NYS Music 20​17

Category: Rock

  • Rome Summer Concert Series Kicks Off July 10 with Fritz’s Polka Band

    The City of Rome’s annual summer concert series at Griffo Green at Rome City Hall kicks off its season of free Monday concerts July 10. All shows are held from 6-8 p.m. each Monday night throughout July and August. Beverages will be available for purchase and food trucks will be on hand on selected nights. There will also be a food truck rally July 24.

    Kicking off this year’s series on July 10 is SAMMYS Hall of Fame inductee Fritz’s Polka Band. Fritz’s Polka Band was formed in 1978 and has been active ever since. While the word “polka” is in the band’s name, it is not solely a polka band. Fritz’s Polka Band performs everything from classic rock to blues to country. Check out FPB’s version of “All Along the Watchtower” below.

    Vinyl 45, a five piece performing hits from the ’60s and ’70s, takes the stage July 17 followed by acoustic duo, the Boxed Set on July 24. The latter is also the date of the Food Truck Rally. Local food trucks will be lined up along North Washington Street for concert goers’ culinary concerns.

    The Pine Ridge Mountain Band visits Griffo Green on July 31. This four piece specializes in southern rock. You’ll hear classics from the Allman Brothers Band and Lynryd Skynyrd as well as contemporary hits from Blackberry Smoke and Tom Petty.

    Their version of the James Gang’s “Funk 49” can be seen below.

    Caut!on makes an appearance Aug. 7. This local favorite dips into the catalogs of the Grateful Dead, Van Morrison, the Band and other Americana and jamband staples along with its own original compositions.

    Red Hush has been performing around Central New York for upward of 20 years. Their hard rock style has earned them a loyal following throughout the area. Griffo Green will be rocking when these guys take the stage Aug. 14.

    The series wraps Aug. 21 with a performance of classics and contemporary rock and country by Dubonnet. Dubonnet is another veteran Central New York act with a strong following.

    The Rome Summer Concert Series is sponsored by Davidson Auto Group and the City of Rome Department of Parks & Recreation. Admission to all events is free.

  • Concerts By the Shore Series Brings Bands to the Beach in Rochester

    Rochester’s Concerts By the Shore series returns this season with free shows on Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. at Ontario Beach Park. The park features access to the beach and pier, a playground, and a vintage carousel. Performances take place at the gazebo, and include the return of local favorites: Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Skycoasters, Brass Taxi, Ruby Shooz, and more.

    Concerts By the Shore Schedule

    July 5 – Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (Classical)
    July 12 – The Invictas (Rock & Roll)
    July 19 – The Skycoasters (Party Band)
    July 26 – Krazy Firemen (German & Big Band)
    Aug. 2 – Brass Taxi (Pop & Dance)
    Aug. 9 – Atlas (Party Band)
    Aug. 16 – Greece Jazz Band
    Aug. 23 – Allegro (Jazz, 60’s to 90’s)
    Aug. 30 – Ruby Shooz (50’s & 60’s Rock & Roll)

    Refreshments are available for purchase. For more information, call the Ontario Beach Park Information Line (585) 865-3320 or visit the Ontario Beach website here.

  • Rock the Block Summer Concert Series Continues in Downtown Cohoes

    The Rock the Block Summer Concert Series makes a comeback this year and  will have, “without question…. the greatest lineup,” Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse said in The Record.  The series started June 8 but runs until August 10, and will feature ten unique bands every Thursday between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Some guests include a country group appropriately named Big Sky Country, “know-‘em by heart classic song” cover band the Audiostars, and Celtic rock band Hair of the Dog. Guests will have the opportunity to  purchase food and drinks at the venue but are asked to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets as well as the whole family.

    The Lineup:

    July 6 – Big Sky Country
    July 13 – E.B. Jeb 
    July 20 – Audiostars
    July 27 – Hair of the Dog 
    August 3 – Cryin’ Out Loud 
    August 10 – John Morse and the River Junction Band

  • Intrepid Travelers EP Release Party At Buffalo Iron Works

    Thursday June 29 was a busy night across Buffalo, musically speaking. The real celebration went down that night at Buffalo Iron Works. Intrepid Travelers released their latest EP Everyday Is Your Birthday to a packed crowd. Witty Tarbox opened up the festivities. They describe themselves as indie riffs over a rhythmic funk foundation fond of improvisation. Being relatively new to the scene as a band they lit up the stage setting the tone for the evening. They ended their set with Vulfpeck cover “Cory Wong” with help from Donny Frauenhofer from Intrepid Travelers. Almost hard to believe they have been playing together for under six months. Be sure to check these guys out during their set at Cobblestone Live on Saturday July 15.

    With their tour speeding up, Intrepid Travelers had enough time to release their latest EP to a delighted hometown crowd in the 716. They hit the stage close to 10:30 and it was ON from there.  The first four songs of their set were off of their latest EP Everyday Is Your Birthday. From there they traveled to a funky but unfinished “Electric Avenue.” A few more covers as well as a few more off their latest release were sprinkled in throughout the rest of the set. Ellen Pieroni was featured on alto sax for the Lettuce cover of “Madison Square.”

    There aint no rest for the wicked. Intrepid Travelers are already back on the road with five shows in the first week of July spread across the Midwest. Halfway through July they will be traveling home with shows on July 15 at Three Heads Brewing in Rochester and July 16 in Buffalo at Cobblestone Live.

    Intrepid Travelers Setlist:

    Soundcheck: Get IT to you

    Set 1: On Inside > Destinesia, Dark Disease > Funnel > Jam > Electric Avenue(1) > Jam > Maddy & Anna, Captain Jon > Final Voyage, Madison Square(2)$, 1999(3), Stand The Heat > Get IT To You

    (1)Eddy Grant cover

    (2)Lettuce Cover

    (3)Prince Cover

    $ Featured Ellen Pieroni (Folkfaces) on alto saxophone

    Witty Tarbox SetList:

    Pyramid, Pabst Blue Rhythm, Surfslut, Trevor, Bitch Has Got An Attitude, Scmitty n Bags, Prepare To Launch ^, Moving Pictures, Cory Wong*#

    *Vulfpeck Cover

    # w/ Donny Frauenhofer (Intrepid Travelers)  on Keys

    ^debut

  • Alex Bay’s Riverboat Bar Features National Artists All Summer

    The Riverboat Bar in Alexandria Bay has announced a stellar lineup for its Summer 2017 Live Music Series. Both regional and national touring acts will be featured at Alex Bay’s Riverboat Bar.

    alex bay's riverboat barThe primarily free series brings live music to the Bay Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer. It began June 3 with Broken Arrow Hearts and followed with Earphorik, Mick Fury and Mister F. Friday’s featured artist is the Tyler Pearce Project, a soulful pop-rock act from Rochester.

    Saturday features local Bay act Adapter., an original improv band influenced by moe., the Tragically Hip, Pearl Jam and the Black Keys.

    The Riverboat is the only Thousand Islands area venue that spotlights such a prominent array of national and regional acts. Most shows are free to the public and cover a variety of genres. The main focus is to feature bands from the New York State music scene from cities such as Buffalo, Rochester, Albany and Syracuse that have made names for themselves performing at festivals and venues throughout the Northeast and beyond.

    Bands returning to the Riverboat this summer include New York acts Mister F, Black Mountain Symphony, Chris James and Mama G, Subsoil, Folkfaces, Annie in the Water, Tiny Music, Haewa, Boogiehood, Adapter, Balkun Brothers from Connecticut, Tweed from Philadelphia, After Funk from Toronto and Jiggawaltz from Vermont.

    In addition to these returning acts, the venue welcomes newcomers Earphorik from Fort Wayne, IN, Formula 5 from Albany, the Old Main from Utica, the Medicinals from Rochester, Funktional Flow from Buffalo and the Tyler Pearce Project from Rochester.

    alex bay's riverboat barJoin NYS Music and the Riverboat Bar for a summer full of great live local, regional and national music.

    Alex Bay’s Riverboat Bar Summer 2017 Live Music Series:

    June 30 – Tyler Pearce Project
    July 1 – Adapter.
    July 7 – Boogiehood
    July 8 – Formula 5
    July 14 – Balkun Brothers
    July 15 – Black Mountain Symphony
    July 21 – the Old Main
    July 22 – Chris James & Mama G w/s/g Johnny Richards
    July 28 – Funktional Flow
    July 29 – Tweed
    Aug. 4 – Subsoil
    Aug. 5 – Folkfaces
    Aug. 11 – Annie in the Water
    Aug. 12 – Tiny Music
    Aug. 18 – After Funk
    Aug. 19 – Jiggawaltz
    Aug. 25 – the Medicinals
    Aug. 26 – Haewa

    Check out footage of upcoming Riverboat artist Formula 5 below:

  • Mountain Jam 2017 Keeps Pumping out Great Jams

    Mountain Jam Music Festival in Hunter, NY celebrated their 13th anniversary with a tremendous lineup of legendary, famous and diverse musicians. Passes to Mountain Jam were an unforgettable gift for Fathers Day!

    You know you’re on a ski resort when you see ski lifts overhead and snow machines beside you.  RV’s and tents were discretely and comfortably located making for exceptional accommodations.  Only a bit of cool light rain cast a shadow, but it’s cooling was welcome.

    The Thursday night pre-party crowd packed The Healy Brothers Automotive stage in Hunter Lodge for Marco Bennevento Band, who  warmed up the audience with their rendition of Sunday’s Headliner Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like an Eagle.” Most of the hits they played were from their newly released album Live from Woodstock. Closing out the pre-party and reappearing on Friday night was adopted Brooklyn son Sinkane. He’s an English man via Sudan who blends kraut-rock, progressive-rock, electronica, free rock, funk and Sudanese pop, creating one big late night dance party.

    The endurance award goes to the energetic Andy Frasco and the UN. The joyous smiling Frasco with his giant wavy afro played five different times during Mountain Jam. Twice he performed impromptu because he’s so much fun to dance to. Andy’s energy is so contagious the audience just needs to let loose.

    The star of Friday and perennial crowd favorite was Colorado’s own The String Cheese Incident. For their debut to Mountain Jam the band played a distinct blend of rock and jam grass for about three hours. They played twenty songs spanning their 23-year career. They encored with their song “Nothing but Flowers.”

    Seattle’s own The Head and The Heart also performed earlier on Friday playing energetic folk rock blended with beautiful harmonies. Their catchy tunes made for a fun sing-along. Also from Colorado was Elephant Revival who delighted Hunter Mountain with a mix of folk and bluegrass exporting the Rockies to create a Colorado high that was thoroughly delightful

    Toronto’s own highly anticipated Glassnote recording artists The Strumbellas brought an exciting mix of pop folk rock. Their performance of “Spirit” lived up to The Mountain Jam video preview with the whole crowd singing along almost knowing all the words.

    Warner Brothers recording artist Gary Clark Jr, a recent guest on the CBS show NCIS New Orleans brought soulful blues which rocked the mountain. He sure did not disappoint the ladies. His shredding on the guitar echoed legendary blues musicians in a Louisiana blues tradition. He’s scheduled to open for Eric Clapton in Los Angeles in September. (Did I tell you the line up was fabulous? Let me say it again).

    Shovels and Rope project a big booming sound for a Southern rock duo. Hailing from South Carolina the couple delighted the crowd featured their 2013 song of the year “Birmingham.”

    Saturday’s headliner Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers would have been great alone but bringing out Marty Stuart was a bonus guest playing on a classic hit. He also played plenty of hits including “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” “I Won’t Back Down,” “Free Falling” and “Refugee” which turned Mountain Jam into one big sing-along. The crowd knew every word of all his songs including songs from the 90’s album Wildflower.

    The handsome 6’4″ Matisyahu, a Jewish American reggae vocalist and beat boxer played hits like “King without a Crown” and “One Day.” Best of all Matisyahu introduced his new album Undercurrent. Performing with his band, we were truly wowed by his control of the audience

    Michael Franti, a Bay area native led the crowd in the Sunday morning yoga session. Later he and his band Spearhead played a really fun afternoon love-dance set. Encouraging the crowd to dance together and mingle was just more joy to compliment the beautiful sun shining day. His special guests were Lucas Nelson and his percussionist to magnify his great party atmosphere on this beautiful bright sun shining day, playing his hits “Say Hey” and “Sound of Sunshine.” His spouse, an ER nurse inspired their foundation Do it for the Love, supporting the terminally ill. Please go to their website and nominate a deserving hero today. It’s free for all to do.

    Nashville and Hollywood Walk of fame recipient Peter Frampton sparkled as ever with phenomenal musical energy playing all his hits including “Show Me the Way” and “Do You Feel Like I Do.” He played “Black Hole Sun,” a tribute to acknowledge the recent loss of former tour mate Chris Cornell. His use of the talk box made it one of the coolest cover renditions I have ever heard.

    Top headliner Steve Miller Band closed out the fabulous Jam. Recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee The Steve Miller Band played an energetic sing along set including their most popular hits “Abracadabra,” “The Joker” and “Fly Like an Eagle.” The hi-light of the set was when he brought out Peter Frampton to play a rocking blues hit that awed the audience with all their skills.

    With so many great bands playing with such beautiful weather, Mountain Jam 2017 was one great festival, so if there are some bands on the lineup you love, buy some early bird tickets and go jam on the mountain because you will have a blast!!!

  • Rockin’ On the River 2017 in Troy’s Riverfront Park: Did You Say Free?

    Summertime fills the air with one-of-a-kind, free music–chirping birds, bikes whizzing by and children laughing as they play in the neighborhood. That’s not all the free music left to explore–all around the Capital Region, summer concert series have been crafted to offer a blend of different genres to the city’s inhabitants week after week. Rockin’ on the River in Troy has been a well-loved staple to its surrounding community, offering a free, 10-week concert series every Wednesday between June 7 and August 9.

    Wednesdays just got better, as “hump days” can now be marked on the calendar with *outdoor music at Riverfront Park* in downtown Troy. Attracting between 5,000 to 8,000 guests per night, the series already boasted four mid-week performances from Almost Queen, Deerhoof, Skeeter Creek and Alex Torres y su Orquesta.

    Lovers of live music can look forward to the remainder of Rockin’ on the River,  to bring musical appearances from The British Invasion Experience, Saintseneca, Who’s Bad – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience, Taina Asili y la Banda Rebelde, SIRSY and Rumours- Fleetwood Mac Tribute to close.

    Rain or shine from 5:00PM to 8:30PM, the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District brings the summer concert series to residents free of charge and in turn, draws in crowds to Troy’s local shops and businesses, keeping the town thriving!

    Check out the full Rockin’ on the River schedule below:

    July 5 – The British Invasion Experience
    July 12 – Saintseneca with The Sea The Sea
    July 19 – Who’s Bad – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience with Kristen Capolino
    July 26 – Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde with Girl Blue
    Aug. 2 – SIRSY with Sly Fox and The Hustlers
    Aug. 9 – Rumours – Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band

  • Freedom Park Concert Series Underway, Features Free Shows All Summer Long

    There’s something for everyone at Freedom Park’s summer concert series in Scotia. Upcoming shows include performances by Celtic band Screaming Orphans on June 28,  Bluz House Rockers on June 30, and world music by Maria Z & Alegria on July 2. The fun continues all summer with a wide array of artists to satisfy every musical palate. Concerts take place across from Collins Park, and start at 7 p.m. (with the exception of Bluz House Rockers, which starts at 8pm). For more information, visit the Freedom Parks website or Facebook page.

    freedom park summer2017 Scotia Freedom Park Summer Concert Series:

    June 28 -Screaming Orphans – Celtic rock
    June 30 – Bluz House Rockers – 8 PM
    July 2 – Maria Z & Alegria – flamenco/world music
    July 5 – Scotia-Glenville Pipe Band
    July 8 – Diva & the Dirty Boys – 60’s rock & blues
    July 9 – Music Company Orchestra
    July 12 – The AudioStars
    July 15 – Jeanne O’Connor & the New Standard
    July – 16 – Hot Club of Saratoga – gypsy jazz/swing
    July 19 – The Refrigerators
    July 22 – Rattail Jimmy – rock
    July 23 – Brian Patneaude Jazz Quintet
    July 26 – The Joey Thomas Big Band
    July 29 – Betsy & the ByeGons – 60’s music
    July 30 – The Route Fifty 5 – brass quintet
    Aug. 2 – Big Easy Playboys – Zydeco music
    Aug. 5 – Skeeter Creek – country music
    Aug. 6 – The Wister Quartet
    Aug. 9 – SIRSY – alt rock
    Aug. 12 – Funk Evolution – party R&B
    Aug. 13 – The Lustre Kings – rockabilly
    Aug. 16 – Grand Central Station – party rock
    Aug. 19 – Grit N Whiskey – country music
    Aug. 20 – Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company
    Aug. 23 – American Runaways – punk/indie rock
    Aug. 26 – Dylan Perrillo Orchestra – jazz/swing

  • Train Brought All the Love to Darien

    Upon arrival, you’d think there wasn’t much going on at Darien Lake Amphitheater, but once you entered the venue, it was a whole different story. It was pretty packed inside and fans were scrambling around to get to their seats before O.A.R came on. You could see the dividing wall between casual concert goers and ones who were die hard based on the shirts or what they sang, for every song that both bands played that night. Whichever side you fell on, you were not to be disappointed by the upcoming performances.

    Train is led by singer/guitarist Pat Monahan and the stage made it clear who was in charge. Except for a couple of occasions, everybody stayed on their designated risers, leaving the front of the stage to Monahan. He’s full of stage tricks, seeing which side of the crowd can sing louder or turning a video camera onto the audience. During the song “If It’s Love,” Pat grabbed cell phones from the audience and would take a selfie while flawlessly singing the song. He also brought out Natasha Bedingfield to sing the song “Bruises” and it was a perfect duet to say the least.

    O.A.R.’s music is a genial blend of straightforward rock and light reggae. They are a six-piece band from Rockville, Maryland and a mighty band indeed. From start to finish, their presence was strong and most members had quite the facial expressions and charisma. Guitarist Richard On was engaging with the crowd and even at one point tossed a pick to a little girl in the front row. Vocalist Marc Roberge was all smiles during the show and had the fans singing along with him swaying to and fro. The night went without a hitch and not one individual seemed to leave displeased by the night’s performances.

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  • Blackberry Smoke Unite Eclectic Crowd at F.M. Kirby Center

     On Friday, June 23, 2017 the American chart topping Southern rock/Country rock group Blackberry Smoke rolled into Wilkes-Barre, PA to perform in front of a stoked up crowd at the F.M. Kirby Center in the heart of downtown Wilkes-Barre. Having toured extensively most of last summer on tour with Gov’t Mule, they released their fifth studio album Like an Arrow on October 14, 2016.

    With five studio albums under their belt, including Bad Luck Ain’t No Crime (2004), Little Piece of Dixie (2009), The Whippoorwill (2012), Holding All the Roses (2015) and most current Like an Arrow, Blackberry Smoke has an enormous catalog of songs to choose from. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, these Southern boys are no stranger to the road, touring and performing throughout the United States. Formed in 2001, Blackberry Smoke have headlined as well as opened for major artists such as Zac Brown Band, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Church and more. For the past sixteen years they continue to tear up the charts and road with mega hits and touring, playing on average, 250 shows a year. They have developed quite the eclectic fan base as well ranging from the classic Southern rock, country, rock and roll, grassroots and jam band fans. They have been know to frequently break into long jams, throwing covers into the mix of their music and play all night long.

    Guitarist and lead singer Charlie Starr shares, “There’s so many elements to what people call rock. There’s gospel and country and swing and blues. We’re just trying to write songs that include all those different types of elements. It keeps it interesting for musicians and songwriters.” And what great musicians and songwriters these guys are. If most of the sold out crowd at the Kirby Center didn’t appreciate the classic and vintage gear these guys used live which lended to their unmistakable sound, they certainly appreciated and knew the music as they sung along, clapped and foot stomped from the beginning to the end of their epic twenty-song set. Some songs on the set were definitely epic jams such as “Sleeping Dogs” which featured a very cool rendition of the Beatles “Come Together” tossed in the mix.

    You can view a clip from the show here:

    Blackberry Smoke’s original lineup of Charlie Starr (lead vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals), and Brandon Still (keyboards) have been together since the beginning and are as tight knit and in the groove as any band could be. Yet they don’t stand still and settle in the pocket, musically that is. They always seem to be pushing the boundaries and digging into new territory with their music. Their diversity and growth can definitely be heard throughout their albums and setlist. Their set at the Kirby Center had a multitude and mix of great songs from their recordings.

    At 8 p.m. Brooklyn, NY based Indie/Alt-country blues band The National Reserve got things started with a forty-minute set that surely set the tone for the headliners. The National Reserve were a fun, musically diverse quintet. A fun and talented bunch of guys who could be your friend, hanging out, drinking whiskey in any local pub or starting up an impromptu jam in your mom’s living room. A great group of talented musicians led by guitarist/frontman Sean Walsh.

    Blackberry Smoke hit the stage at 9:15 pm and played a twenty-song set which lasted til after 11 p.m. The crowd was on their feet for the entire two hours, some even waiting for the after show VIP meet and greet. Blackberry Smoke started off the set with “Let Me Help You (Find The Door)” from 2015 Holding All the Roses, followed by “Testify” from their 2003 album Bad Luck Ain’t No Crime, and “Six Ways To Sunday” from the 2012 release The Whippoorwill. Blackberry Smoke continued throughout the night playing many hits, foot stomping tunes, acoustic tunes, jam tunes, along with a few covers including “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do” by Led Zeppelin as their first of three encores. Blackberry Smoke hit Wilkes-Barre, PA like “a freight train runnin’” and had their fans captivated “starin’ at them like a deer in the headlights” like they didn’t see this one coming. They put on a hell of a show for their fans and I am certain they made many more fans that night as well that just went along for the ride and left amazed.

    Blackberry Smoke Setlist: Let Me Help You (Find The Door), Testify, Six Ways To Sunday, Good One Comin’ On, Wish In One Hand, Waiting For The Thunder, Rock And Roll Again, Let It Burn, Sleeping Dogs/Come Together, Shakin’ Hands With The, Holy Ghost, Whippoorwill, Up In Smoke, Lay It All On Me, Ain’t Got The Blues, Running Through Time, One Horse Town, Like An Arrow

    Encore: Hey, Hey, What Can I do, Who Invented The Wheel, Ain’t Much Left Of Me

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