NYS Music 20​17

Category: NYC Metro

  • Gogol Bordello Celebrate Release of ‘Seekers and Finders’ At The Capitol Theatre

    On August 29, Gogol Bordello stepped off from their hometown of the East Village of NYC to celebrate their just-released  Seekers and Finders album in Port Chester at The Capitol Theatre. Opening the show was Philadelphia-based punk artist Dave Hause and the Mermaids, with a similar sound to New Jersey’s Gaslight Anthem.

    Gogol Bordello’s set lived up to, and even exceeded, the expectations of their typical shows. With the energy of a club show such as the basement of Webster Hall, their sound filled the large room of The Cap as an added bonus. Gogol Bordello’s setlist included a few new tracks off of Seekers and Finders along with several of their better known songs as well as some B-sides.

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    The mainstay of their show, which is consistent from night to night, was a non-stop energy from the first song until the end of the encore with plenty of audience interaction. To open up the encore, frontman Eugene Hutz and Sergey Ryabtsev (violin) performed two songs from the soundboard with the audience sandwiched between them and the rest of the band playing from the stage.

    To cap off the night a select bunch of friends and fans were treated to a late night afterparty DJ set next door at Garcia’s from Hutz and bandmate Pedro Erazo.

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    Gogol Bordello returns to NYC for two pre-New Years Eve shows on Dec. 28 and 29 at Brooklyn Steel with some help from NYC brass band Lucky Chops.

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  • Premiere: Swedish Pop Group Akaba Releases Video for “Starfly”

    Swedish band Akaba has released their newest video “Starfly,” a collaboration with Kjahart, who used stop motion film and also created the album cover art for The Rust Within, recorded at Roth Handle Studios in Stockholm, Sweden.

    Åsa Carild tells of the song’s background “I used to sing in a band that was, for a little while, very successful. Being very young at the time it became an important part of how I defined myself. When all that faded, I was no longer who I defined myself as. The song is about the struggle with this.”
    Akaba starfly

    Akaba will release their debut album The Rust Within on October 13 and will perform at Pianos in NYC on October 14. Doors open at 6:30, with Akaba performing at 7pm.

    Akaba was born from the ashes of two other prominent Swedish Indie bands, Pineforest Crunch and Reminder. Åsa Carild, Tobias Ljungkvist and Mattias Olsson have toured extensively in Sweden playing everything from Thai restaurants to 600 seat venues, as well as touring the west coast of the United States, Toronto, London and New York City. Follow Akaba on Facebook, Soundcloud, Instagram, and tune in on Spotify or order their album on Amazon.

  • JRAD Performs Full Terrapin Suite at Fall Ball, Welcomes Stuart Bogie

    Capping off the third show of their first weekend at Brooklyn Bowl this October, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) dialed into their interpretation of the music of the Grateful Dead, with a full “Terrapin Station” suite, and welcomed multi-instrumentalist Stuart Bogie to the stage for a good chunk of the show.

    JRAD terrapinA first set that started out with an “I Need a Miracle” > “New Speedway Boogie” > “Playin’ in the Band” sequence that took the band on a 45 minute rockin’ ride, with a spacey jazz odyssey inside PITB. “Eyes of the World” featured Stuart Bogie on saxophone, aptly filling the role of Branford Marsalis on the live version found on Without a Net. Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, Tom Hamilton and Scott Metzger all took a turn at the helm, everyone steering the ship in their own way, before settling back into safe harbor. “Dancing in the Street” and “Brown Eyed Woman” closed out the set, the latter with a brief “Eyes of the World” reprise and a “Stella Blue” tease/jam at the end.

    “Uncle John’s Band” kicked off a 4-song second set with Bogie on flute, later switching to sax for “The Other One” which included jams on “Cryptical Envelopment,” “Roadhouse Blues” and “How Many More Times” before a long segue into the full Terrapin Station suite which found Bogie on clarinet for the lengthy composition. An encore of “Samson and Delilah” with Bogie once again closed out a warm, full night and enticed fans heading to this weekend’s 3-night run at Brooklyn Bowl.

    Setlist compiled by Peter Costello
    Set One: Jam -> I Need A Miracle -> New Speedway Boogie -> Playing In The Band @ > Eyes Of The World @ % -> Dancing In The Streets @ ^ -> Brown Eyed Women & -> Stella Blue Jam

    Set Two: Uncle John’s Band @#$ + The Other One @ ++ > Cryptical Envelopment Jam @@ > Terrapin Station Suite @#$ ##

    Encore: Samson & Delilah @ *

    @ – With Stuart Bogie on Tenor Sax # – With Stuart Bogie on Flute $ – With Stuart Bogie on Clarinet % – With a Marco Solo that evolved into a Marco/Tommy Duet, a DD Bass Solo & the circa 1973 ending in 7, not played since (I think) 2013-01-26 at Brooklyn Bowl, a gap of 122 shows. ^ – With “Shortnin’ Bread” (James Whitcomb Riley), “Hoedown” (Aaron Copeland) Teases (MB) and an “Inspector Gadget” Theme (Shuki Levy and Haïm Saban) Tease (Band) & – With Throwing Stones and Eyes of the World Jams / Teases (Band) + – Proceeded by a “Some Like It Hot” (The Power Station) Tease / Jam. That tune was continually referenced throughout the set. Also included a Duo Jam, and a “Becky” (Benevento Russo Duo) Jam ++ – With a “Roadhouse Blues” (The Doors) Jam, A “How Many More Times” (Led Zeppelin) Jam, a “Money” (Pink Floyd) Jam @@ – First Time Played by Almost Dead as an Instrumental, with a St. Stephen Tease (SM) and an Uncle John’s Band Tease (DD) ## – With a The Wheel Jam, a Swingtown Jam (led by MB) & a “Some Like It Hot” (Power Station) Tease * – With a “Battle Hymn of the Republic” (Julia Ward Howe) Tease (Stuart Bogie)

  • Spafford Rocks Lucky Strike Social Club

    The mall was the place to be on Sunday October 8 as Spafford returned to Albany for their second performance of the year. After making plenty of new fans opening for Umphrey’s McGee at the Palace Theatre back in January, Lucky Strike Social in the Crossgates Mall earned a spot on their massive 34-show Fall Tour. This time around, the enthusiastic crowd was treated to two full sets that went until midnight, the longest Sunday show to ever have taken place at the newer venue. Lord Electro started the night, their first time performing at Jupiter Hall, and opened the night with an EDM power trio sound, highlighted by songs like “Home” (The New Deal), “So-Laflay” and “Business,” which closed their enthusiastic set.

    Lucky Strike Social ClubThe Arizona quartet opened the show with “Simon and Lily” and “Galisteo Way” before treating us to “Mind’s Unchained” and “People.” The highlight of the first set was their bluegrass’esque cover of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Soul to Squeeze” before going into their original, “Windmill,” which had the fans clapping for more as they wandered off stage. They came back from the break with a cover of Johnny Russel’s “Catfish John” before the band soared through a jaw-dropping combination of “Dream Jam” > “All My Friends” > “Bee Jam” > “Alternate Ending” and finally “Ain’t That Wrong” to end the set. Never one to disappoint, they came out once more for a bluesy-pop encore with one of their own, “Shake You Loose.”

    Setlist
    Set 1: Simon and Lily, Galisteo Way, Minds Unchained, People, Soul to Squeeze, Windmill
    Set 2    : Catfish John, Dream Jam > All my Friends > Bee Jam > Alternate Ending > Ain’t That Wrong
    Encore: Shake You Loose

  • Such Gold Fall Tour Will Hit Up Rochester and Brooklyn

    Such Gold sets off on a month-long tour today in support of their latest release Deep In A Hole. The itinerary includes a headliner in Rochester at The Bug Jar on Oct. 13, a show at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn on Oct. 20, and a set at The Fest in Gainesville, FL on Oct. 27. The first leg of the tour takes place in Canada with 88 Fingers Louie, Belvedere, and Sled. A handful of headlining shows follow, before they join up with A Wilhelm Scream, After The Fall and We Were Sharks for the remaining dates. Tickets are on sale now.

    Tour Dates:
    Oct. 6 – The Brass Monkey – Ottawa, QC*
    Oct. 7 – Pavilion des Pionniers – St. Hyacinthe, QC*
    Oct. 8 – Velvet Underground – Toronto, ON*
    Oct. 9 – Call The Office – London, ON
    Oct. 10 – Southgate House Revival – Newport, KY
    Oct. 11 – Reggie’s Rock Club – Chicago, IL w/ Pears
    Oct. 12 – Basement Transmissions – Erie, PA
    Oct. 13 – Bug Jar – Rochester, NY – with Taking Meds, California Cousins, and Barbarosa
    Oct. 19 – Stanhope House – Stanhope, NJ
    Oct. 20 – St. Vitus – Brooklyn, NY^
    Oct. 21 – Milkboy – Philadelphia, PA^
    Oct. 22 – Shakas – Virginia Beach, VA^
    Oct. 23 – Metro Gallery – Baltimore, MD^
    Oct. 24 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC^
    Oct. 25 – Pergatory – Atlanta, GA^
    Oct. 27 – High Dive – Gainsville, FL (THE FEST)^
    Oct. 30 – Metro Gallery – Baltimore, MD^
    Oct. 31 – Lizard Lounge – Lancaster, PA^

    * with 88 Fingers Louie, Belvedere, Sled

    ^with A Wilhelm Scream, After The Fall, We Were Sharks

  • Carrie and The Cats IBC Fundraiser at Big Kahuna

    The fundraiser held on the evening of September 30 at the Big Kahuna in Huntington, NY was filled with many talented acts joined together by an appreciation of music and support for fellow musicians. The event was organized by the headlining act, Carrie and The Cats, the winners of the 2018 International Blues Challenge and are representing Long Island this January at the national competition that will be held in Memphis. TN.
    Carrie and The Cats are a ‘new-school’ blues band from Long Island, New York. They are led by the incredible talent of Carrie Lynn Wicks and feature Will “Wee Wee” Bart on guitar, Bill “Bad Bones” Hanley on  tenor/alto Saxophone, Joe Conserva on bass, and Russ Benjamin on drums. The band had its start in early 2016. It channels the soul and passion of classic acts like the Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, and Aretha Franklin, while adding a flair reminiscent of Amy Whinehouse and John Mayer Trio.
    Carrie and The Cats
    Throughout the evening there were contests held with gift baskets and raffles auctioned off, including two members of the band themselves. The money being raised is all going towards the many expenses accumulated to travel the five musicians and musical equipment over 1,000 miles from home to the Volunteer State.
    In support of Carrie and The Cats, there were performances by: The Proletarians, Good Luck Lapis, The Chris Ruben Band, Necter, and MJT.  The Cats covered such ambitious songs including ‘I Feel Good (I Got You)’ by James Brown, ‘Hit the Road Jack’ by Ray Charles, ‘Hound Dog’ by Elvis Presley, and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ by Bill Withers. The crowd danced and applauded vigorously upon hearing these tunes played. The group also had some fantastic originals mixed in that exemplified their synchronization to one another and rooted influences. The originals performed that night were titled ‘Bad Company,’ ‘All Over Town,’ ‘Groove It,’ ‘Trapped Under Ice,’ ‘Gotta’ Go,’ ‘Don’t Know How,’ ‘Cross Roads,’ ‘No Peace in Me,’ and ‘Sunny Day.’ 
    Carrie and The Cats
    One in particular, that really harnessed the group’s essence and musicianship was “Crossroads.” The song was a mid-tempo ’50s and 60’s inspired doo-wop and soul ballad with a rock edge. Guitar arpeggio, heavy sax and groovin’ beat filled the swells of the ballad. Carrie’s voice is very acrobatic, infusing controlled rasps with a beautiful high range. Her vocals resonated with the style of the king and queen of soul, as she belted and swayed to the music on stage. Bill and Will each shared the limelight with intricate and sustained power that came from their sax and guitar. Each of them soloed and improvised on numerous tracks and the audience held praise. Joe Conserva and Russ Benjamin delivered smooth backbone in rhythm support and a well mannered tempo, keeping the set running smoothly.
    Here is a glimpse of their performance during the night.

    Carrie and the Cat’s music and EP ‘All Over Town‘ can be found on all major music streaming services Spotify, Apple Music and SoundCloud.
    The group is extremely excited and grateful for the awesome experience and if you wish to help them raise money in an effort to hit their goal, you can! Donate here. Any amount helps and donations over $15 include a signed copy of The Cat’s album, opportunities to hear them perform and a chance to book them to play a full length set at any event.
    For more info visit their website

  • West Berlin Drops Music Video for Hardcore Anthem “Sun”

    Syracuse hardcore band West Berlin just dropped the music video for “Sun.” The working-class anthem clocks in at under three minutes, but packs a powerful punch. It’s the title track off their latest EP which was released during the week of this summer’s solar eclipse. Shot in classic black and white by Dalton Lampo, the video documents their recent tour and includes footage from their high-energy performances and time spent on the road.

    West Berlin is comprised of Jesse Robles (vocals), Evan Sanders (guitar/vocals), Tim Keefe (Bass), and Jordan Haynes (drums). Check out their EP Sun on Bandcamp or Spotify. They play at Amity Music Hall on Friday, Oct. 6 with I Dreamt The Sea, Weary Travelers, Here/Now, A Light Winter, and Ü Blue. Follow West Berlin on Facebook for the latest on news and events.

  • Grateful Dead Musical Opens This Month

    An off-Broadway Grateful Dead musical based around the lyrics of Robert Hunter and the music of Jerry Garcia opens later this month.

    “Red Roses, Green Gold” opens at New York City’s Minetta Lane Theater in Greenwich Village on Oct. 29. The musical features music and lyrics by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia with additional music provided by founding members of the Grateful Dead Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bob Weir. Keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, who played with the “core four” founding members for the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead and currently plays with Weir, Hart and Bill Kreutzmann in Dead & Company, will provide musical supervision and arrangements for the musical.

    “Red Roses, Green Gold” is the third musical written by Michael Norman Mann that takes inspiration from the music of the Grateful Dead. The musical is directed and choreographed by Rachel Klein, director of “The Anthem” and “Around the World in 80 Days.”

    From the website: “This new musical set in 1920s Cumberland tells the fantastical and comical tale of Jackson Jones and his family of swindlers as they gamble their way to love and riches.”

    Tickets for “Red Roses, Green Gold” are on sale now. Previews begin Oct. 11.

  • Hearing Aide: The Other Brothers Debut EP ‘Jones’

    Everyone, at some point, dreams of being in a band. Everyone who is in a band, dreams of achieving ultimate success. Some bands spend years in musician purgatory, putting forth albums, riding the in-between waves of small victories within their genre and trying to come to terms with if they’ll ever break through to fame or if the future remains with sold-out hometown shows. The Other Brothers, while still managing similar questions of their own, have showed relentless passion and drive to come out on top over the years, despite the lack of tangible music, until now.

    Trading in hometown gigs for Capitol Theatre collaborations with Theo Katzman and Joe Dart of Vulfpeck as well as slots on festival bills, The Other Brothers have quickly hopped amid their own neo-soul totem pole to the top. Beginning as a New Paltz quartet in 2012, the six-pack made up of the flavorful Chris Owens (lead vocals), John Morrison (guitar), Jordan Mendelson (bass), Brandon Bera (drums), Gabriel Marquez (keys) and Jared Nelson (percussion), constantly performed to friends and family while hitting up the town bars and cafes, quickly making their name known and earning the gold star achievement of local favorites. Fast forward five years and the high-talent sextet have finally compiled a five-song, debut EP, Jones, ready to bestow a plentiful stew of soulful R&B, funky, rock and roll genres onto new listeners.

    Adorned with a simple cartoon drawing of a burnt orange beanie, Jones offers up a fusion of sound from the very first track. The EP kicks off with “A2W,” or better known as “Addicted to Weed” and if you’ve had the pleasure of catching The Other Brothers live, you’ve noticed it’s quite the crowd pleaser, evoking smiles around the room. The song’s theme is centered on playful lyrics about tokin’ and jokin’ as listeners are lead into Jones with a head-knock worthy drumbeat and funky bass line. Owen’s launches into a narrative of all things that have been blown off because of his unwavering marijuana morale. His deep and smooth articulations are perfectly supplemented by the sultry back up vocals of Mary Corso which make a second pop up later on the release.

    Lyrics like “Used to make me laugh, now I just wanna quit” and “get a full-time job and maybe a car” allude to the crossroads many people come to–when to shake a certain comfortable lifestyle in hopes of shifting into a different one or how to make both worlds coexist. The end of the song finds a rap breakdown filled with inner thoughts about giving up personal addictions while guitar aficionado Morrison dives into a funky segue with a build up and climax of heavy, mind-altering psychedelia. The EP quality is top-notch as Jones was recorded to tape, mixed and mastered by David Andersen at Art Farm in Accord, NY and Sound City Studios in Los Angeles.

    “Can I Get It” quickly follows as the second track of the EP, with pronounced drum-circle percussion by Nelson and Mendelson’s bass hook stealing the show in the midst of a dance-party anthem that awakens all senses. The lyrics, while repetitive and straight-forward, aren’t meant to be the highlight of the track. Rather, they state exactly what the band will do as vocal growls and embellishments unleash before wrapping back to the song’s theme of  “We’re gonna funk you up, gonna funk you down!”

    An abrupt ending welcomes another fan favorite “Hit You Up” ft. The Other Brothers’ companion Wavy Cunningham. Taking a slower R&B approach to track three, silky smooth vocals and Marquez’ assistance on the keys come to the forefront of the tune before Cunningham steals the mic for a quick rhyme, appropriately placed smack dab in the middle of the track. Owens truly displays his powerhouse singing chops as the song nears its end with high-hitting notes, running scales and impressive falsetto.

    Up to this point, the EP has offered slower, smooth arrangements and dance-centered tracks until “Your Machine” comes as the funkiest tune off of Jones, immediately placing you in a time machine to their enchanting Disc Jam 2017 performance. An unmistakable groove first grabs hold of your ear as odd time signatures, soaring guitar licks and swift tempo-switches keep you attentively listening to the very ending note. The guitar-wailing track collectively showcases all member’s talents and even ends with a stellar outro that tantalizes a full spectrum of sentiments.

    “Cave In” is delivered as the EP’s 5th and final track, giving off a stimulating and inviting arrangement to tap your toes and swing your hips to. The dreamy vocals enter into airy falsetto, unmistakable growls and even add jazzy scatting into the mix for a nod to yet another wall of sound. “I’m gonna hide inside this groove, baby, until I get back to you” perfectly depicts the soulful and emotive themes the ending track delivers.

    Before The Other Brothers even released their tunes in any capacity, they shared the stage with Vulfpeck giants Theo Katzman and Joe Dart at the famed Capitol Theatre, sold out their EP release party at American Beauty in NYC on September 30 and tore up their festival slots and summertime gigs. Taking the frontman’s signature hip sways and energetic bops across the stage out of the equation, the debut places focus on the band’s music alone–solidifying what most already knew. Owens may act as the mitochondria of The Other Brothers cell, but each of the members carry out their own complimentary duties to craft their ever-morphing sound.

    With eclectic and effortless transitions between a broad horizon of styles, The Other Brothers don’t allow themselves to be labeled as a one-genre group, if anything, they’re simply contagious. Instead, they master a collection of ballads and soul-soothing soundscapes leaving their exploration and further projects open to directions of all kinds.

    Celebrating their first official EP, a release party will take place at American Beauty in NYC on Sept. 30 at 8PM. Keep your eyes peeled for impending fall tour dates that will be released prior to the show.

    Key Tracks: Your Machine, Cave In

  • Ferocious Funk: Rich Bomzer Project

    Funk and jazz improvisation was served up at the Big Kahuna in Huntington, Long Island, when members of the Rich Bomzer Project took the stage to close the night with an electrifying performance!
    Rich Bomzer ProjectThe lineup on the night’s gig consisted of Rich Bomzer on tenor sax, Eric Frost and Christian Crawford (trumpet), Annie Mclean (vocals), Tj Adorno (guitar/rap), Colin Dooman (bass),  Evan Sundquist (keyboard, vocals, computerized sound effects), Angel Lau (percussion) and Alex Aitken (drums).
    The group truly showed their skills as both instrumentalists and vocalists. Some members demonstrated extreme versatility by switching from lead guitar and keyboard on one chart, to lead vocals and rapping in another. They touched on all corners of great classic genres from Motown to rock followed by jazz ballads and R&B. All songs were infused with heavy horn hits and ferocious tenor sax improvising.
    The set list included hits from Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, and Rolling Stones. Amongst those hits were original compositions written by Rich Bomzer himself. Some songs by Bomzer performed that night were filled with such expression and memorable phrasing, namely: “Everything Is Gunna Be Alright,” “Never Felt Like This Before,” “The Dank” and “Feel You.”
    While watching the band’s performance, their strong stage presence and synchronization could all be felt. This major attribute is rooted in their tight sound and mutual melodic style. Rich Bomzer Project is full of energy and expression; they do what they love with ease. The band’s unique sound and flair emulates their musical influences.
    For music by the Rich Bomzer Project, listen to their recently released EP titled Last Night that can be found on apple music, iTunes, Spotify, and Soundcloud.