Sometimes some of the most unusual pairings become the sweetest combinations. That is exactly what happens when you combine Grammy award winners Bruce Hornsby and Ricky Skaggs. Ten years ago the two came together by happenstance and after discovering how appealing this union was, their marriage of sounds continues to please all that have the opportunity to hear it.
Collaborating on a combined album ten years ago fittingly named, Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsbythey debunked all nay sayers who insisted the piano and bluegrass combo didn’t gel. With breakneck upbeat tempos on piano, Hornsby keeps the fire going as Skaggs shreds the mandolin and guitar with lightning speed. Finishing up their spring tour at the Turning Stone Showroom on Sunday, March 5, Skaggs, Hornsby and their band Kentucky Thunder wowed the crowds from start to finish.
Kentucky Thunder, Skaggs’ tour band, includes Paul Brewster (tenor vocals, rhythm guitar), Scott Mulvahill (bass, bass vocals), Russ Carson (banjo), Jake Workman (lead guitar), Mike Barnett (fiddle) and Dennis Parker (baritone vocals, guitar). With front men Skaggs and Hornsby leading the surge, the sound explosion rocks the crowd each and every time they hit the stage. The songs chosen for the setlist showcased the skills and talents of each and every one of them. This group performance had the feeling of a mountainous jam session despite the bright lights of the Showroom. The packed crowd couldn’t contain themselves as they clapped and moved in their seats with each tune all night long.
As the show ended and the crowds dispersed, those who stuck around had the ultimate pleasure of meeting the legendary Ricky Skaggs. Hornsby who unfortunately had a flight to catch couldn’t stay, but Skaggs took the time to sign and take photographs with each and every fan. I couldn’t help but fangirl over this legend. Growing up outside of Nashville, the music of the Opry and the stars that shine brightly on that stage become part of your culture. They are family, and Ricky Skaggs is a patriarch to that family. To meet this legend was huge. It was the grace and humility demonstrated by Ricky Skaggs that evening that proved that country music is more than just music, it’s the common thread that unifies us. In this chaotic life we lead, to stop and enjoy music as we did this evening is what it’s all about.
Setlist: How Mt. Girls, Toy Heart, Bluegrass Breakdown, Darlin Corey, The Way It Is, Spoon, Ceili, I’m A People, Blue Night, Columbus Stockade, 20/20 Vision, Sally Jo/Maggie, Uncle Pen, Rawhide. Encore: Heard My Mother
Syracuse-based groove rockers Boogie Low have a hometown party planned for the release of their new eponymous album at the Westcott Theater Saturday March 18.
Photo Credit: Nicole Carey Photography
Opening for Boogie Low Saturday night are fellow Syracuse-area natives, Barroom Philosophers, who are also promoting a new release. Tickets for the show are $10 and can be purchased at Sound Garden in Armory Square or online through the Westcott Theater’s website.
The quartet first formed as the Boogie Low Trio in 2011. Founding members Tommy Dennis (bass), Loudon Smith (guitar/vocals) and Brandon Caza (drums) used a reggae-tinged sound reminiscent of Sublime and other Long Beach, CA bands of the early ’90s as a base. The band ditched the “Trio” from its name when it brought on guitarist Matthew West in 2012. The band parted ways with Caza in 2013 and was replaced by Brandon Au, completing the band’s current lineup. Other contributors to the new album include Ray Wiggins on drums, Ty Hancock on keys and Josh Alaniz, also on keys.
The new album, simply titled Boogie Low, has influences ranging from the aforementioned Sublime to Santana, moe., Umphrey’s McGee, 311 and Calexico. This range of influences allows Boogie Low to create its own distinct sound that encapsulates all of them.
Smith’s vocals are rhythmic, soulful and smoky, while West’s western-style guitar solos wouldn’t be out of place on a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack. This is especially prominent on the tracks “Mexico,” “Eldin” and the band’s signature jam vehicle “Shadows,” which closes the album. Wiggins’ drumming and Au’s percussion work is what keeps this train moving. Their beats are at the forefront of Boogie Low’s sound. The accents Wiggins and Au provide help to propel the rest of the band to the next level. One can easily feel the jamming possibilities in a live setting being propelled by the percussion.
The CD was produced at SubCat Music Studios in Syracuse by Jeremy Johnston and mastered by Patrick MacDougal. The band credits Johnston as being the captain of the ship from start to finish. Physical copies of the album will be available at the Westcott Saturday night or directly through the band’s website. Following the show, the album will be available through iTunes, Spotify and on Pandora.
Track list:
1. Mexico
2. Eldin
3. Back to Nothing
4. Better Way
5. Colas in the Sky
6. Annie
7. Miss Bliss
8. Tommy’s Song
9. Walk On
10. Mckenna
11. Shadows
Key Tracks: “Mexico,” “Colas in the Sky,” “Shadows”
On Wednesday, March 8, Syracuse celebrated the spirit of Jerry Garcia in spectacular fashion with help from Melvin Seals & JGB at the Westcott Theater. The intimate evening began with the Upstate NY native band, Los New Yorkers. The four-piece consisted of three middle aged men and one woman that hopped from one instrument to the next. The feel-good and upbeat originals reminded me of something that might get chosen as the theme song for a 90’s sitcom on TGIF. Members not only switched back and forth from guitars, washboard, drums, keys and bass but each member also brought their own original song to the table. While most lyrics consisted of life-changing events, their love for New York State and generic happy moments, Los New Yorkers did not ignite that Jerry spark that many Deadheads in the crowd were seeking. If I ever hear this band again, it will probably be while I am buying cotton candy at the New York State Fair because that is exactly how it made me feel.
Word has spread up and down I-81 about a Scranton-based bluegrass group known as The Dishonest Fiddlers, and the quartet did not disappoint. This collection of traveling ramblers were chosen by Dave Brown, founder of the band, who swaps artists for every show, making the “About Page” on their Facebook profile dishonest. The unique idea of taking musicians from different parts of the country allows Brown the freedom to mix it up at the drop of the hat and the pluck of a string. One downfall of never having the same band twice is that practice time is limited, therefore they are often forced to fight for space backstage.
At The Westcott Theater, the foursome found themselves practicing in front of the men’s bathroom line, which welcomed them with clinched legs and open arms. The first song of their actual set was dedicated to the “new friends in the bathroom line” as they channeled the folkie side of Garcia with a beautiful, “Rosa Lee McFall.” The remainder of the seven-song set consisted of all originals and the crowd seem to genuinely enjoy every minute of it. As the room began to fill up for Seals and JGB, Brown was hoping to elicit some crowd participation during “There Ain’t Enough Water in the Water” which was minimally responded to, at best! As couples locked arms and rowdily stomped their feet, The Dishonest Fiddlers’ time was up and Brown thanked the Central NY crowd for their support during the band’s first ever visit to Syracuse. For the sake of bluegrass music, I hope they return to the Empire State very soon.
Now past 11:00pm, fans were finally ready to embrace Melvin Seals & JGB and it was well worth the wait! Aware of the time, the crowd let it all hang out as the group opened with a funky jam sequence leading into “After Midnight.” While the famous Eric Clapton version of the classic fast-paced hit clocks in under three minutes, Seals kept this monster jamming for over 15 minutes! While on the topic of iconic rock-n-roll, The Beatles were gently sandwiched in the middle of the Jerry-influenced “Midnight” jam as “Eleanor Rigby” made its appearance as it regularly did in the late-70’s and early-80’s. The “Fab Four” from England were also covered during the next song of the evening, “I Want to Tell You,” which once again featured Zach Nugent filling in for Jerry on vocals.
After the smoking hot start to the show, “When I Paint My Masterpeice” peacefully calmed the audience down and was highlighted by Nugent paying tribute to Garcia with his delicate and passionate playing. “Neighbor, Neighbor” featured strong backing vocals from Cheryl Rucker and Shirley Starks, and on the night of International Woman’s Day 2017, the crowd was thoroughly glad to have these lovely ladies in their lives. In the heart of the set list, the Garcia/ Hunter gem, “Mission In The Rain,” somberly described a lost soul searching for redemption and where Nugent’s vocal abilities fell below Garcia standards, his guitar solo was sorrowful and spot on. The playful and gospel-influenced “Evangeline” lifted everyone’s spirits after the emotional “Mission” before the bluesy “Think” featured yet another powerful vocal collaboration.
Bassist, John-Paul McLean, exchanged smiles and notes with Seals during the classic R&B cover of “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” and to the delight of Deadheads in the room, Starks and Rucker pointed to the audience while they sang the chorus. Love had captivated the audience throughout the entire show, but especially at the end of the evening when they transitioned from “Somebody to Love” to “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You.” Seals introduced the band and gave one more stellar B-3 organ solo during the extra sweet version. Although the show ended past 1:00AM on Thursday morning, the band was not ready to say goodbye to their loyal fan base as Seals & JGB hung out by the merchandise table to chit chat with ticket holders.
Seals has spent over 30 years in the spotlight mesmerizing audiences with his swirling keyboard-synth magic, but he is still the humble, welcoming, and sincere man he was when he first met Garcia. As a child of the 90’s I have never gotten to see Garcia play live. Although I have listened to thousands of hours of recorded material, read numerous books and stared at videos on Youtube until my eyes were blood shot, I never had the opportunity to be a part of the touring community that was cherished by millions. Thanks to bands like Melvin Seals and JGB, fans like myself and long-time fans alike can come together and share love, smiles and gratitude with their sisters and their brothers.
The Dishonest Fiddlers Setlist: Rosa Lee McFall, My Brand New Jalopy, There Ain’t Enough Water in the Water, Steve, Sam’s Cigar, The TV Store, Steamtown Blues
Melvin Seals and JGB Setlist: Jam, After Midnight*, I Want to Tell You, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Neighbor, Neighbor, Mission In the Rain, Evangeline, Think, Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You
Frigid cold temperatures never hinder the die hard in Syracuse when it comes to their Irish traditions. Pushing through the cold and bitter day, warm smiles lined the streets March 11, welcoming the parade marchers and cheering them on with warm hearts and perhaps, just perhaps, libations to keep the edge off. Although only one third of the normal turn out attended the parade, it’s final destination at the end of the day was a fully packed ballroom at the beautifully restored Marriott Downtown where they welcomed The High Kings.
With a few more days remaining on the U.S. leg of their Grace and Glory Tour, the High Kings ramped up an already festive crowd with traditional Irish tunes. Playing all of the crowd favorites together with some new tunes from their latest Grace and Glory album, it didn’t take long to incite the crowd to clapping, singing, and dancing along. Their interactions with the crowd extended to the dance floor from which they invited a local musician who happened to bring his fiddle to join in on ‘Whiskey In The Jar.’
These multi talented musicians (Darren Holden, Finbarr Clancy, Brian Dunphy, and Martin Furey) have racked up an extensive resume on their own, but it’s the harmony of the four together that makes these gentlemen magical. Their traditional folk sound depicts stories of their culture and emotions of generations that have persevered. Their harmonies blend beautifully to transport you to the lands they sing of.
With two stops in New York still on the schedule, the folks in New York City know how special these gentlemen are and have sold out that show, so don’t miss your chance and get your tickets to their final NY performance at The Egg this week in Albany. You will not be disappointed as you celebrate your St. Patrick’s Day festivities kicking off the week with The High Kings.
Remaining U.S. Tour Dates: March 12 – City Winery – New York, NY United States SOLD OUT March 14 – The Egg – Albany, NY
March 15 – Live at the Kate – Old Saybrook, CT SOLD OUT
March 16 – Municipal Auditorium – Morganton, NC
March 17 – Music Box Supper Club – Cleveland, OH SOLD OUT
March 18 – Kirtland Center for Performing Arts – Roscommon, MI
March 19 – City Winery – Chicago, IL SOLD OUT
It’s March and it’s time for the 2017 NYS Music March Madness, Round 1! We bring together 64 up and coming bands from across New York State for a friendly tournament style competition throughout the month of March for readers to discover new artists who call New York home.
These are 64 bands you might not know about, but should. Recommended for inclusion in our field of 64 by NYS Music staff, contributors and readers, we hit every corner of New York State, from Long Island to Buffalo, The Catskills to the North Country and all points in between. NYS Music March Madness is a great way to discover a new and upcoming band in your area and show your support and love for bands you see often. We focus once again this year on the bands who are on the cusp of greatness. There was only room for 64 but we made some great choices and picked a wide array of genres to bring to you this year.
We’d like to thank our regional sponsors The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, Nietzsche’s Buffalo, The Downtown Barn and Castle Studio. These small businesses represent the best of what New York State has to offer and celebrate music while inviting local and touring bands to perform for growing local scenes across the state.
First Round voting begins at 10AM EST on Monday, March 11, and closes at midnight on Wednesday, March 13. Second Round begins at 10AM EST on Thursday, March 14 with the remaining 32 teams. Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!
The Syracuse Area Music Awards, affectionately known as the SAMMYS, wrapped up its 25th edition Friday, March 3, 2017 at the Palace Theater in Syracuse with a brief performance from freshly inducted Hall of Famers moe.
Ahead of Saturday night’s show at the F Shed, moe. closed out the two-night affair with a three song set of “Tailspin,” “Spine of a Dog” and “Buster.” Friday night’s awards ceremony, hosted by veteran Syracuse DJ and staunch supporter of the local scene, Dave Frisina, featured awards in 18 categories, including three People’s Choice categories, and performances by four Syracuse area bands, reflecting the broad range of styles and talent found in and around the Salt City.
The SAMMYS is the brainchild of Frank Malfitano and now under the care of Liz Nowak. In 1993 Malfitano created the celebration of area music for an event at the Landmark Theatre. The event changed venues several times over the years before finally settling on the grand old Palace Theater on James Street in the Eastwood district.
The festivities began with the Hall of Fame dinner Thursday night, upstairs at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. The Dinosaur has been one of Syracuse’s premier music venues since opening on Willow Street in 1990 and was a fitting venue for the honors and stories that filled the room.
This year’s inductees were Mohawk Valley via Buffalo jamband moe., pioneering new wave singer/guitarist Meegan Voss, 70s blues rock artists Jukin’ Bone and singer-songwriter Paul Case. Also being honored were Anthony and Patricia DeAngelis for Music Educators of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Vincent Falcone. It was a night that had the feel of a class reunion. Hugs and excited shouts from people who haven’t seen each other in years mingled with stories of years’ past in venues no longer around.
The inductions and awards ceremonies were hosted by Dave Frisina, a 1994 SAMMYS Hall of Fame inductee, long-time Syracuse radio personality, champion of local music and self-professed band dad. His son, Mike is a member of Syracuse-based band Simplelife. Most, if not all, of those in the room have dealt with him in some way throughout their career. A man like Frisina is what every music town needs. He is local music’s strongest advocate and has the platform for it at his current station 105.9 The Rebel.
Induction and acceptance speeches were filled with anecdotes and inside jokes. Though, most in attendance, were on the inside of those jokes. Memories of broken down vans, vanished venues and bad decisions peppered the speeches. It was the talk of well-worn musicians who have dedicated their craft not to become famous, but simply to play. To the outsider, it was a look at a scarcely seen side of the working musician.
The first honor of the night was for Educators of the Year. Husband and wife, Anthony and Patricia DeAngelis, two area music teachers were honored for their decades of influence on local musicians at Syracuse University, Colgate University, LeMoyne College, the Lyncourt School and Onondaga Community College. They were inducted by their well-spoken and surprisingly laid-back granddaughter Olivia.
Voss was inducted by her husband and band-mate in the Verbs, drummer Steve Jordan. In her acceptance speech, she pleaded to “Save the clubs.” Case, visibly touched at the recognition for his long career avoided revealing too much of past days on the road, “My kids are in the room.” He lavished praise on fellow musicians in the room, including Jukin’ Bone member Joe Whiting as well as the master of ceremonies.
Case, sporting a black tux and pronounced the Best Dressed in the Room by Frisina, closed his acceptance speech saying, “You get up. You drive to the gig. You set up. You play your ass off. You tear down. You drive a million miles home, week after week, month after month, decade after decade. You do it for the music.” He then dedicated his award to the late Bob Fleming of the Mossback Mule Band, who passed away in September.
Accepting for Jukin’ Bone was Whiting, Mark Doyle and John DeMaso. Discussing the problems of being a young band, Whiting offered a piece of advice, “I would recommend not signing contracts under the influence of anything distilled or brewed, made in a laboratory or passed around and smoked,” eliciting loud laughter from the audience.
The final inductee of the night was moe. Al Schnier spoke first in accepting the honor, speaking of all the Syracuse area venues spent taking in shows as a fledgling musician. Schnier lauded promoters such as Chuck Chao of Creative Concerts, who inducted the band, thanking them for shaping who they became as musicians:
We came here as kids to see concerts Chuck (Chao) was promoting. They made us fans. Whether it was Driving Sideways or the Todd Hobin Band or the New York Flyers or 805; these were the bands we looked up to as kids. They could have been the Allman Brothers or the Grateful Dead; they were the same to us. You guys were rock stars.
Drummer Vinnie Amico attributed the band’s style to its Upstate New York roots, “We all wear our hearts on our sleeves. We all kind of have this style, this thing we do, because of where we’re from. We’re blue collar, baby. We work hard, we play our music that way. There’s an edge to our music and that’s a testament to Upstate New York.”
“The Oddities of the World” – the SAMMYS Hall of Fame Class of 2017
On Friday, 54 artists were nominated among 13 Syracuse Area Music Awards categories. Sprinkled in among the awards were performances by several of the Syracuse area’s finest musicians, representing genres ranging from blues rock to country, rap, alt-rock and jam. There is definitely a varied and vibrant scene in Central New York.
Emcee Dave Frisina kept the event lively and loose, often interacting with presenters and winners as they approached the microphone. Best Jam Band winner, Joe Driscoll, affectionately referred to the host as a jedi to laughter from the crowd.
The performances throughout the night revealed the depth of talent in the area. The Ripcords opened the night accompanied by the Boneyard Horns. They ripped through three bluesy/tex-mex style songs, kicking off the night in a celebratory fashion. Unfortunately, just as they seemed to be letting loose, their set was over. You can get a taste of what the Ripcords have to offer at their ReverbNation page here.
Best R&B recipient Alani Skye had several family members in attendance and received perhaps the most vocal and joyous reception to a win. Her win for Don’t Forget About Mewas never in question for the vocalist as she accepted the award.
A performance by rap artist Curtis “Tall Bucks” McDowell and the Brownskin Band followed. The rhythm section of the Brownskin band mixed equal parts jazz and funk behind McDowell’s rhymes. A guest appearance by Syracuse rapper Real Tall for the song “Solar Radiation” had elements of early ’90s era Leaders of the New School collective.
The reality of life as a working musician came to light when Lauren Mettler was awarded the SAMMY for Best Folk. After an awkward pause waiting for the recipient to make her way to the stage, her brother made his way up to accept. In his speech, he stated how he had just texted her and she was still on her way to the theater. So, as any good brother would do, he stalled for time as she made her way down the aisle, peeling her coat off as she ran towards the stage.
Mettler mentioned how she had just gotten out of work and was trying to get to the theater as quickly as possible, even though she never thought she’d win. Such is life for those looking to make a go of it in the music industry. Everyday jobs sometimes throw hurdles at you along the way. Mettler was genuinely surprised and pleased with her award.
One of the night’s cutest moments came when the award for Best Hip Hop/Rap was awarded to World Be Free for the album Nigg@$ to Gods. He was on the West Coast touring and couldn’t attend the ceremony. As his family accepted the award on his behalf, his young son took a turn on the microphone as his dad’s public relations manager, exclaiming, “My dad has CDs for ten dollars!”
Country artists Chris Taylor of the Custom Taylor Band plead with the audience to get up and dance along to their performance. A funky “Keep Me in Mind” slowly drew the audience to its feet and a rousing rendition of the Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” easily won over the crowd.
The Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist was awarded to Funk ‘n Waffles regulars, reggae-soul band Root Shock. This presentation seemed to be the biggest crowd pleaser of the night as fellow musicians and fans alike rose to cheer their win.
Previous Bourke Award winner, the Spring Street Family Band took over the Palace with their high energy alt-rock performance that even had a band member’s dad jumping up on stage to take video with his phone. Their performance brought the audience to the stage, turning what was a somber awards ceremony into a full-fledged rawk show with a funk-metal-alt sound reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine or Faith No More.
The ceremonies concluded with the awarding of the People’s Choice SAMMYS. Over 110,000 online votes were tallied in categories of Best Band, Best Live Venue and Best Festival or Music Series. The New York State Fair wrapped up the venue and festival categories with their representative thanking all of the venues in the area for supporting the live music that becomes a part of the fair each year.
The award for Best Band went to Cortland-area country band, Small Town Shade, who also won the SAMMY for Best Country Performance for the EP Ring it Up.
moe. wrapped the SAMMYS with a lively three-song set that included “Tailspin,” “Spine of a Dog” > “Buster.” Schnier commented about the lack of curfew at the venue and suggested they keep playing until they are thrown off the stage. To the disappointment of many, Schnier apparently as well, the lights came on at the end of “Buster,” bringing a close to the two-day celebration of Syracuse area music for another year.
Best Jazz: Second Line Syracuse, Second Line Syracuse Best Other Category: Syracuse Society for New Music, Music Here & Now Best Folk: Lauren Mettler, Patchwork Best Jam Band: Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate, Monistic Theory Best R & B: Alani Skye, Don’t Forget About Me Best Pop: The Jess Novak Band, Inches From The Sun Best Americana: Driftwood, City Lights Best Blues: Tas Cru, Simmered and Stewed Best Hard Rock: Breaking Solace – Shatter the Silence Best Alternative: Bell & Sgroi, Bell & Sgroi Best Rock: King Chro and the Talismen, King Chro and the Talismen Best Hip-Hop/Rap: World Be Free, Nigg@$ To Gods Best Singer/Songwriter: Alanna Boudreau, Champion Best Country: Small Town Shade, Ring It Up EP
Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist: Root Shock
People’s Choice Awards were conducted in an online poll for three categories. Over 110,000 votes were tallied. The winners were:
Favorite Band: Small Town Shade Favorite venue to see live music: Chevy Court at the New York State Fair Favorite festival or music series: The Great New York State Fair
moe. closed out its Syracuse residency Saturday, March 4, with a scorching show at the F Shed. A show that featured a hot first set, a second set “Kids” sandwich and three-song encore.
The above referenced residency had moe. spending a few days in town being feted by the Syracuse Area Music Awards as inductees into that organization’s Hall of Fame, along with a three song performance at Friday’s award ceremony. Saturday was the culmination of a great weekend of music in the Salt City.
The frigid night began with guitarist Chuck Garvey’s monotone greeting, “Welcome to the hockey rink. Are you ready to rock? I said, ‘Are you ready to rock?’ I can’t hear you. Are you ready to rock?” As he fiddled with the tuning knobs of his Fender Stratocaster, he proclaimed, “I’m not quite ready to rock.” The lackluster delivery of a standard arena rock tone gave an ironic insight to the night’s proceedings. moe. – and Garvey – were, in fact, ready to rock.
The F Shed is one of the more unique venues on the live music circuit, as it is literally a shed. Located in the Regional Market on Syracuse’s north side, the market provides not only a venue for live music, but a year-round location for farmer’s markets and flea markets. Garvey’s hockey rink reference isn’t a far stretch. One could easily see a set of dasher boards and red and blue lines being a part of this facility. With outside temperatures hovering in the zero range, the indoor temps seemed just slightly warmer upon entry. Thoughts of an impending hockey game weren’t a far stretch.
The show opened with a boom, boom, boom, as the band busted into “Crab Eyes” from Wormwood. The song had a heavy Garvey/Jim Loughlin presence, which set the tone for the remainder of the night. The band dipped into its early 2000s catalog of songs featuring Garvey’s vocals and Loughlin’s percussion often.
The first set was segue after segue as the band whirled through “Threw It All Away” and a rare moe., version 1.0 run-through of “Funky Reuben” before seamlessly moving back into “Crab Eyes.” The nearly all-segued first set continued with Garvey leading the way out of a spacey “Silver Sun.” “Akimbo” closed the solid first set, finally allowing the near capacity crowd to catch its breath.
Following an extended setbreak, the band kicked into a low-key “Moth” to usher in the second set. moe. kept it mellow as Rob Derhak’s familiar bass intro to “Kyle’s Song” segued out of “Moth.” Garvey’s mid-song solo kicked up the pace with the crowd following suit.
Throughout the night, the lights incorporated the industrial sized ceiling fans into the scenery, creating a scene reminiscent of Willy Wonka’s ‘Fizzy Lifting Drink.’
The opening notes of “Kids” ripped open a box of crazy that resulted in a “Kids” sandwich to wrap up the second set. “Down Boy” set a funky tone into “Hector’s Pillow” and “Bring You Down” before settling back into “Kids.”
After a quick break, Al Schnier returned with his usual slate of al.nouncements. Offering a cheers to the crowd with a can of Utica Club, Schnier ran through engagement announcements and show numbers from various fans as well as a tease of moe.down’s return to Snow Ridge Ski Area this summer.
An energetic encore began with the slow swirling build up of “Wind It Up,” with Loughlin’s mallets working overtime. The closing chorus turned into a sing-along as lights lit up the inside of the shed. The crowd-pleasing “Nebraska” followed with nearly all in attendance joining in.
moe. has often used classic rock staples as show closers. Tonight was one of those times. The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” has been tackled by many but moe. seemed particularly equipped to replicate the synthesizer opening using Loughlin’s malletkat and guest violinist Nick Picciccini from Floodwood tackling the signature solo with ease.
“Baba O’Riley” ended the night on a high note. The entire night capped off a three-day celebration of moe. as hometown heroes following the band’s induction into the Syracuse Area Music Awards (SAMMYS) Hall of Fame on Thursday and a performance at the awards ceremony on Friday.
Seeing moe. perform in their home area creates a great homey vibe that reveals a fondness of their roots as a blue collar jamband from Central New York. At this point in their storied career, moe. is playing with an energy that is still infectious to the long-timers yet finds them gaining new fans along the way. The return of moe.down to its original location in the Tug Hill can only add to what could end up being the peak year in the band’s career.
Setlist:
Set I: Crab Eyes > Threw It All Away > Funky Reuben > Crab Eyes, Captain America > Rise > Silver Sun > Akimbo
Set II: Moth > Kyle’s Song > Kids > Down Boy > Hector’s Pillow > Bring You Down > Kids
After going on what seemed like a forced hiatus after it’s 20th year anniversary due to various reasons, K-Rockathon makes its triumphant return in 2017 at the Lakewood Amphitheater on July 19, as they mash-up with Korn’s “The Serenity Of Summer Tour,” with some minor alterations.
First thing Central NY fans will notice, is that the festival has moved to the Lakeview Amphitheater from it’s usual stomping grounds at Chevy Court, inside the the New York State Fairgrounds.
After 20 festivals, and last year’s hiatus, it looks like K-Rockathon, will shed is numeration, and replace it with the current year the event takes place.
K-Rockathon’s Wednesday, July 19 date also means that the festival will not take place on a Saturday as in year’s past.
So far, K-Rockathon features a much smaller lineup than usual, with only five bands performing instead of twelve, but more bands should be added down the line according to the radio stations Facebook page. Syracuse’s K Rock falls in line with what many other radio stations have been doing over the years when trying to organize bands for a one day festival. Each year it seems to be getting tougher for promoters and organizers to put together these type of events for fans, so it only makes sense for local radio stations to put their name on a show, and promote what they feel will be the hottest tour for their genre for that said year.
Slated to appear at this years K-Rockathon will be headliners Korn, Stone Sour, Skillet, Yelawolf and DED. Korn, Stone Sour and Skillet are all supporting new music on this tour.
Korn released their twelfth studio album The Serenity Of Suffering, on Oct. 21 2016. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200.
Stone Sour’s sixth studio album, Hydrograd, will be released in June of 2017, just in time for the upcoming tour.
Skillet released it’s tenth studio album, Unleashed, on Aug. 5 2016. The album reached number thre on the Billboard 200.
Tickets go on sale to the general public March 10, with ticket prices slated at $74.50, $54.50, and $25.00. VIP packages are also available.
On a frigid Saturday night in the early part of March, many brave New Yorkers left their cozy warm homes and made their way to the Homer Center for the Arts to see a band called Scythian. Known to many bluegrass, Americana, and Celtic fans, this high intensity band had yet to cross my path. I was anxious to see what they were all about.
Currently based out of the Washington, DC area, they personally describe their style as Celtic, gypsy, Americana, and punk; and I believe that’s a pretty accurate description of their eclectic sound. With a history of eastern European ancestry, bluegrass influences of their region, and love of Celtic music, the blend is seamless and energy highly intense. With fiddle, accordion, bass, penny whistle, percussion and guitar to name a few of the instruments to accompany, they quickly escalated the heat in the room. It took them no time at all to get the crowd to their feet in the beautiful venue that once was a church. Dancing in the isles outside the pews and in the balconies, the packed crowd stomped and clapped and danced the night away.
With brothers Alex and Dan Fedoryka, Nolan Ladewski, newcomer Fritz McGirr, and Thomas Pillon filling in for sister Larissa Fedoryka, this band demonstrated their multiple musical skills, charming personalities, and energetic stage presence throughout the entire evening. All night long I couldn’t tell who was having more fun, the band or the audience.
With a six-year absence from the area, Scythian was warmly welcomed back to New York on one of the coldest nights around, and I personally hope their return is much sooner as they now are one of my favorite live bands to see. Scythian, where have you been all my life?
Set 1: Lagan Love, Scratchbox Reel, My Son John, Wisemaid Set, Paint This Town, Gypsy Fiddle, Hey Mama Ya, Go Lovely Rose, Drums of Belfast, Jump at the Sun, Road to Galway, New York Girls
Set 2: Far Away, New Reel, I Will Go, Stop the Show, End of the Street, Leaving of Liverpool, The Ocean, Danny Boy, Same Old Man, Plackets, Girl Named You, Caeli, Dance All Night, Those Were the Days
This Wednesday, March 8, Melvin Seals & JGB will return to The Westcott Theater in Syracuse. The “Keepers of the Flame” are no strangers to Central New York, having played the same venue less than six months prior and every year since 2012.
The folky Dishonest Fiddlers as well as Upstate’s own Los New Yorkers are opening for Seals and his band, so fans can expect a little bit of everything on this upcoming hump day. The Syracuse show is the third stop in the Empire State this tour, following their Friday night performance with special guests Ron Holloway and John Kadlecik at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester and the Tuesday night gig at the Buffalo Iron Works with Pink Talking Fish.
Melvin Seals and JGB continue to show their love for New York as they return to the Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs on Saturday, March 11 and the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock on Sunday, March 12. The different bills feature eclectic opening acts from all over the Northeast, so prepare for something unique and special to happen at every show.
Tickets for Wednesday night’s show at the Westcott Theater are still available and the remainder of the tour dates can be found here.
Word has spread up and down I-81 about a Scranton-based bluegrass group known as 
Now past 11:00pm, fans were finally ready to embrace Melvin Seals & JGB and it was well worth the wait! Aware of the time, the crowd let it all hang out as the group opened with a funky jam sequence leading into “After Midnight.” While the famous Eric Clapton version of the classic fast-paced hit clocks in under three minutes, Seals kept this monster jamming for over 15 minutes! While on the topic of iconic rock-n-roll, The Beatles were gently sandwiched in the middle of the Jerry-influenced “Midnight” jam as “Eleanor Rigby” made its appearance as it regularly did in the late-70’s and early-80’s. The “Fab Four” from England were also covered during the next song of the evening, “I Want to Tell You,” which once again featured Zach Nugent filling in for Jerry on vocals.
Bassist, John-Paul McLean, exchanged smiles and notes with Seals during the classic R&B cover of “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” and to the delight of Deadheads in the room, Starks and Rucker pointed to the audience while they sang the chorus. Love had captivated the audience throughout the entire show, but especially at the end of the evening when they transitioned from “Somebody to Love” to “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You.” Seals introduced the band and gave one more stellar B-3 organ solo during the extra sweet version. Although the show ended past 1:00AM on Thursday morning, the band was not ready to say goodbye to their loyal fan base as Seals & JGB hung out by the merchandise table to chit chat with ticket holders.
The Dishonest Fiddlers Setlist: Rosa Lee McFall, My Brand New Jalopy, There Ain’t Enough Water in the Water, Steve, Sam’s Cigar, The TV Store, Steamtown Blues
With a few more days remaining on the U.S. leg of their 
