NYS Music 20​17

Category: Beyond NYS

  • moe. Knocks Out Two Back-to-Back Sold Out Shows at Higher Ground and Calvin Theatre

    Friday Feb 3, moe. brought some explosive energy to the Higher Ground in Burlington, VT for the first of two sold out shows.   As a popular and intimate venue, the crowd packed the venue like sardines in a can and quickly connected with the band making for a heater of a night.   It can’t go without mentioning that Burlington has one of the best selection of breweries in the northeast and Higher Ground serves a lot of them on tap.

    As attendees gulped down the micro-brews, the band warmed up with a solid “Captain America” featuring a tight solo from Chuck.  As they jammed a bit, Vinnie shifted drum rhythms to a slightly quicker speed, allowing a smooth transition into the funky “Akimbo.”  While tuning up their instruments, Chuck took to the microphone to comically introduce themselves saying, “Hello Everybody, we are moe. and we are not from Vermont.   But, we like Vermont.  We are Vermont-curious.” before counting off their own gloomy “Brittle End.”

    The Instrumental “CalifornIA” came next with a playful boost of energy as Al took his turn with a ripe solo that unfolded to an unforgettably extended “Bring You Down.”  Taking a brief moment, the band then invited Jamie Masefield to the stage to sit-in on mandolin for the remainder of the first set.   Vinnie began the traditional “stick-count” and intro for “Happy Hour Hero.”   When the bridge arrived, Chuck graciously gave Jamie the reins of the solo giving the song an earthly bluegrass feel.  Not too long into the jam, Jamie persuaded Chuck to share finger-picking licks with him while the rest of the band kept a steady pace, gradually picking up momentum.   When the groove was satisfied, they collectively segued into a steamy “Silver Sun” to end the set.  Before taking a break, Al whimsically gave praise to Masefield with “One of Vermont’s natural resources!”

    Returning to the stage, Garvey heckled Rob a little bit to get “ready to rock” by hilariously improvising a brief song with the remaining members. They quickly jumped into a pumped up “Puebla” featuring some technical fretwork by Chuck, who seemed to be the shining bright that evening.  Without a huddle, they thumped into “Crab Eyes” with a fantastic solo by Al.  Next came a massive “Yodelittle > Down Boy > Yodelittle” sandwich featuring some stellar bass grooves by Derhak.  Jim and Vinnie percussively attacked “Y.O.Y.” with a vengeance as they transitioned into a fiery “Water” to end the set.  With minutes left of the show, moe. rocked out Pink Floyd’s “In The Flesh” while Loughlin stepped up to the mic and belted out the lyrics.   The ensemble then propelled the brimming Higher Ground with the sing-a-long favorite “Plane Crash,” to conclude the show.

    Following onto the next night, moe. topped-off the first part of their winter tour with one more sold-out performance at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, Massachusetts.  Oddly, the Marquee sign on the front of the building was only half lit, highlighting the word “Vin,” which must have been some sort of foreshadowing of the performance that was about to unfold.  The theatre quickly filled as fans were anticipating a fun-filled, top-notch performance.  Shortly after their initial start time, members of the group embraced the stage and warmed up with “Defrost > Waiting for the Punchline.”  Next came the new Rob-sung “Prestige Worldwide” which included a knarly performance by Jim.  moe. then brought the mood down a couple levels with the fan-favoirte “Four” before segueing into the booty-shaker “Seat of My Pants.”  During Al’s quaking solo, the crowd went ballistic as he played his guitar against the top of a fan’s head, using it as a slide.   Moe. then churned up a mega “McBain” to round up the first set.

    There’s really only one thing to say about the second set, Non-stop Party!  Simple as that.  moe. played a monstrous triple-decker “The Pit” bundled with a conga-filled jam in”Deep This Time” and a 25 minute “Recreational Chemistry.”  But, it didn’t stop there.  The segues were endless as every member was firing on all cylinders and Garvey’s fierce guitar work on “Bullet” was dangerously captivating.   Jim displayed a colorful vibraphone solo that led into a percussively dominant “Brent Black” and featured an intense drum jam with Vinnie joining Jim on his congas and timbales!  At this point, the audience was sucked into the energy of the duo’s performance, cheering and hollering with excitement as some recorded it with their phones for future reminiscing.  As Vinnie jumped back on his drum set, Rob emerged from stage-side and entertained the audience with a beefy bass solo.

    Before the band continued with the encore, Al traditionally took a few minutes to interact with the fans with some announcements.  Giving fans a heartfelt “Letter Home” and “New York City” was a great way to bring the tour to a close before they pick back up in a few weeks.  Before everyone began filtering out, Rob took to the mic one last time to request a quick photo.   In doing so, he convinced half of the venue to give their photographer, Paul Citone, the middle finger from behind the band.  Once again, proving this band to be one of the best in the business!

    Higher Ground – 2.3.17

    Set I: Captain America > Akimbo, Brittle End, CalifornIA > Bring You Down, Happy Hour Hero* > Silver Sun*

    Set II: Puebla, Crab Eyes, Yodelittle > Down Boy > Yodelittle, Y.O.Y. > Water

    Encore: In The Flesh, Plane Crash

    *w/ Jamie Masefield

    Calvin Theatre – 2.4.17

    Set I:  Defrost > Waiting for the Punchline, Prestige Worldwide, Four > Seat of My Pants > McBain

    Set II: Tubing the River Styx > The Pit > Deep This Time > The Pit > Rec. Chem. > The Pit > Bullet > Brent Black

    Encore: Letter Home, NYC

  • StrangeCreek Initial Lineup Announced

    The initial lineup for the 15th annual StrangeCreek Campout festival includes Max Creek, Zach Deputy, Ryan Montbleau and Pink Floyd tribute band The Machine.

    StrangeCreek Campout StrangeCreek Initial Lineuptakes place over Memorial Day weekend, May 26 to 29, at Camp Kee-wanee in Greenfield, Massachusetts. The recently-announced initial lineup includes headliners Max Creek, the Machine and two sets each from Zach Deputy and Ryan Montbleau. New Yorkers Consider the Source will play two sets, and the state is also represented in the lineup by Banooba.

    Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish tribute act Pink Talking Fish will play two sets at the festival, along with Grateful Dead tribute band Shake Down, Western Massachusetts band Bella’s Bartok and the Fritz and the Broadcast, both from Asheville, North Carolina. Other acts in the lineup include Hayley Jane and the Primates, the Alchemystics, Creamery Station, the Rev Tor Band and The Romano Project.

    StrangeCreek features several non-music activities as well. Being a family-friendly festival, attendees with children can check out the Family Worm. The Wormtown Holistic Village has activities for the body, mind and soul. Every night, at various places throughout the festival grounds, the Firewormz put on a fire show.

    Tickets for StrangeCreek Campout are on sale now and available for $110 through Tuesday, Feb. 14.

  • moe. Speaks at Penn’s Peak

    Nestled in the hills of eastern Pennsylvania sits a popular music venue that welcomes all genres of artists and is accompanied with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains.  Penn’s Peak has hosted a vast array of talent from country stars to rock legends of sorts.  On Thursday, Feb 2 they welcomed the beloved moe. for the first time in their career.

    There was an abundance of energy as the venue staff and fans were excited to see them at the peak.   Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, the inside of the building appeared as if you were walking around the inside of Noah’s ARC, constructed with large wooden beams and beautifully polished wooden floors.  These features were significantly enhanced with beautiful lighting by Pulse Lighting’s own lighting designer, Justin Casey.

    moe. took to the stage with some pep in their step and busted out of the gate with an energetic “Spine Of A Dog” that seamlessly segued into “Spaz Medicine.” After Al finished a ripping solo, the mood was reduced enough to flow into Tori Amos’ “Cornflake Girl.”   The remainder of the first set was a monstrous segue that started with “Timmy Tucker” and featured the fairly new instrumental, “Montego.”  Highlights of the second set include a long awaited “Stranger Than Fiction” followed by a juicy “Rebubula” sandwich that included “Jazz Wank” and “Buster.”  As the guys took a short encore break, they re-emerged after the Al.nouncements and capped off the night with “Downward Facing Dog” and David Bowie’s “Fame.”

    Set 1:  Spine of a Dog > Spaz Medicine > Cornflake girl, Timmy Tucker > Hector’s Pillow > Montego > Mar Dema > Okay Alright

    Set 2: Do or Die, ZOZ > Moth, Stranger than Fiction, Rebubula > Jazz Wank > Buster > Rebubula

    Encore: Downward Facing Dog, Fame

  • Hearing Aide: Peter Karp ‘Alabama Town’

    New Jersey native Peter Karp has returned to the studio realm with his latest effort, Alabama Town. Beginning his career as a teenager in the blues band They Came From Houses, Karp has been musically inclined from a young age.  Growing up near New York City and later moving to backwoods Alabama left him with a unique perspective of the sounds of folk and blues, hearing acts such as James Brown, the Beatles, the Animals, and the Temptations live at a young age. After a foray into the film industry in the 90’s, Peter officially returned to the music world with the independently released Live At The American Roadhouse in 1998 with his band Peter Karp and the Roadhouse band. It’s been many years and many releases since then, including 2004’s The Turning Point with Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones, but Karp’s old school blues-oriented folk rock still forces reminiscence of the founding fathers of American roots music.

    The album begins with the title track, “Alabama Town,” which immediately transports the listener to the slow moving pace of Southern living with an ambling blues riff and lyrical imagery that includes grits and grandpa drinking Jack Daniels out back. “Blues In Mind” also sounds as though it’s from an earlier time while maintaining a modern edge. One could almost imagine it coming from the radio of a ’59 Chevy Impala as it comfortably cruises through town on a warm Sunday afternoon. The other half of the sound that comprises the album is a bit softer, a slide guitar kind of folk music that exemplifies how the less is more concept can sometimes work in the musical world. “Lost Highway” has a poetic rhythm to it, with more of a story telling vocal performance. “Beautiful Girl” wraps it up with a mournful harmonica whine in a tale about a lost love.

    Anyone interested in celebrating the album release with Peter and his Roadshow Band can do so at the release party at Roy’s Hall in Blairstown, New Jersey on February 4.

    Key Tracks: Alabama Town, Blues In Mind, I Walk Alone

  • Alter Bridge Rocks Rapids Theatre In Niagara Falls

    Even though they were part of rock’s biggest tours last year with Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin, that is no way to enjoy an Alter Bridge show.  During that run, which did travel through various cities across New York State, Alter Bridge only played a small handful of songs during their opening slot.  If you really want a display of heaviness and fun and REALLY get your money’s worth of Alter Bridge, then seeing them headline is the best route to go. Those who were lucky enough to catch them on The Last Hero Tour with Nonpoint and Weapons Of Anew at Niagara Falls’ Rapids Theatre were blessed with a kick ass night of music.

    Unfortunately for me, I was unable to catch Weapons Of Anew due to the travel conditions, but I came in just as Nonpoint was performing “What A Day,”one of their trademark songs.  Nonpoint must have been a part of the tour because Mark Tremonti is a fan, and I believe they were an appropriate choice.  The urban flavor they bring to metal and hard rock makes them a standout, not to mention that this is their 20th anniversary tour (which is hard to believe at this point).  They had a very loud and energetic set; the crowd was really into it.  Some of the stand outs were their new songs such as “Divide and Conquer” as well as their cover of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.” They ended their set with their anthem, “Bullet With a Name.”  It’s great to see that the band is twenty years strong and still bring a lot of energy into a show.

    Alter Bridge graced the stage by opening with “Writing On The Wall” which is off their newest album The Last Hero.  Alter Bridge is a very rare and unique talent.  Not since Judas Priest has a band had two lead guitarists/soloists that share the stage, alternate solos and really feed off each other.  Vocalist/guitarist Myles Kennedy and guitarist/vocalist Mark Tremonti are the perfect complement to each other and are a powerhouse force on stage with the most wicked one-two punch that most metal and hard rock bands are lacking.  Alter Bridge made a wise decision by playing not only a hefty amount of songs off of The Last Hero, but also from their previous album Fortress which came out in 2013.  But they didn’t really tour behind it much because Myles was busy with Slash’s band and Mark had his hands full with his band Tremonti.  So it was awesome to hear songs like “Cry Of Achilles” and “Addicted To Pain,” but the real stand out was “Water Rising,” which gave Mark Tremonti to display his lead vocal.

    If there is any complaint about the show, you could say the bass was too loud.  Now that isn’t a fault of bassist Brian Marshall, it’s on the venue’s sound crew.  It just sounded muffled.  But luckily, Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti’s guitar playing is so clean and they shred so much that the muffled bass sound coming off the venue’s sound didn’t interfere with the guitars or drums for that matter.

    The best part of the show was hearing the bands best song, “Blackbird.”  It’s their masterpiece.  It’s their “Free Bird” (no pun intended) and afterwards they closed their set by finally playing material off their debut album One Day Remains with “Metalingus” and “Open Your Eyes.”  I was surprised they didn’t play much from that album, however, material from the last two albums had to be heard, not to mention that with five albums in, you only can play so many songs.  Those who stayed for the encore were in for a treat as they came out and played “Show Me A Leader” which was the lead single off The Last Hero.  Afterwards, the crowd was treated to a guitar battle between Kennedy and Tremonti, which was a great way to really see their talents on display and was fun to see.  This is something I wish bands did more.  Finally, the band left the crowd wanting more in closing with Blackbird’s “Rise Today” which is band’s trademark closing song.  Overall, it was a great set from Alter Bridge who definitely deserve more recognition in the music industry and need to headline more shows. I would recommend this band to almost anyone.  And I will definitely catch more shows at Rapids Theatre.

     

  • John Prine Brings His Illegal Smile to Albany

    John Prine, the “songwriter’s songwriter,” is busy touring. He makes a stop in Albany in July to share his classic tunes.john prinePrine is known as the “songwriter’s songwriter” as many legendary artists have recorded his music, including Carly Simon, Johnny Cash, John Denver and Bonnie Raitt. His catalog includes classic songs like “Angel from Montgomery,” “Sam Stone,” “Paradise,” and “Hello in There.” At 70, he is still actively touring.

    Prine heads out on a month-long European tour in April after playing a handful of dates stateside. He makes stops in nearby Hershey, PA on March 31 at the Hershey Theatre and Newark, NJ on April 1 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, both shows with Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams. Upon his return from Europe, he plays some shows in the maritime provinces in Canada.

    Prine makes a stop at Albany’s Palace Theatre on Friday, July 28 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the show go on sale tomorrow, Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. with prices ranging from $38 to $102.50.

  • Firefly Music Festival Lineup Announced, Passes Now Available

    Firefly, the first ever fan curated music festival, has announced the lineup for this year’s weekend of live music and camping. The sixth annual event takes place on June 15-18 at The Woodlands in Dover, Delaware. With the lineup announcement, rumors were laid to rest and the Swedish House Mafia will not be part of the lineup, and they won’t be missed with the stacked lineup Firefly has produced for 2017.

    Headliners for the biggest east coast music and camping festival will include the Weeknd, Muse, Twenty One Pilots, Chance the Rapper and Bob Dylan and his band. The festival will also feature Thirty Seconds to Mars, Alan Walker, Weezer, Dillon Francis, T-Pain, Busta Rhymes, Galantis, Benny Benassi, DJ Jazzy Jeff, AFI, Flume, Phantogram, K. Flay, Kesha, O.A.R., Franz Ferdinand, Daya, Capital Cities and OK GO.

    Being the first ever fan curated festival, Firefly festival lovers had the chance to pick the lineup, choose what merchandise was sold and what designs would look like, activities, food and even the entertainment for Wednesday night’s pre-party as NYS Music reported earlier this year.

    Since its inception in 2012, Firefly has produced a great mix of musical talent across several genres. Some of the best in the music industry have graced the festival stages throughout the years. Past performers include Paul McCartney, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, John Legend, Bassnectar, the Killers, Lupe Fiasco, Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding, Foo Fighters, Imagine Dragons, the Chainsmokers, Blink-182 and Deadmau5.

    General admission passes for the four day weekend are now available and start at $289. Camping packages are also available at the FireflyFestival website.

  • The Disco Biscuits Coming Home Again for 3 Night Run at the Fillmore Philadelphia

    The City of Brotherly Love has seen more Disco Biscuits shows than any other, and the tradition will continue on February 2, 3, and 4 with the band’s second 3 night run, home again at the Fillmore Philadelphia.  Almost a year ago to the day after their last visit to Philly, the Biscuits and locals alike are unanimous in their eagerness to get things started.  Having seen every show the band played last year, the fact that a slew of people consider last year’s Fillmore run to be one of the best in recent years in wholly unsurprising to me.  It’s the same concept of Home Team Advantage to make a seasonally appropriate football analogy; we’re all a little more comfortable closer to our roots.

    disco biscuits home againWe’ll be covering Friday night, right in the heat of it, giving first hand account of this writer’s 50th show.  Coming off a long, busy year of following the Disco Biscuits has honed my critical edge of their sound to a new level, and it’s safe to say that 2016 was one of their best within the last 3, 4, possibly 5 years.  The New Year’s Run at the famous Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA, was the band’s first outside region of their home town and the North East, and had some engaging highs and frankly embarrassing lows; will their return be triumphant?  Below you’ll find a video of the 3rd set’s beginning from New Year’s Eve leading into the countdown, a Trans-Siberian Orchestra cover entitled Wizards in Winter, with the most recent previous performance having been at the Rothbury Festival on July 3rd, 2008.

  • Hearing Aide: Left Hand Shake ‘8-Track Mind’

    Left Hand Shake 8-Track MindOne day, I was given the task of reviewing this album, a debut, no less, from a band I had no idea what to expect from. All I got was a set of audio files from the album 8-Track Mind, and a brief description of Left Hand Shake’s members, David Decker and Blaze Sepowski, and the previous projects they’ve been involved with, featuring names like Bang Zoom!, Picture This, and Bottle of the Dog. Initially, I thought this would just be something I could sit through and move on.

    Even the album cover itself led me to think anything could be inside. It’s of a suit with an old speaker where the head should be with an 8-track of the album loaded inside. Upon further research, I saw it was named album of the year by WVCR, the radio station for Siena College. Okay, I thought. College-age people like this. I finally got around to listening to the album, which started off with the various synth noises of “F.S.B.” until 45 seconds in when the slow drumbeat and guitars finally kicked in. And from there, I was hooked.

    The album comes across as a breath of fresh air because it delves into a particular genre I don’t think gets enough credit: dream pop. There are definitely artists nowadays influenced by this particular underground scene, M83 comes to mind, but it’s rare to see an act fully embrace the mindset. The mid-tempos that put listeners in a state of bliss. The sweeping, soaring guitar lines. The echo-y vocals less concerned with singing clear lyrics and more with being another texture of the song.

    In terms of extent of what Left Hand Shake is willing to do, it’s on the second song, “Being There (Django).” Along with the ethereal 80’s dream pop guitar work happening, there are also hints of violin and a mandolin underneath. Of it’s eight and a half minute runtime, the last five are purely instrumental. And it’s not only more guitar work that gets to shine, there are harmonica, saxophone, and trumpet solos dispersed in that time. And oddly enough, though it sometimes feels it goes on for too long, it all works in making the dreamy atmosphere stick.

    There are also songs that tone down the dream atmosphere considerably. “Right Hand Shake” reminds me of “She Bangs the Drums,” by the Stone Roses, with the similar guitar tones and echo-y vocal work. “Fly” is pretty much a condensed version of the longer songs, but notably more down to earth.

    In terms of shortcomings, I’d say Decker and Sepowski get a bit too experimental with their instrumentation. The songs that are 7 to 8 minutes long have a good chunk made up of solos that serve only to continue the state of euphoria. “People Like,” starts off sounding like a dated 90’s industrial act before it really gets going. “Fabreeze” has a muted trumpet solo while “Path Less Taken” essentially ends with a violin solo taking up the last third. The lyrics, when you can make them out, at times come across like they’re trying too hard. Lines like “Life is a garden, I’m sowing all the seeds, when something starts to grow, it comes out as weeds” (“Fly”). And “People like you, people like me, we can change the world” (“People Like”) Then again, lyrics were never the emphasis of this genre.

    So, if you’re a fan of the works of The Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, and Lush, give Left Hand Shake and 8-Track Mind a chance. We should look forward to whatever efforts these guys have planned in the future, if they continue this direction or move on to something else.

    Key Tracks: Being There (Django), Because/Second Hand Shake, Fly, Iced & Alone

    Listen to Left Hand Shake 8-Track Mind below.

  • Hearing Aide: Adoration Destroyed ‘Ritual Damage’

    Austin, Texas may have found it’s industrial groove with Adoration Destroyed and their debut album Ritual Damage, which is released via Cleopatra Records.  This album restores the old school, trippy, psychopathic sound that is similar to the Pretty Hate Machine-era of Nine Inch Nails, Mindless Self Indulgence, and Combi-Christ with the vocal style of Orgy.

    This album makes you feel like you’re taking a dark path into a mind of a disturbed loner, which is not a bad thing.  The synthesizers and trippy beats on this album will be a treat for the true industrial lover to listen to.  You can argue that the sound from this album is unoriginal, but it’s industrial in its purest form.  And that’s all you can ask for.   You will be curious to see this band live after listening to this album, and you will want to know if they can truly bring the essence of the album live to stage.  Ravers will love this album.

    Opening track “Here To Bleed” and the uber dark track “Lost” are real stand outs, and they managed to squeeze in a cover of Marilyn Manson’s “Coma White” as well as a cover of Till Tuesday’s “Voices Carry,” which is a testament to what this band is all about.  The album closes with the title track to finish on a very slow and dark note.  Overall, this album is consistent, but an easy listen.  It doesn’t take any risks, but it stays true to its theme and has great production. You can purchase the album here.

    Key Tracks: Here To Bleed, Lost, Coma White