NYS Music 20​17

Category: Regions

  • Arlo Guthrie Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Carnegie Hall debut

    Arlo Guthrie celebrates the 50th anniversary of his Carnegie Hall debut with his Annual Thanksgiving Concert on Saturday, Nov. 25. Over the years, the holiday tradition has included performances with the likes of Pete Seeger and Judy Collins, and Bob Dylan. Joining him on stage this year are his children, Abe and Sarah Lee, as well as Cathy and Annie Guthrie and other members of the family, building upon the musical legacy created by Guthrie’s father, Woody Guthrie.

    Arlo Guthrie Carnegie HallCatch Guthrie and family at Carnegie Hall or other dates on their Re: Generation Tour:

    Nov. 18 – Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center – Great Barrington, MA
    Nov. 25 – Carnegie Hall – New York, NY
    Nov. 26 – Key West Theatre – Key West, FL
    Nov. 27 – Key West Theatre – Key West, FL
    March 9 – Sheldon Concert Hall – St. Louis, MO
    March 10 – The Carlsen Center – Overland Park, KS
    March 24 – Lensic Theater – Santa Fe, NM
    March 28 – The Fox Theatre – Tucson, AZ
    March 29 – Mesa Arts Center – Ikeda Theater – Mesa, AZ
    March 30 – Orpheum Theater – Flagstaff, AZ
    April 5 – Saban Theatre – Beverly Hills, CA
    May 3 – Reif Center – Grand Rapids, MN
    May 4 – Holmes Theater – Detroit Lakes, MN
    May 11 – Mayo Performing Arts Center — Morristown, NJ
    May 12 — Patchogue Theatre — Patchogue, NY
    May 18 – The Colonia Theatre — Keene, NH
    May 19 – McCarter Theatre — Princeton, NJ
    May 20 – Grand Opera House — Wilmington, DE

  • Joywave Leaves Fans Feeling More than Just Content on Day One of Tour

    Joywave answered the question off their first LP, How Do You Feel Now? with this year’s second LP, Content.  To promote the new album, they spent the summer touring with Young The Giant and Cold War Kids. Now they’re on their own headlining tour. Thanks. Thanks for Coming 2017 tour began on November 11 with a sold out show at Anthology in their hometown of Rochester.

    The frigid cold weather didn’t stop people from arriving early. An hour before the show, the line had already wrapped around the corner from Anthology in Rochester’s East End district. Once the doors opened, a smoking hot rock ‘n roll performance by The Demos helped to warm people up.

    The Demos

    All-female quartet The Aces wowed the audience with their indie pop prowess. Then KOPPS took to the stage, combining vivacious electro-pop songs with synchronized dance moves. By the time the supporting bands wrapped up, the sleek but chic industrial space had filled to capacity.

    Joywave started with the title track from their new album. In “Content” singer Daniel Armbruster plays with the homonym ‘content’ and the relationship between commercialism and satisfaction. The theme prevails in other songs from the new album, including “It’s a Trip!” and “Little Lies You’re Told.”

    Interspersed between the tracks from Content were songs from across their seven year span, including more obscure tunes like their 2011 single “Golden State” (featuring Armbruster on guitar) and the bonus track from the compilation Swish called “Life In A Bubble I Blew.” They also premiered a brand new song called “Alice.” A Joywave set wouldn’t be complete without songs from How Do You Feel Now?. The crowd went wild with “Destruction,” jumping in time to the beat and singing along, ” Oh my God, there’s nobody who can set me right. I’ve been sent to torch the palace down in broad daylight.”

    Daniel Armbruster of Joywave

    The tour is called Thanks. Thanks for Coming, so named for one of the tracks on Content. It’s also representative of their immense gratitude for everyone who has been a part of their journey. They took a break between songs to thank everyone, including the supporting bands, the venue, and the local alternative radio station.

    The last song of the set was “Going to a Place.” The room resonated with the sound of a thousand voices and a thousand pairs of hands clapping along. Keyboardist Benjamin Bailey extended the outro of the song. He continued to play long after the rest of the band left the stage, before eventually conceding to the end of the song.

    Benjamin Bailey of Joywave

    It didn’t take much to convince Joywave to come out for an encore. Armbruster picked up the guitar again, plucking along to the simple but sincere tune “Confidence.” They picked up the pace with “Nice House” and “Tongues.” The evening concluded aptly with a performance of “Thanks. Thanks For Coming.”

    Joywave is on tour through the end of the month. They will be joined by The Aces, The Demos, and Maybird on select dates. In addition, they are playing a few shows in December. The second leg of the Thanks. Thanks For Coming Tour was just announced. Tickets go on sale Friday, November 17.

    Setlist: Content, Now, It’s a Trip!, Shutdown, Life in a Bubble I Blew, Parade, Traveling at the Speed of Light, Alice, Rumors, Little Lies You’re Told, Golden State, Destruction, Doubt, Somebody New, Going to a Place. Encore: Confidence, Nice House, Tongues, Thanks. Thanks For Coming.

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  • Help those in need at Jam for Tots Shows throughout NYS this Holiday Season

    NYS Music along with Positive Mental Trip present 13 Jam for Tots shows throughout New York State (and one in Connecticut) to help those most in need this holiday season. Fans who attend any of these shows are encouraged to bring an unwrapped gift for a child age 2-12.

    help jam for totsEight bands are part of the Jam for Tots lineup this year, a charitable effort that brings live music and holiday season charity. Luke Weiler (Positive Mental Trip) has brought this series of shows to venues around Northeast, and has been expanded this year to span across New York State and includes 87/90 artists Intrepid Travelers, Cousin Earth, Formula 5, Space Carnival, Gowanus and Let’s Be Leonard, as well as Funkworthy and Chinatown Lights.

    Bring an unwrapped gift for a 2-12 year old and the gifts will be gathered by USMC representatives. Give back to those most in need this holiday season and enjoy a great show at the same time!

  • Whose Hat Is This? First Ever East Coast Tour

    Tedeschi Trucks Band side project Whose Hat Is This? is set to make its first tour down the east coast. The six night tour brings them from New York City down to the Atlanta metropolitan area.

    Whose Hat Is This? is made up of Tedeschi Trucks Band members Tim Lefebvre on bass, Kebbi Williams on saxophone and JJ Johnson and Tyler “Falcon” Greenwell on drums. Their shows combine elements of jazz, funk and electronica into completely improvised sets. Their self-titled debut album was released in April.

    The tour kicks off on Dec. 4 at New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall and continues for six consecutive nights down the coast until they close it out on Dec. 9 at Gate City Brewery in Roswell, Georgia. This tour sees the band coming off two sold out shows at New York City’s 55 Bar in October. The only other Northeast show is Dec. 5 at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia.

    The tour was booked with assistance from Craft for Causes who partner the craft brewing community with live music ventures for charitable experiences.

    Whose Hat Is This? East Coast Tour Dates
    Dec. 4 – Rockwood Music Hall – New York, NY
    Dec. 5 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
    Dec. 6 – The 8×10 – Baltimore, MD
    Dec. 7 – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC
    Dec. 8 – The Pour House – Charleston, SC
    Dec. 9 – Gate City Brewery – Roswell, GA

  • Dark Star Orchestra’s 20th Anniversary at the Palace Packs in the Classics

    To make it 20 years in any industry is quite a feat, especially when there were absolutely no expectations at the beginning. And the members of Dark Star Orchestra will tell you that making it that far as a cover band is even more satisfying and special.

    On Saturday night at the Palace Theater in Albany, Dark Star brought a raucous show to a sold out and chock full of energy crowd on the 20th anniversary of their first show, which was performed at a bar called Martyrs’ in Chicago. There were people outside who were unable to get in the door due to the sell out. One concert goer, on his way through security, looked over and yelled, “This is reminiscent of when the Dead used to play the Knick!” He was referring to the Knickerbocker Arena, now called the Times Union Center.

    From the get go, Dark Star displayed the type of energy that an eager new band 20 years younger might. Guitarist Rob Eaton stepped to his microphone for “The Music Never Stopped,” clearly a nod to their longevity. The Grateful Dead’s most commercially successful song, “Tough of Grey,” came next. When the band members, in unison with the crowd, sang the last lines of “We will get by / We will survive,” the balcony in the theater was visibly swaying. It was as thrilling a start to any Dark Star show in memory.

    “Box of Rain,” one of Phil Lesh’s compositions, wound down before the Jerry Garcia ballad “So Many Roads,” sung by guitarist Jeff Mattson, brought a bit of poignancy to the evening. “Cassidy” was played perfectly and featured some very spirited body language from Eaton, who was moving around his area of the stage more than usual.

    The highlight of the set was, easily, “Terrapin Station,” a song typically reserved by both Dark Star and the Dead for the second set. Keyboardist Rob Barraco and drummers Rob Koritz and Dino English seemed to have a more powerful presence during this song as Dark Star executed the composition flawlessly.

    The set could have ended there and the crowd would have been happy, and that’s when the first notes to “Weather Report Suite” hit. The song fizzled into “Let it Grow,” and during the pair of songs, Eaton switched from electric to acoustic and back to electric without missing a beat. To close out a lengthy set, Dark Star Orchestra played the classic sequence of “China Cat Sunflower“->”I Know You Rider.” The bridge between the two songs took the form of pure celebration and the band showed it with gigantic smiles on their faces.

    The second stanza wasted not even a second picking up, with a fast and raging “Scarlet Begonias” jamming its way into “Ruben and Cherise” in a pretty stunning twist of events. When the crowd realized that Dark Star had thrown a curve ball, it responded with a roar and a total dance party ensued. Mattson, like he would do the rest of the set, dazzled with his vocals and ripping runs up and down the fret board. “Fire on the Mountain” closed out the segment with a singalong amidst a trio of jams.

    “Eyes of the World” morphed into the “Drums/Space” portion of the evening before Mattson returned to the mic for a soaring and emotional “Morning Dew.” Without taking a breath, the band started into the fan favorite “St. Stephen,” but what came next was the best part of the show, as “Stephen” gave way to the familiar riff of “The Eleven.” That seemed to take the crowd by surprise again, and the band responded by putting extra ‘umph’ into the psychedelic journey about William Tell. “Turn on Your Love Light” closed out one of the most well received Dark Star shows in memory.

    Koritz then took center stage and thanked a list of people who have helped Dark Star Orchestra on their way to this night, and then toasted with the crowd, before getting the band together with their backs to the crowd and inviting everyone to take a selfie with them to celebrate 20 special years. Approaching the midnight curfew, the band then launched into “One More Saturday Night” to give the frenzied crowd one last breakdown for which to dance.

    Dark Star Orchestra, Palace Theater, Albany, NY, 11/11/2017

    Set 1: The Music Never Stopped, Touch of Grey, Box of Rain, So Many Roads, Cassidy, Terrapin Station, Weather Report Suite>Let it Grow, China Cat Sunflower->I Know You Rider

    Set 2: Scarlet Begonias->Ruben and Cherise>Fire on the Mountain, Eyes of the World, Drums/Space, Morning Dew, St. Stephen->The Eleven, Turn on Your Love Light

    Encore: Band addresses crowd and takes a celebratory selfie, One More Saturday Night

  • Hearing Aide: Jon Lewis Band’s ‘Baby Brother’

    One of the best parts of reviewing albums is being exposed to music that you most likely would have never discovered on your own. At first, I listened to the Rochester-based Jon Lewis Band’s recently-released EP Baby Brother solely for the sake of writing this review. And then, one morning, I woke up with the melodies lodged into my psyche and I listened because I wanted to.

    Don’t let the term local singer/songwriter fool you. Don’t let the genre label “indie rock” push this album out of the grasp of your musical appreciation.  Baby Brother resonates with a driving sense of urgency, possibly a reflection of the head space Lewis was in when he wrote and recorded it earlier this year.

    “After a freak car accident at the end of March, I found myself inspired to write and create music with more of an edgier attitude,” said Lewis. “We were also just returning from a short tour and I was eager to collaborate more on music that would feature the group and the intensity of those live performances. The process was so quick and often had a sense of profound urgency, energy and cohesiveness.”

    From the first track “Let Me Go,” the EP quickly seizes your attention with smokey, sultry verses, gradually leading to a bridge that builds into a chorus filled with shredding crescendos of hard-hitting rock. The third track on Baby Brother will keep you “Hanging On” with its yearning, soul-calling melodies, precise guitar harmonies and memorable lyrics.

    “What should you say, when my light is fading

    And all my bad decisions come collected

    To keep me hanging on

    Would you keep me hanging on”

    Baby Brother travels into familiar territory with hints of grunge and indie rock, yet with enough rock n’ roll and pop to set the Jon Lewis Band apart from today’s age of dime-a-dozen artists.

    A full-time musician, Jon Lewis bleeds, breaths and sleeps music. Since hitting the road as an acoustic singer-songwriter playing in coffeehouses and bars in Upstate New York in 2013, he’s released four EPs and two full-length albums –  some on his own, others in collaboration with some of Rochester’s well-known and up-and-coming artists, building a solid band of talented musicians along the way. Self-taught and determined to grow as a musician, he’s dedicated himself to producing music at a pace that matches his ambition.

    Partnering up with Producer/Engineer/friend Dave Drago of 1809 Studios, Lewis released two EPs in 2014:  Trail of Dreams and In Disguise. In 2015, he released his first full-length album Panic Rock on which he collaborated with Jacob Walsh on drums and Shawn Brogan on lead guitar, both of whom are now fundamental players in the Jon Lewis Band.  

    Soon after, Lewis began production on Out To Lunch which was released in 2016, this time joined by Alex Northrup on keys, completing the five-piece Jon Lewis Band. Wasting no time, the group released their second full length album Exquisite Corpse on May 15, 2017 and immediately followed it up with Baby Brother which was released in September, 2017.

    When he’s not on stage with the Jon Lewis Band, you can find him playing fun, educational music to kids at Park’s Departments, birthday parties and other events in Rochester with his wife as “Mr. and Mrs. Loops.” 

    “It is incredibly rewarding and fun, and an amazing way to instill the silliness that is so easily forgotten in our lives,” he said.  

    Nominated two years in a row in the City Newspaper’s Best of Rochester Contest, Lewis said the five-piece Jon Lewis Band is focused and hellbent on producing more music and you can expect to see them playing in and around the Rochester area. Be sure to keep your ears peeled. Based on their latest offering, it’s bound to be good.

    Key Tracks: Let Me Go; Hanging On

    https://www.facebook.com/JonLewisBand/videos/1922496671345016/

  • Dead & Company Kick Off Their 2017 Fall Tour At Madison Square Garden

    Dead & Company kicked off their 2017 Fall Tour on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, NY. This was the first time back to the famous venue since their inaugural Fall tour in 2015. Dead & Company members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti took the stage shortly after 7 p.m.

    dead company Madison Square GardenWith the crowd excited to see what the band was going to open with, they started the night off with a unique “Shakedown Street.” Next, Dead & Company finally debuted “Greatest Story Ever Told.” The crowd erupted, making it one of the highlights of the night. This was followed by “Bertha,” giving John Mayer his first chance to sing. After a jam filled “Cassidy,” the band gave birth to the live debut of “Beat It On Down The Line” which was led by Bob Weir.

    Following the live debut was “They Love Each Other.” Towards the end of the the song, the band had a hiccup. It took them about a minute to figure out where to transition from the end of the song into “Cumberland Blues.” Once they were fully into the song, they shook off the cobwebs and went ahead leaving the awkward moment in the dust.

    Dead & Company started off the second set with the familiar combo of “China Cat Sunflower”>”I Know Your Rider” followed by “Ship of Fools.” Next was an electrifying “Terrapin Station,” leaving the Rhythm Devils to follow with their regulatory “Drums” > “Space.” The second set ended with “Casey Jones” giving the crowd another chance to sing along. With the crowd roaring for more, Dead & Company took the stage for a double encore featuring “Samson and Delilah” and “Werewolves of London” where Mayer and Weir traded verses.

    dead company Madison Square Garden

    Setlist:

    Set 1: Shakedown Street, Greatest Story Ever Told, Bertha, Cassidy, Beat It On Down The Line, They Love Each Other, Cumberland Blues

    Set 2: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Ship of Fools, Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > Standing on the Moon, The Other One, Casey Jones

    Encore: Samson and Delilah, Werewolves of London

    dead company Madison Square Garden

  • moe. Announces Return

    moe. went on indefinite hiatus in July of this year following bassist Rob Derhak’s cancer diagnosis. Derhak underwent treatments for nasopharyngeal cancer throughout the summer and is now fit to take the stage again. moe announced Tuesday that it will return to perform two dates at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre Feb. 2 and 3.

    moe. was forced to cancel the remainder of their scheduled dates following Derhak’s diagnosis. His most recent performance with the band was at the Huckleberry Jam in Idaho on July 28. They will perform two sets each of the two nights at the Capitol. For the Feb. 2 show, they will be joined by Kung Fu. Feb. 3 will be “An Evening With moe.”

    A limited amount of pre-sale tickets will be available through Ticketfly beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15.  General on-sale begins Friday, Nov. 17 at 10:00 a.m., again through Ticketfly.

    No other dates were announced by the band. Derhak issued a statement with the announcement:

    It’s been a tough few months, and I couldn’t have done it without the overwhelming support of my family, and my famoe.ly.  And although it’s still not clear what the future brings, the positivity and love that I’m feeling for moe.’s and my next chapter is beyond exciting.  I feel like a kid counting down the days until Christmas, and our energy as a band, is like nothing I’ve experienced before.  Thank you all for the well wishes, prayers, and healing vibes.

  • Maybird Plays Hometown Gig at Three Heads Brewing

    Two things were made clear Friday night when Maybird commanded the stage at Three Heads Brewing. First, their time hitting the road playing gigs across the country has been paying off. Even in returning to Rochester, playing in front of friends, family and fans old and new, the band has shed that familiar ‘local band’ tarnish. It was still the same band, but tighter, more confident, boasting a more muscular full-bodied sound. The kind of bold sound that has been knocking out audiences far and wide.

    Secondly, the band has not forgotten their roots in the midst of their blossoming success and discovery. They were clearly excited to be back on familiar turf, showing their love for Rochester continually throughout their 80 minute set. The oldie but goodie song “One Love” they claimed is played nowhere but Rochester, led one to believe that when lead singer Josh Netsky sang, “You are my one love,” he was talking about his native city. Guitarist Overhand Sam Snyder proudly recounted how it made people happy to hear they were from Rochester when they were out on the road. But just the simple, “It’s sweet to be back home,” uttered a few songs into the set made it quite clear.

    From the building slinky psychedelia of “Maybird” to the tight big rock dueling guitar finish on “Turning Into Water,” the set was stacked with tracks from their two most recent EPs. But there were a few surprises as well. They dropped in a brand new tune “Don’t Keep Me Around” with synth-heavy grooves. A few covers were played, spanning the decades. They took on the 60’s with Brenda Lee’s “All Alone Am I,” payed tribute to early 80’s David Bowie with a perfectly funky “Ashes to Ashes” and brought it up to the last decade with a Rosewood Thieves cover, a song which Snyder had originally contributed to and one that their tour manager, Erick Jordan, had actually written. The show closed with a bombastic encore of “Call You Mine,” another older tune, the full sound bubbling over with Kurt Johnson on a ferocious electric lap steel.

    The band is about to head back out for more touring, this time sharing the stage with fellow Rochester success story Joywave. If you can’t be home, might as well take a piece of it with you.

    Setlist: Nocturne, Maybird, Ashes to Ashes (Bowie), Don’t Keep Me Around, All Alone Am I (Brenda Lee), Bluebird Flew Away, One Love, Grace, To the Stars, (Rosewood Thieves), Two Horizons, Keep in Line, Turning into Water

    Encore: Call You Mine

  • Hearing Aide: Mistar Anderson ‘Mistar Anderson’

    Mistar Anderson, a Columbus, Ohio based ensemble, have released their self-titled album, which is currently available for streaming and for purchase. The vinyl, though not yet obtainable, will be up for grabs within the coming weeks.

    mistar andersonThe group was founded in 2012 by Andre Walker (drummer) and Eric Rollin (vocalist). As a larger ensemble, the musicians within the group change from time to time. However, Walker and Rollin are the two members that have remained a constant over the years. Guitarist Ryan Sullivan, trombonist Elaine Mylius, and saxophonist Jon Weisbrot are featured within the current line-up, as well. Though Mistar Anderson started as a cover band, the group has expanded throughout the years and has begun to release their own songs, all of which hold a unique sound.

    The album Mistar Anderson contains a total of 10 tracks, each of the tunes varying in length. “Alley Talk,” the 5th tune on the album, starts with an interesting melodic marriage between Rollin’s vocals and a groovy line played on the the flute. Rollin’s deep, raspy voice is brought to a short stop as the tune transitions. His sound is then presented in a different light through rap verses. This track teeters from short bars and back to the experimental hook introduced in the beginning, making the song a unique listening experience. The track gets a bit repetitive over the span of four minutes, without many new elements introduced aside from the hip-hop flair.

    “Need Love,” the 3rd song on the album, contains a deeper tone quality, the rich sound driven by a strong bass line and lightened up by the funky twang of guitar. Rollin can be heard singing the hook and rapping the verses on this track, similar to “Alley Talk.”

    This group combines funky jazz sounds with hip-hop elements, creating a style that is uniquely their own, and it shines through on this album. They have experience with performing live shows, having performed over 100 as a group to date. The members seem comfortable on stage, interacting with the audience to a degree, front man Rollin animated as he moves around the stage whilst the band plays, as seen in a clip below. They are a different listen, and it seems that they are a unique group to see live, as well. If you’re on the look out for a new type of sound to incorporate into your music library, then give Mistar Anderson a listen.

    Key Tracks: Need Love, Pure Bliss, Para Mi Brotha B

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