Don’t underestimate Moriah Formica. Yes, she’s only 17. Yes, she’s small in stature. And yes, she can rock and roll just like Joan Jett.
Formica’s concerts at Jupiter Hall on November 24 and 26th followed her successful time on The Voice and she was clearly welcomed home by local fans. Hailing from Latham, NY, Formica became nationally known for her powerhouse performances on the reality television show earlier this fall. She returned to a sold out show Friday, November 24, and played to a well attended, eclectic audience on the 26th with her old band.
Formica’s microphone wasn’t on during the first part of her initial song, leaving her characteristically clear and strong voice out of the music for a few minutes. When the technology was fixed, though, her vocals grounded the group as they pushed through covers and even some original music, including “Save Me” and “Lovestruck”. It looked like all hard work and no play until the artist began chatting with the audience, sharing perspectives on love and her desire to not always be perceived as aggressive.
The acoustic set in the middle of the concert revealed a more vulnerable side. She sang “No Regrets,” a song about losing love, and “The Voice,” and also shared life experiences about being in love in 10th grade with “Here’s My Heart.” Her breath control was solid as she held clear and pitch-perfect notes, continuing through “Stone Cold” with pianist Dustin Deluke.
After the acoustic set, the band rejoined her for some grittier and heavier rock songs. Ending with a cover of “Barracuda,” Formica had heads nodding and bodies jumping.
Formica performed for 65 minutes with very few breaks for conversation. Rapid fire, intense and demonstrating undeniable clarity and pitch, Formica’s performance was a wonderful reminder not to underestimate her. Yes, she’s a local kid. Yes, The Voice didn’t maintain her on the show. And yes, she’s got a lot further to go with her career as a female rocker who can powerfully move an audience with both vocals and guitar. But it’s unlikely she’ll stay home for long.
Dave DiPrimo Band has just released Reflections, their sophomore full-length album. NYS Music met up with members of the folk rock quartet at Java’s Cafe, where just two months ago they played to a packed house during the Rochester Fringe Festival. Their saxophonist was unable to attend, but Michael Slattery, the photographer who did the artwork for the album cover, was available for the interview.
Dave DiPrimo Band at Java’s Cafe during the 2017 Rochester Fringe Festival Photo: Joseph DiPrimo
Paula Cummings: Dave, you started as a singer/songwriter. What made you want to start a band?
Dave DiPrimo: Being a singer/songwriter, there’s only so much you can do. Your songs come to fruition, but they never turn out the way you expect them to. They’re kind of empty. It was also kinda lonely, always doing one thing, just you on stage. There’s no one to turn around and make faces at when you say stupid stuff. No drummer to make fun of you or tell you to stop blabbering when you’re talking too long. Playing with a full band makes the songs sound better and fuller – their musicianship and the instrumentation they provide. It’s more fun to play with people, especially good people. And these guys, you know, they’re okay. (Laughter)
PC: Who are the other members of the band, and what do you play?
Reid Hoffmeier: I’m Reid and I drum for the Dave DiPrimo Band.
Ian Benz: My name is Ian and I play bass. Me and Dave went to Boy Scouts 6 years ago. That’s where we met. Six months later, I started playing in Ivy’s Panic Room. He knew that I’ve been playing bass for a while. He contacted me. And this has been working out pretty well.
DD: Karis Gregory plays saxophone and lead guitar on some songs. I go to Nazareth College with him. In previous iterations of this band, he filled in for certain shows. When the band was changing, I brought him on full time.
PC: That leads to my next question. You’re all in college. How do you balance the demands of being students and musicians?
DD: Very carefully! We try to practice as much as we’re available. This has been a busy time of year. We haven’t been playing too many shows, as we’ve been finishing the album. It can be a lot to try to organize practice and shows with school, but we’ve been doing okay so far. We haven’t had any VH1 Behind The Music meltdown moments.
RH: This is one of the few things I do for fun outside of college and work, so whenever we have something that pops up, I just cut everything else and make this a priority. It’s hard juggling three jobs essentially, but having a job you care about and is entertaining to do, with a bunch of friends, you make it number one.
IB: It’s not that bad. Weekends usually work out, and there’s only a couple weekends left in the semester. I’m cramming it in, but it’s totally worth it.
PC: You were featured on the Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight, where you had the distinction of being the youngest artist on the series. What was that like?
DD: It was pretty cool. It was an interesting experience to have the cameras there. Dan Gross, the host, is A) a talented professional and B) just a really great guy, so we were happy to be on the show with him. That was before we had Ian with us. We got Ian two months after that. It was a cool jumping point to have our first show together as a taped session. We also did a little recording at WITR, too. We did a live EP with them. Those kinds of sessions, where it’s not just a show but there’s something permanent left over, that’s cool. We signed the (WITR) wall near Joywave and a lot of bands who have done stuff there. We took up an obnoxious amount of space.
RH: Dead center above the door, so walking in and out you always see it.
WITR Studio Photo: Bailey Gribben
PC: Tell me about the album. What is the overall theme?
DD: I feel like every time I write an album, it starts as a story with a start and finish. And I feel like by the time it’s done and in the right order, it’s not anymore. It’s kind of little vignettes. It’s called Reflections. Everything I wrote is not about things currently going on in my life, for the most part. They’re all sort of nostalgia and looking back. For example, on the last track on the album, “Glory Days,” there’s a line referencing this past New Year’s Eve when we had a fun time at one of our live shows. There’s a joke that’s made about that evening.
PC: You guys are young, but have this old soul vibe going on.
RH: We’re just more mature than everyone else!
DD: We’re old and cool and wise… Our music has so many influences. As a songwriter, I’m inspired by soul, alternative, punk and rock, and some emo stuff. All these different genres look back and reflect on the past. I feel like there are not too many folk songs looking towards a bright future. It’s all dwelling on stuff.
PC: When and where was it recorded?
RH: I don’t remember the date. It was over the summer, but we did it in one day. It was exhausting. I didn’t get home until midnight.
DD: It was at The Green Room in Ontario. Matt Ramerman, our engineer, is the owner of The Green Room. We did the session there. A month or two later, I went back. He had moved his studio from Ontario to Rochester. I went back and added some keys and worked on mixing some more.
PC: How did this recording experience differ from the first album?
DD: Even as we were listening to the rough mix in the studio for Reflections, it just felt like it was going to be a more satisfying product.
RH: We put a lot of effort and hours into it. Not just in the studio, in the weeks leading up to the recording: the practice, the ideas back and forth. We had already played these songs a number of times, but we just kept nitpicking – “I want to change this, let’s run it through.” We listened to it for the first time a couple weeks ago. It was a lot of fun.
DD: Ian, Reid and Karis put so much effort into the album, and into practice – making sure they were on and ready. I think at most we only needed three or four takes.
PC: I like the album artwork.
Michael Slattery: One day, I got out of work and I saw these clouds from a distance. I went home and got my camera; I went chasing the clouds. I took a nice picture and that’s the picture that’s on the back of the CD. And as I was driving home, I looked into my side mirror. I saw the cloud again and I thought it would be cool to take a picture of the cloud back through the mirror.
DD: I love Mike’s photos. I think it fits the mood really well. And I really like my brother Joe’s photo on the inside of the four silhouettes.
Reflections was released on November 25. It’s available to stream on their website and Spotify, and purchase on CD Baby, iTunes and Google Play. Follow Dave DiPrimo Band on Facebook and Twitter for upcoming performances and news.
Rangers, the lineup is here. The 12th annual Rock on the Range has announced all of the artist that will appear at the three day festival starting May 18-20, 2018 in Columbus, OH, at MAPFRE Stadium.
Nearly 60 bands will perform over three days headled by Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, and Alice In Chains. Tool frontman, Maynard James Keenen will not only appear with Tool, his other band, A Perfect Circle, will also appear sometime during the festival.
Daily lineups are yet to be announced but other artists scheduled to appear among the three stages the include Godsmack, Stone Sour, Breaking Benjamin,Three Days Grace, Stone Temple Pilots, Bullet For My Valentine, Black Veil Brides, Asking Alexandria, I Prevail, Greta Van Fleet, Trivium, 10 Years, From Ashes To New, Like A Storm, Shaman’s Harvest, and Stitched Up Heart to name a few.
In a recent Blabbermouth article, Avenged Sevenfold frontman, M. Shadows, commented on headlining ROTR. He stated:
Rock On The Range is the undisputed champion of American rock festivals. The team over there has done an incredible job of curating a potent mix of all the types of rock ‘n roll that any fan could ask for. It’s an honor to play at the top of the bill, and we cannot wait to see everyone in May.
Several ticket packages have already sold out, with several options to choose from still available, but they won’t last for long as ROTR seems to sell out quicker each year. Weekend passes include Field VIP – $349 plus fees, Field General Admission – $299.50 plus fees, and Stadium General Admission – $149.50.
Uber Ranger camping packages are available while supplies last along with bronze, silver, gold, and diamond hotel packages. For more information, visit the festival website here.
Brooklyn-based alternative hip hop artist Vendetta has released his debut album Press Play [and Live]. After cutting his teeth in the music industry as the front man for Hollywood Drive-By, Vendetta is striking out on his own with this solo project.
Armed with a microphone, a laptop, and a deep-seated love for rhythm, Vendetta (aka Vijay Ramcharitar) weaves together stylistically divergent influences. Funky rhythms and rocking riffs pave a foundation for his raps. As the moniker Vendetta implies, his lyrical themes are rife with conflict. Urban survival vs. escapism. Violence vs. humanitarianism. Dive bars vs. block parties.
Lead track “The Getaway (Vendetta Day)” is a groovy number about getting away from the stress of city life for a cruise along the East Coast. The song melds together an array of influences, from old-school hip hop artists like Tupac to alternative rock in the vein of Red Hot Chili Peppers. “Two Things” further explores the impact that music has to uplift spirits in the face of adversity. The chorus goes “Two things I remembered: the CD that I picked / And the feeling I got when I pressed play and lived.” The feel-good summer jam “BBQ Sauce” features the vocal styling of friend and fellow musician Rocksteady (Jason Hernandez).
Press Play [and Live] was recorded at Westfall Recording Company, Farmingdale NY, with production and engineering by Nick “Karate” Gallick.
Key Tracks: The Getaway (Vendetta Day), Two Things, BBQ Sauce.
The Monopole in Plattsburgh will celebrate a milestone 120 year birthday, and to get the party going, West End Blend. Last week, NYS Music spoke to Corey Rosoff, owner of the Monopole, about the legacy of the bar’s live music and history in the North Country. Sam Horan, drummer for West End Blend, spoke to NYS Music about Thursday’s show, gave a musician’s view of the venue, and talked about their latest video for “Attitude.”
Pete Mason: Bands seem to pass through The Monopole as a rite of passage. How have your experiences playing The Monopole changed over the years?
Sam Horan: Our first show at Monopole was back in September and from the moment we stepped into the club it was clear that this place had some serious history behind it. So many great bands have come through their doors and it was great to have the opportunity to do the same. That show was a really great first welcome to Plattsburgh. This will be our second time playing Monopole and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate their 120th anniversary with them!
PM: What makes The Monopole such a great music venue?
SH: I think what really makes Monople such a great venue is it’s people. Everyone from the staff to the clientele. The people of Plattsburgh that go out and support shows there. That’s what sold it for us.
PM: With the release of “Attitude” this past October, what makes this studio release the best representation of West End Blend?
SH: Every time we make a new record we strive to create something that best represents the band and where we are at in terms of song-writing, line-up and direction. With Attitude, I think we really found a way to capture the band in a way that is very accurate to what you would see live at a current West End Blend show. In comparison to our previous albums, Attitude really shows an edgier and more raw side of the band that you might find with us live. The song writing process has been very natural and shows how we have evolved from our first album. We are very excited about this one and we can’t wait to share it at Monopole!
PM: Your current tour is one of your most extensive yet. What spots have you hit on the East coast that stand out, and what is coming up the rest of the year for you guys?
SH: This tour is definitely our most aggressive tour to date and it really marks itself as a big step in this bands touring career. We’re all super excited to be out on the road right now and we look forward to even bigger tours in the very near future. In terms of East Coast stand outs, I think my favorite show so far was our hometown CD release show at Arch Street Tavern in Hartford CT. We are in the middle of a south-eastern tour taking us through Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina right now so its hard to choose favorites until we’ve hit all of these spots! I have a good feeling this 120th anniversary show will be a band favorite…
PM: Tell us about the experience shooting your video for “Attitude” at ‘Funkhaus’ and how the video captures West End Blend’s energetic live performances.
SH: That video was a lot of fun to shoot! We basically decided to renovated an old garage next to the Funkhaus and turn it into a large recording space for the shoot. For those who don’t know, the Funkhaus is the house that acts as WEB headquarters. It’s where we record, rehearse and write. This was an ambitious project and we were on a very tight time schedule to finish renovations. I remember at one point, everyone in the band came over the Funkhaus with hammers, screwguns, hack saws and paintbrushes in-hand, and just scrambled to get the space finished before the shoot. It was a crazy amount of work getting the space ready, but when it was finally finished, all of that work was worth it. The space (dubbed Funkhaus Jr.) looks great and we have since used it to recorded some brand new WEB material.
Rochester indie pop group Tart Vandelay has released the first single, “Cloudy Doubts,” off their upcoming EP Flow, which is due out on Friday, December 1. Like others on the EP, “Cloudy Doubts” uses nature as a metaphor for personal trials and tribulations, overcoming challenges and adversity. The idea is to see how nature flows and functions and use that as a guide to narrate one’s own life. The EP was recorded at Wicked Squid studios and was produced by Josh Pettinger.
Yes, that band name is inspired by a classic Seinfeld, but this group is a sonic importer/exporters that began as a duo featuring musical couple Marty LoFaso and Katie Halligan. The two began dating in 2011 while studying music in their hometown of Rochester, NY. After moving to Boston, MA, the couple officially formed Tart Vandelay in the summer of 2014. The duo added a rhythm section recently, adding Stephen Petoniak on bass and Christopher Dubuc-Penney on drums in spring of 2016, and in 2017 Pete Zamniak replaced original bassist Stephen Petoniak. Stay up to date with Tart Vandelay and listen to “Cloudy Doubts” below.
New York-based Provocado – the duo of Derek Chilvers and Eric Essebag (owner and curator of Caché Life) melding eclectic backgrounds with R&B compositions, pop, rock and more, debut with their single “Only You.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOhN63GHCgg
“Only You” features Chilvers’ soothing baritone vocals over meticulous keyboard patterns and Essebag’s unique guitar riffs soar over subdued production. The black and white video portrays a day-in-the-life of a metropolitan woman walking the streets of Manhattan. The viewer observes her as she appears seemingly reluctant to find satisfaction and inner peace from the everyday lifestyles of New York City, but captures the subtleties and nuances of city life in a truly mesmerizing way. Listen to “Only You” on Spotify.
It’s the first snowy evening of the season on November 19 and I can think of no better way to spend it than by checking out the “Master of Horror” John Carpenter and his incredibly talented band on the final date of their live Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998 tour. What a treat for those in attendance at the Palace Theater in Syracuse. They got to see the famed movie director change up roles and get behind a synthesizer to perform themes from his beloved horror flicks with clips from the films playing on a giant screen behind him.
Carpenter took the stage promptly at 7:30 and showed that he is a man of many talents. He made eye contact, danced and pointed at fans as he worked his way through his impressive catalog. Carpenter came well-armed with a gifted back-up band comprised of Tenacious D’s drummer Scott Seiver, their guitarist John Konesky, their bassist John Spiker and Carpenter’s son Cody Carpenter on lead synth and his godson whom Carpenter described as, “the prince in waiting” Daniel Davies on lead guitar.
The group produced an impressive sound. They took fans through the main title theme from “Escape from New York,” “Assault on Precinct 13” and “The Fog.” In an excellent tribute to the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Harry Dean Stanton, Carpenter and the band donned sunglasses as they performed “Coming to L.A.” from “They Live.” This drew a large roar of applause from the crowd. The fans also went wild when Carpenter stated, “I believe in love and I believe in love that lasts forever,” as he introduced the opening notes to his infamous “Halloween” theme. Fans of Carpenter’s Halloween will be excited to note that it appears he will be releasing a follow up to the 1978 film due to hit theaters October 2018. It is even rumored that Jamie Lee Curtis will reprise her role as Laurie Strode. Yeah, I’m excited!
The group ended the main set with the theme from the ever creepy “In the Mouth of Madness.” Do you read Sutter Cane? They barely stepped off stage for a moment before returning and punching through a four-song encore that culminated with Carpenter advising everyone to “drive home safely this evening. Christine’s out there.” They ended their set with “Christine Attacks.” It was fantastic to see Mr. Carpenter bring his work to life in such a unique way. He seemed to be legitimately having a great time and proved that he is in fact a “master of horror.”
Setlist: Escape from New York: Main Title, Assault on Precinct 13: Main Title, Village of the Damned: March of the Children, The Fog: Main Title Theme, Vortex, Mystery, They Live: Coming to L.A., Starman: Starman Leaves (Jack Nitzsche), The Thing: Main Theme – Desolation (Ennio Morricone), Distant Dream, Big Trouble in Little China: Pork Chop Express, Wraith, Halloween Theme – Main Title, In the Mouth of Madness: In the Mouth of Madness
Encore: Body Bags, Vampires (Santiago), Prince of Darkness: Darkness Begins, Christine: Christine Attacks (Plymouth Fury)
Buffalo-based band Previous Love has debuted their first music video, for their song “Caffeine.” The catchy alt rock tune is from their self-titled EP, which was recorded and released over the summer. The video montage documents their coffee-fueled recording sessions.
“We wanted to really take our fans into the studio with us but still capture the emotion of the song,” bassist Steven Browne told NYS Music. “We get asked a lot what it’s like being in the studio for the first time as a young band. I believe this really captures our experience while still staying true to the intent of the song.”
The video features band members Steven Browne (bass), Charles Campanella (guitar), John Perdue (drums) and Gary Sheedy (vocals and guitar) working alongside producer Jay Zubricky. Filmed in and around GCR Audio, it includes shots of them traveling to the studio, recording, and hanging out. Visual effects such as cross-dissolves, slow motion, time lapse, reverse footage create a surreal effect that suits the “Caffeine” theme.
“It’s exciting being in the studio, capturing those moments that make a record special,” said Browne. “At the end of the video it actually is the footage from the moment we captured the ending to ‘Caffeine.’”
Follow Previous Love on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Their debut self-titled EP Previous Love is available for purchase on Bandcamp (name your price) and streaming on Spotify. For more about the EP, read the NYS Music review.
A Perfect Circle made a stop on their current North American tour at the War Memorial at the Oncenter in Syracuse, NY on Sunday. The band is on the road as a prelude to their touted upcoming album to be released sometime in 2018. A new single, “Doomed,” was issued this past October to pacify the anxious fans. APC has not released an album since their 2004 collection of covers titled Emotive.
The show started promptly at 7:30. Opening act The Beta Machine is on tour in support of their debut EP release All This Time. Despite a few technical difficulties, the band stayed calm and worked their way through a melodic and harmonious set. Bassist Matt McJunkins promised that he and drummer Jeff Friedl would be back in a few minutes before leaving the stage since they’re both in Keenan’s other spin off band, Puscifer, as well as A Perfect Circle.
Between sets there were multiple warnings about the use of cell phones, cameras and other electronic devices resulting in ejection. This policy was hardcore. I got yelled at for trying to send a quick message to my son’s sitter in between the sets. Not sure who or what I was taking pictures or videos of when there was no one on stage, but be warned, they are very serious about this policy.
A Perfect Circle took the stage behind a semitransparent curtain and led off with “The Package” from Thirteenth Step. The shadows of band members Billy Howerdel, James Iha, Maynard James Keenan, Matt McJunkins and Jeff Friedl could be seen moving around the stage; it was a pretty cool effect. A few notes into the second song, “The Hollow,” the curtain dropped. Howerdel was the most active, running around the stage, engaging fans. Maynard remained hidden in low lights and a cloud of smoke for much of the show. James Iha also remained in the background allowing McJunkins to take the lead.
APC worked their way through a nineteen song setlist. Keenan’s vocals melded flawlessly with Howerdel’s and McJunkin’s on the John Lennon cover “Imagine” and the Brinsley Schwartz cover “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.” The guitars and drums created a rhythmic grind in the politically charged “Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums.” The live version gave me chills.
The band did not take any breaks. Keenan paused only for a moment to introduce the band. Iha took the spotlight for a quick satire on the cold weather in Syracuse and they were right back to the music. They played a two-hour set that culminated with their new single, “The Doomed,” followed by “The Outsider” and they ended the evening with the softer melodic tune “Feathers.”
Setlist: The Package, The Hollow, The Noose, Weak and Powerless, Rose, Imagine (John Lennon cover), By and Down, Thomas, (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding (Brinsley Schwartz cover), Orestes, Vanishing, Magdalena, A Stranger, 3 Libras (All Main Courses Mix), Hourglass, Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums, The Doomed, The Outsider, Feathers
Setlist: Escape from New York: Main Title, Assault on Precinct 13: Main Title, Village of the Damned: March of the Children, The Fog: Main Title Theme, Vortex, Mystery, They Live: Coming to L.A., Starman: Starman Leaves (Jack Nitzsche), The Thing: Main Theme – Desolation (Ennio Morricone), Distant Dream, Big Trouble in Little China: Pork Chop Express, Wraith, Halloween Theme – Main Title, In the Mouth of Madness: In the Mouth of Madness
