NYS Music 20​17

Category: Photo Gallery

  • UFO and Saxon Invade Penn’s Peak

    On Saturday April 1, 2017, the only fools were the ones who did not get a ticket to the UFO-Saxon concert at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA. Close to 2000 fans, mainly middle-aged men clad in leather and denim jackets donned with classic rock and roll patches, attended the sold out rock show at the scenic concert venue in the heart of central Pennsylvania near the Pocono Mountains.

    The Penn’s Peak show was the second to last on this classic US tour before heading to Europe to begin the summer festival season. Both Saxon and UFO have storied careers spanning decades with a diehard and loyal fanbase.

    Newcomer, Jared James Nichols, opening for Saxon and UFO,  took command of the sold-out crowd on April Fools’ Day.  Solo artist, Nichols, opening for this tour has taken the music industry by storm. Recently coming out of a t0ur with Zakk Wylde, the trio of bassist Erik Sandin and drummer Dennis Holm have landed another killer gig opening for the British heavy metal legends Saxon and UFO supporting them on this tour. Having one release under their belt, Old Glory and the Wild Revival, their bluesy hard rock was energetic and infectious with an edgy rock sound and stage presence that was perfect for warming up the fans. Keep an eye on these guys. I am glad I caught them when I did as they are definitely making waves and going places. I especially love the fact he plays guitar with his fingers and without the use of a pick. Another very cool rock and roll move.

    Following the shredding guitar work of opening act Jared James Nichols, Saxon stormed the stage in true classic metal style. Frontman Biff Byford, guitarists Doug Scarratt and Paul Quinn, bassist Nibbs Carter and drummer Nigel Glockler gave the fans a thrilling ride down metal lane, with their set consisting of classic 80’s Saxon songs along with a handful of their current material off Battering Ram. The thundering bass and bottom end had the peak shaking its foundations while the dueling guitar work of Scarratt and Quinn were as tight and fluid as you would expect from this classic guitar, heavy riff driven band. Saxon opened their set a little after 9 p.m. with the title track “Battering Ram” off their latest release, following with “This Town Rocks,” off  Power and the Glory, and finally, the 3rd song, “Sacrifice.”

    Byford sounds better than ever, looking energetic and youthful despite his age. Wearing a long black medieval style buttoned down jacket, he had no problems head-banging with his long blonde locks flailing. He worked the stage like a master frontman, all while maintaining constant interaction with the crowd acknowledging the fans and talking about living for a brief period of time in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Midway through the set, Byford gave the fans the opportunity to choose what song they wanted to hear, giving them several options to choose from  including “Never Surrender,”  “747 (Strangers in the Night)” or “And the Band Played On” while paying tribute to legendary British rocker Lemmy Kilmister.  Closing out their seventy-five-minute set were the classics “Crusader,” “Denim and Leather” and “Princess of the Night.”

    Saxon Setlist: Battering Ram, This Town Rocks, Sacrifice, Power and the Glory, KQueen of Hearts, The Eagle has Landed, Dallas 1PM, Heavy Metal, Thunder, Crusader, Wheels of Steel

    Encore: Denim and Leather, Princess of the Night

    Headliners UFO took the stage around 10:30 for over a ninety-minute set wrapping up at close to 12:15 am. Touring in support of their 2015 studio album A Conspiracy of Stars, UFO had the crowd from song one. The last time I saw UFO was in 1983 when they opened for Ozzy at the Broome County Arena in Binghamton, NY. Having never really listened to UFO that much, I did recognize many of their songs on the set. Opening their set with “Mother Mary,” “Long Gone” and thirdly “Run Boy Run” I was immediately impressed with the tightness and cohesiveness of the band that formed back in 1969. The energy was infectious and mesmerizing as the only two original UFO members Phil Mogg and drummer Andy Parker along with keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Paul Raymond, guitarist extraordinaire Vinnie Moore and bassist Rob De Luca, never missed a beat and were in the pocket from the first note throughout the almost two-hour long set.

    Mogg, a 50 year veteran of the stage knows how to work the crowd. He is very adept at keeping the fans attention, using humor, history lessons and rock and roll charm. At times he would crack jokes about his beautiful baldness and comparing his age to that of some of the guys in the crowd that were lucky enough to still have hair, albeit, grey. Mogg, pushing 70 years old, remains ever youthful and spry onstage while captivating the crowd delivering the classic UFO sound that fans have loved for close to five decades.

    With a catalog of almost 50 years of material to choose from, including hits from the classic albums Lights Out, Obsession, Strangers in the Night, and more, it was no surprise they played for almost two hours solid as the fans remained for the encore numbers.

    UFO Setlist: Mother Mary, Long Gone, Run Boy Run, Lights Out, Baby Blue, Only You Can Rock Me, Let it Roll, Burn Your House Down, Too, Hot to Handle, Messiah of Love, Love to Love, Rock Bottom

    Encore: Cherry, Doctor Doctor, Shoot Shoot

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  • moe. Gets Meaty in Connecticut

    On a rainy Friday night in New Haven, Connecticut on March 31, fans gathered at the College Street Music Hall to see the jam titans moe.  The 5-piece appropriately opened the show with “Water” to a soaking wet crowd.  The cleverly placed tune off the 2001 album, Dither, served as a welcoming “hello” as suggest in the lyrics.  A gentle transition into “Hector’s Pillow” flowed like a river and soared with Chuck Garvey and Al Schnier exchanging guitar riffs to the delight of a rowdy crowd.

    If the line to get inside the venue wasn’t long enough, there was always the beer line to eat up more of your first set enjoyment.  Looking on the bright side, I was able to meet a middle-aged crew celebrating a 40th birthday and wearing matching hats that read “40 moe. years.”  Embracing the famoe.ly atmosphere, the birthday crew pointed out that drummer Vinnie Amico was also sporting the same hat during the show.  The “glass half full” attitude in the beer line worked well with the lyrics of “Okayalright,” the third song of the evening.  The classic tune off 2003’s Wormwood serves as a favorite for moe.rons of all ages and on Friday night, bassist Rob Derhak had the damp crowd singing along.

    The one-two punch of Skrunk> Lazarus generated high-energy power normally reserved for the second set.  Schnier was on fire while Garvey provided the gasoline to keep the flame glowing.  While Lazarus has been played for two decades, it wasn’t until the 2012 release, What Happened to the LA LAs that the band took the song to the studio.   Unlike the recorded version, which taps out under 4-minutes, moe. added a lift-kit to the monster truck of a jam in New Haven.  Serving up even more kickassery to close out the first set, “McBain” gave each member a moment in the spotlight and featured the peaks and valleys that die-hard followers of the band have come to expect over the years.

    The venue was treated to the sounds (and smells) of a good old fashioned Allman Brothers Band concert when moe. came back out for an epic cover of “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.”  Known as one of the most iconic classic rock instrumentals of all time, this early second set masterpiece saw Jim Laughlin go to town on his signature vibraphone during the peak of the jam.  After a crowd-pleasing “Buster,” my vote for second-set MVP took the vibraphone on another adventure during an extra-long “Chromatic Nightmare.”  This dizzying percussion piece seemed to be heavily Zappa influenced as the band attempted to recreate an acid trip at a carnival, and the crowd ate it up.

    The more straight-forward “Blond Hair and Blue Eyes” brought the venue back to a safe space before getting even deeper with “Faker.”  While “Chromatic Nightmare” is an example of the more psychedelic side of the quartet, “Faker” displays their talent for introspective lyrics and melodic compositions.  Those in attendance looking for the more heavy-metal moe. were treated to a killer “meat.” to close out the set.  “Elizabeth Reed” may have been the highlight of the early half of the set, but “meat.” took the group to an entirely different dimension.  It is rare to see a mosh pit form at a jam band show, but if it were to happen, it feels like “meat.” is the most moshable of them all.  Fans that prefer to cling to Al-side of the theater were treated to an up-close and personal look at the guitarist and he brought his shredding as close to the fans as possible.

    Perhaps as a nod to April Fool’s the following day, “Waiting For The Punchline” was delivered as the sole encore of the evening. The delightful bluegrass section of this number got feet stomping and hands clapping, and if I’m not mistaken, I believe I caught a few “yee-haws” before the end of the tune.  While it appeared that some of the moe.rons in the room would be making the trek across the Long Island Sound to see them again the following night in Huntington, those staying in Connecticut left the venue grateful for the well-crafted start to their weekend.

    Set I: Water > Hector’s Pillow > Okayalright, Skrunk > Lazarus, Little Miss Cup Half Empty, McBain

    Set II: In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed, Jazz Wank > Buster >Chromatic Nightmare, Blond Hair And Blue Eyes, Faker > meat.

    Encore: Waiting For The Punchline

  • Gin Wigmore interviewed by Recess with Spinelli

    Originally hailing from Aukland, New Zealand but now residing in Los Angeles, USA, Gin Wigmore is known for her powerful vocals and melodies.

    gin wigmore

    Listen to the interview with Gin Wigmore by Alexander Spinelli/Longbow Media/Recess with Spinelli:

    Ms. Wigmore originally came to my attention while I was in London, England in 2012.  While surfing the channels on the (in the local vernacular) “telly,” I stumbled on a James Bond, “Skyfall” commercial featuring Gin’s song, “Man Like That,” off here 2011 release “Gravel & Wine.”  At this point, I was as Peter Pan may say, ‘hooked.’

    gin wigmore
    Gin Wigmore at the Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Albany, NY

    Ms. Wigmore’s 2013 release, Blood to Bone lived-up to her reputation and in fact, ever solidified her growing American fanbase, with songs such as “Written in the Water” and “New Rush.”

    Back in December, Gin came to Hollow Bar and Kitchen, in Albany, NY to a packed audience in support of her upcoming album and newly released, bold single “Mercy.”

    I interviewed Ms. Wigmore ahead of the show, during which she speaks of her musical progression, move to California, the upcoming album and much more!

    You can also listen to the full radio broadcast here:

    Recess with Spinelli can be heard every Wednesday 8pm-10pm EDT on WSPN in Saratoga Springs, NY on 91.1FM and on Hoxton FM in London, England every Wednesday 11pm-1am GMT 6pm-8pm EDT

    Follow Recess with Spinelli:

    Instagram Twitter Facebook Youtube Soundcloud Mixcloud and online at longbowmedia.us

  • Yarn Performs at Albany’s Parish Public House

    Brooklyn, NY based Yarn stopped by Albany’s Parish Public House on Thursday, March 16, and played to an excited “home” crowd. Yarn boasts not one, but two capital region members. Band leader Blake Christiana is from Schenectady, NY and Trevor MacArthur on vocals and guitar is from Clifton Park, NY. The crowd was excited to hear many of the songs from their 2016 release This is the Year, as well as old favorites. They closed out the evening with Jim Croce’s “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” leaving the stage to join the crowd for very well received last song.

  • 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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  • Listen to Sawyer Fredericks Interview on Recess with Spinelli

    Fultonville, NY native and winner of NBC’s Season 8 of “The Voice,” young Sawyer Fredericks will be joining the stage with fellow local musicians The Sea the Sea, Girl Blue, Sandy McKnight and John Davidson for the 518 Songfest at The Egg in Albany, NY on April 1. interview

    Sawyer Fredericks Interview
    Sawyer Fredericks live on Recess with Spinelli at WSPN

    Back in November, Mr. Fredericks stopped by the WSPN radio studio on the Skidmore College campus for an interview and to perform several live songs and discuss life on the family farm, musical inspiration, experience on “The Voice” and much more.

    You can listen to the full radio broadcast here:

    Sawyer Fredericks Interview
    Sawyer Fredericks live on Recess with Spinelli at WSPN

    Recess with Spinelli can be heard every Wednesday 8pm-10pm EDT on WSPN in Saratoga Springs, NY on 91.1FM and on Hoxton FM in London, England every Wednesday 11pm-1am GMT 6pm-8pm EDT

    Follow Recess with Spinelli: Instagram Twitter Facebook Youtube Soundcloud  Mixcloud and online at longbowmedia.us

  • The Rest in Space Tour Sells Out Clifton Park

    The Clifton Park performance on Sunday, March 5 for the Rest in Space Tour may have left fans covered in pizza and Doritos, but smiles were stretched across their faces. Pierce The Veil acted as kings for a day performing at the sold out venue alongside Falling In Reverse and Crown The Empire as they all brought the Rest in Space Tour to Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park.

    The show opened with metal group Crown The Empire who kicked off their set with the hit “Zero” off of their most recent album, Retrograde. Crown The Empire kept the energy up from the very start of their set, encouraging fans to crowd surf to the front of the venue. Front man Andy Velasquez tried to encourage the action by discussing their tradition of having crowd surfers at the venue.

    During their hit “The Fallout,” a fan crowd surfed to the front of the venue with two beers in hand for the band. “Is this what I think this is? This is the best day of my life,” said Velasquez as he took the beers from the fan. This was the first time that Crown The Empire played a sold out show the Clifton Park venue. Due to this, there seemed to be additional energy and joy given off by the band. The set contained an entertaining performance by Velasquez by using all areas of the stage to get fans’ attention, as well as from bassist Hayden Tree and guitarist Brandon Hoover.

    Following Crown The Empire was the rock band Falling In Reverse who initiated a food fight during their set. Fans found themselves being victims of the “Bad Girls Club” after foods like Doritos and an entire pizza were rained upon them. Besides food being thrown around during “Bad Girls Club,” the song of the night seemed to be the way the crowd reacted to “Fashionably Late.”

    When the band started “Alone,” a fight broke out in the middle of the song, and as security escorted people out of the venue, Falling In Reverse decided to start the song over again. This was Falling In Reverse’s first performance at the Clifton Park venue since their headlining show in 2012 which resulted in front man Ronnie Radke leaving mid-set due to his disapproval of actions by the audience.

    After personally kicking out fans who came to the show to protest Falling In Reverse, this was the first time in four years that the band decided to play their set at the venue. Although this led to the show starting on an odd note, by the end of the set, Radke seemed grateful for the way the crowd responded to their set. The band all bowed together, as Ronnie thanked the crowd for the performance

    When Pierce The Veil took the stage, the sold out venue became the loudest it was the entire evening. All four members took the stage exhibited intense energy which included guitarist Jaime Preciado jumping to all parts of the stage. “Do you guys like to make noise out there, Clifton Park?” said frontman Vic Fuentes as the crowd screamed back at him.

    Their set opened with fan favorite “Dive In,” off of their new album, Misadventures. A more emotional song of the night, Fuentes spoke a little before performing their first single off of their new album, “The Divine Zero.” “I was a super timid kid and I didn’t have that voice yet, I didn’t have my confidence yet,” said Fuentes. For Fuentes, music became his, “one thing” to build up his confidence. With this, he dedicated the song to everyone in the audience.

    A treat for older fans of Pierce The Veil, for their Rest in Space Tour show, the band decided to do an acoustic performance of “Stay Away From My Friends,” a song off of their second full-length album Selfish Machines, and a song not commonly done by the band live.

    Besides the songs they performed, Pierce The Veil gave an incredible performance. There were minimal errors to be heard in their live performing in comparison to their studio recording. Vocals by Fuentes were crisp, and he was able to do harsh vocals that complemented that of their recordings. The guitar by Preciado was exceptional compared to that of their recorded work. During fan favorite “Bulletproof Love,” Pierce The Veil brought one lucky fan on stage with them throughout the beginning of the song for Fuentes to serenade.  “Are you ready to cut f-cking loose on this last song?” said Fuentes as they led into their encore.

    When it came to the end of their performance, Pierce The Veil closed their set with their intense, powerhouse song, “King For A Day.” The venue felt electric with the energy from the vocal performance by Fuentes, guitar by Preciado, the bass chords by bassist Tony Perry and drumming by drummer Mike Fuentes. The Rest in Space tour concludes on March 10 in Pheonix, A.Z.

  • March Fourth and Pimps of Joytime Booty Shake with Swagger at the Fox Theatre, February 25, 2017

    They put their socks on one at time like the rest of us, but that pretty much is where the resemblance to ordinary folks like us ends. Some have speculated that they could be aliens from another planet-perhaps set on this planet as interstellar ambassadors of a higher universal groove. They, on occasion, have referred to themselves, quite cheerfully, as freak of nature.

    The official nomenclature  for this merry band of mischief-makers is March Fourth, a band of about 20 irrepressible pied-pipers of carnival gypsy funk, that stuff themselves, along with trunks of outlandishly colorful, handmade costumes, stilts, mountainous cases of brass and percussion instruments, props, and hats into a well-worn bus with the creaky metaphysics of a vintage World War II submarine, who, then, somehow tumble, flip, shimmy and shake their way across the country determined to blast the lid off every venue they enter as if their music was the equivalent of a giant rainbow confetti cannon.

    And, appropriately during the season of Carnivale, Boulder, Colorado fans once again packed the Fox Theatre to experience their unique blend of steampunk celebration staged with the sweaty, gospel fervor of a Mardi Gras revival tent. Throughout the set, acrobats, and stilt-walkers performed a wild series of athletic backflips, jumps, and balancing feats that were as risky as they were eye-popping.

    Joining March Fourth on the winter tour, the Pimps of Joytime opened with a soulful set of R&B influenced-funk and acoustic tunes. With the booty-shaking swagger of Sly and the Family Stone, the five-piece band delivered an infectiously energetic set of tunes from their new album, Jukestone Paradise.

    So, however one may label this jubilant roadshow or its people, it was, no doubt, a remarkable experience. On second thought, perhaps they don’t put their socks on one at a time. (When they do wear them.) We, mere mortals, may never know for sure.

  • Benevento/Russo Duo and WOLF! at The Brooklyn Bowl

    This past Saturday, February 25, The Benevento/Russo Duo and WOLF! played at the Brooklyn Bowl as a part of the Freaks Ball XVII.

    The show was The Duo’s first official show in the states in 7 years, although they played a last minute warm-up show for Jamcruise at Threes Brewing in Brooklyn a few weeks ago.  Both bands have strong ties to the Freaks Ball as Joe Russo has played in 14 of them, but Scott Metzger of WOLF! has him beat with 15 appearances himself. The show sold out in 30 seconds, extras were expensive or scarce, and although the venue was packed, it was full of people who wanted to be there.

    WOLF! played a great opening set, they let the energy build up as Scott Metzger shredded throughout the whole set. The Benevento/Russo Duo slid back into their catalog like a worn glove. They crushed all the classics, the peak of the night came during the “Becky” and “Scratchitti” section. They paired two of their most loved, high-energy songs together and the crowd at the Brooklyn Bowl was losing it. Though they’ve played together throughout the years in different bands and line-ups, it’s hard to deny the chemistry and connection those two old friends have when it’s just them on stage together making music. The Duo has no other shows scheduled for this year, but I think it’s safe to say that they will be back again soon.

    Setlist: Best Reason To Buy The Sun, Sunny’s Song, 9X9, Soba, Powder, Walking, Running, Viking, Welcome Red, Becky, Scratchitti > Something For Rockets, Hate Frame, My Pet Goat

    Encore: Play, Pause, Stop

  • moe. Knocks Out Two Back-to-Back Sold Out Shows at Higher Ground and Calvin Theatre

    Friday Feb 3, moe. brought some explosive energy to the Higher Ground in Burlington, VT for the first of two sold out shows.   As a popular and intimate venue, the crowd packed the venue like sardines in a can and quickly connected with the band making for a heater of a night.   It can’t go without mentioning that Burlington has one of the best selection of breweries in the northeast and Higher Ground serves a lot of them on tap.

    As attendees gulped down the micro-brews, the band warmed up with a solid “Captain America” featuring a tight solo from Chuck.  As they jammed a bit, Vinnie shifted drum rhythms to a slightly quicker speed, allowing a smooth transition into the funky “Akimbo.”  While tuning up their instruments, Chuck took to the microphone to comically introduce themselves saying, “Hello Everybody, we are moe. and we are not from Vermont.   But, we like Vermont.  We are Vermont-curious.” before counting off their own gloomy “Brittle End.”

    The Instrumental “CalifornIA” came next with a playful boost of energy as Al took his turn with a ripe solo that unfolded to an unforgettably extended “Bring You Down.”  Taking a brief moment, the band then invited Jamie Masefield to the stage to sit-in on mandolin for the remainder of the first set.   Vinnie began the traditional “stick-count” and intro for “Happy Hour Hero.”   When the bridge arrived, Chuck graciously gave Jamie the reins of the solo giving the song an earthly bluegrass feel.  Not too long into the jam, Jamie persuaded Chuck to share finger-picking licks with him while the rest of the band kept a steady pace, gradually picking up momentum.   When the groove was satisfied, they collectively segued into a steamy “Silver Sun” to end the set.  Before taking a break, Al whimsically gave praise to Masefield with “One of Vermont’s natural resources!”

    Returning to the stage, Garvey heckled Rob a little bit to get “ready to rock” by hilariously improvising a brief song with the remaining members. They quickly jumped into a pumped up “Puebla” featuring some technical fretwork by Chuck, who seemed to be the shining bright that evening.  Without a huddle, they thumped into “Crab Eyes” with a fantastic solo by Al.  Next came a massive “Yodelittle > Down Boy > Yodelittle” sandwich featuring some stellar bass grooves by Derhak.  Jim and Vinnie percussively attacked “Y.O.Y.” with a vengeance as they transitioned into a fiery “Water” to end the set.  With minutes left of the show, moe. rocked out Pink Floyd’s “In The Flesh” while Loughlin stepped up to the mic and belted out the lyrics.   The ensemble then propelled the brimming Higher Ground with the sing-a-long favorite “Plane Crash,” to conclude the show.

    Following onto the next night, moe. topped-off the first part of their winter tour with one more sold-out performance at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, Massachusetts.  Oddly, the Marquee sign on the front of the building was only half lit, highlighting the word “Vin,” which must have been some sort of foreshadowing of the performance that was about to unfold.  The theatre quickly filled as fans were anticipating a fun-filled, top-notch performance.  Shortly after their initial start time, members of the group embraced the stage and warmed up with “Defrost > Waiting for the Punchline.”  Next came the new Rob-sung “Prestige Worldwide” which included a knarly performance by Jim.  moe. then brought the mood down a couple levels with the fan-favoirte “Four” before segueing into the booty-shaker “Seat of My Pants.”  During Al’s quaking solo, the crowd went ballistic as he played his guitar against the top of a fan’s head, using it as a slide.   Moe. then churned up a mega “McBain” to round up the first set.

    There’s really only one thing to say about the second set, Non-stop Party!  Simple as that.  moe. played a monstrous triple-decker “The Pit” bundled with a conga-filled jam in”Deep This Time” and a 25 minute “Recreational Chemistry.”  But, it didn’t stop there.  The segues were endless as every member was firing on all cylinders and Garvey’s fierce guitar work on “Bullet” was dangerously captivating.   Jim displayed a colorful vibraphone solo that led into a percussively dominant “Brent Black” and featured an intense drum jam with Vinnie joining Jim on his congas and timbales!  At this point, the audience was sucked into the energy of the duo’s performance, cheering and hollering with excitement as some recorded it with their phones for future reminiscing.  As Vinnie jumped back on his drum set, Rob emerged from stage-side and entertained the audience with a beefy bass solo.

    Before the band continued with the encore, Al traditionally took a few minutes to interact with the fans with some announcements.  Giving fans a heartfelt “Letter Home” and “New York City” was a great way to bring the tour to a close before they pick back up in a few weeks.  Before everyone began filtering out, Rob took to the mic one last time to request a quick photo.   In doing so, he convinced half of the venue to give their photographer, Paul Citone, the middle finger from behind the band.  Once again, proving this band to be one of the best in the business!

    Higher Ground – 2.3.17

    Set I: Captain America > Akimbo, Brittle End, CalifornIA > Bring You Down, Happy Hour Hero* > Silver Sun*

    Set II: Puebla, Crab Eyes, Yodelittle > Down Boy > Yodelittle, Y.O.Y. > Water

    Encore: In The Flesh, Plane Crash

    *w/ Jamie Masefield

    Calvin Theatre – 2.4.17

    Set I:  Defrost > Waiting for the Punchline, Prestige Worldwide, Four > Seat of My Pants > McBain

    Set II: Tubing the River Styx > The Pit > Deep This Time > The Pit > Rec. Chem. > The Pit > Bullet > Brent Black

    Encore: Letter Home, NYC