NYS Music 20​17

Category: Reviews

  • Metallica Hits Nassau Coliseum for the Only Hardwired Tour Arena Show

    Metallica brought their Hardwired World Tour for the second of two stops in the New York Metro area on May 17 at the newly renovated Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.

    Volbeat kicked the night off with several of their new songs from Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie along with a few of their previously released tunes. This wasn’t Volbeat’s first time supporting Metallica on tour either and their set was a treat for those who beat the Long Island rush hour traffic to get to the Barn before Metallica’s set.

    Metallica Nassau ColiseumMetallica’s Hardwired World Tour is entirely at large stadiums, except for the Nassau Coliseum show. While the stadiums certainly have their appeal for a monster show, nothing compares to catching one of the world’s biggest metal bands at a comparatively small indoor area (although their private fan club show at the 1,500-seat Webster Hall this past September might have this beat).

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BUOT4toFdv1/?taken-by=spm222photo

    The setlist had a tasty mix of what could be fit in a nearly two and a half hour show with just enough to tease their latest release Hardwired…To Self-Destruct and to satisfy the palate of the old school fans. Not to mention that the pick of songs was somewhat different than the MetLife Stadium show just a few nights prior.

    Metallica has been playing together for 36 years now, which is a well-seasoned career mark not every band sees. After the last sustained note of “Enter Sandman” and some stage banter, Hetfield noted that it was the eleventh time Metallica had played the Nassau Coliseum…and won’t be the last.

    Hardwired Tour – Metallica w/s/g Volbeat, Nassau Coliseum, May 17, 2017

    Setlists:

    Volbeat: The Devil’s Bleeding Crown, Seal the Deal, Heaven nor Hell, Sad Man’s Tongue, Black Rose, Let It Burn, 16 Dollars, Hallelujah Goat, Lola Montez, Dead but Rising, Still Counting

    Metallica: Hardwired, Atlas, Rise!, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Ride the Lightning, The Unforgiven, Now That We’re Dead, Moth Into Flame, Harvester Of Sorrow, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Kirk/Rob Guitar/Bass solos, The Four Horsemen. Sad But True, One, Master of Puppets, Fade to Black, Seek and Destroy, Blackened

    Encore: Nothing Else Matters, Enter Sandman

  • Hearing Aide: Midnight North “Under the Lights”

    On the third album from Midnight North, the band captures their growth on the road, the trials and errors, the good and the bad, all celebrated in Under the Lights, a perfect summer album. With a sound that draws comparisons to Railroad Earth, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Donna the Buffalo, the entire Americana album has a ‘never too light, never too heavy’ quality of perfection in song writing and delivery, making Under the Lights a must listen.

    Recorded by David Simon-Baker (Los Lobos, ALO, Jackie Greene, Mother Hips) at the Greene Room and Allegiant Studios in California, Under the Lights is a repeat listen album – each track has a familiarity that invites passive and active listening. With a lineup of Grahame Lesh (vocals, guitar), Elliott Peck (vocals, guitar), Alex Jordan (vocals, organ), and Connor O’Sullivan (bass), the band’s young musicianship comes alive throughout the album with insightful, relatable lyrics and a consistent flow that makes it hard to tune out.

    The high energy Americana-rock “Under the Lights” kicks off the album fantastically, reckoning the Traveling Wilbury’s tight harmony and memorable lyrics. On both “Playing a Poor Hand Well” and “Greene County,” the gorgeous vocals of Elliott Peck shine brightly, a gentle Midwestern accent sliding along her flawless delivery. “Everyday,” a sing-along with great potential live, has excellent horns alongside excellent vocals, one of the many strengths on this album while “Roamin’,” the first darker turn on the album, rolls with an intensity that balances the lighter tracks that begin the album.

    Grahame Lesh singing “Back to California” is appropriately reminiscent of Phil’s There and Back Again solo album from 2001; there is a distinct similarity with a few tracks between the father and son’s initial releases. “One Night Stand” a twangy blues number with Peck on lead, is followed by “Echoes,” a high energy Mudcrutch-style rocker. “The Highway Song” is the single off the album, although it is one of many strong tracks. The slick guitar lick from Grahame and geographic tour of the country make for a classic country song that can get stuck in your head in the best way possible. Rounding out the album is “Little Black Dog,” telling the kind of story you might hear on Garcia and Grisman’s Not for Kids Only. 

    Key Tracks: Under the Lights, Everyday, Back to California, The Highway Song, Little Black Dog

  • Coheed & Cambria Energize the Crowd at Terminal 5

    There are not too many rock bands anymore that pursue the art of the concept album. There are even fewer that have a concept across several albums. Enter the world of Coheed & Cambria – a science fiction prog rock band originally hailing from Nyack, New York. The band, getting its start in the early 2000’s put out some of it’s best records based on lead singer Claudio Sanchez’s Amory Wars comic book series. Coheed and Cambria’s tour through the US during April and May celebrated their third album Good Apollo: I’m Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness. The record is a fan favorite, spawning some of the band’s most memorable songs such as “Welcome Home,” “Ten Speed (of God’s Blood & Burial)” and “The Suffering.”

    Coheed & CambriaWith Coheed and Cambria being a band originally from New York, the home crowd truly turned out with some of the most diehard fans I’ve ever seen for any kind of band ever. Coheed made it’s first NY stop of it’s tour on May 5, 2017 at Terminal 5 in Manhattan, NY. Terminal 5 has a very open lay out with most of the venue being general admission standing, and three levels above the main floor with a “mezzanine” type layout where people can spectate from above. The general admission floor and all of the mezzanine levels were packed to capacity with fans anxiously awaiting Coheed and Cambria to grace the stage. Opening for the main event was The Dear Hunter, a prog rock band from Providence, Rhode Island. Coheed fans showed much love to the prog rock stylings of The Dear Hunter performing a tight, groovin’ set with a good deal of energy.

    Coheed & CambriaWhile I’ve been to a couple of Coheed and Cambria shows I have not been to one that was quite as crazy as this show. I made the mistake of purchasing a beer and finding a good spot closer to the front of the venue. I will explain my “mistake” in a moment. The show began with the intro from Good Apollo: I’m Burning Star IV Vol 1 which is a violin lead overture. Claudio Sanchez then stepped on the stage and the crowd immediately went wild for him – he started with the acoustic performance of “Always and Never” (track 2 on the album) as the rest of the band got on the stage. Here’s where my mistake occurred – Coheed and Cambria really kicked off the show with the in-your-face fan favorite “Welcome Home” while I had a full beer in my hand. The crowd immediately went nuts to the intro riff and there was a sudden rush from the back of the crowd pushing everyone to the front. Most of my beer wound up all over myself and probably everyone within a four-foot radius of me. “Welcome Home” shows off Coheed and Cambria’s metal side with it’s prog rock elements so it makes sense the crowd went crazy.

    Coheed & CambriaConsequently, after Coheed played their next song “Ten Speed,” I found myself near the stage looking up at Claudio Sanchez going nuts on his guitar. As he delivered his signature high pitched, charismatic and unique vocals over a punk rock-ish chorus, his famous long puffy hair was flying in all sorts of directions. As Coheed and Cambria played through the album, there wasn’t a song fans couldn’t recite. About halfway through the set, while guitarist Travis Stever was swapping guitars, Claudio took a back seat to his band’s ever impressive rhythm section of Josh Eppard on drums and Zach Cooper on bass. The jam broke down first into one of the dopest bass solos I’ve heard in a while – in fact, how often do you hear a bass solo? Then, Josh Eppard got into a super tight, high energy drum solo for which the crowd made a ton of noise. Playing the style of music that they do, each band member holds their own as an extraordinary musician.

    The night of excellent music was closed out by an encore of three of my favorite Coheed songs – the first being “Island” off their 2015 release The Color Before the Sun. When the album was coming out it was announced that this would be the band’s first album not connected to Claudio Sanchez’s Amory Wars comic book series but would instead reflect on the band’s personal lives. Claudio tied this in by giving some back story to the song and his family that was in the audience who the song related to. He also stated that the band has been performing while having the flu and required some assistance from the crowd. Who would have known anyone in the band was sick with all of the energy they put out? The night ended with “Delirium Trigger” and “Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3” which is the title track of the album preceding Good Apollo I’m Burning IV Vol 1 (and my personal favorite album from Coheed and Cambria). In the universe of the Amory Wars, “Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3” tells the epic tale of one of the protagonists leading a resistance against a formidable space armada/army, with the battle cry “Man your battle stations!” being a big part of the chorus. It was insanely cool to hear a group of people chant something that epic as though we really were going into battle. Claudio Sanchez barely had to do much singing as the crowd really took charge of the lyrics on the final song of the night – you could even see a smile from Sanchez as though he was truly humbled by the fact that his art really resided in the hearts of a room full of people.

    Coheed & CambriaOverall, while I left the show soaked in probably everyone else’s sweat and I’m pretty sure someone’s shoe flew across the room and hit me, it was the most fun I’ve had at a rock concert in a long time. Coheed and Cambria has the blessing of having some of the most loyal fans in the world, especially in New York City. I left the show with more energy than I walked in the door with and Coheed played probably one of the tightest sets they could ever have played. They later returned to Terminal 5 on May 22, 2017, playing a similar setlist.

    Setlist: Keeping the Blade, Always and Never, Welcome Home, Ten Speed, Crossing the Frame, Apollo 1: The Writing Writer, Once Upon Your Dead Body, Wake Up, The Suffering, The Lying Lies & Dirty Secrets of Miss Erica Court, Mother May I, The Willing Well I: Fuel for the Feeding End, The Willing Well II: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness, The Willing Well III: Apollo II: The Telling Truth, The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut, Island Delirium Trigger, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3

  • Throwdown at moe.down: A look back at the Festival’s Origins

    This week we begin a three-part series looking at the history of moe.down, one of the longest running music festivals in New York State history. The first part of the series looks at moe.downs 1 through 5.

    moe. is New York’s jam band, plain and simple. The five-piece started in New York and they have played throughout New York quite often in their 25+ year career.

    They began hosting a weekend long festival in Central New York starting in 2000, and this July 4-6 will be the 16th iteration of the formerly-Labor Day weekend festival many fans hold near and dear.

    The first moe.down, at Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin, featured a hodgepodge of musical talent including, of course, moe., Martin Sexton, Les Claypool, David Grisman and Charlie Hunter, among others. Fans of moe. were thrilled to get three nights of their favorite band, and a bunch of other guests.

    Phil, a moe. fan who attended the first four moe.downs, said he loved every single second.

    “Well, One was special because it was … one,” he said. “Didn’t really know what to expect.”

    Phil said he had seen moe. three times prior, but was stoked to spend a weekend with them and a cavalcade of other artists. In a sense, it was a learning experience for everyone involved.

    “The first year was small, and the staff didn’t really know what was going on,” he said.

    moe.down 2, in 2001, expanded the lineup to jammier heights, featuring Donna the Buffalo and the Disco Biscuits, which were both big hits with some in attendance.

    Jeff Titmus, a 2002 Plattsburgh State graduate, grew up with moe. in his repertoire of music, attending, he says, the first 11 moe.down festivals.

    “I vividly remember the second festival because I had just heard the Disco Biscuits and I was quite intrigued to see them live,” he said. “Events of that night got a little hazy. Me and my friends may have raged a little too hard and I remember something that stuck with me. A security guard approached us, and we assumed he was going to tell us to stop doing what we were doing, but instead he came and simply told us he hopes we’re enjoying the festivities and to be safe. Some festival security can be a bit, uh, dickish, but never at a down. Very fan friendly.”

    In an interview a few years ago with the Post Standard newspaper in Syracuse, guitarist Chuck Garvey summed up the group’s thoughts on the long running family friendly vibe that moe. presents.

    “We’ve got all our families there and friends from across the country who come to hang out,” said Garvey. “I’ve got five sisters, my parents, all my nieces and nephews, and the other guys have the same. It’s a big party for us.”

    With the advent of social media and the growth of cell phones turning the media landscape upside down, it has become very easy to schedule meetups, find friends and gather any information you need at the tip of your fingers. It wasn’t always that way, though, especially in the early days of moe.down.

    “Before the Facebook, and Phantasy Tour, there was the “L” – a listserv group,” Phil said. “Many of us old timers met on the “L.” In any event, we’d make it a point for all of us to gather for a group picture. And at the group picture, we’d swap CDs, beers, etc.”

    In 2002, moe. added some more Central New York flavor to the lineup, adding Syracuse blues wizards Los Blancos to the bill.

    moe.down 4 featured some pop flavor added to the jammy recipe, as They Might be Giants and The Flaming Lips were added. Yonder Mountain String Band and a young Umphrey’s McGee were on the bill, as was Antigone Rising. It was also the first year that guitarist Al Schnier performed with his solo band Al and the Transamericans.

    “Honestly, the lineup in 2003 was my least favorite they’ve ever done,” moe. super fan Jacqueline Finnerty said. “But how great is it that it can be a weak lineup but we still get three nights of the best band on earth to look forward to?”

    Snow Ridge in Turin has a special place in the band’s heart, according to Garvey.

    “We grew up out there. Most of us skied at Snow Ridge when we were kids,” Garvey told the Post Standard. “We wanted to bring a cool festival to the area, and no one else was doing it at the time.”

    Year five of moe.down featured a shift to a bigger lineup. Phish’s Mike Gordon played with the Benevento Russo Duo, H.O.R.D.E. Tour veterans Blues Traveler played a bouncy show and acts like Leftover Salmon, Michael Franti and Spearhead and Trainwreck were also on the bill.

    The first five years of moe.down saw some soaring heights from the band, lineups and the audience. In talking with a small percentage of moe.’s loyal followers, it became very clear that this time was integral in the band growing its insanely loyal following.

    In the following five incarnations, the band fiddled with some things, and kept others the same. Check back next week for part two, featuring an in depth look at moe.down 6 through 10.

    moe.down setlists courtesy of the Internet Archive

    moe.down 1, September 1 through 3, 2000

    9/1/00 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    With Kirk Huhas of freebeerandchicken on keyboards.

    Jim solo > Bring It Back Home*, Nebraska*, Akimbo, Can’t Seem To Find, Plane Crash, Bring You Down > Brent Black, Understand, Seat Of My Pants > Sensory Deprivation Bank

    E: Tambourine**, Down By The River

    * With Martin Sexton on tambourine. ** Al, Chuck, and Kirk on tambourines.

    9/2/00 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    With Kirk Huhas of freebeerandchicken on keyboards.

    1: Al solo > Head, New York City, Hi and Lo > Moth*, Recreational Chemistry*# > Wildwood Weed*#^ > Sweet Emotion*#^ > Tommy The Cat*#^

    2: Vinnie solo > Water, Captain America, Fathead rap** > Johnny Lineup**##, Opium^^, Mexico@

    E: Meat@%

    * With Jay Lane of Ratdog on percussion. # With Les Claypool on bass and vocals. ^ First time played. ** With members of Fathead. ## First verse only. ^^ With a member of Fathead on keyboards. @ With the saxophonist from Fathead. % With Emilio from Nyquil on violin.

    9/3/00 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    With Kirk Huhas of freebeerandchicken on keyboards.

    1: Rob solo > Timmy Tucker*, Blue Eyed Son, Spine Of A Dog > Yodelittle

    2: Chuck solo > Four > Buster, Rise, St. Augustine, Rebubula**

    E: Time Again#, San Ber’dino

    * With Joe Craven of the David Grisman Quintet on percussion. With “Gil’s Theme“. ** With “I Know You Rider” (traditional) tease. # Jim on bass, Rob on washboard. Fireworks display during “San Ber’dino”

    mow.down 2, August 31 through September 2, 2001

    8/31/01 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Moth > Lazarus > Bring You Down > Brent Black > St. Augustine > Time Ed > Moth

    E: Don’t Fear The Reaper

    9/1/01 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin,NY

    1: Captain America, San Ber’dino* > Happy Hour Hero**, Spaz Medicine, Good Guys and Bad Guys#, Suck The Head## > Gummin’ Your Nub##^, Plane Crash^^

    2: Spine Of A Dog% > Buster, Livin’ Again > Timmy Tucker

    E: Voodoo Lady%%

    * With members of Project/Object. ** With Gibb Droll on guitar. # With Cracker Van Beethoven. (David Lowry on vocals, Johnny Hickman on mandolin, Victor Krummacher on acoustic guitar, and Jonathan Siegel on violin.) ## With The Radiators. Last “Suck The Head” 2/7/99. ^ First time played. ^^ With Ed Volker on keyboards. % With “Funkytown” (Lipps, Inc.) tease. %% Jim on drums, Vinnie on percussion.

    9/2/01 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    1: Understand, Nebraska, Hi and Lo > Kyle, The Faker > Kids

    2: New York City, Rise > Recreational Chemistry*, Meat** > Bullet > Rebubula

    E: Bring It Back Home

    * With “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” (Iron Butterfly) tease. ** With Jim Lomonaco of Yolk on bass.

    moe.down 3, August 30 through September 1, 2002

    8/30/02 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Meat*, 32 Things, Spine Of A Dog > Buster**, Understand, The Ghost of Ralph’s Mom, Hi and Lo > Brent Black

    E: Godzilla

    * With Jon Fishman on drums and Jamie Masefield on mandolin. ** With “Gin and Juice” (Snoop Doggy Dogg) tease.

    8/31/02 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Set I, afternoon set.

    1: Akimbo, Not Coming Down > Okayalright, Mexico, New York City, Bring It Back Home

    2: St. Augustine, Shoot First, Crab Eyes, Tambourine, Captain America* > Recreational Chemistry

    3: Seat Of My Pants** > Sensory Deprivation Bank**#, Gone, Bullet## > Kyle^ > Kids

    E: Timmy Tucker > Gin and Juice^^ > Timmy Tucker

    * With “Don’t Fuck With Flo” tease. ** Jim on drums, Vinnie on percussion. # With Seth Yacovone on guitar. ## With “Timmy Tucker” tease. ^ With Govinda of the Grapes on flute. ^^ First time played.

    9/1/02 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    1: Head, Nebraska, It, Cornflake Girl > Happy Hour Hero, Moth > moe./Galactic Jam* > Galactic/moe. Jam* > Moth

    2: Opium** > Rebubula, Rise, Plane Crash

    E: Don’t Fuck With Flo, Bodhisattva

    * With Galactic. ** With “China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider” (Grateful Dead) tease.

    moe.down 4, August 29 through 31, 2003

    8/29/03 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Buster* > Spaz Medicine > Not Coming Down > Wormwood > Okayalright, Shoot First, New York City**, Understand, 32 Things, Cornflake Girl > Recreational Chemistry#

    E: San Ber’dino

    * With Jim Donovan of Rusted Root on percussion. ** With Antigone Rising. # With Steve Drizos of Dexter Grove on percussion.

    8/30/03 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    1: Akimbo, Captain America > Rise, Money > Time Ed > McBain*

    2: Four** > Plane Crash, Gone > She Sends Me > St. Augustine# > Brent Black > drumz

    3: Jam > Rebubula##

    E: Spine Of A Dog > Four reprise

    * First time played. ** With “Us and Them” (Pink Floyd) tease. # With “Gil’s Theme.” With “Dancing Days” (Led Zeppelin) tease. ” ## With “Big World”, “So Long”, “Gil’s Theme”, “Brent Black”, “McBain”, and “Spaz Medicine” teases.

    8/31/03 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    1: Bring It Back Home, Nebraska, Hi and Lo > Timmy Tucker* > Opium*

    2: McBain**, The Faker > Kids, It, Kyle > Meat

    E: Johnny Lineup

    * With Nate Wilson on keyboards. ** With “Crosseyed and Painless” (Talking Heads) tease.

    moe.down 5, September 3 through 4, 2004

    9/3/04 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Kyle’s Song > Kids, New York City, Shoot First, Spaz Medicine > Crab Eyes, Buster > Four Sticks (Led Zeppelin) > Take Five > Buster, Letter Home, Tailspin* > Meat**

    E: St. Augustine

    9/4/04 Snow Ridge Ski Area – Turin, NY

    Lost Along the Way, Seat of My Pants, Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’, Summer o i > Understand, Dr. Graffenberg > Rebubula*

    She Sends Me, Akimbo, Brent Black1> Timmy Tucker

    Mountain Song> Not Coming Down> Wormwood> Okayalright> Happy Hour Hero> Sensory Deprivation Bank> Recreational Chemistry

    E: Tambourine, Hi and Lo> Big World, Enter Sandman

    9/5/04 Snow Ridge Ski Area Turin, NY

    Plane Crash> Where Does the Time Go?> Yodelittle, Captain America> Mexico, Bearsong

    Faker> Moth, McBain> George1, Mayor of moe.ville> Mayor of moe.ville jam2, Y.O.Y.> Plane Crash

    E: Nebraska, Spine Of A Dog

  • Hearing Aide: Andy Hall & Roosevelt Collier ‘Let the Steel Play’

    Roosevelt Collier, the pedal steel player from the Lee Boys, and Andy Hall, the dobroist for The Infamous Stringdusters, forged a friendship aboard the Jam Cruise in 2012. Since then, they’ve managed to play together occasionally when their schedules aligned. The relationship grew and has finally borne fruit, in the form of their new release, Let the Steel Play.

    Collier was born into the church music of the sacred steel tradition while Hall’s life has been steeped in the roots of bluegrass. Different musical worlds bridged by steel strings and glass slides. The resulting sound is a perfect blend of the heavenly and the down home, a religious experience happening casually from the porch of a country home.

    The set opens with “This Little Light of Mine,” a tune familiar to both gospel and bluegrass. It serves as the perfect introduction to the unique blended traditions present throughout. The melody flips back and forth between the two instruments flawlessly. Their version is wordless, but by the end you’ll surely be singing along, “This little steel of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!” And shine they do.

    The album borrows from the rich traditions of both players with their takes on some more old traditional tunes, like the stunning beauty “Maiden’s Prayer,” a bopping run through “Reuben’s Train” and the spirited “Power in the Blood.” They also try their hands at a more modern classic with a version of The Grateful Dead’s “Crazy Fingers” that will steel your face right off of your head.

    Interspersed with the traditionals, the album includes a handful of original tunes the pair wrote specifically for this outing. Collier’s steel sounds almost organ-like on the fun “Rosebud,” while “Remington” is a great ‘newgrass’ tune where the part of fiddle is played by a pedal steel. It would be a surprising head turner were it not already in the context of this album. “The Darkest Hour” gets more deliberate and less freewheeling in a fairly sinister sounding turn. As an added bonus, the album closes with a three-way steel stringed jam, with Greensky Bluegrass’s Anders Beck joining the duo on another dobro. A thorough exploration by two masters of their craft, this album is certainly a must listen for any pedal steel or dobro fan.

    Key tracks: Reuben’s Train, The Darkest Hour, Rosebud

  • Mountain of Youth: The 5th Annual Susquehanna Breakdown Recap

    “And they’re off!” On Friday, May 19 the gates lifted in Scranton, Pennsylvania and campers raced to grab the flattest and grassiest space on the The Pavilion Lawn at Montage Mountain.  They were not there for the 142nd Preakness Stakes, which traditionally takes place in Maryland every third Saturday in May, but instead were celebrating a new bluegrass tradition, the 5th annual Susquehanna Breakdown. Some attendees dressed in jockey-like colors and patterns with ridiculous hats and clothing combinations.  Others wore graphic t-shirts splattered with band names like Cabinet, Umphrey’s Mcgee, Greensky Bluegrass and Phish.  By the beginning of the first set at 6:30pm, one thing was clear… everyone was there to place their bets on a winning weekend.

    The Dishonest Fiddlers, orchestrated by founder Dave Brown, are a Scranton local bluegrass act that switches up the bill every time they perform.  The lightweight and easy listening bluegrass invited campers to put down their tent poles and join in the music at the smaller “Breakdown Stage.”  Breakdowners were delighted to discover that Cabinet’s own fiddle player, Todd Kopec, was sitting in during the festival’s opening act.  The Dishonest Fiddler’s performance marked the first of many expected Cabinet sit-ins over the weekend, but that comes as no surprise as the festival is named after one of their songs!  Next up on the bill was the American-festival veteran Keller Williams.  It is hard to think of the word “bluegrass” or just “grass” in general and not think of the pumpkin pie hair-cutted freak bouncing around stage barefoot from instrument to instrument.  Once you have seen one Keller show, you have seen them all, but that doesn’t stop anyone from attending.  Keller Williams got his start in parking lots playing to the energetic crowds that gathered before the main attraction, The Grateful Dead.  For over 20 years, he has been marching to the beat of his own drum, guitar, synth and whatever else he decides to bring on stage.  The completely improvised sets travel through space and time reminiscent of a spun-out music junky that can’t decide which radio station to listen to as they station hop.  Keller closed his roots-filled funky set with a cover of Marian Hill’s “Down,” which lyrically is the most genius song to kick off a festival.  If you hate on modern pop music, give this one a listen.

    As the sun finally disappeared on Day 1 of the festival, the audience was treated to more Keller Williams for the first semi-official Cabinet set of the weekend entitled “Keller & Cabinet.”  Launching into the bluegrass traditional tune, “My Grass Is Blue,” got the fans boppin’ and air pickin’ before a cover of “Float On” by Modest Mouse.  As more and more non-camping 2-day-pass holders made their way into the venue, the atmosphere began to feel less like a backyard BBQ and more like a full-fledged festival.  The communal body heat kept everyone warm as “Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow” served as a reminder that Montage Mountain was home for the next 36 hours.  It wouldn’t be Night 1 of a festival without some minor technical difficulties.  After three minutes of tinkering, the stage was back on track and Cabinet allowed Keller to take the wheel for his originals, “Alligator Alley” and “Sing for My Dinner.”  Before the final track of the collaborative set, Keller commented that he wanted to do a reggae version of the upcoming tune but Cabinet insisted on playing it fast.  Much like Ricky Bobby in Talledega Nights, they wanted to go fast, and fast they went through Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab.”  Ironically enough, ambulance lights flickered through the crowd during the Winehouse cover as the first festival attendee maybe had too much too fast. Members of the crowd looked on in hopes that this would be the one and only emergency rescue of the weekend.

    On a brighter note, Cabinet came out swinging for their first major set of the weekend, tackling their catalog of reggae, bluegrass, roots and rock.  “The Smile” breezed into the first slot as the symbolic greeting tune of the evening.  “Hey Baby” gave Mickey Coviello’s guitar and Pappy Biondo’s banjo some focus in the spotlight and afterward they modestly commented it was “groovy as all hell.”  Pappy was once again the center of attention during their rendition of “Diamond Joe.” Building the song up with some fantastic peaks and valleys via JP Biondo’s mandolin and Todd Kopec’s fiddle, the 6-piece band transformed the poetic country tune into a jam-grass meltdown.  The “Diamond Joe” lyrics feature horses, betrayal and payback which are central themes in many old-timey tunes and Cabinet made this timeless piece their own to showcase their talent during this set.  The band mentioned that the crowd size was much larger compared to years past and I took it as a sign of festival growth, strength and some perfect weather.  The friendly fireside vibe of the Cabinet set was not complete without a singalong and “Pine Billy” served as a fitting choice.  The “way up on a mountain” lyrics got extra howls as families and friends belted out “Pine Billy” during the second half the short set.  “Sunday 60 Breakdown” finished off the set and the crowd significantly thinned as their beloved Cabinet went to get some rest before a big Day 2.

    The evening was not over yet as late night funk trio Organ Freeman treated the mountain to an ass shaking dance party.  Drummer Rob Humphreys, organist Trevor Steer and Erik Carlson on guitar answered the age-old question “Won’t you take me to Funkytown?”    For those in attendance looking for poppy instrumental jazz or experimental and danceable funk, they found it right off the bat with “We’re On Our Way.”  The band tested out several new songs during their set and considering most in the audience didn’t know the names to their originals anyway, it was all new and exciting to us.  The first cover came in the form of Stanton Moore Trio’s “Pie Eyed Manc.”  It was clear that Moore’s sound has a strong influence on Organ Freeman as they worked their layered grooves into every jam they went into.  My one critique is that at 1:30 in the morning, instrumental jazz begins to all sound the same.  As many non-campers such as myself began exiting the venue, it was incredible to clearly hear the echoes of funk during the entire walk back to the parking area thanks to mountain’s valley walls, which acted as natural amplifiers.  The successful first night of music was complete and the main attraction was only hours away.  The Breakdowners were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of mandolins played in their heads.

    CABINET FRIDAY NIGHT SETLIST:

    A Smile, Treat Me So Bad, Hey Baby, Diamond Joe, Mysterio, Eleanor, The Dove %, Pine Billy, Sunday 60 Breakdown

    % Brief Power Failure occurred twice during The Dove

    KELLER WILLIAMS SETLIST:

    My Grass is Blue, Float On*, Ripped 6 Pack, Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow, AGWT Reprise (post Power Failure), Alligator Alley, The Tower, Sing For My Dinner, Rehab **
    * Modest Mouse Cover ** Amy Winehouse Cover  (Setlist credit: Rich Stoler)

    ORGAN FREEMAN SETLIST:
    We’re On Our Way, (New Track 1), Only If You Mean It, Putin And I Get Along Fantastic, Life’s A Bench, Reptile Moonshine, Pie Eyed Manc*, Change For A Nickel, The Green Green Grapes, You Said You Quit Drinkin’, (New Track 2), Verve, Byrd vs Fish, (New Track 3), Go By Richard, Not By Dick  ENCORE: Hit The Ground Running, Come out Swinging
    *- Stanton Moore Trio

  • Hearing Aide: Cycles ‘Vacation’

    Cycles is a three-piece band from Denver, CO that performs “psychedelic rock fusion” with a blend of other genres like jazz, funk, and more. The band features Patrick Harvey on guitar, Michael Wood on drums, and Tucker McClung on bass and vocals. They’re celebrating the release of their new album Vacation with a show at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom on Saturday, June 3. This new album comes a little more than a year after their 2016 EP Loads of Fun.

    cycles vacationVacation was masterfully recorded in Blackhawk, CO at Mountain Star Studio. There’s a high attention to detail with every note throughout as the band writes each song themselves. The title track on the album kicks off with a great instrumental build into the lyrics where McClung sings that “you’re just along for the ride”- the ride through this aural vacation of an album. “The Aloe Parade,” cleverly named after the post-beach sunburn remedy, features some funky bass techniques throughout that are sure to have listeners grooving along. Instrumental track “Green” sounds like a tune you want to have playing as you drive to a great vacation destination to somewhere open and scenic. 

    Characterized by repetitive rhythms and clean doubling between guitar and bass, ”The Store” is quite unique with its various changes and phrasing. The listener doesn’t stay too comfortable in a mode before switching. The band artistically paints the picture of a day in “Twilight” with ascending chordal motifs in the first half of the song to show the progression of the sun, and descending motifs once ‘twilight’ hits, signifying the sun has almost set. To ruminate means to meditate or ponder. “The Ruminator,” a funky and slower jam, shows the process of pondering a situation or making a decision. The listener thinks the song is over about halfway through it, but the driving ride cymbal lets you know that the song isn’t quite done, showing a thought or idea changing its shape during the second half.

    This album blurs lines between genres and takes listeners on a sonic journey. The album is quite symbolic inside and outside of the lyrics, and each song plays around in different modes showing the diverse capabilities of the group. It’s evident that they strive for variety in both their recordings and performances. This album accurately reflects the groups’ writing talents and individual musicianship as they manage to produce a full sound with just three members.

    Cycles is hitting the road this summer on a tour appropriately called the “Summer Vacation Tour.” They’re set to hit many spots around Colorado and they’re branching out of state to Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Texas, and more. Try to catch them in action on the road!

    Key Tracks: Green, Everything Must Go, The Call

  • Mayfest 2017: “One. Two. Three… Ascend!”

    This past Memorial Day weekend, I returned to Surprise Lake Camp in Cold Spring, NY for the annual music, art, and yoga festival known (for now) as MAYfest 2017. This intimate, family friendly, wellness focused event has been a welcome addition to the arguably crowded, and monotonous festival scene here in the Northeast. Similarly setup to its cousin festival Catskill Chill, MAYfest offers attendees a picturesque, NY state campground littered with cabins, vendors, friendly faces, and a lake. However, unlike Chill or other primarily music-based festivals, this event is driven by founders Melia and Dave’s passion for yoga, and pursuit of positive energy.

    Mayfest 2017The schedule and setup (stage, yoga, and art space) was fairly identical to last year (see here), with one exception being the camping area, which was moved closer to the main building. Similarly, a few of the art activities that were across the lake found a new home in the main building and surrounding area. Now to be honest, this place is not that big, but it definitely cut down on a significant amount of walking (at least I’m out-of-shape), saving some energy to devote to taking on more classes, or relaxing between activities, which there was no shortage of. At any given moment during daylight hours, there were between five and ten activities happening, leaving little chance anyone should find themselves bored.

    The main stage was anchored each night by artists I have never seen, each offering vastly different musical stylings; singer-songwriter Dar Williams on Friday, Ozomatli on Saturday, and Rusted Root on Sunday. To be honest, I am not Dar Williams’ target demographic by any stretch of the imagination, so I have little commentary to offer beyond she has a lovely voice and a pretty damn sweet jacket (see below). But I am reliably informed if you attended Vassar in the 90’s, this was your JAM. Ozomatli on the other hand is my new jam. These guys have a ton a energy, and the fusion of Latin, rock, and hip-hop was perfect to get everyone moving their feet. I’m almost ashamed I was not enlightened to these guys earlier, but better late than never. Rusted Root kept the energy going on Sunday, starting off with a sit-in performance at the final yoga class in the gymnasium, and closing out the main stage with their classic hit, “Send me on my way,’ which was the encore for the weekend.

    Mayfest 2017Other musical highlights included DJ Taz Rashid, DJ Drez, Breakneck Boys, Hayley Jane & the Primates, and the Garcia Project, all who had crossover sets / sit-ins with yoga classes (except for HJ&tP). Overall, I’m going to say the line-up was well balanced. I arrived fearing it would not be able to compete with last year’s combination of Pink Talking Fish, the Sensory Collective, and Turkuaz, but the variety mixed well, and my opinion changed by Monday morning. What also had changed by Monday morning was the name of the festival, which will be known as Ascend moving forward.

    With merchandise already being sold for next year’s event, there seems little doubt that we will be back. Same place. Same time. Same good vibes. Till then, take a look at a few of the sights from the festival now formally known as MAYfest.

    Namaste

  • Pink Talking Fish Jazz Up Sold Out Boston Show with Giant Country Horns

    Fusion tribute band, Pink Talking Fish, offered a special treat for fans during their sold out Boston performance at The Paradise Rock Club on May 6. As the group took to the stage they were joined by sax player Matt Wayne, and the Giant Country Horns, who famously backed Phish during their 1991 summer tour.

    Wayne skillfully composed all the horn compositions for the night’s set list. In addition, he traded in his usual horn for the baritone sax, as Dave Grippo’s instrument of choice is the alto sax. The Giant Country Horns consist of Grippo, Russell Remington on tenor sax, and Carl Gerhard on trumpet. This solid horn section stood on risers behind the members of Pink Talking Fish, which consist of Eric Gould on bass, Dave Brunyak on guitar, Richard James on keys, and Zack Burwick on drums.

    The group charged right into a jazzed up version of Phish’s “Landlady,” complete with dancing steps by Gould and Brunyak. Heavy horns got the crowd in an engaging mood from the get go. The steamy energy in the room continued as they flowed into the Talking Heads “Nothing But Flowers.” Burwick added an island touch on drums as the melody melted into an extended jam. Brunyak took his guitar on an easy ride through the tune, ensuring fans were given a hefty dose of improvisation early on.

    Burwick led the entrance into the next song as a drum-heavy intro for Pink Floyd’s “Astronomy Domine” took over. Massive horns kicked in, rounding out the heady flavor to the melody. The entourage of musicians then blasted full steam ahead into a double whammy that featured a sandwiching of “Lizards” with “Girlfriend is Better” stuffed in the middle. Hints of “Gumbo” teased the audience but the party kept going as Floyd’s “Money” blasted out in all its glory. Most of the horn section left the stage for the majority of the song, with the exception of Remington on sax. As the song rolled along to the backend, the complete horn section rejoined the band on stage, as “As She Was” absolutely begged for a brass-filled jam.

    A clean finishing “Gumbo,” followed by Grippo showcasing his talent on sax during “Have A Cigar,” had the audience fully primed and charged up. A jazzed up first set closed out with a double decker duo of awesome featuring “Slippery People” and “Suzy Greenberg.”

    After a much needed break, second set blasted wide open with “Burning Down The House,” stacked with horns blaring and fans jumping up and down. Phish’s “Tweezer” was cranked out, stuffed thick with keys pounded out by James, and a plethora of slick brass rounding out the spaces in the melody. Grippo let loose on sax and blazed a lay of the land with a quick walk around the stage as fierce notes flew out from his instrument.

    Taking the intensity down a notch, Brunyak and James flowed into darker tones by easing into Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” The mood in the room tensed up as mysterious vibes shared by the keys and guitar danced around each other. With Brunyak’s locks on full flow mode, and a slight hesitation before the tune picked up, touches of James’ keys gently chimed in, swaying the song towards an energetic pace. The horns behind added extra punch, as if the brass tones should naturally have always been there to begin with. Wayne busted out his chops on sax briefly before Remington took over and ran with the song on tenor.

    Brunyak took lead on vocals during a playful “Found A Job.” Screaming horns filled in the spaces throughout, before a chilled out “Wolfman’s Brother” took hold. “Run Like Hell” ran like hell with excessive energy throughout the walls of the venue. The powerful horns continued to bring magic to an already mystical flow throughout the set. Without skipping a beat, the music melded into “Making Flippy Floppy,” with James taking lead on vocals. Midway through, the vocals flipped over to Gould, making sure the song stayed true to its flip flop roots. Brunyak broke a string and, without skipping a beat, switched out guitars while the audience barely took notice. The tune was spiced up with a touch of salsa before coming to completion.

    The epitome of a brass, bass, and guitar heavy tune sneaked onto the set as “Frankenstein” reared its head, demanding attention by fans in the venue. The jam did not disappoint as heavy crunches of guitar and clean chops from the brass section blew the roof off the venue. Cheers and hollers coming from the crowd almost drowned out the band. The extended jam, complete with in-your-face drums, horns that wouldn’t quit, and an extra serving of spice delivered by James on keys, held all the ingredients for an epic end to second set. Encore brought out the big guns, as “Golgi Apparatus,” “Cavern,” and “Tweezer Reprise” neatly brought the fired up show to a magnificently splendid close. With the Giant Country Horns filling in the spaces, and adding the perfect blend to Pink Talking Fish’s performance, we can only hope this brass trio make more appearances with the band down the road.

    Set 1: The Landlady , Nothing But Flowers> Astronomy Domini> The Lizards> Girlfriend Is Better> The Lizards, Money> And She Was, Gumbo, Have A Cigar> Slippery People> Suzy Greenberg
    Set 2: Burning Down The House#, Tweezer@> Shine On You Crazy Diamond> Found A Job, Wolfman’s Brother> Run Like Hell> Making Flippy Floppy%> Frankenstein
    Encore: Golgi Apparatus> Cavern > Tweezer Reprise

    # w/ Possum tease
    @ w/ Lullaby of Birdland tease
    % w/ Rift and Caravan tease

    Click here for the audio of the event!

  • Hearing Aide: The Mountain Carol EP

    There’s not much information to be found about The Mountain Carol aside from their origin and what their intentions are. They’re from Saranac, NY and make “infinite music for infinite people.” They say their creations are the result of “countless musical and non-musical influences [formed] into a sound described by some spiritually-minded fans as ‘too powerful.’” It’s an ambiguous statement but the mysteriousness of the group does make the tracks more intriguing.   

    the mountain carol

    This EP has just three recordings but sheds enough light on the band to give everyone an idea of what they’re after. Their tracks can be a tad repetitive due to the drum track, but a relentless, chopping beat gives the laid back melody some direction and energy. The guitar gives every track a hopeful and pleasant drifting-through-space experience as well as a subtle synth that contributes to the same feeling. The percussion is distant, lacking of bass tone and the vocals are a little unintelligible as a result of loads of echo, but it creates the open and spacey effect they’re going for.

    “Mountain Carol” is up first and has a synthesized, persistent drum beat that contrasts with a clean and reverb-filled guitar. Under the breathy vocals is drone tone from a synth that helps fill out the song and gives it more life. It would have been nice to see a change of scenery in the percussion section because the track does clock in at 6:11 and the same beat over and over again does get a little monotonous. At the very least, a break in the drum track would be extremely impactful. Although the song does blend very well from  section to section, it can be easy to get distracted, making it hard to appreciate each part.

    “All Is Lost” has a less organic feel to it, containing a funkier guitar and a very 80’s drum fill that jumps out from time to time. This song does take a rest from the relentless drum beat which makes more of an effect than the group might think. The point of the song style is to put listeners in a trance, which it does well, but a quick pause from the perpetual drums is a quick and simple way to draw the listener’s ears back in. One would hope they would continue to do this trick in future tracks because the ears tend to wander as they delve into a song that’s over six minutes long.

    “Adventure Safari” is a change of pace, moving back to more natural sounds with the most prominent tone coming from an acoustic piano which sounds a bit dated but holds a beautiful character. The track would not have sounded the same with an electric piano and it was an excellent choice to use an acoustic one. The transition from bridge to what could be defined as a chorus is a little rocky, but the track is still unique and true to their ideologies. Listeners get the sense that they’re being carried along through a variety of environments, all of which are pleasant places to be with bright lights awaiting them at the end of their trips. This track is the most captivating of the the three because there’s less obvious instrumentation and more alluring sounds, like that off wisps of wind and drops of rain, all of which are synthetically created.

    It’s a special collection and a valiant effort from the group. A bigger sound would be a good step forward – maybe more instruments and less obvious ones that could definitely make this sound more immersive than it already is. The EP is available on BandCamp.com with an option to purchase all the tracks.

    Key Tracks: Adventure Safari, Mountain Carol, All Is Lost