NYS Music 20​17

Category: Show Reviews

  • Carolyn Wonderland Heats Up the Dinosaur

    Carolyn Wonderland returned to Central New York April 14, performing a benefit for the NYS Blues Fest in a night of raucous blues at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse. The Austin-based performer showcased her powerful voice and mastery of the lap steel and Telecaster to the faithful gathered upstairs at the famed Willow Street venue.

    carolyn wonderlandWhether belting out blues standards like Blind Willie Johnson’s “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” or her own soulful original, “Only God Knows When,” Wonderland proved that she is one of the genre’s most dynamic acts. Her Joplin-esque rasp held the crowd’s attention while her six-string prowess had jaws on the floor.

    Wonderland (Her real name is Carolyn Bradford.) and her band, Kevin Lance (drums), Bobby Perkins (bass) and special guest Shelley King (guitars/vocals) turned in a 15 song set mixed with classics and originals. The rhythm section kept the time with an understated tone while Wonderland and King stood front and center, beautifully harmonizing and joking with each other throughout the set.

    To say the crowd was appreciative would be an understatement. Throughout the set, fans jockeyed for position to get a glimpse of Wonderland’s furious fretwork. Wonderland has garnered a loyal Upstate New York following since she opened an impromptu Midnight Ramble at Levon Helm’s studio in Woodstock in 2009. She has since performed in that hallowed room at least a dozen times. Performances at Rochester’s Lilac Festival in 2010, the 2012 NYS Blues Fest in Syracuse and the 2016 Chenango Blues Festival in Norwich have provided strong word of mouth recommendations most artists can only dream of.

    Watching Wonderland perform, it is obvious that the stage is her place. She becomes the music, whether it’s her song or somebody else’s. This was especially obvious during her solo in the King-penned “Welcome Home.” The sound coming from her Telecaster was a mix of emotion and intensity. At one point, as she reared her auburn mane back, her eyes rolled back in her head, lost in the song. Wonderland never goes through the motions. When she’s strapped in, the audience better as well because she’s taking you on a trip from South Texas through the Delta, straight up to Chicago.

    The show opened with an acoustic set from Syracuse’s Colin Aberdeen. He has been working the Central New York music scene for more than 25 years and has become somewhat of a godfather to Syracuse musicians. Aberdeen is well steeped in everything from the blues to all forms of Americana.  Joining Aberdeen for several songs was young harmonica player Max Eyle. He and Aberdeen goaded the crowd into some call and response and the crowd eagerly responded. Aberdeen, a member of Los Blancos, the Barking Loungers and the Westcott Jugsuckers, is one of Central New York’s hardest working musicians and was a perfect fit to open this show.

    Following Wonderland’s show, the party continued on the main floor of the juke joint as the Carolyn Kelly Blues Band took the baton on Carolyn night. Kelly’s soul, especially in the Roosevelt Dean song, “Somebody Told Me,” brought tears not only to her eyes but to many of those in attendance as well.  Todd Fitzsimmons’ stellar guitar work kept the blues going well into the night, capping off yet another terrific night of music in the Salt City.

    The 2017 NYS Blues Festival lineup was announced at this show. You can find more information about this free downtown festival, taking place July 7-8 here.

  • Rochester Congregates for the Gospel of Robert Randolph

    With an even mix of covers, instrumentals, and tracks off his new album, Got Soul, in just a little over an hour, Robert Randolph made Anthology his house of gospel worship. When you’re on stage with Randolph you’re a part of his family, whether you share blood relation or not. Other than his actual cousin Marcus sitting behind the drums, the names and faces have changed over the years. But their mission has stayed the same. Robert Randolph and the Family Band conduct a non-denominational service espousing love, hope and energy via a program of invigorating and uplifting funk and soul filtered through the unique style of pedal steel guitar originating in the Sacred Steel church. On a cool and damp April 20, the traveling ministry arrived in Rochester.

    The service began, as they often do, with the organist filling the air with thick swirls, preparing the crowd for prayer. Things took an unexpectedly dark turn with a quick cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” But in that quick two-minute flourish the darkness would stay for the remainder of the night. It quickly moved into another cover, this one of ZZ Tops “I Thank You,” which is featured on Got Soul.

    From there Randolph kicked into the first of three stunning instrumentals he would intersperse throughout the evening. Each had it’s own character, but followed the tried and true Sacred Steel format, begging the question: Can you be summoned to scream Hallelujah and Amen without a prayer being uttered? Randolph proved the answer to be a resounding ‘Yes,’ as he stretched and twisted notes, sculpting the structure of sound, building it slowly to ecstatic peaks. Randolph may have adopted a slick and polished exterior in his studio output, but from the inside looking out, he’s still the same old impassioned and energetic force of musical enlightenment.

    And the new songs came off well from the stage as well, with the band rolling through uplifting takes on “Find a Way,” “Love What You Do,” “Shake It,” and “I Want It.” On “Love Do What It Do” Robert egged on his sister Lenesha to freestyle about their childhood trips up to Rochester to see the Campbell Brothers at their church on Goodman Street.

    The encore began with Randolph on stage alone, eliciting some gorgeous Hawaiian pedal steel sounds on the instrumental “Heaven’s Calling” before the rest of the band filed on for one big final thank you and their version of the Sly and the Family Stone classic “Thank You Falettin’ Me Be Mice Elf Agin.” The band filed off again mid-jam, leaving just the original Family Band members, Marcus and Robert, to close out the evening with a breakdown jam that drifted off into midnight.

    Rochester’s own soul superhero, Danielle Ponder, got the evening off to a hot start. Public defender by day, soul-belting goddess by night, her and her band the Tomorrow People mesmerized the early crowd with powerful heartfelt grooves, highlighted by a sexy and sultry cover of “Crazy.” Luke Wade and his young trio, playing together for the first time, played a set chock full of original love songs, with “Morning View” and “On Fire” being the stand outs.

    Setlist: War Pigs > I Thank You, Instrumental, Find a Way, Instrumental, Shake It, Superstition, Instrumental, Love Do What it Do, I Want It E: Heaven’s Calling > Thank You Falettin’ Me Be Mice Elf Agin

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  • Formula 5 Gets By with a Little Help From Their Friends During ‘All Points North’ Album Release Party

    Capital Region jammers Formula 5 pulled out all the stops for their final All Points North album release party in Saratoga Springs in front of a full crowd of familiar faces and an exponentially growing fan base. After premiering the album in its entirety in New Haven with Relative Souls, the foursome decided to team up with the New Paltz-rooted The Other Brothers to serve up slices of true NY funk and soul on a Saturday night with a dirty laundry list of reasons to celebrate.

    From 8pm-10pm, fans rolled through the Putnam Den doors to enjoy the likes of a free keg with The Other Brothers set slated to rock at 9 pm. With a 15-song set, the six-piece of Chris Owens (vocals), Brandon Bera (drums), Gabe Marquez (keys), John Morrison (Guitar), Jared Nelson (Percussion) and Jordan Mendelson (Bass) kicked off the night with their rock and roll origins, soulful captivation and soaring vocals. Having convened in 2012 at SUNY New Paltz, the group is in the midst of preparing their first studio album, Jones. Having played shows for a few years and acting as seasoned veterans on the Rock and Roll Resort lineup, it’s a bit surprising that they’re only releasing their first album. At the same time, it allows you to get in on the ground level and perhaps grow with a band you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing or listening to before.

    From first impression, you could tell The Other Brothers’ sound and Owens’ powerhouse vocals provided a pleasing contrast to Formula 5 and what was to follow. As their set unraveled, each song found the front man, dressed in pale pink, rocking his hips back, forth and around town and further exploring his vault of dance moves. During a fun reggae-fusion tune, “These Cycles,” Owens’ charisma and onstage conversation demanded your attention–all that was left to do was listen and sway along with him. He often took the audience through anecdotes of how song titles came to be and strange one-off experiences that helped shape their musical contributions. It was hard not to keep your eyes locked on Nelson as his hands transitioned through tapping the congas and tossing a shaker, tambourine and rain stick for high points of the set, which also included Mendelson, sporting a Iron Maiden hockey jersey, impressively hitting quick tempo switches and odd time signatures on “Your Machine.” “Hit You Up” brought out the first guest of the night, Wavy Cunningham, to ease smooth tunes and a bit of rap into the set while the ending track of the night, “Levee for Free” had all fans on foot and Formula 5’s Joe Davis (also sporting pink) delivering tasty licks on guitar.

    The eclectic group of six will open up for Vulfpeck’s Theo Katzman on April 19 at the famed Capitol Theatre in Portchester, NY.  Looks like all is pointing North not only for Formula 5 but for these New Paltz natives as well.

    The Other Brothers Set List:

    Sleep Yo, Good Thing, The Man, Don’t Mean A Thing, Love Recedes, These Cycles, K2 in the Bathroom, New Friends, Can I Get It?, Why You Are, Hit You Up*, Game Show Radio, Your Machine, Bound, Levee for Free*

    * Wavy Cunningham

    $ Joe Davis from Formula 5 on guitar

    After a short introduction from a sincerely grateful and proud band manager, Pete Mason, Formula 5 immediately launched into their double header with transcending energy and multicolored lights boasting “F” and  “5” from the top corners of the stage.

    set the tone for their Saturday night gig with kinetic energy that only kept building. While fans may have heard the newer tunes from recent gigs and even more recent album release teases, it was the first time listening to the entire album in a live setting, lending their ears to Formula 5’s natural creativity and improvisation. Bassist James Woods sported a slight smirk all night, which could be attributed to a number of things, but we’ll just pin it on the electric energy and a “load-off” feeling of finally offering the band’s new studio album to the world. The merch table was freshly stocked with musical material both new and old, freshly crafted Trout Waters pins and newly designed T-shirts available for longtime fans and those just discovering their music.

    Having transformed a Kickstarter goal into reality, Joe, Matt, and James long awaited the night’s celebrations after pouring endless amounts of effort into their third studio album which follows their self titled debut album, April 2014’s Edging on Catastrophe and one live album, Live Five Vol. 1. The quartet implemented some classic strategies as well as newfound ways to draw a dancing crowd to their Putnam Den gig. Joe and Matt dedicated a few hours of their day to Albany’s own Madison Avenue Ben and Jerry’s shop on free cone day to dish out tasty frozen treats to Albany locals, hand out fliers for the album release show and spin their newest record to listening ears and the hungry humans attached to them–talk about a marketing triple threat. 

    Set one presented All Points North front to back, with friends Phil Chow on trumpet and Bryan Brundige of The Chronicles on trombone during “It Goes” paired with a loud exclamation of “I love horn-ula 5!” from the depths of the crowd. Not only did Brundige lend a helping horn on stage, he handles audio engineering at OverIt Media and aided the guys through their All Points North journey in the studio. A long set break brought set two, chock full of covers, a “Tweezer” tease and a loaded surprise sit in. Following a jam and “Booher’s Pass,” moe.’s own Vinnie Amico took to the drum kit during “Pedro” to sit in for the group’s drummer. The two seamlessly transitioned on and off stage while the drummer tried to use his surroundings to aid the beat to try and smoothly dip back behind the moe. veteran. Amico’s presence was unplanned, making the surprise sit in all the more sweet. The seasoned drummer happened to be hanging in the Saratoga venue before wandering into the back room and admitting  he was a Formula 5 fan and excited to see their set. From there, an organic sit in blossomed to cap off an already exceptional night.

    Next up was a double header of covers with Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry” and Steely Dan’s “Hey Nineteen,” band and fan favorites alike. Appropriately closing out a night of well deserved festivities and completing a pretty solid song cover trifecta, the night was wrapped up into a funky package with a Phish phavorite, “Run Like An Antelope.” Keeping the momentum rolling the next day, the guys announced their participation at The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival alongside Dopapod, Emancipator, BIG Something, Spafford and more. They’ll keep the grooves going with a continued Spring 2017 tour as summertime bliss will bring Formula 5 tunes not only to the festival circuit but directly to phans during the Madison Square Garden Baker’s Dozen run.

    Formula 5 Set List:

    Set I: (“All Points North”)

    Come Along, Sad Bed*, Trout Waters, Pt. I & II, It Goes…^, Excalibur, The Birch Tree^, Q&A, Do Tell^, Figure Out A Feeling^

    Set II:

    Jam -> Booher’s Pass, Pedro$, Dirty Laundry$, Hey Nineteen!

    E: Run Like An Antelope~

    *Unfinished

    ^ Phil Chow on trumpet, Bryan Brundige on Trombone

    $ Unfinished, Vinnie Amico of Moe. on drums

    $Don Henley cover

    ! Steely Dan cover

    ~ Phish cover

  • John Mayer Launches his Search For Everything World Tour

    The musically acclaimed John Mayer kicked off his latest tour at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY on March 31, 2017. This tour is in support of his recently released studio album entitled The Search For Everything.

    Search For EverythingThe format of his concert included five chapters to help guide the audience through the show, which featured songs from his entire repertoire of music. The sets consisted of a digital backdrop that projected different scenes for each song. Mayer began by playing a set with his full band stretching as far back as his 2006 Continuum era to open the show with “Belief” and later playing “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You).” During this first chapter, in addition to live debuting “Helpless,” Mayer stepped away from his sidekick guitar with a microphone in hand to engage with his audience during “Moving On and Getting Over.” He decided to play the hook back multiple times varying the speed and melody while breaking out unusual dance moves rarely seen in his live performances.

    Not only is John Mayer a brilliant lyricist with a distinguishable voice, but he is also an incredibly talented guitarist. The second chapter of his show was composed of three well-known songs and referred to as the ‘acoustic’ set, allowing him to display his mesmerizing guitar skills. In this chapter specifically, the crowd could be caught singing along to every word of “Daughters” and his infamous cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” where he was accompanied by band-mate and fellow guitarist David Ryan Harris.

    Search For EverythingEvery concert on this tour also features songs from John Mayer Trio (JM3) during which Mayer excitedly invites the legendary bass player Pino Paladino and drummer Steve Jordan to perform alongside him. The trio reunited on stage to play both original JM3 songs and covers from the greats such as Chuck Berry and Jimi Hendrix. Each show on this tour features well-known, new and obscure tracks from Mayer’s vast musical library.

    Some highlight performances from the fourth chapter were songs from his earlier record “Why Georgia.” Mayer also reminisced on the making of Paradise Valley before playing the light-hearted “Dear Marie.” After leaving the stage and returning for his full band encore, playing songs like the anticipated “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,” Mayer exited the stage for what the audience thought was the last time, only to return a few minutes later to booming applause from the audience.

    Search For EverythingFor this final chapter, the entire stage set was transformed into a blank white page except for the word ‘Epilogue’ which flashed on the screen. Mayer appeared alone on stage sitting at a white piano which he used to accompany himself for the final song, “You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me.” At the conclusion of the song, he walked through a stage door in the middle of the white screen that was not visible to the audience, leaving one to wonder if his passage through this door is meant to symbolize his continual Search for Everything.

    Excitement amongst long-time fans started buzzing from the moment Mayer announced his tour. His opening show exceeded my expectations as the emphasis was placed upon the music with a tasteful amount of production elements. I personally can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve for future shows and encourage all who have the opportunity to see him on this tour.

    Setlist: (Full Band): Belief, Helpless, I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You), Love on the Weekend, Moving On and Getting Over (Acoustic): Daughters, In Your Atmosphere, Free Fallin’ (Trio): Who Did You Think I Was, Promised Land, Wait Until Tomorrow (Full Band Reprise): Blues Run the Game, Queen of California, Edge of Desire, Dear Marie, Why Georgia, In Repair

    Encore: Stitched Up, Slow Dancing in a Burning Room (Epilogue): You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me

  • Big Mean Sound Machine Bring The Funk To The Root Cellar

    The 9-Piece powerhouse brought their album-release tour to The Root Cellar in Greenfield, MA on Saturday, April 15. Big Mean Sound Machine played their hearts out for two incredible sets for a crowd of locals ready to dance. They’re taking their groove back for a hometown throw-down in Ithaca, NY this Friday before taking a short trip down the east coast in early May.

  • Trey Anastasio Band Opens ‘Paper Wheels’ Tour At The Cap

    On Friday, April 14, the hallowed halls of The Capitol Theatre welcomed a sold-out crowd for the first of two nights there for the start of Trey Anastasio’s Paper Wheels tour. The magnificent sound and history of The Cap made it the perfect setting for a tour opener, not to mention a diverse setlist composed of Anastasio and Phish tunes along with a few debuts and covers.

    Set 1 opened with bassist Tony Markellis setting the pace on “Sand” and Anastasio quickly found his mark, clearly showing his excitement to be on the stage with his long-time solo act bandmates. With plenty of improv intertwined in the songs, the set carried on with TAB staples and closed with a funky version of “Gotta Jiboo.” The band made a few debuts and covers in the first set to the delight of the crowd. An original new tune written by Anastasio and Tom Marshall “This Crazy World I Know” made its debut as did a cover of Portugal. The Man’s brand new single “Feel It Still” off of that band’s yet-to-be-released album Woodstock, expected some time this year. Included in the Set 1 covers mix were TAB’s interpretation of George Harrison’s “What Is Life,” Bob Marley’s “Soul Rebel,” and by audience request, Toots and The Maytal’s “Sweet and Dandy.”

    The second set was much looser and groovier with a greater focus on opening the songs up to feature improvisation from everyone on stage, including an impromptu moment with Cyro Baptista getting goofy on percussion. It opened with the salsa-inspired “Curlews Call” and “Night Speaks To A Woman” before getting to the first of two songs in the set from Paper Wheels, “Liquid Time.” Ray Paczkowski’s keyboard introduced “Alaska,” a tune introduced by Anastasio in 2008 prior to Phish’s reunion and reminiscent in feel to a faster version of the Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed.” Things got funkier as “Simple Twist Up Dave” came around with the slow groove of “Windora Bug” following, featuring Markellis on vocals. Speaking of vocals, Jennifer Hartswick had the theatre roaring after her performance on the band’s cover of Gorillaz’ “Clint Eastwood” and again on their take on Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” to close the set.

    After closing the second set with a high-energy and powerful performance of “Dazed and Confused,” the band returned for an encore starting with another debut.  The traditional Irish tune with roots in 17th century Scotland, “The Parting Glass,” was a pleasant surprise to hear. The a cappella rendition was led by Anastasio on the first verse, complimented with beautiful harmonies from Casey, Hartswick, and Cressman. Anastasio and his band blazed the end of the show with “Push On Til The Day” with the horns bringing out their inner Tower of Power to add a punch to the song.

    Night One Setlist, 4/14/2017:

    Set 1: Sand, Mozambique, Cayman Review, What Is Life, This Crazy World I Know, Sweet And Dandy, Speak to Me, Pigtail, Feel It Still, Valentine, Soul Rebel, Gotta Jibboo

    Set 2: Curlews Call, Night Speaks To A Woman, Liquid Time, 49 Bye Byes, Alaska, Heavy Things, Simple Twist Up Dave, Windora Bug, Shine, Clint Eastwood, Dazed and Confused

    Encore: The Parting Glass, Push On Til The Day
    Night Two Setlist, 4/15/2017:

    Set One: Drifting, Magilla, Sometime After Sunset, Alive Again, O-o-h Child, 1977, It Makes No Difference, Small Axe, Last Tube, Lever Boy, Bounce

    Set Two: Money Love & Change, The Way I Feel, Tuesday, Ocelot, Goodbye Head, Architect, The Devil Went Down To Georgia, MacArthur Park, Ether Sunday, First Tube

    Encore: Black Dog

  • The Motet and West End Blend at The Fairfield Theatre Company

    Although the mid-week blues were in full swing, West End Blend (WEB) and The Motet managed to put a pep in the step of almost every single attendee at The Warehouse in Fairfield, Connecticut. WEB set the scene and style of the night, something that needed to be done due to the lack of enthusiasm that filled the building. Then The Motet capped it all off and blew away the audience with their relentless energy and zealous attitude. Once again, a very wide array of people attended due to the location of the up-and-coming venue, but everyone was able to find some aspect of the show they loved.

    West End Blend is based out of Hartford and showcased their funk and soul styles, but didn’t show much else. Their show was well performed and obviously well rehearsed, but the music wasn’t anything that would revolutionize the idea of funk -rather it just solidified it, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They had the formula: A solid drummer, funky horn line, groovy bassist, talented but reserved guitarist and an eye/ear catching lead singer. But it’s all been done before. They did not come short of a great performance by any means, but they didn’t knock the socks off most people there. That may have been because they were seen as the opening band or maybe it was because they only performed in front of a handful of people. The crowd just didn’t respond very well – they barely even welcomed them to the stage. Hopefully, and more than likely, they will headline a venue and get some well deserved recognition instead of being seen as just the opening band.

    Some of their most memorable tracks were “Say Hey!” which featured one of the most iconic parts of the band, 27-year-old trumpeter Mike Bafundo and his fascinating ability to sound like a funky Louis Armstrong. He and lead singer Erica Bryan have two very contrasting voices which made for a unique sound that the crowed looked forward to for the remainder of their performance. “Get Bye’ was another highlight, featured as one of their most popular songs on Spotify and was one of the only one that ventured outside of the stream line funk sound. The lazy tempo and an even lazier horn line resulted in a danceable but reggae feel. Other songs did not stray far from the funk band formula like “Attitude,” “Too Heavy” and “The Scene” which were plenty of fun and soon to be released on an upcoming album – the date is TBA.

    The Motet on the other hand had a more memorable performance.  Most of the credit goes towards the front man Lyle Divinsky. In a funk band, the lead singer needs to be like a conductor. He/she needs to draw attention to separate parts of the group because they are all required to be in unison to make the iconic sound. The horns stay reserved for the majority of the song but make a big pop during breakdowns and chorus’ – the same applies for the strings and synths. So he/she needs to work the whole stage and keep everyone’s eyes and ears moving – something Lyle has mastered and something that would change the whole attitude of WEB if Bryan were to follow in his footsteps. The Motet came out strong with “Damn!” which has been a favorite to open with for the majority of their shows including their prior Warehouse show and their first time Headlining the Red Rocks Amphitheater. It’s a perfect, straightforward ice breaker with a great funk formula that can easily flaunt their ability to build and climax flawlessly. “Damn!” is off their 7th studio album, Totem, and shows that the group is nowhere near out of ideas for funky tracks. Their sound is very familiar but manages to be unique, something that might only be true to their live performances, as their studio recordings are a little less impactful.

    They moved on to, “Like We Own It,” “Rynodub,” and “The Truth,” all of which were well received. “So High” came up and The Warehouse saw some incredible solo’s from the hornline. The crowd responded really well to Drew Sayers on saxophone. He had plenty of emotion and was able to work his way through the solo in an abstract but palatable way. He was smooth and well thought out and wasn’t afraid to take some risks. Trumpeter Gabe Mervine eventually came out of his shell after some sound board complications. He seemed concerned he wasn’t coming through clearly, but was able to focus after the problem was resolved. Keys player Joey Porter also had a few astounding and greatly appreciated solos, one of which was during “So High” where he played through a vocorder. It fit flawlessly into the songs style and got one of the biggest reactions out of the crowd.

    Drummer and founder Dave Watts never really had a moment to shine unfortunately, nor did bassist Garrett Sayers. Granted both of them have a very important role to play and not a lot of time so flaunt their abilities, but they both deserved a little more limelight than they were given. Garrett had a small chance to solo but he is such an entertaining musician and it would have been nice to see him a bit closer to the audience both literally and musically.

    The music was all incredible, but it all seemed more like an act or play because of Devinsky’s energy and charisma. He is best described as an actor but his personality comes off as genuine. He was so grateful for everyone’s enthusiasm, for being able to play at The Warehouse and was very appreciative of his band mates and their talents. Not only was he appreciative, he was sweating bullets and showed no signs of fatigue. His personality was just charming to everyone and a good part of the bands demeanor stems from Devinsky’s actions. They closed out with a cover of “Getten to Know You” by Parliament and “I Feel For You” by Prince and finished on their own “Closed Mouth Don’t Get Fed.”

    This show was definitely a highlight for The Warehouse and one would hope and expect this won’t be the last time The Motet performs there. They will unfortunately be heading South and West for the first part of the summer, but will be seen at Disc Jam 2017.

  • Dopapod and Aqueous at The Fairfield Theater Company

    It was unexpected turnout on Sunday, April 9, with a sea of die-hard fanatics coating the lower level of The Warehouse – so much so that even front man Rob Compa was surprised by their numbers. Fairfield isn’t necessarily the hub of all things jam band related, so it was fantastic to see the fairly seasoned venue collectively pull in a wide variety of artists and crowds. Aqueous warmed up the Fairfield Theater Company stage prior to Dopapod’s performance which consisted of two full sets and and encore. Everyone was thrilled, engaged and once again, due to the location, the venue pulled in a vast age demographic. The more mature and less familiar audience was perched around the ledge of the top floor, thoroughly enjoying the performance. Both groups were tight, virtually flawless and a perfect fit for a laid-back Sunday night party.

    Several months ago, Aqueous underwent a key member change with drummer Rob Houk filling the seat and making himself very comfortable. He was admitted in early June of 2016 and seamlessly fits the groups numerous style variations. He delivered a smooth performance all the way through, working through the inevitable drop of a stick a during a tastefully flamboyant drum fill and quickly grabbing another one from his bag without hesitation. All other members worked the stage well, but unfortunately came off a bit lifeless aside from the enormous voices coming from the instruments. Although they were limited to a small space due to being surrounded by Dopapod’s equipment, it would have been more visually engaging to see some enthusiasm from McPhaden and Loss. It may not have been the time nor the place considering the venue type and turn out, but it’s a new area that draws a different crowd and being as engaging as possible would have helped gain more respect and attention from those not used to seeing this type of performance.

    Aside from  some of their lackluster body language, Aqueous walked out with one hell of an entrance as the Chariots of Fire theme song played over the PA system. They lead a powerful performance which was unfortunately only appreciated by the 30-40 people that arrived before Dopapod’s time on stage. It started with  a funky favorite, “Second Sights,” which literally turned some heads. The early birds had their noses in their drinks, backs to the stage and were deep in conversation until the first first hit of that iconic “Shaft”-like funk theme song filled the room. They then flaunted their wide range of styles and tones and broke out into “Strange Times,” a classic rock sound which blended into a genre classic, “Peg” by Steely Dan. They dove into a classic Aqueous sound with “Staring Into the Sun” and, again, most of the limelight was drawn to a very animated Gantzer who was bobbing and weaving like a boxer around his small section of stage. They capped off the set with the heavy and funky track “Numbers and Facts” and left on a very positive note.

    Setlist: Second Sight > Strange Times, Peg > Staring Into the Sun > Numbers and Facts

    Aqueous left over a large round of applause for the valiant effort and immaculate performance while fans were still rolling in. Dopapod set up in a semi circle, making this an even more intimate experience aside from the time of the week and the amount of attendees. Although this was not a night that would be defined as the most memorable yet, it did not stop them from giving it their all.

    Aqueous wasn’t the only group that underwent a percussive change – original Dopapod drummer Neal “Fro” Evan is back on the throne, placed stage left. Although this is old news to fanatics, a naive eye would not have known he took a hiatus. Speaking of percussion, a special guest sat in on accessory drums, Adrian Tramontano of Kung Fu. Although he laid low behind “Fro”,  his stylings and flavors came through subtly and tastefully  under a very energetic Dopapod. It is unknown whether he will follow Dopapod all the way to Disc Jam.

    About 15 minutes of chatter and socializing went by until Dopapod opened up with “Give It a Name.” It’s a hard hitting track perfect for establishing their dominance in an venue that may not be so familiar with their style. Fans were excited, but were undoubtedly less enthusiastic compared to prior performances. Everyone could be heard chatting away during the breaks in their tracks and were even caught spacing out at times, but the presence of the group brought together new and old fans which made this performance nothing short of a good time. They moved on to “Super Bowl” and over to “Brain Dead,” both of which were obvious fan favorites.

    They moved forward with their fairly sarcastic song “Nerds” and threw a reggae twist on it prior to performing a well orchestrated mash-up of The Donkey Kong Country theme, a new song “Trickery” from their latest album and “Dracula’s Munk,” all of which are incredible funky and very well blended together. Before the end of the first set, sentimentality kicked in when a comedic birthday song and cake was given to Jake Berkowitz.

    Set two was a little short lived and contained “Picture in Picture” with teases of Snarky Puppy followed by “PLSS,” “Bahbi,” “I Am” and “Cure.” Knowing it would be an early night for most, they kept the encore tight but interesting by playing “We’re Not Alone” and “Freight Train Filled with Dynamite,”  during which, members switched instruments and had Gantzer join in for some solo time.

    Everyone was content by the end of the night, even though it wasn’t the most incredible and mind-blowing performance the two groups have put together. But one would hope that this isn’t the last time Dopapod or Aqeuous are invited back to The Fairfield Company.

    Setlist: Set 1 – Give it a Name, Braindead Pt. 2, Nerds, Donkey Kong Theme > Trickery > Dracula’s Monk > Trickery > Donkey Kong Theme > Trickery

    Set 2 – Picture in Picture, PLSS, Bahbi, I Am (Whale Song), Cure

    Encore – We Are Not Alone, Freight Train Filled With Dynamite

  • 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

  • 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