NYS Music 20​17

Category: News Desk

  • Taking Back Sunday to Tour with Every Time I Die

    Taking Back Sunday announced a summer tour with Every Time I Die that will be book ended by dates in New York, opening in New York City and closing out in Utica and Buffalo.

    taking back sundayLong Island’s Taking Back Sunday will head out on tour this summer with Buffalo metalcore act Every Time I Die. The 28 night tour takes them across the country and back, kicking off at New York City’s Webster Hall on July 14 and closing out on Aug. 19 with a hometown show for Every Time I Die at the Waiting Room Summer Stage in Buffalo. They make one other New York stop on Aug. 18 at the Saranac Brewery in Utica. The only other Northeast dates are July 16 at the House of Blues in Boston and Aug. 16 at Stage AE in Pittsburgh.

    Joining Taking Back Sunday and Every Time I Die are New Jersey’s Modern Chemistry for the first half of the tour and South Carolina’s All Get Out for the second half. Every Time I Die will be absent from the shows on July 20 and 22 in Orlando and Jacksonville, Florida, respectively.

    Prior to the start of the tour with Every Time I Die, Taking Back Sunday will perform at the Great South Bay Music Festival in Patchogue. New Found Glory, 311 and Saves the Day also play the festival.

    As part of the summer tour, the band is offering VIP passes that give fans early entrance into the shows, a VIP laminate and lanyard, an embossed journal and bookmark and access to an acoustic set. The VIP tickets are on sale now through the band’s website. General tickets for the summer tour go on sale Friday, March 24 at 10 a.m.

    Taking Back Sunday Summer Tour Dates
    July 14 – Webster Hall – New York, NY *
    July 16 – House of Blues – Boston, MA *
    July 19 – Masquerade – Heaven Stage – Atlanta, GA *
    July 20 – House of Blues – Orlando * #
    July 21 – Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL *
    July 22 – Mavericks – Jacksonville, FL * #
    July 24 – Gas Monkey Live! – Dallas, TX *
    July 25 – Tricky Falls – El Paso, TX *
    July 26 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ *
    July 27 – Hard Rock at the Pool – Las Vegas, NV *
    July 28 – Obervatory North Park – San Diego, CA *
    July 29 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA *
    July 31 – The Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA *
    Aug. 1 – Ace of Spades – Sacramento, CA *
    Aug. 3 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR ^
    Aug. 4 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA ^
    Aug. 6 – Knitting Factory – Boise, ID ^
    Aug. 7 – The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT ^
    Aug. 8 – Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO ^
    Aug. 9 – Bourbon Theatre – Lincoln, NE ^
    Aug. 10 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN ^
    Aug. 12 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI ^
    Aug. 13 – Crofoot Ballroom – Pontiac, MI ^
    Aug. 14 – Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH ^
    Aug. 15 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH ^
    Aug. 16 – Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA ^
    Aug. 18 – Saranac Brewery – Utica, NY ^
    Aug. 19 – Waiting Room Summer Stage – Buffalo, NY ^

    * with Modern Chemistry
    # without Every Time I Die
    ^ with All Get Out

  • Root Shock Releases First Official Music Video

    In the wake of some chilling Syracuse winter weather, local reggae renegades Root Shock provided some relief with the soul warming release of their first official music video for “Sunlight” on March 21. The tune is off their debut self-titled album released earlier this year.

    The video, dropped the day after lead singer Jessica Brown’s birthday, showcases all seven musicians in their element, participating in their personal daily rituals before coming together to make music. Just shy of four minutes, Bill Eppel (bass) Cix Nyne (drums/vocals), Phil Grajko (guitar/vocals), Nick Kaczmar (keyboards), Jason “Jocko” Randall (percussion/electronics/vocals) and Dan Valvassori (guitar) are all seen juggling a range of human experiences and emotions. The video captures elements of each musicians’ personality and gives the viewer a sense of what energy they bring to the band.

    Brown commented: “The concept for the video was to show some real life situations, keeping it relatable and personal, where each band member has some obstacle to overcome- day to day stuff. And just being able to let go, move forward & let the music uplift you. Our good friend Kyle Corea directed, shot and edited the video. He came up with the ideas and themes in the video. He has done many films and music videos in the past so we had full trust in his vision. Our hope is that the video will make you smile, possibly laugh, dance, cry and have hope that even in dark places the sun always comes back out to shine.”

  • Great Acorn Hunt with Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass

    Keller Williams brings his Grateful Grass to the Capitol Theatre in April, and prior to the show, attendees are invited to participate in the Great Acorn Hunt, a twist on the classic Easter egg hunt.keller williams acorn huntKeller Williams’ Grateful Grass, his bluegrass tribute to the Grateful Dead, plays the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on Thursday, April 20. As part of the festivities, fans are invited to take part in the Great Acorn Hunt. For the acorn hunt, much like an Easter egg hunt, acorn “eggs” will be hidden throughout the theatre. Participants will search for the eggs for prizes, such as tickets to shows at the venue and Keller Williams merchandise. The acorns are a nod to the Capitol Theatre’s squirrel mascot.

    Keller William’s Grateful Grass features Jeff Austin, Jeremy Garrett, Andy Hall and Danton Boller. They play a not-very-traditional bluegrass take on the music of the Grateful Dead. Opening the show is Love Canon, a bluegrass outfit from Charlottesville, North Carolina. Continuing with the night’s theme of non-traditional tributes, Love Canon covers musical hits from the ’80s, such as “She Blinded Me with Science,” “The Boys of Summer” and ZZ Top’s “Legs.”

    Tickets for the show are $30 and on sale now. The Great Acorn Hunt will begin promptly at 7 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m.

  • Phish Announces Additional Summer Tour Dates

    Phish has added 8 additional shows to their 2017 Summer Tour in the cities of Chicago, Dayton, Pittsburgh, and Commerce City, CO. In between, Phish has 13 shows lined up for a Baker’s Dozen at Madison Square Garden over the course of July 21 through August 6.
    phish additional summer tour

    The shows in Chicago will be held at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island July 14–16. The band then heads east to the historic Nutter Center in Dayton, OH on July 18 and then to Pittsburgh, PA to perform at the Petersen Events Center on July 19.

    After taking a break for a few weeks in August, Phish closes out the summer as they have since 2011 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO, September 1-3.

    You can Request tickets now through PTBM.

  • ‘Salt City Limits’ Series Kicks Off this Friday at the Palace

    Austin City Limits began its run on PBS in 1976 as a way to showcase Texas artists. Its pilot episode featured Willie Nelson performing. Forty one years later, the show has become a television institution and the inspiration for the music festival by the same name. It is a destination gig for performers of any genre.

    In order to promote Central New York artists on a more wide-ranging scale, Syracuse area promoters Liz Nowak and Jordan Davies created Salt City Limits in the same vein as its Austin namesake to be initiated at the venerable Palace Theater on James Street. The series will be ongoing the last Thursday of every month at Funk ‘n Waffles Downtown. Each will be recorded and filmed by SubCat Studios and will be available on YouTube and the Salt City Limits website.

    The inaugural show takes place this Friday, March 24 at the Palace Theater in Syracuse and features eight local artists from various genres. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased in advance at the Sound Garden in Armory Square or online through the Palace Theater’s website.

    According to Syracuse.com, Nowak, who is also the executive director of the recently concluded SAMMY Awards, noticed many artists mingling and exchanging contact information throughout the event. The creation of Salt City Limits became an extension of that camaraderie. The SAMMYS celebrates the variety of music and talent available at the local level and Salt City Limits will allow this on a year-long basis.

    Artists participating in Friday’s kick-off include 2017 SAMMY Award winner for Best Country Artist as well as the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Band, Cortland’s Small Town Shade; Syracuse-based modern rockers Simplelife; Syracuse via Lawrence, Kansas singer-songwriter, Stephen Douglas Wolfe; alt-rockers the Stacy White Suite from Syracuse; Syracuse-based bluegrass band, the Easy Ramblers; SAMMYS Hall of Fame inductee Donna Colton with Sam Patterelli; soul-jazz-jamband and winner of the 2016 Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist, the Lightkeepers and latin-jazz band Edgar Pagan’s GPL.

    The showcase continues downtown at Funk ‘n Waffles April 27 when Mike Powell, Just Joe and Castle Creek take the stage. Tickets for each successive show in the series will be $10.

  • Fundraiser for Albany Icon Greg Nash set for Thursday

    Greg Nash, a beloved Albany based drummer, recently suffered a massive stroke, and to help with medical expenses, a benefit will be held on Thursday, March 23 at the Hollow Bar and Grill on Pearl Street beginning at 5 p.m. The event is being advertised as “Love For Greg.”

    Greg Nash

    A group of local and regional bands are coming together to help their brother and you can check them all out for just $10, of which all the proceeds will go to benefit Nash. Saratoga rockers Wild Adriatic, as well as Super 400 and Sean Rowe will headline the event, which runs until midnight. Sly Fox and the Hustlers, Let Go Daylight, Soul Sky, The Erotics, Blackcat Elliot, Toys in the Attic, Dashboard Anthem, Last Daze, Under the Den, Vatrano Road, Two Guys, Herb Carter, Erin Hawkes and Luke McNamme round out the bill.

    Event organizers said they are making special t-shirts to be sold that will also help Greg Nash, drummer of local legends Ten Year Vamp.

  • 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.

  • Chuck Berry, Rock and Roll Pioneer, Dies at Age 90

    Chuck Berry’s name is synonymous with rock and roll. The singer-songwriter-guitarist got his start in the 50’s with hits like “Maybellene”, “Rock and Roll Music” and “Johnny B. Goode.” His music redefined the fabric of the musical landscape and provided inspiration to musicians for generations.  The legendary musician passed away on March 18 in his Missouri home.

    chuck berryBorn Charles Edward Anderson Berry in St. Louis Missouri in 1926, Berry was the fourth of six children in a middle class family. He was interested in music and entertaining at a young age, and began performing as a teenager. It was about this time he also started his lifetime conflicts with authority, landing in a reformatory until his 21st birthday. In 1948 he married Themetta “Toddy” Suggs,  and they had a daughter together in 1950. Berry began performing with local bands on the side of his day job to supplement his wages.

    chuck berryBerry’s break came when he met Muddy Waters in Chicago in 1955. Waters connected Berry with Leonard Chess of Chess Records. With the label behind him, Berry recorded “Maybellene.” The single went on to sell over a million copies and reach number one on Billboard magazine’s rhythm and blues chart and number 5 on the Best Sellers in Stores chart.

    Berry’s trademark songwriting elements, including driving beats and flashy guitar solos, became defining standards for rock and roll. He also helped shape the subject matter, with lyrics appealing to teenagers and consumer culture. His showmanship and attitude of defiance also became hallmarks of the rock and roll persona. Berry was a trendsetter for generations to follow, inspiring bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys. His influence on the genre runs so deep that John Lennon once said, “if you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry’.”

    With a career spanning more than six decades, Chuck Berry recorded 20 studio albums and a dozen live albums. His contributions to the music industry garnered him such honors as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

    He is survived by his wife and four children.

  • St. Phillip’s Escalator Release Music Video for ‘Sleepy Silver Train Haze’ off Upcoming Album

    St. Phillip’s Escalator released the video for “Sleepy Silver Train Haze.” This rollicking tune is the opening track on their upcoming album, The Derelict Sound. 

    This Rochester trio is known for its profoundly dynamic sound, which is deeply influenced by the traditions of the delta blues and psychedelic rock. The video was shot live on the stage at The Little Theatre, the nation’s oldest continuously-running independent film theater. It was produced with the help of JR Kraus, Chris Hogan-Roy, and Eric Maira, and the audio was recorded by Alex Patrick and Schuyler Skuse.

    St. Phillip’s Escalator is: Ryan Moore (guitar/vocals), Noel Wilfeard  (bass guitar) and Zachary Koch (drums). The Derelict Sound, follows their 2006 debut LP Endless Trip and 2015 EP Elevation. It is set to be released on Record Store Day, April 22, and will be available in multiple formats, including vinyl.  The song “New Age”  from the upcoming LP is already available digitally for streaming and purchase. Follow St. Phillips’s Escalator for updates and news on upcoming shows.

    Watch “Sleepy Silver Train Haze” below.