NYS Music 20​17

Category: Reviews

  • Foolin’ Around with moe. at The Paramount

    On Saturday, April 1, at The Paramount, Buffalo-based moe. took April Fools’ Day to the next level by sonically messing with the minds of everyone in attendance.  The die-hard moe.rons in the crowd knew that an inevitable prank was coming in some form, but the anticipation led to an even more exciting Saturday night show.  Opening with “Defrost” the boys did not wait to get the venue dancing.  The historically rare instrumental was the third appearance of “Defrost” in 2017 and it was frequently played in 2016, leading fans to assume that this oldie-but-goodie is not just getting a dusting, but being taken off the shelf permanently.

    Moe. brought out the heavy hitters early with a transition into an epic “Brent Black” in just the second slot.  Al Schnier and Rob Derhak chiseled the signature song into form while Chuck Garvey used his guitar pick to work on the intricacies.  Garvey celebrated his birthday on Thursday night in New Jersey, and on stage he has been having his cake and eating it too during the entire 3-show run.  “Lost Along The Way” gave the already sweaty crowd a much needed breather which was followed by “Blue Jeans Pizza” off the decade old album, The Conch.  One of the more lovey-dovey moe. originals, “Pizza” found Schnier switching from guitar to minimoog allowing Garvey to take full leadership of the solo to the delight of the crowd.  The only annoying aspect of this part of the set was the crowd chatter being at an all-time high.  While I felt that the energy from “Brent Black” never went away throughout the entire set, there are times to talk and times to STFU.

    Jim Loughlin lead the tribal transition into “Bring It Back Home” as Schnier jumped back onto his guitar for some added flare.  Loughlin remained in the spotlight while Derhak and Vinnie Amico tag teamed the next tune, “Billy Goat” off the most recent release studio release, No Guts, No Glory.  The surfer-rock jam found on the Smash Hits release, “Tailspin,” got the crowd spinning around again.  The very impressive first set was praised throughout the break as moe. spanned their entire career in just seven songs.

    moe at the paramountThe April Fools’ prank ensued as soon as the 5-piece reentered the stage for the second set.  Over the 28-year career of moe., many different rumors have been spread describing the origin of the band’s name.  One rumor was that moe. is a simple acronym for “monkeys on ecstasy” and on April 1, 2017, the monkey was brought to life in one of the stranger moe.ments I have seen a long time.   As members began tuning up for the start of the second half of the evening a person dressed in a monkey costume with giant headphones appeared next to Amico’s drum kit, fist-pumping to what sounded like a mashup of “Plane Crash” and Beastie Boys’ “Brass Monkey.”  The odd display transformed the rock venue into an electronic dance club and judging by the smile on Derhak’s face, even the band got a kick out of the gag.  The prankster monkey seemed to fall into his own trap as he slipped and fell while trying to get off the stage.  They covered it up nicely as the “too f**kin’ high” primate took off the giant headphones and put them on Derhak’s head before exiting the stage.  Was the slip a set up or did the gag lead to an injury?  The world may never know.

    moe at the paramountAfter the shenanigans ensued, “Rainshine> Understand” got the show back on track.   As the light two-song combo fizzled out, a reggae-influenced intro to “Time Ed” got the room swaying back and forth.  The band had a few laughs during the line, “Born a monkey from the sky (monkey, monkey)” before Loughlin returned to business as usual during his flying trapeze percussion section.  Throughout the song, he switched back and forth from bongos to MalletKat to xylophone in harmonious fashion.  The final segue of the set occurred during a strung-out “Haze” into one of their more euphoric songs off Dither, “So Long.”  Every jam band has their own repertoire of songs that cuts to the core of their loyal fan base and mellows out the room.  “So Long” is a chameleon of sorts because while it can act as the fluffy cloud to space out the heavier songs, it can also get pretty intense on its own, which is exactly what happened on Saturday night.

    Schnier came out as he usually does before the encore to read some fan shout-outs.  On certain nights he has no problem deciphering what the writers are trying to say, but in Huntington after a night of debauchery, he seemed to struggle through the chicken scratch handwriting.  There was some light banter from Loughlin as he announced the next song was one that he wrote.  The dark lyrics and southern-rocking Widespread Panic-esque sound of “Don’t Wanna Be” is not really my cup of tea and with little head nodding in the crowd, I felt like there had to be one more crowd-pleaser to end the incredible weekend of moe. in the Northeast.  Sure enough, “New York City” was served as the entrée of the encore and considering many fans came to The Paramount on a train from the Big Apple, the famoe.us tune was well received.

    The boys will play four sold-out shows at The Sinclair before departing for the South to cover some ground in warmer territories.  The recently added set entitled “phil.moe.” at Lock’n was the latest news from the band, and from now until the special dead-inspired set, they will headline Summer Camp and the return of Moe.Down.  The bright future and booked calendar gives the moe.rons hope that while the band may be up for a good time and a few pranks, they are in no way ready to cool it down.

    moe. – 4.1.17 – The Paramount – Long Island, NY

    Set 1: Defrost > Brent Black, Lost Along The Way > Blue Jeans Pizza > Bring It Back Home, Billy Goat > Tailspin

    Set 2: Rainshine > Understand, Time Ed, She, > Sensory Deprivation Bank, George, Haze > So Long

    Encore: Don’t Wanna Be, New York City

    moe at the paramount

  • Hearing Aide: The Werks ‘Magic’

    At this point in their career, The Werks are one of the best established jam acts on the circuit today.  Through brilliant marketing with their festivals and events, relentless touring, and (most importantly) their entirely unique
    brand of rock and roll.  All of these facts considered, it should come as no surprise that their newest album, Magic, released on March 17, finds the Ohio natives sounding more comfortable in the studio than ever before.  Their familiarity with the recording process is evident upon first listen, even without the knowledge that this is their fourth full length studio album since 2009; no small feat considering the studio presence (or lack thereof) that most groups of the genre display.

    the werks magicWritten in their ‘sonic dojo’ The Werkspace, the album features eight inspiring tunes which traverse several different genres of rock.  Right out of the gate with the first two tracks, the delightfully upbeat “Wide Awake,” followed by the title track, the listener realizes that this isn’t going to be another pentatonic wank session that seems much too common in today’s rock landscape.  The Werks have an eclectic sound, reminiscent of 70’s rock gods yet avoids coming off as a cheap imitation.  “Slab” really hits the spot, with a gut buster of a riff that offers a pleasantly abrasive counterpoint to the smooth lyrical caress of the first few tracks.

    “Moonset” sees the boys moving in an even more experimental realm; a trance-fusion arrangement matched with ruthlessly proficient lead guitar that could get any naysayer’s head bobbing as if they were raging the Big Tent around 3 AM at the old Bisco.  The track took full advantage of the Sonic Lounge studio’s 1 of 13 in the world soundboard, found in Grove City, Ohio.  “Moving On” is the longest track of the album, coming in at 8 minutes and 36 seconds, providing a well needed canvas for perhaps the single most diverse track of the record.  Beautiful melodic hooks and a jaunty rhythm pull rock aficionados in like a sirens call, while the bridge section exhibits some bass runs that’d make Getty Lee pay attention.  “Lights Out” wraps the album up with some assistance from Ohio’s own Hoodoo Soul Band, who laid down some one of a kind horn riffs over the concluding tune.

    Key Tracks: Slab, Moonset, Moving On

    Magic can be yours today for the wonderful Name Your Price option on The Werks’ bandcamp.  Be sure to visit their website as well for upcoming tour dates, possibly near you!

  • Hearing Aide: Gordon St. ‘Gordon St.’

    From Schenectady comes Gordon St., a rock and roll band known for their unique music and diverse cover songs in concert. The band is made up of four members including Dan Noonan as the lead vocalist and bassist, Ritch Harrigan on the guitar, keyboardist Mark Bertini, and drummer Jason Nowak. The group’s upcoming debut, self-titled album will be released in its entirety on April 29.

    Gordon St. features either original tracks including two singles on their album – “Right as Rain,” a song that seemingly begins as an acoustic number right before the electric sound kicks in with an ear-pleasing groove. “King of Hearts” has the listener following the infectious sounds of the drummer throughout the piece. Another featured song, “Until We Meet Again,” had me hooked from the beginning as it starts with a stripped down vocal accompanied by the organic sounds of snapping fingers.

    Other tracks that accentuate the raw musical talent of these musicians are “Peppermint Chamber” and “The Equation,” both consisting of instrumental intros. “Paranoid Jones” is yet another example of a song with a musical outro and exciting guitar riffs, which are commonly heard in the group’s music.

    Although the band’s genre is generally classified as rock and roll, Gordon St. draws from their many influencers to create an original sound. A number of their tracks experiment with different styles of music and subtly cross over into other genres as well. Take a listen for yourselves on their album release!

    Key Tracks: Peppermint Chamber, Right as Rain, Until We Meet Again

  • moe. Gets Meaty in Connecticut

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Encore: Waiting For The Punchline

  • UFO and Saxon Invade Penn’s Peak

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Encore: Denim and Leather, Princess of the Night

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

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

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

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

    Encore: Cherry, Doctor Doctor, Shoot Shoot

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  • Hearing Aide: Mastodon ‘Emperor of Sand’

    With 2017 underway we already have seen so many great releases in the metal world. We had Kreator’s Gods of Violence, Obituary’s self-titled album, and even Overkill with their thrashing hit The Grinding Wheel. Now it is time for perhaps the most anticipated sludge and progressive metal album this year. If you are a fan of those genres then you know exactly which album I am speaking of! Mastodon’s seventh studio album Emperor of Sand released March 31 has given many people a metalgasm! Might need to clean yourself up after checking out this album review.

    mastadon Emperor_of_sand_coverEmperor of Sand (released via Reprise records) is a follow up from the band’s 2014 hit Once Around The Sun (released via Reprise). This album has started an uproar since it was teased with such singles like “Sultan’s Curse” and “Show Yourself.” As the clock hit midnight and my phone notified me it was ready to be viewed on Google Play Music, damn skippy I played it as soon it was ready for my puny mortal ears to binge on. The album continues the progression the band has been going with for sometime with more audible vocals approach and a more lean guitar sound. It has created a great energy of soothing jams like “Show Yourself” and “Steambreather” taking center stage for this formula in perfect harmony. The combination of Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher’s vocals really shows the band’s strong suit making catchy song structures while keeping the skilled technical foundation strong. This album is perfect for those who enjoy bands like Red Fang and Baronness. American sludge progressive metal bands like these are slowly taking over the metal scene once again.

    Sure the album may have some mellow songs, but these guys still know how to get some sweet aggressive playing going on. “Clandestiny” is the dose of heavy sludge that the doctor ordered! With the great drumming work of Brann Dailer and the bass playing from Troy Sanders it is one solid heavy sludge tune. It is for the fans that need some progressive in their life mixed with some heavy licks to get them stoned or drunk. Hey perfect tune to try to drink the Mastodon beer to! Cheers! This album is pure awesome with a side of bad ass and it will quickly climb to the top of the metal charts and hard rock. It would not shock me if it becomes the number one release in it’s genre. I will put money on that! You can say all you want about the boys, but they will always remain a steamroller force of pure genius!

    This album gets a solid 5 out of 5 from Black Metal Steve. Go buy the album from your local record store or from the band’s website.

    Key Tracks: Show Yourself, Sultan’s Curse, Steambreather

  • Hearing Aide: Body Count ‘Bloodlust’

    Body Count have returned with a vengeance.  For the first time since 1994’s Born Dead, the band has finally put out two consecutive albums with the same line-up.  And this is clearly Body Count’s best line up since the original lineup.  So what does Bloodlust bring to the table?

    The album starts off with “Civil War” which features Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine on additional guitars, clearly stating that this album is going more political this time through. Obviously with the political climate as well as the on going violence in inner city areas around the country, Ice-T and the gang are here to make a statement.  Then going into the first single release “The Ski Mask Way, ” which has the old school Body Count feel to it, shows the band is on point, clutch, and heavy as ever.  Not to mention the production on the album is top notch.

    Similar to the previous album Manslaughter,  Body Count has dialed up some additional help from other big names in metal.  And on the song “All Love Is Lost” Max Cavalera of Soulfly lends his deadly vocals which was a nice touch to the track. Following that Body Count busts out a kick ass Slayer medley cover which is a cool way to segue at the halfway point in the album.  I would call it heavy metal half time.  Lamb Of Gods’ Randy Blythe also makes a guest appearance with “Walk With Me” where his vocals make a brutal mix with Ernie C’s nasty guitar riffs and Ill Will’s relentless drumming.

    The tail end of the album grabs you by the collar and gets politically heavy with “No Lives Matter” whether you agree or disagree with what Ice-T and gang have to spit out, you can’t deny the beats and breakdowns kick major ass, but that’s the beauty of it.  The music is damn catchy, it helps convey the message that much easier.  The last track “Black Hoodie” which pays tribute to KRS-One while conveying one last message, is the album’s best track and leaves you wanting more.

    In conclusion, a lot has changed since their first album from 1992, the previous album Manslaughter was aimed at society, this album attacks politics and discrimination.  While all the breakdowns, amazing Ernie C riffs, spectacular drumming, and powerful lyrics from Ice-T are all there, which we are used to hearing from a Body Count album,  the album did feel much shorter than their previous album and there are not as many guitar solos and there are no ballads or clean singing vocals from Ice-T or Ernie C.  But it is still a fantastic metal album and a solid entry to the Body Count catalogue.  This is one of their best albums to date and a lead candidate for best metal album of 2017.

    Key Tracks: All Love Is Lost, Walk With Me, No Lives Matter, Black Hoodie

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  • Hearing Aide: Grand Gesture ‘King of Cups’

    All in all, it’s a wholesome, laid back and refreshingly straightforward collection. The album holds a  psychedelic feel without bombarding listeners with abstract and unnatural sounds that tend to come with the genre, and not doing so takes a considerable amount of talent. It’s well produced, diverse and catchy – something the group harps on in their biographies.

    Grand Gesture hails from Brooklyn and are best described as a combination of Talking Heads, Lou Reed, The Pixies, the Grateful Dead. They don’t copy the sound of these historical groups, but there are hints of their inspirations found throughout all of their tracks. They range from a fairly heavy rock drive to a plain and simple folk jam, and listeners might hope that they take a more aggressive route with their tone in any forthcoming album because tracks based off that formula leave more of an impact that their lighthearted tracks, if they were to ever drop another album.  Examples of this style are found predominantly in “King of Cups.” One of the highlights is a dueling guitar breakdown that’s very Allman Brothers-like along with a funky and heavy guitar solo played through a fuzzy and distorted amps.

    “Straw In My Sock” is another key track that had a more forceful tone which keeps listeners engaged. Their songs don’t rise and fall as much as other psychedelic rock songs do, so songs like “Wildflower” seem to drone on a bit. With the more intense tone, listeners feel more immersed into the music. This feeling could also only be only true when listening to the recording. They claim, “The band aims to write songs with pop song precision, yet they have a deep respect for improvisation so it’s not uncommon for the material to take on new directions in the live setting.”

    “Hey Okay” has a cool ‘skipping’ feel to it with more of those dueling guitars everyone loved from the Allman Brothers. It’s funky and technically with great direction and precision. It’s a song that would be an absolutely blast to see live as there’s so many fantastic opportunities to vamp and mess around.

    It is undoubtedly feel good music and would make a perfect fit for a live setting in an intimate bar or concert hall. The album is available on their website and Spotify and show no sign of any live performances this year, but will post upcoming events on their Facebook page.

    Key tracks: King of Cups, Straw in My Sock, Hey Okay

  • REVIEW: Making up with Adam Levine

    Watching Adam Levine perform with Maroon 5 was a dream come true for me and likely for many of the fans who came to the Times Union Center on Tuesday, March 7. The band had previously cancelled its appearance last September due to the birth of Levine’s first child with wife, Behati Prinsloo.

    Opening the evening was the U.S. Virgin Island group, “R-City” (also known as “Rock City), featuring brothers Theron and Timothy Thomas with a half-hour set of Jamaican based hip-hop, rap, and pop hits from its debut album, “What Dreams Are Made Of.” Upon performing the hit, “Make Up,” the brothers continued to make the show kid-friendly by teaching fans some Virgin Island slang. The crowd went crazy for a medley of songs R-City recorded for other performers —“Replay” (Iyaz), “We Can’t Stop” (Miley Cyrus), “I Don’t Mind” (Usher) and “Pour It Up” (Rihanna). R-City closed out the evening with “Locked Away,” a track that features Levine, of which he would reprise later in the evening.

    A rousing, electrifying drum solo welcomed the crowd to Tinashe and her group of female dancers, as they opened to “Ride Of Your Life,” from her sophomore album, “Nightlife.” In her half hour set, Tinashe also performed hits from Justin Bieber (“Let Me Love You”) and a remix reminiscent of 5th Harmony’s “Work.” before leading on into her own “Company”  and “All Hands on Deck.” The dance choreography from Tinashe and her dancers was great to watch. At one point, they were all in formation dancing to an Beyoncé-inspired rendition of “Single Ladies.”

    By the time the lights dimmed and the music began to blare, the audience was on their feet in anticipation of Maroon 5. Levine and company opened with “Moves Like Jagger.” Levine (guitar/ lead vocals) and his band, featuring Jesse Carmichael (guitar/piano), James Valentine (lead guitar), P.J. Morton (piano), Matt Flynn (drums) and Mickey Madden (bass), wasted no time in getting the audience to sing, video tape, and dance along to a majority of the band’s hits from “Songs About Jane,” “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long,” “Hands All Over,” “Overexposed” and “V.”

    Watching Maroon 5 perform to an almost sold out crowd was an evening I will never forget. Levine’s famous falsetto range was on point for every single song he performed. If you’ve thought watching the band perform with Levine on The Voice was awesome, watching their live performance in person at a live venue is amazing. One of the highlights of the band’s first set was a high-energy performance of “Let’s Dance,” a tribute to the late David Bowie. While another was when Levine gathered the band to center stage for an acapella chorus of “Payphone.”

    The encore featured nothing but an electronic drum kit and a piano. Levine and Valentine opened with an intimate look at the timeless hit, “She Will Be Loved.” Valentine took the lead, performing on acoustic guitar as Levine sang. He dedicated the song to all of the beautiful ladies who came to watch the show. Morton and Flynn joined Levine and Valentine to perform, “Don’t Wanna Know.” After a few more songs, the band closed the evening with yet another tribute —an electrifying homage to Prince. Purple lights flashed and illuminated the stage as each of the members poured their hearts out to perform “Let’s Go Crazy.” Levine stepped up to the challenge, performing Prince’s blistering guitar solo at the end to the crowd’s delight.

    Amy Modesti is a visual artist, photographer and musician who’s dedicated to sharing what’s surrounding her with the rest of the Capital District and beyond. She’s one of the photographers for TheSpot518.

    This article was originally published by The Spot 518.

  • A New York City St. Patrick’s Day with Larry Kirwan and Friends

    Every St. Patrick’s Day, the New York City streets and subways flood with green from onlookers of the 5th Avenue parade and thirsty pub-goers. With many options for a good St. Pat’s show or party from uptown to down and across to Brooklyn, one might almost need to throw a dart at a subway map to plan their night. But near Times Square a staple of the New York Irish scene returned to BB King’s to put on the perfect show for the occasion. For a second St. Patrick’s Day in a row, Larry Kirwan brought his songwriting and music from the retired Black 47 to the midtown blues club along with entertainment from some friends.

    The evening started right on time with the dinner crowd being treated to a set from the Lia Fail Pipes and Drums from Mercer County, NJ performing traditional Irish and Scottish tunes including the 1916 Easter Uprising inspired “Foggy Dew.” Singer-songwriter Pat McGuire, a native New Yorker who calls Galway home, was greeted with admiration from the crowd starting to gather near the stage. As a pleasant surprise to many in the room, former Black 47 member Geoff Blythe joined McGuire for most of the set on soprano/tenor sax. The two complimented each other very well, especially on McGuire’s new songs. His set included a nod to his hometown, “A Song for New York,” in tribute to the Hurricane Sandy victims and storm cleanup efforts.

    Returning to the BB King’s stage following McGuire’s set was Rory K, an independent hip-hop artist from the city, with a short set from a genre that was certainly the odd one out from the other acts yet fit in well. This year Rory drew more folks into his self-written lyrics with a high-energy and charismatic stage presence, debuting within the set a brand new song, “Talkin’ that Talk.”

    With just the blink of an eye between sets, we arrived at the main act of the evening, Larry Kirwan & Friends. With the retirement of Black 47 two and a half years prior on the same stage, Kirwan’s band for the night returned from the previous St. Patrick’s Day show –  Coty Cockrell (keys), Deni Bonet (violin), Rene Hart (double bass) and former Black 47 bandmate Thomas Hamlin (drums). The band had a tighter sound this time around giving a different take on the arrangements of the Black 47 songs in the set.

    The band’s instrumentation was that of a typical rock setup but with upright bass, keys, and violin – a bit of a contrast to Black 47’s horn and uilleann pipe section, so the feel of the performance was inherently different from what longtime fans of the band had been used to. But that’s not to say anything about the quality of the show. The tunes in their different arrangement stood in their own right for a perfect show, with Cockrell’s keyboard lines and the pretty sounds of Bonet’s violin complimenting the original songrwriting well.

    Concurrent with giving a performance with plenty of dancing to be had, Kirwan brought one of his former band’s recognizable elements to the show – politics in the form of song. A number of songs in the set came from Kirwan’s fervor for the history and stories of his home country of Ireland. Just like in the Black 47 days, these songs engaged a passionate audience, particularly the anthem to the Irish labor activist James Connolly. In more current affairs, Kirwan debuted a new single, “Second Coming Blues,” fueled by the recent election season and inspired by William Butler Yeats’ 1919 poem similarly titled “The Second Coming.”

    The show also featured a few surprises mixed throughout. The first was an appearance received with much applause by Cait O’Riordan (from The Pogues), who Kirwan introduced with a fun little story about when he attended that band’s first gig in NYC. Right after a rendition of The Pogues’ “I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Everyday,” the band paid tribute to David Bowie with a cover of “Heroes” to which Kirwan had penned an extra verse about Belfast. Rory K stepped back out on stage for a father-son moment during a section of “Fire of Freedom,” and perhaps one of the most exciting moments for long-time fans was the reunion of Kirwan and Black 47 co-founder Chris Byrne for “Walk All The Days.”

    Before the night was over, the Kirwan treated BB King’s to one of Black 47’s MTV hits “Funky Ceili,” a song that for some intangible reason does not seem to get worn out with time, and the night closed with a large sing-along on the choruses of Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone.”

    The evening was by no means low key but was rather a fun-filled, laid back way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and a show well worth checking out next time it rolls around on the calendar. Until then, Kirwan has some solo gigs/talks popping up which can be found between Facebook and the Black 47 website.

    Setlist: Livin’ In America, Bas In Eirann, Five Points, Camptown Races/Hard Times, Big Fellah, I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Everyday (w/ Cait O’Riordan), Heroes (David Bowie), Fanatic Heart, Sean MacDiarmada, Redemption Song -> Fire of Freedom, Second Coming Blues, Walk All The Days (w/ Chris Byrne), James Connolly, Funky Ceili

    Encore: Like A Rolling Stone