead vocals, guitar) and Mike Cooley (lead vocals, guitar, banjo) have been the architects of their longevity by amassing a pool of amazing musical talent that currently includes Matt Patton (bass guitar, backing vocals), Jay Gonzalez (keys, guitar, accordion, backing vocals), and Brad Morgan (drums). The band’s last LP, 2016’s politically charged American Band, takes head on the subjects of gun violence and the current state of U.S. race relations that only a Southern based rock band steeped in that culture and tradition possibly could.

    Drive-By Truckers at the Egg

    DBT brought that politically charged power and intensity to the Hart Theater located in Albany’s Egg Performance Art Center on Tuesday July 25. This is the eleventh stop on DBT’s Resist Tour and the band was accompanied by opening act The Seratones. Based out Shreveport Louisiana, The Seratones are touring in support of their 2016 rocking release Get Gone. Lead Singer and guitarist AJ Haynes along with band members Connor Davis (guitar), Adam Davis (bass guitar), and Jesse Gabriel (drums) kicked off the show with a high octane version of “Choking On Your Spit.” The high octane, in your face, offering set the tone for their remaining energetic set.

    After a short break, it was the Truckers turn to take the stage and they kicked off their set with “Filthy and Fried” off of 2016’s American Band. Vocalist Cooley painted a gritty picture of a modern day landscape that showcases the angst of a 27-year-old woman trying to cope with the struggles of gender identity in everyday life. Next it was Hood’s turn to take the lead on vocals with a stirring rendition of “Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife” off of 2008’s Brighter Than Creation’s Dark. It was just a little later in DBT’s set that Cooley realized that the crowd at the Egg were being overly reserved and sitting statically in their seats. He addressed the audience, stating that it was alright if they wanted to keep sitting down. Cooley went on to say that he and the band were more than willing to play slow songs, but if they wanted to rock they should feel free to get up on their feet. The newly energized crowd eagerly left their seats, the majority of which, stayed that way for the remainder of the performance.

    DBT kept up their end of the bargain by cranking out down and dirty versions of Truckers fan favorites “Where The Devil Don’t Stay” and “Puttin’ People on the Moon.” Bassist  Matt Patton also got a turn at vocals later in the set with a high-powered rendition of the Ramones classic, “The KKK Took My Baby Away.” DBT finished the night with an encore that included American Band’s politically charged “What It Means.” The song lyrically examines the ever-increasing incidents of gun violence in America and references the gun slayings of African Americans Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. The stage lights went down during the performance, with the exception of a brightly lit Black Lives Matter sign that was prominently featured on the side of the band’s piano. Hood ended the anti-gun violence anthem with the impassioned mantra “It ain’t political…It’s personal!”

    The Truckers wrapped up their set with a stirring version of “Grand Canyon” off of 2014’s English Oceans. Hood dedicated the song on-stage to “Departed Drive-By Truckers Family,” a reference to longtime merch-man and band ambassador Craig Lieske who passed away in 2013. The Drive-By Truckers will be featured at both the Newport Folk and XPoNential Music Festivals later this month.

    Setlists:

    Drive-By Truckers:  Filthy and Fried, Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife, Ramon Casiano, Baggage, Marry Me, Dead, Drunk and Naked, Guitar Man Upstairs, Darkened Flags on the Cusp of Dawn, Surrender Under Protest, The Company I Keep, A Ghost to Most, The Guns of Umpqua, Where the Devil Don’t Stay, Puttin’ People on the Moon, Shit Shots Count, Ronnie and Neil, Kinky Hypocrite,The KKK Took My Baby Away, Sinkhole, Made Up English Oceans, Let There Be Rock, Zip City, What It Means, Love Like This, Grand Canyon

    Seritones: Choking On Your Spit, Sun Kingdom Come, Get Gone, Head-trip, Chandelier, Tide Brainwashed, Take It Easy, Necromancer, Don’t Need It, Trees

  • Big Head Todd And The Monsters: Road Tested

    Boulder Colorado-based Big Head Todd and the Monsters played to the band’s faithful fans at the Hart theater located at The Egg Performing Arts Center in Albany, NY on Friday May 19. BHTM is comprised of Todd Park Mohr on guitar and vocals, Brian Nevin on drums, percussion, and vocals, Jeremy Lawton on keyboards, slide guitar and vocals, and Rob Squires on bass guitar and vocals. This is the first time that the band has played the Capital District since it’s last appearance at the Troy Music Hall back in November of 2016 touring in support of their blues passion project Big Head Blues Club which featured the songs of blues great Willie Dixon.

    BHTM is currently in the middle of a very busy tour schedule that features a mix of their classic material as well as recently composed offerings which will be included on a new rock-based LP scheduled to be released later in 2017. Unfortunately due to a death in the family, bassist Rob Squires was unable to attend the performance. Thankfully, and much to the band’s credit, instead of simply canceling the show due to this family emergency, the band had keyboardist/slide guitarist Jeremy Lawton fill in on bass for Squires while the band performed to prerecorded keyboard tracks throughout the performance in order to make up for the short handed lineup.

    Baltimore, Maryland’s own Chris Jacobs opened the show with a generous selection of soulful electric and acoustic blues that predominately featured offerings from his latest album Dust To Gold. Although the crowd was initially sparse and patrons were constantly shuffling to their seats while the house lights were up, lead vocalist and guitarist Jacobs along with his bandmates, bassist Todd Harrington and drummer/percussionist Dusty Ray Simmons. played as if it was a packed house. Highlights of their offerings included the introduction of a handmade cigar-box guitar that Jacobs played expertly on the track “Kind Woman.”

    Once Jacobs finished a bluesy down and dirty version of “Bonedigger,” it was apparent that he and his band had won over the the enthusiastic and attentive audience. Jacobs was so pleased with the positive feedback the Albany crowd at the Egg provided, he invited the audience to the band’s next performance in New Jersey. Jacobs and company finished their maiden performance at the Egg’s Hart theater with a catchy and raucous version of “Jack The Whistle And The Hammer” which was reminiscent of an old 1970s Steve Miller Band song. The audience responded to Jacobs and his band’s final effort by giving them a rousing standing ovation which set the tone for the rest of the evening.

    After a short intermission, the house lights fell and Big Head Todd and the Monsters took the stage and belted out their first song of the night “Resignation Superman,” which was featured on their 1997 LP Beautiful World. Guitarist and front-man Todd Park Mohr was on point with vocals and expert guitar playing and along with ample support from Nevin and Lawton,  they provided the audience a blueprint of what was to unfold for the remaining performance: a night of great alt electric rock.

    Next up in BHTM’s set was the slower groovier “Crazy Mary” which was also off the Beautiful World LP. This track showcased Mohr’s proficiency at playing captivating guitar solos. The intimate crowd showed it’s approval with appreciative applause after each one of Mohr’s generous guitar solos.  BHTM followed up with fan favorite “Broken Hearted Savior,” a popular selection off of 1993’s Sister Sweetly. This track was also featured on the band’s latest live album Live at Red Rocks 2015. Throughout the night BHTM introduced an eager audience to newly completed unpublished tracks such as “Trip” and “The Bandaged One” which will be featured on their upcoming LP which is slated to be released later in the year.

    It was apparent that members of the audience were devoted fans of the band since throughout the show while Mohr was in the process of changing guitars and tuning for the next selection, the crowd began calling out different song titles from the bands extensive catalog in the hopes that the band might play them. It was during one of those interludes that BHTM member Jeremy Lawton reminisced about being blown away after seeing the group for the first time at a local bar when he was only 20 years old way back in 1992. Lawton went on to say what a privilege it has been for him to have been able to play with such a talented group of musicians and bandmates for the last 13 years.

    BHTM went on to take the cue from the crowd and provided additional material from early on in the band’s career such as the title track of BHTM’s second LP Midnight Radio which was released in 1990 on the bands own label “Big Records.” Mohr, who wrote the song, stated that the lyrics were inspired by the Tiananmen Square Massacre which occurred in Beijing China back in 1989. The band finished the evening with strong renditions of 1993’s radio friendly “Bittersweet,” the down and dirty blues number “New World Arising” and lastly “Cashbox” which featured a BHTM mash up of Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” and Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love.” Mohr and the band triumphantly left the stage only to quickly return while the audience was still on their feet applauding. They capped off the night’s performance with an energetic encore of “Rock Steady” and the ever-popular alt rock anthem “Circle.”

    Big Head Todd and the Monsters will continue their tour of the East Coast throughout the month of May and will be performing on their home turf at the Red Rocks Amphitheater located in Morrison, Colorado on June 10, 2017 co-billing with Collective Soul. For more information about the band and tour dates,  check out their website.

    Setlist: Cris Jacobs- Shine Your Weary Light, Devil or Jesse James, Kind Woman, Bone Digger, Be My Stars, Jack The Whistle and the Hammer

    BHTM – Resignation Superman, Crazy Mary, Broken Hearted Savior, Trip, Imaginary Ships, Moose Song, Please Don’t Tell Her, Josephina, Mind, Midnight Radio, Wipeout Turn, It’s Alright, Turn The Light Out, The Damaged One, Bittersweet, New World Arisin, Cashbox

    Encore: Rocksteady, Circle

  • Hearing Aide: Arthur Moon ‘Our Head’

    Arthur Moon, the transcendental Brooklyn-based project, has released its expanded debut EP entitled Our Head. The band’s founder and song-smith Lora-Faye Ashuvud was born in Sweden and raised in Brooklyn. She studied contemporary art at Smith College in Northampton and later relocated back to NYC to pursue music. The remaining members of the six-piece band consists of Rachel Brotman (keyboard and banjo), Nick Lerman (guitar), Marty Fowler (bass), Dave Palazola (drum) and Aviva Jaye (back-up vocals).

    arthur moon our head
    Lora-Faye Ashuvud lead singer of Arthur Moon

    Ashuvud has a unique way of creating the lyrics for her songs. She cuts out words from magazines and randomly combines them, thereby creating a contemplative and creative texture to her raw and hypnotic vocals. The first track and latest video from Our Head entitled “Room” showcases this unique process, with the addition of Lerman’s reverberating guitar and Brotman’s stark banjo creating a puzzling menagerie that the listener will relish deciphering.

    The politically minded track “Wind Up,” also recently released by the band as a video directed by film maker Sam Jones, interlaces spoken phrases from a robotic male voice that comments on today’s daily hypocrisies combined with Ashuvud’s haunting vocals. The track’s repetitive chorus, “Oh but the mind is narrow, love little wind up bird” is illustrative of a multi-layered critique of today’s social and political landscape.

    Tracks like “Bold Affair” and “Boxing” both use generous amounts of Palazola’s percussion which showcases various rhythms and time signatures that keep the listener actively engaged with the music. These tunes forces the audience to pay attention to the band’s musical details, a definite contrast from most contemporary popular music artists who do not exact that kind of scrutiny from their listeners.

    Arthur Moon’s fifth and final track on their EP Our Head is simply named “The Beatles Cover.” The song is the band’s modernistic homage to The Beatles’ White Album classic, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Ashuvud and company took many liberties with their take on this Beatles gem, one of which was the omission of the title phrase “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” from the chorus of their rendition entirely. “The Beatles Cover” also has a surprising lack of guitar on a track that historically relies heavily on the instrument for it’s renowned lengthy solos. The band fills this void with multiple synthesizer overlays and Ashuvud’s vocals creating an original version that is almost as creative and unique as the band Arthur Moon itself.

  • Consider The Source, Felix Martin and Ampevene: PROG Rock Nation at The Hollow

    It was a night of pure psychedelic/prog rock heaven at The Hollow in Albany on Saturday, March 18 as the musical explorations of Ampevene, Felix Martin and NYC-based headliner Consider the Source took the stage to an enthusiastic crowd of the band’s faithful fans.

    First to take the stage was Ampevene, a locally based quartet founded by guitarist Gabe Stallman. The band’s roster includes Mack Hogan on bass, Darryl Kniffen on drums/percussion, and Ava Smith on keyboards. Their sound is a self-described eclectic mix of free form frenzy, jagged riffs, and hypnotic rhythms. Ampevene was formed in 2013 and since it’s inception has played Albany’s coveted Lark Street festival in 2015. They also have produced three EPs, the latest of which is entitled Rometheu which the band chose as the opener for the show. It was one of the only times throughout the night they blended lyrics with the incredible instrumental skills of the band. One of the high points of the hour long set in my opinion was the use of imaginative sounds that were crafted by talented keyboardist Ava Smith. They provided a beautiful sonic layer that enhanced the psychedelic musical experience that Ampevene created early in the evening.

    After a brief break in the action the musical journey continued with the talent of Venezuelan guitarist Felix Martin whose claim to fame is being able to simultaneously play two guitars at once. His website describes his amazing skill in this way, “Felix uses his self-designed 14 and 16-string guitars, which are two regular guitars in one, in a way never seen or heard before.” Felix and his band which is comprised of bassist Killian Duarte and drummer Victor Carracedo are currently wrapping up their 10 date tour with Consider The Source while promoting their newly released album Mechanical Nations.

    Felix and his band started their show with “Carnat,” which showcased the slap style guitar playing Felix is renowned for on an instrument that looks like it was cooked up in Frankenstein’s lab. Two separate guitars attached together at the neck in a most unnatural way, but yet yields wondrous results at the hands of guitar virtuoso Martin. Up next was newly released “Bom,” which illustrated how tight the band plays as an ensemble ever pleasing the crowd with it’s upbeat hypnotic tempo. Midway through the show bassist Killian Duarte aptly stated to the energized audience “Let’s keep things heavy and proggy” and they did not disappoint. The tone of the show was aggressive with the three piece creating a wall of sound that was reminiscent to Primus, featuring lots of chest cavity pumping bass with head bouncing percussion.

    Last on the bill were headliners Consider the Source, the NYC power trio, whose credits since their formation in 2004 include playing Burning Man, Gathering of the Vibes, Catskill Chill, and numerous other nationally renowned music festivals took the stage. CTS is comprised of Gabriel Marin on fretless doubleneck guitar, bassist John Ferrara, and drummer/percussionist Jeff Mann. Consider The Source’s music showcases a Middle Eastern flair and features pieces with hypnotic melodies such as set opener “Aquarians.” The sonic landscape that filled the room took the audience on a mystical journey into unchartered territory with pieces such as “Closer To Home” and “Abdiel.” The enthusiastic crowd seemed transported to the desert with female spectators breaking out in impromptu belly dancing reminiscent of some ancient Bedouin tribe. The musical menagerie that is Consider The Source is deceiving in its sound, with multi-layered and complex rhythms; it easily feels like these sonic sculptures could have been created by a band twice its size. The craftsmanship and camaraderie of the band was obvious and while CTS was playing early in the set, both previous opening frontmen Gabe Stallman from Ampevene and Felix Martin stood by appreciatively taking in the show in the nearby wings along side the captivated audience.

    Consider the Source’s next local performance will be on May 5 at the Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs. They will also be featured at this year’s Disc Jam festival June 8th- 11 in Stephentown NY.

    Ampevene Setlist: Romethu, Ottro Jam, Tracalysis, Intro Jam, Tumultuous, Valencia

    Felix Martin Setlist: Carnat, Bom, Bom Continues, Eight Moon Headress, Nomadic Tree, Santos, Barquisimetal, Flashback

    Consider The Source Setlist: Aquarians, Many Words of Disapproval, Keep Your Pimp Hand Strong, Closer To Home, Abdiel (Second 1/2), (Good Point) Wandering Bear, A Monument To Compromise, Blue Steel

  • Get the Led Out at The Palace

    I am not old enough to have said that I was lucky enough to see the original line up of the mighty Led Zeppelin in their hay day, but I have to say I came mighty close with seeing Page and Plant touring together back in the 90s. I also have been lucky enough to see Robert Plant solo whenever the chance presented itself, but it was never the real deal. When it looked like the remaining boys and Jason Bonham were going to get back together to do a tour in 2007, we were all on the verge of Nirvana, but that fell apart.

    So what is a poor fanboy to do in the face of never seeing this timeless material live? A Zep tribute band of course, and not just any tribute band but Get the Led Out from Philadelphia, PA, who took over the Palace Theatre on Saturday, February 11. With their passion for Zeppelin completely eclipsing mine, I knew I was in for a night of pure heaven. Get the Led out is made up of Paul Sinclair on lead vocals and harmonica, Andrew Lipke, vocals, guitar, theremin, and keyboard, Paul Hammond, on guitar and mandolin, Jimmy Marchiano on guitar and vocals, Phil DeAgostino on bass, Diana DeSantis, vocals on “The Battle of Evermore” and Adam Ferraioli on drums these fine musicians with exclusion of a few lineup changes early on have been bringing these past masterpieces to life since 2003. This was no Las Vegas theater show where the players are dressed up with wigs and crazy period costumes these folks came to play and played they did.

    Albany’s Palace Theater was packed with the Zeppelin faithful and the band kicked off the show with a ferocious version of “Rock and Roll” which set the tempo for the beginning of the first set. They followed up with “How Many Times,” “Killing Floor,” and “The Lemon Song.” They took it down a notch with “Down By the Seaside,” “Babe I am gonna Leave You,” and “Ramble On.” Sinclair proved himself a force to be reckon with a consummate version of “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” which then transitioned again to the mellow side of Zeppelin with “Going To California,” “The Battle Of Evermore” which featured the extremely talented Diana DeSantis on a stirring backup vocal. The band finished the first set with a crowd pleasing version of “Hey Hey What Can I do.”

    After a short break the band came back in force for the beginning of the second set with a classic version of “The Song Remains the Same” followed by “The Rain Song.” Then it was drummer Adam Ferraioli’s turn to take center stage with a version of “Moby Dick” that would have made John Bonham proud. Finally the band rounded up the final set with versions of “Thank You,” “The Rover,” and fan favorite “Kashmir.” The band left the stage and the crowd called them back for an encore that started with Zeppelin IV’s “Black Dog” and “Stairway To Heaven” and finally ended with a killer version of Zeppelin II’s Whole Lotta Love.

    Lead Singer Paul Sinclair nailed the nail on the head when he said on stage that the band were first and foremost Led Zeppelin fans just like the audience and it was apparent the band was feeling the love from an incredibly grateful audience that appreciated the craftsmanship and skill that Get the Led Out had for this amazing material.