The Syracuse Area Music Awards, affectionately known as the SAMMYS, wrapped up its 25th edition Friday, March 3, 2017 at the Palace Theater in Syracuse with a brief performance from freshly inducted Hall of Famers moe.
Ahead of Saturday night’s show at the F Shed, moe. closed out the two-night affair with a three song set of “Tailspin,” “Spine of a Dog” and “Buster.” Friday night’s awards ceremony, hosted by veteran Syracuse DJ and staunch supporter of the local scene, Dave Frisina, featured awards in 18 categories, including three People’s Choice categories, and performances by four Syracuse area bands, reflecting the broad range of styles and talent found in and around the Salt City.
The SAMMYS is the brainchild of Frank Malfitano and now under the care of Liz Nowak. In 1993 Malfitano created the celebration of area music for an event at the Landmark Theatre. The event changed venues several times over the years before finally settling on the grand old Palace Theater on James Street in the Eastwood district.
The festivities began with the Hall of Fame dinner Thursday night, upstairs at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. The Dinosaur has been one of Syracuse’s premier music venues since opening on Willow Street in 1990 and was a fitting venue for the honors and stories that filled the room.
This year’s inductees were Mohawk Valley via Buffalo jamband moe., pioneering new wave singer/guitarist Meegan Voss, 70s blues rock artists Jukin’ Bone and singer-songwriter Paul Case. Also being honored were Anthony and Patricia DeAngelis for Music Educators of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Vincent Falcone. It was a night that had the feel of a class reunion. Hugs and excited shouts from people who haven’t seen each other in years mingled with stories of years’ past in venues no longer around.
The inductions and awards ceremonies were hosted by Dave Frisina, a 1994 SAMMYS Hall of Fame inductee, long-time Syracuse radio personality, champion of local music and self-professed band dad. His son, Mike is a member of Syracuse-based band Simplelife. Most, if not all, of those in the room have dealt with him in some way throughout their career. A man like Frisina is what every music town needs. He is local music’s strongest advocate and has the platform for it at his current station 105.9 The Rebel.
Induction and acceptance speeches were filled with anecdotes and inside jokes. Though, most in attendance, were on the inside of those jokes. Memories of broken down vans, vanished venues and bad decisions peppered the speeches. It was the talk of well-worn musicians who have dedicated their craft not to become famous, but simply to play. To the outsider, it was a look at a scarcely seen side of the working musician.
The first honor of the night was for Educators of the Year. Husband and wife, Anthony and Patricia DeAngelis, two area music teachers were honored for their decades of influence on local musicians at Syracuse University, Colgate University, LeMoyne College, the Lyncourt School and Onondaga Community College. They were inducted by their well-spoken and surprisingly laid-back granddaughter Olivia.
Voss was inducted by her husband and band-mate in the Verbs, drummer Steve Jordan. In her acceptance speech, she pleaded to “Save the clubs.” Case, visibly touched at the recognition for his long career avoided revealing too much of past days on the road, “My kids are in the room.” He lavished praise on fellow musicians in the room, including Jukin’ Bone member Joe Whiting as well as the master of ceremonies.
Case, sporting a black tux and pronounced the Best Dressed in the Room by Frisina, closed his acceptance speech saying, “You get up. You drive to the gig. You set up. You play your ass off. You tear down. You drive a million miles home, week after week, month after month, decade after decade. You do it for the music.” He then dedicated his award to the late Bob Fleming of the Mossback Mule Band, who passed away in September.
Accepting for Jukin’ Bone was Whiting, Mark Doyle and John DeMaso. Discussing the problems of being a young band, Whiting offered a piece of advice, “I would recommend not signing contracts under the influence of anything distilled or brewed, made in a laboratory or passed around and smoked,” eliciting loud laughter from the audience.
The final inductee of the night was moe. Al Schnier spoke first in accepting the honor, speaking of all the Syracuse area venues spent taking in shows as a fledgling musician. Schnier lauded promoters such as Chuck Chao of Creative Concerts, who inducted the band, thanking them for shaping who they became as musicians:
We came here as kids to see concerts Chuck (Chao) was promoting. They made us fans. Whether it was Driving Sideways or the Todd Hobin Band or the New York Flyers or 805; these were the bands we looked up to as kids. They could have been the Allman Brothers or the Grateful Dead; they were the same to us. You guys were rock stars.
Drummer Vinnie Amico attributed the band’s style to its Upstate New York roots, “We all wear our hearts on our sleeves. We all kind of have this style, this thing we do, because of where we’re from. We’re blue collar, baby. We work hard, we play our music that way. There’s an edge to our music and that’s a testament to Upstate New York.”
“The Oddities of the World” – the SAMMYS Hall of Fame Class of 2017
On Friday, 54 artists were nominated among 13 Syracuse Area Music Awards categories. Sprinkled in among the awards were performances by several of the Syracuse area’s finest musicians, representing genres ranging from blues rock to country, rap, alt-rock and jam. There is definitely a varied and vibrant scene in Central New York.
Emcee Dave Frisina kept the event lively and loose, often interacting with presenters and winners as they approached the microphone. Best Jam Band winner, Joe Driscoll, affectionately referred to the host as a jedi to laughter from the crowd.
The performances throughout the night revealed the depth of talent in the area. The Ripcords opened the night accompanied by the Boneyard Horns. They ripped through three bluesy/tex-mex style songs, kicking off the night in a celebratory fashion. Unfortunately, just as they seemed to be letting loose, their set was over. You can get a taste of what the Ripcords have to offer at their ReverbNation page here.
Best R&B recipient Alani Skye had several family members in attendance and received perhaps the most vocal and joyous reception to a win. Her win for Don’t Forget About Mewas never in question for the vocalist as she accepted the award.
A performance by rap artist Curtis “Tall Bucks” McDowell and the Brownskin Band followed. The rhythm section of the Brownskin band mixed equal parts jazz and funk behind McDowell’s rhymes. A guest appearance by Syracuse rapper Real Tall for the song “Solar Radiation” had elements of early ’90s era Leaders of the New School collective.
The reality of life as a working musician came to light when Lauren Mettler was awarded the SAMMY for Best Folk. After an awkward pause waiting for the recipient to make her way to the stage, her brother made his way up to accept. In his speech, he stated how he had just texted her and she was still on her way to the theater. So, as any good brother would do, he stalled for time as she made her way down the aisle, peeling her coat off as she ran towards the stage.
Mettler mentioned how she had just gotten out of work and was trying to get to the theater as quickly as possible, even though she never thought she’d win. Such is life for those looking to make a go of it in the music industry. Everyday jobs sometimes throw hurdles at you along the way. Mettler was genuinely surprised and pleased with her award.
One of the night’s cutest moments came when the award for Best Hip Hop/Rap was awarded to World Be Free for the album Nigg@$ to Gods. He was on the West Coast touring and couldn’t attend the ceremony. As his family accepted the award on his behalf, his young son took a turn on the microphone as his dad’s public relations manager, exclaiming, “My dad has CDs for ten dollars!”
Country artists Chris Taylor of the Custom Taylor Band plead with the audience to get up and dance along to their performance. A funky “Keep Me in Mind” slowly drew the audience to its feet and a rousing rendition of the Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” easily won over the crowd.
The Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist was awarded to Funk ‘n Waffles regulars, reggae-soul band Root Shock. This presentation seemed to be the biggest crowd pleaser of the night as fellow musicians and fans alike rose to cheer their win.
Previous Bourke Award winner, the Spring Street Family Band took over the Palace with their high energy alt-rock performance that even had a band member’s dad jumping up on stage to take video with his phone. Their performance brought the audience to the stage, turning what was a somber awards ceremony into a full-fledged rawk show with a funk-metal-alt sound reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine or Faith No More.
The ceremonies concluded with the awarding of the People’s Choice SAMMYS. Over 110,000 online votes were tallied in categories of Best Band, Best Live Venue and Best Festival or Music Series. The New York State Fair wrapped up the venue and festival categories with their representative thanking all of the venues in the area for supporting the live music that becomes a part of the fair each year.
The award for Best Band went to Cortland-area country band, Small Town Shade, who also won the SAMMY for Best Country Performance for the EP Ring it Up.
moe. wrapped the SAMMYS with a lively three-song set that included “Tailspin,” “Spine of a Dog” > “Buster.” Schnier commented about the lack of curfew at the venue and suggested they keep playing until they are thrown off the stage. To the disappointment of many, Schnier apparently as well, the lights came on at the end of “Buster,” bringing a close to the two-day celebration of Syracuse area music for another year.
Best Jazz: Second Line Syracuse, Second Line Syracuse Best Other Category: Syracuse Society for New Music, Music Here & Now Best Folk: Lauren Mettler, Patchwork Best Jam Band: Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate, Monistic Theory Best R & B: Alani Skye, Don’t Forget About Me Best Pop: The Jess Novak Band, Inches From The Sun Best Americana: Driftwood, City Lights Best Blues: Tas Cru, Simmered and Stewed Best Hard Rock: Breaking Solace – Shatter the Silence Best Alternative: Bell & Sgroi, Bell & Sgroi Best Rock: King Chro and the Talismen, King Chro and the Talismen Best Hip-Hop/Rap: World Be Free, Nigg@$ To Gods Best Singer/Songwriter: Alanna Boudreau, Champion Best Country: Small Town Shade, Ring It Up EP
Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist: Root Shock
People’s Choice Awards were conducted in an online poll for three categories. Over 110,000 votes were tallied. The winners were:
Favorite Band: Small Town Shade Favorite venue to see live music: Chevy Court at the New York State Fair Favorite festival or music series: The Great New York State Fair
The Radio Dept. kicked things off in Boston on Tuesday, March 7, playing to a packed crowd at Brighton Music Hall. The indie dream-pop group from Sweden consists of Johan Duncanson who started making music with Martin Larsson in the late 90s and scored some impressive reviews from NME upon their first album release, Lesser Matters in 2003. For this tour they were backing their newest 2016 album, Running Out of Love, which is their fourth studio album and is a great representation of how The Radio Dept. is able to consistently bust out music within the realms of their niche style they began to perfect back in the early 2000s.
“Swedish Guns” is a clear favorite off their newest record and in the live format the group was able to put on a show with the song in a manner complete with necessary energy yet with the laid back, shoe-gaze nature of The Radio Dept. Actually what makes The Radio Dept. so enticing as a live band and a band on record is their ability to incorporate from so many genres. This is where the keyboards shine as an entirely vital aspect of their somewhat playful sound. Another favorite off their new album has to be “Committed To The Cause,” which has a groove similar to something Thievery Corporation might come out with, matched with a 90s style bass line along the likes of “Cannonball,” by The Breeders. What really makes the song come together is the synth line halfway through – a definite crowd favorite of the night. The chemistry between Duncanson and Larsson is clear on stage as two friends who have been playing together for quite some time are consistently feeding off each other to push and maintain their musical bounds. Sometimes reeling in comparisons to the likes of Pet Shop Boys, The Radio Dept. is a perfect modern, indie, more down tempo version of the 80s legends.
With a duo opener straight from Brooklyn, GERMANS eased the early birds into the night with vocals and bass performing on top of song samples. Their hit song “Cruel” has everything a modern Brooklyn indie band reminiscent of the 80s could ask for.
The Capital Region of New York has long been stomping grounds for Phish fans. The Times Union Center, formerly known as the Pepsi and Knickerbocker Arenas, has hosted the Vermont boys several times over the last 20 years. SPAC has become a summer tradition for three-night runs and Mike Gordon has played The Egg in Albany multiple times, most recently in November. Troy, NY is now on the map for phans as our fearless leader Trey Anastasio made his second stop of his three-city solo acoustic concert series there on Friday, March 10.
photo by Dave DeCrescente
Having played at The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall with the Vermont Youth Orchestra in 2001, Trey told the sold-out crowd of 1,200 that he had been “dying to come back ever since.” The intimate venue, built in 1870 is a stark difference to the mega arenas and amphitheaters in which we congregate for Phish. It proved to be the perfect intimate setting for an evening with Trey, who played 22 songs straight through with a two-song encore. The vast majority of the songs were from the Phish catalog, punctuated with side-splitting comedic tales and tidbits from the Grammy-nominated guitarist’s career. A world class musician and captivating story teller, he is now the Garrison Keillor of the jam scene.
Kicking things off quickly with “Strange Design,” “Blaze On,” “Mountains in the Mist” and “The Wedge,” he paused briefly to discuss the venue, acknowledging the acoustics of the “legendary room.” Every single movement he made across his guitar sounded as if it were in high resolution – crisp and clear. Next up was “Shade,” and then with some apprehension, a wealth of nervousness and true humility, he told a tale of a birthday letter sent to him from friend and lyricist Tom Marshall during his time spent in Washington County, NY. Despite a tough situation, this letter gave way to the creation of “Backwards Down the Number Line” in which he played after acknowledging one fan’s birthday in the crowd.
From there he went into “Twenty Years Later” and “Tide Turns” and put the crowd in stitches with a story about a Vermont snowshoeing excursion with Les Claypool and Stewart Copeland, setting the stage for “Rubberneck Lions,” a song he says is his favorite the trio did as Oysterhead. He then switched guitars to something bigger and boxier for “The Inlaw Josie Wales,” a song that sounded angelic and sweet in this form.
Sandwiched between two stories involving bandmates Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman, he played a beautiful rendition of “Free.” This was then followed by “Kill Devil Falls,” and “Wolfmans Brother” in which the audience lent their voices as a loop pedal allowed him to layer a jam on top of his own chords. He then performed “The Line,” and then whistled his way through “Lizards.” “Guelah Papyrus,” “Wading in the Velvet Sea” and “Lawn Boy” preceded a touching and tear jerking “Summer of ’89,” dedicated to his wife of 22 years, Sue, who listened to the song from the audience that Trey says documents their relationship. Then as if to say “enough of the mush,” Trey delivered the always dark “Carini” followed by “Chalkdust Torture” to close the set.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRev_4gBm7K
After a standing ovation, Trey returned to encore with David Bowie’s “Rock n’ Roll Suicide” and ended the evening with “More,” the third track off Phish’s 2016 album Big Boat.
As we picked our jaws up from the floor and embraced our neighbors with hugs and emotional high fives, our hearts overflowed with love and gratitude for this man who has provided so much joy in our lives. The Collar City has a whole new glow and meaning to those of us lucky to witness such a special evening.
Setlist: Strange Design, Blaze On, Mountains in the Mist, The Wedge, Shade, Backwards Down the Number Line, Twenty Years Later, Tide Turns, Rubberneck Lions*, The Inlaw Josie Wales, Free, Kill Devil Falls, Wolfmans Brother, The Line, Lizards, Guelah Papyrus, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Lawn Boy, Summer of ’89**, Carini -> Chalkdust Torture
Encore: Rock n’ Roll Suicide†, More
*Oysterhead song ** dedicated to wife, Sue † David Bowie cover
Matthew O’Neill has released “Louisiana,” the first single from his upcoming album Trophic Cascade,coinciding with the March 10 Native Nations March in Washington D.C.
Recorded in Gowanus, Brooklyn, the emotional original song combines elements of Americana, psychedelia, and rock. The single is a pay-what-you-want release with all proceeds benefitting Earth Guardians. The album is due out May 5 from label and environmental coalition Underwater Panther Coalition, who will donate 50% of all profits to frontline earth protection groups, with a focus on indigenous rights and conservation.
Catch O’Neill at Lantern Inn in Wassaic, NY on April 15 and April 26 at Parkside Lounge in NYC. He heads west on May 13 to perform at Raven Cafe in Prescott, AZ and returns east for a show at Radio Bean in Burlington, VT on May 17.
When is it time to take a step back and reflect? At what point amidst the violence, protest, argument, and confusion perpetuated by the media is it ok for twenty-first century human beings to come to halt from information absorption? Barika, a psychedelic West African influenced band from Burlington, Vermont, aims to satisfy those questions with their album, When the Time Comes.
Immediately from the beginning of the project, time seems to slow and the reflection begins. Each song in the album is different from the next which at first listen seems disjointed, only connected by the reoccurring horn lines, however when listened to more than once, it is easy to see what Barika is trying to accomplish within this forty-three minute album. Instead of a chronological storyline, as many albums try to convey, When the Time Comes has the aim to come at listeners from all angles with instrumental tracks mixed in with R&B flavored ones and even songs completely comprised of African drumming. There are also strong messages within the album.
In “Find My Way”, instances of police brutality are highlighted by using examples of Eric Garner’s words “I can’t breathe” said over and over. In addition, Craig Myers, the leader of the band cites Ferguson Missouri and the fatal shooting of native Michael Brown. As the track in the center of the album, Barika chooses to focus on issues that are the most important. This symbolizes the need for society to reflect while at the same time remaining conscious enough to keep a grasp on the harsh and unjust realities that are plaguing society.
In When the Time Comes, Barika transforms the traditional model of an album by keeping each track different from the one before and after but still tying them all together in the end. It is not music that can be casually listened to but needs to be thoroughly digested to understand what the motives behind it are. Catch them at Funk n Waffles in Syracuse on March 10. Check out additional shows here.
Key Tracks: When The Time Comes, Find My Way, There For You
moe. closed out its Syracuse residency Saturday, March 4, with a scorching show at the F Shed. A show that featured a hot first set, a second set “Kids” sandwich and three-song encore.
The above referenced residency had moe. spending a few days in town being feted by the Syracuse Area Music Awards as inductees into that organization’s Hall of Fame, along with a three song performance at Friday’s award ceremony. Saturday was the culmination of a great weekend of music in the Salt City.
The frigid night began with guitarist Chuck Garvey’s monotone greeting, “Welcome to the hockey rink. Are you ready to rock? I said, ‘Are you ready to rock?’ I can’t hear you. Are you ready to rock?” As he fiddled with the tuning knobs of his Fender Stratocaster, he proclaimed, “I’m not quite ready to rock.” The lackluster delivery of a standard arena rock tone gave an ironic insight to the night’s proceedings. moe. – and Garvey – were, in fact, ready to rock.
The F Shed is one of the more unique venues on the live music circuit, as it is literally a shed. Located in the Regional Market on Syracuse’s north side, the market provides not only a venue for live music, but a year-round location for farmer’s markets and flea markets. Garvey’s hockey rink reference isn’t a far stretch. One could easily see a set of dasher boards and red and blue lines being a part of this facility. With outside temperatures hovering in the zero range, the indoor temps seemed just slightly warmer upon entry. Thoughts of an impending hockey game weren’t a far stretch.
The show opened with a boom, boom, boom, as the band busted into “Crab Eyes” from Wormwood. The song had a heavy Garvey/Jim Loughlin presence, which set the tone for the remainder of the night. The band dipped into its early 2000s catalog of songs featuring Garvey’s vocals and Loughlin’s percussion often.
The first set was segue after segue as the band whirled through “Threw It All Away” and a rare moe., version 1.0 run-through of “Funky Reuben” before seamlessly moving back into “Crab Eyes.” The nearly all-segued first set continued with Garvey leading the way out of a spacey “Silver Sun.” “Akimbo” closed the solid first set, finally allowing the near capacity crowd to catch its breath.
Following an extended setbreak, the band kicked into a low-key “Moth” to usher in the second set. moe. kept it mellow as Rob Derhak’s familiar bass intro to “Kyle’s Song” segued out of “Moth.” Garvey’s mid-song solo kicked up the pace with the crowd following suit.
Throughout the night, the lights incorporated the industrial sized ceiling fans into the scenery, creating a scene reminiscent of Willy Wonka’s ‘Fizzy Lifting Drink.’
The opening notes of “Kids” ripped open a box of crazy that resulted in a “Kids” sandwich to wrap up the second set. “Down Boy” set a funky tone into “Hector’s Pillow” and “Bring You Down” before settling back into “Kids.”
After a quick break, Al Schnier returned with his usual slate of al.nouncements. Offering a cheers to the crowd with a can of Utica Club, Schnier ran through engagement announcements and show numbers from various fans as well as a tease of moe.down’s return to Snow Ridge Ski Area this summer.
An energetic encore began with the slow swirling build up of “Wind It Up,” with Loughlin’s mallets working overtime. The closing chorus turned into a sing-along as lights lit up the inside of the shed. The crowd-pleasing “Nebraska” followed with nearly all in attendance joining in.
moe. has often used classic rock staples as show closers. Tonight was one of those times. The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” has been tackled by many but moe. seemed particularly equipped to replicate the synthesizer opening using Loughlin’s malletkat and guest violinist Nick Picciccini from Floodwood tackling the signature solo with ease.
“Baba O’Riley” ended the night on a high note. The entire night capped off a three-day celebration of moe. as hometown heroes following the band’s induction into the Syracuse Area Music Awards (SAMMYS) Hall of Fame on Thursday and a performance at the awards ceremony on Friday.
Seeing moe. perform in their home area creates a great homey vibe that reveals a fondness of their roots as a blue collar jamband from Central New York. At this point in their storied career, moe. is playing with an energy that is still infectious to the long-timers yet finds them gaining new fans along the way. The return of moe.down to its original location in the Tug Hill can only add to what could end up being the peak year in the band’s career.
Setlist:
Set I: Crab Eyes > Threw It All Away > Funky Reuben > Crab Eyes, Captain America > Rise > Silver Sun > Akimbo
Set II: Moth > Kyle’s Song > Kids > Down Boy > Hector’s Pillow > Bring You Down > Kids
Vermont jam band Twiddle and Buffalo groove rockers Aqueous teamed up for a legendary weekend of music. Saturday March 4, not only marked Twiddle’s first two-night run at the historical venue, but also marked Aqueous’ debut. Saturday night was marked a sell out, while Sunday night ticket sales landed just under capacity.
Aqueous made the most out of their debut weekend. The band’s hometown fan base came out in full support, with many AQ fans traveling to witness the group’s first shows at the Town Ballroom. Mike Abrahamson made the five hour drive from Hudson Falls, NY and commented, “I’ve never heard a crowd that loud for the opening band. It was insanity.”
Saturday night, Aqueous opened with the fan favorite “Strange Times.” Moving forward, the set progressed to a newer tune, the recently debuted “Second Sight.” “Numbers and Facts” took a highly talked about turn, when the band switched gears midway and debuted a cover of the NWA classic “Express Yourself,” featuring bassist Evan McPhaden on vocals with Twiddle bassist Zdenek Gubb on bass duties. McPhaden took to crowd surfing before returning to the stage to conclude “Numbers and Facts” with the band. Aqueous closed out their debut set with the high energy “Don’t Do It” from their EP Best in Show.
[singlepic id=9040 w= h= float=center]
Twiddle held nothing back on night one, instantly commanding the room with “Blunderbuss” an intense, high energy instrumental that is slated for release on the upcoming Plump – Chapter 2. Their Saturday night set was a varied list of fan favorites that spanned the band’s catalog including “Brick of Barley,” “Carter Candlestick,” “Indigo Trigger” and “Lost in the Cold.”
Twiddle also welcomed Aqueous guitarist Mike Ganzter for the Twiddle instrumental “Latin Tang.” Ganzter’s guitar work added an incredible layer of guitar harmonies. It also added an incredible layer of on-stage camaraderie. There is an evident level of musical respect and appreciation between the two bands that shines, specifically when Gantzer and Twiddle guitarist Mihali Savoulidis take the stage together.
The night concluded with Ganzter returning to the stage with McPhaden on synth. The pair sat-in with Twiddle for the Ray Parker Jr. hit “Ghostbusters.” The encore choice was inspired by a plaque in the venue, listing the site at one of Western New York’s most haunted buildings. Formerly known as the Town Casino and used as a speakeasy during Prohibition, employees of the Town Ballroom often report ghost sightings, unexplained sounds through the venue’s basement tunnels and the venue’s equipment often turning on without explanation.
Both bands used Saturday night’s momentum to launch a Sunday night burner. Aqueous came out firing, bringing a unique twist to some of their most beloved tunes. The night was kicked off with “Underlyer” and “Marty.” AQ then fired into an alternative funk version of “Eon Don” (nicknamed “Eon Ron”) before bringing on Twiddle drummer Brook Jordan for the David Bowie classic “Let’s Dance.” Vocals on the tune were handled by Aqueous drummer Rob Houk. Aqueous concluded their two-night run at the Town Ballroom with the high energy favorite “Origami.”
Longtime Buffalo fan Matt Shotwell enjoyed the band’s take on songs he’s heard at many previous shows: “Still can’t get over how they gave seemingly every song at least a slight reworking. New tempos, new licks and teases aplenty.”
[singlepic id=9040 w= h= float=center]
Sunday night proved that Aqueous is poised to move into larger venues. Their sound is built to fill a larger space. Abrahamson summed it up best telling NYS Music, “The boys absolutely commanded the attention of the room without hiccups. The sound was perfect in my opinion. It can be hard to upscale your sound to a bigger stage but they had no problem whatsoever.”
Their incredible use of layers and depth, enhanced by Lighting Director Ryan Bress, showcased an entire stage package that hometown fans have longed to see. Bress, also went on to light Twiddle both nights to rave reviews.
Twiddle brought high energy on Sunday night. The mellow mood established by first set opener “Subconscious Prelude” was quickly turned on its ear as the band turned the Town Ballroom into a dance party fueled by “Apples>Funkytown>Apples.” Set one also contained fan favorite “Gatsby the Great” and concluded with the instrumental tune “The Catapillar.”
Set two kicked off with “Earth Mama” followed by the moody and edgy combination of “Wasabi Eruption > The Box.” The four-song set concluded with “Syncopated Healing” featuring Ganzter on a quitar solo that had fans of both band’s talking. NYS Music Photographer Tim Merrill, who was shooting at the time even noted that “Gantzers solo during syncopated had me in tears in the pit. It was beautiful.” Ganzter returned to the stage with Twiddle for a Radiohead “Karma Police” encore.
Taylor Cauwels, who traveled both nights from Rochester, summed up the feelings of a lot of fans at the conclusion of the weekend. She told NYS Music, “So thankful for this band and the medicine they provide. I leave every show with more “frends” than I came with. The amazing feelings that radiated throughout the Ballroom were almost overwhelming. My cheeks still hurt from smiling so much.”
Gantzer left the weekend feeling supported by their local fan base. “I feel a true sense of pride and admiration for our fan base at this moment in time,” he said. “Our hometown crowd really brought it (as they always do), and the weekend was full of absolute magic because of their incredible energy and excitement; it was a shared experience and one that I’ll likely never forget.”
The weekend was not only a success for Twiddle and Aqueous, but also for the Twiddle fan funded organization The White Light Foundation. The charity held its first event in Buffalo successfully raising money for two Western New York charities, Crisis Services and Going to The Dogs Rescue.
Ganzter noted that, “We also have been having THE BEST time with the twiddle boys and their awesome crew, so we’re psyched to keep this momentum going with them on and off stage!”
Twiddle and Aqueous hit the road together again and head to Keene, New Hampshire on March 17 and March 18. The two bands will also be making stops together in Stroudsburg, PA and Washington, D.C. before concluding their shows together at the Playstation Theatre in New York City on March 31 and April 1. Aqueous was also recently announced on Twiddle’s Festival Tumble Down which will be held in Burlington on July 28 and July 29.
Twiddle Setlist via uTwiddle.net
Saturday 3/4/2017 Set 1: Blunderbuss, Polluted Beauty, White Light, Brick Of Barley, Carter Candlestick
Set 2: Wildfire, Indigo Trigger, Dr. Remidi’s Melodium, Latin Tang[1], Lost In The Cold Encore: Ghostbusters[2]
Show Notes: [1] “Latin Tang” featured Mike Gantzer (Aqueous) on guitar. [2] “Ghostbusters” featured Mike Gantzer (Aqueous) on guitar and Evan McPhaden (Aqueous) on bass.
Sunday 3/5/2017 Set 1: Subconscious Prelude, Apples -> Funky Town -> Apples, Gatsby The Great, Dusk ‘Til Dawn, The Catapillar
Set 2: Earth Mama, Wasabi Eruption -> The Box, Syncopated Healing[1] Encore: Karma Police[1]
Show Notes: [1] “Syncopated Healing” and “Karma Police” featured Mike Gantzer (Aqueous) on guitar.
Aqueous setlist via – aqueousband.com
Saturday 3/4/2017 Set 1: Strange Times, Second Sight, Numbers and Facts > Express Yourself1 2 3 > Numbers and Facts, Don’t Do It
Show Notes: 1NWA cover, Aqueous debut 2 Evan rapping (Last Evan rap – 2013/5/11 436 shows)3 Gubb [Twiddle] on bass, Donkey Kong theme in DDI, Post rapping Evan crowd surfed. #rockstar
Sunday 3/5/2017 Set 1: Underlyer > Marty, Eon Don > Let’s Dance1 2 > Complex Pt. I, Origami
Show Notes: 1 Rob on vocals 2 Brook Jordan [Twiddle] on drums, Let’s Dance last played 2016/8/11 67 shows
The Albany based trio Lord Electro has made an epic sound for such a humble group, their debut album Business is highly synthetic, immersive and overall impressive. This is the first full length album for the group and they’ve done a immaculate job. The production quality is top notch, their performance is tight and it will leave listeners with a few pleasant ear-worms. They’re playing all over the tri-state area, mainly focused in New York, as well as an album release show on Friday, March 10 at The Hollow in Albany, NY.
They’ve played with big names like The New Deal, Soule Monde (Ft. members of TAB), Roots of Creation, Conehead Buddha and have been influenced by groups like The Disco Biscuits, Lotus, Phish, NERVE and STS9. They haven’t reinvented the livetronic style, but they have created a great album to add to the library of livetronica lovers. The group consists of Dan Gerken on Synth, Steve Mink on bass and synth and Jordan LeFluer drums.
The title track “Business” is first up and it’s a little generic to start, but as the saying goes, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It builds nicely through a variety of unique tones from Gerken and is very spacious and trance-like with mild peaks and drops. The direction isn’t very surprising but it will definitely get people moving in a live setting. Vocal hooks will have listeners humming the tune for days making this a key track. Again, it’s easy to forget that only three men are creating this music, through the help of loops and drum tracks of course, but it is still impressive nonetheless.
“Spiral” is truly encapsulating, partly because of the instrumental track, but also because of the thought that went into the vocals. Again, Gerken’s voice is sultry and spot on, harmonized at some points and thoroughly impressive. That voice laid over a never-stopping beat is a really nice touch considering it’s an overlooked aspect of livetronica.
“The Slumber” is another track that incorporates that fantastic voice from Gerken. That, on top of a darker take on a trance tone makes for an excellent song. The verses aren’t the most incredible pieces of music ever created, but the chorus is astounding. The lyrics, “Too much, too fast” will be ringing out in the heads of listeners as well as this washy, never ending riff that leaves listeners feeling trapped in a whirlpool of sound.
Towards the end, “Reflections” comes in a little slow to start, but pulls through in the end in the best possible way. LeFluer stays consistent the whole way through, Mink lays down a fantastic, highly addictive, but slightly repetitive groove and Greken digresses from a peppy and tight synth run to an intense, falling lick that gives a nice contrast of light and dark tones.
Overall, this album won’t revolutionize the livetronica genre, but it is well thought out, well produced and will be an absolute blast to see performed live. Lord Electro perform later this month at Dino BBQ in Troy NY, March 24, The Monopole in Plattsburgh NY March 25 and several other New York based shows mid March through late April. Tour dates are on their Facebook page as well as hard copies of their CD for purchase and digital downloads available on iTunes.
On a frigid Saturday night in the early part of March, many brave New Yorkers left their cozy warm homes and made their way to the Homer Center for the Arts to see a band called Scythian. Known to many bluegrass, Americana, and Celtic fans, this high intensity band had yet to cross my path. I was anxious to see what they were all about.
Currently based out of the Washington, DC area, they personally describe their style as Celtic, gypsy, Americana, and punk; and I believe that’s a pretty accurate description of their eclectic sound. With a history of eastern European ancestry, bluegrass influences of their region, and love of Celtic music, the blend is seamless and energy highly intense. With fiddle, accordion, bass, penny whistle, percussion and guitar to name a few of the instruments to accompany, they quickly escalated the heat in the room. It took them no time at all to get the crowd to their feet in the beautiful venue that once was a church. Dancing in the isles outside the pews and in the balconies, the packed crowd stomped and clapped and danced the night away.
With brothers Alex and Dan Fedoryka, Nolan Ladewski, newcomer Fritz McGirr, and Thomas Pillon filling in for sister Larissa Fedoryka, this band demonstrated their multiple musical skills, charming personalities, and energetic stage presence throughout the entire evening. All night long I couldn’t tell who was having more fun, the band or the audience.
With a six-year absence from the area, Scythian was warmly welcomed back to New York on one of the coldest nights around, and I personally hope their return is much sooner as they now are one of my favorite live bands to see. Scythian, where have you been all my life?
Set 1: Lagan Love, Scratchbox Reel, My Son John, Wisemaid Set, Paint This Town, Gypsy Fiddle, Hey Mama Ya, Go Lovely Rose, Drums of Belfast, Jump at the Sun, Road to Galway, New York Girls
Set 2: Far Away, New Reel, I Will Go, Stop the Show, End of the Street, Leaving of Liverpool, The Ocean, Danny Boy, Same Old Man, Plackets, Girl Named You, Caeli, Dance All Night, Those Were the Days
Last June, Westchester based psych-rock band Indigo King celebrated a victory at the Pleasantville Battle of the Bands competition, winning a slot on the main stage of the Pleasantville Music Festival as an opening act for national bands, including Guster and KT Tunstall. Now the band members have announced Indigo King’s debut album, Cloud Neon.
The band, who routinely play shows throughout Westchester County and New York City, spent the last year recording and mixing the album, mainly in their homes in Ossining and Hartsdale. The lead single “Metaphor,” released February 10, is a confident and optimistic feel-good tune that emanates a wave of sun-soaked feeling.
Singer/guitarist Faiz Lone called the album, “a cross-section collection… an album that ranges from somber introspection to proliferating elation.” The album spans 15 songs and will be available both online and in a physical format.
Recorded in 
When is it time to take a step back and reflect? At what point amidst the violence, protest, argument, and confusion perpetuated by the media is it ok for twenty-first century human beings to come to halt from information absorption? Barika, a psychedelic West African influenced band from Burlington, Vermont, aims to satisfy those questions with their album, When the Time Comes.
The Albany based trio Lord Electro has made an epic sound for such a humble group, their debut album Business is highly synthetic, immersive and overall impressive. This is the first full length album for the group and they’ve done a immaculate job. The production quality is top notch, their performance is tight and it will leave listeners with a few pleasant ear-worms. They’re playing all over the tri-state area, mainly focused in New York, as well as an album release show on Friday, March 10 at 
The band, who routinely play shows throughout Westchester County and New York City, spent the last year recording and mixing the album, mainly in their homes in Ossining and Hartsdale. The lead single “Metaphor,” released February 10,