There seems to be a growing trend in metal music of rap-metal making a comeback since Prophets Of Rage emerged last year. You could argue that bands like Body Count have been around for a long time, but now the genre seems to be in the spotlight again. And with any sub-genre of metal, you get the flash in the pan bands or the goofy sounding bands that don’t last, however, Powerflo has landed and makes a statement.
Consisting of powerhouse members of Biohazard, Fear Factory, Downset, and fronted by Cypress Hill’s Sen Dog, their self titled debut album makes you stop and say, “Hey, we got something here.” You always get a feeling with super groups that they could not work or blend well or just seem to be an odd fit. This is not the case. Powerflo is tight, has chemistry and contains killer hooks and a hard sound that grabs you by the collar and makes you listen.
The opening track “My M.O.” opens with a crushing guitar riff and dope rhymes straight from Sen Dog with a fantastic rhythm and beat from bassist Christen Olde Wolbers and drummer Fernando Schaefer. Its perfect to get you hyped up or that necessary kick you need to listen to while you’re at the gym. The next track “Resistance” is heavily vocal, driven with sick drums. But the song that stands out most is “Less Than a Human” because of how motivating it is. The track that highlights the band the best is the single “Victim of Circumstance.” If you want to get someone hooked on this band, show them this track. It’s a perfect sports anthem. I would expect to hear this band at sporting and fight events. Book it.
Some of the Biohazard fans may be let down because they’re expecting to hear the kick ass break downs and guitar solos from a band that made them so iconic. Poweflo isn’t driven by break downs and solos, it’s driven by catchy hooks. The hooks punch HARD. And Sen Dog really shines because he’s front and center. This is a band with a bold move by guitarist Billy Graziadei, because everyone is used to him being front and center anchoring for Biohazard, but he has a different role in Powerflo. But it works. This album is a must have for any hip hop, hardcore or metal fan. Keep an eye out for Powerflo. It’s easily the best debut metal album of this year.
Key Tracks: “My M.O.”, “Less Than A Human”, “Victim Of Circumstance”
Ever since my first local show experience in my hometown of Syracuse, N.Y, I was addicted to finding local bands. The one thing us New Yorkers know best is how to make our own brand of metal. Look around in the Central New York area and you will find some of the most talented bands you can find from Ire Clad, which has some of the best mixture of Black Sabbath’s doom approach mix with some of the hard rock vibrations of Soundgarden, and Vile Tyrant who continues to liberate the black metal underground with their melodic approach to the genre. New York bleeds metal! To present my case, I give you this album review of A Fitting Revenge’s album, Tempus Fugit. I now have the floor!
A Fitting Revenge is based out of Rochester, N.Y. We have Ledwing Hernandez on both guitars and vocals to bring the battlecry, Chris Xu on guitar to help bring the groove back to the mosh floor, Chandler Moran on bass to make your skin vibrate with excitement, and Aaron Smith on drums fueling the fire with his sonic attack behind the kit! Tempus Fugit is a deadly cocktail of groove and melody. The track “Cured of Faith” has some of the best groove induced execution I have seen in recent years. The band’s influences really show here. From the vocal approach much in the style of Randy Blythe, from Lamb of God, to the very catchy riff playing similar to Dimebag Darrell, the band still gives this track some NY style flavor. Hernandez’s vocals are just murderous and carries very well with the intricate drumming of Smith; by far my favorite track from the group. Moran’s bass playing will make you pick up your feet as Smith’s sounds the battle drums! Prepare for a moshpit for this one!
Even with the intense amount of aggression, you can still find some of the best melodic material from A Fitting Revenge. The track for me that screams out to in this manner is the beautifully constructed ‘Quiverfull’. The guitars harmonize very well on this song. Xu and Hernandez really have that chemistry to make this song hit hard. It is like taking a punch from Tyaon; yes including the ear biting! The fingering and precision is remarkable. Not even once when I was this demon did they lose my attention on this track; superb. Extremely catchy and melodic, it will have you begging for more as Hernandez’s guitar soars and compounds the solos with no struggle. The bass playing of Moran is spot on as it helps propel the emphasis of the bottom end of the song with the help of Smith’s very technical playing to keep that neck of yours breaking!
These musicians are extremely talented in what they do. With the aggressive tracks, like “Cured of Faith” and “Quiverfull,” and the melodic tracks, like the instrumental “Neuromancer” and “Wintermute,” the band no doubt has mastered their craft. In my opinion you should check out this band if you need a groove fix for your collection. I give this album 5 out of 5 horns. Go to the band’s links below to show your support!
Positive Mental Trip recently releasedThe Black and White Album, a collection of 15 songs that spans the genres of reggae, progressive rock, alternative rock, and more. The band is from Catskill, and The Black and White Album is their sophomore album coming five years after Change Your Mind. The band’s core writer/recording musician is Luke Weiler; he taught himself drums and bass to record nearly every instrument you hear on the album. The few exceptions are the sax parts in “The Bronco Rides at Midnight” and “Circles,” recorded by Chris Bonnano, and additional guitar from Steve Repka on “Circles,” “The Happy Old Man,” and “As a Friend” and Walt B on “The Bronco Rides at Midnight.”
The album kicks off with two reggae-styled tracks: “The Road” and “The Happy Old Man.” “The Happy Old Man” is one of those feel-good songs with simple structure, ending each lyrical phrase with “cuz I’m the happy old man.” It makes good use of percussion and guitar arpeggios. “The Road” is one of the best on the album with a laid-back groove emphasized by the scratchy/distorted guitar. “December Winds” stands out as the heaviest track on the album, greatly juxtaposing the lighter works throughout. It has a driving backbeat and prominent guitar until the end where the track suddenly shifts to a slower, lethargic tempo. “Sleeping Dreamland” artistically features some flat pitch bending in the guitar to illicit a dream-like or even a disoriented state by the listener. “Circles” closes out the album with an upbeat, funky, progressive jam that really caps the project with an exclamation point!
The album is quite diverse in song structure, featuring tracks only about a minute long up to almost 12 minutes, and it’s also inclusive of multiple genres; it has something for all listeners. They used a number of vocal effects which added a bit of depth to the vocalist’s sound. Weiler mixed and mastered the entire project with a little help from Tony Gonzo on “The Road.” The bass and drums could have been higher in the mix throughout to give the music a little more support, but still impressive nonetheless that Weiler crafted this album himself.
The album is a bit more experimental than the last, illustrating the artist’s growth in musicianship and willingness to diversify the writing. The band took some liberties with the recording process by tracking anywhere from 5 to 12 layers of guitar and including an array of instruments throughout. They’re not touring in support of this album, save for the CD release party in Athens, NY. So this allowed them to focus on creating densely textured tracks without worrying about how to recreate them live. Click here to check it out!
Key Tracks: The Road, The Happy Old Man, and The Bronco Rides at Midnight
Parkway Drive brings their last US tour of the year to the greater North American area. Thursday, June 22 they paid a visit to Upstate Concert Hall.
The crowd was off of their feet the second Parkway Drive came on stage and started their set with the song “wild eyes.” With nonstop crowd surfing and moshing throughout the whole set, you could feel the energy and the room shaking from the stage all the way to the back of the venue! You do not want to miss this tour.
Setlist: Wild Eyes, Carrion, Dedication, Vice Grip, Karma, Sleepwalker, Dark Days, Destroyer, Boneyards, Writings on the wall, Idols and anchors, Romance is Dead
Ten minutes down the road from Saratoga Performing Art Center’s Dead and Company concert June 20th, the performing arts center was co-hosting with Skidmore a classical event “Mozart in Havana.” While stylistically different from the jam up the road, and certainly separate in target audiences, the Cuban orchestra inspired by free expression and lighthearted love for music.
Pianist Simone Dinnerstein and the Havana Lyceum Orchestra intrigued a full house of excited classical music lovers with over two hours of intricate dialogues between piano and orchestra. The concert featured a classical piece from Cuba, two Mozart concertos, a Copland, and a surprise arrangement of Cuban music that had the orchestra members dancing in their seats, and eventually off stage to a salsa rhythm. Simone Dinnerstein, a well-respected and acknowledged talent of her generation, paired her love of piano music with her interest in Cuban music and culture on this cool June evening.
Taking the stage at Skidmore’s Arthur Zankel Music Center, Ms. Dinnerstein held the audience captivated with the technically challenging yet beautifully managed Mozart concertos. Both concertos 21 and 23 were recognizable to the audience, making the music selection accessible to audiences while also demonstrating Ms. Dinnerstein’s well-controlled and expressive musicianship.
Simone Dinnerstein, a well-respected and acknowledged talent of her generation, paired her love of piano music with her interest in Cuban music and culture on this cool June evening. The concert’s bookends were well-loved compositions from both Cuban and American cannons for orchestra. Concert notes reflected thought about how to best bridge the cultures through classical music
The concert’s bookends were well-loved compositions from both Cuban and American canons for orchestra. Concert notes reflected thought about how to best bridge the cultures through classical music choices and had settled on Farinas and Copland for this purpose.
The true excitement of the night, however, came from an encore performance of an arrangement composed by the orchestra’s own violinist, Jenny Pena Compo, who delighted audiences with dueling melodies on the trumpet and later violins. Showcasing musicianship and a true passion for their country’s music, the young and diverse orchestra members swayed together to the rhythms of Cuba’s traditional melodies. Musicians left the stage dancing and playing their instruments with a joyful, young energy often missing from classical concerts.
Audience members shared culture through music in the concert hall, laughing and dancing in their seats in an invigorating and inspiring night of music.
The third and final chapter in NYS Music’s threepart series on moe.down revisits the 11th through 15th festivals. In 2010, the band moved the festival from the grounds of Turin, NY, where they spent the last decade, to a new location at Gelston Castle Estate in Mohawk, New York. For the next two years, moe.down would call this location home.
moe.down XI
Line-up: moe. The Black Keys. Nas & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley. Mike Gordon. Lotus. Grace Potter and The Nocturnals. Punch Brothers. Built to Spill. Tortoise. Ryan Montbleau Band. The Macpodz. The Brew. Monkey Wrench. Orgone. Turbine. Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds.
moe.down XI was the first time a multi-day festival had been held at the Gelston venue. Infrastructure had to be built to pump in water to the campgrounds and crude roads had to be roughly smoothed out to get attendees on site. This first year on the grounds also brought drizzles of rain throughout, as well as a chill, damp air that lingered each day, with touches of sun peaking through here and there.
The original line-up in 2010 featured Jakob Dylan, but he unfortunately had to back out and was replaced with Grace Potter and The Nocturnals for this year’s events. It’s not very often that artists on the original line-up have to back out, but this year’s schedule change kept the flow going. Who doesn’t love watching Grace Potter literally grace the stage with her beauty, Flying V guitar in hand, and breathy vocals melting into the microphone? Other noteworthy performances over the weekend included sets by Phish bassist Mike Gordon and his solo band, who’s set included Radiohead’s “15 step,” as well as The Brew blowing up the venue with an unexpected cover of Foreigner’s “Juke Box Hero.”
Host band moe. played on the main stage each day of the festival. The customary kids parade occurred on Saturday, with the stream of kids attending ending up on the main stage while moe. laid down some energetic jams. Each year, a mayor is chosen by the audience. The winner of the annual election of the mayor of moe.down went to Rage Lincoln and his reading of the Headysburg Address.
Notable sets included the evening Saturday set that opened with “Plane Crash” and then closed out the night, before encore, going back into “Plane Crash,” bringing the night’s performance to a smooth finish. The last night of the festival, moe. busted out a twisty turny extended “Farmer Ben” that was crammed with nuggets of unexpected surprises. Hints and teases of Rush splashed about through the jam, including touches of “Spirit of Radio,” “Tom Sawyer,” and “Working Man.”
moe. fan, Mike Quinn, looked back at some of his most unforgettable moments from moe.down and this year in particular brought fond memories. “I’ve been lucky enough to witness some really amazing things at moe.down. I’ve seen friends get engaged (moe.down 11) and then two years later get married at the top of the hill (moe.down 13). I was with my friends when they felt their son in utero kick for the first time at moe.down (11).”
Check out a smoking “Recreational Chemistry” from 9/4/2010:
9/3/10 – Gelston Castle Estate – Mohawk, NY Set 1: Zed Naught Z>(nh) Time Again>Waiting For The Punchline, Blue Jeans Pizza>(nh) Captain America>Puebla>George, Brent Black>Akimbo
Encore: Brent Black>Billy Goat
9/4/10 – Gelston Castle Estate – Mohawk, NY Set 1: Skrunk>Lazarus>Spine Of A Dog*, New York City^, St. Augustine>32 Things
Encore: Y.O.Y.^^
Set 2: Plane Crash>Hector.’s Pillow>Bring You Down, Daydreaming, Paranoid Android#>Ricky Marten>Time Ed
Set 3: Seat Of My Pants>(nh) Bearsong>(nh) Runaway Overlude>(nh) Recreational Chemistry, Not Coming Down>Wormwood>Plane Crash
Encore: Faker
* w/ Powerhouse ending ^ moe.down Kids’ Tent Parade ^^ Dedicated to Monkey Wrench (who played on the Buzz Stage right afterwards) # Last time played 7/20/07
9/5/10 – Gelston Castle Estate – Mohawk, NY Set 1: Buster>Haze>Yodelittle>McBain, Cornflake Girl>(nh) Timmy Tucker
Set 2: Moth>Queen Of Everything, Four>Rebubula
Encore: Deep This Time, Tubing The River Styx>The Pit>Farmer Ben**>Moth
* Ben jam section: Ben>Spirit Of The Radio (Rush)>Ben>Tom Sawyer (Rush)>Ben>Working Man (Rush)>Powerhouse>Ben
moe.down XII
Line-up: moe. The Levon Helm Band (featuring special guest Bob Weir). Ween. TV On The Radio. Slightly Stoopid. Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers. Ozomatli. Railroad Earth. The New Mastersounds. Rubblebucket. Danger Muffin. The Ragbirds. Empire Sound. Band. Gary Clark, Jr.
This year’s three-day event called into question whether it may even go on. Hurricane Irene rolled through the area just a few days prior, shutting down the flooded thruway. Those concerns were dashed, however, as the thruway opened and the show went on.
Once again, the festival was held at Gelston Castle Estate in Mohawk, NY. One big draw was heavy hitter Bob Weir as special guest with The Levon Helm Band. Gary Clark, Jr., an up and coming artist at that time, was slated to perform, along with well seasoned bands, Ween and Slightly Stoopid. Railroad Earth also made an appearance, and will be returning to this year’s moe.down.
The weather did have it’s say on some of the schedule during the weekend. The Levon Helm Band was postponed for nearly an hour due to lightning in the area. Fans took shelter under tarps and tents until the storm subsided. When the band finally took to the stage, Bob Weir sat in for their moving set.
On Saturday, moe. performed back to back sets in the evening, with the encore featuring “Crab Eyes” played on iPads to honor the passing of Steve Jobs. Sunday’s moe. evening sets brought Bob Weir to the stage as he joined in on a jaw dropping triple punch during “The Other One>Smokestack Lightning>The Other One.” The winner of this year’s mayor of moe.down was announced before encore and went to both Bob Weir and Rob’s hair. “Spine of a Dog” and “Seat of My Pants” brought the festival to a close.
Check out the band performing “Crab Eyes” completely on iPads:
9/2/11 Gelston Castle Estate – Mohawk, NY Set 1: Captain America, Down Boy>(nh) Skrunk>George, Where Does The Time Go?>Dr. Graffenberg, Deep This Time>32 Things
Encore: Plane Crash
9/3/11 Gelston Castle Estate – Mohawk, NY Set I: Rise>(nh) St. Augustine, She Sends Me, Nebraska^, Puebla>(nh) Mar-Dema>Timmy Tucker, Hi & Lo>Moth
Set 2: Good Trip>Akimbo, Blue Jeans Pizza, Downward Facing Dog, Tubing the River Styx>The Pit, Haze@>Rebubula@
Set 3: meat.>Don’t Fuck With Flo>Yodelittle>Lazarus, Four>Buster
Encore: Crab Eyes**, Bearsong
* w/ moe.down Kid’s Tent Parade @ w/ al. on ’74 double-neck Gibson ** w/ band playing on iPads
9/4/11 Gelston Castle Estate – Mohawk, NY Set 1: Rainshine, Happy Hour Hero, Big World>Ricky Marten>The Other One*#>Smokestack Lightning*##>The Other One*#, Stuck Inside of Mobile (with the Memphis Blues Again)@*%, Feel Like A Stranger*%%
Set 2: Wind It Up, Faker>Billy Goat, Suck A Lemon, Paper Dragon>Recreational Chemistry
Encore: Mayor of moe.ville Election$, Spine of a Dog>Seat of My Pants
* w/ Bob Weir @ w/ al. on mandolin # LTP > 7/17/09 ## FTP – Chester Burnett, a.k.a. Howlin’ Wolf cover % FTP – Bob Dylan cover %% FTP – Grateful Dead cover $ w/ Bob Weir (and rob.’s hair) elected mayor
moe.down XIII
Line-up: moe. Umphrey’s McGee. North Mississippi Allstars Duo. SOJA. Bright Light Social Hour. Timbre Coup. Aqueous. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Galactic. The Wood Brothers. Marco Benevento. Kyle Hollingsworth. The Everyone Orchestra. Leroy Justice. JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound. Infantree.
This year’s moe.down was moved back to the original Turin, NY venue at Snow Ridge Ski Resort. It was also moved up to an earlier date, this time in August. The move back to the original venue, as well as an earlier time slot made for a successful festival, and one of their best to date. Fans were ecstatic to be back on the old stomping grounds and, much to their delight, were able to experience two full sets of moe. each day. 2012 also brought much anticipated camping areas designated for families and sober attendees.
It just wouldn’t be a moe.down without some rain in the forecast. Occasional showers rolled in on Friday night, but the bands that took to the stage made sure to keep the energy going late into the night. Once again, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals performed, opening up the main stage on the first day. She later joined in with moe. during their cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.”
Saturday’s second set by moe. in the evening turned spicy as Galactic joined the group on stage to bust out The Band’s “Up On Cripple Creek,” which was immediately followed by a hefty jam session by both. The double jamming session continued as they flowed into “How Many More Years” with both Vinnie Amico and Jim Loughlin on percussion.
One attendee, Chris Perrault, recalls the magic of this year’s festival overall. “Musically, I remember standing high up on the hill as the sun was setting, watching everyone groove. As the sun went down, everything became electric or illuminated. The stage. The hula hoops. The glow sticks. But mostly the dancers and the music just changed course from happy daytime music to crunchy ‘oh, you want to get down? Well, then let’s!’ It was fantastic!”
Sunday’s performances brought a heavy hitting set by Umphrey’s McGee, which included a sit-in by Stanley Jordan. moe.’s evening performance included Umphrey’s McGee joining in for a band switch during a double dose of Pink Floyd covers, performing “Time” and “Breathe.” This year’s mayor of moe.down went to Goldbond. A surprise second set delighted fans as fireworks blew up in the sky, with “Billy Goat>meat.” bringing the event to a close.
8/10/12 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY Set 1: Plane Crash@ >(nh) Not Coming Down@ > Wormwood > Okayalright, Gimme Shelter*#, Tubing The River Styx > The Pit > Puebla > Timmy Tucker, Letter Home^, Wind It Up
Set 2: Tailspin## > head., Happy Hour Hero**, McBain > Skrunk > Brent Black
Encore: Seat Of My Pants^^ >(nh) Akimbo
@ w/ al. on ’74 Gibson double-neck guitar *w/ Grace Potter on vox ** w/ Kyle Hollingsworth on keys ^ ’97 / Reggae version ^^ SDB tease # Last time played 3/06/08 ## Last time played 1/31/11
8/11/12 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY Set 1: Crab Eyes>(nh) Down Boy>(nh) The Bones Of Lazarus, Blue Eyed Son@, Captain America>Waiting For The Punchline, Faker>Moth
Set 2: Paper Dragon>Dr. Graffenberg, Sticks and Stones, Zed Naught Z>Don’t Fuck With Flo>Zed Naught Z, Up On Cripple Creek*>moe. / Galactic Jam>How Many More Years**, George, Recreational Chemistry
@ w/ al on electric mandolin * w/ Galactic ** Galactic w/ Vin & Jim on percussion
8/12/12 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY Set 1: Haze@, It>St. Augustine>Downward Facing Dog, Bring It Back Home*, Spine Of A Dog>Buster
Set 2: Bullet>Deep This Time, The Road>Kyle’s Song>Kids, Time^>moe. / Umphrey’s band-switch>Breathe
Encore: Rebubula
Encore 2: Billy Goat>meat.
@ w/ al on ’74 Gibson double-neck guitar * w/ moe.down Kid’s Tent Parade ^ w/ Umphrey’s McGee Mayor of moe.ville = Goldbond Fireworks went off after Rebubula, and band played a 2nd encore as surprise to fans
moe.down XIV
Line-up: moe. Steve Kimock Band. Mike Dillon Band. Conehead Buddha. Pennyshine. Conspirator. Stanley Jordan Trio. Savoy. Floodwood. Dr. Dog. Del McCoury Band. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. RAQ. Eastbound Jesus. Wolf! The Stepkids.
This year’s event was once again held in Turin, NY. The crowd of attendees was much smaller, and more intimate, than usual. Friday’s musical set began on a stylish note, as the Del McCoury Band took to the stage. With perfectly coifed hair and stylish suits, these guys brought nothing but class and bluegrass to the stage. It was a refreshing musical change to the festival without a doubt. moe.’s Friday set included a tip of the hat to Jerry Garcia with a performance of “Casey Jones,” as the anniversary of his death was August 9. For the first time in recent years, the Friday night sky was crystal clear, without a hint of rain in sight.
Saturday’s events brought a lost wandering Beagle puppy to the attention of everyone. moe. even made an announcement to try and find the owner. Without any luck finding who the dog belonged to, she was eventually turned over to the local Humane Society, to which she was appropriately named “Moe.Na.” Speaking of moe., their evening set busted out a ridiculously energetic version of “Plane Crash” that included Shannon and Terry Lynch, of Conehead Buddhas, on horns. If that wasn’t enough to blow fans away, second set was basically one of the most insane sets they’ve ever played. Fierce compositions followed one after the other, filled with emotional jams that brought a wave of energy up and down as the melodies ebbed into each other. That set brought down the house, and had fans staring in disbelief at the amazing shreds the band was throwing out to the mountain side.
Sunday’s musical delights included the Mike Dillon Band, with Carly Meyers of ROAR! crushing a killer trombone as part of the ever rotating cast of musicians in this project. Stanley Jordan, famous for his two-handed tapping guitar style, had fans who’ve never seen him perform watch on in awe and dropped jaws. Speaking of Jordan, he joined moe. during encore with “Rebubula,” after the new mayor of moe.down went to the ditch. “Happy Hour Hero” closed out the year, followed by the annual fireworks display.
Watch moe.’s entire second set from 8/10/13:
8/9/13 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY Set 1 Big World>Ricky Marten>Bring You Down, Casey Jones, Blue Jeans Pizza>Silver Sun>Mexico
Set 2: St. Augustine>32 Things, Deal#, Time Ed>Water*>Brent Black%>Mar-DeMa>Time Ed
Encore: Spine Of A Dog**
# LTP > 12/02/12 * w/ Enter Sandman Jam % unfinished ** w/ Powerhouse ending
8/10/13 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY Set 1: Skrunk>Timmy Tucker, Wind It Up, Godzilla*, Puebla>Tubing The River Styx>The Pit>Plane Crash**
Set 2: Smoke>Chromatic Nightmare>Smoke>Recreational Chemistry>Akimbo>Tubing The River Styx>Seat Of My Pants>meat.#>Brent Black^
Encore: Traveling Light##, Dr. Graffenberg
* w/ Chris Michetti on guitar ** w/ Shannon & Terry Lynch on horns ^ completes 8/09/13 version # unfinished ## first time played- (cover – JJ Cale) – dedicated to JJ Cale and Mikey Houser
8/11/13 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY Set 1: Stranger Than Fiction, Suck A Lemon, Crackers, Bearsong*, Billy Goat > CalfironIA >(nh) Y.O.Y.>Buster**
Set 2: Queen Of Everything, Moth>Hi & Lo>Opium, Yodelittle%>meat.#, The Bones Of Lazarus>George
Encore: – Rebubula^, Happy Hour Hero^^
* w/ moe.down Kids Parade & Carly Meyers on trombone ** w/ Mike Dillon on percussion % w/ Stanley Jordan on guitar # completes 8/10/13 version – Ditch voted in as mayor. of moe.ville ^ w/ Stanley Jordan on guitar & Kenwood Dennard switched out for a period of time with Vin, who played percussion with Jim, before switching back with Kenwood on drums ^^ Fireworks were shot afterwards
moe.down XV
Line-up: moe. Gogol Bordello, O.A.R., Lotus, Solve, Les Claypool’s Duo De Twang, Jerry Douglas Band, Everyone Orchestra, Twiddle, Floodwood, Aqueous, The Werks, Conehead Buddha, American Babies, Wild Adriatic
Since 2000, moe. has been hosting this festival for fans, friends and family. This year, the three day festival was especially welcome as the event returned to the original Labor Day weekend date at Snow Ridge in Turin, NY. Not having to go to work on Monday was a big factor for fans, as many did not want to miss the epic fireworks display after the band’s last song on Sunday. The rain held up for most of the weekend, keeping the grounds dry during the day.
Two bands making debut appearances this year included Twiddle and Wild Adriatic. Both bands are scheduled to appear this year for moe.down XVI. Conehead Buddha, Lotus, and Les Claypool’s Due De Twang gave powerhouse performance sets jam packed with high energy. Lotus took the place of The Rich Robinson Band, who were originally scheduled to perform. The most surprising act of the festival was from Gogol Bordello, an intensely high energy band whose music was a combination of bordello, punk and theatrics all rolled into one.
moe.’s Saturday evening performance included the members of Conehead Buddha horns joining the group on stage for the majority of the set. moe. put out the call to fans stating that if their Facebook page reached 100,000 likes, they would play a “Voter’s Choice” song during moe.down. They did not disappoint. They brought out the rare instrumental “Canned Pastries,” that had only been played five times previously, making it’s last appearance on the setlist on August 25, 1994. Before the encore of “Rebubula,” the mayor of moe.ville was announced. This year finally went to Rex Thomson, who had been competing for the mayor for the past few years.
Check out the encore which wrapped up the last moe.down three years ago:
8/29/14 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY Set 1: meat.*>Dr. Graffenberg>Low, Same Old Story, Chromatic Nightmare, Don’t Fuck With Flo>Timmy Tucker, White Lightning Turpentine, Faker>meat.
Encore: Spine Of A Dog>Seat Of My Pants
* w/ Bullet Jam / false start
8/30/14 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY Set 1: Mar-DeMa>(nh) Captain America, Okayalright>(nh) Crab Eyes, This I Know, Billy Goat%, Skrunk>Blue Jeans Pizza>Waiting For The Punchline Reprise>Waiting For The Punchline, Downward Facing Dog
Set 3: Silver Sun, Threw It All Away*, Not Coming Down*>Wormwood*>Brittle End*, The Wizard*^, Spanish Moon*>Blond Hair And Blue Eyes*, Late In The Evening*, Plane Crash*
Encore: Jazz Wank>Hava Negilah>Long Island Girls Rule
% w/ moe.down Kid’s Tent Parade * w/ Conehead Buddha horns: Shannon Lynch on saxaphone, Terry Lynch on trumpet, Shaun Bazylewicz on trombone ^ w/ Terry Lynch on vox
8/31/14 Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY Set 1: Paper Dragon, Annihilation Blues, Do Or Die, Water>Hector’s Pillow>Four>32 Things, Canned Pastries# Set 2: Big World>Rickey Marten>Time Ed>Moth, Puebla>Kyle’s Song
The Dirty Pennies play a mean twelve bar blues. However, they don’t box themselves into the genre. They use the blues as a springboard to launch into other musical directions.
Their debut album Kick Out The Rocks demonstrates this versatility – from the boogie-woogie title track to the alt rock “Explosions” and the folk ballad “Man on a Wire.” The Dirty Pennies started as a duo five years ago, with Ryan Klem on vocals and lead guitar and Lucas Howe on drums. Last year, bassist Joe Mungo joined the group. NYS Music sat down with the trio at Boulder Coffee Co. in their hometown of Rochester to discuss the evolution of the band and their sound.
Lucas Howe, Joe Mungo, Ryan Klem
Paula Cummings: Ryan and Lucas, you started as a duo about 5 years ago. How did you meet & decide to start a band?
Lucas Howe: We played in another band before that wasn’t really our cup of tea, you could say, and then we both decided to jam and start our own thing.
Ryan Klem: I remember when we were playing in the band, but we both had different writing styles. I came from the singer-songwriter style. We came up with a happy medium of sound, bringing in that twelve-bar blues like The White Stripes, The Black Keys.
PC: Tell me about how you became a trio.
Joe Mungo: When I moved out here three years ago, I started working with Ryan. The first weekend out here I saw them play a show. So I approached him a couple days later at work and said, “Hey, man, if you ever want to jam or anything sometime, I’d be interested in playing with you guys.” The first time we played collectively, after practice they were like, “Okay, you’re in. Let’s do this.”
RK: We had someone working with us from Cleveland for a while who said, “You guys should get a bassist.” We also had enough people coming up to us after shows saying “You guys sound like the Black Keys” or “You guys sound like the White Stripes.” I don’t want to sound just like The Black Keys and The White Stripes, so bringing in another element has been able to…
LH: It opens up a lot more.
RK: What we were doing was straightforward, what we were able to do. There was a big margin where we could write what we wanted, but there was only so much we could do with a guitar and drums. With a bass now, we can touch indie rock, we can touch country… we can touch lots of different things.
PC: You’ve been a live band for so long, what was it like when you finally got into the studio?
RK: It’s strange because people think of us as a live band, but we did an EP that took the course of three years. I was up at school, living in the Adirondacks, and I would come back and just play a show every once in a while, not really knowing where all of this was going. But what I will say is Kick Out The Rocks was the first time I’ve felt like going into the studio and hammering something out.
JM: For me it was return-to-my-roots. When I lived in Geneva, my hometown, I was in another band, my friend and I, and we were setting up a studio. It was a very grassroots thing in a basement. I think we played four shows total, so all the time we were playing it was in the studio setting. So it was nice to go back to that. But it was a completely different experience because Blue Brick Recordings is a legitimate studio with different rooms and things set up. It was really fun to have the professional setting.
LH: I still think I like that people look at us as a live band. You hear the songs on the record, but I think you don’t get the same experience… I like to go nuts.
RK: Right, live is different.
JM: Recording in the studio, one thing that trips me up a bit is “Okay, I need to nail it this time.”
LH: It’s really stressful.
JM: It gets really frustrating if you can’t get it after a few tries. You get frustrated and you just want to move on for the day. But live, it doesn’t have to be the same every time.
PC: The album has strong blues overtones, but also blends a wide range of sounds. Who are some of the bands that inspire you?
RK: I like Wilco.
LH: Deer Tick is pretty sweet.
JM: If I had to name a band that’s currently out, I’d say Houndmouth has a similar sound to us.
RK: I feel like we’re always listening. It’s harder now to find your style. If you’re someone who really grasps onto music – you want to listen to music, you want to play music – there’s just so much of it out there.
JM: The more cool stuff you hear, it’s like, “Let’s do something like that.”
RK: And then it will change and I’ll be like, “Why do I like so much reggae stuff now?”
PC: What is your favorite comment by someone who reviewed your album?
JM: Frank DeBlase (City Newspaper) gave me my best one. He said my bass was “sassy and precarious.” I really liked that comment, sassy and precarious.
LH: I mainly liked that it seems like everyone that wrote about us said you can’t find one song that’s not catchy, that you can’t tap your foot to. We always hear that it’s catchy music.
RK: The thing is that you get a little of everything. That’s what we’re trying to do, a little of everything.
LH: That’s important to do, to split up the album – not just have it all grunge garage blues the whole time.
RK: I think we touch on all of our strengths on the album, which is nice. We all have different backgrounds in music. In the twelve songs we have, I can name one song in particular in each of our styles where we really honed in on that track specifically. And it’s very cool we all got to do that. We compromise in a sense but we also stay unique through it, which is really hard to do sometimes.
PC: What’s on the horizon for The Dirty Pennies?
LH: We’re touring in mid-August.
RK: Other than that, we’re writing new stuff.
JM: I think that’s the focus right now – new music.
RK: I love our record, but I’m ready for new stuff already.
LH: We have been playing some new songs in practice that we haven’t really played live or are obviously not on the record.
JM: We’ve got three or four new ones that are almost there.
LH: It’s always nice to write new stuff. It’s nice to go in other directions.
PC: What else would you like our readers to know about you?
RK: We’re high-energy. We like to put on a fun live performance.
Their next show on July 15 is at the BASIC BRAND (skate board / apparel company) Launch Party at Kashong Creek Craft Cider in Geneva, NY. For updates on shows and events, check their website or follow them on Facebook.
A weekend spent in Stephentown, NY meant a finely curated lineup over four days at Gardner’s Farm. Having headlined every single year since the festival’s conception in 2011, this year was no different as progressive jam outfit Dopapod prepped for their Friday night set ahead. With a recent spring tour in the rear view mirror, the quartet offered fans a live compilation album, II Saw Live Dopapod, Evil Was II, to curb the anticipation ahead of their impending studio album, which they’ve been placing the finishing touches on. The strings of the group, bassist Chuck Jones and guitarist Rob Compa were kind enough to chat with NYS Music just ahead of their 9:30pm headlining set. Jones, adorned in a mock, heavy metal Celine Dion tee started off by noting their progression as a group over the years as we dove into fun tidbits about the upcoming album and the band as a whole.
Alyssa Ladzinski: Your most recent release was a live album of fan-favorites, what can you tell us about your upcoming release?
Chuck Jones: We just finished our new studio album, we’ve been working on it a lot this last month when we haven’t had any shows. I think we’re trying to release that in the fall before touring.
Rob Compa: We just finished all the recording and tracking for the studio album. There’s gonna be some songs nobodies heard yet, there’s gonna be a lot of instrumentation that a lot of people probably aren’t expecting. I.E. people can expect lots of strings, violins and cellos in certain songs. It’s the first time I recorded guitar parts at home with my amp in my closet, trying not to piss off my neighbors too much. It was a lot of fun to make. It was the most fun I’ve had in a while actually.
AL: Your auxiliary chord breaks while touring in the van. What’s one album the four of you can agree on listening to, front to back?
CJ: I don’t know if we could, our tastes are so diverse there’s no one album we can all agree on. We would get to a point where we could settle. Probably Pink Floyd we can all agree on. That’s what makes this group so enjoyable to play in, everyone has such eclectic tastes from all over.
RC:Uberjam by John Scofield or Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd.
AL: Now you’re all alone on a road trip, what’s one album you’re singing along and playing air instruments to?
RC: Lately I’m not listening to that much music. I could always go for Ben Folds Rock in the Suburbs all the way through or Dire Straits first album.
CJ: Silence. I enjoy the time to think. There’s a lot of saturation in listening, at this point I’ll have to think about putting on music.
AL: Create your own super group you’d want to play in.
CJ: Mike from Aqueous, Beau from Kung Fu, I’m not sure. I like to let other people handle these things and I go to my safe spot.
RC: Well I love James Searl from Giant Panda, Tim Palmieri on guitar, Scotty Zwang on drums, Caden from the Jauntee. I’ll leave it at that, no keys.
AL: Favorite show you’ve seen lately?
CJ: I just moved to Colorado a month ago and quickly I went to see two nights of Primus. Once in a smaller room and then at Red Rocks.
RC: Main Squeeze at Brooklyn Bowl for their CD release. Lyle Brewer of Ryan Montbleau Band played a solo guitar set at Rockwood Music Hall in NY.
AL: If the guys were going to surprise Rob and Becky with an impromptu performance at the wedding, what would it be and who would fill in for Rob on guitar?
CJ: Probably a Phish song, I think he would love that. I can only play “Cars, Trucks and Busses.” He would love if we played a Phish song and had Luke play guitar. Or Pink Floyd.
RC: “Kick N’ Bach” by Frogwings but they’d have to get the real guitarists on the track, Herring and Trucks. Becky would scream with glee.
AL: Being with NYS Music, I have to ask, who’ your favorite NY native artist?
RC: The Niche in Rochester, my heroes when i was 18. They’d sneak me backstage and they were the first band in the scene to let me sit in with them.
CJ: Giant panda, Aqueous, NY Jazz Trio. NY is saturated with good music.
AL: If you could switch bodies with anyone in Dopapod, who would it be and why?
CJ: I’d stay with myself. Maybe Neal cause it would be really fun to be that good at drums.
AL: Weirdest thing a fan has done for you?
CJ: A fan once made a T-shirt with my face on it. My mom has it. It’s weird and flattering and my mom loves it. She was wearing it the other day.
RC: One time at a show in Syracuse my 96 year old grandma was there in a wheelchair and people kept offering to buy her shots. She didn’t have them, but I thought that was pretty funny.
AL: What’s your biggest challenge as a band as of late?
CJ: Having more responsibilities. I’m about to be 30 in August and you look around at festivals and realize the age group ranges from 18-24. This is a young person’s sport!
RC: Half of us are on the East Coast while the other half is in Colorado. Trying to make that work is a thing. Today is the first time we’ve played together in a month and a half. Financially, it’s a challenge too. There’s always the ebb and flow of your band being a hot ticket or not. If you haven’t put out a new album in a couple years, you don’t have any fuel or anything to hand people. So dealing with that.
AL: Rob, you offer guitar lessons to prospective students. How has that worked out for you?
RC: I get a lot of bite and about half of the work. With teaching, I like that I’m directly helping somebody. I don’t really feel that so much when I’m playing on stage. Maybe it happens accidentally, but it doesn’t happen intentionally for that reason.
AL: You seem active on Facebook enough to notice the day in and day out analysis of your music in Dopafam. Is it weird to see your music that deeply dissected on a regular basis?
CJ: They notice the small details. The fact that there’s one person, let alone a handful of people spending that much time listening to our music is all you can ask for.
AL: Can you pinpoint one Dopapod show that stands out as a favorite?
RC: I really liked the last Richmond show we played. It was just a lot of fun and my favorite part was Neal, our drummer has a mic, so he talks to us while we’re playing and during a song I was soloing, he told me how to solo the whole time. You can only solo on this string, now you can only solo on this string and the first five frets of the guitar, now only on A flat. It was just goofy. If I had a favorite one five years ago it would probably be bad because you just keep getting better.
Setlist: 8 Years Ended, Present Ghosts, Mucho, Indian Grits > Freight Train Filled With Dynamite, Priorities, Trickery, Cloud World
Dead and Company roared into Saratoga Springs on a rainbow for a show at SPAC on Tuesday, June 20 after a hot weekend of shows at Fenway Park. The national tour has Deadheads and Mayerheads alike buzzing about the continued pairing of the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti. Few tours of this nature attract an audience where grandparents bring grandkids to the show, tying music across generations and inviting fans of all ages to enjoy the music of the Grateful Dead with an infusion of new blood.
Out of the gate, Weir led the troupe through “Hell in a Bucket,” and let Oteil take over on “Next Time You See Me,” laying down the deepest of bluesy grooves that Pigpen would nod at approvingly. “Loose Lucy” and “Mississippi Half Step” had the audience singing along with Bob and John, but “Looks Like Rain” was where the music connected with Mother Nature. Just as Weir returned to the chorus, the skies opened up and a soft sunshower began with a subsequent rainbow appearing over the gleeful crowd moments later. The refreshing rain led to a “Dire Wolf” sing along followed by “Lost Sailor > “Saint of Circumstance” that wrapped up a tight first set.
The second set started with “Chinacat Sunflower” and instead of expected “I Know You Rider,” Mayer shifted gears into “Deal” where he let off steam, jumping up and down as he led through a rip roaring version of “Deal,” easily the highlight of the night. “China Doll” with Oteil’s heavenly vocals and “Terrapin Station” were the centerpiece of the second set feast. Bass ripples from “Drums>Space” rolled into mellow noodling that soon became “All Along the Watchtower” with Bob charging full ahead before pulling up the reigns for “Black Peter.” To sandwich the set, a patient segue into “Rider” tied the night together with tantric energy built up throughout. For an encore, “Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad” capped the night with a delighted crowd singing loudly and gleefully.
Set 1: Hell in a Bucket, Next Time You See Me, Loose Lucy, Mississippi Half-Step, Looks Like Rain, Dire Wolf, Lost Sailor>Saint of Circumstance
Set 2: China Cat Sunflower>Deal>China Doll>Terrapin Station>Drums>Space>All Along the Watchtower>Black Peter>I Know You Rider
After three decades Deep Banana Blackout still has their charm. On Friday, June 16, DBB played alongside The Breakfast, who both now have another excellent performance to put under their belts. Their performance Deep Banana Breakfast, although typical, was well received by the wide demographic of people that attended.
Typically, the Fairfield Theater Company gains the attention of people who seemingly aren’t so interested in the band that’s playing, but are more attracted to the idea of seeing live music on Friday night. They come to almost every show the FTC has to offer but always seem so uninterested, sometimes leaving halfway through a show. But not this time. The men and women were flabbergasted by the momentum and energy that DBB brought. Their well-rounded and classic sound combined with a contemporary layout made for an absolutely epic night that was enjoyed by patrons of all ages.
The Breakfast played for an hour and fifteen minutes with their efforts not going unappreciated. The only gripe some people might have had with their performance was that they came out swinging hard – they peaked early and as the room filled out it was easy to see the crowd had lost interest come the end of their set. They consist of: Tim Palmieri on guitar and vocals, Adrian Tramontano of Kung Fu on drums and vocals, Chris DeAngelis on bass and vocals and Jordan Giangreco on keyboards and vocals. They’re very technical and multi-directional with enough talent to last for years. Listeners can sense influences of rock, jam, funk and hints of jazz throughout their pieces. They too have been playing for almost three decades and still performed with unrelenting energy.
DBB, who’s show wasn’t the most incredible one they’ve ever done by any means, was much appreciated for their consistency. There are some member changes compared to their performances 10 years ago, but the feel of their show is still alive and well and that is something to appreciate. There were a few teases and a wide variety of tastes and styles that fluctuated throughout the show. Their selections ranged from a crowd favorite, “Bump and Sway,” to Peter Gabriel’s, “Sledgehammer,” to a lively version of James Brown’s, “Turn Me Loose, I’m Dr. Feel Good.” They played about fifteen total songs before moving to the highlight of the night when The Breakfast combined with DBB to play The Allman Brothers ”Stand Back” and “Southbound” as tribute to the late Greg Allman. As stated before, the show didn’t blow people away – patrons were drinking and talking the majority of the time and kept the smoking section of the patio full the entire time. What was most astounding was the consistency of the group over all of these years.
It’s a shame to see these two groups don’t have plans to work together again anytime soon because they compliment each other beautifully and have a plethora of talent and experience under their belts. DBB’s next show is in Westport, CT at the Blues, Views and BBQ Fest @ Levitt Pavilion and The Breakfast has no plans at the moment. Hopefully this performance is well received enough to have them do a similar show like this one.
There seems to be a growing trend in metal music of rap-metal making a comeback since Prophets Of Rage emerged last year. You could argue that bands like Body Count have been around for a long time, but now the genre seems to be in the spotlight again. And with any sub-genre of metal, you get the flash in the pan bands or the goofy sounding bands that don’t last, however, Powerflo has landed and makes a statement.
A Fitting Revenge
This year’s three-day event called into question whether it may even go on. Hurricane Irene rolled through the area just a few days prior, shutting down the flooded thruway. Those concerns were dashed, however, as the thruway opened and the show went on.
This year’s event was once again held in Turin, NY. The crowd of attendees was much smaller, and more intimate, than usual. Friday’s musical set began on a stylish note, as the Del McCoury Band took to the stage. With perfectly coifed hair and stylish suits, these guys brought nothing but class and bluegrass to the stage. It was a refreshing musical change to the festival without a doubt. moe.’s Friday set included a tip of the hat to Jerry Garcia with a performance of “Casey Jones,” as the anniversary of his death was August 9. For the first time in recent years, the Friday night sky was crystal clear, without a hint of rain in sight.
Since 2000, moe. has been hosting this festival for fans, friends and family. This year, the three day festival was especially welcome as the event returned to the original Labor Day weekend date at Snow Ridge in Turin, NY. Not having to go to work on Monday was a big factor for fans, as many did not want to miss the epic fireworks display after the band’s last song on Sunday. The rain held up for most of the weekend, keeping the grounds dry during the day.
AL: Create your own super group you’d want to play in.
AL: Being with NYS Music, I have to ask, who’ your favorite NY native artist?
