NYS Music 20​17

Category: Jam/Progressive

  • Lineup Announced for Cortland’s Seedstock Festival 2017

    This year’s Seedstock Fest lineup is stacked with some of Central Region’s best musical talent over the span of three days from August 4-6, 2017, the festival will feature performances by 27 acts, including Sophistafunk, Digger Jones, Floodwood, and Root Shock.

    Now in it’s 9th year, Seedstock Festival brings together a crowd of 1000 music enthusiasts to Reed’s Farm in Cortland. While day passes are available, many attendees take advantage of the camping on the picturesque site. This family-friendly festival also includes activities for kids.

    Friday, August 4: Sophistafunk, Root Shock, Mosaic Foundation, Quona Hudson, Next to Kin, Horizon Wireless and Red Brunette.

    Saturday, August 5: Digger Jones, The Unknown Woodsmen, and Molly and the Badly Bent Bluegrass Boys, The Blind Spots, Chris Eves and the New Normal, The New Daze, Dapper Dan, Tanksley, and Adam Ate the Apple.  The late-night silent disco will feature sets by DJ Tech and Weasel Dust.

    Sunday, August 6: Floodwood, Analogue Sons, Milkweed, The Local Farmer’s Union, Bea, Austin MacRae and Rachel Beverly.

    Tickets are available at the Seedstock website.Follow Seedstock Festival on Facebook for updates.

  • Glazed and Confused: Phish’s Baker’s Dozen Preview

    It’s time to make the donuts.  Whether you like your songs sprinkled with bluegrass or deep-fried in funk, the Baker’s Dozen run is sure to be filled with surprises and innovative decoration.  The colossally ambitious 13 shows in 17 days will bring Phish back to the “World’s Most Famous Arena” for the first time this year.  Soft rock pianists like Billy Joel wouldn’t be able to handle the New York state of mind for this many shows in such a short period of time, but die-hard Phish junkies lucky enough to scoop up the full Baker’s package are foaming at the mouth!

    Hard to believe that Phish had only played Madison Square Garden a total of 13 times prior to the 3.0 era.  The 90’s saw the band transform from small venue jam band to arena-filling rock stars, and their initial visit to MSG in December of 1994 marked a significant new chapter in the band’s trajectory.

    Phish had outgrown their tank by the mid-90’s and iconic Manhattan venues like The Wetlands Preserve were now reserved for bands following in their footsteps.  That same winter night in 1994 saw New York’s own Moe. play the first ever post-Phish Wetlands after party (Moe. plans on reprising their role as keepers of the party for the first night of the Baker’s Dozen run at the Playstation Theater on July 21st).

    The original New Year’s Eve show at The Garden in 1995 is regarded as one of the best performances in Phistory and started the tradition of theatrically pranking the New York City crowd at each of the three 90’s New Year’s Eve gatherings (1995, 1997, and 1998).  In the era where “cowfunk” reigned supreme Phish reintroduced “Sneakin’ Sally” and busted out Eric Clapton’s “Crossroads” to a capacity crowd during their 1997 NYE Run.  On their final MSG show of the 1.0 era, Phish opened up with Prince’s “1999” to close out the year 1998 and the room swung back and forth as the band used “The Hose” to water The Garden in glorious fashion.

    After a dozen epic MSG performances in the 90’s, Phish returned to their home away from Nectar’s for their first show after hiatus on New Year’s Eve, 2002.  The boys surprised followers by only playing one night instead of their usual multi-night Garden run, which created one of the most desperate ticket searches for their dedicated fan base.  The tipsy, groggy and short lived 2.0 era created a buzz reminiscent of their New Year’s Eve festival just three years earlier in South Florida, but they did not live up to the incredible Phish that phans had come to expect and only played one measly show at the Garden before their unfortunate “breakup.”

    Just when everyone thought they would never get to swing from the rafters at an MSG Phish show again, the sky divided and the good Lord shined a light back on the midtown arena in December of 2009. Phish 3.0 was ready to knock three early December shows out of the park and although those years did not produce many jam heavy second sets, the energy in the venue was well worth the ticket price.  Since rising from the dead in 2009, the band has played 26 times at The Garden (that’s two baker’s dozens for those keeping count).  We have seen them ride in on a giant “Meatstick” to ring in 2011 and host a wonderful “Garden Party” on New Year’s Eve 2012.  They created a “Steam” dream in 2011, plunged below the waterline full of cats and dogs in 2016 and jammed an incredible “No Men In No Man’s Land” between beams behind a funnel-shaped screen in 2015.  Throughout each and every performance at the Garden, the band and the crowd give “IT” 110%. The 39 shows have created memories that will last a lifetime, but seeing that they are about to embark on 13 more, it appears that we are just getting started.

    “The city that never sleeps” may or may not be prepared for the amount of Phishery about to take place at the end of July into August, but there are a bunch of venues that are ready.  The official Baker’s Dozen Headquarters, American Beauty NYC, will be hosting unique events for phans on each of the 17 nights, including the nights that Phish has off.  Rest assured that your trip is short from Madison Square Garden to American Beauty, located only one block away on W. 30th Street and 8th Ave.  The venue plans to recreate one of the best parts of Summer Tour, the Phish lot, on the second floor which they have entitled “The Jerry Lounge.”  If you have post or pre-show munchies, American Beauty also offers free personal pizzas with every beer purchased, and their craft list is impeccable. If you want to keep your mind fresh after nights of partying, the bar will be hosting Grateful Dead and Phish trivia nights (Monday 7/24 & 7/31) for out-of-towners and locals alike.  Lastly, check out the venue’s event calendar to stay on top of all the late-night parties, including a birthday celebration for Jerry Garcia on August 1st.  Doors open for all pre-parties at 3pm and at 11:30pm for post-parties.

    American Beauty is the same place that Jon Fishman used dildos as drumsticks during his side-project late night performance with Touchpants a few years back, so you know this place knows how to party.  Phish’s ever-growing artist community, PhanArt, is also coming to your town to help you party down. With the unique blend of artists selling everything from pins and prints to socks and hoodies, they are hoping when you get to your next show, you’ll be better dressed.  PhanArt will be setting up one of their popular art shows at American Beauty on July 29th starting at 3pm with pre-Phish help from Space Carnival.  If you are unable to pick up PhanArt work on the 29th, stop by Hotel Pennsylvania on July 22nd or August 5th, starting at noon.

    If a Baker’s Dozen isn’t enough and you need more Phish in your summer diet, the tour starts this week at Northerly Island in the Chicago and runs through Dayton and Pittsburgh before hitting the Big Apple.  The Vermonters are finally going down to the central part of midtown Manhattan and excitement meters are about to reach 2009 Hampton “Fluffhead” levels.  Jaded tour veterans can sit back and reminisce about wearing their patchwork pants and mushroom cuts to all those insane 90’s shows, but let’s face it folks, there’s a golden age coming around and it begins on Friday, July 21st.  Glaze on.

  • Free Concerts Wednesdays in Sharon Springs for Summer 2017

    Folks looking for something to do in the middle of the week can head to Sharon Springs for their free summer 2017 concert series. The music takes place at the pavilion in Chalybeate Spring Park on Main Street.

    The series continues next Wednesday, July 19 with Steal Your Peach, a tribute to the Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead. The music runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. each Wednesday through Aug. 16. The “concert” on Aug. 2 is a karaoke contest with a $100 cash prize for the winner.

    sharon springs 2017July 19 – Steal Your Peach
    July 26 – Becca Frame and the Tall Boys
    Aug. 2 – Karaoke Contest
    Aug. 9 – Robanic Reggae
    Aug. 16 – The Lustre Kings

  • Free Concert Series in Loudonville’s Crossings Park Every Thursday

    The Town of Colonie and the Anjo Construction Company are presenting the inaugural free concert series every Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Crossings Park, Loudonville. When the weather cooperates, the event will be held in the park underneath the gazebo but in the event of rain it will be held in the meeting house.

    Eight bands will join the series whose styles span across the musical spectrum. Some participating groups include: Georgie Wonders Orchestra (Big Band), Holly McCormack (American Song Book) and Keith Pray’s New Orleans Style Jazz. Although there is some seating provided by the venue, patrons are encouraged to bring their own chairs and/or towels. Plenty of parking is available and is free.

    July 6 – Georgie Wonders Orchestra
    July 13 – Holly McCormack
    July 20 – New York Players “The Region’s Most Dangerous Dance Band!”
    July 27 – Body and Soul “Hot Rockin’ Party Band!” New York Players (Sister Band)
    Aug 3 – Keith Pray’s New Orleans Style Jazz
    Aug 10 – Heavenly Echoes Gospel Singers
    Aug 17 – Jeff Gonzales and the 2 Bit Cowboys
    Aug 24 – Pipe Kings

  • Mike Gordon Announces ‘OGOGO’ and Fall Tour with Stop in Syracuse

    Mike Gordon is putting the final touches on his newest studio album, OGOGO, set to be released in September. He will head out on a fall tour with the current lineup of his solo band. The 17 night tour kicks off on Sept. 22 in Athens, Georgia and includes a stop at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater.

    mike gordon ogogo tourPhish bassist, Mike Gordon, has been keeping busy with the new lineup of his solo band. His fifth studio album, OGOGO, will be released on Sept. 15. The first track, “Steps,” is available for streaming now and can be heard in the video below.

    Gordon will also take his current solo band out on a 17 night tour that kicks off on Friday, Sept. 22 at the Georgia Theatre in Athens, Georgia. The tour makes a stop on Friday, Sept. 29 at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse. The only other stop in the Northeast is at New Haven, Connecticut’s College Street Music Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 27. The tour closes out with a two-night stand at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 13 and 14. Gordon’s band includes Scott Murawski on guitar, Robert Walter on keyboards, John Kimock on drums, and Craig Myers on percussion.

    Tickets for the tour are available now via a real-time pre-sale, which ends Thursday, July 13 at 5 p.m ET. The general on sale date for the tour is this Friday, July 14 at 10 a.m. ET.

    Mike Gordon Fall 2017 Tour Dates
    Sept. 22 – Georgia Theatre, Athens, GA
    Sept. 23 – Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, NC
    Sept. 24 – Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC
    Sept. 26 – The National, Richmond, VA
    Sept. 27 – College Street Music Hall, New Haven, CT
    Sept. 29 – The Westcott Theater, Syracuse, NY
    Sept. 30 – Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON
    Oct. 1 – St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI
    Oct. 3 – Bells Eccentric Cafe, Kalamazoo, MI
    Oct. 4 – 20th Century Theater, Cincinnati, OH
    Oct. 5 – The Vogue, Indianapolis, IN
    Oct. 6 – The Metro, Chicago, IL
    Oct. 8 – Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee, WI
    Oct. 10 – Slow Down, Omaha, NE
    Oct. 11 – Madrid Theatre, Kansas City, MO
    Oct. 13-14 – Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO

  • Jimkata Announces Indefinite Hiatus

    Ithaca’s Jimkata made a surprising hiatus announcement on its Facebook page Tuesday, announcing the band will be put on hold indefinitely.

    https://www.facebook.com/jimkatamusic/posts/10155605657749189:0

    In the post, the band alluded to reaching a turning point in its career, leading to the decision to go on indefinite hiatus to focus on other projects and the members’ individual lives.

    Jimkata got its start at Ithaca College in 2005. Originally, the jamtronica band didn’t take itself seriously, taking its name from the 1985 gymnastics-meets-karate movie Gymkata, starring Olympian Kurt Thomas, a movie so notoriously bad, it’s a must-watch. Constant touring and a do-it-yourself work ethic earned the band a loyal fanbase as it transitioned from a jamband to a more electronic sound.

    Founding members Evan Friedell (vocals/guitar), Aaron Gorsch (guitar/keys) and Packy Lunn (drums) grew up together in the Upstate college town of Oneonta. Bassist Dave Rossi joined after meeting the other members during his freshman year at Ithaca. Rossi was dismissed from the band in 2015.

    jimkata hiatus

    The band has had a largely DIY ethic since its formation, turning to fans in online campaigns to finance its albums and tourning non-stop. The band’s latest album, 2016’s In Motion was financed through a PledgeMusic campaign. Such techniques tend to endear a band’s fans to the music as they feel a sense of ownership. Jimkata has felt a sense of pride in its DIY ethic and the relationship with its fans. Friedell says, “We just road dogged it. It’s all DIY. Doing 150 shows a year, sleeping on floors, recording songs along the way. We built everything organically, all word of mouth. The advice we got when we started was ‘Just go out and play. It’ll pay off.’”

    In its statement, the band stated:

    Its a very vulnerable thing to create music and share it with the world, not knowing how it will be received. For it to have been received with love and passion all these years is an honor. And to have existed as an independent band supported by friends, fans, and family for ten years feels like a privilege regardless of any challenges we’ve faced. But in short, we’ve busted our ass, given it our all, and for now we’re gonna take a step back and bust our ass in other directions. We look forward to staying connected with you and hope to hear from you as we pursue new projects. This is not the end of the music, but it is the end of this particular chapter of Jimkata.

    The hiatus is not immediate, as the band still has several dates to perform, including a set at the Night Lights Music Festival in Sherman, south of Buffalo, Aug. 24-26 and October dates in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany and New York. Tickets for the October shows go on sale Friday, July 14 at 11 a.m.

    Catch Jimkata in October:

    Oct. 19 – Flour City Station – Rochester
    Oct. 20 – Buffalo Iron Works – Buffalo
    Oct. 21 – Westcott Theater – Syracuse
    Oct. 26 – The Hollow Bar & Kitchen – Albany
    Oct. 27 – The Main Pub – Manchester, CT
    Oct. 28 – American Beauty NYC – New York

  • Guitarist Cal Kehoe Talks ‘Limbo’ and more on Under the Scales

    Cal Kehoe one of the newest guitarists in the jam/rock scene, employs looping or a full band to bring together elements of Phish, My Morning Jacket, Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers, to name a few. His sound draws comparisons to Andrew Bird, and most notably, Keller Williams. With a distinct unique style that makes looping look easy, Kehoe employs rock and soul influences into his music and recently collaborated with Phish lyricist Tom Marshall to produce “Limbo,” recently released on Spotify and iTunes. The song was produced, mixed and engineered by Greg Giorgio (The National, Kurt Vile, Local Natives) at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, CT. Nick Burns, an Emerson film graduate edited and directed the video below.

    Kehoe said of the collaboration, “It was an honor to work and write with Tom. I’ve been listening to his podcast “Under The Scales” religiously every Monday since the day it came out and I have learned so much more about the Phish community and the heart and soul of the Phans involved. I’m looking forward to playing with Tom, Anthony Krizan and the members of the Amfibian All-Stars at the Iridium on July 25th for our Phish Baker’s Dozen after show.”

    cal kehoe tom marshall

    Tune into the Under the Scales interview with Cal and stay up to date via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Tune into the episode on iTunes or listen here.

  • Photo Gallery: Aqueous Welcomes Joel Cummins and Jake Cinninger to Highline Ballroom

    After a 30 minute set at Summer Stage, Buffalo’s Aqueous headed to Chelsea for a post-Umphrey’s show at The Highline Ballroom. Aqueous was joined tonight by Jake Cinninger and Joel Cummins, who joined the band for a majority of their set. After “Uncle Phil’s Parachute,” Jake and Joel hit the stage during “Don’t Do It,” and joined on a debut of Umphrey’s “Booth Love,” Radiohead’s “National Anthem,” and Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne.” To close the night, Aqueous performed ‘just one more song’ with a 40+ minute “Random Company” > “Numbers and Facts” > “Random Company” and an encore of “Origami.” Umphrey’s and Aqueous seem like a natural pairing, one that we hope to see again later this fall.

    Set: Skyway, Uncle Phil’s Parachute¹ > Don’t Do It¹ ² > Highline Jam², Booth Love² ³, National Anthem², Strange Times², Kid Charlemagne², Random Company > Numbers and Facts > Random Company
    Encore: Origami
    ¹ Unfinished
    ² Ft. Jake Cinninger and Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee
    ³ Aqueous debut, Umphrey’s McGee cover

    Setlist via Aquiantances

  • Audience Gets Wet and Keeps Dancing at Umphrey’s McGee in Central Park

    Central Park’s Summer Stage has quite the lineup this summer, with the centerpiece being a double bill of prog/jam goodness in Aqueous and Umphrey’s McGee on July 7.

    Aqueous performed just two songs, “Second Sight” and “Kitty Chaser,” in their 30 minute, all-too-short set to start the night, but that would be remedied by their post-show later this evening. Umphrey’s opened up their set with some technical issues, doing a double take on “Bridgeless” as a result. After the second attempt, the band played “Miss Tinkle’s Overture,” hinting they were slightly pissed off but pressed on with “2×2” and “Dump City” which highlighted the rest of the set, and the final segment of “Bridgeless” finishing the first set.

    Much like their Midwest counterparts playing in the Bronx this evening, Umphrey’s began to heat up when the rain cleared. Jams blossomed through the encore with two huge sandwiches in their second set. “Plunger” opened, as did the skies during “Utopian Fir” which had a “Whole Lotta Love” tease, as well as “Driven 2 Tears” which segued back into “Fir.” If the crowd wasn’t already wet, “Mantis” > “The Triple Wide” > “Mantis” took care of that. An encore of “Rocker Part 2” capped the night and sent the fans streamed out of a moist Central Park and headed to the Highline Ballroom where Aqueous and Umphrey’s would join forces for the after show.

  • Photo Gallery: The Tea Party at Canalside

    This past Thursday, July 6,  The Tea Party made an appearance in Buffalo as part of their Summer 2017 Tour. The Canadian hard-rockers brought out an older crowd for this week’s Canalside Live concert. Based on their performance, it was apparent that this wasn’t their first rodeo. The Tea Party came together in the early nineties, and the same three members stuck together ever since (with the exception of their 2005-2011 hiatus).

    the tea partyThe Tea Party’s sound features a blend of hard rock with all sorts of other genres, including Middle Eastern, Celtic, and Mediterranean music. Their songs feature a wide range of unique instruments, including the mandolin, sitar, hurdy-gurdy, and the list goes on. At one point during the show, front man Jeff Martin swiped his hand around what looked like an old theremin.