As the weather turned fall-like on Day 9 of the Great NY State Fair on Thursday, August 31, country music’s Leann Rimes took to the stage and welcomed both the cooler weather and the crowd that braved the elements as they sat huddled in hoodies, sweaters, and blankets. Beginning her set with a bluesy tune called “Love Line,” it was apparent her powerful vocals could make every genre of music sound amazing.
Leann Rimes is a multiple award winning musician, collecting awards from the Academy of Country Music, American Music Awards, Country Music Association, and Country Music Television, to name a few, however she’s probably best known as the youngest to win a Grammy with her rendition of Bill Mack’s song, “Blue.” Although the song was to be recorded by Patsy Cline, it never was to be and although it did go on to be recorded by others, it would be Leann Rimes to make the song a top ten hit for Bill Mack. Rimes is often compared to Patsy Cline as they both share a similar soprano vocal style. She was asked to honor Patsy Cline a few years ago with a melody of Patsy’s hits, which she once again performed for fair goers last evening to their happy approval.
With an eclectic mix of both old and new tunes performed throughout the evening, Leann wowed the crowd and warmed them up one-by-one with her most amazing vocals all night long, ending the evening with a tribute to those victims in Texas singing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Although Leann Rimes is best known for her number “Blue,” I can guarantee you that not one fan left last night in that state of mind.
Setlist: Love Line, Nothin Better To Do, One Way Ticket/Fast Car, Blue, Patsy Cline Medley, I Need You, Love Is Love, How Do I Live?, Commitment, Long Live Love, Bottle Let Me Down, What I Cannot Change, Life Goes On, Can’t Fight the Moonlight, Summertime
LOCKN‘ 2017, held annually at Infinity Downs Farm in Arrington, Virginia, draws lovers of funky jams, old school blues, and gritty hard rock from all corners of the country. This year, residents from every single state migrated to the mountainous landscape on a late summer weekend, August 24-27. Beautiful sunny weather with a scattering of clouds provided much welcome shade as festival goers danced and mingled, sampling a variety of local brews and food. All-star jams and vibrant performances by local artists studded the four-day event with excitement and musical release.
People seemed to lazily roll out of their tents on the final day of LOCKN’ 2017′, but Keller Williams returned to the stage on Sunday in full force, this time with his Grateful Gospel project. It was specifically conceived as a Sunday morning installation for LOCKN’. Playing some of their favorite Grateful Dead tunes with a black gospel spice, it filled the dusty air with a fitting soundtrack for the snoozy attitude shared by many.
Virginia-based Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos stayed with the funky blues theme, Rosano’s sturdy bellowing voice married soulfully with a sweetly played saxophone. “Devils Hand” was among their setlist, as was a tease of Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.” Mid-set he addressed the crowd, “Make some noise so I know you’re still breathing out there!” Glancing around at the listeners, some with nose and mouth draped in a bandana to block out the red dust billowing up, there was no doubt everyone’s lungs were a little worse for wear after four days of inhaling the dirt-speckled air. A quick nostril excavation would surely reveal the treasure trove of crusty reddish-black gems harbored by festival goers all weekend.
Keepin it classy, Eric Krasno Band‘s jazzy flair featured an old school organ with those quintessential revolving speakers that have fallen out of popularity but are always a nostalgic site. The female vocalist sharing the stage complimented Krasno’s vocals beautifully, making for some soulful harmonies.
Over at the main stage, The Record Company emerged with their rough and rowdy rock n roll to which lead vocalist Chris Vos assured, “It’s rock n roll, it ain’t gotta be pretty. At least not the way we do it I suppose.” After a short but intense set, the band thought their time was up but were cued to keep playing, to which Vos announced, “And now we will play the entire Rush 2112 album,” followed by cheering in the audience. Vos quickly responded, “Just kidding, we couldn’t play that if we tried! But glad you’d let us get away with it.” His humble humor made his set stand out even more after bonding with the crowd over a good laugh.
JJ Grey and Mofro followed, dressed to the nines with lead vocalist JJ Grey donning a black sport coat and red satin tie. Bouncy keys and two horn players, who swayed in choreographed unison, brought a more upbeat and dance-worthy feel. Grey sang several songs inspired by his grandmother, a woman who heavily influenced his life. He exclaimed, “If she taught me one thing, it’s that you can’t fight darkness, you have to be the light.”
The atmosphere mellowed out during Margo Price’s set which transitioned to a slightly more country folk style. Her soft vocals almost felt a bit lost as they floated through the crowd, her music seeming muted after the two lively sets before. Her song “Desperate and Depressed” spoke of the woes of trying to make it as a musician, but things must be looking up, getting a slot at LOCKN’.
The Revivalists opened their set with “Bulletproof” and also played their popular radio hit “Wish I Knew You.” They played mostly to the books, without too much experimentation outside of their establishedsong structures. The band concluded with a classic, “With a Little Help from My Friends.”
Phil Lesh and friends accompanied by moe. was an eagerly anticipated collaboration given that it will be one of the last times moe. plays for a while as Rob Derhak tackles a recent cancer diagnosis. Their lighthearted sound brought a warmth felt throughout the crowd. After their set, the crowd thinned out a bit, leaving more room for fans excited to watch The Avett Brothers close out the festival. They opened with “Satan Pulls the Strings,” and also played “Down with the Shine,” during which their vocals could have been raised, a sentiment echoed by several in the crowd.
The laid-back comfort between the band members gave the feeling thatthey could just as easily be playing together in a cozy living room instead of on display in front of thousands of fans. Cellist Joe Kwon didn’t even utilize his cello stand, preferring to hold the instrument up and walk around with it, which was both amusing and impressive. Violinist Tania Elizabeth and Scott Avett shared a fun chemistry, as they both enjoyed breaking it down, at one point standing face-to-face before bending down on their knees at the front of the stage to the delight of the audience.
The Avett Brothers also played “Headful of Doubt/Road Full of Promise,” “Laundry Room,” “Morning Song,” “Vanity,” “Kick Drum Heart” and “Murder in the City” before Bob Weir joined them onstage. Weir’s sweet guitar added a richness to their set, a perfect marriage of sound they continued to carry out for the rest of their performance. The Avett Brothers made a fitting cap to the four day festival, with their honest storytelling illustrating scenes many in the crowd can relate to. As their set played out, listeners seized the last opportunity to genuinely connect to the music and with the LOCKN’ family of music fans they forged over the long weekend.
A gentle breeze wafted across the festival grounds to keep festival goers cool on Saturday for the third day of LOCKN’ 2017. Nashville group Los Colognes helped start off the day at the Relix stage a bit before noon, with a few enthusiastic dancers already in the mood to move. One older gentleman with a silver ponytail beneath a weathered safari hat and donning a brown kilt pranced around the gravel pit directly in front of the stage.
Not to be outdone, a toddler sporting a billowing batman cape and brandishing a brightly colored parasol flitted about observing the black fabric flap wildly behind him. Los Colognes conducting their own dance on stage, showcased their instrumental finesse in the way they would carefully build up the momentum in their sound, which kept the crowd engaged in their performance.
A very enthusiastic crowd flocked to the field to see Pigeons Playing Ping Pong fly away with some energetic funky grooves that got the entire pit jumping to the beat. Ping pong balls were flung through the air in every direction, just as some toss glow sticks during their favorite jams. Lead singer Greg Ormont adores his flock, as Pigeon fans are fittingly named, as evidenced by the warm gratitude he expressed to the crowd throughout the set.
Attendees raged to their animated cover of “Psycho Killer,” and solicited loud cheers when Ormont, Jeremy Schon (guitar) and Ben Carrey (bass) all spun in unison with their instruments, clearly having as much fun on stage as the crowd was below. At one point Ormont proudly decreed, “I think it’s officially FLOCKN’!” Their performance of “Couldn’t We All” immediately brought Charlottesville back to people’s hearts as the band repeated the line “couldn’t we all just get along” before Ormont, arms outstretched, paused briefly and smiled widely before diving back into their spritely brand of jam.
Virginia native Keller Williams took up residence on the main stage with a guitar and some pedals to loop in his own effects. He put forth a low key, but upbeat set as people mulled about, many lounging happily in the dusty grass. A woman tapping on a hand drum offered it to the curious toddler gazing in her direction, mesmerized by the toy, but unsure what to do with it. The scene painted a heartwarming snapshot of the countless friendly interactions igniting across the festival grounds as complete strangers crossed paths and became friends.
The energy shifted drastically as Greensky Bluegrass emerged, standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder armed with their instrument of choice, emitting their powerful barrage of mountain music. Some audience members displayed their sense of humor carrying poles with an assortment of figures mounted atop. One of the most recognizable was none other than the beloved character Wilson, the white volleyball marked with a blood red handprint from the movie Castaway. It’s owner freely passed Wilson on a stick to anyone desiring to dance with it.
Lead vocalist Dave Bruzza took a moment to appreciate playing the festival and commented, “This is awesome. I watched this from my couch last year.” The crowd laughed and cheered in response, recognizing Bruzza’s supremely upgraded festival experience from last year. Greensky closed out their set with “Atlantic City” to loud cheers of the crowd, beautifully timed with the sunset as their last views of the crowd were awash in glimmering golden hues.
Once again the main stage rotated to unveil John Butler Trio, who opened their set with “Cold Wind.” Butler then addressed the crowd stating, “Before we go any further, we’d like to pay our respects to the Native American people whose land we’re on today,” referring to the lands of Nelson County that the Monocan tribe originally called home. Butler is well-known for tying social, environmental and political issues into his songs, and his audience enthusiastically responded. He dedicated his next song “I’d Do Anything (Soldier’s Lament),” expressing, “To all the soldiers, may they call come home.”
Following that he lightheartedly explained, “The intro to this next song is called ‘My Little Pony on Crystal Meth.’ I want to see that image at least once in my life. I dunno why I want to see that, but I just do.” He then quickly transitioned to “Better Than,” followed by “I Used to Get High.” Again Butler addressed to crowd to say, “On the day we arrived in your country we witnessed a whole bunch of bigotry… So we dropped this new song and it’s very fitting. It’s called “Bully.” The tune embarked with an electric guitar distortion that sounded like an emergency siren before engaging in a heavy hard rock sound.
Next Butler brought out his acoustic for his meditative solo of “Ocean,” a full hand of long fingernails picking furiously as the crowd swayed. Butler continued to tie political awareness into his performance, at one point stating, “This is a great time to be playing music,” in reference to the power of creativity to fuel positive change within the community.
Classic rock legend, John Fogerty, singer and songwriter of Creedance Clearwater Revival, pulled out all the hits in an explosive set opening with “Green River,” “Born on the Bayou” “Suzie Q” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain.” A jovial gentleman then trotted across the stage for an accordion solo as the crowd cheered him on. The band followed with “Lookin’ out My Back Door,” and Fogerty continued to wow the crowd with his non-stop energy, building momentum and at some points mixing rapid elements of punk rock into his performance.
Widespread took to the stage for a jam that pushed into “Fishwater” which included Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” “Who Do You Belong To?” and the ending of “Fishwater” to start the night off. Other highlights of their energetic headlining set included Dylan’s “A Hard Rains Gonna Fall” and a monster verison of “You Should be Glad” to end it.
When Joe Russo’s Almost Dead took the stage, Bob Weir joined shortly after “Althea” for “Black Throated Wind” and a “Jack Straw” that pushed Bobby’s limits as he was sweating and gave a look of relief when the build up finally paid off and he could simmer things down into to end “Straw.” A stellar version of “The Wheel” included a ‘Benevento/Russo Duo-esque’ jam for the ages and Weir joined the band for the finale of the expected “One More Saturday Night.”
As the Friday morning migration of early risers dispersed to acquire their first fix of caffeine at Lockn’ 2017, the fairly priced $3 cups were a welcome relief from the $9 beers that drained wallets the night before. Local rock group Sun-Dried Opossum, aided by the climbing heat of the mid-morning sun, beckoned attendees out of their tents and campers toward the Relix stage.
Marcus King Band followed, upping the rock and roll intensity even more, to a noticeably larger crowd. The Relix field’s undulating topography provides varying levels that aid people further back in viewing the stage, but also offers some rather slanted footing that can make it trickier to find a comfortable place to stand. But patrons weren’t letting that stop them from gathering to soak in the sultry southern rock led by Marcus King. His rough around the edges vocals accompanied by trumpet, sax and organ blended to form a rich and mature sound. The heavy rock made a fitting soundtrack for the crowds dragging footsteps, weighed down with the increasing heat.
New York band TAUK brought a level of sophistication with their polished sound, releasing beautifully executed instrumentation with a slightly spacey, ethereal tone. Accompanied by some much appreciated cloud cover, they provided the perfect soundtrack for the web of frisbee throwers flinging their tiny UFO’s through the air on the main stage field.
The tribal soul vibes of Sinkane mellowed out the atmosphere with a lighthearted sound as people mingled, sprawled out in hammocks between whatever trees they could claim, and made the whole show field feel like one giant living room shared by all.
The main stage welcomed Blackberry Smoke as it’s first performer of the day. They put out a satisfying performance of savory southern rock before Jim James completely switched up the energy with a solo acoustic performance. Despite his softer sound, he had a way of focusing the crowd’s attention with thought-provoking sentiments.
He opened his set with an acoustic rendition of “Young at Heart” before paraphrasing the Nelson Mandela quote: “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background or his religion. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” He explained it’s a quote he’d been thinking about a lot recently. He poignantly followed it with a tune about people making the same mistakes over and over again.
Brandi Carlile took to the stage next and exploded through the speakers with a full band and really tight, controlled sound that laid a strong foundation for her unbelievable vocal ability. There was a lot of love for Carlile at the start of her set, but as she bounced around on stage, exuding positivity and grace, she quickly won over a lot more hearts too. The crowd was in awe to the point that she took notice and expressed to the crowd, “This is some of the best energy I’ve felt on stage.” The mutual love and respect between Carlile and the adoring crowd continued to grow throughout her set.
After each song she wistfully tossed her guitar pick into the crowd, to the cheers and delight of many. One of her set highlights was an acoustic rendition of “The Eye.” She sung in a three-part harmony with two of her bandmates whom she has been performing with for fifteen years. They happen to be twin brothers, and she humbly introduced the tune exclaiming, “They are amazing singers and they could be standing at this center mic any day of the week and we’re about to show you why.”
Next the band picked things up with “Hard Way Home,” followed by an energetic rendition of “Folsom Prison Blues,” which she sang in an effortless flutter between sweet and smooth to gruff and rusty vocals. Carlile remarked right after, “Momma’s getting’ to old for that shit,” and the crowd hollered in laughter at her sincerity, and ability to level with the crowd. Her conversational style between songs allowed her to genuinely connect with the audience. She played “The Mother,” a song off her new album about the impact of having a daughter. Jim James came back out to duet with her and their mutual respect for each other provided the glue for great stage chemistry. Next she dedicated “The Story” to Charlottesville before ending her set by covering “Going to California,” which she sang effortlessly because she is the queen of country rock.
Phil Lesh and The Terrapin Family Band came out next to the utter joy of the very Grateful Dead-centric crowd. Their mellow rock sound was punctuated by a sea of cheers as fans recognized their favorite songs and proudly brandished their vibrant tye dyes. Gov’t Mule followed with more heavy rock, aided by the sharp vocals of Heart’s Ann Wilson during a one-two punch cover of “Immigrant Song” aptly followed by “Black Dog.”
Wilson took a moment to express, “We judge each other by what we have or how successful we are, but that’s complete and utter bullshit. So let’s take it all back.” Wilson and Gov’t Mule then went into a deep bluesy, “I Don’t Care What You’re Wearing,” as a man donning a glitter-laden jellyfish hat paraded through the crowd at just the right moment.
As the sun lowered behind the Blue Ridge Mountains, bathing the show field and it’s patrons in an opulent cloak of sun-kissed finery, the Mount Zion First African Baptist Choir paraded onto the main stage to welcome patrons to the 2017 LOCKN’ Music Festival. A sense of contentment swirled with eager anticipation permeated the crowd as the National Anthem and “Amazing Grace” drifted through the air.
A moment of silence in honor of recent events in Charlottesville unified the respectfully silent crowd before local group Kendall Street Company took to the stage to get into the festival groove with some homegrown, incredibly danceable tunes. Their tight instrumentation and seasoned rock sound defied their youthful visage boldly displayed on the larger screens bordering both sides of the stage. Lead vocalist Louis Smith uttered the lyrics, “We are here now, so come along,” an inviting sentiment as patrons continued to accumulate near the stage. At one point Smith exclaimed, “I need to get things that fit tighter on my head. I’ve lost my glasses, I’ve lost my hat.” It was a fair representation of his energetic performance.
Luckily LOCKN’ provides a general store on the grounds with a variety of essentialsfor anyone, musicians and attendees alike, if they find themselves lacking something they can’t do without. Umphrey’s McGee did not seem to forget anything behind, producing an incredibly lively follow-up to Kendall Street Company. As night fell, the show field continued to populate with head banging humans, approving with jovial cheers and applause as Umphrey’s flooded the audience with dazzling lights and heart pumping jams.
As Umphrey’s first set concluded, the stage gracefully spun 180 degrees as The String Cheese Incident flawlessly picked up where Umphrey’s left off, with no time wasted. Lead vocalist/guitarist Keith Moseley donned a flat brim with a hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses, as if trying to remain incognito while playing their unique brand of bluegrass rock to thousands of spectators. During their set, some crowd members couldn’t resist the urge to release handfuls of vibrant glow sticks through the inky air despite being banned on festival grounds. They are a time-honored tradition that will die hard despite known environmental and personal health hazards. During their performance of “Texas,” the rhythm provided an almost salsa-like feel that even reflected in the bouncy footwork of the more enthusiastic dancers in the crowd.
Umphrey’s and String Cheese each produced one more set seamlessly sharing the stage as festival goers danced, mingled, sampled the vast assortment of food and brews provided by local restaurants and breweries. At the conclusion of String Cheese set two, another seamless transition to the Relix stage took place as The Disco Biscuits took up residence to carry on the heavy and never-ending musical stimulation that LOCKN’ executes so well.
The 2017 NYS Fair opened its gates Wednesday, August 23, and aside from the food, music, especially local, is arguably the biggest attraction at the New York State Fair. The main stage acts at Lakeview Amphitheater and Chevy Court draw the most attention, but if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find a plethora of acts across the fairgrounds. From the various pavilions to the bars that set up camp at the fair, there is music of all types to be found.
The Empire Experience Stage features live performances three times a day, free with fair admission. The complete 13 day schedule can be found here.
Among the acts performing at the Empire Experience Stage are several tribute bands (Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Jimmy Buffet, Rush, David Bowie, AC/DC, the Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd and Sublime); Latin music featuring Edgar Pagan’s Grupo Pagan, Alex Torres and his Latin Orchestra, Orquesta La Muralla, Afrikan2 and BombaRoc along with local polka legends, Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame honorees and SAMMY Hall of Fame inductees, Fritz’s Polka Band.
Aug. 28-31 features several original local acts presented by local rock station 95X. Oneonta’s Baked Potatoes kicks off the series Aug. 28 at 4 p.m., followed by Utica-area act Our Common Roots at 6:30 p.m. The Black River closes out the stage at 8:30 p.m.
Other artists included in the local showcase at the Empire Experience Stage include Oswego’s Ethernauts (Aug. 29 at 4 p.m.) along with Syracuse’s Professional Victims (Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m.), Spring Street Family Band (Aug. 29 at 8:30 p.m.), Ahnest! (Aug. 30 at 4 p.m.), Townhouse Warrior (Aug. 30 at 6:30 p.m.), Toronto’s Bleeker (Aug. 30 at 8:30 p.m.), Mattydale Music Collective (Aug. 31 at 4:30 p.m.), Stacy White Suite (Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m.) and Barroom Philosophers (Aug. 31 at 8:30 p.m.). Barroom Philosophers will also be performing at the West End Bar & Grille at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 3. SAMMY Award recipients, Americana band the Ripcords will also be performing the Empire Experience Stage (Sept. 1 at 4 p.m.).
In addition to the Empire Experience, there are several other stages to take in live music. The Pan-African Village is a cooperative effort between the NAACP and the New York State Fair. The village highlights New York’s African-American heritage and features vendors and performers with African and Caribbean roots. Performances are held several times per day throughout the fair’s run. Featured performers at the Pan-African stage include SAMMY Award Winner Bobby Green (Aug. 25 at 8 p.m), Matte Mase (Aug. 26 at 3:30 p.m.), Tanksley with two performances (Aug. 26 at 5:30 p.m. and Aug. 28 at 8 p.m.), Modern Mudd (Aug. 26 at 8 p.m.), Five to Life (Aug. 27 at 2 p.m.), Steve Wolf performing twice (Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. and Aug. 31 at 6 p.m.), Colleen Kattau & Dos XX (Sept. 1 at 4 p.m.), Soft Spoken (Sept. 1 at 8 p.m.), Hev’n Ayn and Friends (Sept. 1 at 6 p.m.), Afrikan2 (Sept. 3 at 2 p.m.), and the Brownskin Band (Sept. 4. at 6 p.m.).
Some CNY favorites will take to the Dairyland Stage, appropriately located in the Dairy Building. Artists performing at this mini-stage-in-the-round include Just Joe on Aug. 31 (11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.). Joe will also be performing at the Courtside Grill Aug. 23-27 for two sets each day (12-1:30 p.m and 3:30-5 p.m.) Castle Creek for three half-hour sets on Sept. 2 (11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m.) and Max Scialdone on Sept. 4 (11 a.m., 2 p.m and 5 p.m.).
Several bars take up residency during the fair and many also offer live music. The West End Bar & Grille is a NYS Fair institution. The bar is located just inside of gate six on the west side of the fairgrounds and offers live music every night of the fair. Solvay’s own Rhythm Method brings its blend of metal and classic rock to the West Side twice during the fair (Aug. 24 and Sept. 2, both shows begin at 7:30 p.m.). They will also perform at Bosco’s on Restaurant Row Aug. 28 and 29 at 6:30 p.m.
Syracuse R&B and soul group the Horndogs bring their horn-driven funk to the West Side on Aug. 25 and alt-country musician Steve Cali performs a Sunday set on Aug. 27. Other bands performing the West End include 3 Inch Fury, Brass, Inc., the PEP Band and Kat Tale. All shows at the West End begin at 7:30 p.m.
The Empire Room, one of the fair’s air conditioned venues, will host live music twice per day over the course of the fair’s thirteen day run. Utica-based harmonica player, Matt Lomeo will perform three days with a different partner joining him each day. On Aug. 24, Lomeo will be joined by guitarist Brian Mulkerne. On Aug. 27 Syracuse-based guitarist and leader of Morris and the Hepcats, Morris Tarbell joins Lomeo. Finally, on Aug. 29, Lomeo is accompanied by celebrated jazz saxophonist and pianist, Monk Rowe. All of Lomeo’s appearances at the Empire Room are 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Chris Eves will make two appearances at the Empire Room, one as a solo act on Aug. 25 at 3 p.m. and the other with his band, the New Normal for a Party on the Patio Aug. 27, also at 3 p.m.
Verona-based Opus Black String Quartet brings its unique take on classical meets contemporary to the Empire Room Patio Aug. 30 from 3-7 p.m.
Syracuse legend and SAMMY Hall of Fame inductee, Joe Whiting brings his exciting act to the Empire Room twice. On Aug. 31, Whiting will be joined by guitarist Loren Barrigar at 3 p.m. and hosts a Party on the Patio Sept. 2 at 3 p.m.
The Suds Factory Courtside Grille is yet another spot to catch some hot local talent throughout the fair’s run. Just Joe makes several appearances Aug. 25-27. Utica-area southern rock band the Swamp Drivers, renowned for their arsenal of homemade instruments, perform at the Grille Aug. 25-26. High energy Syracuse hard rock and metal aficionados, Scars n’ Stripes hit the Grille for two sets on Aug. 24 (6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.).
Boonville native Shawn “Big Sexy” Smith, a 2013 contestant on NBC’s The Voice brings his talents to the Grille for two sets Aug. 28 (3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.). Syracuse-area classic rock and blues band The Barndogs perform Aug. 28, 29 and Sept. 3 from 6-11 p.m. and Brian McArdell and Mark Westers perform acoustic classic rock Aug. 30 (12:30 and 3:30 p.m.).
Prior to and following Brett Michaels’ free show at Chevy Court, attendees can take in LaFayette country rockers Country Swagg. The band performs Aug. 30 from 6:30-8 p.m. and again following Michaels’ set. Syracuse funksters Skunk City close out the fair at the Grille Sept. 4 with two sets (4:30 and 9 p.m.). A regular at Funk n’ Waffles Downtown, this eclectic collective is sure to end the 2017 NYS Fair with a groove. For Courtside Grille set times for all of the above musicians and many others click here.
Finally, Bosco’s at the Fair and Shamrock’s host Syracuse-area country workhorses the TJ Sacco Band with both solo and full band performances. Sacco performs solo sets at Shamrock’s Aug. 24, 28, 29 and 30. He’ll be joined at Shamrock’s by the full band on Aug. 26, 27 and Sept. 2 and 3. All performances at Shamrock’s are at 5 p.m. Bosco’s will host the band Aug. 25 (7 p.m.) and Sacco solo Aug. 31 (7 p.m.). Solvay’s eight-piece funk outfit In Too Deep drops the beats at Bosco’s Sept. 2 at 6 p.m.
Bottom line: One can attend the NYS Fair each of its 13 days and spend the entire day taking in nothing but spectacular live local music. Check a few of them out and let them know you appreciate their efforts. They’ll remember it and when they hit the big stage you can brag that you saw them when. Remember, every band was local once.
At times, the music industry can seem like a viciously preposterous environment, kind of like a Sharknado movie sequel only with amplified instruments and egos, laptop computers and seven-dollar plastic water bottles sucked into a funnel cloud with the slimy sharks. But every now and then, a musician emerges from an overseas humanitarian mission or a music promoter decides to plant trees for each ticket sold to an event, or a festival books performers based on integrity as well as talent and name recognition. And in the state of Colorado all of those can be found in the confines of one event, the Arise Music Festival, held last weekend August 4-6 at the scenic Sunrise Ranch near Loveland.
“It’s not called the Wake Up Festival for a reason,” piped up festival co-founder Paul Bassis. “We want to bring in as many people and performers who are already awake.” Organizers and staffers of the Arise fest set an intention of blending entertainment with community activism, consciousness-raising workshops and thoughtful environmental stewardship in a way that they hope separates their event from the rest. The festival’s moving opening ceremony featuring Native American dances, African drumming and prayers offered an immediate and rousing example of that intention.
And the Arise message seems to be getting out to the public. Last weekend’s event sold out for the first time in their brief five year history. One music group, Rising Appalachia, split a European tour in half just so they would be able to make a return appearance to Arise this year. Alan Bartram, the stand-up bass player for bluegrass music favorites the Travelin’ McCourys, was impressed with the number of workshops offered over the weekend. “There was even a workshop on how to hula hoop with your elbow,” he commented with a baffled expression.
Though the festival’s rust-colored mountain valley was raked by a daily series of rain and windstorms, the spirits of brightly colored festifarians remained buoyed by a wide ranging lineup that included EDM favorites like Tipper and rap musicians like Brother Ali. Fans of folk and bluegrass flocked to sets from Ani Difranco, Rising Appalachia and the frenetically improvisational Jeff Austin Band. Austin’s band joined with the McCourys for a spirited bluegrass tribute set to the Grateful Dead as well. The performance talent wasn’t limited to the musician sets either. Acrobatic acts like Fractal Tribe and Lunar Fire combined grace, athleticism and captivating aerials along with live music and fire performances throughout the weekend.
The Arise festival sets a unique tone and atmosphere that is both fulfilling and fun. And its participants long for what surely will be a whirlwind of a sequel next year.
A well run music festival can be a fantasy land, a respite from reality. Such was the case at the 2017 Peach Music Festival in Scranton, PA this past weekend. As concertgoers reveled in musical bliss, the world around them grew darker and stormier. Unimaginable horrors were unfolding. Music, blasted from three stages across picturesque Montage Mountain, formed a barrier, shielding those in the vicinity from outside influences. The focus was friends, family and fun. That was the intent and, with little exception, everyone on the festival grounds, musicians, fans, security and vendors alike obliged like it was an unwritten rule. Like a peach, the festival was fuzzy on the outside, sweet and juicy on the inside.
Smiling was the face fashion of the weekend. “Strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hands,” sung early in Joe Russo’s Almost Dead’s Thursday evening headline set, elicited a real life recreation of the lyrics with strangers literally shaking each others hands, meeting for the first time and happy to be acquainted and dancing together for the next four nights. The venue staff, dressed in bright orange shirts with a graphic of a hand holding up the peace sign, were labelled as “Safety” rather than Security. They were constantly circulating through the crowd, dancing and grooving along the way, just as likely to be asking how you were doing as they were telling you what to do. And the kind vibes were returned, fans offering the staff snacks, hugs and even including them in their group shots. In a moment that nearly disrupted the peaceful atmosphere, a couple of cops came into the crowd on the prowl for a specific someone. Though it wasn’t for a bust, they just wanted to say hi to an old friend and give her a hug. Fans wandering through the crowd were quick with high fives, fist bumps, a quick dance or even a hug for fellow fans. Everywhere you turned excited reunions were happening with friends both old and new. Fuzzy!
Sweet and Juicy
The festival, started by the Allman Brothers, thoroughly maintains the spirit of the band, even as they become a more distant memory with each passing year. Allman Brothers t-shirts, still available at the merch booth, totaled more than twice that of any other band shirt represented at the festival among the crowd. The main stages, The Peach and The Mushroom, both harken to the symbolism of the band, while the path connecting them, Skydog Way, honors the late Duane Allman. With two original members in Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks passing this year, there was more honoring to be done. The much anticipated set specifically honoring them with an all-star band was Saturday afternoon. But even before that time, My Morning Jacket was busting out a cover of “Melissa” during their set on Friday night. Pink Talking Fish shed their raison d’etre to present their version of the Allman Brothers’ classic Eat a Peach album later that night. Saturday’s tribute set, lead by keyboardist Chuck Leavell, featured a rotating cast, a who’s who of Allman Brother’s past. As ex-Gregg Allman Band guitarist Scott Sharrard remarked earlier in the day during his solo band set, “The Allman family runs far and deep. I’ve been seeing a lot of familiar faces.” Dave Schools and Jimmy Herring emerged for “Dreams,” Duane Betts and Marcus King lent their signature dual guitar sound on “Southbound,” Warren Haynes took control for a rousing “Come and Go Blues” and the quintessential “Whipping Post” while the crowd gave it all they had as the backing singers on nearly every tune. It was a tribute set that delivered on all fronts.
Leavell decided to “honor some other fallen brothers” and closed the set with “Yield Not to Temptation” for Col. Bruce Hampton, followed by a song to honor Jim Hall. There were more tributes to be had throughout, both for those who have passed on and those still with us. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead maintained their reputation of exploring the music of the Grateful Dead across two sets, blazing new trails on tunes like “King Solomon’s Marbles,” “The Eleven” and “Let It Grow,” though they did squeeze in their lone original, “Keeping It Simple.” The show-closing “Morning Dew” remained mostly intact; even they know you don’t mess with perfection. My Morning Jacket’s “Melissa” was played in a quasi-medley with Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones,” George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” and Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind.” Steve Kimock sandwiched his set between two songs from the Jerry Garcia Band catalog, opening with “My Brothers and Sisters” and closing with “Waiting for a Miracle.” Holly Bowling played her renditions of both Phish and Dead tunes to the somewhat unusual sight of a crowd dancing to solo piano. Everyone has their heroes to honor.
Everyone also has friends they want to have the honor to play with as sit-ins were the norm at the Peach. The Turkuaz horns were one of the designated “artists in residence,” popping up all over the place. They came out for “Bringing Out Your Dead” and “Miss September” during a rainy Greensky Bluegrass set and helped Mike Gordon’s band finish their strong set with “Face” and the debut of “Victim 3D” off of their forthcoming album OGOGO. In the first performance by any Phish member since their momentous Garden run, Gordon was literally feeling it, bouncing joyously during some of the more exhilarating moments. He thanked the crowd for “those donut occasions” after a particularly rocking “Peel”/”Marissa” combo. Gov’t Mule’s set was labeled on the schedule as “with John Scofield and Friends.” There were friends aplenty: Marcus King and Jack Pearson joined for a 3-guitar assault on Marshall Tucker’s “Can’t You See,” Chuck Leavell on”Soulshine,” a bunch of Sco-Mule favorites with Scofield of course, and then a big finish with John Bell and Jimmy Herring on Neil Young’s “Cortez the Killer.”
Widespread Panic also brought out guests, though they didn’t return the favor to Haynes. Instead, they invited out two young guitarists. Brandon “Taz” Niederauer showed off his skills going back and forth with a wide-smiled Herring on “Surprise Valley” and Marcus King joined on a heavy “Me and the Devil Blues.” Panic’s song choices were seemingly one of the only references to the events in the outside world all weekend. Possibly unintentional, but many tunes like “Pilgrims,” “Cease Fire,” “Life During Wartime,” and “Lawyers Guns and Money” certainly felt relevant. Continuing into their second performance on Sunday, they opened with “Hope in a Hopeless World” before ending the whole festival on a more hopeful note with “Ain’t Life Grand.” Regardless, the magic of Panic’s music comes between the songs, and on that front they delivered some doozies. “Big Woolly Mammoth” and “Party at Your Mama’s House” both ended in dazzling segue jams on Saturday night, while “Bear’s Gone Fishin’” and “Second Skin” traveled into highlight-worthy territory as they eventually wound around into the next song.
Fresh-picked
A small jaunt off the beaten path, The Grove was the place to find fruit ripe on the tree and we spotted some ready to be picked. Caverns thrilled with their heavy, near metal, psychedelic rock, featuring reverb-drenched vocals and heart-pounding drumming. Lespecial jumped genres and borders quickly and continually for a head-spinning set that combined Indian, Latin, Caribbean and more, delivered with an electronic groove. Ghost of Paul Revere brought the blues to the acoustic string band, with the leads coming from a fantastic harmonica player who, using various effects, elicited some rather unique sounds from his instrument. Arizona quartet Spafford commanded an overflow crowd showing why they’ve been pegged as the next big thing in jambands. Hayley Jane impressed with a rock-ready voice and stage presence, backed by her band The Primates and joined on stage by the coordinated interpretive dance stylings of the Interstellar Dancers.
After four short days, it wasn’t without hesitation that the crowds left the shielded wonderland of music. The dream couldn’t last forever. Until next year, peach and love!
ARISE Music Festival was held at Sunrise Ranch in Loveland, Colorado, on a jovial weekend August 4-6, surrounded by rock formations, pleasant lakes, and mysterious meadows. This land was indeed filled with love, so its name holds true to its essence. It was a glorious gathering of all walks of life – an open, family friendly, health conscious like-minded atmosphere where one can simply be whoever they please. Acceptance was a big feature of the time that was had and the energies that flooded the air proved this to be true. People united and rejoiced in ways the whole world could learn from.
Despite the waves of torrential downpour fluctuating all weekend, flooding and destroying the temporary homes of many, everyone at ARISE seemed to shine through the rain and it only made people dance even harder to the grooves of mother earth, especially when a calm, strong, and bright double rainbow appeared at the end of a fierce shower on the third day. This experience was an evolution of mankind, uniting positivity and kindness throughout each moment.
Food vendors provided healthy and nutritional options for all types of eaters, as well as the festival’s own farmer’s market. As you entered from the main camping ground through giant neon totem poles, there was eye candy everywhere; each white tent displayed an extensive collection of interesting goods to be sold, not to mention countless painters, sculptors, and artists of all kinds.
Temptations with zero expectations. Hammocks galore! There were yoga workshops and practices, domes to climb, beaded huts, teepees, and much, much more. This interactive experience gave one the liberty to wander to different areas such as the “Wisdom Village,” “Children’s Village,” and “Solutions Village”, which all co-created a friendly habitat for the weekend in its own worldly bubble. As a good-vibe-only festival, people could be found at any of the stages, including Big Sunrise Dome, StarWater, Scene Magazine, Green Tree, and main headliners at the Eagle stage.
Sound mimicked the rhythm of body movements and the full moon and clear night on the final evening of the journey fabricated unparalleled liveliness. For anyone interested in participating in a relaxing care-free time with no service whatsoever, ARISE should be on the top of your list, where you can freely admire the sun and moon rise and set over this magical land while opening your mind to stellar soundwaves.
Leann Rimes is a multiple award winning musician, collecting awards from the Academy of Country Music, American Music Awards, Country Music Association, and Country Music Television, to name a few, however she’s probably best known as the youngest to win a Grammy with her rendition of Bill Mack’s song, “Blue.” Although the song was to be recorded by Patsy Cline, it never was to be and although it did go on to be recorded by others, it would be Leann Rimes to make the song a top ten hit for Bill Mack. Rimes is often compared to Patsy Cline as they both share a similar soprano vocal style. She was asked to honor Patsy Cline a few years ago with a melody of Patsy’s hits, which she once again performed for fair goers last evening to their happy approval.
The weekend consisted of countless extraordinary artists including performances by