NYS Music 20​17

Category: Buffalo

  • Green Day Revs up Darien Lake Amphitheater with Rev-Rad Tour

    Opening the evening at Darien Lake Amphitheater for the Grammy award winning Green Day, was the British punk rockers Catfish and the Bottlemen.  New to some, however highly popular with the younger crowd in attendance, these four young musicians filled the amphitheater with smoke and energy setting the scene for the crowd, who already was primed, to see their favorites, Green Day.

    Oakland based punk and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Green Day, graced western New York’s Darien Lake Amphitheater, Saturday, August 20 with the summer stretch of the Rev-Rad Tour.

    Band members Billie Joe Armstrong (lead vocals and guitar), Mike Dirnt (bassist), and Tre’ Cool (drummer) were joined by Jason White (guitar) and Jason Freese (keyboards, accordion, and saxophone).  While Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” played, the audience sang along in unison; you could feel the excitement and energy through the venue.

    Green Day immediately had fans screaming and to their feet as they took the stage with “Know Your Enemy” and “Bang Bang” leading straight into “Holiday” and his decree about Nazis, racism, and sexism and his dislike of Donald Trump.  He was then quoted as saying “This night isn’t going to be about politics, just fun,” and it was clear to all present that he got the message across that maybe the best medicine against hatred is joy and unity.

    Armstrong is indeed quite the showman, to him there was no barrier between the rock legends and the simple fan.  He invited one teenage girl on stage to sing “Know Your Enemy” sending her back to her spot with a swan dive into the crowd.  He soon thereafter invited an 11 year old boy on stage to sing the lyrics to “Longview,” and immediately followed that performance with a 15-year-old girl as she played guitar on Operation Ivy’s “Knowledge,” giving her the instrument to keep as she exited.

    Green Day did not disappoint fans reaching far back into their catalog with Kerplunk, playing “2000 Light Years Away,” right up to ending the two and half hour setlist with songs from their newest album Revolution Radio,  playing “Still Breathing” and “Forever Now.” The group then returned on stage for an encore of “American Idiot,” and “Jesus of Suburbia” off their concept album and highly acclaimed “Punk Rock Opera” American Idiot.

    Ending this incredible evening Armstrong played an acoustic version of “21 Guns” then right into “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” and yes Billie Joe this audience indeed had the time of their lives.

    [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”986″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_slideshow” image_crop=”0″ image_pan=”1″ show_playback_controls=”1″ show_captions=”0″ caption_class=”caption_overlay_bottom” caption_height=”70″ aspect_ratio=”1.5″ width=”100″ width_unit=”%” transition=”fade” transition_speed=”1″ slideshow_speed=”5″ border_size=”0″ border_color=”#ffffff” ngg_triggers_display=”always” order_by=”pid” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

  • Hearing Aide: Previous Love ‘Previous Love’

    What do you do when college isn’t everything you thought it would be? For four friends, the answer was to put the band back together. Gary Sheedy, Steven Browne, Charles Campanella, and John Perdue had been playing together since middle school, but called it quits when they accepted offers to different universities. A couple years later, they were back at it, writing songs long-distance by phone and internet throughout the 2016-17 school year, this time under the name Previous Love.

    Produced by Jay Zubricky (Every Time I Die, Cute Is What We Aim For) at GCR Studios in their hometown of Buffalo, the self-titled EP Previous Love captures coming-of-age disillusionment by combining lyrics reflecting internal monologue, swimmy shoegaze contemplativeness, and crashing rock. The sonic effect brings listeners along for a ride through the emotional roller coaster of growing up: the heartbreaks, the feeling of being adrift, and the yearning for purpose and meaning.

    The opening track “Dead Ends” is particularly heavy-hearted. Gossamer reverb-laden guitar strumming creates an ambient background as vocalist Sheedy questions his faith in religion, mankind, and himself.  “The older I get, the more I know that I don’t know anything at all. It’s all dead ends,” he laments. The tension builds, climaxing in an angst-ridden frenzy.

    This emotionally-charged first track then gives way to some lighter melodies. While “Pinwheel” is about the frustration of feeling stuck in place, the tune is a bop. The contrast between the instrumentation and the lyrics creates balance, while the driving drum beat gives the sense of moving forward and pushing through the hard times. “Caffeine” is another notable track. With a strong hook and a jangly sound, the song is the musical equivalent of a shot of espresso.

    Listeners will find it easy to pick out old-school new wave and grunge influences, the dreamy sounds of The Cure and The Jesus and Mary Chain and the raw, raucous energy of Nirvana. Compared to Buffalo-area contemporaries, Previous Love lies on the spectrum between ambient pop artists Humble Braggers and alt rockers Head North.

    While the collection of songs on Previous Love are a reflection on growing pains, there’s also a vein of hopefulness, and an anticipation that great things lie ahead.

    Previous Love is available to stream on Spotify and purchase on Bandcamp.

    Key Tracks: Dead Ends, Pinwheel, Caffeine

  • Head North Discusses Band’s New Sound and the Making of Their Breakaway Album

    Head North’s debut full-length album The Last Living Man Alive Ever In The History Of The World represents a new direction for the band. The Buffalo-based quartet has shed their teenage pop punk angst and emerged from last year’s break with an impressive coming-of-age indie rock venture.

    Head North
    Head North. Photo: Eli Ritter

    On The Last Living Man Alive Ever In The History Of The World, singer Brent Martone’s weathered vocals convey a wisdom beyond his youth as he delivers storylines of characters searching for meaning in a dystopian world in which love and God are forbidden. The instrumentation augments the myriad of moods, from the melancholy march in “Sort of Medicine” to the frantic breakdown in “Pulse.” Experimental elements from spoken word segments to a snippet of bird songs contribute to the authenticity in the story. The result is a work that is honest, ambitious, and creative. It’s as intriguing on the first listen as it is on the hundredth. Maybe even more so.

    NYS Music sat down with drummer Ben Lieber over a cup of coffee at an unpretentious shop away from the touristy area of Buffalo. We talked about the evolution of the band, the creation of the album, and playing live shows.

    Paula Cummings: Head North started as a pop punk band?

    Ben Lieber: We had a great year in 2015. We were very busy. We did the country three times that year, and put out two releases. Everything was going great. We were like ‘We got this record deal, we’re going to be on tour with these bands, we’re 18/19 years old, pissed off at the world, let’s make an angry emo record, and it will sell.’ And that’s what it did.

    PC: What factors led to changing the direction the band was heading?

    BL: The way we operated our band, and the trajectory that we were on in 2015, helped us decide what type of band we wanted to be and how we wanted our sound to reflect that. And I think what it came down to was being genuine. The sonic direction was a result of personal growth as well as realizing what we didn’t want to do.

    PC: At what point did you know this was going to be a concept album?

    BL: Brent had the basic idea of the story for a long time. He spent a lot of time with himself to figure this out. I also think there’s a lot of the narratives in the record that are true to our lives, which had to happen for there to be a resolve in the story. Our lives needed to happen. It’s comforting because we went through all that shit and it took so long, but clearly it needed to happen in order to make this record.

    PC: What was it like to record the album?

    BL: We funded the recording ourselves. When we were recording, I feel we were all in this mindset that it had been so long since the band was hyped, we were so far out, that we didn’t care. The record was solely ours at this point, so we could do whatever we wanted. It was very freeing. Previous to this recording, we had always done it in the format of instrument to instrument. That’s cool and allows for speedy work, but it doesn’t allow you to get into the vibe of the song. But with this recording, we had the whole studio for two weeks, and we did it song-by-song. Having that ability made a huge difference.

    PC: Head North has played everywhere from basement house shows to large venues. Where do you prefer to perform?

    BL: Playing a massive venue, the wall of sound is the coolest feeling for sure, but I still like the intimacy of a small show. The new music is set up for a full stage. We run sample pads and multiple harmonies, and try to create a massive sound. Sometimes we struggle to translate that to a house or DIY show. But the best way to accomplish that is to play it like a punk show like we used to. At the end of the day, it’s about getting energy out, feeling it. It’s a live experience. And I like playing first. I like opening a show. Being the first band is sink or swim. If you’re sick, you’re going to win them over, but if you’re not, people aren’t going to care. I like that challenge.

    The Last Living Man Alive Ever In The History Of The World is available through iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Bandcamp. Physical copies on CD and vinyl, as well as other merchandise, are available on the Head North webstore.

  • Nights Of Fire: A Conscious Evolution Festival Preview

    It is officially time to prepare for this year’s Nights Of Fire: A Conscious Evolution festival.  Hosted by Spun Out Productions, the annual music festival kicks off on Thursday, August 17, and runs through the morning of Monday, August 21.  Located at The Woods at Bear Creek, a “glamping”–glamorous camping–ground in Franklinville, NY, Nights of Fire will offer it’s patrons an educational exploration through fire dancing, art, live music, and workshops.

    As  eloquently described on the Nights Of Fire Event Page: “Nights Of Fire is a FIRE, Art, Music, & EDUCATIONAL RETREAT. We invite all likeminded individuals and those who seek to learn and do more to improve themselves and the world around US. NIGHTS OF FIRE is an educational retreat where YOU can come study many different forms of FIRE SPINNING, FLOW, DANCE, DRUMMING, PAINTING and much more. Evolve with us at night as we will teach you how to celebrate life and simply being alive through song and dance with live music.”

    Pre-sales for the festival are no longer online, however, you can pick up a $75 ticket thru a ticket rep, or grab one for $100 at the gate! The ticket includes camping and parking.

    Take a peek below and click the play button. You’ll find a Rochester Groovecast podcast episode. This episode is a preview of the upcoming Nights Of Fire Music Festival.  During the episode, you’ll listen to Roots of Creation, Freekbass, The Mantras, Madam Bliss, Dixon’s Violin, Stereo Nest, Subsoil, Space Junk, Haewa, and  Flux Capacitor.  All of these artists are performing at this year’s Nights Of Fire Music Festival.

    If you peek even farther below, you’ll find an episode timestamp, and Nights Of Fire’s daily schedule.

    Enjoy!


    —
    Timestamp:
    00:00: Roots Of Creation- Different
    04:12: Episode Introduction
    09:56: Roots Of Creation- Row Jimmy
    15:23: Freekbass– Put It In A Letter
    18:42: Freekbass- Milkhunt
    23:25: The Mantras- Here We Go
    29:27: The Mantras- Dirt Nap
    35:26: Madam Bliss Remix- Notorious BIG “Dead Wrong”
    39:15: Madam Bliss Remix- Erykah Badu “On And On”
    44:10: Dixon’s Violin- Ignition (Correction! Jade Dragon is the album name)!
    46:31: Dixon’s Violin- Night Spirit
    50:56: Stereo Nest- Gradient Peak
    55:03: Stereo Nest- Elder Ladder
    59:39: Subsoil- Joe Rogan
    1:03:24: Subsoil- Great Unknown
    1:07:34: Space Junk- Ascension
    1:14:31: Haewa- Chem De-Vision
    1:18:15: Haewa- Swampin’
    1:23:35: Episode Closing Comments
    1:26:46: Flux Capacitor- Big Bad
    1:36:29: Flux Capacitor- Unit

  • Swimmer Dives into Second Pool of Summer Tour Dates

    There’s only one way to cool yourself down on these thermal, mid-summer nights and that’s to let loose and do some swimmin’. Vermont outfit, Swimmer, resides just a stone’s throw away from New York in the jam-centered, musical hub that is Burlington, VT. As a well-known Burlington band having held an impressive residency slot at Nectar’s and previously opening up for the likes of Dopapod, the quintet made it a point to splash into unexplored territories, cities and states in order to further their rising presence in the jam community.

    Welcoming the conception of their first-ever U.S. tour, the guys already completed stint one with stops across the Northeast. They hit NY specifically, with a July 2 show at Silvana in Harlem and a July 7 gig at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC before they dipped their toes into WV, NC, VA and DC. Their second voyage will see more NY dates, beginning with back-to-back stops at Plattsburgh’s Retro Live on Aug. 3 and Buffalo’s Neitzsche’s on Aug. 4 while gearing up to make their first appearance out West in Muncie, IN, Boulder and Denver, CO. They’ll return to MA and ultimately their Burlington swim hole for an appropriate tour closer at Nectar’s and a festival stop at Beaver Fest from Aug. 25-26.

    Heavily influenced by artists such as Phish, Frank Zappa and The Disco Biscuits, Joe Agnello (guitar/vocals), Matt Dolliver (keys/saxophone), Cotter Ellis (drums/vocals), Paul Klein (guitar) and Jack Vignone (bass), encompass an encyclopedia of jam, progressive and experimental rock styles, blending them together to create a waterfall of elements all their own. Troy Rosenberg was recently introduced to the Swim team to manage stellar light shows to supplement Swimmer’s engaging and improvisational live performances.

    Summer tour has given Swimmer the platform to promote their latest album, No Shape. The release compiles tunes they’ve been delighting fans with for quite some time, such as “Undercover Junkie,” while introducing fresh tunes for fans to float in, like fan-favorite “Godmeat” and “Schwack,” featuring Nate Reit on trumpet. No Shape gives any new swim-fan an in-depth look as to what the group is all about. As any jam band fan would explain, the full experience resides within the magical atmosphere of their live shows. The band’s ability to roll out extensive jams within any given song makes for a unique gig each night, always keeping the crowd fully engaged with a toss up of treats. For more of Swimmer’s live shows and to listen to their studio work, be sure to visit their Bandcamp.

    If you don’t know these guys, catch them on the second leg of their summer tour. Get acquainted, get aquatic and check out their tour dates below!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN_zXtHSbAI&feature=youtu.be

    Summer 2017 tour dates part 2:

    Aug. 3 – Retro Live – Plattsburgh, NY

    Aug. 4 – Nietzsche’s – Buffalo, NY

    Aug. 5 – Be Here Now – Muncie, IN

    Aug. 10 – The Lazy Dog – Boulder, CO

    Aug. 12 – Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom – Denver, CO

    Aug. 17 – Thunder Road Music Club – Somerville, MA

    Aug. 18 – Nectar’s – Burlington, VT

    Aug. 25 – Beaver Fest @ Historic Memorial Hall- Wilmington, VT

  • 311 Returns to WNY After 15-Year Abscence

    Multi-platinum artist 311 rolled into Western New York for the first time in fifteen years on Monday July 10. Known for their high energy shows and polished sound, 311 didn’t disappoint with a well-produced stage show and a setlist that was as diverse as the band’s 27 year career span.

    492A7435

    Despite scattered rain showers, music fans across Western New York poured into the venue for a night of high energy music. UK rock/reggae fusion outfit the Skints’ opened the evening with up-tempo rock roots infused tunes that immediately connected with attendees.  Despite scattered rain showers and gray skies, the Skints energized the crowd with a mix of reggae style beats layered with hints of London punk.

    492A7152

    Danish Rock New Politics took the stage to showcase their Euro style of edgy, gritty rock.   Lead vocalist and Frontman David Boyd mesmerized the growing crowds with raw energy and enthusiasm.  The band performed a mix of songs from their three studio albums including “Everywhere I Go (Kings & Queens),” “Dignity” and “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.”  The band’s cover of the Beastie Boys classic “Sabotage” was also a crowd favorite.

    311 took to the stage before sunset, opening with “Perfect Mistake” from their latest release Mosaic.  Early in the set, 311 established the tone of the evening with instant energy as they launched into two of the band’s most well-known early singles “Come Original” and “All Mixed Up.”

    Other evening highlights included “Homebrew,” the opening track from the band’s 1994 album Grassroots as well as “Amber” from the band’s 2002 From Chaos. As dusk settled in, 311’s neatly placed “Sunset in July” provided the perfect transition into the second half of the band’s performance.

    The evening’s sunset performance provided a diverse glimpse into 311’s two distinct performance styles. Designs by longtime lighting designer Joe Paradise were perfectly executed by the band’s production team and as night fell 311 transitioned from providing high energy nostalgia to showcasing high end production. A mix of traditional stage lighting and LED programming created the perfect backdrop for new songs like “Too Late” yet was perfectly crafted for the band’s entire catalog like “Don’t Stay Home” or the first set closer “Creatures (For A While).”

    311 returned to the stage to close the night with a three-song encore. “Beyond the Gray Sky” from the band’s 2003 album Evolver was a soft but stunning example of the 311’s ability to create mesmerizing moments.  The night concluded with the band’s first #1 single “Down.”

    492A7428

    Throughout the evening, 311 performed with polish and precision.  Yet, their distinctly produced sound translates well into their live performance.  Vocalist/guitarist Nick Hexum and vocalist Doug “SA” Martinez exchange vocal passing with amazing quickness, energy and accuracy. Martinez performs with an intense energy that is simply stated- fun to watch. Guitarist Tim Mahoney, Bassist P-Nut and Drummer Chad Saxton nail musical execution at its highest level on stage.

    311’s Summer Tour continues Friday July 14 as the band makes a festival appearance at the Great South Bay Music Festival in Long Island.  Although the band has no more upcoming dates after that in New York State, fans can catch 311 in nearby in Asbury, NJ on July 15 and Hartford, CT on July 22.  The band will conclude their 8-week summer tour on August 20 in San Diego.

    311’s return to the greater Buffalo area was hosted by 103.3 The Edge and was part of the Artpark Coors Light Music Series

    Setlist: Perfect Mistake, Come Original, All Mixed Up, Homebrew, Hey Yo, Beautiful Disaster, Sunset in July, Wildfire, Too Much Too Think, Bass Solo, Sick Tight, Amber, One in the Same, Applied Science, Til the City’s on Fire, Freeze Time, Extension, Don’t Stay Home, Too Late, Creatures (For A While)

    Encore: Beyond the Gray Sky, On a Roll, Down

  • Hearing Aide: Intrepid Travelers ‘Everyday is Your Birthday’ EP

    One of New York State Music’s 87/90 bands, Intrepid Travelers, is set to release their EP Everyday Is Your Birthday on Thursday June 29th. The CD release event will be in their hometown of Buffalo at Buffalo Iron Works.

    Everyday is Your BirthdayBirthdays: those special “holidays” that allow individuals to celebrate another year of existence with family and friends. Birthdays carry a different connotation depending on which birthday it is, and perhaps when you reach a certain age, you start to dread that once ever so special day. But overall, birthdays are meant to be positive and enjoyed, and this collection of songs through artistic composition and improvisation shows that each day must be celebrated like a birthday.

    The band, who only formed in 2013, has had their fair share of touring experience, and this EP features “studio cut versions that have been in live rotation for over a year, [that] have been rearranged…to fit a studio sound.” Each of the recordings “were done live, except for vocals which were overdubbed.”

    The first track “Destinesia” has a great groove that sits right in the pocket with almost a bossa nova bass line from David Neimanis throughout the song’s A section. The keyboard/organ sound is dense and adds a richness to the track. “Dark Disease” intersperses a beautiful instrumental ballad that works to elicit a state of peace by the listener. The melodic to and fro of the guitar is well-written and well-textured. The changes in this song are made known by a unison set of eighth notes that up the tempo and bring in the vocals. The last few minutes of the track features Brian Calisto on guitar with some tasteful improvisation, strongly supported by the keyboard. Everything comes full circle with a recapitulation of the ballad theme.

    “On Inside” has rhythmically unison instrumental lines that are quirky and pleasantly dissonant. The best part of the song is when the last quarter where it morphs into a full swing groove with a solid walking bass line. In “Funnel,” the song begins with a nice build up, starting with just piano on the off beats, layering drums, guitar, then bass. Drummer John Fohl does a great job setting up the hits in this song. There’s a wide gap here between the vocal harmonies featuring as much as an octave between parts. This could be a little tighter intonation wise, but overall it’s a good way to create a fuller sound. “Maddy & Anna” is the funkiest track on the EP, where you can hear the inspiration for the EP’s title with the line: “cuz every day is your birthday.”

    The writing throughout is quite impressive properly balancing the main themes and progressions with sections devoted to improvisation. The song sections are quite diverse within each track, but it’s easy to follow the musical layout with their repetition of certain sections. The band self-identifies their writing genres as funk, jazz, rock, and psychedelic which are all evident in this EP. The guitar and keys are really given a chance to show off their written and improvised material with full support from the bass and drums.

    Intrepid Travelers wrote the music and lyrics for Everyday is Your Birthday, and also created the album artwork- both front and back. The back of the album features bright colors, sprinkles, a slice of Birthday cake, and the track names in bubble letters. This perky design screams “joy” and “celebration” in terms of a birthday. The album’s front cover is a chocolate chip cookie cake, arguably one of the best kinds of cakes. The lighthearted artwork reinforces the EP’s title and brings some visual continuity to the aural contents inside.

    The EP was produced and engineered by Ryan Press and Packy Lunn in Buffalo, NY, and it was artistically mastered by John Arbuckle at Room 7 in Sea Cliff, NY.

    Key Tracks: Maddy & Anna, Dark Disease

  • Photo Gallery: The Tea Party at Canalside

    This past Thursday, July 6,  The Tea Party made an appearance in Buffalo as part of their Summer 2017 Tour. The Canadian hard-rockers brought out an older crowd for this week’s Canalside Live concert. Based on their performance, it was apparent that this wasn’t their first rodeo. The Tea Party came together in the early nineties, and the same three members stuck together ever since (with the exception of their 2005-2011 hiatus).

    the tea partyThe Tea Party’s sound features a blend of hard rock with all sorts of other genres, including Middle Eastern, Celtic, and Mediterranean music. Their songs feature a wide range of unique instruments, including the mandolin, sitar, hurdy-gurdy, and the list goes on. At one point during the show, front man Jeff Martin swiped his hand around what looked like an old theremin.

  • Interview: A Casual Conversation With Funktional Flow

    Sitting down to drink a beer with a band is an experience for which every journalist yearns. I had the pleasant opportunity to sit down with Guitar/Vocalist Jeffery Kueber and Keyboard/Saxophone/Vocalist Mathew Lester of Buffalo’s Funktional Flow for an interview

    The meet-up took place at Three Heads Brewery in Rochester, NY.  Over a heady Three Heads Brewery beer, we discussed Flowfest, Night Lights Music Festival, The Great Blue Heron Music Festival and Cobblestone live.  We also discussed the birth of the band, their long-term growth and a few of their influences.  In reality, we just sat down and chatted.  It was a ton of fun!

    The conversation was recorded in full and used as a “Rochester Groovecast” podcast episode.  The episode also contains two Funktional Flow tracks, “Back Door” and “Time Will Tell.”

    Click the play button below to listen!

    Keep in touch with Funktional Flow!
    www.funktionalflow.com
    Facebook: www.facebook.com/FunktionalFlowMusic
    Twitter: twitter.com/FunktionalFlow
    Instagram: www.instagram.com/funktionalflow/
    ReverbNation: www.reverbnation.com/funktionalflow
    Bandcamp: funktionalflow.bandcamp.com

  • Southern Avenue brings Memphis Blues to Plattsburgh and Buffalo

    Southern Avenue, Memphis’ hottest blues group will be heading to New York this weekend for two can’t miss shows. They’ll perform at the Plattsburgh Mayor’s Cup on Friday, July 7 and Buffalo Niagara Blues Fest on Saturday, July 8. The Concord/Stax recording artists just released their self-titled debut album in February and bring together soul, funk and rock that when combined with blues moves your feet and stirs your soul.

    https://soundcloud.com/concordmusicgroup/dont-give-up-southern-avenue

    Talking with Southern Avenue’s Ori Naftaly, an Israeli-born blues guitarist who came to Memphis in 2013 for the International Blues Challenge, his blues sound started with the electrified Chicago blues before he turned to earlier blues legends and connected with the soul side of Memphis. Southern Avenue brings in a Mavis Staples angle of blues, with more gospel-based tunes and greater arrangements for vocals from Tierinii Jackson and Tikyra Jackson. Two songs in particular, “Don’t Give Up” and “80 Miles From Memphis,” have the Staples Singers sound, but Naftaly admits, each has a different vibe to it. “We have so many different things to write and find inspiration in, so every song has a different vibe in it and a whole different world we can dive into.” Executive producer John Burke from Concord Music Group helped to trim down the album from 18 songs to those that showcased their broad sound.

    One track in particular, “Peace will Come,” was written about his childhood growing up in Israel during the Gulf War. It beckons a question asked often in the Middle East, ‘When will peace come?,’ but this question refers to peace between people and the environment, not necessarily countries. The song has power to it with the weight of the goal of peace weighted down in the lyrics, alongside a Staples Singers vibe.

     And while Naftaly is an Israeli burn blues guitarist, he is not the first. Guy King moved to Chicago a generation before Ori ventured to Memphis. While both are blues musicians and have found a comfortable place in the roots of their genre, Ori looks to bring the blues to the table with Southern Avenue. But soul, funk and jazz will surely find their way into the Southern Avenue performances this weekend in Plattsburgh and Buffalo.