This week’s featured artist at Alive at 5 was the Grammy award winning hip-hop group Naughty By Nature. The weather was perfect on Thursday, June 22, and the energy was a max. The group got the crowd on their feet right from the start with one of their hit’s “O.P.P.” Naughty By Nature performed for about an hour. This also marked the first hip-hop group of this year’s concert series. The group from New Jersey is celebrating 20 years of creating music.
Next week’s Alive at 5 Concert brings rock and roll band The Outlaws along with The Steppin Stones. Be sure to get down to Jenning’s Landing right at 5pm to catch both acts!
Ten minutes down the road from Saratoga Performing Art Center’s Dead and Company concert June 20th, the performing arts center was co-hosting with Skidmore a classical event “Mozart in Havana.” While stylistically different from the jam up the road, and certainly separate in target audiences, the Cuban orchestra inspired by free expression and lighthearted love for music.
Pianist Simone Dinnerstein and the Havana Lyceum Orchestra intrigued a full house of excited classical music lovers with over two hours of intricate dialogues between piano and orchestra. The concert featured a classical piece from Cuba, two Mozart concertos, a Copland, and a surprise arrangement of Cuban music that had the orchestra members dancing in their seats, and eventually off stage to a salsa rhythm. Simone Dinnerstein, a well-respected and acknowledged talent of her generation, paired her love of piano music with her interest in Cuban music and culture on this cool June evening.
Taking the stage at Skidmore’s Arthur Zankel Music Center, Ms. Dinnerstein held the audience captivated with the technically challenging yet beautifully managed Mozart concertos. Both concertos 21 and 23 were recognizable to the audience, making the music selection accessible to audiences while also demonstrating Ms. Dinnerstein’s well-controlled and expressive musicianship.
Simone Dinnerstein, a well-respected and acknowledged talent of her generation, paired her love of piano music with her interest in Cuban music and culture on this cool June evening. The concert’s bookends were well-loved compositions from both Cuban and American cannons for orchestra. Concert notes reflected thought about how to best bridge the cultures through classical music
The concert’s bookends were well-loved compositions from both Cuban and American canons for orchestra. Concert notes reflected thought about how to best bridge the cultures through classical music choices and had settled on Farinas and Copland for this purpose.
The true excitement of the night, however, came from an encore performance of an arrangement composed by the orchestra’s own violinist, Jenny Pena Compo, who delighted audiences with dueling melodies on the trumpet and later violins. Showcasing musicianship and a true passion for their country’s music, the young and diverse orchestra members swayed together to the rhythms of Cuba’s traditional melodies. Musicians left the stage dancing and playing their instruments with a joyful, young energy often missing from classical concerts.
Audience members shared culture through music in the concert hall, laughing and dancing in their seats in an invigorating and inspiring night of music.
Dead and Company roared into Saratoga Springs on a rainbow for a show at SPAC on Tuesday, June 20 after a hot weekend of shows at Fenway Park. The national tour has Deadheads and Mayerheads alike buzzing about the continued pairing of the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti. Few tours of this nature attract an audience where grandparents bring grandkids to the show, tying music across generations and inviting fans of all ages to enjoy the music of the Grateful Dead with an infusion of new blood.
Out of the gate, Weir led the troupe through “Hell in a Bucket,” and let Oteil take over on “Next Time You See Me,” laying down the deepest of bluesy grooves that Pigpen would nod at approvingly. “Loose Lucy” and “Mississippi Half Step” had the audience singing along with Bob and John, but “Looks Like Rain” was where the music connected with Mother Nature. Just as Weir returned to the chorus, the skies opened up and a soft sunshower began with a subsequent rainbow appearing over the gleeful crowd moments later. The refreshing rain led to a “Dire Wolf” sing along followed by “Lost Sailor > “Saint of Circumstance” that wrapped up a tight first set.
The second set started with “Chinacat Sunflower” and instead of expected “I Know You Rider,” Mayer shifted gears into “Deal” where he let off steam, jumping up and down as he led through a rip roaring version of “Deal,” easily the highlight of the night. “China Doll” with Oteil’s heavenly vocals and “Terrapin Station” were the centerpiece of the second set feast. Bass ripples from “Drums>Space” rolled into mellow noodling that soon became “All Along the Watchtower” with Bob charging full ahead before pulling up the reigns for “Black Peter.” To sandwich the set, a patient segue into “Rider” tied the night together with tantric energy built up throughout. For an encore, “Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad” capped the night with a delighted crowd singing loudly and gleefully.
Set 1: Hell in a Bucket, Next Time You See Me, Loose Lucy, Mississippi Half-Step, Looks Like Rain, Dire Wolf, Lost Sailor>Saint of Circumstance
Set 2: China Cat Sunflower>Deal>China Doll>Terrapin Station>Drums>Space>All Along the Watchtower>Black Peter>I Know You Rider
With well loved music festivals being forced to fold their cards and encountering unfortunate mishaps in an ever-growing and highly competitive field, it’s both refreshing and reassuring that Stephentown, NY’s Disc Jam 7 can boast a laid back atmosphere and tightly-woven, yet growing community and still come out on top. A jam-packed, 4-day musical jaunt with a star-studded lineup attracted herds of fans from all over the Northeast and then some. Nearly 4,000 flocked to the cozy farm for a potpourri of funky jam headliners, late night producer and DJ sets, skilled vendors, a hula hooping and fire spinning flow tribe, on site artists and food trucks to keep festival dwellers happy, well-fed and entertained.
Thursday set the tone for the sunny weekend ahead, as Albany’s Lord Electro warmed things up on the CEG stage, before Strange Machines welcomed the booming voice and bubbly personality that is Hayley Jane, for the first of her many sit-ins as artist at large. Just after their set, they hopped on Teddy Midnight’s RV, also accompanied by a hot tub, for a quick interview on Teddy TV, which we later found out doubled as a surprise, late night party bus.
NYC trio Lespecial jumped up on the main stage to deliver some night-time grit and grime as Thursday night headliners. Their odd time signatures, heavy tunes and musical fortitude brought fitting teases of Tool, Rage Against the Machine and Primus’ own “Cannibal Holocaust.” After the help of Dopapod drummer Neal “Fro” Evans on the genre bending “Enter Sandman” into “Sandstorm,” the trio closed out their headlining performance on the main stage, riding the wave of symbiotic high energy between fans and artist.
Friday found a string of New York state bands representing their native stomping grounds into the early evening, including an all-star lineup of Aqueous, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Wild Adriatic, Chromatropic, Leila, Litz, The Motet and jamtronica four piece Teddy Midnight, who rolled out phish teases and a number of stellar covers of The New Deal, STS9 and a pair of hard-hitting Disco Biscuits tunes, “Rock Candy” and “Tricycle,” proving Wiley Griffin can absolutely man handle a guitar. Over on the tent stage, Litz worked their magic to hype up the crowd while the saxophonist alone had enough personality on hand for the whole group. A sound malfunction forced immediate improv with bongo and guitar solos. Doing so seamlessly, the group dove right back into the jams once all issues were resolved and held down their set like true musicians and professionals.
The excitement for Friday night’s headlining Dopapod set loomed in the air as other festival favorites, Kung Fu, took the stage. Beau Sasser and company brought an arsenal of just that to the stage at Disc Jam this year for their one of a kind “Sunset-Set.” With Disc Jam 7 being their 6th time playing the festival, Kung Fu has been a fan favorite of the fest since 2012. That being said, the Fu you now groove to in 2017 may not have been the same back in 2012. With fresh tunes and a familiar sound, the group proved why they get invited back every year to the ever-growing festival. Kung Fu welcomed Hayley Jane during their set to perform Joan Jett’s “Reputation,” or for Freaks and Geeks fans, it’s notable theme song while their full set jammed through a slew of songs such as “Chop Suey,” “Joyride,” and a set closer of Steely Dan’s “Charlemagne.”
In past years, Dopapod have been known to deliver two sets to the festival they’ve been with since its culmination seven years ago. Unfortunately a gig in Colorado called for the festival veterans to head out early but not before offering up an eye-opening set that had all on feet and moving to the zips Eli’s keys and defined head bobs. Adorned in a blue Dopapod hoodie, Rob Compa took to the front row of the crowd to incite fan engagement, asking what songs they’d like to hear. After a “Trapper Keeper” suggestion and “Nerds” being loudly projected to the forefront of the stage, they launched into none of the above as they continued with songs of their choice. While the hour and a half set didn’t boast a laundry list of material, each delivery had a flair of its own and incorporated lengthy jams throughout, leaving fans both thankful and energized. Fans were treated to an opener of “8 years,” new track “Mucho, classic Dopapod hits and two-bit favorites “Priorities,” “Trickery” and “Cloud.”
Feeling wired post-Dopapod, a two hour “after party” ensued at the tent stage with the Motet’s uplifting and encapsulating music. Their kinetic energy and signature style made it impossible to stand still, as everyone underneath the tent found a dance partner in the strangers to their left and right. Paired with groovy visuals on the back wall of the tented stage, the Motet provided time travel through the decades with their genre-spanning music. Just in case anyone let out a yawn or felt their bodies slowly yearning for sleep, singer Lyle Divinsky doubled as hype man for the group, spewing catch phrases into the mic and pumping up the crowd as he stalked back and forth across the front of the stage.
With late night sets and DJs playing through the early stages of the morning, many found their way back under the tent to witness the magic that poured out of the tips of Holly Bowling’s fingers. While first depicting psychedelic visuals to pair with her compositions of well-loved jam tunes, Bowling offered the audience a “behind the scenes” look at her performance with a special camera placed in front of her hands. Viewers were able to watch her fingers tickle the instrument as she raced her hands back and forth while banging on the black and white keys, all while sporting a quirky smile on her face. It’s evident that Bowling is not only great at what she does but that it embodies the happiness she feels inside. Her takes on Grateful Dead, Phish and The Disco Biscuits found sweet symphonic sounds mimicking “Franklin’s Tower,” “It’s Ice,” and “Magellan” among others. Thankfully, this wasn’t the last we saw of the all-star pianist.
With at least one expected day of rain, the only dampening of the weekend came from the early morning dew and spilled beer across widely spread campsites. If you even attempted to get some sleep between the late woods parties and the beat boxers dressed in all black outfits adorned in glow sticks, the sun was enough to jolt you up out of your increasingly heated tent making you feel just Bearly Dead, or at least awake enough to go catch their early morning Grateful Dead tribute set–a slot they held at the tent stage all weekend. As Saturday progressed, Consider the Source took on their late afternoon set on the main stage, gathering a large crowd regardless of the fact they had a highly anticipated late night set scheduled for 2am. Ripping through well-known source tracks like “This Dubious Honor,” “Many Words of Disapproval” and “Closer to Home” paired with the wailing of instruments and heavy emotion written across their faces, the trio proved and surpassed reasons why they deserved two slots at disc jam. Never missing a note and playing the most difficult instruments and arrangements, consider the source managed to put a spin on their already involved tunes, oozing mastery musicianship.
Wild Adriatic brought their Saratoga Springs flair to the Disc Jam stage as declarations of “getting my hair like that guy’s” were made in the crowd, referencing to the stellar afro rocked by bassist Rich Derbyshire. Keeping it in the Capital region, Formula 5 boasted an unforgettable set, complete with a sit in by Holly Bowling and an emotional Allman Brother’s Band tribute cover. Drawing a solid, dance-ready crowd, Formula 5 brought the jams to those swaying back and forth on feet as well as those sitting and relishing in the moment. Bowling sat in for “Floating” as the group made what was the only Gregg Allman tribute of the weekend at the time, with an impassioned selection of “No One to Run With.” Mister F kept the upstate grooves going directly after, despite their recent misfortune of being down a tour van and itching to get new music out to fans, Scott Hannay showed his chops and delivered hard on keys before treating fans to a late night surprise.
Anticipation struck Gardner’s Farm for the party that Turkuaz was about to unleash on its weekend inhabitants. Making their rounds on the festival circuit, the 9-piece power funk ensemble offered harmonica stylings and powerful vocals with a groovy dance party to match. Shira Elias and Sammi Garrett have been getting more and more attention and for good reason. Their dialed up vocal chops, coordinated dance moves and soulful sound give enough reason as to why–plus, a cover of The Band’s “Don’t Do It” didn’t hurt.
Saying the tent stage was filled to capacity for Break Science Live would be an understatement. When they took the stage on Saturday night, the original duo of Adam Deitch and Borahm Lee reeled in a humongous crowd as well as support on stage when they were accompanied by a handful of Lettuce members– Erick Coomes on Bass, Eric Bloom on Trumpet, Adam Smirnoff on Guitar and Ryan Zoidis on Tenor Sax. The super group, paired with an intense light show captivated the audience with a combination of trip-hop, dub and jazz which found the tent jumping as a unit. During their set, Manic Focus joined Lee on the table to help with DJing, which brought a unique sound to an already extraordinary group of musicians.
A 2am set drew in a rather large and sleepy crowd underneath the tent stage. Known for their magical history with performing late night festy sets, most of the audience knew to place their blankets and tired bodies on the floor to witness an amplified, yet scaled back Consider the Source set in a more intimate setting with calming visuals to match. Two girls, however, missed the memo and kept prompting everyone to “stand up and enjoy the music” while others retaliated with, “but it’s a seated performance!” Nonetheless, all in attendance found themselves in awe at the mastery level in which the trio plays. Having checked off deliveries of stirring tracks, including one they learned during their trip to India and haven’t played since, Jeff Mann, John Ferrara and Gabriel Marin know how to nail a performance through tempo, chord progressions, arrangement and elements of surprise.
At the same time Consider the Source was delivering their intimate set to a lulled crowd, Teddy Midnight’s surprise RV party bus was at full force. Disc Jam artists swapped on and off the luxury bus, playing tunes from the backside of the opened vehicle and slithering guitar necks in between its doorways. Joe Davis and Matt Richards of Formula 5, Scott Hannay of Mister F, Adrian Tramontano of Kung Fu, Wiley Griffin of Teddy Midnight all took a musical ride on the bus.
As silent discos were offered into the premature minutes of the early mornings, Saturday night/Sunday morning offered listeners a stroll through the Techni-colored woods to “No Diggity” as one looked around and noticed life in the woods is a bit different than out on the wide open spaces of the farm. After placing a pair of silver headphones over your head, you were welcomed into a wooded world of festival dogs, multiple pin boards circulating and growing raves.
Sunday morning’s sunrise guided everyone to their tents for a quick nap ahead of the final day of Disc Jam 7. Upon awakening and being lazy around camp, the opening notes of Dopapod’s “Bubblebrain” trailed widely across the farm, conjuring many to the stage. Quickly, it had to be discovered who was playing such a top-notch delivery of the unique track. To the surprise of many, it was a group of kids from the ages 11-18 in Zachademy of Music All Stars, including a young boy with luscious blond locks, reminiscent to that of Formula 5 bassist James Woods. A mind blown audience watched as kids half the age of the festival goers shredded through a difficult catalogue including covers of Vulfpeck, Consider the Source and Kung Fu. Dopapod’s Compa went forth to share the “Bubblebrain” video to Facebook, announcing that even he messes up his guitar solo at times and further affirming the true talent boasted by the all stars.
Around noon, a very talented group new to the scene took the tent stage and made it their own. New Paltz’ The Other Brothers brought a unique sound to the festival, drawing a nice crowd to their set that blended a variety of genres. As always, Chris Owen was able to captivate the crowd with his larger than life vocals and impressive dance moves while Bera, Marquez, Morrison, Nelson and Mendelson kept every groove as tight as possible. Where one song took on the structure of a love ballad, the others were sure to get toes tapping and hips swiveling, gaining a new circle of Disc Jam fans. Be sure to check out this humble group on the rise, you won’t want to miss these brothers in a city near you before they ultimately break through. They’re currently out in L.A. recording their spirited music at the famous Sound City Studios.
Comparable to the tunes of Twiddle and their upbeat feel, Annie in the Water proved to be the fun 5-piece they are with a super involved set– a smorgasbord of sit ins by Holly Bowling on ‘Carry the Burden,” “Girl Let’s Dance,” with Twiddle’s Dempsey and Hannay of Mister F as well as Hayley Jane and Meadow Eliz offering assistance on “Crispy.” Keeping the theme going, a bulk of talent joined the Twiddle side project known as Gubbulidis. The group’s name derives from the combination the two members; Zdenek Gubb on bass Mahali Savoulidis on acoustic guitar and vocals. Usually all the two need are some loop pedals to make their sound one that very few could duplicate but to add depth to their one-off set, the power duo was joined by a plethora of talented artists such as the other components of Twiddle, Holly Bowling, Honeycomb, Billy Comstock of Annie in the Water, Wiley Griffin of Teddy Midnight and two members of Mister F; Colin Shore and Scott Hannay, making their Disc Jam set one of a kind. The full performance, which pieces together “Juggernaut,” “Rocky Raccoon,” “Mad World,” and more, can be found on Archive.org.
Later on in the day, a tent stage party was hosted by none other than G-Nome Project. The Israeli-based Livetronica Electro-Funk band rocked the tent and everyone inside with their synth-heavy instrumental tunes. Resembling jams taken on by trans-fusion/jam bands such as The Disco Biscuits, Lotus and Phish, G-Nome Project appealed to the masses, zeroing in on a unique blend of genres and inverted jams with covers of tunes from Game of Thrones, Lotus’ “Livingston Storm,” the Biscuits’ “Abraxas,” and Phish’s “Frankie Sez.”
Pink Talking Fish helped round out the festival with a Sunday evening performance, rotating their famous Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish covers to an appreciative crowd. Mixing up the music of three undeniable bands in the scene, treats came in all sizes with covers of “One in a Lifetime,” “Run Like Hell,” “Mother,” “Rift” and “Harry Hood.” To close out their set, guitarist Eric Gould and artist manager brought out his latest guided talent, Hayley Jane to end with the second and final tribute to Gregg Allman with a moving version of “Soulshine.”
Neal “Fro” Evans, Holly Bowling and Hayley Jane certainly made their rounds throughout their four days on the farm, collectively marking an impressive number of sit ins. Evans brought his skill on the kit to help Lespecial and Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad on stage. Bowling spent time jamming with Electric Beethoven, Formula 5 and Annie in the Water while Hayley Jane notched an impressive sit in count of nine, with a TLC “Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls” cover alongside Roots of Creation and appearances with Strange Machines, Bearly Dead, Aqueous, Congo Sanchez, Kung Fu, After Funk, Pink Talking Fish and, Annie in the Water. Her final performance with Ryan Montbleau tucked Disc Jam 7 into bed and put the weekend to sleep with one last performance as Yes Darling, as they ripped through a set of original material.
An intimate experience and independent effort, Disc Jam 7 sure packed a punch of a weekend before coming to a close. Every year, Disc Jam sees exponential growth and although it’s tucked away in the cozy knolls of Stephentown, NY, it’s small town aesthetic and low maintenance atmosphere is exactly what keeps fans coming back for more. When you step onto the farm, you step into the Disc Jam Fam–a world in which you meet and click with those you cross paths with if only for the weekend, a world in which you most likely already know an abundance of people there. After a widely successful seventh year in operation, those who self-identify as Disc Jam Fam left Gardner’s farm already mapping out next year’s detailed blueprints for Disc Jam 8.
Legends of their various genres pass through the Capital District all the time. The Egg’s Roots and Branches series brings acts that can bring an intimate audience together with a legend who has touched their lives through his or her music. June 16 found Bobby Whitlock of Derek and the Dominos in The Swyer Theater at The Egg for an two hour acoustic performance with plenty of story time built in between songs.
I’ve listened to Bobby for years, wearing out burned copy after burned copy of Derek and the Dominos at The Fillmore East 10/23/70 and 10/24/70. Every minute of those shows is pure rock n roll at the start of its greatest decade. By the end, the audience had a different view of Layla and Assorted Love Songs and heard the original songs performed in one of the songwriter’s to the classic album.
“We just come to play for your guys, we’re not promoting an album or with merch,” Bobby shared with the audience prior to “Anyday” off Layla. Bobby and Coco Sherman, whom has been performing alongside Coco for nearly 20 years, each played acoustic guitars while Reuben Chess from Brooklyn played backup electric guitar.
Chess took his solos with reserved grace so as not to step on the toes of Bobby Whitlock. “Got to get Better in a Little While” was gritty and not rushed. Whitlock shared a story of how he spent a year in England with Clapton, intending to be there for just a week., leading to “I Looked Away,” the first song they wrote together.
“Keep on Growing” was preceded by an extended story on recording the song with Clapton and George Harrison; the story reflected on how Sam and Dave’s vocals influenced Clapton and Whitlock’s on “Growing.” This story made the audience sit up in their seats and get comfy while they listened to Bobby tell tales from the road.
Whitlock switched to piano and Carmel to saxophone for “The Captain’s Song,” “Slowdown,” and “Bell Bottom Blues.” The closer, “Layla,” took on its own life – slow and bluesy during the verses, but back up to 38rpm for the chorus. The second half of the song was performed just as God/Clapton intended, and Chess closed the song out effortlessly. In three years, Layla and Assorted Love Songs will be 50 years old – let’s hope we can see Clapton and Whitlock together to perform the one of rock’s most influential and classic albums.
Buffalo’s Folkfaces are gearing up for 2017 and their biggest summer tour yet. The extensive tour focus primarily on New York, giving those in the state plenty of opportunities to check them out.
Buffalo-based Americana quintet Folkfaces has had a busy 2017 and the year is only half over. They released their debut album How Long? back in April while also completing two spring tours. The band consists of Tyler Westcott (guitar, vocals), Dan Borodzik (slide guitar, vocals), Ellen Pieroni (saxophones), Patrick Jackson (upright bass) and Dan Schwach (drums, washboard).
Folkfaces’ summer tour features over 30 dates throughout New York with stops in five other states and Toronto. The tour kicks off this Wednesday, June 21 at Al’s Wine & Whiskey in Syracuse and closes out at the Night Lights Music Festival in Sherman. The tour primarily brings the band throughout New York with a heavy focus on the western portion of the state for their hometown fans.
In addition to their own shows, they’ll be sharing the stage with a handful of other bands. They play with Dustbowl Revival on June 28 at Babeville in Buffalo. They’ll join The Tenants on July 14 for a house show in Akron, Ohio on July 14. On July 22, they play the Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs with The North and South Dakotas. The Fredtown Stompers and the Buffalo Brass Machine join them on Aug. 2 at the Tralf in Buffalo. As part of the Buffalo Infringement Festival, they play alongside Swimmer, Minor Racket, Dark Matter Trio and The Funk Theory Extravaganza on Aug. 4 at Nietzsche’s in Buffalo. Nietzsche’s sees them again on Aug. 23 along with Minor Moon and Pine Fever.
Folkfaces is one of NYS Music’s 87/90 up and coming featured artists.
Folkfaces Summer Tour Dates
June 21 – Al’s Wine & Whiskey, Syracuse, NY
June 23 – 42 North, East Aurora, NY
June 28 – Babeville, Buffalo, NY *
July 6 – The Waterhole, Saranac Lake, NY
July 7 – The Monopole, Plattsburgh, NY
July 8 – Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, VT
July 9 – The Pizza Stone, Chester, VT
July 12 – Temple Bar and Grille, Rochester, NY
July 13 – The Crittenden Tavern, Coudersport, PA
July 14 – House Show, Akron, OH **
July 15 – Cobblestone Festival, Buffalo, NY
July 16 – 10th Ave. Burrito Co., Belmar, NJ
July 17 – Shrine World Music Venue, New York, NY
July 17 – Silvana, New York, NY
July 18 – Arlene’s Grocery, Brooklyn, NY
July 19 – Salt Gastropub, Stanhope, NJ
July 20 – Cabaret at Germano’s, Baltimore, MD
July 21 – TBA
July 22 – Putnam Den, Saratoga Springs, NY #
July 28 – Fiddler’s Picnic, Marion, NY
July 31 – Buffalo Infringement Festival, Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY
Aug. 2 – The Tralf, Buffalo, NY ##
Aug. 3 – Funk ‘n Waffles, Rochester, NY
Aug. 4 – 189 Public House, East Aurora, NY
Aug. 4 – Buffalo Infringement Festival, Nietzsche’s, Buffalo, NY ^
Aug. 5 – The Riverboat Bar, Alexandria Bay, NY
Aug. 6 – Junction City Music Hall, Toronto, ON
Aug. 11 – Slyfest, Sherman, NY
Aug. 20 – Nights of Fire Festival, Franklinville, NY
Aug. 23 – Nietzsche’s, Buffalo, NY ^^
Aug. 25 – Night Lights Music Festival, Sherman, NY
* w/ Dustbowl Revival
** w/ The Tenants
# w/ The North and South Dakotas
## w/ The Fredtown Stompers, Buffalo Brass Machine
^ w/ Swimmer, Minor Racket, Dark Matter Trio, The Funk Theory Extravaganza
^^ w/ Minor Moon, Pine Fever
Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue brought the N’awlins flavor to The Egg in Albany on Wednesday, June 14 to the delight of a sold out audience. Troy Andrews AKA Trombone Shorty and friends made jaws drop by their range in abilities and genres in which they proved to be fluent.
The once brass prodigy now household name, arrived on stage to a surprisingly hard rock sound with blinding lights and funky riffs from band mate Pete Murano. It was certainly not the typical “N’Awlins” intro one might expect, but added a certain level of intrigue that would continue throughout the nearly 90-minute set.
From funk to blues to R&B and soul, each song brought a new variation but with the consistent Louisiana street party the crowd came to see. Andrew’s ability to seamlessly move between trumpet, tambourine, vocals, drums and of course, trombone, highlighted the musical Renaissance Man’s many talents.
The largely middle-aged crowd was shy at first, sitting politely while bopping along to the rhythm, but it took almost no time to move them to their feet. Andrews engaged the fans with call and response vocals, and naturally handed out beads to the excited ladies in the front row.
Each of the six members of the band had many opportunities to showcase their talents. BK Jackson on tenor sax along with his brass partner Dan Oestreicher on baritone sax worked their magic as both musicians and dancers, gliding across the stage with ease while muscling through some impressive solos. Michael Baily practically did an army crawl across the stage while thudding the bass, his CamelBack strapped on only adding to his masculine charisma.
Song selections sprawled across the board including old favorites like “Where Y’At” and new songs like “Where it At” from their latest album “Parking Lot Symphony.” Andrews “took it to the bridge” with James Brown samples as he moonwalked across the stage, sending the crowd into a loud roar.
Their rainbow lights that splashed across the interior walls of The Egg served as street lamps as they paraded into the crowd to Louis Armstrong’s “When the Saints go Marching In,” a true staple of The Big Easy.
“We’re going to have to come back to Albany more often,” said Andrews to end the incredible evening.
This weekend marked the second week of the Alive at 5 concert series in Albany. This weeks headliner happened to be Average White Band much known for their songs “Pick Up The Pieces” and “Cut The Cake.” They are regarded as one of the best soul and funk bands of all time.
Despite a short period of rain, the crowd toughed it out and was a great attendance. Albany’s Victory Soul Orchestra an up and coming band opened up for the funk legends leaving a great impression at the summer concert series.
Next week’s Alive at 5 is bringing in Hip-Hop icons Naughty By Nature along with JB aka Dirty Moses, DJ Trumastr and Paul Nice. For the full Alive at 5 schedule click here.
Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend bookend the festival season, meaning many northeasterners start and end their summers at Camp Kee-Wanee in Greenfield, Mass., for the 15th Strangecreek and Wormtown Campouts.
Last week was the 15th annual Strangecreek, and the vibe was very focused around the family that had been built up over the years. Camp Kee-Wanee is the perfect spot to host this festival, with a picturesque green landscape that leads into the forest, which is cut in half by a stream running through the creek. The late night cabins make it as fun for ragers as all the kid friendly activities make it perfect for families.
The four-day fete spanned May 26 to 29 and was a hit to everyone in attendance. Aside from the rain over the first two days, the festival went off without issue, and by the time the music was done late on Sunday night, everyone was left with ear-to-ear smiles.
I wasn’t able to arrive until Friday evening, just as Consider the Source was soaring on the main stage. Prior to that, David Gans’ tribute to the Grateful Dead’s Ron “Pigpen” McKernan had fans singing the type of blues that only Pigpen could sing. Rebel Alliance and Relative Souls were prior.
At 7:30 p.m., Shakedown took over the Vernville stage to play 90 minutes of the way they interpret the Grateful Dead. It was a very nice and relaxing way to segue back to the mainstage, where headliner Badfish brought the sunny spirit of Sublime to Strangecreek. It was a welcomed surprise to boogie down to one of my favorite bands from my teenage years.
A few minutes before 11, I caught the tail end of Western Mass. group The Alchemystics and their genre melding blend of funk and hip hop.
In the Keewanee Cabin, Tweed jammed, and jammed and jammed until the early morning hours, before Skeleton Keys brought a new spin on Grateful Dead music, using two pianos to interpret the legendary catalog. West End Blend and Bella’s Bartok were the late night acts at the Wormtown Cabin.
After some late night campground shenanigans, I turned in to my tent and took a much needed rest. The cool mountain air, paired with a quiet camping area, made it easy to fall and stay asleep.
The morning started with a delicious smoothie from the Solar Cafe and a bacon, egg and cheese from an independent vendor. By the time I got to the Vernville stage, Desert Rain was wrapping up, so I wandered to the Riverworm stage, nestled in the woods, to check out Rhythmic Circus, who were the perfect complement to the fair weather.
A friend messaged me and told me not to miss The Broadcast, a three-piece group that played the main stage at 3 p.m. They brought a sort of straightforward approach to rock and roll, but mixed in some fiery soloing.
Big Mean Sound Machine, The Fritz and Ryan Montbleau were up next, before a dinner break to get ready for the band I come to see every year: Max Creek.
The four-piece band has been around since the late 1960s, and continues to innovate in the jam scene. Guitarist Scott Murawski has been playing a lot with Phish bassist Mike Gordon in recent years, and the duo’s partnership and style showed a lot during the show. Max Creek, years ago, sometimes felt like it was Murawski soloing over chord progressions, but this show featured a lot more in the ways of subtle rhythm shifts and deep grooves, which is similar to what he does with Gordon. And not to be forgotten is the Dead’s spirit, which is tattooed all over Max Creek’s live sets.
Shakedown and Zach Deputy rocked the Wormtown late night cabin, and Keepers of the Vibe and the Z3 held down Kewanee.
Sunday morning is what I’ve been looking to for a while. New York based group Cousin Earth was opening the Riverworm stage at 10:30 a.m. to bring their super unique, sometimes quirky and all-the-time fun and intricate music to Strangecreek for the first time. The five-piece band featured Joey Calfa on electric ukulele, Corey J. Feldman on a bass the size of a ukulele, Terry Brennan on vocals and percussion, Nate Searing on drums and Tara Lawton on vocals and melodica. They bring a Broadway vibe to rock and roll, and add in memories from your childhood, such as playing the Animaniacs theme song, or performing a video game medley. All in all, Cousin Earth was the most energizing set of the weekend, and I urge you to catch this band any chance you get.
The Rev Tor Band and Hayley Jane and the Primates performed on the main stage, before Bella’s Bartok took another shot at the crowd. Bella’s Bartok is quite unique, with an indy rock feel and also a singalong sort of vibe. At one point, their singer sang a song while on an inflatable couch that the crowd was making surf.
The Talking Dreads and Annie in the Water had the Vernville stage hopping, while Steal Your Peach brought the river to life.
Eric Krasno of Soulive played a set with his solo band on the main stage right around the time people were learning that Gregg Allman had passed away.
Zach Deputy, Pink Talking Fish and Pink Floyd tribute The Machine closed out the festival in grand fashion. Pink Talking Fish’s set consisted of all Phish material, adding another layer to the weekend.
From September 15 to 17 at Kee-Wanee is Wormtown, which is put on by the same people. Melvin Seals and JGB and Max Creek are the headliners. You should really plan on attending if you want to experience one of the most amazing and laid back festivals in the country.
The city of Albany kicked off its annual Alive at 5 concert series in grand fashion with Saratoga’s Let’s Be Leonard and funk from Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe on June 8. Leonard and Denson got the crowd going right from the beginning and launched the summer series properly.
Next week’s Alive at 5 has Victory Soul Orchestra along with Average White Band playing right at 5pm.
Next week’s Alive at 5 Concert brings rock and roll band The Outlaws along with The Steppin Stones. Be sure to get down to Jenning’s Landing right at 5pm to catch both acts!
Whitlock switched to piano and Carmel to saxophone for “The Captain’s Song,” “Slowdown,” and “Bell Bottom Blues.” The closer, “Layla,” took on its own life – slow and bluesy during the verses, but back up to 38rpm for the chorus. The second half of the song was performed just as God/Clapton intended, and Chess closed the song out effortlessly. In three years, Layla and Assorted Love Songs will be 50 years old – let’s hope we can see Clapton and Whitlock together to perform the one of rock’s most influential and classic albums.
Despite a short period of rain, the crowd toughed it out and was a great attendance. Albany’s Victory Soul Orchestra an up and coming band opened up for the funk legends leaving a great impression at the summer concert series.
Next week’s Alive at 5 is bringing in Hip-Hop icons Naughty By Nature along with JB aka Dirty Moses, DJ Trumastr and Paul Nice. For the full Alive at 5 schedule 
Last week was the 15th annual Strangecreek, and the vibe was very focused around the family that had been built up over the years. Camp Kee-Wanee is the perfect spot to host this festival, with a picturesque green landscape that leads into the forest, which is cut in half by a stream running through the creek. The late night cabins make it as fun for ragers as all the kid friendly activities make it perfect for families.
