NYS Music 20​17

Category: Show Reviews

  • Datsik Sells out Town Ballroom

    Town Ballroom was bursting at the seams with a whole new culture Thursday January 19 with Datsik in town and with a sold out venue. EDM music is becoming more and more popular and I can see why. In line you could find someone in a Pikachu onesie, or another in a unicorn and some girls who seemed to just have on their bra and panties.
    datsik town ballroom

    Virtual Riot was playing by the time everyone walked in. EDM music is not door at 8 and music starts at 8:30-9pm, it is doors are at 8 and the music is already bumping. The beats were lively and it created an atmosphere that was all its own. Virtual was a perfect opener, he got the continuously lingering crowd hyped up for the night and put them in a party mindset.

    Christopher Lee Marshall better known as Crizzly hailing from Austin, Texas was an entertainment all his own. He brought a hype man with him who did just that, hype the crowd. He jumped all around the stage and even at one point jumped in the crowd and moshed with the audience.

    datsik town ballroomDatsik, what is there to say about him? His visual effects were captivating; he had screens set up that took up the entire stage, his new stage setup was by Shogun stage production. He ditched the vortex this tour. The beats he created released the crowd into an animalistic behavior. The crowd was a bit out of control. Sitting on the platform you could see everything going on.

    Not long into his set there was a girl who passed out and as soon as that happened the bodyguard guarding the pit entrance attention turned to that; then two girls who looked to be on something ran into the pit and began to “erotic dance.” As soon as another guard saw what the girls were doing, they were swooped up like rag dolls and thrown out. People were taking off their clothes and it became a free for all. Datsik did his job and entranced the Town Ballroom crowd and left everyone feeling new and free.

  • Engaging in Wintercourse: Friday Night @ the Knitting Factory

    On Friday night in Brooklyn, the sixth annual “Wintercourse” took place at the Knitting Factory.  All four bands on the bill had shared practice space and admiration for one another over the years which created a love filled environment on the gloomy Inauguration Day.  Fans young and old packed the small venue before the first band entered the stage, proving that time placement had nothing to do with crowd preference or popularity.

    Teddy Midnight performed first and instead of simply warming the crowd up, they hot boxed the room!  Glow sticks began lighting their way into the crowd during the first song of the evening, “Veni Veni Veni,” off their 2016 release, Velvet Blue.  In fact, the set list was heavily layered with songs off the same album, which happens to be their meatiest and most recent release.  The four members sonically tasered their fans during the nucleus of the set list when the “Primordial> Velvet Show Jam>Velvet Mist> Tree-O-Tree” combination was played for the first time.  Adam Magnan on drums teamed up with Sean McAuley on keys to recreate my childhood in what I can only describe as the theme music from Crusin’ USA for Nintendo 64.  Sean Silva added some fuzzy textures by means of the bass and synth throughout the notable jam that lasted for the better half of the set.   Guitarist Wiley Griffin announced their final song to the dismay of the audience as “Air BND” followed them off the stage.

    The “Ukulele progressive rock band,” Cousin Earth, was the group that I was most excited to see on the bill solely based on the genre description posted on the website.  The five-piece consists of Joey Calfa on ukulele, Nate Searing on drums, Corey J. Feldman on Ubass, Tara Lawton on melodica and keys and Terry Brennan on percussion.  All of the members handled vocals during the gender blending set that consisted of originals and well-known covers.  “Point of No Return” off the 2015 self-titled EP started the set and acted as the padding for the first cover of the night, “Yellow Submarine” by an English band called The Beatles.  The spacey “Alive” was up next followed by the reggae-influenced “Train Luck> Inspector Gadget Theme.”  Only a handful of songs had been executed and I could already tell that their eclectic sound mixed with the funny, yet thought-provoking lyrics had abducted the room for the duration of their time on stage.  My favorite part of the set was the appropriately placed “Another Brick In The Immigration Wall” which mashed up iconic Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin songs into a sing-a-long for the entire venue.  Earlier in the day, an unmasked Darth Vader was sworn into the Oval Office, leaving me with a pit in my stomach that only comedy and good music could remedy. Thanks to Cousin Earth, I was able to leave our solar system for a while.  As a first time Earthling follower, the group reminded me of a new creation from Taco Bell… it may not have been what I was expecting, but I ate it up and would absolutely order it again.

    Voted the “Top 10 Best” AND “Top 10 Worst Names for a Band” in 2016 by CMJ, the jamtronica quartet, Space Bacon, hit the ground running with an almost 20-minute “Wolves” and even with minor technical difficulties, I was shocked to learn that this was their first time performing this beast live.  In fact, three of the four songs in their Wintercourse performance were Space Bacon virgins, which made the performance an instant classic set for the up-and-coming funky-electronica group.  They transitioned into the commonly played “Jupiter” as Sam Crespo on drums sped up the tempo and created a rave inside the tiny Factory.   “Ice Planet” contained elements of trance and hard rock as the band seamlessly segued from one genre to the other. Kevin LeGall’s bass joined paths with Chris Gironda’s keys to knit together a labyrinth of danceable delight.  Guitarist Jack Willard asked, “Do you guys want to hear new shit or old shit?”  The crowd began calling out for different fan favorites before Willard pronounced, “F*ck you guys, we are doing new shit,”  as they launched into “Prologue.” By far the wordiest tune they played on Friday, this new track was welcomed by the cult-like Baconators and at times had a complex Phishy vibe to it.  Don’t let the short and sweet set list fool you on paper; this thing had fangs, horns and some kick-ass moves.

    Chromatropic finished off the festivities with a unique jazz-fusion jam session spanning their career and highlighting their newest release, Abundance.  The frequently played “Bloom” was tackled early on after transitioning out of a crowd-pleasing intro jam.  One day when they release a Greatest Hits album, this track will make the cut due to its smooth sailing peaks and valleys.  “Habanero” was the first song from the new album and one of my favorites considering I’m all about that bass that Moses Margel is slapping.  Each member gets his time to shine during this spicy instrumental capped off by a Danny Caridi keyboard solo that will leave you in search of water.  Just as it seemed the band couldn’t get any hotter, they segued into the second half of “The Abundance of Elements” where Andrew Carton showed off his impressive and intricate guitar skills.  Mark Potter on midi and drums peppered in samples during the third one off Abundance entitled “Glove.”  The soulful and funky jazz piece is part-Vulpeck, part-Thievery Corporation and part The Chainsmokers?  You read that correctly.  While a high school cheerleader may call “Closer” by The Chainsmokers, “so 2016,” Chromatropic was able to incorporate the cover right into their music and it fit like a glove.

    The Brooklyn jam band scene is currently growing at an alarmingly satisfying rate and Friday night in the funkiest of boroughs, I was reminded that America continues to get greater every day.  While these four bands may be fighting for the same cause, to make people dance, they are in no way clones of each other.  Through their diversity and gender bending identities, they were able to come together and turn a surreal day into a sublime night.

    Teddy Midnight Setlist: Veni Veni Veni, Turkish Silva, Trap Haus, Primordial > Velvet Slow Jam > Velvet Mist > Tree-O-Tree*, Air DNB

    *Primordial through Tree-0-Tree first time played segue

    Cousin Earth Setlist: Point of No Return>Yellow Submarine@>Point of No Return, Alive, Train Luck>Inspector Gadget, When the Dinosaurs Come Back from Outer-space!, Super Fun Laser Beams, I Got This, Another Brick in the Immigrant Wall$, Capricorn on the Cob

    @ Beatles cover, ! BELT original, $ Led Zeppelin & Pink Floyd mash-up

    Space Bacon Setlist: Wolves*^> Jupiter (end), Ice Planet*, Prologue*

    *First time played, ^ bass malfunction, audible’d trio jam

    Chromatropic Setlist: Intro> Bloom, Habanero > The Abundance of Elements@>Gaia, Glove> Closer*> Glove

    @ Second half only, * The Chainsmokers cover

  • Tokyo Police Club Play to a Packed Waiting Room

    It’s one thing if a band from your immediate area becomes a sensation in any regard. But if any band from a major regional city, like Toronto, start off their latest American tour in a city right across the border, you better imagine fans will come in droves to see them. That’s why on January 19, Toronto indie darlings Tokyo Police Club played in front of a nearly-full crowd at Buffalo’s Waiting Room. And the crowd came from near and far to see the Canadian lads.

    Tokyo Police Club, made up of David Monks (bass/lead vocals), Josh Hook (guitar), Graham Wright (keyboards/guitar), and Greg Alsop (drums) have been big names in the U.S./Canadian border indie scene for a while now. In the past 10 years, they’ve performed at festivals including Coachella, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, and Bonnaroo. They’ve toured with the likes of Weezer, and Foster the People and released four LP’s and three (or four if you’re picky) EP’s. Buffalo was the first stop on their tour promoting their new EP, with stops in Washington DC, Cambridge, MA, Montreal, and Peterborough, Ontario coming up.

    Monks had immediate control over getting the crowd, wearing a black button-down shirt that gave off a look oddly reminding me of Billy Corgan. Maybe it was intentional, since their lastest, two-part EP is called Mellon Collie and the Infinite Radness. Either way, the crowd at the front reached their hands inches from Monks’ face as he reached the edge of the stage with his bass. Wright, doing double duty on backing guitar and keyboards, was by far the most enthusiastic performer of the act, bobbing around as he churned out various synth riffs and was by far the more energetic guitar player, even if his riffs mostly came in when Hook had a solo.

    The audience was more than willing to clap along when Monks urged them too, or on their own. There were also instances of a pineapple being passed around and held up by audience members, along with one attempt at crowd surfing that didn’t get too far. Musically, people recognized each song that started playing, like the distinct opening synth riffs of “Bambi” and “PCH.” They chanted along with the chorus lines of “Favorite Color” and “My House.” They waved their arms side-to-side during the slow intro of “Breakneck Speed.” And they managed to keep up with the multi-part “Argentina.”

    The band closed out their initial set by playing their first EP, A Lesson in Crime, in it’s entirely to celebrate its 10th anniversary. With each song hardly breaking the two and a half minute mark, they were notably more unrefined, more raw. The opening track, “Cheer It On,” harkens back to the time bands like The Strokes and Interpol were the toast of the indie community. “Shoulders & Arms” has a streak of noise-like guitar they would hardly come back to, while “Citizens of Tomorrow,” even with it’s hints of dance-punk, would harken to what the band would eventually turn into.

    By the time the band finished playing “La Ferrassie,” the final song from A Lesson in Crime, and bid their audience goodnight before coming out for an encore, the place had been completely enamored by whatever plans the band had up their sleeve. If the crowds at their upcoming shows are anything as responsive as the one in Buffalo, then Tokyo Police Club should expect a good time up ahead.

  • Mike Powell and the Black River Create Joyful Noise at Funk ‘n Waffles

    Mike Powell rolled into Downtown Syracuse Saturday night at Funk n Waffles with his new band, the Black River (John Hanus – guitar, Joe Bell – bass, Dom Scicchitano – drums, Shane Kelsen – keyboards). The packed crowd was treated to a night of originals from Powell’s solo releases, including his latest, Tied to the Rail, as well as songs from the forthcoming Black River debut, due in March.

    The evening was originally billed as Powell opening the show with his solo material followed by the full band. Instead, the band took the stage straight away, ramping up with a slow bluesy groove punctuated by soulful breaks from guitarist Hanus. This flowed into the first performance of a Powell solo piece with the whole band.

    Powell’s songs tell stories and sometimes these stories need an introduction. The song, “Moonlight, Sunshine and Rain” is the result of an encounter Powell had at a farmer’s market. He prefaced the song describing a near perfect zucchini he found. He asked the farmer how he is able to cultivate such beauty. The farmer simply replied, “Moonlight, sunshine and rain.” The band, particularly Shane Kelsen’s keys, compliments Powell’s blue-eyed soul perfectly on this piece.

    Continuing with the stories, Powell introduced the next song, “Tell Me Why,” as one about witnessing a friend spiral into the depths of addiction. His first-person account of an old college friend captivated those in the front of the house. Unfortunately, crowd chatter from the back of the room took away from some of the intimacy the song commands.

    Hanus and Powell drew the audience in with a new song, “Alchemy” featuring a Hanus solo reminiscent of Warren Haynes. Powell had his well-worn Gretsch and effects pedal creating haunting sounds as the crowd began to take notice of the talent on stage.

    While this band is relatively new, it’s clear that they are all seasoned. They’ve been holed up in the Big Blue North Recording Studio in Utica, putting the finishing touches on their debut album. It is clear that a true chemistry has developed among the members and they are truly a band, not Mike Powell and Friends.

    That said, Powell was front and center all night. As the band exited, one of the audience members asked jokingly, “Were they that bad?” eliciting a smile from the front man. Powell’s short solo set was next. All throughout, he demonstrated his versatility as a vocalist and instrumentalist, vacillating among the doo-wop sounds of “Go Back” to the heartfelt, soulful delivery of his Jeff Buckley-styled cover of the late Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

    A Mike Powell performance is an exhibit in honest talent. He’s humble to a fault, often admitting in interviews that he’s uncomfortable hearing his own voice, yet he’s unafraid to put that to the test in front of an audience. This came to light in Powell’s final song of his solo set, “21 Rounds.” This song was his contribution to the Acoustic Guitar Project. According to the website, the project is a global one with a mission of inspiring creativity. Several cities are chosen and one guitar is passed among five musicians in that city. They have one week to come up with an original song using that guitar and record it live. Each musician signs the guitar and takes a picture with it to upload to the site. Once all five musicians in the given city complete their project, a concert is held.  Powell came up with this heart-wrenching song about fallen soldiers on the final night of his turn in the Acoustic Guitar Project.

    Hanus and Kelsen rejoined Powell onstage for a roll through of “Empire Line,” a song about taking the train from Syracuse to New York City and were joined by the rhythm section of Bell and Scicchitano to finish up the night. “Gone Too Far” was the finale of the set. Beginning with a jazzy piano intro from Kelsen, the song slowly gained steam with Powell and Bell harmonizing on the chorus and Hanus providing understated yet solid leads. Kelsen’s keys are the highlight on this one.

    As Powell gave his salutations, several in the crowd chanted for an encore. Unfortunately, another band was due to perform later in the night, preventing that from happening. Those wishing to catch more of the Black River, can do so at a hometown gig in Watertown on Feb. 10 at the Savory Downtown. Tickets for that all-ages show are $12 and available through Ticketfly.

    Powell has been working his way through the bar and art center scene since making the decision to concentrate on music after a highly successful lacrosse career at Syracuse University. His balance of honest and raw songwriting have helped him to gain a strong following among the Central New York faithful and the addition of this powerful and talented band will only serve to catapult all of them to the next level. See them in the small venues while you can. They won’t be playing them much longer.

  • Pat Metheny and friends crush The Egg

    As a 30-something Phish and jam band fan, it’s easy to feel you know the ins and outs of the the most highly respected musicians in the scene – arrogance and intelligence are in a constant state of competition. However, an expansion of your delicate horizons can both impress and humble you. Such is the case of my first time seeing Pat Metheny.

    This 20-time Grammy Award winning guitar welcomed a sold out crowd of mostly Baby Boomers to The Egg in Albany on January 18. Accompanied by his pick of world-class musicians: Linda Oh on bass, pianist Gwilym Simcock and drummer Antonio Sanchez.

    Entering The Egg on a solo mission, with no entourage as I’m accustomed to, I felt alone, but soon quickly extinguished said feeling. As the show began, I quickly took on the student role, ready to learn what this devout musician could instruct me. An instrument like I’ve never seen: two guitar necks, one to the mandolin, one to the guitar, add on a set of harp stings to the belly; it created a full ensemble of sound, reminisce to ancient Japan. A geisha could surely appear on stage, with grace, mystery and peace.

    Throughout the evening, I witnessed Metheny, a man with a clearly elevated intelligence and sense of creativity, work with his chosen colleagues to create an eye-awakening performance of both classical and truly improvisational jazz rock. Rotating through five different guitars, he birthed a new sound and song by song ambiance. A guitar that could be mistaken for a wind instrument and then to something with a screeching, yet eerie sound – my eyes and ears were openly anticipating the next unique and unfamiliar sound.

    Oh controls the bass in such a way that I can only describe as both forceful and graceful – a contradiction of elegance and pure physical power. Simcock is a break-out pianist – technical and at times playful. He nearly steals the show from Metheny at times. As a novice, the wheels are turning. I want to see him everywhere. His back facing the crowd, I only wish I could see his face to see the man behind the art.

    The rest join him in a whirlwind of improv. It sounds like a dinner party, with five of the most interesting conversations happening at once. Yet, every one weaves into the other creating a blur of sound, a peaceful yet chaotic soundtrack to a solo mission.

    Standing in the back of The Egg at maximum capacity and without a chair to sit in or a friend to lean on, I take the ride through the ages. For me, it’s a learning opportunity. For others it’s nostalgia. But for everyone in that room, it’s a exhibition of the raw talent of the legendary Pat Metheny.

  • Everyone Orchestra at Warren Station

    The eclectic Everyone Orchestra performed a three-night run in Colorado, with the first night of the small tour at Warren Station in Keystone on January 12. The intimate venue positioned at the base of the ski resort was the perfect place for the group to host their jam filled night. This show’s all star line up conducted by Matt Butler, included Shira Elias and Josh Schwartz of Turkuaz, Chuck Jones and Eli Winderman of Dopapod, Eddie Roberts of the New Mastersounds, Michael Travis of the String Cheese Incident, and Mihali Savoulidis of Twiddle.
    The enthusiastic crowd danced the night away and sang along as the super group performed many jams guided by the project’s creator, Matt Butler.  The lively night ended with a reggae tune which got the whole crowd singing “Keystone let the snow fall.” The group performed the next two nights in Denver and Fort Collins.

    Everyone Orchestra Warren Station

  • The Tribe Returns: MMW at Le Poisson Rouge

    On Tuesday night in the historic Greenwich Village, Medeski Martin and Wood returned for the second night of their sold-out Le Poisson Rouge run. The room was damp from the weather outside and the lights were dimmed as The Thunderclouds welcomed the audience to the ceremony with a Native American chant. John Medeski, Chris Wood, and Billy Martin joined behind the three tribal drummers from Wisconsin, as the two trios became one on stage, igniting the crowd in an almost euphoric fashion.

    The slow building jam picked up as the Thunderclouds exited the stage and morphed into an extended rendition of “Where’s Sly” off their second album It’s A Jungle In Here. Each member got their time in the spotlight as the crowd shook off the winter chill with a variety of dance moves. Up next was “Amber Gris” from Radiolarians II. The beginning of that track would serve as an excellent hip-hop beat and as much as I wanted to attempt to freestyle in front of my friends, I was able to contain myself in a room full of MMW veterans armed to give a solid “STFU” at any moment.

    MMW Le Poisson RougeThe first set came to a fantastic finish as the trio embraced the spirit of New Orleans with the danceable “Coconut Boogaloo” from the Combustication album. Bleecker Street in Manhattan felt a lot like Bourbon Street in Louisiana after a Mardi Gras parade as the packed room grooved to the Creole-influenced jam. While New Orleans is considered the birthplace of jazz, NYC is the birthplace of MMW and as set break began, longtime fans reminisced about seeing their baby all grown up after all these years.

    MMW Le Poisson RougeSet two brought us back to the Bayou with a swampy “Seven Deadlies,” most recognized from the live album, Tonic. The mesmerizing bass solo by Wood had the crowd in a trance before handing the baton over to Medeski to work his magic. There were moments when Herbie Hancock’s Chameleon album came to life during the 15-minute plus jam and the crowd adapted to every minute of it. A loose version of “Undone” off Radiolarians III created space for the most soulful tune of the night, “Everyday People,” which is the second one played from Combustication. Medeski has spent a lot of time taking the crowd to church with his super-group, The Word, and the gospel influenced tune transformed the room into a sanctuary for a peaceful ten minutes of bliss. A haunting drum solo by the master, Billy Martin, quickly turned into “Nostalgia in Times Square/ Angel Race” where the golden oldies “On Broadway” can be heard teased throughout. Medeski went back and forth from the organ to the keys and despite no psychedelic influence, I am fairly certain he had four arms during that jam much like Goro from Mortal Kombat.

    The always funky “Pappy Check” and “Partido Alto” got the blood flowing as this one-two punch ended the second set. The legendary band definitely didn’t need any introduction, but Martin announced the group anyway. When they returned for a much deserved encore, Billy remarked how right next door, the venue that was once the Village Gate was where they played their first ever show. Fans, friends and family of the band rejoiced as they launched into one of their most well known grooves, “Bubblehouse,” off the iconic Shack-man album. The trio shifted into high gear and revved the engine for an extended encore that left the crowd more than satisfied.

    The 3-show January residency in their old stomping grounds came about because Chris Wood was hospitalized during the originally scheduled October dates. It was amazing to see the band sonically tight and physically healthy after the brief scare last fall. While the band does not tour as much as they once had, the spirit of experimental jazz is stronger thanks to 25 years of MMW. Cheers to another 25.

    Set 1: Thunderbird Chanting>Jam, LPR Jam, Where’s Sly?, Amber Gris, Coconut Boogaloo> Jam

    Set 2: Seven Deadlies, Undone, Everyday People*, Drum/ Percussion Solo, Nostalgia in Times Square/ Angel Race!, Pappy Check, Partido Alto

    Encore: Bubblehouse

    *w/ Amazing Grace tease

    ! w/ “On Broadway” & “Lively Up Yourself” teases

  • Talking Under Water Treats Audience to Songs from Upcoming Album

    Talking Under Water has emerged from the studio, where they recorded their first full-length album, which will be available in April. On Friday, January 13, the five-piece indie rock band performed some of those new songs to a live audience for the first time.

    Talking Under Water - C. Cummings (1)

    Talking Under Water played to an intimate audience at one of their favorite hometown venues, the Little Theatre Café in Rochester. Situated in Rochester’s East End district, the café is located inside the Little Theatre. This cozy spot seats 70 people, and was relatively full with friends, fans, and café patrons. However, it wasn’t long before it became standing room only, as the theater-going crowd was drawn in by the music.

    The set started with a new tune, “Lost,” with singer Dave Chisholm on guitar, Elise Hughey on cello, Sam Thomas on vocals, Matt Bevan-Perkins on drums and Colin Gordon on keyboard. The heartfelt song is typical of the band’s ability to morph elements of rock, jazz, and blues into their own contemporary style.

    Chisholm introduced the songs, and talked a little about them. “Rubber Band,” is about distractibility. “Window to Witness” is about having compassion despite differences. And as the name suggests, “5 am” was written on a sleepless morning.

    They also played tunes from their EP’s, which are notable not only for the music but also the lyrical storytelling. Chisholm spun a tale of an unrequited love triangle in the anthemic “Tossing and Turning.”  In the breathtakingly melancholy “First Act,” Chisholm sang the lines, “You try to breathe her in/ To always have a part of her contained within/ ‘Cause any day she’ll walk away/ You still can’t help it/ It’s a sin.”

    The melodies swelled and crested in artful arrangement, as Chisholm sung in his soulful voice and Thomas harmonized. Bevan-Perkins used a small drum kit for this performance, but pulled out some interesting tools like drum brushes. Gordon’s played the keys with heart, but would have had a fuller sound if he had access to a piano. The overall depth of the music was enhanced by the prominent use of the cello. Conservatory-trained cellist Hughey played with equal measures of skill and emotional expression.

    Talking Under Water - C. Cummings (3)

    A cover of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” was also thrown in for fun. The other songs they covered mid-set reflected their musical influences – “Jealous Guy” by John Lennon, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” by Bob Dylan, and “Lua” by Bright Eyes. Some more original songs rounded out the two-hour set. On “Hopeful,” the audience was invited to stomp and clap along. The night ended with the final song off the forthcoming album, “If My Body Freezes.”

    Talking Under Water’s yet-to-be-titled debut album will be released April 28, 2017. In the meantime, their current body of work can be streamed on Spotify or purchased on Bandcamp or on iTunes. Follow the band on Facebook or Twitter for updates on the album and plans for an album release party.

    Set list: Lost, We Used to Dream, Nomad, The Truth, Tossing & Turning, Only the Strong Survive, Days Like Today, Gravity, Window to Witness, Blank Space (Taylor Swift), 5 am, Space, Time Machine, Horizon, Rubber Band, First Act, Jealous Guy (John Lennon), Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right (Bob Dylan) Luna (Bright Eyes), The Boxer, Hopeful, If My Body Freezes

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGMoz6YQEg4[/embedyt]

  • Moon Hooch, Karma Darwin, and Honeycomb Get Geared Up For New Year’s At Daryl’s House

    Just before the New Year’s weekend began, Daryl’s House Club welcomed three local/regional acts on December 29 for a uniquely fun night of music to help get warmed up for the weekend. The night started with a set of homegrown Hudson Valley rock from just down the road in Brewster courtesy of  Karma Darwin. After hearing their live set it was fairly obvious why they make frequent appearances at Daryl’s House. Their sound was solid, built off a nice blend of rock, jam, and rhythm.

    Stepping over the Massachusetts border we arrived at a unique five-song set from freestyle beatboxer Honeycomb. His set was composed entirely from his beatboxing, each tune and freestyle consisting of percussion, melody and even some apparent harmony all at once. The beats were seamless and clean to the point where he would be a direct competitor side-by-side against any drum-and-bass DJ. As a common collaborator with the night’s headliner, Honeycomb was joined by members of Moon Hooch on his final song.

    Hailing from Brooklyn with a NYC subway busking origin, Moon Hooch’s Wenzl McGowen (sax/contrabass clarinet/EWI) , Mike Wilbur (sax), and James Muschler (drums) quickly turned Daryl’s House into a Union Square station dance session with “Something Else” from their recent 2016 album Red Sky. Through the set they touched upon their other two albums as well, This Is Cave Music (2014) and Moon Hooch (2013) and brought Honeycomb back out for some help during their encore.

    Using only tenor and bari saxes, a contrabass clarinet, drums and some electronic effects/processing, Moon Hooch approaches the conventional sounds somewhat unconventionally and turns them into rhythmic hooks and lures – the embodiment of exploring sound and its interaction with other sounds and the ears absorbing it. That was the driving force behind a sustained level of energy that gripped their set from start to finish, from the hyped-up “Number 8” through the entrancing arpeggios of “St. Louis” and extended sustained notes that require a level of mastery to achieve on the sax.

    Moon Hooch’s sound on their four albums, including their latest free EP release Joshua Tree (check out NYS Music’s review of that album here) is incredibly fun to listen to, but remarkably infectious in their live performance. While most of their live show is composed, there is plenty of improv and room for surprises different from the CD version of their songs that make it a must-see performance for fans who have only heard their CDs, vinyl, or videos.

    Aside from the arrangement and composition of the songs in the live setting, Moon Hooch has a tight-knit energy driven stage presence that the audience thrived from, and even vice-versa. The cozy setting of Daryl’s House lets the audience get right up close with the band, which got everyone in the room (Moon Hooch included) chewing into the experience of the show.

    Moon Hooch is back in New York at Buffalo Iron Works on Feb. 8, Waterhole in Saranac Lake on Feb. 9, and Brooklyn Bowl on Feb. 18 as well as several other shows around the Northeast in the next month.

  • ‘Get Folked’ House Party With Adam Ezra

    If you have never been to a house concert, you definitely must go at least one time.  This past weekend, Syracuse Fleet Feet owners Ed and Ellen Griffin opened their home to folk rock artist Adam Ezra as he makes his trek across the country on his “Get Folked” tour.  The concept for this tour began last year as a way to raise money to give his band a month off from their extremely busy schedules.  It was well received as fans graciously opened their homes to Adam and locals flocked in to these sell out shows.

    The concept for a house show is not one that’s new at all.  In fact, as Adam pointed out, this was how artists first began to play for audiences centuries ago.  The acoustic show is up close and personal, like a family gathering of sorts.  Sharing stories behind the music, Adam narrates how these concepts for the songs came about, giving audience members even more substance to the already thought provoking music and an insight to his personal life.

    Adam’s songwriting ability is phenomenal. His story telling abilities are of the highest caliber.  As I sat there listening to his music, it reminded me of the feeling I get when listening to Jackson Brown’s music, one of my all time favorite song writers. Although similar, it’s unique.  It inflicts his wit, his insight and his soul into tunes that are diverse and not repetitive in the least, bringing awareness to relevant topics and situations.  His talents have been recognized by those in the industry as well.  He recently took a trek to Nashville to collaborate with Grammy Award winning artist John Oates on a series of songs for movies.  Singing some of those tunes as well as many from his extensive catalog of music, attendees were treated to songs they requests and a few new ones as well that have yet to be recorded.

    Adam’s philosophy of music is refreshing.  He believes that music is created to be shared.  Found on the merch table along with his latest CDs and t-shirts, is an “I Love You” box .  He encourages all to help themselves to his music and if they wish they can throw some love into the box.  Whether it’s $20, $10, or a million, he won’t price his work as he writes it to share with others.  In fact, Adam and his band currently have a Pledgemusic campaign underway to produce and share an album with and by his fans.  This campaign is unique as the packages created are to help create a fan produced album to give away to all. Listing all possible tracks, fans will choose all songs to be included. Take a peek as Adam explains more about the campaign below.

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyvgmqsg-OA[/embedyt]

    The “Get Folked” tour is well under way so take a peek at the schedule on Adam’s page to see if they will be coming to a town close by, and don’t hesitate to see if tickets are still available as many are already sold out.

    Setlist: Basement Song, Chelsea You’re Alright, You Speak Girl, Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper cover), I Believe, The Toast, Steal Your Daughter, All I Am, Chasin, Thunder Road (Bruce Springsteen cover), Cover Man, Hippie Girl, Sprig, Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen cover), The Devil Came Up to Boston, Let It Be (Beatles cover)

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