It’s the beginning of February in beautiful, not so sunny Buffalo. The cold weather was no match for the barn burner that took place at Buffalo Iron Works on the first of the month with Aqueous and Spafford. As the crowd trickled in, The Emporium (Dave and Mike from Aqueous) took the stage to the hometown crowd’s delight. The set of mainly covers set the tone for the evening. Aqueous drummer Rob Houk joined in towards the end of the set and took the vocal lead on the Stone Temple Pilots cover “Plush.”
If you don’t know about Spafford , it’s about time to change that. These guys are good and poised to take the scene by storm. Hailing from Prescott, Arizona, the band formed in 2012. Brian Moss is the lumberjack behind the axe. Jordan Fairless is the man with the plan holding down the bass line and Red Johnson on keys. Last, and certainly not least, is Nick Tkachyk on drums. Their sound is extremely tight. The segues were seamless. It was a beautiful night of music.
Spafford continues on with their East Coast portion of their Winter Tour with upcoming dates supporting Umphrey’s McGee. Be sure to check these guys out.
Setlist: Dream Jam , Windmill , BDF, Reds Jam, Weasel, Pallisaids, Weasel, Slip N Squander , LLO
Town Ballroom was bursting at the seams with a whole new culture Thursday January 19 with Datsik in town and with a sold out venue. EDM music is becoming more and more popular and I can see why. In line you could find someone in a Pikachu onesie, or another in a unicorn and some girls who seemed to just have on their bra and panties.
Virtual Riot was playing by the time everyone walked in. EDM music is not door at 8 and music starts at 8:30-9pm, it is doors are at 8 and the music is already bumping. The beats were lively and it created an atmosphere that was all its own. Virtual was a perfect opener, he got the continuously lingering crowd hyped up for the night and put them in a party mindset.
Christopher Lee Marshall better known as Crizzly hailing from Austin, Texas was an entertainment all his own. He brought a hype man with him who did just that, hype the crowd. He jumped all around the stage and even at one point jumped in the crowd and moshed with the audience.
Datsik, what is there to say about him? His visual effects were captivating; he had screens set up that took up the entire stage, his new stage setup was by Shogun stage production. He ditched the vortex this tour. The beats he created released the crowd into an animalistic behavior. The crowd was a bit out of control. Sitting on the platform you could see everything going on.
Not long into his set there was a girl who passed out and as soon as that happened the bodyguard guarding the pit entrance attention turned to that; then two girls who looked to be on something ran into the pit and began to “erotic dance.” As soon as another guard saw what the girls were doing, they were swooped up like rag dolls and thrown out. People were taking off their clothes and it became a free for all. Datsik did his job and entranced the Town Ballroom crowd and left everyone feeling new and free.
Funktional Flow has released the video for the original “Trouble,” off their latest album Time Will Tell. The video was filmed at King’s Rook in Erie, PA and was edited by Nick Sonricker. Read the NYS Music review of Time Will Tell. Funktional Flow performs next at The Armor Inn Tap Room in Hamburg, NY on March 18.
High energy 10-piece funk band West End Blend embarks on an extensive tour that stretches across the Northeast with 7 stops throughout New York State in Syracuse, Canton, Saratoga Springs, Saranac Lake (during Winter Carnival), Brooklyn, Rochester and Buffalo. The funk/soul machine recently released a new music video for “Smile,” and vocalist Erica Bryan sat down with NYS Music to discuss the band’s influences, songwriting and expectations for fans over the next 3 months.
Pete Mason: A distinct 70s funk and soul sound can be heard in “Say Hey”. What influences do you collectively draw upon to form your ‘blend’?
Erica Bryan: Every member of the band has their own set of influences, from Led Zeppelin to Earth, Wind, and Fire to Erykah Badu, that comes together through the funk and soul we all adore. How do we put it all together for one cohesive album? Great question. Each album gets us closer to figuring that out.
PM: As a 10 piece, how does songwriting come together between so many players? Are there 1 or 2 who take the lead for the collective?
EB: Initially, the band was focused on covers, and essentially delivering a crazy funk/hip-hop party to our audiences. Gradually, a few of us, myself included, started to bring in originals, some fully-arranged, others arranged with the group. Now just about everyone is bringing in tunes, or pieces of tunes that just need the West End Blend touch. As we’ve grown together, our collective writing and arranging has become more refined; we’re learning about one another through the music we write.
PM: When did West End Blend first form and what have been the most notable shows for the group thus far?
EB: In late 2012, our drummer, Sam Horan, and one of our guitar players, Jesse Combs, conceptualized the collective that was essentially meant to be an all-inclusive, funk-driven, party. Our first show was a basement party in the house that would later be our musical home in the West End, then we went on to a weekly residency at a hot dog joint in Hartford, CT. I could never have imagined we’d go on to play shows like Funksgiving at Toad’s Place in New Haven with Deep Banana Blackout, or a summer spot at Catskill Chill opening for artists like George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, and of course New Year’s Eve with our good friends in Turkuaz and Kung Fu at Fete Music Hall, three of my personal favorite gigs recently. Those and so many others were essentially masterclasses for us, experiencing such talent in front of us.
PM: WEB’s winter tour blankets the Northeast – what can fans expect at shows over the next few months?
EB: Our winter tour schedule is blowing me away. We’ll be with artists we’ve worked with before, and some we haven’t. No matter what, fans can look forward to some fresh tracks, fresh style, and a damn good time.
PM: With the recent release of WEB’s Say Hey EP, is the band planning to return to the studio for a full length album in the near future?
EB: That’s always the plan, and we’ve been working. We have so much to share, including the recent release of our music video “Smile,” a collaboration with the incredible Spencer Pond and the dancers of his The Now Unboxing Project.
Check out more info at West End Blend’s website and Facebook.
Winter Tour Dates
1/19 – Syracuse, NY – Funk n Waffles
1/20 – Canton, NY – Java Barn
1/21 – Stratton, VT – Grizzly’s
2/2 – Somerville, MA – Thunder Road Music Club
2/3 – Burlington, VT – Nectar’s
2/4 – Bromley, VT – Bromley Ski Resort
2/9 – Nashua, NH – The Riverwalk
2/10 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Putnam Den w/ Gang of Thieves
2/11 – Saranac Lake, NY – The Waterhole w/ Bella’s Bartok
2/15 – Philadelphia, PA – Silk City
2/16 – Washington DC – Gypsy Sally’s w/ Big Mean Sound Machine
2/17 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – River Street Jazz Cafe
2/23 – Baltimore, MD – The 8×10 w/ John Ginty Band
2/24 – Brooklyn, NY – The Hall w/ Vinegar Mother
2/25 – Stratton, VT – Grizzly’s
3/3 – Greenfield, MA – The Root Cellar
3/4 – New Market, NH – The Stone Church w/ Broca’s Area
3/10 – New Haven, CT – Pacific Standard Tavern w/ Root Shock
3/16 – Rochester, NY – Flour City Station w/ Upward Groove
3/17 – Buffalo, NY – Nietzsche’s
3/18 – Pittsburgh, PA – James Street Ballroom
3/24 – Harrisburg, PA – River City Blues Club
Marco Benevento is set to blastoff in 2017 with a new album and tour on tap. The multi-instrumentalist dubbed the Mad Hatter will start the year spinning forty-fives for an intimate hometown get down at the Catskill Mountain Pizza Company in Woodstock, NY on January 7. Teaming up with music journalist Brian Turk, the event is called Brian Turk and Mr. D present “I’m a DJ Too,” and will feature tasty pizza and beer from the Catskill Brewery, not to mention a set of fresh cuts straight from Marco’s head to the floor. But only 75 tickets will be available. Click here to get yours.
Later in the month, Benevento will launch a tour in support of the Feb. 17 release of The Woodstock Sessions, a new live album recorded last September at Applehead Studios. The first show will take place on Jan. 30 at Funk ‘n Waffles Downtown in Syracuse. Local Grateful Dead tribute act, Pearly Baker’s Best, will open. Tickets are $20 at the door and $15 in advance. Tickets are available through Ticketfly for the Syracuse show.
Other New York stops for the Woodstock resident include Buffalo, at The Iron Works on Jan. 31, Ithaca, at The Rongo on Feb. 1, The Brooklyn Bowl on Feb. 2, and at The Hollow in Albany on Feb. 3. See below for full tour information.
With a full schedule ahead of him, Marco Benevento has gone ahead with a Pledge Music campaign that will put fans at the forefront of his new album and musical adventures throughout his 2017 tour stops. Packages include a chance to pre-order The Woodstock Sessions, opportunities to receive show tickets, signed setlists, a bookshelf made from Marco’s grand piano, a band lesson, or even the chance to record with Marco at Fred Short Studios in Woodstock, NY; plus, Marco is making himself available to spin vinyl or play a solo piano concert at a lucky fan’s private party. More information is available here.
Tour Dates:
Jan. 30 – Syracuse, NY – Funk ‘N Waffles Jan.31 – Buffalo, NY – Iron Works ^ Feb. 1 – Ithaca, NY – The Rongo Feb. 2 – Brooklyn NY – Brooklyn Bowl * Feb. 3 – Albany NY – The Hollow ^^
Feb. 4 – Burlington VT – Higher Ground
Feb. 6 – Portland, ME – One Longfellow Square
Feb. 7 – Hamden, CT – The Ballroom at The Outer Space ***
Feb. 8 – Holyoke, MA – Gateway Arts
Feb. 9 – Boston MA – The Sinclair *
Feb. 10 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall *
Feb. 11 – Baltimore, MD – Ram’s Head Live **
March 25-26 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Festival
March 31 – Denver, CO – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom
April 1 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
April 2 – Avon, CO – Agave
April 4 – Salt Lake City, UT – The State Room
April 5 – Bozeman, MT – The Filling Station
April 6 – Spokane, WA – The Bartlett
April 7 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
April 8 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
April 9 – Eugene, OR – Hi Fi Music Hall
April 11 – Bend, OR – The Capitol
April 12 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s
April 13 – Petaluma, CA – The Mystic Theatre
April 14 – San Francisco, CA – Independent
April 15 – Los Angeles, CA – The Bootleg
* w/WOLF!
** w/Psycho Killers
*** w/Superhuman Happiness
^ w/Mayabird
^^ w/Mayabird + Band of Ghosts
