NYS Music 20​17

Category: Regions

  • Phish Goes Coconut: Night 1 of The Baker’s Dozen

    The buildup and anticipation for Phish’s 13 night ‘Baker’s Dozen’ run at Madison Square Garden hit a fever pitch on July 21 as the band kicked off the first of 13 shows with a coconut theme, free donuts, free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and a show full of surprises and deep jams with excitement stoked for the next 12 shows.

    phish bakers coconut

    Having not repeated a song during the first 5 shows of the run, heavy speculation among fans pointed to no repeats this run, with the band working new songs and side project covers into the rotation early. Alongside this was a ‘Coconut’ theme tonight, which was also the flavor of Federal Donuts handed out for free inside the venue this evening, all setting the stage for 12 more themed nights of donut flavored musical fun.

    “Shake Your Coconuts” debuted to kick off the run, an energetic tune with lyrics inciting the crowd to get moving, “Just keep on dancing now / Just keep on getting down / Just keep on having fun / This party’s just begun.” “Martian Monster,” “Timber Ho!,” and “555” raised the funk factor with “Pigtail” and “Halfway to the Moon” barely mellowing the crowd. Cheers grew throughout the peaks that came out of these longer than usual versions. The phenomenal duo of “Reba” > “Moorage Daydream” threw a dose of early 90’s old school jamming with an arena rock level drive to each. “Walls of the Cave” closed out a set that raised the bar for the 25 sets to follow. All throughout, Chris Kuroda’s new light rig took on a life of its own, floating above the band and adding another layer to the already stellar light show.

    The 16 minute “Tweezer” that opened up the second set grew patiently into an expansive jam, shifting into “Seven Below,” serving as a one-two punch to crank the second the set gears. “Billy Breathes” and “Sparkle” let the audience catch their breath for a moment before a TAB song “Everthing’s Right” took a spin for over 11 minutes and jammed nicely, fitting into the second sets of this tour more than any other debut thus far. A peaking “Slave” and “Suzy Greenberg” seemed to cap the set, but that was done with a cover of “Coconut” (the ‘Lime in the Coconut’ song by Harry Nilsson) done barbershop quartet style with Mike stealing the show. “Mango Song” and “Good Times Bad Times” paired perfectly with the two rocking sets that preceded.

    trey bakers dozen

    Tonight’s theme has been announced as Strawberry, and we’re not far from Central Park. Strawberry Fields Forever, anyone?

    Setlist via Phish.net
    Set 1: Shake Your Coconuts[1], Martian Monster, Timber Ho! > 555, Pigtail, Halfway to the Moon, Reba[2], Moonage Daydream, Walls of the Cave
    Set 2: Tweezer > Seven Below > Billy Breathes > Sparkle, Everything’s Right > Slave to the Traffic Light, Suzy Greenberg,Coconut[1]
    Encore: The Mango Song, Good Times Bad Times
    [1] Phish debut.
    [2] No whistling.

  • Feeling Love at Camp Bisco Music Festival

    Camp Bisco has become the premier electronic music festival in the Northeast (RIP Mysteryland) and continues to showcase the talents of rising jamtronica, EDM, DJ and jam band acts throughout the weekend while host band The Disco Biscuits play 6 sets for their fervent flock of fans who love to make it a point to attend the Scranton, PA festival year in, year out.

    camp bisco music festivalThe weekend got off to a hot start on Thursday with two NYS artists, Turkuaz and Break Science, dropping some funk on opposite sides of the venue, each to a widening crowd as their set progressed. In Electric City, Gramatik put forth a politically charged set that featured strong support for Net Neutrality with graphics supporting the fight for a free and open net roadcast throughout much of the set behind Gramatik. The crowd cheered on the sentiment, one that affects anyone who streams music, let alone uses the Internet. When the Disco Biscuits hit the stage, the crowd was amped up for the first of six sets this weekend, kicking off with a triple-decker “Astronaut” that included “Run Like Hell” and “Digital Buddha” inside. “Reactor” > “Portal to an Empty Head” (inverted) > “Reactor” followed, raising the bar as the set continued and capping the sole set of Thursday with an apropos “Home Again.” Griz meanwhile kept the crowd dancing late with infectious future funk and electronic that complemented the Biscuits and Gramatik perfectly, kicking off the weekend in the perfect way.

    Friday started with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong on the Above the Waves stage, but given the immense rain that came down in the middle of the night, some fans were drying out before getting wet with PPPP while others said ‘funk it’ and headed down to throw down with Baltimore’s finest and Manic Focus shortly thereafter. Beats Antique’s mystic gypsy affair wowed a curious crowd on the main stage at Electric City, warming up the audience for Disco Biscuits who played a nearly nonstop set, working a “Munchkin Invasion” around “Orch Theme,” “Voices Insane,” and an inverted “And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night.”

    Amid all the music the first half of this day was the 12th annual Camp Bisco Color War at the Lazy River, pitting Biscuits fans against Bassnectar fans in a friendly competition that featured volleyball, limbo, a spelling bee, a bacon-off featuring delicious bacon-infused concoctions, water slide races and a scavenger hunt to cap the day off. Purple Reign ruled the day once again, but all four teams – Greenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bassheads 808 and New World Orange – put in a valiant effort in an all too-close race surely to bring out the competitors next year with an even greater desire to bring home the trophy.

    camp bisco music festivalThe Biscuits kicked off their second set with “Solstice,” not played since May of 2007 and threw in “Spacebirdmatingcall” with “Gangster” worked in between. Out of “M.E.M.P.H.I.S.,” a perfect song to keep energy flowing, was a jam that drifted into an instrumental version of Prince’s “Controversy,” perhaps an homage to Purple Reign’s victory earlier in the day, but quite possibly one of the biggest surprises of the weekend thus far. Bassnectar’s set followed and drew an immense crowd to Electric City, with fans standing on seats and throwing down in unison as Lorin’s hair and hands flowed across knobs and laptops, creating a tremor of music that didn’t stop for 90 minutes. Late night on the Above the Waves stage, Twiddle welcomes Tommy Weeks from Sophistafunk to the stage for “Latin Tang” and Aron Magner for “Mamunes The Faun,” with Shpongle following behind for a hillside packed to the top for one final throw down of the evening.

    Saturday at Camp Bisco proved to be the best day, weather wise, of all three days. And with three sets of the Disco Biscuits punctuated with Pretty Lights Live Band, The Floozies and Action Bronson, loyal fans seemed to save some energy for the headlining events.

    The Werks alter ego “Werktronic” delivered a stellar set at the Above the Waves Stage on Saturday afternoon. The band sported white bunny suits, the kind you’d see workers wearing in a clean room at NASA. The electronic set was the perfect match for Bisco. A somewhat harder jam band with synthesized dance beats and auto tuned vocals meant rage time for both swimmers in the wave pool and dancers on dry land. Coming off his earlier set with Electronic Beethoven, keyboardist Todd Stoops sat in, adding even more flare to the unique set.

    Bisco enthusiasts, while leaning toward electronic music, are also fans of rap, good rap. Enter Action Bronson on the Electric City Stage. The former chef turned rapper delivered a larger-than-life performance. Seemingly everyone in the crowd knew the words and enthusiastically spouted it out right along with the Fuck, That’s Delicious TV personality. During “Acting Crazy,” the energy both on stage and in the crowd could have blown the tent top off that pavilion.

    camp bisco music festivalBack over at the Above the Waves Stage, Escort worked the crowd with their charismatic front woman Adeline Michèle. Her rainbow sequined shorts caught the eye of many as she popped and locked all over the stage, pausing only to occasionally pick up the guitar. They concluded their set with fan favorite “Cocaine Blues,” a song sampled by many bands in various genres.

    Just like a ping pong ball, we bounce back once again to the Electric City Stage just in time for The Disco Biscuits’ first set of the day. More hip-hop was incorporated in this set, opening with “Caves of the East” with the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song teased in before slipping into “Loose Change.” “Bernstein and Chasnoff” sandwiched an inverted and enthusiastic “Highwire” and “Tempest” before the set ended with “Mulberry’s Dream.”

    On Saturday, The Floozies duo finally got a chance to play together at Montage Mountain. Last year at The Peach Music Festival, The String Cheese Incident’s Jason Hann filled in for drummer Mark Hill whose wife had just gone into labor. While that set was enjoyable and impressive given the last minute throw-together, fans got the full Floozies experience at Camp Bisco. The brothers take sampling to another level while adding their own live guitar, auto tuner and drums intermittently. The crowd came alive with endless beach balls and totems for songs like “Pimp Juice” and “Funky Jesus.” Cats in outer space with laser beam eyes danced across the screen behind them while a fan in the crowd proudly waved a handmade flag with the words “Fuck Trump” scribbled across it.

    camp bisco music festivalBack to the hosts, The Disco Biscuits, for their second set of the day and fifth of the weekend. Opening with “Morph Dusseldorf,” they moved into an inverted portion of “Above the Waves.” Their newest song, “The Champions,” ended with guest guitarist and friend Tom Hamilton who helped usher in the phenomenal cover of Bob Marley’s “Exodus.” The set then circled back to “Above the Waves” and “Morph Dusseldorf” with a confetti cannon raining paper on fans during the climax of the morph jam.

    Pretty Lights Live has moved away from the funk and towards the darkness, as shown by their performance Saturday night. The majority of the set sounded as though Derek Vincent Smith and friends were striving for the most epic, apocalyptic sound they could put together, which does work if that’s what you’re into. The live band mixed in with the prerecorded music allows the group to keep each show unique. Notable songs included unreleased tracks such as the cover of Run DMC’s “It’s Tricky” as well as “You Get High.” While impressive in its own right, there seemed to be a divide on the satisfaction within the audience. Avid PL fans seemed happy with the new direction while others felt the wind taken out of their dance sails.

    The sixth and final set from The Disco Biscuits began with a thank you from Marc Brownstein to the fans, workers and crew at the festival. It truly is impressive the amount of planning and logistics that goes into an event of this size. The reggae seemed to carry over from their previous set with a dub version of “Mindless Dribble” that lead into a jam heavy “Helicopters” and then into a never-been-played instrumental cover of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love.” The kaleidoscope of lights along with the familiar tune was fuel for the crowd who seemed to turn up the energy level on this last night of Bisco. “Tricycle” and “Air Song” came next before returning to a climatic “Helicopters” to end the set.

    Brownstein once again thanked the fans and took one more family Camp Bisco photo with the fans. The cheers of the crowd then drew them back in for one more, encoring with “Spraypaint” to end the weekend.

  • Outlaw Music Festival Takes Over Syracuse Lakeview Amphitheater

    As a convoy of tour buses pulled in and parked along the water’s edge at the Lakeview Amphitheater for the fourth show in as many days, they prepared to unload and set up for the  final  performances of the weekend. A night of Country, Americana and Rock was on tap as the Outlaw Music Festival had arrived in Syracuse and Lakeview was ready to rock the crowd. The top outlaw was the one and only, legendary Mr. Willie Nelson.

    outlaw festival lakeviewBringing a few of his closest outlaw friends along, the crowd met Nashville newcomer Margo Price as well as rock stars Sheryl Crow and My Morning Jacket. This balmy day was lining up to be one epic sunny Sunday that was soon would become a highlight of this gal’s summer. As the gates opened at 3 pm, the winding line that had extended clear out to the bus drop off area quickly moved this eclectic mix of concertgoers into the venue to find the perfect spot on the lawn or their seats under the pavilion area.

    Beginning the evening was Margo Price. This Nashville newcomer was dressed like a true country legend herself in sequins and fringe. As she began to sing, her truly twangy, country voice dazzled the crowd with a classic country style. A bit of a cross between Dolly Parton and Carrie Underwood, it took no time at all to win over the audience and set the stage for those to follow.

    Next up was Sheryl Crow.  A petite firecracker of a woman, this larger than life musician owned the stage and the audience from the get go. Singing and playing both new music and crowd favorites, she amazed with her unbound energy and talent. Sharing stories about her children, it was obvious that motherhood suits her and completes her life as they ride around this summer on tour with her.

    As the sun began to set on Onondaga Lake, My Morning Jacket took the stage.  A new band to some and an old favorite to others, I have to admit I was categorized into the first of the two groups and was curious.  From the moment Jim James began to sing and the band began to play, I was hooked.  Was it the mysterious look he conveyed with his Johnny Cash suit and Ray-Bans, or was it the sultry tonality of his voice that hooked me?  A mix of the two, I do believe. Their style and sound is not anything I’m accustomed to, as it doesn’t fit neatly into one genre.  This rainbow of tunes melded together to create truly unique music that pulls you in like a Pied Piper.  Shooting the first three songs of a set, a photographer generally goes to town to get as many photos during that time frame in order to optimize the chances of capturing a new and unique photo. For me, something different occurred.  I found myself lowering my camera throughout the allotted time and capturing the sounds of the moment versus the sights of the moment. Perhaps MMJ was considered a new band to me originally, but I definitely left considering them an old favorite.

    Finally, the main outlaw that everyone was there to see was taking the festival stage at Lakeview.  Arriving to a standing ovation, it was beautiful to see how Willie is so loved by young and old.  This man’s music spans generations and represents special moments in so many lives over the decades, including mine.  Living in the moment must be a way of life for Willie; he just celebrated his 84th birthday this year. Taking the stage is a family affair as he was joined by his son, little sister and friends and band mates for years. He did not skip a beat and his playing skills were beyond impressive. As he strummed tune after tune on the beat up autographed guitar he’s had forever, you could only wish this well worn and loved instrument could tell us the stories it’s witnessed over the years!

    Throughout the night, Willie played hit song after song.  Whether it was hits of his own or covers from others, the crowd could not get enough.  Included in this set was Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia On My Mind,” Willie’s tunes “Whiskey River,” “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” and, of course, the crowd’s favorite tune that he wrote together with Merle Haggard,”It’s All Going to Pot.”  It was easy to sing along with Willie to songs such as Toby Keith’s “Beer For My Horses” or  Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Looking,” “Jambalaya” and “Move It On Over.”  Patiently awaiting and hoping to hear my favorite, Willie didn’t disappoint as he played Brenda Lee’s “Always On My Mind.” Speaking for most, I can remember times associated with these songs and I took this trip back together with Willie as he performed them all.

    Closing out the weekend of Outlaw Festival events at the Lakeview Amphitheater, it was a definitely a treat to check off a bucket list item in seeing Willie Nelson in person.  Add the opportunity to see all three opening acts along side Willie and, yes, I definitely felt like I won a musical lottery.

  • Showmanship and Vocals: How to Spend a Summer Night in Saratoga

    If you were smiling in Saratoga on Wednesday night, you were probably at the Performing Arts Center singing along to Post Modern Jukebox and Straight No Chaser.

    PMJ took the stage to “All About That Bass,” performing the familiar tune in a jazzy 1940s style. Complete with costume, dancers, and instrumentation, PMJ didn’t disappoint fans of the well-loved YouTube sensation.  While the songs were from today’s radio, anyone listening could’ve sworn we were transported back in time to radio days of our grandparents.

    Group member Ariana brought the laughs, and sultry energy, as she sang, danced and introduced each song. The group brought out Demi to tap while Casey crooned to “Umbrella,” complete with a costume of yellow raincoat and umbrella. Demi then gave as close to a burlesque show as possible as she sang to “It Wasn’t Me,” and brought the laughs with self-deprecating jokes.

    The big moments of the night, though, were stolen by Kenton, a small Asian man who pulled off Nine Inch Nails “Closer” with unexpected energy. Joined on stage by Ariana and Dani, Kenton jumped, gyrated and sang a shockingly charged version of the well-known song.

    Casey’s rendition of “Creep” was the only thing that could follow such a performance. He crooned and laughed at himself initially, only to later bring the crowd to its feet with his vocals. Barely needing a microphone, Casey belted out “Creep” with possibly the most talented vocals of the show.

    Straight No Chaser followed the zany PMJ with more traditional energy and vocals. Noticeably more focused on harmonizing while wearing their matching summer suits, the group opened with “Sweet Dreams” with a nod to “Make Your Hands Clap” mid-song.

    Band members graciously demonstrated the different vocal parts of an a cappella group, for those who were unfamiliar, joked with audience members and learned the history of the group’s college origins. The singers played around with musical lyrics, performing “Straight No Chaser: The Musical” to the amicable crowd.

    Straight No Chaser demonstrated professional cohesion and musicianship, and also a joyfulness to quality music that comes from sharing best-known songs from across all genres. From pop music to country, the group offered something familiar for everyone to sing and dance to.

    All and all, it was a fun night out for fans of the non-traditional cover groups.

  • Photo Gallery: Foreigner and Cheap Trick Bring Rock Back to SPAC

    It might have been a Tuesday night in Upstate New York on July 18, but the music was loud and people were dancing. Saratoga Performing Arts Center was fresh off a two-week stint with the NYC Ballet when Foreigner, Cheap Trick, and Bonham rolled into town to blare good old rock ‘n roll throughout the famed amphitheater and perhaps equally infamous ‘lawn.’

    The night was full of hits from the 70’s and 80’s, Jason Bonham brought his Led Zeppelin Experience to the stage to perform his father’s classic hits “Ramble On” and “Whole Lotta Love” along with a slew of Zeppelin songs that even the ushers were singing every word.  Followed up by the self-proclaimed, Greatest F’ing Rock and Roll Band, Cheap Trick put on their usual stellar and high energy performance.  The headliner was Foreigner and 40 years has taken a bit of a toll on the band with only Mick Jones remaining from the original members.  That didn’t stop them or the crowd to rock their socks off with an endless stream of favorites.

    The night ended with a special encore involving the area’s own Mayfield School Chorus on stage with Foreigner.  Something those kids will remember for the next 40 years.

  • Interview: Escaper Unleashes Space Funk on Planet Earth

    Since last year, Brooklyn-based Escaper has been offering listeners a medium through which to contemplate the most practical methods for farming space worms. Or finally realizing that astronauts can create aliens by giving birth in space, or that there are so many cats on the internet because dog people go outside. Either way, Will Hanza of Escaper (bandleader/guitarist) took a moment to reflect on the creative spirit of making music that facilitates the contemplation of life’s most important questions.

    Photo Credit: Brian Edward of Sobokeh

    Ally Dean: The band members in Escaper have collaborated with a highly impressive assortment of musicians. Does Escaper come first for all band members? Is it a challenge for members to juggle this band with other collaborations and projects?

    Will Hanza: We are all proud of our past accomplishments, for sure! Scheduling is tough for any band, but we manage pretty well. There is a lot of creative opportunity surrounding each player, which is terrific! We all support each other’s other projects, which is really fun. Doing so only helps—rising tides raise all ships, and all that. One of the nice things about Escaper is that it was specifically designed to be a band where each member is able to be completely themselves, as players. For each of us, the band is a conduit of free expression, which I think lends itself to the higher levels we are able to get to as a team.

    AD: What do you think people most often contemplate as their minds wander to distant places under the melodic gaze of your music?

    WH: Fun question. We do try to make transportive music. Hopefully, there are no constraints to where the mind wanders. Maybe it’s something transcendental and thought provoking. Maybe it’s, “pizza vs. tacos?” or, “why don’t cats like to swim?” Regardless, our duty is to move ourselves when we play, or we have little chance of moving the listener.

    AD: Do you form your own meanings for what the songs represent or do you prefer not to assign specific meaning to them?

    WH: The songs have taken on some meaning and ‘vibe’ as they have developed. Being an instrumental album, it is certainly more open to interpretation. That said, we call our song titles our one shot at “lyrics.” The songs and titles have developed into their own story line. The journey of escaping confinement is allowing one to be oneself without barriers, and only then is one truly able to unlock all doors and open themselves to many different realms. In the end, our hope is that the listener is able to find their own meaning in all of that.

    AD: Skeleton Key is your first album together. Have you all had separate recording experience before coming together for this?

    WH: Yes. We’ve all recorded/been part of other albums. All separately, except Will and Jay, who were both on the Kalen & the Sky Thieves album, Bluebird (also on Ropeadope). Johnny Butler was an original member of Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds and recorded with them. He also has credits with Beyonce, Randy Jackson and others. Adam Ahuja was also on the Ropeadope roster with his band The Flowdown before joining Escaper.

    AD: I read that you guys laid each track down in one take. Is that because you all had an exact goal and executed it perfectly on the first try, or because this style of music lends itself to a little flexibility and you could afford to have a little creative freedom, while still feeling satisfied with the end result?

    WH: A little bit has been lost in translation, as far as how we made this album, so this is a good chance to clarify how we went about our process. We recorded most of the album together in one day in the studio. We all played together, simultaneously, while isolated in different rooms, but with windows so we could see each other. This enabled us to best capture the synergy of playing live. Instead of layer upon layer, we all played together, lending the ability to also play *off* of each other, and inspire each other in the moment. Lift each other up in the moment. While a couple of tracks had some light layering for some orchestral effects, for the most part what you hear is the 5 of us just playing with each other at the same time. The music definitely lends itself to the flexibility of “how do we feel right now,” which we absolutely wanted to allow for in the studio.

    AD: As of now you have a few dates booked in July and just a couple in the Fall. Are you hoping to add more dates in support of the new album or are you not trying to tour too extensively just yet?

    WH: Oh yes. We had a great release show in NYC back in May and have played Brooklyn Bowl a couple times since the release. We’ve played around the northeast, from New England to Virginia. The late July/early August dates are mostly in New York state! We’re excited for the pre-Phish show at American Beauty in NYC on July 26. We’re also excited to be returning to some Hudson Valley favorite spots; July 28 at Snug Harbor in New Paltz, NY and August 4 at Olive’s in Nyack, NY. We haven’t released all of our Fall schedule yet, which will include a couple more festivals and bunch of dates in the northeast, in particular. We’ll continue to fill out our schedule for Fall, Winter and beyond! With the next album currently being recorded and mixed (and due for release in a few months), we’ll be on the road quite a bit. Stay tuned!

    Upcoming Tour Dates:
    7/21 – New Haven, CT – Pacific Standard Tavern
    7/26 – New York, NY – American Beauty NYC
    7/28 – New Paltz, NY – Snugs
    8/4 – Nyack, NY – Olive’s

  • Sub Rosa Recording Sessions Offer Unique Experience

    Every third Sunday of each month since 2013, SubCat Music Studios in Syracuse hosts their Sub Rosa Sessions. Session #41 on July 16, 2017 was hosted by Amanda Rogers, who invited Mike Powell to perform as the featured artist. These evenings consist of thirty or so people joining the performers in Studio A at SubCat. The entire session is recorded, attendees have a meet and greet afterward and enjoy drinks and snacks before they head home with an exclusive CD copy of the performance. The intimate setting in a first class recording/production studio provides a unique experience for the listeners and the musicians as well. Much of the stage banter was cut to allow for as many songs as possible to make it to the final disc, but it was that banter that helped connect the audience to Rogers and Powell.

    Amanda Rogers performed original songs on a singularly decorated Yamaha keyboard. Her vocals ranged from whispered words to powerful jabs at her lyrics. The setting was perfect for Rogers, as her songwriting deserves to be carefully heard, not ignored as background music, as other solo artists sometimes experience in local clubs and taverns. Rogers began with “Bag of Bones” and “Blue,” the latter from her upcoming release Heavy Blue, currently being mastered at SubCat. She joked that her on the spot setlist might end up in alphabetical order. Rogers made that idea more difficult when she followed up with “Walking,” from her most recent recording, the 2014 double album Wild. A highlight of her set was “Stranger Days,” in which Rogers croons, “I’ve got scary visions, I’ve got deep, dark decisions, I’ve got stranger days up ahead. And I ain’t no gypsy rambler, ain’t no homecoming queen, I’ve still got aching for my twenties, I could’ve been stuck there in between. I want to face these stranger days I got coming, but…my mind’s still running.”

    Mike Powell took the stage in front of about three dozen fans, friends, family members, and studio employees who were treated to the first ever Sub Rosa Sessions pre-show parking lot tailgate party, hosted by the ubiquitous Sue and Larry Powell. Powell appeared with his familiar right-hand man, guitarist John Hanus, also a member of Powell’s recently formed full band project The Black River, whose debut album is expected to be released later this year from Rising Feather. Hanus supplemented Powell’s songs with melodic riffs, accent notes, and slide guitar stylings on his well-worn Fender Telecaster. Powell began the evening playing an enormous orange Gretsch guitar with Bigsby vibrato, later switching to a resonator guitar, before finishing his set with a red, white, and blue Harmony Buck Owens American model acoustic guitar that seemed fitting for Powell’s masterpiece tribute to a fallen serviceman, “21 Rounds.” It is easily Powell’s best known song, and those in attendance are now the only ones who have that song recorded on CD.

    Powell spoke of the tendency as a songwriter to like your latest songs the best, offering one of his newest tunes, “Poison Diamond,” written during a recent sound check after a conversation with a man who said his relationship troubles were because a woman “loves me too much.” It depicts Powell’s willingness and capability to find inspiration in a single phrase or moment, and nurture those small embers until they grow into the full flame of a song. He also expressed some unfounded trepidation that a live recording could go wrong if the audience en masse booed at the conclusion of a tune. However, as mentioned, Mike Powell is not an individual who chooses to pass up many opportunities. Thus, he implored the audience to agree to boo lustily at the conclusion of “I Wanna Go Back,” creating a hilarious moment that later caused raucous laughter when Powell and Hanus, (as well as this reviewer,) listened to the live CD on the drive home. Powell’s remarkable songwriting, engaging stage banter and audience rapport came through during the session, and are reflected in the crystal clear quality of the instantly produced CD from SubCat Music Studios.

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    Further information on SubCat Music Studios and the Sub Rosa Sessions may be found here.

    Amanda Rogers Setlist: Bag of Bones, Blue, Walking, Ha Ha, They’ll Call It Love, Don’t Deny, Stranger Days, Get Your Heart

    Mike Powell Setlist: Moonlight Sunshine and Rain, Empire Line, I Wanna Go Back, Bibles and Bourbon, Old Picture Frames, Poison Diamond, The Silver Lining of James Marshall, 21 Rounds Encore: No Horizon

  • Wild Adriatic to Host ‘The Summit’ Hometown Music Festival

    After years of planning, Wild Adriatic unveiled details of their very own music festival. The Summit will be an annual hometown event featuring up-and-coming live bands. Wild Adriatic aims to use the event to bring music lovers together to foster community and collaboration. The premier on September 29 and 30 at the Queensbury Hotel will include performances by Aqueous, Madaila, Girl Blue, NYS Music 87/90 artist Let’s Be Leonard, Angels on the Fourth, the LateShift, Ramblers Home, Last Daze, Paradox Saints and Chestnut Grove.

    Wild Adriatic spends much of the year on the road. Fresh on the heels of their new album, Feel, the power trio is currently on tour. They dish out high-energy rock and roll, creatively incorporating elements from influences including Motown and classic rock.

    Wild Adriatic member and festival producer Mateo Vosganian issued the following statement regarding the new festival:

    We’re three guys who were raised within two miles of each other in Queensbury and we’ve been fortunate enough to build a career of touring the world playing our music. Our hometown played huge roles in that in so many ways and we’ve been looking for ways to do something fun, memorable, and community oriented.

    The Summit is an opportunity for us to gather friends from all over the northeast under one roof with the intention of collaborating and creating a special, memorable weekend that we can build on as a yearly function. We’ve already been poking around about next year and adding an outdoor mainstage, so this is something we’re looking to keep cheap, fun, and accessible for our local community for ideally a long time to come.

    Featured artists for the festival include bands that they’ve played with over the years. This sense of camaraderie is sure to add fun to the festivities. Live performances will run from 5 p.m. – 1 a.m. both nights, running on two stages within the Queensbury Hotel. The festival is a bargain at $15 for one day or $25 for both, thanks to partnerships with Mean Max Brew Works, Empire Audio Recording + Sound, and the Queensbury Hotel. Tickets go on sale on Thursday, July 20.

  • Levitate Festival Brings The Rythym To South Shore

    Levitate Music Festival said this year there would be two days and it was groovy. July 8 and 9 in Marshfield, MA, this little grassroots festival brought thousands of fans to the fairgrounds for some of the best and brightest names touring today.

    Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad had people going ape in the pits to start off on Saturday. The good tunes kept rolling as New Orleans’ own Rebirth Brass Band brought that southern jazz you never knew you needed. These Grammy winners didn’t become a NOLA institution by accident. You can’t help but get down to this kind of funk. I was a little disappointed to find that Mihali & Friends was dueling with Rubblebucket, but the festival was so well organized that I was able to move between stages with ease to make sure I captured as much of the magic as possible. Deer Tick and The Revivalists were followed by the first set of Umphrey’s McGee. A heavy dose of Umph goodness echoed over a packed crowd. The guys took a quick break to let local-legends Stick Figure tear up the main stage, and then returned with a jam-heavy second set that took over that little fairground. The headliner for the night was the legendary Dispatch, and the rails were surging as they rocked the crowd til the sun had finally set on a magnificent first day.

    Guitar prodigy and singer/songwriter Quinn Sullivan really impressed to start off Sunday. The teenage phenomenon has made a true name for himself in his short career. It was a treat to see him and his star-packed band play a hometown show. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong opened the main stage with their insanely contagious energy and funky jams that cannot be matched. Once “Melting Lights” was done melting everyone’s brain, Ripe followed on the Style Stage. This funk/pop group has completely taken this scene by storm with Robbie Wulfsohn’s sassy and soulful presence. Their cover of Ellie Goulding’s “On My Mind” is one of those songs that you can play on repeat for an hour… at least. Trevor Hall and JJ Grey & Mofro had the pits screaming so loud I thought my ears were gonna burst. Vermont favorites, (and yours), Twiddle blew the fans away and blanketed them with dreams and relaxation. You couldn’t help but sing along when they played their new song “Orlando’s.” The Style Stage was closed out with the hottest folk-rock band out there right now, in Lake Street Dive. The reggae legend, Ziggy Marley closed out the festival in pure style. The festival could not have ended on a higher note. Check out the pics from Zatchmo Lives Media and remember to Dream Big, Live Bigger.

  • Poetry in Folk Rock: Moody Blues Reminds Saratoga that Rock Never Ages

    On Sunday, July 16, a crowd at Saratoga Performing Arts Center was treated to folksy, trippy, and bluesy pop music on a cool summer night. The sky was filled with golden and blue light as The Moody Blues took to the stage washed in purples and indigos, with Justin Hayward, John Lodge, and Graeme Edge singing along to “Just a Singer.” The British band paused to greet the crowd after three songs, and smiled as they reminded us to “Say it with Love,” washing their poetry over the swaying and mellow audience.

    Even if you couldn’t immediately name a song by The Moody Blues other than “Nights in White Satin,” the band reminded you as each song came out that they are familiar from years of singing along to the radio. A montage of photos celebrating their 50 years of playing together scrolled on the screen behind them, bringing old band members with them on the journey.

    From “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” to “Isn’t Life Strange,” Hodge smiled and crooned like a proper flirt. Lodge, squeezed into leather pants, shook his money maker and had the crowd clapping along. Even in their 70s, the men exuded a sexy confidence that had their fans swooning.

    The band brought its mellow and soothing folksy blues to Saratoga on a cool summer night, and while not every note hit its pitch, the words to the songs reminded the joyful crowd to simply be present with one another and celebrate connection.  The audience members were smiling to one another and sharing the mellow energy, dancing together in reverie.

    The message from The Moody Blues and their music, unlike the rest of us, never gets old.

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