NYS Music 20​17

Category: Jam/Progressive

  • Holly Bowling brings Classical Phish and Grateful Dead to the Whisper Dome this Friday

    Holly Bowling is back on the road in March and after hitting Syracuse this week, she heads to a little known venue The Whisper Dome on Friday, March 24. The venue is a unique round room, perfect for jazz performances, and Bowling is excited to revisit the Capital Region as she does quite frequently, bringing with her classical reimaginings of the music of Phish and the Dead. Bowling chatted with NYS Music recently about the integration of Grateful Dead music into her setlists, performing with Everyone Orchestra and the musical handshakes that resulted.

    holly bowling whisper domePete Mason: How has integration of the music of the Grateful Dead and Phish changed since you began integrating the two and since you released Better Left Unsung.

    Holly Bowling: The setlists have gotten a little more Dead heavy. When I introduced Grateful Dead songs, the album wasn’t out yet, and it worked itself into the setlists gradually. The Dead have such a deep and extensive catalog and I continued to dig into that and add things to my repertoire. In general, the shift from playing all Phish and then Phish and The Dead together has opened up a whole new arc to each show and each set. As you know, as much as the two bands get compared to each other and lumped together, the music in truth is really, really different. There are some really touching and beautiful songs in the Dead catalog, and if you juxtapose a Dead song between a Phish song, you have to ease into each song in order to cover more stylistic ground in each show and make room for improvisation and bridging the space between the two bands and the place the music takes you.

    The other change is that adding in the Dead’s music, I’ve noticed the chord progressions are beautiful but they’re not incredibly complex. Some of those have been the hardest ones to work on. Having that in my catalog and adding into sets has taught me the importance of leaving space. Some songs in the Dead’s catalog are truly emotional for me – “Stella Blue,” “Wharf Rat,” stuff like that. There can be these delicate, very emotional moments and you can’t fill up all the space there. I’m really enjoying the variety that is coming with working with these catalogs both at once. It gives the shows more of an ebb and flow and opens the door for a good arc or storyline in each set. I try to put the sets together with a particular shape to it and you end up having more tools to work with in that way. There is still a balance between the two. I love the bands both very deeply.

    PM: In addition to your solo shows, you have been playing with the likes of Joe Marcinek Band and Everyone Orchestra.

    HB: I just played two shows with Everyone Orchestra in Charleston, SC and Asheville, NC. We played a bunch of Dead music together with Oteil Burbridge on bass (Dead and Company), Ian Neville on guitar (Dumpstaphunk), Natalie Cressman (TAB), Claude Coleman Jr. on drums (Ween), Wallace Mullinax (Dead 27’s), Mike Quinn, and Jeff Mosier on banjo (Blueground Undergrass), and we did an afternoon set called Everyone’s Dead with Matt Butler on drums, Anders Osborne, Oteil and myself. It was a great experience all around.

    PM: How have those experiences with Everyone Orchestra challenged you and affected your playing?

    HB: It feels natural. I hadn’t played with anyone in that lineup before. Matt will write a theme on his dry erase board and sometimes one specific instrument gets to lead a tune and make up the theme with Matt’s suggestion. To play a theme and meet these musicians through a musical handshake allows you to get to know people through performance, you start to hear everyone’s voice come through. Whoever starts out the song, you find out ‘This is your style, your voice’ and we find out what we sound like together. Then you hear their voice and you figure out how to add to it or complement it.

    The other things that was really cool about it is that no one is ever announcing what they’re going to do next, the most you can do is telegraph a chord change in a certain progression; if everyone moves to the 5, you know you’ll move back to the 1. It’s kind of a surrender, and instead of a group think and do the same move at the same time, if one person decides to go off in one direction, the group moves in that way. It’s different when you have a conductor and they’re at the controls of going to the B section. It’s unique and with someone calling the shots and conceptualizing where you want the show to go is a very different experience and it was really cool.

    PM: How did you come across The Whisper Dome?

    HB: We are always looking for piano rooms and also looking for unconventional spaces for a show. This happened in Portland at The Old Church and people walked out having never heard of the place and wanting to return. I like venturing outside the usual circuit of rooms that get played within our music scene. The style of music, by necessity, is a hybrid of different sounds so playing in jazz clubs, churches, clubs is reflects the variety of music. I think we found a picture of The Whisper Dome online from a jazz series they help and being called the Whisper Dome, it intrigued me. I think it’s good to change it up and give people an opportunity to have this grounding experience in a real quiet space can be really cool. Spaces like The Whisper Dome and really conducive to that kind of environment and listening atmosphere.

    PM: Todd Stoops (RAQ and Electric Beethoven) recently moved to the West coast and your hilarious airplane photo rivalry…

    HB: We’re gonna open an airline together. It’ll be expensive though, one customer per plane. (laughs)

    PM: Do you see yourself performing more with Todd now that he’s out west?

    HB: I feel like piano players don’t get to play together very often – sometimes there are two guitars in a band but rarely double keys. There’s an amazing movie Piano Players Rarely Ever Play Together that I highly recommend watching. It’s got Tuts Washington, Allen Toussaint, and Professor Longhair. You gotta check it out! But I digress. I’d love to play with Todd. Actually, I have side by side pianos in my living room currently – Todd, if you’re reading this, come over and play one of ’em! Double piano jams!

    Tickets are on sale now for Friday’s show at The Whisper Dome.

  • Primus and Clutch Announce Summer Tour

    Primus has announced a slate of dates for July and August.  The band takes to the road with special guest Clutch starting July 17 in Charlotte.primus clutch

    Claypool and company have only announced one stop in New York State, July 21 at the Dome in Henrietta, just outside of Rochester. The two-month long tour includes a variety of stops across the country including eastern dates. in Raleigh, Detroit, Lancaster, Boston, Portland (Maine), Burlington, Asbury Park, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The July 27 show in Burlington is a part of the Lake Champlain Festival, which also includes Twiddle’s Tumble Down Festival.

    The tour heads to the midwest and west coast in August with dates in  Milwaukee, Mankato, Cedar Rapids, Kansas City, Dallas, Tempe, Las Vegas, Bonner, Troutdale, Eugene, Seattle and Stateline before closing the tour at the Greek in Berkeley on the 18th.

    According to Clutch’s website, both bands will be performing full sets with no openers or supporting acts.

    Tickets for these newly announced shows go on sale this Friday, March 24 at 10 a.m. local time. A pre-sale begins Tuesday, March 21 at 12 p.m. ET via Primus’s website.

  • Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band Slip into Winterland ’77

    On the eve of a massive blizzard in the Northeast, on Monday, March 6, and after the dreaded “spring ahead” of Daylight Saving Time, Phil Lesh and The Terrapin Family Band took to the stage of Brooklyn Bowl to fall back into time, specifically, to recreate a June 7, 1977 at the Winterland Arena in San Fransisco, California.

    Honestly, I’m not positive when it was announced that the TFB would be recreating this iconic show in its entirety, but the fact that it coincided with the aforementioned weather and skip in space-time continuum was, if nothing else, extremely amusing to a few of us in attendance. Joined by Eric Krasno of Soulive, the Terrapin Family Band sounded fresh and eager, breathing new life into a set of Winterland ’77 that is nearly 40 years old.

    winterland '77Without hesitation, I will attest to having heard this show many times. I own the box set and collected the bootlegs. But for a few hours last night, I hung on every note with anticipation of what was to come next. And that is the large part of the appeal, to what is, the expansive catalog of the Grateful Dead. Even after all these years and incarnations and cover bands and the like, there just might be something new around the corner when you least expect it.

    Grateful Dead Live at Winterland Arena on June 7, ’77

    Set 1: Bertha, Jack Straw, Tennessee Jed, Looks Like Rain, Peggy-O, Funiculi Funicula, El Paso, Friend Of The Devil, The Music Never Stopped

    Set 2: Scarlet Begonias, Fire On The Mountain, Good Lovin’, Candyman, Estimated Prophet, He’s Gone, Drums, Samson And Delilah, Terrapin Station, Morning Dew, Around And Around

    Encore: Uncle John’s Band, U.S. Blues

  • Boogie Low Celebrating New Release in Syracuse Saturday

    Syracuse-based groove rockers Boogie Low have a hometown party planned for the release of their new eponymous album at the Westcott Theater Saturday March 18.

    Photo Credit: Nicole Carey Photography

    Opening for Boogie Low Saturday night are fellow Syracuse-area natives, Barroom Philosophers, who are also promoting a new release.  Tickets for the show are $10 and can be purchased at Sound Garden in Armory Square or online through the Westcott Theater’s website.

    The quartet first formed as the Boogie Low Trio in 2011. Founding members Tommy Dennis (bass), Loudon Smith (guitar/vocals) and Brandon Caza (drums) used a reggae-tinged sound reminiscent of Sublime and other Long Beach, CA bands of the early ’90s as a base. The band ditched the “Trio” from its name when it brought on guitarist Matthew West in 2012. The band parted ways with Caza in 2013 and was replaced by Brandon Au, completing the band’s current lineup. Other contributors to the new album include Ray Wiggins on drums, Ty Hancock on keys and Josh Alaniz, also on keys.

    The new album, simply titled Boogie Low, has influences ranging from the aforementioned Sublime to Santana, moe., Umphrey’s McGee, 311 and Calexico. This range of influences allows Boogie Low to create its own distinct sound that encapsulates all of them.

    Smith’s vocals are rhythmic, soulful and smoky, while West’s western-style guitar solos wouldn’t be out of place on a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack. This is especially prominent on the tracks “Mexico,” “Eldin” and the band’s signature jam vehicle “Shadows,” which closes the album.  Wiggins’ drumming and Au’s percussion work is what keeps this train moving. Their beats are at the forefront of Boogie Low’s sound. The accents Wiggins and Au provide help to propel the rest of the band to the next level. One can easily feel the jamming possibilities in a live setting being propelled by the percussion.

    The CD was produced at SubCat Music Studios in Syracuse by Jeremy Johnston and mastered by Patrick MacDougal. The band credits Johnston as being the captain of the ship from start to finish. Physical copies of the album will be available at the Westcott Saturday night or directly through the band’s website. Following the show, the album will be available through iTunes, Spotify and on Pandora.

    Track list:
    1. Mexico
    2. Eldin
    3. Back to Nothing
    4. Better Way
    5. Colas in the Sky
    6. Annie
    7. Miss Bliss
    8. Tommy’s Song
    9. Walk On
    10. Mckenna
    11. Shadows

    Key Tracks: “Mexico,” “Colas in the Sky,” “Shadows”

  • How Sweet It Is: Melvin Seals at The Westcott Theater

    On Wednesday, March 8, Syracuse celebrated the spirit of Jerry Garcia in spectacular fashion with help from Melvin Seals & JGB at the Westcott Theater.  The intimate evening began with the Upstate NY native band, Los New Yorkers.  The four-piece consisted of three middle aged men and one woman that hopped from one instrument to the next.  The feel-good and upbeat originals reminded me of something that might get chosen as the theme song for a 90’s sitcom on TGIF.  Members not only switched back and forth from guitars, washboard, drums, keys and bass but each member also brought their own original song to the table.  While most lyrics consisted of life-changing events, their love for New York State and generic happy moments, Los New Yorkers did not ignite that Jerry spark that many Deadheads in the crowd were seeking.  If I ever hear this band again, it will probably be while I am buying cotton candy at the New York State Fair because that is exactly how it made me feel.

    Melvin Seals Westcott TheaterWord has spread up and down I-81 about a Scranton-based bluegrass group known as The Dishonest Fiddlers, and the quartet did not disappoint.  This collection of traveling ramblers were chosen by Dave Brown, founder of the band, who swaps artists for every show, making the “About Page” on their Facebook profile dishonest.  The unique idea of taking musicians from different parts of the country allows Brown the freedom to mix it up at the drop of the hat and the pluck of a string. One downfall of never having the same band twice is that practice time is limited, therefore they are often forced to fight for space backstage.

    At The Westcott Theater, the foursome found themselves practicing in front of the men’s bathroom line, which welcomed them with clinched legs and open arms.  The first song of their actual set was dedicated to the “new friends in the bathroom line” as they channeled the folkie side of Garcia with a beautiful, “Rosa Lee McFall.”  The remainder of the seven-song set consisted of all originals and the crowd seem to genuinely enjoy every minute of it.  As the room began to fill up for Seals and JGB, Brown was hoping to elicit some crowd participation during “There Ain’t Enough Water in the Water” which was minimally responded to, at best!  As couples locked arms and rowdily stomped their feet, The Dishonest Fiddlers’ time was up and Brown thanked the Central NY crowd for their support during the band’s first ever visit to Syracuse.  For the sake of bluegrass music, I hope they return to the Empire State very soon.

    Melvin Seals Westcott TheaterNow past 11:00pm, fans were finally ready to embrace Melvin Seals & JGB and it was well worth the wait!  Aware of the time, the crowd let it all hang out as the group opened with a funky jam sequence leading into “After Midnight.”  While the famous Eric Clapton version of the classic fast-paced hit clocks in under three minutes, Seals kept this monster jamming for over 15 minutes!  While on the topic of iconic rock-n-roll, The Beatles were gently sandwiched in the middle of the Jerry-influenced “Midnight” jam as “Eleanor Rigby” made its appearance as it regularly did in the late-70’s and early-80’s.  The “Fab Four” from England were also covered during the next song of the evening, “I Want to Tell You,” which once again featured Zach Nugent filling in for Jerry on vocals.

    After the smoking hot start to the show, “When I Paint My Masterpeice” peacefully calmed the audience down and was highlighted by Nugent paying tribute to Garcia with his delicate and passionate playing.  “Neighbor, Neighbor” featured strong backing vocals from Cheryl Rucker and Shirley Starks, and on the night of International Woman’s Day 2017, the crowd was thoroughly glad to have these lovely ladies in their lives.  In the heart of the set list, the Garcia/ Hunter gem, “Mission In The Rain,” somberly described a lost soul searching for redemption and where Nugent’s vocal abilities fell below Garcia standards, his guitar solo was sorrowful and spot on.  The playful and gospel-influenced “Evangeline” lifted everyone’s spirits after the emotional “Mission” before the bluesy “Think” featured yet another powerful vocal collaboration.

    Melvin Seals Westcott TheaterBassist, John-Paul McLean, exchanged smiles and notes with Seals during the classic R&B cover of “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” and to the delight of Deadheads in the room, Starks and Rucker pointed to the audience while they sang the chorus.  Love had captivated the audience throughout the entire show, but especially at the end of the evening when they transitioned from “Somebody to Love” to “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You.”  Seals introduced the band and gave one more stellar B-3 organ solo during the extra sweet version.  Although the show ended past 1:00AM on Thursday morning, the band was not ready to say goodbye to their loyal fan base as Seals & JGB hung out by the merchandise table to chit chat with ticket holders.

    Seals has spent over 30 years in the spotlight mesmerizing audiences with his swirling keyboard-synth magic, but he is still the humble, welcoming, and sincere man he was when he first met Garcia.  As a child of the 90’s I have never gotten to see Garcia play live. Although I have listened to thousands of hours of recorded material, read numerous books and stared at videos on Youtube until my eyes were blood shot, I never had the opportunity to be a part of the touring community that was cherished by millions.  Thanks to bands like Melvin Seals and JGB, fans like myself and long-time fans alike can come together and share love, smiles and gratitude with their sisters and their brothers.

    Melvin Seals Westcott TheaterThe Dishonest Fiddlers Setlist: Rosa Lee McFall, My Brand New Jalopy, There Ain’t Enough Water in the Water, Steve, Sam’s Cigar, The TV Store, Steamtown Blues

    Melvin Seals and JGB Setlist: Jam, After Midnight*, I Want to Tell You, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Neighbor, Neighbor, Mission In the Rain, Evangeline, Think, Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You

    *w/ Eleanor Rigby jam

  • 2017 Syracuse Area Music Awards Weekend Concludes with Sold Out Ceremony

    The Syracuse Area Music Awards, affectionately known as the SAMMYS, wrapped up its 25th edition Friday, March 3, 2017 at the Palace Theater in Syracuse with a brief performance from freshly inducted Hall of Famers moe.

    Ahead of Saturday night’s show at the F Shed, moe. closed out the two-night affair with a three song set of “Tailspin,” “Spine of a Dog” and “Buster.” Friday night’s awards ceremony, hosted by veteran Syracuse DJ and staunch supporter of the local scene, Dave Frisina, featured awards in 18 categories, including three People’s Choice categories, and performances by four Syracuse area bands, reflecting the broad range of styles and talent found in and around the Salt City.

    The SAMMYS is the brainchild of Frank Malfitano and now under the care of Liz Nowak. In 1993 Malfitano created the celebration of area music for an event at the Landmark Theatre. The event changed venues several times over the years before finally settling on the grand old Palace Theater on James Street in the Eastwood district.

    The festivities began with the Hall of Fame dinner Thursday night, upstairs at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. The Dinosaur has been one of Syracuse’s premier music venues since opening on Willow Street in 1990 and was a fitting venue for the honors and stories that filled the room.

    This year’s inductees were Mohawk Valley via Buffalo jamband moe., pioneering new wave singer/guitarist Meegan Voss, 70s blues rock artists Jukin’ Bone and singer-songwriter Paul Case. Also being honored were Anthony and Patricia DeAngelis for Music Educators of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Vincent Falcone. It was a night that had the feel of a class reunion. Hugs and excited shouts from people who haven’t seen each other in years mingled with stories of years’ past in venues no longer around.

    The inductions and awards ceremonies were hosted by Dave Frisina, a 1994 SAMMYS Hall of Fame inductee, long-time Syracuse radio personality, champion of local music and self-professed band dad. His son, Mike is a member of Syracuse-based band Simplelife. Most, if not all, of those in the room have dealt with him in some way throughout their career. A man like Frisina is what every music town needs. He is local music’s strongest advocate and has the platform for it at his current station 105.9 The Rebel.

    Induction and acceptance speeches were filled with anecdotes and inside jokes. Though, most in attendance, were on the inside of those jokes. Memories of broken down vans, vanished venues and bad decisions peppered the speeches. It was the talk of well-worn musicians who have dedicated their craft not to become famous, but simply to play. To the outsider, it was a look at a scarcely seen side of the working musician.

    The first honor of the night was for Educators of the Year. Husband and wife, Anthony and Patricia DeAngelis, two area music teachers were honored for their decades of influence on local musicians at Syracuse University, Colgate University, LeMoyne College, the Lyncourt School and Onondaga Community College. They were inducted by their well-spoken and surprisingly laid-back granddaughter Olivia.

    Voss was inducted by her husband and band-mate in the Verbs, drummer Steve Jordan. In her acceptance speech, she pleaded to “Save the clubs.” Case, visibly touched at the recognition for his long career avoided revealing too much of past days on the road, “My kids are in the room.” He lavished praise on fellow musicians in the room, including Jukin’ Bone member Joe Whiting as well as the master of ceremonies.

    Case, sporting a black tux and pronounced the Best Dressed in the Room by Frisina, closed his acceptance speech saying, “You get up. You drive to the gig. You set up. You play your ass off.  You tear down.  You drive a million miles home, week after week, month after month, decade after decade. You do it for the music.” He then dedicated his award to the late Bob Fleming of the Mossback Mule Band, who passed away in September.

    Accepting for Jukin’ Bone was Whiting, Mark Doyle and John DeMaso. Discussing the problems of being a young band, Whiting offered a piece of advice, “I would recommend not signing contracts under the influence of anything distilled or brewed, made in a laboratory or passed around and smoked,” eliciting loud laughter from the audience.

    The final inductee of the night was moe. Al Schnier spoke first in accepting the honor, speaking of all the Syracuse area venues spent taking in shows as a fledgling musician. Schnier lauded promoters such as Chuck Chao of Creative Concerts, who inducted the band, thanking them for shaping who they became as musicians:

    We came here as kids to see concerts Chuck (Chao) was promoting. They made us fans. Whether it was Driving Sideways or the Todd Hobin Band or the New York Flyers or 805; these were the bands we looked up to as kids. They could have been the Allman Brothers or the Grateful Dead; they were the same to us. You guys were rock stars.

    Drummer Vinnie Amico attributed the band’s style to its Upstate New York roots, “We all wear our hearts on our sleeves. We all kind of have this style, this thing we do, because of where we’re from. We’re blue collar, baby. We work hard, we play our music that way. There’s an edge to our music and that’s a testament to Upstate New York.”

    “The Oddities of the World” – the SAMMYS Hall of Fame Class of 2017

    On Friday, 54 artists were nominated among 13 Syracuse Area Music Awards categories. Sprinkled in among the awards were performances by several of the Syracuse area’s finest musicians, representing genres ranging from blues rock to country, rap, alt-rock and jam. There is definitely a varied and vibrant scene in Central New York.

    Emcee Dave Frisina kept the event lively and loose, often interacting with presenters and winners as they approached the microphone. Best Jam Band winner, Joe Driscoll, affectionately referred to the host as a jedi to laughter from the crowd.

    The performances throughout the night revealed the depth of talent in the area. The Ripcords opened the night accompanied by the Boneyard Horns. They ripped through three bluesy/tex-mex style songs, kicking off the night in a celebratory fashion. Unfortunately, just as they seemed to be letting loose, their set was over. You can get a taste of what the Ripcords have to offer at their ReverbNation page here.

    Best R&B recipient Alani Skye had several family members in attendance and received perhaps the most vocal and joyous reception to a win. Her win for Don’t Forget About Me was never in question for the vocalist as she accepted the award.

    A performance by rap artist Curtis “Tall Bucks” McDowell and the Brownskin Band followed. The rhythm section of the Brownskin band mixed equal parts jazz and funk behind McDowell’s rhymes. A guest appearance by Syracuse rapper Real Tall for the song “Solar Radiation” had elements of early ’90s era Leaders of the New School collective.

    The reality of life as a working musician came to light when Lauren Mettler was awarded the SAMMY for Best Folk. After an awkward pause waiting for the recipient to make her way to the stage, her brother made his way up to accept. In his speech, he stated how he had just texted her and she was still on her way to the theater. So, as any good brother would do, he stalled for time as she made her way down the aisle, peeling her coat off as she ran towards the stage.

    Mettler mentioned how she had just gotten out of work and was trying to get to the theater as quickly as possible, even though she never thought she’d win. Such is life for those looking to make a go of it in the music industry. Everyday jobs sometimes throw hurdles at you along the way. Mettler was genuinely surprised and pleased with her award.

    One of the night’s cutest moments came when the award for Best Hip Hop/Rap was awarded to World Be Free for the album Nigg@$ to Gods. He was on the West Coast touring and couldn’t attend the ceremony. As his family accepted the award on his behalf, his young son took a turn on the microphone as his dad’s public relations manager, exclaiming, “My dad has CDs for ten dollars!”

    Country artists Chris Taylor of the Custom Taylor Band plead with the audience to get up and dance along to their performance. A funky “Keep Me in Mind” slowly drew the audience to its feet and a rousing rendition of the Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” easily won over the crowd.

    The Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist was awarded to Funk ‘n Waffles regulars, reggae-soul band Root Shock. This presentation seemed to be the biggest crowd pleaser of the night as fellow musicians and fans alike rose to cheer their win.

    Previous Bourke Award winner, the Spring Street Family Band took over the Palace with their high energy alt-rock performance that even had a band member’s dad jumping up on stage to take video with his phone. Their performance brought the audience to the stage, turning what was a somber awards ceremony into a full-fledged rawk show with a funk-metal-alt sound reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine or Faith No More.

    The ceremonies concluded with the awarding of the People’s Choice SAMMYS. Over 110,000 online votes were tallied in categories of Best Band, Best Live Venue and Best Festival or Music Series. The New York State Fair wrapped up the venue and festival categories with their representative thanking all of the venues in the area for supporting the live music that becomes a part of the fair each year.

    The award for Best Band went to Cortland-area country band, Small Town Shade, who also won the SAMMY for Best Country Performance for the EP Ring it Up. 

    moe. wrapped the SAMMYS with a lively three-song set that included “Tailspin,” “Spine of a Dog” > “Buster.” Schnier commented about the lack of curfew at the venue and suggested they keep playing until they are thrown off the stage. To the disappointment of many, Schnier apparently as well, the lights came on at the end of “Buster,” bringing a close to the two-day celebration of Syracuse area music for another year.

    Best Jazz: Second Line Syracuse, Second Line Syracuse
    Best Other Category: Syracuse Society for New Music, Music Here & Now
    Best Folk: Lauren Mettler, Patchwork
    Best Jam Band: Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate, Monistic Theory
    Best R & B: Alani Skye, Don’t Forget About Me
    Best Pop: The Jess Novak Band, Inches From The Sun
    Best Americana: Driftwood, City Lights
    Best Blues: Tas Cru, Simmered and Stewed
    Best Hard Rock: Breaking Solace – Shatter the Silence
    Best Alternative: Bell & Sgroi, Bell & Sgroi
    Best Rock: King Chro and the Talismen, King Chro and the Talismen
    Best Hip-Hop/Rap: World Be Free, Nigg@$ To Gods
    Best Singer/Songwriter: Alanna Boudreau, Champion
    Best Country: Small Town Shade, Ring It Up EP

    Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist: Root Shock

    People’s Choice Awards were conducted in an online poll for three categories. Over 110,000 votes were tallied. The winners were:

    Favorite Band: Small Town Shade
    Favorite venue to see live music: Chevy Court at the New York State Fair
    Favorite festival or music series: The Great New York State Fair

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  • Trey Anastasio Brings Acoustic Phish to Troy

    The Capital Region of New York has long been stomping grounds for Phish fans. The Times Union Center, formerly known as the Pepsi and Knickerbocker Arenas, has hosted the Vermont boys several times over the last 20 years. SPAC has become a summer tradition for three-night runs and Mike Gordon has played The Egg in Albany multiple times, most recently in November. Troy, NY is now on the map for phans as our fearless leader Trey Anastasio made his second stop of his three-city solo acoustic concert series there on Friday, March 10.

    trey troy
    photo by Dave DeCrescente

    Having played at The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall with the Vermont Youth Orchestra in 2001, Trey told the sold-out crowd of 1,200 that he had been “dying to come back ever since.” The intimate venue, built in 1870 is a stark difference to the mega arenas and amphitheaters in which we congregate for Phish. It proved to be the perfect intimate setting for an evening with Trey, who played 22 songs straight through with a two-song encore. The vast majority of the songs were from the Phish catalog, punctuated with side-splitting comedic tales and tidbits from the Grammy-nominated guitarist’s career. A world class musician and captivating story teller, he is now the Garrison Keillor of the jam scene.

    Kicking things off quickly with “Strange Design,” “Blaze On,” “Mountains in the Mist” and “The Wedge,” he paused briefly to discuss the venue, acknowledging the acoustics of the “legendary room.” Every single movement he made across his guitar sounded as if it were in high resolution – crisp and clear. Next up was “Shade,” and then with some apprehension, a wealth of nervousness and true humility, he told a tale of a birthday letter sent to him from friend and lyricist Tom Marshall during his time spent in Washington County, NY. Despite a tough situation, this letter gave way to the creation of “Backwards Down the Number Line” in which he played after acknowledging one fan’s birthday in the crowd.

    From there he went into “Twenty Years Later” and “Tide Turns” and put the crowd in stitches with a story about a Vermont snowshoeing excursion with Les Claypool and Stewart Copeland, setting the stage for “Rubberneck Lions,” a song he says is his favorite the trio did as Oysterhead.  He then switched guitars to something bigger and boxier for “The Inlaw Josie Wales,” a song that sounded angelic and sweet in this form.

    Sandwiched between two stories involving bandmates Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman, he played a beautiful rendition of “Free.” This was then followed by “Kill Devil Falls,” and “Wolfmans Brother” in which the audience lent their voices as a loop pedal allowed him to layer a jam on top of his own chords. He then performed “The Line,” and then whistled his way through “Lizards.”  “Guelah Papyrus,” “Wading in the Velvet Sea” and “Lawn Boy” preceded a touching and tear jerking “Summer of ’89,” dedicated to his wife of 22 years, Sue, who listened to the song from the audience that Trey says documents their relationship. Then as if to say “enough of the mush,” Trey delivered the always dark “Carini” followed by “Chalkdust Torture” to close the set.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BRev_4gBm7K

    After a standing ovation, Trey returned to encore with David Bowie’s “Rock n’ Roll Suicide” and ended the evening with “More,” the third track off Phish’s 2016 album Big Boat.

    As we picked our jaws up from the floor and embraced our neighbors with hugs and emotional high fives, our hearts overflowed with love and gratitude for this man who has provided so much joy in our lives. The Collar City has a whole new glow and meaning to those of us lucky to witness such a special evening.

    Setlist: Strange Design, Blaze On, Mountains in the Mist, The Wedge, Shade, Backwards Down the Number Line, Twenty Years Later, Tide Turns, Rubberneck Lions*, The Inlaw Josie Wales, Free, Kill Devil Falls, Wolfmans Brother, The Line, Lizards, Guelah Papyrus, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Lawn Boy, Summer of ’89**, Carini -> Chalkdust Torture

    Encore: Rock n’ Roll Suicide†, More

    *Oysterhead song
    ** dedicated to wife, Sue
    † David Bowie cover

  • moe. Packs the F Shed for Another Hometown Throe.down

    moe. closed out its Syracuse residency Saturday, March 4, with a scorching show at the F Shed. A show that featured a hot first set, a second set “Kids” sandwich and three-song encore.

    The above referenced residency had moe. spending a few days in town being feted by the Syracuse Area Music Awards as inductees into that organization’s Hall of Fame, along with a three song performance at Friday’s award ceremony.  Saturday was the culmination of a great weekend of music in the Salt City.

    The frigid night began with guitarist Chuck Garvey’s monotone greeting, “Welcome to the hockey rink. Are you ready to rock? I said, ‘Are you ready to rock?’ I can’t hear you. Are you ready to rock?” As he fiddled with the tuning knobs of his Fender Stratocaster, he proclaimed, “I’m not quite ready to rock.” The lackluster delivery of a standard arena rock tone gave an ironic insight to the night’s proceedings. moe. – and Garvey – were, in fact, ready to rock.

    The F Shed is one of the more unique venues on the live music circuit, as it is literally a shed. Located in the Regional Market on Syracuse’s north side, the market provides not only a venue for live music, but a year-round location for farmer’s markets and flea markets. Garvey’s hockey rink reference isn’t a far stretch. One could easily see a set of dasher boards and red and blue lines being a part of this facility. With outside temperatures hovering in the zero range, the indoor temps seemed just slightly warmer upon entry. Thoughts of an impending hockey game weren’t a far stretch.

    The show opened with a boom, boom, boom, as the band busted into “Crab Eyes” from Wormwood. The song had a heavy Garvey/Jim Loughlin presence, which set the tone for the remainder of the night. The band dipped into its early 2000s catalog of songs featuring Garvey’s vocals and Loughlin’s percussion often.

    The first set was segue after segue as the band whirled through “Threw It All Away” and a rare moe., version 1.0 run-through of “Funky Reuben” before seamlessly moving back into “Crab Eyes.” The nearly all-segued first set continued with Garvey leading the way out of a spacey “Silver Sun.” “Akimbo” closed the solid first set, finally allowing the near capacity crowd to catch its breath.

    Following an extended setbreak, the band kicked into a low-key “Moth” to usher in the second set. moe. kept it mellow as Rob Derhak’s familiar bass intro to “Kyle’s Song” segued out of “Moth.” Garvey’s mid-song solo kicked up the pace with the crowd following suit.

    Throughout the night, the lights incorporated the industrial sized ceiling fans into the scenery, creating a scene reminiscent of Willy Wonka’s ‘Fizzy Lifting Drink.’

    The opening notes of “Kids” ripped open a box of crazy that resulted in a “Kids” sandwich to wrap up the second set. “Down Boy” set a funky tone into “Hector’s Pillow” and “Bring You Down” before settling back into “Kids.”

    After a quick break, Al Schnier returned with his usual slate of al.nouncements. Offering a cheers to the crowd with a can of Utica Club, Schnier ran through engagement announcements and show numbers from various fans as well as a tease of moe.down’s return to Snow Ridge Ski Area this summer.

    An energetic encore began with the slow swirling build up of “Wind It Up,” with Loughlin’s mallets working overtime. The closing chorus turned into a sing-along as lights lit up the inside of the shed. The crowd-pleasing “Nebraska” followed with nearly all in attendance joining in.

    moe. has often used classic rock staples as show closers. Tonight was one of those times. The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” has been tackled by many but moe. seemed particularly equipped to replicate the synthesizer opening using Loughlin’s malletkat and guest violinist Nick Picciccini from Floodwood tackling the signature solo with ease.

    “Baba O’Riley” ended the night on a high note. The entire night capped off a three-day celebration of moe. as hometown heroes following the band’s induction into the Syracuse Area Music Awards (SAMMYS) Hall of Fame on Thursday and a performance at the awards ceremony on Friday.

    Seeing moe. perform in their home area creates a great homey vibe that reveals a fondness of their roots as a blue collar jamband from Central New York. At this point in their storied career, moe. is playing with  an energy that is still infectious to the long-timers yet finds them gaining new fans along the way. The return of moe.down to its original location in the Tug Hill can only add to what could end up being the peak year in the band’s career.

    Setlist:

    Set I: Crab Eyes > Threw It All Away > Funky Reuben > Crab Eyes, Captain America > Rise > Silver Sun > Akimbo

    Set II: Moth > Kyle’s Song > Kids > Down Boy > Hector’s Pillow > Bring You Down > Kids

    Encore: Wind It Up, Nebraska, Baba O’Riley*

    * with Nick Piccininni (Floodwood) on violin

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  • Twiddle and Aqueous Host Memorable Weekend at Buffalo’s Town Ballroom

    Vermont jam band Twiddle and Buffalo groove rockers Aqueous teamed up for a legendary weekend of music. Saturday March 4, not only marked Twiddle’s first two-night run at the historical venue, but also marked Aqueous’ debut.  Saturday night was marked a sell out, while Sunday night ticket sales landed just under capacity.

    twiddleaqueousbuffalo4

    Aqueous made the most out of their debut weekend.  The band’s hometown fan base came out in full support, with many AQ fans traveling to witness the group’s first shows at the Town Ballroom. Mike Abrahamson made the five hour drive from Hudson Falls, NY and commented, “I’ve never heard a crowd that loud for the opening band. It was insanity.”

    Saturday night, Aqueous opened with the fan favorite “Strange Times.” Moving forward, the set progressed to a newer tune, the recently debuted “Second Sight.” “Numbers and Facts” took a highly talked about turn, when the band switched gears midway and debuted a cover of the NWA classic “Express Yourself,” featuring bassist Evan McPhaden on vocals with Twiddle bassist Zdenek Gubb on bass duties.  McPhaden took to crowd surfing before returning to the stage to conclude “Numbers and Facts” with the band. Aqueous closed out their debut set with the high energy “Don’t Do It” from their EP Best in Show.

    [singlepic id=9040 w= h= float=center]

    Twiddle held nothing back on night one, instantly commanding the room with “Blunderbuss” an intense, high energy instrumental that is slated for release on the upcoming Plump – Chapter 2.  Their Saturday night set was a varied list of fan favorites that spanned the band’s catalog including  “Brick of Barley,” “Carter Candlestick,” “Indigo Trigger” and “Lost in the Cold.”

    Twiddle also welcomed Aqueous guitarist Mike Ganzter for the Twiddle instrumental “Latin Tang.”  Ganzter’s guitar work added an incredible layer of guitar harmonies.  It also added an incredible layer of on-stage camaraderie. There is an evident level of musical respect and appreciation between the two bands that shines, specifically when Gantzer and Twiddle guitarist Mihali Savoulidis take the stage together.

    The night concluded with Ganzter returning to the stage with McPhaden on synth. The pair sat-in with Twiddle for the Ray Parker Jr. hit “Ghostbusters.” The encore choice was inspired by a plaque in the venue, listing the site at one of Western New York’s most haunted buildings.  Formerly known as the Town Casino and used as a speakeasy during Prohibition, employees of the Town Ballroom often report ghost sightings, unexplained sounds through the venue’s basement tunnels and the venue’s equipment often turning on without explanation.

    Both bands used Saturday night’s momentum to launch a Sunday night burner. Aqueous came out firing, bringing a unique twist to some of their most beloved tunes. The night was kicked off with “Underlyer” and “Marty.” AQ then fired into an alternative funk version of “Eon Don” (nicknamed “Eon Ron”) before bringing on Twiddle drummer Brook Jordan for the David Bowie classic “Let’s Dance.” Vocals on the tune were handled by Aqueous drummer Rob Houk. Aqueous concluded their two-night run at the Town Ballroom with the high energy favorite “Origami.”

    Longtime Buffalo fan Matt Shotwell enjoyed the band’s take on songs he’s heard at many previous shows: “Still can’t get over how they gave seemingly every song at least a slight reworking. New tempos, new licks and teases aplenty.”

    [singlepic id=9040 w= h= float=center]

    Sunday night proved that Aqueous is poised to move into larger venues.  Their sound is built to fill a larger space. Abrahamson summed it up best telling NYS Music, “The boys absolutely commanded the attention of the room without hiccups. The sound was perfect in my opinion. It can be hard to upscale your sound to a bigger stage but they had no problem whatsoever.”

    Their incredible use of layers and depth, enhanced by Lighting Director Ryan Bress, showcased an entire stage package that hometown fans have longed to see. Bress, also went on to light Twiddle both nights to rave reviews.

    Twiddle brought high energy on Sunday night.  The mellow mood established by first set opener “Subconscious Prelude” was quickly turned on its ear as the band turned the Town Ballroom into a dance party fueled by “Apples>Funkytown>Apples.” Set one also contained fan favorite “Gatsby the Great” and concluded with the instrumental tune “The Catapillar.”

    Set two kicked off with “Earth Mama” followed by the moody and edgy combination of “Wasabi Eruption > The Box.” The four-song set concluded with “Syncopated Healing” featuring Ganzter on a quitar solo that had fans of both band’s talking.  NYS Music Photographer Tim Merrill, who was shooting at the time even noted that “Gantzers solo during syncopated had me in tears in the pit. It was beautiful.” Ganzter returned to the stage with Twiddle for a Radiohead “Karma Police” encore.

    Taylor Cauwels, who traveled both nights from Rochester, summed up the feelings of a lot of fans at the conclusion of the weekend. She told NYS Music, “So thankful for this band and the medicine they provide. I leave every show with more “frends” than I came with. The amazing feelings that radiated throughout the Ballroom were almost overwhelming. My cheeks still hurt from smiling so much.”

    Gantzer left the weekend feeling supported by their local fan base. “I feel a true sense of pride and admiration for our fan base at this moment in time,” he said. “Our hometown crowd really brought it (as they always do), and the weekend was full of absolute magic because of their incredible energy and excitement; it was a shared experience and one that I’ll likely never forget.”

    The weekend was not only a success for Twiddle and Aqueous, but also for the Twiddle fan funded organization The White Light Foundation.  The charity held its first event in Buffalo successfully raising money for two Western New York charities, Crisis Services and Going to The Dogs Rescue. 

    Ganzter noted that, “We also have been having THE BEST time with the twiddle boys and their awesome crew, so we’re psyched to keep this momentum going with them on and off stage!”

    Twiddle and Aqueous hit the road together again and head to Keene, New Hampshire on March 17 and March 18. The two bands will also be making stops together in Stroudsburg, PA and Washington, D.C. before concluding their shows together at the Playstation Theatre in New York City on March 31 and April 1. Aqueous was also recently announced on Twiddle’s Festival Tumble Down which will be held in Burlington on July 28 and July 29.

    Twiddle Setlist via uTwiddle.net

    Saturday 3/4/2017
    Set 1: Blunderbuss, Polluted Beauty, White Light, Brick Of Barley, Carter Candlestick

    Set 2: Wildfire, Indigo Trigger, Dr. Remidi’s Melodium, Latin Tang[1], Lost In The Cold Encore: Ghostbusters[2]

    Show Notes: [1] “Latin Tang” featured Mike Gantzer (Aqueous) on guitar. [2] “Ghostbusters” featured Mike Gantzer (Aqueous) on guitar and Evan McPhaden (Aqueous) on bass.

    Sunday 3/5/2017
    Set 1: Subconscious Prelude, Apples -> Funky Town -> Apples, Gatsby The Great, Dusk ‘Til Dawn, The Catapillar

    Set 2: Earth Mama, Wasabi Eruption -> The Box, Syncopated Healing[1] Encore: Karma Police[1]

    Show Notes: [1] “Syncopated Healing” and “Karma Police” featured Mike Gantzer (Aqueous) on guitar.

    Aqueous setlist via – aqueousband.com

    Saturday 3/4/2017
    Set 1: Strange Times, Second Sight, Numbers and Facts > Express Yourself1 2 3 > Numbers and Facts, Don’t Do It

    Show Notes: 1NWA cover, Aqueous debut 2 Evan rapping (Last Evan rap – 2013/5/11 436 shows)3 Gubb [Twiddle] on bass, Donkey Kong theme in DDI, Post rapping Evan crowd surfed. #rockstar

    Sunday 3/5/2017
    Set 1: Underlyer > Marty, Eon Don > Let’s Dance1 2 > Complex Pt. I, Origami

    Show Notes: 1 Rob on vocals 2 Brook Jordan [Twiddle] on drums, Let’s Dance last played 2016/8/11 67 shows

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  • Catskill Chill Takes Hiatus in 2017

    Catskill Chill festival lovers received a disappointing announcement that the fest is going on hiatus for 2017. Fans have been waiting for an announcement on 2017’s Catskill Chill Festival since the stage lights extinguished on 2016’s festival Sept. 25. Hoping for a lineup and date announcement for 2017, fans received the opposite news instead. Festival lovers can only hope the festival returns in 2018.

    After seven years, Catskill Chill will take a hiatus in 2017. In a post to fans on social media, the Chillfam team reflected on how the festival brought people together and the one of a kind atmosphere that the festival created. The Chillfam team also thanked everyone from fans, vendors, bands/artist, volunteers, venues, promoters and media, who have supported the festival since its inception in September 2010.

    One thing the festival promoters did not state in the post was why the festival would not take place, just stating that they needed to take a step back and that they will be be announcing Chillfam parties throughout the northeast real soon.

    Many jamband favorites have played the festival throughout the years including Mike Gordon, George Clinton & Parliamant/Funkadelic, Greensky Bluegrass, Lettuce, moe., Twiddle, Dopapod, Kung Fu, Nth Power, Papadosio, and Pink Talking Fish to name a few.

    Below is the festival’s statement issued through Facebook regarding the hiatus:

    https://www.facebook.com/CatskillChill/posts/1592016847493442