With two nights in the books, and raised expectations thanks to the lore of the “30th” show, Phish dealt a musical hand that would be hard to beat last night. The first set played like an epic second set at points and saw an old favorite song get revamped. The second set featured the Vermont rock stars in peak jaw-dropping improvisational form and was bookended with two of the more legendary songs in Phish canon. And the encore was filled with thousands of fans singing the keyboardist’s favorite song before “Tweezer Reprise” ended the show in ragingly appropriate fashion. All this and it’s not even 2018 yet.
To the delight of many, Phish went back to its roots with a classic opening sequence of “Mike’s Song” > “I Am Hydrogen” > “Weekapaug Groove” that was once more than a regular sequence on set lists but seems to have petered out in recent years in favor of different permutations of “Mike’s Groove.” The iconic opening guitar lick was met with a resounding roar from the crowd and the band never looked back from there. “Hydrogen” gave Lighting Director Chris Kuroda a chance to show off his mood lighting as he added a perfect visual backdrop for the moody instrumental number. No sooner had the closing notes of “Weekapaug Groove” been played before guitarist Trey Anastasio ripped into another iconic opening guitar riff – this one belonging to “Tweezer,” a first set rarity to say the least. By this time, The Garden was in full “bouncy house” mode with the ground noticeably shaking and seemingly moving along in unison with everything else.
Following a soaring jam that touched on a myriad of themes, Anastasio huddled with Jon Fishman briefly before the drummer belted out the crowd favorite “Ass Handed.” Before long, the entire crowd, with nothing but the house lights on, was singing along in full unison, the first of two memorable sing-a-longs this evening. As if not to stem the energy too much, a blistering “Kill Devil Falls” followed that flowed ever so effortlessly into “Bathtub Gin” which had a majestic jam attached to it, further solidifying the second set feel to this first one. Soon after another energized reception from the crowd, bassist Mike Gordon began soloing in what turned out to be a new take on the old school number “Brother,” with this version taking a slower, more rhythmic approach. First set closer du jour “More” then capped off a first set that already felt like an entire show’s worth of music.
Topping a first set like that would normally be difficult, but Phish attempted to do so with another epic jam vehicle, this one being a more traditionally placed “Down with Disease” second set opener. The ensuing improv was Phish at their finest, with a jam that grew in scale and intensity before settling into “Steam.” This newer song evoked memories of New Years’ past when the band used it as part of their “gag” and played it while elevated on risers. “Light” kept the energy going in full force, highlighted by steady play and typical sound melodies from keyboardist Page McConnell. “Farmhouse” then delivered the second set “breather” song everyone had been waiting for before the set was bookended with another Phish staple, a breakneck speed, intense “Run Like an Antelope.” With no encore even necessary after a performance like that, it did offer the crowd one last chance to join together in song via “Sleeping Monkey” before the expected “Tweezer Reprise” closer blew the lid off the world’s most famous arena…again. Three special nights of music are now complete as Phish begins plans for its 17th show at Madison Square Garden in the year 2017. What they have left in the tank is anyone’s guess.
The members of Phish returned to Madison Square Garden for an unprecedented 15th time in 2017 on Friday, December 29, 2017, and while the first set showcased a few stumbles along the way, the band showed it’s still pushing brand new boundaries heading into its 35th year.
With biting winds and the repetitiveness of yet another MSG jaunt, fans filled the sideways, bars and restaurants of midtown Manhattan, pre-show prepping for an unpredictably wild night. Off the bat, the band slid into the slinky intro of “Cavern,” typically a set closer. While Trey Anastasio mixed up a few lyrics, he set the tone for the evening. A lengthened “Blaze On” followed that fell into jazzy ambiance before bassist Mike Gordon leaped into his song, “555.”
“I Always Wanted It This Way,” keyboardist Page McConnell’s tune, stretched out from 1980s-like quirkiness into a vast yet quite dark jam. “Martian Monster” and “Heavy Things” saw the band have a little fun, notably the interplay between Anastasio and McConnell in the latter. “Destiny Unbound,” somewhat of a rarity, injected a breath of life into the crowd. Stretching to nearly nine minutes, this version of “Destiny” is longer than all in recent memory, but it was clear the band hadn’t practiced it much prior.
“Ocelot” slowly turned into a jam that featured Anastasio’s slinky fretwork, built up to a peak rife with tension. A little bit of his old school bravado from the mid-1990s was on display, dancing runs of notes up and down with little abandoned. While some fans are growing a bit weary of The Garden, Phish doesn’t appear to be among them. Launching into the set closing “Walls Of The Cave,” Phish was set to send us all to the restrooms and beer lines with a little extra pep in our steps. Anastasio had a little trouble with the intro, but he was pushed by excellent drum work by Jon Fishman, who was quietly the most important piece of the band in the set. With his extra effort rubbing off on Anastasio, Phish set “WotC” into orbit with a frenetic finish, capped off by incredible lighting from Chris Kuroda, who has incorporated seemingly every house light in the building with his rig to make for quite a stunning visual component.
The tone was immediately set when the first strums of “Sand” echoed through the sold out Garden. Anastasio quickly made use of his new toys on his completely redesigned guitar rig. Designed by Custom Audio Electronics, the set features new cabinets and a wide array of new options for Anastasio to incorporate.
With the “Chalk Dust Torture” that followed, the band unleashed a jam that quickly became the highlight of the night. After the typical song portion, Anastasio bullied his way into a quiet jam that really felt forced and out of place. It seemed as if they simply decided they’re going to launch a completely separate segment, which really should be titled “Chalk Dust Torture->Jam” on the official setlist. That was quickly forgotten, as the quiet melodies bled into an Allman Brothers-sounding jam. Gordon and McConnell continued forcing Anastasio to enter new territories before dissolving into what can only be described as a siren-sounding jam.
The execution of the segue into “Ghost” was as smooth as it gets. Almost contrary to the jam before it, this “Ghost” was led in force by the rhythm section. Gordon and Fishman landed on a smooth groove, to which McConnell responded with wavy synth runs to give the jam a dreamy finish.
“Backwards Down The Number Line” may not be everyone’s favorite song, but no one can argue that it’s about as fun of a Phish song as there is. The previous 41 minutes was Phish showing us that nothing gets stale with this band. The following eight minutes was them telling the crowd how it’s as important to the show as the band is. When Anastasio sang the closing “you decide what it contains” lyric, the people on the Chase Bridge went into pure bliss. A very quick “Simple” gave way to the drums of “Split Open And Melt.” This “Melt” was the perfect cap to a show that took a left at every right hand turn. The middle segment was eerie, haunting and quite strange. It was a dissolution into some ambient work by McConnell and Gordon, before Anastasio brought the song — and set — to a close. It was the most improv heavy “Melt” since the SPAC, 2013 version.
For the encore, that bravado of Anastasio resurfaced. “Julius” may have been about the only predictable part of the show, but it gave Anastasio one more chance to show he’s most exciting and innovative guitarist in rock and roll today. The rocking finish was coupled with Kuroda lighting the Garden in some of the most impressive ways of his career, and that’s saying something.
Tonight Phish goes for No. 16 at the Garden. If the first two nights are foreshadowing tonight, we are in for another gem.
“Ever want to experience what it’s like to travel with a band?” read the Periodic Table of Elephant’s Facebook post. “Experience travel in a gear-laden vehicle! Participate in the time-honored tradition of unloading! Eat gas station food!” The Rochester-based band had room to take a few people for their headlining show in Tonawanda on Thursday, December 28. It is likely the best ad I ever have or ever will respond to.
I hitched a ride with bassist Greg Horton in his gear-laden station wagon, and we picked up a friend of his on the way to the gig. Cruising along I90, he filled me in on the origin story of the band, which is known as PToE for short. While Horton is the newest member of PToE, he’s not new to playing with the other members, Sean McGinnis Scanlon and Jason Pariseau. They were in a band together until Horton moved out of state three years ago. Before leaving, he suggested changing the name to Periodic Table of Elephants. Pariseau and Scanlon carried on as a duo in Horton’s absence, until he made a return to New York this fall.
This was my first time at Stamps in Tonawanda. The bar is located in a stone building on Main Street. Inside, a long and inviting bar stretched back to a mid-sized room with a stage, some tables and seating, and a pool table. Pariseau and Scanlon arrived before us. After a warm welcome, I was introduced to their entourage of friends and loved ones.
It was still early, so we threw back Coronas by the bucket while the guys held a pool tournament. Pariseau had picked out some epic rock anthems on the jukebox: Social Distortion “Story of My Life,” Queen’s “Somebody to Love” and Goldfinger’s cover of “99 Red Balloons.”
Scanlon was wearing his Lil Bub t-shirt and told us all about meeting the phenomenal feline at a recent appearance at Black Sheep in Buffalo. Lil Bub is a miracle cat, having several rare conditions including dwarfism, extra toes, and the only cat diagnosed with osteoporosis. She’s become a poster child (er… rather poster cat) for disabled and homeless cats, and helps raise awareness and funds for charities. Sean is a cat-lover, and he and his wife share their home with several rescue cats.
The conversation turned to music, and we talked shop for a bit. PToE has been selected for again to play the Homegrown festival at Lovin’ Cup in Rochester. They’re one of seven bands on the bill for the day-long celebration of Rochester’s indie music, food, and beverages. The annual event is scheduled for January 20. They also talked about re-entering the studio to work on a follow-up to last year’s debut EP Henry.
Attention was then directed to the stage, which is lined in vinyl records, as singer-songwriter Jordan Potter took to the mic. The solo performer from the Southern Tier played a handful of originals and finished with a cover of Oasis’s “Don’t Look Back in Anger.” Potter was followed by Buffalo-based progressive band Jon Rizzo & The Conference of The Strange. Imaginative art rock originals incorporating vocals, drum, bass, keyboard and mellotron were intermixed with a handful of holiday classics.
Before starting to play, Horton, a proponent of hearing loss prevention, offered complimentary earplugs to members of the audience. It was a good idea to take him up on it, because these guys play loud. From the first note of the set to the last, PToE put the pedal to the metal and didn’t ease up. They started with their garage rock anthem “Kung Pao Chicken.” It begins with a simple guitar chord progression before Pariseau lets loose the guttural cry, “In America” signaling the onset of earth-shaking rhythms and grungy guitar riffs.
While PToE was doable as a live duo, the addition of Horton to the band gives their performance extra oomph. Not only does he contribute to the added dimension of sound on bass, but also with his stage presence. There’s a dynamic energy between the trio and it’s fun to watch them go all out on stage together. Scanlon is easily one of my favorite drummers to watch play live. He goes at the drums with exuberant expression, and the waves of pure unadulterated joy he emanates are downright contagious.
It was great to enjoy the show among the herd of Elephants fans, surrounded by the friends and family who’ve supported them for years. Playful banter between the stage and crowd erupted between songs.
PToE did a bunch of their most popular songs, and tried out a new one. “Lost” is full of crashing waves of sound, reminiscent of 90’s rock. In a fun twist, they also covered a song from their previous iteration as a band, a punk rock rager called “Lament.” They ended strong with the bar-brawl riot theme “Better Off Dead.”
In the car on the way back home, we listened to some classic rock tunes (Talking Heads, The Kinks, David Bowie, and the like) and talked about shows we’ve been to and the ones we plan to hit up this year. Horton has seen an impressively long list of legendary artists, including Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead. We arrived back in Rochester after midnight, thoroughly exhausted, but still riding that post-show adrenaline high.
To keep up to date with events, follow Periodic Table of Elephants on Facebook. Read the NYS Music review of Henry. You’ll find their EP and their live album to stream on Spotify or purchase through Bandcamp.
Setlist: Kung Pao Chicken, Head Trauma, Machines, Duck, Whatever, My Youth, Lost, CBT, Lament (Ack! cover), Better Off Dead
Four long months after the final notes of the Baker’s Dozen’s “Tweezer Reprise,” Phish retook the Jell-O stage at MSG on December 28, 2017, for their “Triumphant Return” to the world’s most famous arena. If there were any doubts as to whether they could play with the intensity and passion of the Baker’s Dozen, they were abandoned almost immediately as New York was treated to a show that carried a similar magic to those of the previous run at the Garden. The only noticeable difference was the bitter cold and lack of gourmet donut wrappers on the floor.
The band took no time getting the show on the road with a spacey ‘AC/DC Bag’ which saw Trey sitting back on the solo and letting the rest of the band organically develop a patient groove, which would foreshadow the jamming style of the night. ‘Wolfman’s Brother’ emerged out of the white lights and provided the first (of many) jam highlight of the evening. The band quickly transitioned from the classic Wolfman’s funk to a dark, murky jam that gave the feeling that you took the wrong turn down a shrunken alley on the lower east side, but there was no going back because you already devoted to making it past the sketchy brown walls and back to a world of streetlights and pretzel vendors. An early first set ‘Roggae’ broke out of the darkness and saw masterful interplay between all four band members as they reached a glorious peak that shook the garden.
Another first set highlight came next in the funky ‘Tube’ which saw an extended jam reminiscent of the Dick’s 16 ‘No Men in No Man’s Land.’ Trey played around with his effects to create an echoed funnel over the fast-building Mike led jam. It was brought so far into space they had to take a couple of seconds to catch themselves before fumbling back into the final verse of the song. There was so much packed into this short ‘Tube’ that I still almost don’t believe it only clocked in at just over eight minutes. A standard ‘Bouncing Around the Room’ came next and gave everyone a chance to catch their breaths before the band went right back at it with an exceptionally rocking ‘Back on the Train.’ For a while in recent years, this song played the role of keeping the energy in a setlist up without doing anything too special, but the last few we have seen has broken that mold and become must listen to first set highlights.
A funky ‘Your Pet Cat’ followed and kept up the energy in the room before a dark ‘Waking up Dead’ showcased Mike’s songwriting ability and Trey’s prog-rock roots in the solo. An oddly placed, but much appreciated, set closing ‘Theme From the Bottom’ followed, and quickly broke the mold from a traditional ‘Theme’ jam as the band built a peak similar to a summer 2014 ‘Bathtub Gin.’ The only other time ‘Theme’ closed out a first set was 12/13/1999. While the first set may look standard on paper, it was anything but. Nearly every song saw the band taking a risk and going off the deep end, as they have been doing all year.
After a smile-fueled set break, the band to the stage with a rocking ‘Wilson’ which got everyone in the crowed fired up and ready to boogie. As soon as the opening notes of ‘Wilson’ began, there was a feeling in the air that the second set was going to be special, as second sets that open with Wilson are historically very strong (the last two prior to this shows were 9/6/15 and 7/27/14). ‘No Men in No Man’s Land’ came hot off the high energy ‘Wilson’ produced and catapulted the show from “Wow” to “Did that just happen?!?” The multi-part behemoth saw an array of the band’s play styles from funk to rock to space, and created soundscapes that swirled through the air from Page’s new synth, which defined the sound of 2017 Phish. Clocking in at just over 24 minutes, this NMINML is a jam that will be listened to for a long time. Out of the madness came a familiar riff as Trey transitioned into another anticipated jam vehicle, ‘Twist.’ The band took no time getting things going as they built the versatile song into a fervent funk jam which shot laser beams from one end of the garden to the other. Out of the funk peak saw a push back into darkness from Mike and Fish, which lasted for a few minutes leading many to believe they were going into ‘Steam,’ though Trey had different ideas.
The transition to ‘Everything’s Right’ wasn’t the cleanest, but once the vocals started it did not matter one bit. The new song has been a consistently strong jam vehicle since it’s debut, and this version was no exception, as it dissolved into a misty canal then slingshot the band back into space as they effortlessly transitioned into ‘2001.’ While this ‘2001’ didn’t really break the mold of the song’s structure, it was played exceptionally well with a little extra mustard and no (blatant) missed notes. The band was not about taking a break during this set, so what better song to cap it off with than ‘Harry Hood?’ This Hood saw a patient build with all four members contributing to the jam leading to the peak. While it wasn’t the most over the top peak they’ve played, there was on old school feel to the way Trey approached the ending solo which filled the garden with uncontrollable joy and plentiful high-fives.
A standard ‘The Wedge’ was placed in the encore role for only the second time in the song’s history (the first being the infamous 11/14/1995 show), and just when everyone thought they were done Trey played the opening notes to “Slave to the Traffic Light” and ripped us back in. Slave is another song that will always keep you satisfied while not quite living up to the glory of it’s younger days, but this version seemed to have a little extra something in it. The jam leading to the peak showcased a band that did not want to stop as Mike, Page and Fish pushed the structure of the song to its limits while Trey held a note for what felt like an eternity and drove the crowd wild. When he finally let go and exploded into the peak it was as if 20,000 people who had just been holding their breath underwater for two minutes came up for air at once and completely let go of any control they had of their bodies. It was a phenomenal way to end an amazing show, and this was only the first night.
Setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: AC/DC Bag, Wolfman’s Brother, Roggae, Tube > Bouncing Around the Room, Back on the Train, Your Pet Cat, Waking Up Dead > Theme From the Bottom
Set 2: Wilson > No Men In No Man’s Land > Twist > Everything’s Right > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Harry Hood
The major concert celebrating the Times Union Center‘s grand re-opening has been canceled, according to the Times Union.
The concert was to feature James Taylor, John Legend, Jim Belushi and Moriah Formica, a 15 year-old Albany-Shaker High student who recently competed on NBC’s The Voice, in a celebration of the arena’s $20 million dollar upgrade.
The general manager for Times Union Arena, Bob Belber, cited the promoter’s failure to pay its deposit for the event. Metropolitan Entertainment Consulting from New York City was the event promoter with SMG, the arena’s management company listed as co-promoter.
Belber said another event with well-known performers will be planned for later in the year.
Upstate New York has seen its fair share of musicians from the area do amazing things on various singing competition shows over the last couple of years. The most current local artist to make waves in the music industry after her strong performance on “The Voice,” Moriah Formica, has been added to the artist lineup for the grand re-opening of the Times Union Center in Albany on Jan. 26.
As part of team Miley Cyrus, the Albany Shaker High School teen made it to the show’s playoffs. She turned heads with her rock sound on the show and while performing shows around the Capital District. The multi-talented singer not only plays guitar she can also slam behind the drum kit and play some sweet melodies on a keyboard.
After seeing Formica perform, Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale said “One of the few great hopes for female rock singers of the next generation. Absolutely incredible!! I’m so honored and proud of this 15 year old powerhouse!! Don’t ever quit singing, Darlin’!” Formica released her debut EP of original material Bring It On, in 2016. It showcases her many talents, adding songwriting into the mix.
Formica will join a Times Union Center Gala Celebration lineup that includes 10-time Grammy award winner John Legend, five-time Grammy award winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, James Taylor, and legendary comedian Jim Belushi. Tickets are on sale and cost between $62-$192 before fees.
The Times Union Center will showcase it’s first phase of a 30 million dollar renovation. The once outside atrium, is now enclosed and carpeted, with a tall rain wall, glass elevators, and seating. The venue sports a new modern look, and a new media area that will accommodate coverage for larger sporting events like the upcoming 2018 NCAA women’s basketball regionals and the 2020 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The renovations have also connected the arena to the Empire State Plaza, and the Albany Capital Center. Phase two of the project will concentrate on painting the entire inside of the arena, and upgrading the private suites and concession areas.
It should come at no surprise that there is a staggering amount of music roaring into New York the weekend of New Years Eve. One noteworthy music venue illustrating this trend is Anthology in Rochester, bringing concertgoers a three-night music marathon over New Years. On Friday, Dec. 29, Rubblebucket soars into Rochester with special guest, Cuddle Magic. Following that, Forever Party, a two night reggae-infused New Year’s celebration will thunder into the humble city on Dec. 30 and 31. Night one of Forever Party will showcase Ithaca’s reggae juggernaut John Brown’s Body and co-headliner, Rochester’s Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad. Thunder Body, another Rochester reggae powerhouse will open up the night. On night two, G.P.G.D.S. will perform again with the legendary Easy Star All-Stars headlining and the Saplings opening up the night. It’s safe to say harmonious melodies will echo through the streets New Year’s weekend.
Indie-dance sensations Rubblebucket of Brooklyn, have developed a cult-like following in Rochester, stopping by the city annually ever since they began creating music extensively over ten years ago. Rubblebucket is set to entertain its audience with the harmonious bliss of howling vocals, a horn section, and a crunchy synth. Rubblebucket’s eccentric take on funk and pop music fuses into a genre better left undefined. Dec.29 is just the beginning of NYE at Anthology in Rochester.
Dec. 30, night one of Forever Party, marks John Brown’s Body’s second to last show before taking an indefinite hiatus. This hiatus will hold a place in New York history as it may mark the end of John Brown Body’s nearly 25 year journey. Since their formation in the mid 1990s, J.B.B. has spearheaded the resurgence of roots and dub throughout the region, modernizing the genre, and keeping it relevant with their “Future Roots” style. This bittersweet evening will be their last headlining show for the foreseeable future. Dec. 31 will be their final show indefinitely as they open for Stick Figure at the House Of Blues in Boston.
On Dec.31, New York City’s Easy Star All-Stars will play their internationally recognized album, Dub Side Of The Moon in its entirety. For those who missed the pun, the album is a Reggae/Dub interpretation of Pink Floyd’s historic Dark Side Of The Moon. Easy Star All-Stars masterfully echoes Pink Floyd’s mysterious psychedelia through the lens of a Jamaican rude-boy.
Following the Easy Star All-Stars on night two of Forever Party, the proverbial reggae torch will passed to Rochester’s Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad for their second night in a row. G.P.G.D.S started rocking roots reggae in the mid 2000’s, creating a buzz by regularly touring and opening for John Brown’s Body. Rightfully earned, the young band grew into one of the most respected reggae acts in the U. S. Their seamless ability to cross between the genres of reggae, jam, and country has earned them the reign of Rochester’s top music festival band. On Dec. 31, G.P.G.D.S will hold the torch as they return to set the city of Rochester aflame on New Years day.
In a recent Times Union article, the 88-year-old Madison Theater in Albany, will close January 1 for an extensive wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling cleaning and improvements.
Founder and president of Tierra Farm, Gunther Fishgold, who owns the Madison Theater and its two connected businesses hinted at two potential buyers for the property. The two potential independent interested parties plan to keep the Madison a theater. There is some talk that one of the interested players will make the venue into a “mixed community space” for live performances. Tierra will announce any potential deal near the end of January.
Fishgold commented on the upcoming potential sale, “I really can’t be specific, but I have a couple of interesting deals in front of me that would keep the integrity of the theater and be much more responsive to the community.”
The Madison opened in 1929. Tierra purchased the building in Sept. 2013. The company spent over a million dollars on a new outside marquee along with several other exterior and interior upgrades.
Keeping the integrity of the historic movie venue is important to Fishgold, which almost became a CVS Pharmacy drive-through in 2004. He said Tierra’s main objective was to always save and preserve the historic place more than making money. He stated, “It’s not a money-maker. It’s never been a money-maker for me … It really was a placeholder for someone who could come in and do a better job than we could, as a nut-and-fruit company running a theater.”
Fishgold also talked about the possibility of what would happen if both potential deals fell through. He said he would figure out a way to continue to operate the venue and may lease parts of the building, rather than try to operate several different businesses under the same umbrella. When talking about the other businesses attached to the building, Fishgold said: “Someone’s gonna run a better coffee shop than I run. Someone’s gonna run a better restaurant than I run. No one’s gonna run a better nut business than me, but all three of those – theater, restaurant and coffee shop – can be done much better. It’s such a thriving neighborhood. I’m not doing it justice.”
Asked whether he would just abandon the venue: “No, I don’t want to leave the community high and dry after all I did to this space. And I won’t, I won’t.”
Not all bands make it. Some break up. Some grow apart, others go on hiatus. and fewer return. Mister F is a band about to go on hiatus. The group formed in March of 2013 with 3 members of Timbre Coup joining forces with Scott Hannay of Capital Zen, to form a prog-rock jamband, and one that had a slew of songs right out of the gate. A cover of Particle’s “Elevator” (inspired, purely by coincidence, by a video my friend Mark mad 10 years earlier) was a highlight, as were original tunes “This one Goes to 11” and “Hedgehog” among others. Drummer Matt Pickering gave me the heads up and had incredible enthusiasm for this project, and the half full Hollow agreed that this enthusiasm was well placed for Mister F’s debut, and not just among Arrested Development fans.
Over 5 years, they’ve played more than 580 shows, produced one studio album, with another on the way in 2018, but for now, they’re stepping back from the road and performing for the near future. Their final show, for now, will be at The Hollow on December 30 with Goose, starting a hiatus in the same place where the band started their journey nearly 5 years ago.
But how did the band end up here, calling for a hiatus after five solid years and a strong core fan base across the Northeast and Midwest? Was it preventable, a series of unfortunate events, or something else? With their final show before hiatus this week, NYS Music spoke to members of Mister F, past and present, as well as former managers, to get the first hand account of what led to this asterisk on their career. Read the story of a band who spent 5 years working tirelessly to make it as touring musicians, and discover what drove the band to get this far, and to decide to put the brakes on, for now.
Scott Hannay: We started writing music toward Mister F in late 2012 as a side project – a way to throw some tours in here and there, as Zen and Timbre Coup weren’t able to be in tour mode at that time. We all wanted to get ourselves out there. It quickly became a vehicle to do that, and overwhelmed the other bands. I was let go from Capital Zen, who moved on without me, and later that year, Timbre Coup also folded.
Matt Pickering: When Timbre Coup was slowing down, the 3 of us who were living in the bandhouse were still interested in going full steam ahead and touring as often as possible. At the time, we really wanted to keep the same instrument switching aspects TC had and besides Dan (Gerken), Scott was really the only other person we could think of who played bass, guitar, and keys. We knew him as a keys player from shows with Capital Zen and we were quickly impressed with his guitar and bass skills when he sent us hopeful future parts/tracks that he wrote. Scott was great from the get-go and he was totally on board with our plan to play 140 shows a year. That was how the last 5 years of my life started.
Andrew Chamberlaine: Before Joining Timbre Coup I was pursuing a degree in Music Ed at (The College of) Saint Rose. I had known Ben for a while because we were in the Music program at SCCC together. I played in a band for a short time With Dmitry Bolotny (who went on to form Dirty Paris shortly after) and crossed paths with the rest of Timbre Coup while playing a gig with them at Savannah’s in Albany sometime around 2008-ish. A few months after that gig I got a message from Matt asking me to try out for their band.
We all knew that changes were coming for Timbre Coup so Mister F was formed out of necessity to continue our passion for creating unique music. Initially we wanted to keep the ball rolling with Timbre Coup and make necessary changes but it didn’t work out that way so we re-branded and started from scratch (more or less). In hindsight creating Mister F with most of our existing lineup allowed us to create some really cool new music and fix a lot of the things we felt Timbre Coup fell short with. TC’s music was pretty complex (I mean how does one dance to a song that’s in 7/8, 5/4, and 4/4 at the same time?! lol) so we decided to tone in back and reach our audience better while still keeping the music unique and original. At the very least we discovered two things with Mister F; 1: you really can make a song groove in an odd time signature, and 2: the van doesn’t smell good after a while.
As Mister F began touring, there was a drive to the band to set goals for themselves. Relationships that had been developed over years as fans and musicians, particularly with Umphrey’s McGee, lead to official after-shows and greater opportunities and encouragement.
Ben Pickering: I felt like there were a lot of factors pushing us when we first started touring. We started traveling as soon as we had enough material to play a show. Our sixth show was an Umphrey’s McGee after-show in Chicago. The relationships we made with bands in previous years allowed us to pick up great gigs and some great festival plays really early on. It felt really good and it didn’t take too long to feel like we achieved more in a couple years with Mister F than we did in our previous bands. Getting opening slots for some of the bigger band almost felt like we got their approval and helped push us to work as hard as we could. We’ve always been very goal oriented, whether it be playing X amount of shows in a year, or hitting a couple big festivals a summer, we always focused on one thing at a time and got it done. And we’ve always had a great team helping us along the way: David Limentani our booking agent, Mike Dean and Aaron Hagle both former managers, and Greg Bell were huge factors in getting us to this point.
Mike Dean: I think I had only heard one or two songs the band recorded in their practice room by the time I decided to make the move to Albany. I was a huge fan of Timbre Coup at the time, and knew what the guys could bring to the table musically. Aside from the logistics of moving roughly 700 miles away and entering an industry in which I had no experience, it was a no brainer.
We were fortunate to be able to kind of pick up right where Timbre Coup left off. Already having lots of contacts for venues, promoters and festivals along the East coast was a huge plus. From that point, it was just a matter of increasing that base of contacts all across the country and trying to work our way further from home each tour. Most of what actually gave the guys their running start was their desire to tour relentlessly from the get-go. By 2014, we were already hitting 130+ shows a year. We did quite a few Umphrey’s McGee after parties during my time with Mister F. It was always a right place/right time scenario, and we were lucky enough to get the “official” stamp a number of times, which helped considerably with turnout.
As things got rolling early, all signs were positive. The band dealt with ironing out aspects of their sound, including ending the instrument switching mid-set that was a staple of Timbre Coup and early Mister F.
MP: We were so young when we started Timbre Coup but we learned everything we know about how to play shows in that band. We were very serious about it, but it takes a few years to learn the business and really be on the road. So we started Mister F with lots of experience and one thing we wanted to do was find our sound. We were going for more funky, a bit less edgy. Timbre Coup had so much material so it’s hard to sum it up but it was prog based and more math-y fusion. We were shooting for a toned down version and with more keys. Just changing one member makes you sound incredibly different, though. So while we were writing early on, we worked fast but were very picky and choosy with what we went with. A couple years in we also decided to keep Ben on bass and off guitar, and Scott on keys and off guitar and bass. The instrument switching every show turned into a challenge. It also made it hard for us to find our sound we had so many that we could choose from with in our own band members we felt it was best and we wanted to put our best foot forward.
SH: Our early goal after our other band obligations went by the wayside was just to tour as much as possible. We worked hard at booking ourselves in all sorts of places, doing it in-house with the help of our former manager Mike Dean. He had moved up from North Carolina to work for us because he was a good friend who believed in us and really went to bat for us, and I’ve always understood that’s the kind of person you want as your manager. We were reaching out to all our friends we’d made from our old bands to open for them, some were reaching out to open for us, we tried really hard to get everything we set our minds to. We got an opening slot for Suckerpunch (tDB/New Deal/Lotus side project) at the Howard Theater in Washington DC in our third month as a band, just because our friends rallied for us.
Mike Dean: I reached out about the opening slot for Snarky Puppy the day I saw the show announced at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY. We were playing directly before Snarky Puppy at Mantrabash festival in NC a few weeks before said show, and I still hadn’t heard anything back. I’m pretty fuzzy on the exact details, but at some point after our set, Ben was backstage talking to Michael League (bass/band leader for Snarky Puppy) and mentioned how we had tried reaching out about the gig. Michael said he’d touch base with their management as soon as he had cell service and make it happen. A few days later I got a call from an unknown number and it was Snarky Puppy’s manager informing me that Mister F got the gig!
Over the next two years, the band soldiered on, touring around the east half of the country and filling festival bills and drawing larger and larger audience at the club level. Then the band ran into some unfortunate circumstances beyond their control.
SH: Unfortunately money for these things don’t always align with the opportunity. To make matters worse, our van was broken into and we had two instruments stolen, one of which a very unique and expensive custom-built guitar belonging to Andrew which he had to use buy now pay later loans to acquire. Mike ended up not being able to keep up with the small amount we were able to offer him, and his time with us came to an end around the same time Andrew gave his notice.
MD: I hit that point where it became impossible to balance the life on the road with my own personal financial obligations. I think almost anyone who has ever been involved with a touring band at this level can relate. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. Working for Mister F was the most enjoyable and rewarding experience I’ve ever been apart of, and it was tough to leave that behind. I’ll always cherish the friendships and memories I made during my time with the band.
Andrew departed the band not because the guitar was stolen, but due to financial and family reasons.
AC: As much as it sucks having a guitar stolen that’s worth five times as much as your car at the time, that had little to do with my departure. I had two main reasons for leaving Mister F. The obvious one is money. Money had always been tight with both of our projects (Timbre Coup and Mister F), and we were working our asses off to create what we thought was good, forward-thinking music and I thought we were doing a pretty good job, however my wallet never seemed to agree. Around the same time Mister F formed I took a teaching position at Parkway Music. Both were growing at the same time and the balancing act became impossible. I only had one choice if I wanted to use my guitar and music to pay my bills on time. I love creating my own original music, there’s nothing quite like it, but I also love teaching the guitar & teaching people about music. I now have around 45-50 students, manage the lessons department at Parkway and can honestly say I love my job!
The other reason was family. Being on the road as often as we were led to missing out on a lot of things, which for a while I dealt with. The main factor for me was the loss of my last grandparent, my Grandmother Ila. She had always supported me, really ALL of my family has always supported my musical endeavors which is why I’ve been able to take it this far (shout-out to my girlfriend, mom, dad, aunts, uncles and friends!) But she was a huge reason I was even able to pursue my passion in the first place. Sometimes you have a family member that really holds the whole family together, so when she passed away I knew I had to step in and pick up the pieces and be there for those who needed me as much as I’d needed them before.
Guitarist Mike Candela replaced Andrew on short notice
SH: At this point, we had a southern tour scheduled with McLovins less than a month away, with no manager and no guitarist. Mike Candela reached out to us because he’d just left his band. It was perfect timing, and he was able to learn the material and come on the road right away. Our writing dynamic was never the same, and it felt more like a bandaid had been affixed. Mike is one hell of a guitarist, but musical differences upon finding someone on such short notice eventually became apparent.
Mike Candela: I actually opened for Mister F with my previous band Dale and the ZDubs. I left DZD due to creative and personal issues with frontman Dale Rodman. After leaving DZD I actually hit up Scott Hannay and asked if they had ever thought of a second guitarist and he initially told me they were good as a 4 piece but to come sit-in anytime. After Andrew left, Scott hit me up and we hit the road. In my time with the band we handled the road pretty well I think. We were fortunate in terms of the bands we played with and the venues we played at and got to play in front of a lot of people. We all were personal and talkative with the fans we already had who would come to shows and made a bunch of new ones. Musically I think we were constantly pushing ourselves play our best each night. In terms of growth, it seemed to me like we were always generating interest and praise, but we always tried to handle it with humility and stay focused on our goals as a band.
I ended up departing the band for a number of different reasons. I wasn’t really aware of how badly the band wanted new material and thus didn’t try to write any songs. I was also very different stylistically from Andrew as a player, especially when it came to solos. I have always been more of a funk/jam player rather than a progressive/jazz guy. Colin was available and a much better fit for the band in my opinion. Obviously I left on good terms and have since sat in with the band a bunch, as well as covering for Colin when he had surgeries for kidney stones.
When Mike didn’t work out, the band found Fat Aztec guitarist Colin Shore to fill in, but there were complications.
SH: We then looked to Colin Shore for our full-time replacement. We’d played with his band Fat Aztec and had him sit in with us before. We’d had a lot of great musical conversations with him, and had unanimously decided “he’s the guy”. He took over mid-July 2016. But shortly after he started suffering severe kidney stone issues that put Mike Candela back in the van with us for two full tours toward the end of the year. While it was fun playing with Mike again, we were all that time unable to pursue the growth in the areas that we were hoping to continue growing with Colin.
Colin Shore: Fat Aztecwas coming to a pretty organic close at the time. The other members of the band were moving on into other non-musical endeavors while I was still interested in chasing the tour life. My joining with Mister F happened at a good time in my musical career for sure.
Having to take a break from touring to deal with medical issues was a huge drag. I was very fortunate that the guys in the band are such good folks and good friends that they were willing to work with me and be patient despite the roadblock. There may have been some slight interruption to our musical advancement at the time. But overall I felt a renewed sense of purpose and connection with the band coming back into the fold in 2017. I felt the band really evolve musically throughout the year.
Starting in 2017, Colin was healthy and a new manager, Aaron Hagele, joined the band to work with the band and get things back on track. The bands van died only a few months into 2017, just as plans to record an album came into the picture. A Kickstarter with a simple goal of $100 was easily met, but they could not both fund an album and buy a new van.
SH: We didn’t owe it to people to buy a van, we owed it to them to record an album. And we were forced into an expense of minivan rentals for subsequent runs while not making any more than we were before. We then decided to take some time off from touring to complete the album that we owe everyone, and to figure out what as a band we need to do to carry on in a productive way without putting our own well-being at risk.
Aaron Hagele: I started working with Mister F fall of 2016, when Mike was touring with the band temporarily. Colin is a beast, but in the most tasteful restrained way possible. The first time I heard him play I knew he had something unique, the ability to shred and play amazing runs but the restraint to play tastefully and listen on stage, being ever present. I however, would have worked with them with or without Colin. Matt and Ben Pickering as well as Scott Hannay are some of my oldest music industry friends, I had been gig trading with their previous bands going back 7 years. I wanted to work with them because I have always been inspired by ALL of their musicianship: Matt is one of my favorite drummers ever, with chops for days; Ben couldn’t be smoother in the pocket if he tried (which often seems like he doesn’t have to) and Scott has one of the most gifted musical minds on the planet, seriously.
The real underlying reason is I thought I could help them further themselves on a professional level, improve aspects of their organization and help them grow; I wish I would have been able to do more. The reason I ultimately left was because it was clear that I was no longer able to help them enough to merit my role. It had been too little too late to affect the change needed to right the ship, I had become busy with my own band, and it had become clear that the guys no longer wanted to tour in the same way. We remain very close friends, and in fact Goose will be opening for Mister F in Albany on December 30th for a Twiddle afterparty, and as is tradition, hopefully they will have me up for a sit in!
There are a lot of ‘What ifs’ in the story of Mister F. What if the vans hadn’t broken down? What if touring led to a steady increase in revenue over the years? But more importantly, for touring bands out there who are just getting going, what are the lesson to be learned from the (still unfinished) story of Mister F? Fate is a fickle bitch who plays her hand as she sees fit, and certain fates fell upon Mister F in a slow moving succession that led them to this point. But maybe in a way, they did make it. Andrew Chamberlaine offers this parting thought on what might have changed the band’s circumstances:
“Luck, and maybe more of a “business mentality” but who the hell wants to treat art or music like a business?! So much of this industry is based on luck. For every successful band/musician we know of there are at least 100 bands/musicians with more talent and originality that we won’t hear of because they didn’t catch that break or weren’t in the right place at the right time. I always think “Well what if I gave it more time?,” but the fact is time is finite for us all, just do what you love and have fun with the little time you have here on Earth and I can guarantee you’ve “made it” in your own right.”
We’re proud to know that New York is one of the greatest states in the country, if not THE greatest state, for producing musicians and second to none live music experiences. All throughout The Empire State, venues across the state in villages, towns and cities are filled each night with up and coming and established musicians, with something new right around the corner. Your new favorite band might be playing in town tonight, and a few towns over tomorrow, and these are the artists that you can catch early and often, before they rise to stardom. We asked NYS Music’s staff and contributors, along with our readers, what they considered to be the Music Town in New York for 2017, and the winners both come from Western New York, Rochester and Buffalo.
The venues are not the only reason why New York is such a great place for music. With the amount of national, regional and local acts touring through the state, we get the chance see bands and artists rise from their infancy playing bars and small clubs to playing larger theaters and arenas. In addition to the best music towns, we also asked our staff and readers for what they think are the acts to which we should pay the most attention.
Best Music Town – Staff Pick
Rochester
Western New York had a dominant winner in Rochester as our staff pick of Best Music Town in the state. Rochester’s overall music scene might be one of the most complete in the state, with music legends teaching at the Eastman and Hochstein Schools of Music, the legendary House of Guitars which attracts musicians from around the world, plus venues that cater to a wide variety of music, aiding in the building of a strong scene. The Flour City’s proximity to Buffalo and Toronto also makes it a popular stomping ground for indie bands just starting out, and right off I-90 they bring in touring bands criss-crossing the state. Then there are the talented musicians in obscure bands that are just getting their start, leading to a great deal of artist collaboration, supporting each other as they rise in their respective parts of the overall scene.
Between cafes, bars, theaters, and parks, live music is prominent throughout the Greater Rochester area. Events like Rochester Fringe, Xerox Rochester International Jazz Fest, Lilac Festival, Park Ave Fest, and Corn Hill Festival keep the city alive from the spring through the autumn, touching on every genre. Funk n Waffles Music Hall opened earlier this year in the former Water Street Music Hall, serving up live music with a side of waffles. The Dome Arena also re-opened this year, providing a larger venue for national acts. Three Heads Brewing has attracted a consistent slate of bands that pair well with any of the brewery’s tasty offerings. The Main Street Armory, Flour City Station, The Bug Jar, Photo City Improv, and Montage Music Hall are a regular spots for catching touring bands passing through town as well as local bands providing support. The Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, home of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, offers a range of world-class events in one of the most beautiful venues in the state.
Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre
Rochester is a breeding ground for talent. Rochester has a surprisingly large metal scene, one that is #4 in the country for metal bands, including punk band Primitive Screwheads, death metal band Gutted Alive, and hardcore band REPS. It is a point of pride for Rochester metal fans that Metallica came here to record there first album in 1983. Then there are some lesser-known and up-and-coming acts like Lost Wax Collective, Such Gold, Maybird, St Phillip’s Escalator, Total Yuppies, Tart Vandelay, Area Natives, The Medicinals, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, The Crooked North, Dirty Blanket, Periodic Table of Elephants, The Demos, The Dirty Pennies, So Last Year, Nerds In Denial, Carpool, Druse, Taking Meds, and Talking Under Water. Top notch music education has cultivated phenomenal young talent, such as Pilot the Universe, a band whose members are still in high school but already making waves, and 12-year-old Jack West, who recently had an opportunity to sing on stage with Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. Rochester bands are also getting national and international exposure. Rochester’s King Buffalo toured North America and Europe this summer with Elder. Following the release of their second album, Content, Joywave crossed the country twice this year – playing in support of Young The Giant and then again on a headlining tour. And Bon Iver chose local singer/songwriter/harpist Mikaela Davis to provide support on their European jaunt this year.
Many famous musicians have called the 585 home, including Lou Gramm (a founding member of Foreigner), Gary Lewis of Gary Lewis & The Playboys, The Chesterfield Kings, composer Samuel Adler, Jazz Brothers Chuck and Gap Mangione, bluesman Joe Beard, and acclaimed drummer Steve Gadd. The roots of Rochester’s music scene can be traced back over a hundred years, to artists like blues legend Son House and jazz musician Cab Calloway. The Rochester Hall of Fame has inducted Beard, Adler, Lewis, and Gramm, House and Calloway, as well as Lew Soloff, who taught at the Eastman School of Music after his many years in Earth, Wind and Fire.
There’s something for every musical taste in Rochester, whether you’re a lucky resident or visitor.
Best Music Town – Reader’s Pick
Buffalo
Buffalo, being the second largest city in the state and one of the largest in their region of the country, sees a lot of music come through its various venues, ranging from small clubs and bars to the large New Era Field. Buffablog organizes an annual event Herd Fest, a SXSW-style multi-venue showcase featuring some of the best musicians in the region. This year’s WLKK holiday music festival stretched out over three days. Then there are numerous venues including Nietzche’s, Tralf Music Hall, Shea’s Buffalo, Canalside, Kleinhans Music Hall, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Mohawk Place, Town Ballroom, Buffalo Iron Works, Sugar City, Key Bank Center, and first year fest Cobblestone Live.
Many popular music acts got their start in Buffalo including the Goo Goo Dolls and Spyro Gyra. One of the current popular bands, Aqueous, whose latest EP, Best in Show, was our staff pick for album of the year and named once again to be a Band on the Rise by our readers. And a wide variety of artists having gained or gaining a fan base from the Queen City. NYS Music 87/90 artists Intrepid Travelers and Folkfaces, folk rock icon Ani DiFranco, Rick James, Cannibal Corpse, Cute Is What We Aim For, Every Time I Die, On The Cinder, Del Paxton, Green Jelly, moe., Willie Nile, Billy Sheehan, and Wyatt Coin.
Grammy Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra has shared their stage at the landmark Kleinhan’s Music Hall with such greats as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Aaron Copland, and Yo-Yo Ma. With venues catering to a young adult audience, from the all-ages Sugar City to shows on the SUNY Fredonia campus, Buffalo is a fertile market for twenty-something alternative bands like Head North, Super American, MAGS, Previous Love, Ugly Sun, Made Violent, and Mason-Jar.)
Buffalo is also home to recording studios who help regional artists lay down their work, but are talented enough to attract major recording artists. GCR Audio is a state of the art recording studio which attracts local as well as big-name artists, with a list of clients which includes A-listers like James Taylor, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Lil Wayne. Outer Limits Recording Studio has been serving regional and national artists for more than two decades, and its client list includes Eminem.
But more than just the brick and mortar venues and studios, it’s the sense of community that makes the Buffalo music scene great. Artists are supportive of each other, cross-promote, and join in collaborative efforts between musicians to help each other create and grow. Overall, the bands, venues, and industry professionals are conscientious of the needs of audience members to not only have fun but also to provide a safe environment.
Ithaca’s growing music scene includes prog soul project Noon Fifteen. This band of seasoned musicians have blended elements of 60’s rock and 70’s blues, creating catchy songs that make it impossible to sit still. The songs on their debut release, Volume 1, showcase powerhouse vocals, intriguing musical arrangements, and captivating story lines.
The EP captures attention from the first track, “Knock Knock Knock.” Sassy chanteuse Mandy Goldman sings about the time her drunken neighbor was banging on her door in the middle of the night. The story takes a surprising twist as she waits for an apology, and hopes that it would come in the form of an Olive Garden gift card. Goldman’s powerhouse vocals are backed by funky rhythms, starring Harry Nichols on bass and Chris Armitage on drums. The songs have a timeless quality, achieved in part through the use of vintage instruments, with Joe Massa on guitar and Sam Lupowitz on keyboard. Saxophones punctuate the melody, adding yet another layer of dimension to this plucky little number.
A couple other songs on Volume 1 incorporate horns (trumpet and sax), as well as a string section featuring violins and cellos. One of them is “Dave Coulier.” This tale of passion and revenge features a character who realizes that she is only loved when she is needed. “I will be the girl to fix it for you,” later becomes the bitter line “I won’t be the girl to fix it for you.” The instrumentation also reflects the change. It starts as a jangly and upbeat love song, with some hand claps thrown in for good measure. It becomes progressively darker as the narrator becomes more embittered, and picks up as she exacts vengeance. Each chapter is separated by a dramatic musical interlude. The song was originally titled “You Oughtta Know,” but Alanis Morissette already used that title for one of her songs.
“Her (Morisette’s) song is about Dave Coulier, the actor who played Uncle Joey on Full House,” Nichols told NYS Music. “So, in a moment of randomness equal to that of the song’s overall composition, we called the song Dave Coulier.”
Overall, the EP is a jam, with infectious grooves, skillful arrangements, and rich vocals. As the title Volume 1 suggests, this is just the beginning for this group. Just don’t let the name throw you: it’s always a good time to listen to Noon Fifteen.
To the delight of many, Phish went back to its roots with a classic opening sequence of “Mike’s Song” > “I Am Hydrogen” > “Weekapaug Groove” that was once more than a regular sequence on set lists but seems to have petered out in recent years in favor of different permutations of “Mike’s Groove.” The iconic opening guitar lick was met with a resounding roar from the crowd and the band never looked back from there. “Hydrogen” gave Lighting Director Chris Kuroda a chance to show off his mood lighting as he added a perfect visual backdrop for the moody instrumental number. No sooner had the closing notes of “Weekapaug Groove” been played before guitarist Trey Anastasio ripped into another iconic opening guitar riff – this one belonging to “Tweezer,” a first set rarity to say the least. By this time, The Garden was in full “bouncy house” mode with the ground noticeably shaking and seemingly moving along in unison with everything else.
“I Always Wanted It This Way,” keyboardist Page McConnell’s tune, stretched out from 1980s-like quirkiness into a vast yet quite dark jam. “Martian Monster” and “Heavy Things” saw the band have a little fun, notably the interplay between Anastasio and McConnell in the latter. “Destiny Unbound,” somewhat of a rarity, injected a breath of life into the crowd. Stretching to nearly nine minutes, this version of “Destiny” is longer than all in recent memory, but it was clear the band hadn’t practiced it much prior.
The band took no time getting the show on the road with a spacey ‘AC/DC Bag’ which saw Trey sitting back on the solo and letting the rest of the band organically develop a patient groove, which would foreshadow the jamming style of the night. ‘Wolfman’s Brother’ emerged out of the white lights and provided the first (of many) jam highlight of the evening. The band quickly transitioned from the classic Wolfman’s funk to a dark, murky jam that gave the feeling that you took the wrong turn down a shrunken alley on the lower east side, but there was no going back because you already devoted to making it past the sketchy brown walls and back to a world of streetlights and pretzel vendors. An early first set ‘Roggae’ broke out of the darkness and saw masterful interplay between all four band members as they reached a glorious peak that shook the garden.
Scott Hannay: 
There are a lot of ‘What ifs’ in the story of Mister F. What if the vans hadn’t broken down? What if touring led to a steady increase in revenue over the years? But more importantly, for touring bands out there who are just getting going, what are the lesson to be learned from the (still unfinished) story of Mister F? Fate is a fickle bitch who plays her hand as she sees fit, and certain fates fell upon Mister F in a slow moving succession that led them to this point. But maybe in a way, they did make it. Andrew Chamberlaine offers this parting thought on what might have changed the band’s circumstances:
