In anticipation for her upcoming album release, Albany-based singer-songwriter Sydney Worthley has dropped the title track of her new album exclusively this week, entitled “Strong.”
For anyone who has ever seen the decline of a loved one, through various hospital visits and treatments, this song hits right at home. Despite the morbid picture the lyrics paint for us, Worthley reminds us to hold on to our loved ones and keep going.
This title track will be one of the many pop-infused trials Sydney brings us on Strong, which will be released on September 9. This album features 14 tracks, each song with its own unique style and intent. She has a creative mind for vocalization and harmonizing, which renders her identity to fit a folk or Americana sphere. Her ease of shifting in and out of her head voice could be comparable to Joni Mitchell, with a songwriting technique similar to that of early Taylor Swift. Despite the multiple genres Sydney toys with in Strong, it’s in this soft, vulnerable space where we hope to see future works of Sydney Worthley, which will allow her vocal technique, and her story, to shine through.
In anticipation for the upcoming album release, head over to her Twitter and Facebook for updates on releases and performances, and check out Sydney’s newly-released title track below.
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.
What do you do when college isn’t everything you thought it would be? For four friends, the answer was to put the band back together. Gary Sheedy, Steven Browne, Charles Campanella, and John Perdue had been playing together since middle school, but called it quits when they accepted offers to different universities. A couple years later, they were back at it, writing songs long-distance by phone and internet throughout the 2016-17 school year, this time under the name Previous Love.
Produced by Jay Zubricky (Every Time I Die, Cute Is What We Aim For) at GCR Studios in their hometown of Buffalo, the self-titled EP Previous Love captures coming-of-age disillusionment by combining lyrics reflecting internal monologue, swimmy shoegaze contemplativeness, and crashing rock. The sonic effect brings listeners along for a ride through the emotional roller coaster of growing up: the heartbreaks, the feeling of being adrift, and the yearning for purpose and meaning.
The opening track “Dead Ends” is particularly heavy-hearted. Gossamer reverb-laden guitar strumming creates an ambient background as vocalist Sheedy questions his faith in religion, mankind, and himself. “The older I get, the more I know that I don’t know anything at all. It’s all dead ends,” he laments. The tension builds, climaxing in an angst-ridden frenzy.
This emotionally-charged first track then gives way to some lighter melodies. While “Pinwheel” is about the frustration of feeling stuck in place, the tune is a bop. The contrast between the instrumentation and the lyrics creates balance, while the driving drum beat gives the sense of moving forward and pushing through the hard times. “Caffeine” is another notable track. With a strong hook and a jangly sound, the song is the musical equivalent of a shot of espresso.
Listeners will find it easy to pick out old-school new wave and grunge influences, the dreamy sounds of The Cure and The Jesus and Mary Chain and the raw, raucous energy of Nirvana. Compared to Buffalo-area contemporaries, Previous Love lies on the spectrum between ambient pop artists Humble Braggers and alt rockers Head North.
While the collection of songs on Previous Love are a reflection on growing pains, there’s also a vein of hopefulness, and an anticipation that great things lie ahead.
Previous Love is available to stream on Spotify and purchase on Bandcamp.
The Chenango Blues Festival has annually attracted many of the top names in the field. This year was no exception with headliners North Mississippi Allstars with John Medeski and Victor Wainwright. The two-day affair, hosted by the Chenango Blues Association, drew record crowds for its Silver 25th Anniversary fest at the Chenango County Fairgrounds in Norwich Aug. 18 and 19. A mid-afternoon storm did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd or performers, as many crowded under the tent enjoying one of the most talked about performances of the day from Jason Ricci and J.J. Appleton with Cliff Schmitt on stand-up bass.
As he gestured with a harmonica in his left hand, Ricci said, “I’ll tell you what, man. Check it out. More people, this is a fact, I checked it out. You know they have internet on computers now, and more people have been in outer space than have made a living playing this thing.” People all over the world have noticed Ricci’s prowess, as just two days prior to his Chenango performance, in Tulsa, Ricci was awarded the 2017 Player of the Year Award by the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica. Ricci then launched into an exhausting seven minute solo, complete with blues, jazz, train sounds, and a tease of “Low Rider” that left the crowd in awe of his abilities. Other notable performances during the set were covers of “Black Limousine” by the Rolling Stones, with Appleton on vocals, and Ricci’s ferocious vocals on Otis Rush’s “Double Trouble.”
This showcase offers a wide range of music that can all be classified under the wide umbrella of the blues. This year’s artists included the delta offerings of Alvin Youngblood Hart, the soulful and powerful Muddy Magnolias to the jump blues of the Mannish Boy Allstars.
Lead vocalist of the Mannish Boy Allstars, Sugaray Rayford endeared himself to the Norwich faithful, leaving the stage to mingle with those in attendance mid-song. The Mannish Boys are truly an all-star act, culling its lineup from the best the blues has to offer. Accompanying the charismatic Rayford were Anthony Geraci (keys), a Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year Award nominee; Kid Ramos (guitar), who has worked with Roomful of Blues and the Fabulous Thunderbirds; and Willie J. Campbell (bass) and Jimi Bott (drums), who both also worked with the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Allan Walker, a sideman for the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Drifters and Marvin Gaye, rounded out the Mannish Boys lineup on the main stage.
Festival favorites, the Memphis-based Ghost Town Blues Band had the most unorthodox entrance of the festival with a New Orleans style second line parade. The band entered through the crowd while playing “When the Saints Go Marching In” marching onto the stage to raucous applause.
Following a three song open that included the Beatles’ “Come Together” and “Norwegian Wood” into Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” lead singer Matt Isbell took a ribbing from one of the audience members asking, “Do you know any blues numbers?” With that, they broke into a new original “Shine” that featured the most entertaining man of the festival, Suavo Jones on trombone. Guitarist/vocalist Matt Isbell has a gruff soulful voice that evokes that of both Gregg Allman and Warren Haynes. Ghost Town closed its set with a blistering cover of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” as another round of rain pounded the fairgrounds.
Following the festival, Ghost Town Blues Band laid down a particularly greasy set at the downtown Norwich bar the Blarney Stone. Utica harmonica player and Beale Street veteran Matt Lomeo sat in for two songs during the late night set.
Following a lengthy 40 minute weather delay, Tommy Castro and the Painkillers took to the main stage. Castro hosted Richard “Magic Dick” Salwitz, most famously of the J. Geils Band in the rain-shortened set. Castro ripped through some soulful memphis blues before welcoming Salwitz to the stage for a number of J. Geils Band songs including “First I Look at the Purse,” “Give it to Me,” and Magic Dick’s signature solo, the crowd pleasing “Whammer Jammer.”
One of the most highly anticipated sets of the festival was that of Victor Wainwright and the Train. Wainwright, a Georgia born and bred pianist, reminds one of a young Dr. John with his honky-tonk boogie style. Wainwright didn’t disappoint. His hands were a blur the majority of the set. He injected stories about his songs, including one about a rollicking song his 87 year-old granddaddy, who is still playing, taught him called “Alabama Jubilee” which was one of the highlights of the set. Guitarist Pat Harrington, who is from Buffalo, had several friends and family members on hand. He laid down a particularly blistering solo during “I Wanna Be Like You.”
The North Mississippi Allstars with special guest, keyboard maestro John Medeski closed out the festival. Touring behind their latest release Prayer for Peace, NMAS have a renewed vigor and have gone back to their Mississippi roots on this outing. Guitarist Luther Dickinson has established himself as one of the premier slide guitarists in music today. He mentioned that when discussing the set list with drummer and brother Cody Dickinson, the question arose of what the Chenango audience might want to hear. Luther thought the crowd was in the mood for “some of that Mississippi stank.” And some of that Mississippi stank is what they got.
The raunchy set saw seamless interplay between the the Dickinsons and Medeski, who has a history with the brothers and Robert Randolph in the gospel outfit The Word. Luther and Medeski fed off of each other with Medeski’s keyboard magic taking the bluesy stomp to another level. A cover of the traditional blues classic “Deep Ellum Blues” sung by drummer Cody and accompanied by Medeski’s keys, proved to be a highlight of the set.
In this era of flailing and failing festivals, the Chenango Blues Fest does it right. The volunteers are all cheerful and helpful to a fault and the organization is top notch. The festival has grown over its 25 years to gain the reputation as one of the best blues festivals on the circuit. This is a testament to the community, the organization and the numerous sponsors.
The Chenango Blues Association is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established to foster an appreciation of blues, zydeco, jazz and gospel. The group is run by a group of volunteers who not only organize the Chenango Blues Festival each year, but also curate a summer-long free concert series in Norwich each year. In 2016 the Chenango Blues Festival was the recipient of the Blues Foundation’s Keeping the Blues Alive Award. For more information on the Chenango Blues Association and the work that they do, visit their website.
Gary Clark Jr., aka “The Chosen One”, brought his high energy fusion of blues, rock and soul to the Jersey Shore’s iconic Stone Pony on Saturday August 26th. The Austin, Texas native was accompanied by London, England’s Michael Kiwanuka, and New York City’s Tangiers Blues Band. The Tangiers feature photography legend and New Jersey home town hero Danny Clinch on harmonica. It was a perfectly curated trio of blues bands on a cool late summer evening in front of a capacity crowd. With the sunset behind the stage and the ocean across the street, fans flooded the open air venue for a memorable night with a powerhouse guitarist at the helm.
On a sunny Friday evening on August 18, funk icon’s Freekbass and The Bump Assembly rocked the main stage at Nights Of Fire Music Festival in Franklinville, NY. Before the big performance, NYS Music was honored to sit down with Chris “Freekbass” Sherman in Freekbass and The Bump Assembly’s tour van. As we began, Freekbass wittily commented, “It’s appropriate that we’re doing this in the van, because this is where we live.”
Born, raised, and currently based out of Cincinnati, OH, Freekbass has released six full length albums and has collaborated with modern legends including Bootsy Collins, DJ Spooky, Mike Gordon, Buckethead, Bernie Worrell, and many others. His touring band, Freekbass & The Bump Assembly includes Razor Sharp Johnson (Bootsy’s Rubberband/P-Funk) on keys and synths and Rico Lewis (George Clinton & P-Funk) on drums.
Whether he’s rocking the cover of Bass Guitar Magazine, playing upward of 150 shows each year, or working on his new album with Ropeadope records, Freekbass is one of the hardest working musicians in the funk business. NYS Music is humbled to present you this edition of “In Their Own Words.” Here we have a collection of bite size nuggets of knowledge, quoted directly from Freekbass:
On Life On The Road:
Living in the van, we play about 150 dates a year. I enjoy the road life. I always say you sorta have to have that trucker gene in you to really enjoy it. In James Brown’s autobiography, he explains how they started in a station wagon, then they moved to a van, then to a bus, then a plane, and then a private jet. It doesn’t matter if you’re in that private jet or that station wagon, the road is still the road. You have to enjoy yourself.
I like meeting new people all the time. It’s always exciting because you gain energy from new people, and the energy is always different in different places. The audience becomes as much a part of the music and the band as we are. I used to thank the audience at the end of the show. I’d say, “thanks for letting us play for you,” nowadays, i’m always saying, “thank you for letting us play with you.” It feels like our audience has become as much a part of the music as we are. We can play a song for 20 minutes long or the same song for 5 minutes. It all has to do with what the vibe is that night. A lot of our performance has to do with what’s happening with the audience.
In the last few years, music streaming, illegal downloading, and torrenting has taken over the industry. Five to ten years ago, you recorded a record and then you played live to promote the record. Nowadays, it feels like it’s almost the opposite. A band records a record to help bolster their live show. For instance, when they first began, Pretty Lights gave all of their music away for free. Some people said, “oh wow this is a pretty odd business model,” but, the idea was to get inside everyone’s ears. All of a sudden, they created this huge live buzz, it was all about going to see them live. We have a brand new business model. I think it’s great. Nowadays, you have to be a really good live act. The one thing you can’t replace is a good live show.
On Cincinnati Ohio’s Funk Music Scene:
The Cincinnati music family is pretty tight knit. In the music industry, there already is just six degrees of separation between everybody, but, the funk community is even smaller. That’s one thing that’s great about being in Cincinnati. The history goes back to the days of James Brown and King Records; that’s how many great funk players such as Bootsy Collins got their start. There’s always been a strong community of funk musicians in the midwest. When there is a plethora of musicians playing the same kind of music, it’s easier to connect then it might be in other parts of the country.
On Pre-Performance Rituals:
We always get together and meditate and pray before a show. It’s something we do no matter what. This is nice because sometimes-at festivals especially-performing can be freaking chaotic due to changeovers and all sorts of things. I feel like prayer grounds us. Right before we go on, no matter how chaotic the day is, even if we have to run behind the back of the van and do it, we always pray.
Fun Facts:
I’m looking forward to the new Justice League movie…I also listen to a lot of superhero podcasts. My favorite one is called Holy Batcast. There is also Batmannews.com, Suicide Squadcast, Batman On Film, ect. I’m a big podcast fan. I also listen to WTF with Marc Maron quite a bit. I enjoy putting my headphones in and listening on long road trips.
Listen To The Entire Freekbass Live at Nights Of Fire Performance:
Rochester’s Druse is taking to the road. They’ll be co-headlining a fall tour with Charleston’s Innerout. The East Coast tour includes shows in Rochester at The Bug Jaron September 28 and The Well in Brooklyn on September 30. This North & South pairing of bands highlights each of their unique talents on the cutting edge of post-hardcore indie rock.
Delightfully eclectic, to confine Druse to the label of post-hardcore screamo would be a disservice. They defy convention, incorporating elements of melodic metalcore, dreamy shoegaze, and lo-fi grunge to create a sound that has crowds swaying in a trance one moment and moshing the next. Last year’s EP The Way We Ache is their most intricately composed work to date. Emotionally charged lyrics explore the role of pain as part of what it means to be human, and how it ultimately brings us closer to each other.
Innerout from South Carolina self-identifies as pedalcore, a label that describes the blending of pedal-gazing with post-hardcore. Their sound is tinged with bits of southern flair. Case in point: the country-inspired intro on “Fair Play,” the lead track on their latest release, Say, followed by the echoes of southern rock in the fluidity of some of the guitar riffs throughout the rest of the EP.
Both bands challenge post-hardcore stereotypes – not content with what it is, but re-imagining what it can be.
Tour dates:
Sept. 19 – Baltimore, MD – The Raven Inn (Druse only)
Sept. 19 – Wilmington, NC – Randal 9000 (Innerout only)
Sept. 20 – Richmond, VA – TBA
Sept. 21 – Charleston, SC – TBA
Sept. 22 – Orlando, FL – Uncle Lou’s
Sept. 23 – Gainsville, FL – Hardback Cafe
Sept. 24 – Atlanta, GA – TBA
Sept. 25 – Louisville, KY – Spinelli’s Downtown
Sept. 26 – Columbus, OH – Middle Earth
Sept. 27 – Cleveland, OH – Mahalls Locker Room Sept. 28 – Rochester, NY – The Bug Jar
Sept. 29 – Boston, MA – TBA September 30 – Brooklyn, NY – The Well
Oct. 1 – Philadelphia, PA – TBA
Lake George celebrated the 200th Anniversary of the steamboats that are a staple of the Adirondack vacation town.
The three boats – Minni-haha, Mohican and Lac du Saint Sacrement were docked and boxed in the stage so attendees could watch from the dock or on one of the historic steamboats. Perfect weather and clear skies brought out the crowds and the bands took it from there. Capital Zen kicked off the day with intense ska/funk energy with horns a-blazing for the first set of the day. Goose followed and their perfectly crafted songs and jams were highlighted in a cover of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and the smooth rock original “Creatures.” Mister F led off their set with the “Family Feud theme,” continuing their summer series of TV show themes to open their sets and added in the “Goldeneye 007 Dam Theme” later on. Formula 5 capped the night with the first local performance of “Hot Box” in over 2 years, as well as a debut cover of Widespread Panic’s “Disco.”
The music keeps rocking this coming weekend with Adirondack Independence Festival taking place at Charles R. Wood Park on September 2 & 3, featuring Twiddle, Kung Fu, Pink Talking Fish, Hayley Jane and the Primates, Formula 5, Mister F, Capital Zen and many more. Tickets are on sale now
New York City-based rock band Upright Man got down at the Bowery Electric on Wednesday night, August 23rd. In support of their self-titled album which was released earlier this month, bandmates Aidan Dolan (guitar/vocals), Nick Katz (bass/vocals) and Max Yassky (drums/percussion/background vocals) brought some timeless, old school charm to their set. With singles like the haunting “Checked Out” or the glittery Beatles-esque “Three Easy Pieces”, this trio possesses some great songwriting skills and creates some wonderful arrangements that are soothing to the ear.
In support of Upright Man was San Francisco based, Royal Jelly Jive. With an already huge following on the West coast, RJJ dazzled the audience at Bowery Electric on Wednesday night. Their style of gypsy jazz is light, contagious and makes you want to get up and dance. Vocalist, Lauren Bjelde’s tantalizing, soulful pipes and infectious smile just lights up the stage. We look forward to seeing more of them on this coast.
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.”
For anyone who has ever seen the decline of a loved one, through various hospital visits and treatments, this song hits right at home. Despite the morbid picture the lyrics paint for us, Worthley reminds us to hold on to our loved ones and keep going.
In support of Upright Man was San Francisco based, 
