NYS Music 20​17

Category: NYC Metro

  • Phish Delivers Strike Three at The Garden

    With two nights in the books, and raised expectations thanks to the lore of the “30th” show, Phish dealt a musical hand that would be hard to beat last night.  The first set played like an epic second set at points and saw an old favorite song get revamped.  The second set featured the Vermont rock stars in peak jaw-dropping improvisational form and was bookended with two of the more legendary songs in Phish canon.  And the encore was filled with thousands of fans singing the keyboardist’s favorite song before “Tweezer Reprise” ended the show in ragingly appropriate fashion. All this and it’s not even 2018 yet.

    phish the garden deliversTo the delight of many, Phish went back to its roots with a classic opening sequence of “Mike’s Song” > “I Am Hydrogen” > “Weekapaug Groove” that was once more than a regular sequence on set lists but seems to have petered out in recent years in favor of different permutations of “Mike’s Groove.”  The iconic opening guitar lick was met with a resounding roar from the crowd and the band never looked back from there. “Hydrogen” gave Lighting Director Chris Kuroda a chance to show off his mood lighting as he added a perfect visual backdrop for the moody instrumental number. No sooner had the closing notes of “Weekapaug Groove” been played before guitarist Trey Anastasio ripped into another iconic opening guitar riff – this one belonging to “Tweezer,” a first set rarity to say the least. By this time, The Garden was in full “bouncy house” mode with the ground noticeably shaking and seemingly moving along in unison with everything else.

    Following a soaring jam that touched on a myriad of themes, Anastasio huddled with Jon Fishman briefly before the drummer belted out the crowd favorite “Ass Handed.”  Before long, the entire crowd, with nothing but the house lights on, was singing along in full unison, the first of two memorable sing-a-longs this evening.  As if not to stem the energy too much, a blistering “Kill Devil Falls” followed that flowed ever so effortlessly into “Bathtub Gin” which had a majestic jam attached to it, further solidifying the second set feel to this first one.  Soon after another energized reception from the crowd, bassist Mike Gordon began soloing in what turned out to be a new take on the old school number “Brother,” with this version taking a slower, more rhythmic approach.  First set closer du jour “More” then capped off a first set that already felt like an entire show’s worth of music.

    Topping a first set like that would normally be difficult, but Phish attempted to do so with another epic jam vehicle, this one being a more traditionally placed “Down with Disease” second set opener.  The ensuing improv was Phish at their finest, with a jam that grew in scale and intensity before settling into “Steam.”  This newer song evoked memories of New Years’ past when the band used it as part of their “gag” and played it while elevated on risers.  “Light” kept the energy going in full force, highlighted by steady play and typical sound melodies from keyboardist Page McConnell. “Farmhouse” then delivered the second set “breather” song everyone had been waiting for before the set was bookended with another Phish staple, a breakneck speed, intense “Run Like an Antelope.”  With no encore even necessary after a performance like that, it did offer the crowd one last chance to join together in song via “Sleeping Monkey” before the expected “Tweezer Reprise” closer blew the lid off the world’s most famous arena…again.  Three special nights of music are now complete as Phish begins plans for its 17th show at Madison Square Garden in the year 2017.  What they have left in the tank is anyone’s guess.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Tweezer > Ass Handed, Kill Devil Falls > Bathtub Gin, Brother, More

    Set 2: Down with Disease[1] -> Steam > Light > Farmhouse, Run Like an Antelope

    Encore: Sleeping Monkey > Tweezer Reprise

    [1] Unfinished

  • Phish Break New Ground on December 29 in Push for 17 in 2017

    The members of Phish returned to Madison Square Garden for an unprecedented 15th time in 2017 on Friday, December 29, 2017, and while the first set showcased a few stumbles along the way, the band showed it’s still pushing brand new boundaries heading into its 35th year.

    With biting winds and the repetitiveness of yet another MSG jaunt, fans filled the sideways, bars and restaurants of midtown Manhattan, pre-show prepping for an unpredictably wild night. Off the bat, the band slid into the slinky intro of “Cavern,” typically a set closer. While Trey Anastasio mixed up a few lyrics, he set the tone for the evening. A lengthened “Blaze On” followed that fell into jazzy ambiance before bassist Mike Gordon leaped into his song, “555.”

    phish december 29 2017“I Always Wanted It This Way,” keyboardist Page McConnell’s tune, stretched out from 1980s-like quirkiness into a vast yet quite dark jam. “Martian Monster” and “Heavy Things” saw the band have a little fun, notably the interplay between Anastasio and McConnell in the latter. “Destiny Unbound,” somewhat of a rarity, injected a breath of life into the crowd. Stretching to nearly nine minutes, this version of “Destiny” is longer than all in recent memory, but it was clear the band hadn’t practiced it much prior.

    “Ocelot” slowly turned into a jam that featured Anastasio’s slinky fretwork, built up to a peak rife with tension. A little bit of his old school bravado from the mid-1990s was on display, dancing runs of notes up and down with little abandoned. While some fans are growing a bit weary of The Garden, Phish doesn’t appear to be among them. Launching into the set closing “Walls Of The Cave,” Phish was set to send us all to the restrooms and beer lines with a little extra pep in our steps. Anastasio had a little trouble with the intro, but he was pushed by excellent drum work by Jon Fishman, who was quietly the most important piece of the band in the set. With his extra effort rubbing off on Anastasio, Phish set “WotC” into orbit with a frenetic finish, capped off by incredible lighting from Chris Kuroda, who has incorporated seemingly every house light in the building with his rig to make for quite a stunning visual component.

    The tone was immediately set when the first strums of “Sand” echoed through the sold out Garden. Anastasio quickly made use of his new toys on his completely redesigned guitar rig. Designed by Custom Audio Electronics, the set features new cabinets and a wide array of new options for Anastasio to incorporate.

    With the “Chalk Dust Torture” that followed, the band unleashed a jam that quickly became the highlight of the night. After the typical song portion, Anastasio bullied his way into a quiet jam that really felt forced and out of place. It seemed as if they simply decided they’re going to launch a completely separate segment, which really should be titled “Chalk Dust Torture->Jam” on the official setlist. That was quickly forgotten, as the quiet melodies bled into an Allman Brothers-sounding jam. Gordon and McConnell continued forcing Anastasio to enter new territories before dissolving into what can only be described as a siren-sounding jam.

    The execution of the segue into “Ghost” was as smooth as it gets. Almost contrary to the jam before it, this “Ghost” was led in force by the rhythm section. Gordon and Fishman landed on a smooth groove, to which McConnell responded with wavy synth runs to give the jam a dreamy finish.

    “Backwards Down The Number Line” may not be everyone’s favorite song, but no one can argue that it’s about as fun of a Phish song as there is. The previous 41 minutes was Phish showing us that nothing gets stale with this band. The following eight minutes was them telling the crowd how it’s as important to the show as the band is. When Anastasio sang the closing “you decide what it contains” lyric, the people on the Chase Bridge went into pure bliss. A very quick “Simple” gave way to the drums of “Split Open And Melt.” This “Melt” was the perfect cap to a show that took a left at every right hand turn. The middle segment was eerie, haunting and quite strange. It was a dissolution into some ambient work by McConnell and Gordon, before Anastasio brought the song — and set — to a close. It was the most improv heavy “Melt” since the SPAC, 2013 version.

    For the encore, that bravado of Anastasio resurfaced. “Julius” may have been about the only predictable part of the show, but it gave Anastasio one more chance to show he’s most exciting and innovative guitarist in rock and roll today. The rocking finish was coupled with Kuroda lighting the Garden in some of the most impressive ways of his career, and that’s saying something.

    Tonight Phish goes for No. 16 at the Garden. If the first two nights are foreshadowing tonight, we are in for another gem.

    Setlist via phish.net

    Phish, December 29, 2017 Madison Square Garden, NY, NY

    Set 1: Cavern > Blaze On, 555, I Always Wanted It This Way > Martian Monster, Heavy Things, Destiny Unbound, Ocelot, Walls of the Cave

    Set 2: Sand > Chalk Dust Torture[1] > Ghost > Backwards Down the Number Line > Simple > Split Open and Melt

    Encore: Julius

    [1] Unfinished

    Phish, December 29, 2017 Madison Square Garden, NY, NY

  • A Triumphant Return: Phish at MSG, December 28, 2017

    Four long months after the final notes of the Baker’s Dozen’s “Tweezer Reprise,” Phish retook the Jell-O stage at MSG on December 28, 2017, for their “Triumphant Return” to the world’s most famous arena. If there were any doubts as to whether they could play with the intensity and passion of the Baker’s Dozen, they were abandoned almost immediately as New York was treated to a show that carried a similar magic to those of the previous run at the Garden. The only noticeable difference was the bitter cold and lack of gourmet donut wrappers on the floor.

    The band took no time getting the show on the road with a spacey ‘AC/DC Bag’ which saw Trey sitting back on the solo and letting the rest of the band organically develop a patient groove, which would foreshadow the jamming style of the night. ‘Wolfman’s Brother’ emerged out of the white lights and provided the first (of many) jam highlight of the evening. The band quickly transitioned from the classic Wolfman’s funk to a dark, murky jam that gave the feeling that you took the wrong turn down a shrunken alley on the lower east side, but there was no going back because you already devoted to making it past the sketchy brown walls and back to a world of streetlights and pretzel vendors. An early first set ‘Roggae’ broke out of the darkness and saw masterful interplay between all four band members as they reached a glorious peak that shook the garden.
    phish msg 2017

    Another first set highlight came next in the funky ‘Tube’ which saw an extended jam reminiscent of the Dick’s 16 ‘No Men in No Man’s Land.’ Trey played around with his effects to create an echoed funnel over the fast-building Mike led jam. It was brought so far into space they had to take a couple of seconds to catch themselves before fumbling back into the final verse of the song. There was so much packed into this short ‘Tube’ that I still almost don’t believe it only clocked in at just over eight minutes. A standard ‘Bouncing Around the Room’ came next and gave everyone a chance to catch their breaths before the band went right back at it with an exceptionally rocking ‘Back on the Train.’ For a while in recent years, this song played the role of keeping the energy in a setlist up without doing anything too special, but the last few we have seen has broken that mold and become must listen to first set highlights.
    phish msg 2017

    A funky ‘Your Pet Cat’ followed and kept up the energy in the room before a dark ‘Waking up Dead’ showcased Mike’s songwriting ability and Trey’s prog-rock roots in the solo. An oddly placed, but much appreciated, set closing ‘Theme From the Bottom’ followed, and quickly broke the mold from a traditional ‘Theme’ jam as the band built a peak similar to a summer 2014 ‘Bathtub Gin.’ The only other time ‘Theme’ closed out a first set was 12/13/1999. While the first set may look standard on paper, it was anything but. Nearly every song saw the band taking a risk and going off the deep end, as they have been doing all year.

    After a smile-fueled set break, the band to the stage with a rocking ‘Wilson’ which got everyone in the crowed fired up and ready to boogie. As soon as the opening notes of ‘Wilson’ began, there was a feeling in the air that the second set was going to be special, as second sets that open with Wilson are historically very strong (the last two prior to this shows were 9/6/15 and 7/27/14). ‘No Men in No Man’s Land’ came hot off the high energy ‘Wilson’ produced and catapulted the show from “Wow” to “Did that just happen?!?” The multi-part behemoth saw an array of the band’s play styles from funk to rock to space, and created soundscapes that swirled through the air from Page’s new synth, which defined the sound of 2017 Phish. Clocking in at just over 24 minutes, this NMINML is a jam that will be listened to for a long time. Out of the madness came a familiar riff as Trey transitioned into another anticipated jam vehicle, ‘Twist.’  The band took no time getting things going as they built the versatile song into a fervent funk jam which shot laser beams from one end of the garden to the other. Out of the funk peak saw a push back into darkness from Mike and Fish, which lasted for a few minutes leading many to believe they were going into ‘Steam,’ though Trey had different ideas.
    phish msg 2017

    The transition to ‘Everything’s Right’ wasn’t the cleanest, but once the vocals started it did not matter one bit. The new song has been a consistently strong jam vehicle since it’s debut, and this version was no exception, as it dissolved into a misty canal then slingshot the band back into space as they effortlessly transitioned into ‘2001.’ While this ‘2001’ didn’t really break the mold of the song’s structure, it was played exceptionally well with a little extra mustard and no (blatant) missed notes. The band was not about taking a break during this set, so what better song to cap it off with than ‘Harry Hood?’ This Hood saw a patient build with all four members contributing to the jam leading to the peak. While it wasn’t the most over the top peak they’ve played, there was on old school feel to the way Trey approached the ending solo which filled the garden with uncontrollable joy and plentiful high-fives.

    A standard ‘The Wedge’ was placed in the encore role for only the second time in the song’s history (the first being the infamous 11/14/1995 show), and just when everyone thought they were done Trey played the opening notes to “Slave to the Traffic Light” and ripped us back in. Slave is another song that will always keep you satisfied while not quite living up to the glory of it’s younger days, but this version seemed to have a little extra something in it. The jam leading to the peak showcased a band that did not want to stop as Mike, Page and Fish pushed the structure of the song to its limits while Trey held a note for what felt like an eternity and drove the crowd wild. When he finally let go and exploded into the peak it was as if 20,000 people who had just been holding their breath underwater for two minutes came up for air at once and completely let go of any control they had of their bodies. It was a phenomenal way to end an amazing show, and this was only the first night.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: AC/DC Bag, Wolfman’s Brother, Roggae, Tube > Bouncing Around the Room, Back on the Train, Your Pet Cat, Waking Up Dead > Theme From the Bottom

    Set 2: Wilson > No Men In No Man’s Land > Twist > Everything’s Right > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Harry Hood

    Encore: The Wedge, Slave to the Traffic Light

  • The Goon Squad: Ripe Make Their Debut at The Capitol Theatre

    They played moe.down this past summer, they opened for J.J Grey and Mofro at NYC’s PlayStation Theatre, they released an EP—Ripe, a relatively still new six-piece pop-funk outfit from the Boston Berkley scene, has had a year of accomplishments. This weekend was another notch, when they made a terrific debut at The Capitol Theatre on Saturday, December 16. With a couple of guest bands joining, it revealed itself over its course of the evening as a really special kind of show.

    One of these guests were Juice, a fellow Boston group of a similar musical flavor. The pairing of these two bands was perfect, as it made for a full night of uniformly bright personality and musical zest.

    Juice channeled the finessed pizazz of a Broadway production. But their material was a  mix of R&B and pop rock, that also radiated an extremely positive mood from the start. Among other strengths, like their charismatic electric violinist Christian Rose, Juice have a real vocal power going for them—something becoming less of a rarity for jam scene acts than it’s been in the past. Most of the material of their set featured at least a couple members either harmonizing or rapping improvised bars.

    If you can believe it,  the band’s banger for the night, and a topper for the entire evening, was a take on Kanye’s “Gold Digger.” It didn’t sound like such at first, but the band put a Little Feat-inspired, piano-touched funky groove behind the song that made it surprisingly heady and listenable. They finished out very strongly, with a song that they announced would be on an upcoming album: a tune that revolves around a great, gospel-inspired chorus of “Mercy, mercy.” It actually echoed the sound and feel of the more soaring section of Tedeschi Trucks Band number.

    As they started out, Ripe introduced a similar yet also unique brand of this positive-funk  Now it was something like a modern, more revamp of 80s dance pop. It also got slightly groovier in tandem with its building—as Ripe would reveal over the course of the night, they were good at taking things up from an already good level to an even higher one. By the third song into their set—which now was delivering a sound that fused The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Stevie Wonder, they’d tapped into a huge momentum already.

    Robbie Wulfsohn, Ripe’s almost dizzingly enthusiastic lead singer, had enough personality for everybody in the theatre, but there was the “it” kind of talent to back it up. To his band’s suave yet hard-pushing grooves, he stood out still as a strong point, with a far-reaching, soulful, youthful voice that didn’t let up as the night went on.

    “This is crazy,” he was panting to the crowd halfway through the set. He was no doubt addressing the surreality of the night, the fact that his still very much up and coming Boston band of friends was getting this golden opportunity to do their thing in the big, majestic space of The Capitol Theatre.

    For that golden opportunity, they were really doing it up right all night. Track after track, the components from Ripe, from the two-man horn section, to the two-man guitar team, to the dramatic builds, was combustible with energy, and radiating a concoction of confidence and gratitude. The amount of hype the entire band was clearly feeling thankfully fueled a set of more than solid playing, with strong solos from all around, and even some squaring-off-style improv sprinkled throughout.

    For the crowd that they managed to bring into the Capitol Theatre, they rocked them. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Cap’s audience absolutely ate this show up. People jumped around, they danced like they were drunk, they screamed in the middle of songs, many sang along for the entirety of the show.

    The fun boiled over at some point. Ripe’s guitarist, Jon Becker, at one point snuck away from the stage, only to reappear in amusing fashion in the presidential box above everybody’s heads. Right after this, the band invited up Christian Rose from Juice to add a few short but shiny violin rips to one of their jams.

    At the tail end of what Wolfsohn called the “final stretch” of the night, Ripe laid down a pretty remarkable, multi-segmented version of The Lion King’s “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King.” Taken through a few different waves of funk, a couple builds, and even a quick section of jazzy space that preluded a big return to the chorus, if was a keen choice for rounding off a big night of music.

    Ripe and Juice might be some names to listen for in the coming times. For all the fun and musical radiance this Capitol Theatre show brought, it certainly also came across as a rock concert equivalent to stepping up to a big plate, and knocking it out of the park.

  • NYC Venues Collaborate with Live Nation to Create New Booking & Promotions Company

    This week, the owner of Bowery Ballroom and Live Nation Entertainment announced the creation of a new booking and promotions venture called Mercury East Presents. The strategic move will allow for pooling of resources. The partnership aims to improve the delivery of high-quality entertainment to music lovers in NYC.

    This venture brings clubs and theaters owned by Swier and Live Nation together under one marketing umbrella, including Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom, Irving Plaza, Gramercy Theatre, Warsaw and Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk. Mercury East Presents plans to continue to expand the network over time and capitalize on partnerships which strengthen the city’s live entertainment industry.

    The foundation of Mercury East reaffirms our commitment to quality and streamlines production by officially uniting the venues we own and operate with our key partners,” says Michael Swier, co-founder of Mercury East, the Bowery Ballroom, the Mercury Lounge, and other venues. “The team behind Mercury East remains focused on cultivating bands throughout all stages of their success, as well ensuring audiences have a premium experience, from ticket purchase to show’s end.”

    Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge have long been cornerstones of the New York music scene. They’ve attracted the best in local, national and international talent to perform for intimate audiences at their historic locales.

    Swier and his team are the total package, delivering industry expertise, relationships, and landmark venues that
    complement the greater Live Nation portfolio,” said Michael Rapino, President and CEO, Live Nation Entertainment.
    “Mercury East is the ideal partnership, and will allow Live Nation to bring New York’s residents and visitors more
    music and events than ever before.”

    Visit the Mercury East Presents website for upcoming events at all five venues. Follow on the newly created Mercury East Presents social media sites for updates: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

  • NYS Music’s Guide to 2017 New Years Eve shows around New York State

    NYS Music combed the state, across I-90 and I-87, up into the North Country and down into the Southern Tier, and has compiled a comprehensive list of all events coming up this New Year’s Eve. Make your plans for New Years Eve 2017 and say hello to a brighter 2018! (If we missed a show, email details to editors@nysmusic.com)

    Buffalo and WNY

    Join Intrepid Travelers and Folkfaces in their Buffalo hometown at Nietzsche’s. Event Link

    2017 new years eveRing in the New Year at Buffalo Iron Works with Moon Hooch, Gnomedad & Honeycomb. Get your tickets in advance – this show is sure to sell out! Event Link

    Aqueous has a Gorillaz-themed set planned for their bash at Town Ballroom. Event Link 

    Renown Pink Floyd Tribute band The Machine will be performing at Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls. Event Link 

    North Tonawanda’s Strand Theatre has Miller & The Other Sinners with special guest Cinnamon Jones. Event Link

    Celebrate The New Year in Jamestown at Jamestown Eagles Club with the Kates Brothers Band. Event Link

    Ithaca

    Big Mean Sound Machine’s Big Mean New Year’s Eve will mean of night of getting down at Lot 10. Event Link

    Get a double dose of folk rock at The Haunt with Driftwood. Event Link

    Rochester and Finger Lakes

    Rochester’s hottest new venue, Radio Social, has a hot show planned featuring harp-playing singer/songwriter Mikaela Davis. Event Link 

    Mosh your way into 2018. Floated Magazine is hosting a hardcore show a show at Bug Jar with REPS, The Weight We Carry, Kodivk, and Bone Mask. Event Link

    Funk n Waffles Rochester: Dirty Blanket & Root Shock. Event Link 

    Anthology has two nights of fun planned. Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad plays both nights. On December 30 they’re joined by John Brown’s Body and Thunder Body. And on New Year’s Eve, they share the stage with Easy Star All-Stars (performing Dub Side of the Moon) Event Link

    Syracuse and CNY

    In Syracuse, Sophistafunk and Skunk City will rock out at Funk N Waffles Downtown. Event Link

    Or catch The Ripcords at the Fireside Inn in Baldwinsville.

    Verona – Mick Adams and The Stones at Turning Stone Casino. Event Link

    Capital District

    Throughout Albany, Schenectady and Troy this New Year’s Eve, celebrate responsibly. Call for a free cab in the Capital Region during New Year’s Eve, courtesy of Martin, Harding, & Mazzotti LLP.

    Twiddle will ring in the New Year, with a second performance at the Palace Theatre in Albany with special guest Giant Country Horns. Event Link.

    Join in on the mystique of Albany, at the Hollow Bar + Kitchens NYE Masquerade party with live music by The Late Shift, and Mirk. Event Link

    The Albany Hilton will host a NYE ’80s theme party, with music by The Refrigerators. Event Link

    A Pirate, and mermaid themed Shipwrecked party will take over The Desmond Hotel in Albany, with live music by The Audiostars, Skeeter Creek, and DeeJay Element. Event Link

    Playing With Fire Band, along with many others, will perform at Bethlehem’s First Night, in Delmar. Event Link

    Ring in the New Year at the annual First Night, in downtown Saratoga, where there will be a wide range of activities and live music. Event Link

    Vapor Nightclub at the Saratoga Casino and Hotel, with feature the biggest balloon drop in the Capital Region along with music by The New York Players. Event Link

    Motown will take over the Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, as R&B and Funk legends, The Commodores, are set to ring in the New Year in the Electric City. Event Link

    Proctors Theater in Schenectady will hold their own Motown NYE bash with music by The Chronicles. Event Link

    Soul Provider will rock in the New Year at the Rustic Barn Pub in Troy. Event Link

    The Shop in Troy, along with other neighboring spaces, will host a Masquerade party with Burlesque performers and live jazz bands. Event Link

    Hudson Valley

    Kingston’s BSP Lounge will host Rubblebucket and local organist Marco Benevento. Event Link 

    Bearsville Theater will welcome Gratefully Yours on New Year’s Eve for a night of Grateful Dead music. Event Link

    In Woodstock, check out The Big Takeover at Colony Cafe. Event Link 

    North Country

    In Plattsburgh, The Monopole will host Groovestick for all night party with some Grateful Dead added in! Music starts at 10pm and goes until 6am. Event Link

    Saranac Lake at The Waterhole will feature Annie in the Water and Nina’s Brew. Event Link

    Westchester

    Portchester’s Capitol Theatre brings in Colorado’s String Cheese Incident for 3 sets! Event Link

    New York City

    Brooklyn

    They Might Be Giants at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Event Link


    Brooklyn Bowl will host the legendary funk troupe Lettuce along with rising dance artists Jaw Gems. Event Link 

    Rich Medina presents HOME at C’mon Everybody  in Brooklyn, performing house, rare groove and garage classics. Event Link

    Soul Clap will keep the Crew Love real this New Year’s Eve with special live performances from rhythmic house duo No Regular Play and Afro-Futuristic pilots The Illustrious Blacks. Event Link

    Budos Band will hit The Knitting Factory with Evolfo and Electric Citizen. Event Link

    Bell House hosts The Rub NYE featuring DJ Ayres, DJ Eleven, Makossa Brooklyn Cookout and Prince Klassen. Event Link

    Manhattan

    Holly Bowling will perform her annual pre-show at The Cutting Room at 4pm on NYE. Event Link

    Electric Love Machine hosts a FREE pre-party at American Beauty before Phish. Event Link

    Gov’t Mule will host ‘The Rockin Mule Revue’ at The Beacon Theater, with special guests including Jackie Greene, Shawn Pelton, The Chronic Horns and The Better Half Singers. Event Link

    Gramatik throws a dance party like no other at Terminal 5 on NYE. Event Link

    Prefer Jazz to kick 2018 off? Try The Birdland Big Band at Birdland. Event Link


    Three sets of Disco Biscuits await their loyal fans at The Playstation Theater in Times Square. Event Link


    Macy Gray’s soulful voice will be singing the crowd into 2018 at Iridium Jazz Club. Event Link


    John Digweed and Tara Brooks headline a bevy of DJs at Output. Event Link

    and of course, Phish at Madison Square Garden. Event Link

    Followed by and one final Phish After-party, this one with Kung Fu, Wyllys, Jerry Lounge Experience and more at American Beauty. Event Link

  • Best of NYS Music 2017: Staff and Reader Picks for Best Venue

    NYS Music is celebrating the end of 2017 by sharing our staff and reader picks in 10 categories, and today we are highlighting the winners of the Best Venue in New York State.

    Staff Picks

    Brooklyn Steel

    This new venue in the heart of the East Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn has been quite busy in its first year of existence.  Playing host to such acts as Ween, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Turkuaz and Yo La Tengo, this 1,800 person capacity room prides itself on open sight lines and great acoustics thanks to a roof specially designed to keep in sound.  The venue’s name is derived from the previous use for this building on the corner of Frost and Debevoise streets, steel fabrication, and patrons are constantly reminded of this with a minimalist decor furnished with scrap metal.

    Owned by Bowery Presents, the similarities between Brooklyn Steel and Terminal 5, another Bowery Presents-owned NYC music venue, are unmistakable.  Both rooms have an industrial feel to them, highlighted by the standing room only viewing areas that surround the stage on both sides.  With fairly easy access thanks to the L line Subway stop nearby and featuring a room with good sound and sight lines, it’s a pretty easy prediction that Brooklyn Steel will be a staple of the city music scene before long.

    Here’s an interesting time lapse video showing the remarkable transformation of an old steel factory into a first rate concert venue.

    The Capitol Theatre

    Located just a short drive outside the city is Port Chester, home to the historic Capitol Theatre which is constantly housing first rate bands and artists.  It was originally designed and used as a theater for cinema and Vaudeville acts when it first opened way back in 1926, but it’s since been redeveloped as a music venue and has seen a wealth of musical royalty pass through its doors.  Acts like Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin, Traffic and The Grateful Dead, who played 13 gigs there in a one year span from 1970-71, all drew large crowds there back in the day just as acts like moe., The Disco Biscuits, Twiddle and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead do now.

    Affectionately known as “The Cap,” this building has all the looks and feels of a classic music hall with modern day amenities. An open floor area generally has more than enough space for concert goers, even for shows that are sold out, while the expansive mezzanine offers seats as well as additional bars upstairs. And if that’s not enough, the adjoining establishment to The Cap was bought out and turned into a bar as well, appropriately named Garcia’s. Peter Shapiro, who also owns Brooklyn Bowl, has done a nice job of refurbishing and putting the Capitol Theatre back on the map as a first rate home for live music in New York State.

    Here’s a clip of moe.’s performance from last year that gives you a little idea of the views and the usage of the walls to double as projection screen of sorts at The Cap.

    The Egg

    The last of our staff picks for best music venue in NYS is that oddly shaped building you might have seen at Empire State Plaza in Albany.  Completed in 1978, this circular shaped performance venue actually holds two different theaters inside with the 982 seat Hart Theatre being the one mainly used for concerts. Although the smaller, 450 seat Swyer Theatre that resembles more of a lecture hall than a music hall recently played host to an acoustic evening of Keller Williams tunes.

    As you would expect from observing it from the outside, The Egg has no sharp angles or straight lines inside with almost everything having a gentle curve to it, even the walls as they meet a gently concave ceiling above them.  This results in not only a relaxed atmosphere for a show, but impeccable acoustics as well. Phish’s Mike Gordon even put out a live release that was recorded here simply called The Egg.  It may not host the large, national touring acts that can fill an arena, but for a pure musical experience with pristine sound in a sit down environment, it doesn’t get much better than The Egg.

    Here’s a clip of the aforementioned Keller Williams playing piano in the smaller Swyer Theatre that gives you a taste of the sound and intimate feel of the room.

    Readers’ Pick

    Bearsville Theater

    The NYSMusic.com readers have spoken and, in a bit of a surprise, the Bearsville Theater located in Woodstock came out on top when the polls closed.  This iconic, yet quaint, music hall is located on the outskirts of town and a perfect location for an intimate evening. Stop next door at Bear Cafe for fine New American dining options before the show, then saunter next door and enjoy the warm ambiance of the lounge and bar inside, before entering the venue and enjoying the incredible acoustics of a popular venue in one of New York’s most iconic towns for arts and music.

    Stay tuned all week for more of our series of the Best of NYS Music.

  • Get Brainwashed with ShwizZ’s Quirky video for “Listen To It”

    This past week, ShwiZz released their video for “Listen To It,” a satirical song with an equally odd video that bounces around similar to the jams ShwiZz performs. Watch below.

    “Listen To It” was conceptualized and written by Ryan Liatsis and brought to life in 2017 with the band ShwizZ. The self-referential tune encourages the listener to indeed “listen to it,” over and over again. Guitarist Ryan Liatsis shared some background on the video. “The original idea was to write more of a pop song to take the band in a different direction, but of course our love for Zappa shone through and we wound up adding quite a bit of humor and satire. The song is merely a mockery of the power mainstream media has over so many minds, “telling” them all what should be listened to, whether you like it or not! We are undoubtedly not the first people or group to shed light on this matter, but our hope is that people who view this video will consider giving a listen to small time bands, music you’ve perhaps never heard and non commercial radio and media. Or perhaps we just want to brainwash everyone as well.”

    shwizz at garcia's Shwizz Listen to it“Listen To It” was directed and produced by Paul Liatsis and Bridgeside Productions out of Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, NY, and was filmed at Bridgeside Productions Studio in Nyack, NY.

    Catch ShwiZz on December 9 at B.R.Y.A.C in Bridgeport, CT, December 15 at Casa Del Sol in Nyack, NY and on January 11 at 10pm they’ll be part of a live TV performance “Raw Music Sessions,” available for viewing on Channel 79 Time Warner Cable and Fios Staten Island

  • Front Country swing through NY for 3 shows this week

    Front Country, a Roots Pop band out of the San Francisco Bay Area heads into New York this week for three shows in NYC, Albany and Nelson. NPR has recently said of these musicians “In the bluegrass world, musicians tend to define themselves by their tradition and discipline. But Front Country is defined by its no-rules approach.”

    With acoustic string instruments, the group finds a way to combined acoustic sound with pop songwriting, the byproduct being both complicated yet infectious. Their most recent release Other Love Songs has emotional songs throughout, with lead singer Melody Walker penning 8 of the 12 tracks

    “These songs follow the lessons that everyone learns in their own personal evolution toward emotional maturity and vulnerability,” says Melody Walker, “in which all of us learn to break down toxic romantic fairy tales and write our own Other Love Songs that work for real people in the real world.”

    Catch Front Country this week across New York. Thursday the 7th they’ll be at American Beauty in NYC, Friday they are at The Egg in Albany supporting Darlingside, and Saturday they play The Nelson Odeon in Nelson, NY.

  • moe.’s Rob Derhak Cancer Free

    Rob Derhak, bassist and vocalist from moe., announced on Facebook through both his personal page and the band’s page that he is officially cancer free. He was originally diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer in July.

    It has been about two weeks since moe. announced their return with two shows at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre on Feb. 2 and 3. On Wednesday, Derhak announced that, following a visit with his doctor, he was given a clean bill of health and declared cancer free. The cancer diagnosis in July had the band on an indefinite hiatus that began back in August.

    Derhak’s statement:

    Hi Friends,
    I have some good news to post today. After being scanned, poked, and prodded my Dr.’s have given me a green light. Did I kick cancers ass? No, it beat me up pretty good. But I just didn’t have the sense to go down, and eventually the cancer grew tired and hit the mat. So essentially, I rope-a-doped the dam thing. Although I’ll need to continue the Dr.’s visits for the next 5 years, they’ve given me a clean bill of health and declared me cancer free, with only a minimal chance that it will return. So thank you to everyone that was pulling for me, the support I received was instrumental in helping me get through this. I am truly looking forward to seeing everyone when I hit the stage again this February, with moe.
    Thanks from Your Pal,
    Rob

    In addition to the shows at the Capitol Theatre, moe. will return to host their Summer Camp Music Festival along with Umphrey’s McGee over Memorial Day weekend and they will be playing a show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on July 12.