It’s no secret that the Disco Biscuits are touring, improvisational machines. The trance-fusion foursome offers their die-hard fan base countless opportunities to catch them on the road throughout the year, even if they tend to favor the East Coast, their home base in Philadelphia, PA and the renowned Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. What remains annually constant, is their long-running Montage Mountain mania. Camp Bisco is now boasting a ‘save the date’ and offering alumni pre sale tickets to bring your ass to the party, taking place from July 12-14, 2018.
After being held in a total of four different locations and taking a break in 2014, Magner, Barber, Brownie and Allen will bring their flair to Montage Mountain, with Scranton acting as the festival’s residence for the fourth consecutive year. While freshly crafted festivals are popping up each year, Camp Bisco managed to hold its own, on and off since ‘99. With its 16th festival and year in operation, the recurring party provides six Biscuits sets, mesmerizing laser shows, abundant art and camping, cool downs in the pool, 5k marathons, zany color wars and other activities over the course of three jam-packed days. Although hosted and heavily based around the Biscuits, fans favoring a multitude of genres, specifically electronic dance music, find their way to the mountain. In the past, favorable acts have included STS9, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Gramatik, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Lotus and more.
Partying isn’t the only thing taking precedence over the weekend, the quartet makes sure they give back to the community by promoting fundraising and food drives, having raised money for hurricane relief and even gathering young fans to register to vote.
An alumni pre-sale begins this Thursday, Dec. 21 at noon at the Camp Bisco website with the password: ALUMNI. You can catch The Disco Biscuits for the last time in 2017 at NYC’s Playstation Theater from Dec. 28-31.
The Camp Bisco 2018 lineup is still TBA but check out the official 2017 aftermovie and NYS Music’s coverage of last year’s fest here to hold you over:
NYS Music combed the state, across I-90 and I-87, up into the North Country and down into the Southern Tier, and has compiled a comprehensive list of all events coming up this New Year’s Eve. Make your plans for New Years Eve 2017 and say hello to a brighter 2018! (If we missed a show, email details to editors@nysmusic.com)
Buffalo and WNY
Join Intrepid Travelers and Folkfaces in their Buffalo hometown at Nietzsche’s. Event Link
Ring in the New Year at Buffalo Iron Works with Moon Hooch, Gnomedad & Honeycomb. Get your tickets in advance – this show is sure to sell out! Event Link
Aqueous has a Gorillaz-themed set planned for their bash at Town Ballroom. Event Link
Renown Pink Floyd Tribute band The Machine will be performing at Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls. Event Link
North Tonawanda’s Strand Theatre has Miller & The Other Sinners with special guest Cinnamon Jones. Event Link
Celebrate The New Year in Jamestown at Jamestown Eagles Club with the Kates Brothers Band. Event Link
Ithaca
Big Mean Sound Machine’s Big Mean New Year’s Eve will mean of night of getting down at Lot 10. Event Link
Get a double dose of folk rock at The Haunt with Driftwood. Event Link
Rochester and Finger Lakes
Rochester’s hottest new venue, Radio Social, has a hot show planned featuring harp-playing singer/songwriter Mikaela Davis. Event Link
Mosh your way into 2018. Floated Magazine is hosting a hardcore show a show at Bug Jar with REPS, The Weight We Carry, Kodivk, and Bone Mask. Event Link
Funk n Waffles Rochester: Dirty Blanket & Root Shock. Event Link
Anthology has two nights of fun planned. Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad plays both nights. On December 30 they’re joined by John Brown’s Body and Thunder Body. And on New Year’s Eve, they share the stage with Easy Star All-Stars (performing Dub Side of the Moon) Event Link
Syracuse and CNY
In Syracuse, Sophistafunk and Skunk City will rock out at Funk N Waffles Downtown. Event Link
Throughout Albany, Schenectady and Troy this New Year’s Eve, celebrate responsibly. Call for a free cab in the Capital Region during New Year’s Eve, courtesy of Martin, Harding, & Mazzotti LLP.
Twiddle will ring in the New Year, with a second performance at the Palace Theatre in Albany with special guest Giant Country Horns. Event Link.
Join in on the mystique of Albany, at the Hollow Bar + Kitchens NYE Masquerade party with live music by The Late Shift, and Mirk. Event Link
The Albany Hilton will host a NYE ’80s theme party, with music by The Refrigerators. Event Link
A Pirate, and mermaid themed Shipwrecked party will take over The Desmond Hotel in Albany, with live music by The Audiostars, Skeeter Creek, and DeeJay Element. Event Link
Playing With Fire Band, along with many others, will perform at Bethlehem’s First Night, in Delmar. Event Link
Ring in the New Year at the annual First Night, in downtown Saratoga, where there will be a wide range of activities and live music. Event Link
Vapor Nightclub at the Saratoga Casino and Hotel, with feature the biggest balloon drop in the Capital Region along with music by The New York Players. Event Link
Motown will take over the Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, as R&B and Funk legends, The Commodores, are set to ring in the New Year in the Electric City. Event Link
Proctors Theater in Schenectady will hold their own Motown NYE bash with music by The Chronicles. Event Link
Soul Provider will rock in the New Year at the Rustic Barn Pub in Troy. Event Link
The Shop in Troy, along with other neighboring spaces, will host a Masquerade party with Burlesque performers and live jazz bands. Event Link
Hudson Valley
Kingston’s BSP Lounge will host Rubblebucket and local organist Marco Benevento. Event Link
Bearsville Theater will welcome Gratefully Yours on New Year’s Eve for a night of Grateful Dead music. Event Link
In Woodstock, check out The Big Takeover at Colony Cafe. Event Link
North Country
In Plattsburgh, The Monopole will host Groovestick for all night party with some Grateful Dead added in! Music starts at 10pm and goes until 6am. Event Link
Saranac Lake at The Waterhole will feature Annie in the Water and Nina’s Brew. Event Link
Westchester
Portchester’s Capitol Theatre brings in Colorado’s String Cheese Incident for 3 sets! Event Link
New York City
Brooklyn
They Might Be Giants at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Event Link
Brooklyn Bowl will host the legendary funk troupe Lettuce along with rising dance artists Jaw Gems. Event Link
Rich Medina presents HOME at C’mon Everybody in Brooklyn, performing house, rare groove and garage classics. Event Link
Soul Clap will keep the Crew Love real this New Year’s Eve with special live performances from rhythmic house duo No Regular Play and Afro-Futuristic pilots The Illustrious Blacks. Event Link
Budos Band will hit The Knitting Factory with Evolfo and Electric Citizen. Event Link
Bell House hosts The Rub NYE featuring DJ Ayres, DJ Eleven, Makossa Brooklyn Cookout and Prince Klassen. Event Link
Manhattan
Holly Bowling will perform her annual pre-show at The Cutting Room at 4pm on NYE. Event Link
Electric Love Machine hosts a FREE pre-party at American Beauty before Phish. Event Link
Gov’t Mule will host ‘The Rockin Mule Revue’ at The Beacon Theater, with special guests including Jackie Greene, Shawn Pelton, The Chronic Horns and The Better Half Singers. Event Link
Gramatik throws a dance party like no other at Terminal 5 on NYE. Event Link
Prefer Jazz to kick 2018 off? Try The Birdland Big Band at Birdland. Event Link
Three sets of Disco Biscuits await their loyal fans at The Playstation Theater in Times Square. Event Link
Macy Gray’s soulful voice will be singing the crowd into 2018 at Iridium Jazz Club. Event Link
John Digweed and Tara Brooks headline a bevy of DJs at Output. Event Link
and of course, Phish at Madison Square Garden. Event Link
Followed by and one final Phish After-party, this one with Kung Fu, Wyllys, Jerry Lounge Experience and more at American Beauty. Event Link
Pat DiNizio, founding member of New Jersey’s Smithereens, died Tuesday Dec. 12 according to a statement from his bandmates. He was 62. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Formed in 1980 in Carteret, New Jersey, DiNizio, Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken and Mike Mesaros strung together a series of popular alternative songs in the late ’80s and early ’90s that included “A Girl Like You,” “Only a Memory,” “Behind the Wall of Sleep” and “Blood and Roses.” The band’s charged power pop sound was informed by the early British Invasion bands and the early rock of Buddy Holly. DiNizio’s smooth baritone vocals provided the signature sound of the band while his beatnik-style goatee and flipped up cap, a signature look.
In addition to his work with the Smithereens, Pat DiNizio released several solo albums, produced an independent film, King Leisure and dabbled in politics, running for a U.S. Senate seat from New Jersey on the Reform Party ticket in 2000. He finished fourth in that race.
DiNizio had recently suffered health issues from a series of falls that injured his back and neck. The most recent fall in September prompted the singer to reassure fans he was on the mend in a post to the band’s Facebook page,
REPORTS OF MY DEMISE HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED! I SUFFERED A BAD FALL IN THE HOME THE OTHER DAY AND INJURED MYSELF, BUT TRUST ME, I’M NOT ON MY DEATHBED OR ANYWHERE NEAR IT:-I AM HURT, HOWEVER, RECEIVING GREAT MEDICAL CARE, BUT HAVE BEEN ORDERED BY MY PHYSICIANS TO TAKE SOME TIME OFF TO INSURE A COMPLETE AND HEALTHY RECOVERY, SO,,WE’VE GOT TO TAKE SOME TIM E OFF FROM THE ROAD SO THAT I CAN GET BETTER, WE’LL BE RESCHEDULING A FEW DATES SO THAT I CAN HEAL PROPERLY.
The band mourned the loss of their bandmate Tuesday night, “Our journey with Pat was long, storied and a hell of a lot of fun. We grew up together. Little did we know that we wouldn’t grow old together.
Goodbye Pat. Seems like yesterday.”
Vermont based jam band Twiddle has announced their headlining debut at famed venue Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado. Twiddle will perform two sets on Star Wars day, Friday, May 4. Twiddle will also share the stage with California based roots/reggae/dub outfit Stick Figure. Florida based world beat/indie band the Hip Abduction will play in support.
Twiddle has graced the Red Rocks stage twice in support of String Cheese Incident (2015) and the Disco Biscuits(2016). Their 2017 show with moe. was cancelled after moe. announced a hiatus while bassist Rob Derhak underwent treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer.
The announcement comes as Twiddle hits the road in 2018 along with Stick Figure and Iya Terra for sixteen dates. Twiddle has had a stellar year in 2017 and continued to make headlines. The year was highlighted by a showing on the Billboard charts as their much-anticipated release PLUMP debuted at #6 on the Alternative New Artist Album charts and a sit-in from Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh at the band’s Tumble Down Music Festival.
Self-taught musician Scott Woodruff writes, produces and records under the moniker, Stick Figure. Woodruff tours with a full band to craft his live shows. His latest release, Set in Stone, has solidified the musician’s vision of a new melodic subgenre.
The Hip Abduction toured in support of Twiddle during August and September of 2017. The vibrant St. Petersburg, FL-based collective celebrates a mutual appreciation for West African and early Jamaican reggae/dub music.
Twiddle Fan Club and AEG presales are available online as of the announcement. Several pre-sale VIP packages are available with options including a special VIP performance at Red Rocks on Thursday, May 3. General on sale goes live on Friday, December 15 at Noon EST.
Tucked away in the mill towns of Western Massachusetts lies the village of Millers Falls. You’d never think that in this little nook of New England is a quaint studio that puts out some amazing music. Iron Wax Studios is the dream-child of the one and only, Alan Evans and his wife, Kim. When people talk about Alan Evans, you’ll usually hear about his long list of projects and sit-ins. From his roots with his also musically-talented brother Neal Evans of Lettuce, through Soulive and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, up until now with Brothers, his band with his brother and Oteil and Kofi Burbridge. What you might not hear about is his work behind the scenes. Alan has been interested in engineering and producing music since he was very young.
Alan Evans Playonbrother
Alan Evans: Neal and I had a band way before (Soulive), called Moon Boot Lover. I started playing when I was 11, and I’m 43 now. I started going on the road when I was 14 or 15, and I started engineering when I was 14 or 15, something like that… It was a PV 12 channel mixer, and a Harman Kardon, TD-202. I can’t believe I even remember that [Laughing]… And then I borrowed my friends ADAT, and that was kind of mind-blowing, and then I got my own. Actually, the first Soulive album was recorded on an ADAT a long time ago.
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The part I found most fascinating about this is that for everything Evans has his hands in on stage, his influence behind the scenes is bigger, much bigger. I decided I wanted to make this side of the curtain available to the world. I approached Evans with an idea: a series or featured article where NYS Music captures the behind-the-scenes life of artists and the engineers who fine tune their sound. He was incredibly excited about the idea, and allowed me to come to the studio for an interview, which basically became an incredibly fun and engaging conversation about music and life.
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Zach Culver: This is a part of the music world no one ever sees, and I especially love this. I’m not a musician, so I don’t get to see this ever. And I’m a huge fan of the artists that are coming through, and yourself, so this is something I’d love to share with people.
AE: I particularly would be into that just cause, I’ve always been a fan of non traditional… I don’t even know if you could call this a traditional recording studio. I guess it is, maybe.
ZC: Yeah, every one is different, even bigger ones, some are just huge rooms, you know, with that one spot with the best acoustics. But then, even this one is bigger than some I’ve seen, where it’s just a mixing board and a closet that people get in one at a time and play.
[Laughter]
AE: Exactly, exactly.
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When you walk into the studio, you’re taken back for a second. When you see the movies, or the giant studios that produced our favorite classics, you think of a massive mixing board with thousands buttons and channels. You see a huge room with a single mic in the center where the pop singer can swing their arms up and down as they hit that high note. Iron Wax is not that studio, and you realize immediately that that’s exactly what Alan Evans wants it to be. It feels like home.
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AE: I like to make it feel warm and…
ZC: Fun.
AE: Yeah! Exactly. I want to make it feel like it’s not a recording studio. They’re just hanging out in their living room.
ZC: Like they’re just coming in and jamming.
AE: Yeah, and then when you hit playback you’re like, “wow, that sounds great.”
ZC: Because of that kind of atmosphere, you’re going to get the best out of people… You’ve gotta catch them when they’re not paying attention, because that’s when you get their real personality.
AE: Exactly. We’ll just have a lot of fun, just hang out. My vibe, as you can see, as it’s always been, is I prefer not to have a control room.
ZC: Yeah, you wanna be with the band. And getting to connect with the band like that…
AE: Like if I’m in the room grooving, I’m feeling it. If you’re on the other side of the glass having fun and they’re over here, they don’t know what I’m thinking… I’d much rather be a part of it… It all comes down to creating a comfortable environment for people to create.
I love being a part of something that’s not about me. I love being in the room when something is being created, when something is being realized. When I hit play, and they say “that’s what we’ve been wanting,” that’s such an amazing feeling. I love being on stage and playing my music, but there’s something really special about helping someone with their thing.
ZC: How long have you been here at Iron Wax?
AE: In this spot? Almost two years. Actually, the very first session here was The Brothers, and that was February two years ago. Immediately before this, all this was at my house. That was insane, having a studio at home. I did all the [Alan Evans Trio] stuff. I mixed a bunch, and before that I was down in Hatfield [Massachusetts]. I did a bunch of stuff there… I definitely get focused when I get in here. As much as I like the idea of a big studio, and I don’t know if it has to do with the style of music I’m working on, or if it’s just my vibe, but I try to make things sound smaller, or things end up sounding smaller; not in a bad way, but just tighter. Some people really dig the explosive sound, like drums or something, but, I listen to all my favorite albums, and it’s not that at all. All this [equipment] should be in the background. You shouldn’t notice the microphones. Who cares what mic or pre-amp you use. It doesn’t matter. Really in the end, it’s about the song. I can get a lot of people in here, its kind of crazy. The biggest band I’ve had in here, are these cats from London, Crowd Company, an 8-piece group, and pretty soon I’m having a ten piece coming through, Aztec Sun, from DC. Super killer band.
ZC: I really love who’s coming through here, not only because they’re some of my favorite artists, but they’re also some of my favorite people. I’ve met a few of the guys from Harsh Armadillo. They’re so much fun, and they have a lot of personality.
AE: Those cats blew me away. Kim told me this band from New Hampshire is coming through to work with us. So I checked them out, and they sent me some demos, and stuff they wanted to record, and it was cool. And, I don’t know what happened, whether I missed something which I don’t usually do, but when they came in here, I was like, “Woah.” They were ridiculous, man. [Laughing]… There’s a reason why they wanted to come here, and man, I’m really glad they did.
ZC: What brought you to this area?
AE: Kim and I were down near Woodstock, NY and Kraz joined [Soulive] and when we got going, he said his mom had a vacation home up in Vermont, and so she said we could live there. We paid maybe fifty, a hundred dollars a month, huge house, hundred acres. We were just kickin’ it up there, so when we were starting, we could do a lot of gigs and travel a lot, and not worry about living expenses. So once we started making money, Neal and Kraz moved to Northampton and then from there down to Brooklyn, and I had no desire to go back to New York. I lived there for a long time in the early 90’s. So Kim and I were just kicking it up there in this huge house, and we found out we were gonna have our first kid, and we had to drive over an hour to get to, like, Keene to see the doctor, we were just like, this is not gonna work… we started looking for places and we looked at a place in Greenfield, and then found a place in Deerfield, and that’s where we ended up.
ZC: You just started Matador Soul Sounds. That was about a month or two ago, you did your first show.
AE: Yeah, at Brooklyn Comes Alive. That’s been a lot of fun. I was actually just talking to Eddy (New Mastersounds) earlier today. We’ve got some shows coming up in the spring, going on tour in march, right after I get back from London with Soulive, I go on tour with Matador for like three weeks. They’re some fun cats to hang out with. You know just, hanging with like minded people.
ZC: That’s easy in this industry to find that. Everyone is so welcoming… and doesn’t have a bad bone in their body.
AE: I mean that’s the really cool thing about the time we’re living in… there’s no reason to not be cool.
“Life’s too short to not be cool”
Alan at Iron Wax, Photo Credit: Kim Evans
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ZC: Back in the 90’s, you played with Oteil Burbridge a lot, which I feel like a lot of people would never know that. You just came out with Brothers, with your brother Neal (Evans), and Oteil and Kofi (Burbridge). What’s it like working with them?
AE: So Oteil and I met way back in the day with my old band Moon Boot Lover. We met in like, ’93 or ’94 when he was playing with Aquarium Rescue Unit, we used to do a bunch of shows together. We talked about actually doing something, the four of us, but its just tough. Oteil and Kofi, they’re just special dudes. you know, its crazy, when the four of us play together, its hard to describe. Because you know, Neil and I have always had like this, telepathy type s***, but with them it’s the same thing! Like we all know where each other is gonna go, and it’s just really special. They’re just the nicest people, really in tune with, just, something else.
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ZC: You’ve worked with so many people over the years. I mean, the list is never-ending. Is there anyone you wish you could work with, either A) you never got to, or B) Never could get around to?
AE: Those are always hard for me to answer, because I always find that the unexpected sit-ins or, whatever you want to call them, connections that are made, are always the best. They’re organic… but with that said, years ago we got invited to play a party at Paisley Park. Prince wanted us to come play—like some friends of ours had done it before and we were all gonna go. He had these parties, a couple a year maybe, and we just thought it was going to be amazing. And, for whatever reason, he ended up having to cancel the party, and we were saying “well, that sucks but I’m sure we’ll connect at some point,” but it never happened. And Pete Shapiro (Brooklyn Bowl) was always saying we should get Prince for Bowlive. And that really would’ve been pretty special. It could’ve gone either way… That’s definitely one cat that I would’ve loved to be around just for even ten minutes just to soak up that kind of energy.
AE: Like, Stevie Wonder sat in with us years ago. It was the end of the show and we left the stage and someone said “Stevie wants to come sit in” and I had no idea he was even at the show [Laughter]… so he comes out and Stevie is in between me and Kraz. And dude, that was the first time I’ve ever seen him live, and it was just crazy… He came out, played harmonica and just killed it. And then was feeling good and started singing, I mean he was right next to me. And to just see him—not just hear him but to see him sing. I mean he used his entire body, down to his toes. It was crazy man, crazy. I remember [Ryan] Zoidis and I went across the street to this party, and his whole vibe was all over us. It was the craziest thing. It was just this cosmic, like, aura and it rubbed off on us for a little bit.
But to answer your question, Prince.
[Laughter]
ZC: What are you looking forward to, going into 2018?
AE: Definitely the release of the Matador Soul Sounds album. We put out this little single, two songs or something. The full album is coming out, I’m doing some touring with that, and then obviously, the new Soulive thing, because it’s been a long time.
ZC: I was gonna say, looking through, I know you took a year off for Bowlive, and came back this year, and everyone was like, what was that? Are you done? Everyone had faith but, your last album was 2012?
AE: Yeah that sounds about right… we’re definitely not trying to push Soulive too much, cause we’ve been playing these tunes for a long time. We wanted to have some new s***, some new stuff to talk about. So we were just chillin’ until it came out… and all of a sudden it was like, man, we need to put something out, cause we just went to Japan, and we had a great time there… so finally we’re gonna get together and record.
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Evans is a true pioneer of the industry. He really does it all and has an influence in so many bands, and genres. Later this month Soulive will be coming to Iron Wax to start fresh on a few new tracks for the world, and Evans was gracious enough to let us return to document the occasion. This will be an inside look at how the band writes and interacts with each other, something that fans rarely get to witness.
Stay tuned for more from “Behind the Iron Wax Curtain.”
Friday, December 1st, the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA hosted a sold out Pigeons Playing Ping Pong show. “One of the fastest sellouts we’ve ever had,” exclaimed Greg Ormont, rhythm guitarist and front man of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. The crowd was surging for both sets in the packed club, the band feeding off their energy. You could see it in their eyes as they belted out heavy jams.
Their cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” was met with a very positive scream from funk-hungry fans. Their set list was a “flocker’s” wet dream, keeping them in motion for the whole night. Even during the set break, it seemed like the dance floor was still in rhythm. After two incredible sets, the quartet ended with a long, dark and heavy “Live It Up” encore.
Pigeons is closing their “Pizazz” tour this weekend in Philly at the TLA and Pittsburgh at Mr. Smalls Theater on December 8 and 9. They close the year on a high note with two shows in Cleveland at Beachland Ballroom December 29 and 30, and end with a bang at Madison Theater in Covington, Kentucky on New Year’s Eve.
Dead & Company’s scheduled show tonight at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans has been postponed due to John Mayer being hospitalized.
Mayer was hospitalized early Tuesday for an emergency appendectomy. No make up date was given for the show but tickets for tonight’s show will be honored at the rescheduled date. Refunds will be offered at point of purchase.
Dead & Company are in the tail end of their fall tour with stops in Orlando and Sunrise, FL scheduled later this week. Those shows are still on schedule as of press time.
Rob Derhak, bassist and vocalist from moe., announced on Facebook through both his personal page and the band’s page that he is officially cancer free. He was originally diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer in July.
It has been about two weeks since moe. announced their return with two shows at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre on Feb. 2 and 3. On Wednesday, Derhak announced that, following a visit with his doctor, he was given a clean bill of health and declared cancer free. The cancer diagnosis in July had the band on an indefinite hiatus that began back in August.
Derhak’s statement:
Hi Friends, I have some good news to post today. After being scanned, poked, and prodded my Dr.’s have given me a green light. Did I kick cancers ass? No, it beat me up pretty good. But I just didn’t have the sense to go down, and eventually the cancer grew tired and hit the mat. So essentially, I rope-a-doped the dam thing. Although I’ll need to continue the Dr.’s visits for the next 5 years, they’ve given me a clean bill of health and declared me cancer free, with only a minimal chance that it will return. So thank you to everyone that was pulling for me, the support I received was instrumental in helping me get through this. I am truly looking forward to seeing everyone when I hit the stage again this February, with moe. Thanks from Your Pal, Rob
In addition to the shows at the Capitol Theatre, moe. will return to host their Summer Camp Music Festival along with Umphrey’s McGee over Memorial Day weekend and they will be playing a show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on July 12.
Rangers, the lineup is here. The 12th annual Rock on the Range has announced all of the artist that will appear at the three day festival starting May 18-20, 2018 in Columbus, OH, at MAPFRE Stadium.
Nearly 60 bands will perform over three days headled by Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, and Alice In Chains. Tool frontman, Maynard James Keenen will not only appear with Tool, his other band, A Perfect Circle, will also appear sometime during the festival.
Daily lineups are yet to be announced but other artists scheduled to appear among the three stages the include Godsmack, Stone Sour, Breaking Benjamin,Three Days Grace, Stone Temple Pilots, Bullet For My Valentine, Black Veil Brides, Asking Alexandria, I Prevail, Greta Van Fleet, Trivium, 10 Years, From Ashes To New, Like A Storm, Shaman’s Harvest, and Stitched Up Heart to name a few.
In a recent Blabbermouth article, Avenged Sevenfold frontman, M. Shadows, commented on headlining ROTR. He stated:
Rock On The Range is the undisputed champion of American rock festivals. The team over there has done an incredible job of curating a potent mix of all the types of rock ‘n roll that any fan could ask for. It’s an honor to play at the top of the bill, and we cannot wait to see everyone in May.
Several ticket packages have already sold out, with several options to choose from still available, but they won’t last for long as ROTR seems to sell out quicker each year. Weekend passes include Field VIP – $349 plus fees, Field General Admission – $299.50 plus fees, and Stadium General Admission – $149.50.
Uber Ranger camping packages are available while supplies last along with bronze, silver, gold, and diamond hotel packages. For more information, visit the festival website here.
A sense of wonder. It’s that wide-eyed gleam that happens when any other breed of dog spots a poodle for the first time. It is that sixth sense so rare in adulthood that it has been referred to as the superpower of children. It is so potent a gift that marine biologist, Rachel Carson once exclaimed, “If I had influence with a good fairy, I would ask that her gift to each child be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.”
Luckily, I have found that such magic does exist. One reminder came last week in form of Quixotic, an innovative performance art collective that fuses mind boggling imagination with technology, dance, aerials, projection mapping and live music. Quixotic started an an experimental artistic collaboration in Kansas City, Missouri in the mid-2000s has exploded into a worldwide performance phenomenon.
Last week, Quixotic, along with world-beat electronic music group, the Desert Dwellers, transformed the Ogden Theatre into an awe-inspiring house of wonder imbued with fierce athleticism, grace, and lilting beauty. The performance, aptly titled, “Beyond”, explored the boundaries of what is commonly thought possible in visual/music performances. The performers challenged the boundaries of human limitation in a show that featured risky aerial hoop performances and astonishing contortionist dance movements accompanied by dramatic live and electronic music.
If I had influence with a good fairy, I would ask that each adult have the opportunity to witness such a performance that possesses such an indestructible sense of wonder. Its effect would last a lifetime.
Ring in the New Year at Buffalo Iron Works with Moon Hooch, Gnomedad & Honeycomb. Get your tickets in advance – this show is sure to sell out! 
Capital District
DiNizio had recently suffered health issues from a series of falls that injured his back and neck. The most recent fall in September prompted the singer to reassure fans he was on the mend in a post to the band’s Facebook page,
Twiddle has graced the Red Rocks stage twice in support of String Cheese Incident (2015) and the Disco Biscuits(2016). Their 2017 show with moe. was cancelled after moe. announced a hiatus while bassist Rob Derhak underwent treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer.
Their cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” was met with a very positive scream from funk-hungry fans. Their set list was a “flocker’s” wet dream, keeping them in motion for the whole night. Even during the set break, it seemed like the dance floor was still in rhythm. After two incredible sets, the quartet ended with a long, dark and heavy “Live It Up” encore.
