NYS Music 20​17

Category: Media

  • Fusion Lives with John Mclaughlin and Jimmy Herring at The Egg

    “FUSION LIVES!” This was the mantra repeated by an enthused patron during breaks between songs at The Egg on Thursday, November 2nd. Few would disagree with her this evening, one that included the legendary and inspired sounds of Mahavishnu Orchestra great John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension, with Jimmy Herring and the Invisible Whip opening the night on the Meeting of the Spirits Tour.

    Herring’s new group includes former Aquarium Rescue Unit bandmate Jeff Sipe on drums, Matt Slocum on B3 organ and clavinet, Kevin Scott on bass and Jason Crosby on keyboards and violin – and they were just the opening act. Groovy funk lines from Scott laid the foundation for flowing instrumentals, with hints of the Flecktones heard in spots throughout the set. Crosby and Slocum blended together perfectly, and Sipe sat masterfully behind the kit. “Les Brers in A Minor” was a delight to all, nodding to Herring’s time with Allman Brothers Band and respect to the late Gregg Allman.

    As John McLaughlin took the stage with the 4th Dimension, the audience was ecstatic, with chirps of excitement coming out of the crowd in a raucous ovation. This being McLaughlin’s final tour, he played little new material, “El Hombre Que Sabia” in tribute to Paco Lucia, and made the music of Mahavishnu Orchestra come alive once again.

    There were instances where the foursome onstage – Mclaughlin, Gary Husband (drums/vocals), Etienne Mbappe (bass) and Ranjit Barot (percussion) – sounded like they were recreating Frank Zappa songs, but with fewer personnel needed to build compositions to a frenzied state before returning to earth. Mbappe’s tone on bass was like an Altoid – curious strong, for he was wearing gloves the entire night. Jazz musicians gonna jazz I guess.  Husband’s vocal effects on the kit and his superb double team with Barot (and later, with Sipe) drove the set towards a triumphant close.

    The Invisible Whip joined the 4th Dimension for Mahavishnu Orchestra compositions, and altogether with nine musicians on stage, Jimmy’s jazz rock and John’s jazz fusion took alternating turns leading the way, with McLaughlin stepping to the side at times to let Jimmy and the rest do their thing. When McLaughlin broke out the two-necked guitar, the audience was captivated. When he wailed on the whammy bar of his Paul Reed Smith ‘PRS,’ it created a most unique and melodic tone, not a wank on a note for show. Combined together, these two legendary guitarists, John Mclaughlin and Jimmy Herring, along with two powerhouse drummers, brought to mind influences that could be found among the music of Col. Bruce Hampton and Aquarium Rescue Unit, Phish, Frank Zappa, and all the rest who take a ride on the spacious musical journey that is improvisation.

    John Mclaughlin and Jimmy Herring

  • Lespectacle VII: Happy Hallo-CHEEN…

    For the past six years during the Autumnal Equinox in late September, what has been described by hosing band Lespecial as a “Pagan inspired multi-media mini-fest” has taken place.  After making its rounds at various venues in both Boston and New York, Lespectacle VII landed at one of the top music clubs in the country, Brooklyn Bowl, which Rolling Stone ranked the venue 20th in the nation in 2013.

    lespectacle VIIThis year the “psychedelic, haunted circus” not only featured stage design provided by The Reliquarium, a multi-media light and visual show from Vin Pugliese, and was boasting the best lineup of musical acts the mini-fest has seen yet, it was also moved to be held on October, 31… Halloween night. Oh, and did I mention Lespecial would be taking the opportunity to release their second studio album, Cheen? Trick or Treat Lespecialists… Happy Hallo-CHEEN!

    Supporting acts included Dallas’s “The Funky Knuckles,” New York’s own Horizon Wireless, as well as a set from Oakland California’s legendary hip-hop act Zion I with non other than your hosts Lespecial as the backing band. That collaboration first came about with a set at The Great North Music Festival. After working with Zion I, Lespecial decided to feature the MC on the 4th track of the new album titled “Sound That We Do.”  The set at Lespectacle 7 was the second time the cross-genre on-stage collaboration took place. Luke Bemand’s heavy bass and Jonathan Grusauskas’ sampled sounds and synth-scapes lend themselves well to the prolific word flow Zion I has been bringing to the stage since the early 2000’s.

    As for the new sophomore studio album, Cheen, we find a band unafraid to challenge the concepts of traditional genres. They have taken a step further in refining their style by not adhering to the preconceived notions of what that style should be. In fact there is hardly a genre this album doesn’t touch. They have become known for their metal/funk mash up sound on tracks like “Skull Kid” featuring samples of Jack Nicholson as the  Joker in the Tim Burton’s 1989 film Batman, and the Primus-esque “American Apocalypse”  However the track “Stolen Land” brings in a roots-rock/dub sound, and tracks like “Sounds That We Do” and “Donut Ghost House I” and “Donut Ghost House II” bring a hip-hop sound to the album. It’s as if someone said “It’s all been done before” and Lepecial said “Then let’s just do it all.” Spotify player below.

  • Jimkata Says Farewell at American Beauty

    Ten Years, six albums, and hundreds of shows ago, three friends from Oneonta formed the electro-rock band Jimkata. After kicking off in Ithaca and accumulating a dedicated fan base across New York State and beyond over the past decade, Evan Friedell, Packy Lunn, Aaron Gorsch packed up the synths said farewell with a five show/eight night run across New York State. The tour came to an end on Saturday October 28 at American Beauty in Midtown Manhattan.

    Jimkata American Beauty

    The sold out room could barely contain the energy as Halloween costume adorned fans flooded the room. “I knew them back at Ithaca University…” One fan reminisced just before the start of the show. “…I would see them all the time, and when they announced their last show would be in the city I couldn’t miss it.” The conversation was abruptly interrupted when “Jurassic Park Theme” by composer John Williams was played as the band emerged from the green room and took the stage together. With no plans for a return, fans cheered and sang along for what could be the last time.

    Photo Gallery By Chris Capaci/Capacity Images

  • They Fought the Law and the Funk Won: After Funk Debuts Latest Video “Freak”

    After Funk has released the video for “Freak,” the first single off their album set to be released in Spring 2018. Shot in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Tampa, Florida over last New Years, the video follows two criminals, Donnie and Lou, who flee with their winnings to South Florida, and the detectives who track them down.

    After Funk is currently wrapping up their Fall Tour with shows in Hamilton, Ontario on Saturday 10/28, Boston on Wednesday 11/1, Providence on Thursday 11/2, Bridgeport on Friday 11/3 and wrap things up on Thursday, November 30 at Java Barn in Canton, NY.

  • Photo Gallery: Jimkata at Buffalo Iron Works

    Jimkata‘s farewell tour saw them stopping at a sold out Buffalo Iron Works on October 20. Jimkata Nation packed the place eagerly anticipating the Friday night throwdown while West End Blend‘s opening set made sure things got started with a funky good time. Soon enough the lights dimmed, the trio took the stage and memories were made…

  • Watch Jon Lewis Band’s Spooky Music Video for “Let Me Go”

    Just in time for the witching season, Jon Lewis Band created a music video inspired by classic black and white horror movies. Filmed on location in their hometown of Rochester, the monster chase includes scenes from local landmarks such as the Cinema Theater and Mount Hope Cemetery. The band used delightfully cheesy low tech filming techniques reminiscent of classic B movies from Hollywood’s golden age.

    The song “Let Me Go” comes from Jon Lewis Band‘s latest EP, Baby Brother. It’s their second release of the year. The first, Exquisite Corpse, is a contender for best local album in City Newspaper’s annual “Best Of” reader’s poll.

  • With This Album I Thee Wed: Hayley Jane and the Primates Album Release Show

    It was an evening of milestones and memories on a Wednesday, Oct. 18 at Brooklyn Bowl. Before Hayley Jane and the Primates took to the stage to celebrate the release of their new studio album We’re Here Now, Primates bassist Josh Carter married his fiancé Kristen Detroia under a Stealie-style chuppah in front of family, friends, fans and Brooklyn bowlers alike. “She’s a summer love in the spring, fall and winter. She can make happy any man alive…” venue owner Pete Shapiro echoed the words of Robert Hunter and Bob Weir before inviting Dopapod front man and longtime friend of the couple Rob Compa to share the story of how the two met some ten years ago.

    Hayley Jane And The Primates Following the off the cuff and personal tails of Compa, Shapiro oversaw the vows and pronounced the couple husband and wife. Josh and Kristen Carter kissed, broke glass, and then remembered to exchange rings at the end. The crowed cheered at the completion of the nontraditional, public, and yet adequately personal, Brooklyn Bowl wedding ceremony. Shapiro encouraged the crowd as he and the wedding party walked off the stage, “Now lets rock!” And just like that, the world was introduced to the opening act for the evening, The Brooklyn Bowl Wedding All-stars. Keeping up with the friends and family feeling of the evening Dopapod’s Eli Winderman and Rob Compa, Pink Talking Fish’s Richard James, and Kung Fu’s Adrian Tramontano and Chris DeAngelis madeup the wedding band to end all wedding bands. They formed a funk fueled five-some covering everything from Stevie Wonder to The Rolling Stones, and even invited Primates guitarist Justin Hancock to join them for The Allman Brothers Band’s “Blue Sky.”

    With the night already full of high points the stage had yet to be graced with its evening’s headliner. Hayley Jane and the Primates were welcomed by the Brooklyn City crowd with great excitement and anticipation. The set highlighted the bands new album and spanned their versatility. Along with soaring guitar solos, intricate bass lines, and steady drumbeats Hayley Jane’s soulful voice and colorful lyrics filled the room. The Interstellar Dancers added an interpretative dance flare backing up the front woman’s signature choreography.

    Of course the evening would not be complete without a series of on stage collaborations. Rob Compa was first to join adding his stylings to the sixth track off of the album”We’re here Now” titled “You Gotta Move.” Up next were two of Hayley’s friends from the band’s hometown of Boston on steel drums and percussion. They added to the reggae sounds of  “Man Acrylic.” Eli Winderman jumped back on the organ and surprise guest Elise Testone stood along side Hayley Jane for a vocal jam on the track “Make It Alright.” A few songs later another appearance by Richard James on the last two songs “Hey Mister” and “Hurricane Jane” would close out the set.

    As Hayley Jane and the Primates walked off, the city that never sleeps met the empty stage with chants for one more song. They would acquiesce and then some. The first of the two song encore “To the Moon” was a slower ballad brought to life by Jane’s glowing personality and glowing moon prop she held in hand throughout the song. The second song of the encore, and final song of the night, featured every guest the stage had featured for the event.  It amounted to a sixteen person (including dancers) “I Can Do It (Poo Jam).” The audience chanted along “I know that I can do it…” as the wedding/friends and family reunion/album release show came to its end. It was truly a special and unique night at Brooklyn Bowl summed up best by the words of Hayley Jane herself, “What a lucky bunch of creatures who can run around and dance if we want.”

    Photos by Chris Capaci/Capacity Images

  • The Floozies Electrify Boston

    The Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA hosted a night of Colorado all-stars on Friday October 13 featuring The Floozies. Late Night Radio and the Funk Hunters opened the evening, both bringing high energy. The room was surging from the beginning, cheers and roars coming during every drop.

    The Floozies came out to a sold-out crowd and did not slow down all night long. Playing favorites like “Sunroof Cadillac,” “Cheese,” and “Love, Sex, and Fancy Things,” they mixed in hits off their new album, Funk Jesus. The duo heads west across the country, playing halloween night in Utah, playing a long west-coast run before ending in their home-state of Colorado. Check out the photos from Boston by Zatchmo Lives Media.

  • Such Gold Throws Mid-Tour Hometown Punk Rock Show

    Such Gold ripped a gig in Rochester on Friday the 13 of October. The punk rockers played at Bug Jar, their familiar stomping grounds, at the midway point in their fall tour. “We’ve played here one… thousand times,” quipped front man Ben Kotin between songs.

    such goldThe all-local show included support from Barbarosa, California Cousins, and Taking Meds. Two members of Such Gold did double duty, as they also play in Taking Meds: Kotin (guitar) and Jon Markson (bass). Such Gold is rounded out with Nate Derby on guitar and Matt Covey on drums. They performed work from their eight-year span, including a handful of songs from last month’s release Deep In A Hole. Both in their studio recordings and at live shows, they’re energetic and fun.

    The crowd at Bug Jar was abuzz with excitement, and it wasn’t long before the center of the room opened up into a mosh pit. There was a great dynamic between the band and members of the audience, many of whom have been supporters since the early days. Tonight’s show was full of crowd surfing and even a stage dive or two. A highlight was when Skylar Sarkis of Taking Meds took the stage to sing on a cover of Snapcase’s “Energy Dome.”

    Such Gold takes to the road for the second leg of their tour with a headliner on Thursday, October 19 in Stanhope, New Jersey. They join A Wilhelm Scream, After The Fall and We Were Sharks  for a run of shows which start on Friday, October 20 at St. Vitus in Brooklyn and end with a Halloween show in Lancaster, PA.

    Setlist: Intro, Locked Out of the Magic Theater, Engulfed In Flames, Two Year Plan, Ceiling Stare, Ransom, Four Superbowls No Rings, Nauseating, Deep In A Hole, Rot Gut, No Cab Fare, Energy Dome (Snapcase), Storyteller, Sycamore

    such goldsuch gold

  • STS9 Impresses in Philly

    Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) played The Fillmore in Philly on September 30. I have only seen them a few times over the last few years, but this show was different. They sounded like a new band. A lot of the jams seemed to have an almost house like feel. Not to compare them to another jamband, but they almost sounded like some glorious 2007 Disco Biscuits, without trying to. After touring since their last release, 2016’s The Universe Inside, the new line-up is firing on all cylinders and I suggest you give their new sound a listen.