NYS Music 20​17

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  • Albany Tulip Festival Brings Minus the Bear and the Delfonics

    The Albany Tulip Festival, now in its 69th year, is the city’s signature spring event featuring a variety of activities for all ages. The music lineup features headliners Minus the Bear and the Delfonics along with several local acts, including Wild Adriatic.

    minus the bearHeld at Albany’s Washington Park, the Tulip Festival showcases local artisans and businesses, available on hand selling their crafts and food. The music is the main attraction with two stages featuring both national and local acts. The main stage headliners are Minus the Bear on Saturday and the Delfonics on Sunday.

    The Mother’s Day Weekend festival kicks off on Saturday, May 13 at 11:30 a.m. with the Tulip Queen coronation ceremony. The Mendelssohn Club of Albany performs during the procession and coronation on the Washington Park Lakehouse Stage. Music on the main stage begins at 1:30 p.m. with local act Wild Adriatic.

    The festival features other musical attractions, including the KidZone stage featuring entertainment for children of all ages. The Albany School of Rock has a tent at the festival where attendees can check out the future of music performing throughout the day.

    69th Annual Tulip Festival Schedule of Events
    Saturday, May 13
    Tulip Queen Coronation Ceremony
    Washington Park Lakehouse Stage
    11:30 a.m. – The Mendelssohn Club of Albany
    11:45 a.m. – Tulip Queen Procession (Begins at formal Tulip Beds by Moses Statue)
    12:00 p.m. – Tulip Queen Coronation (Lakehouse Stage)

    Main Stage
    Washington Park Parade Grounds
    4:30 p.m. – Minus The Bear
    3:00 p.m. – The Palms
    1:30 p.m. – Wild Adriatic

    Local 518 Stage
    Washington Park Lakehouse Stage
    4:45 p.m. – Dryer
    3:30 p.m. – Cannon the Brave
    2:15 p.m. – Jasper
    1:00 p.m. – Maurizio

    Sunday, May 14
    Main Stage
    4:30 p.m. – The Delfonics
    3:00 p.m. – Erin Harkes
    1:30 p.m. – Holly and Evan

    Local 518 Stage
    4:45 p.m. – Ramblin’ Jug Stompers
    3:30 p.m. – Dyer Switch Band
    2:15 p.m. – Sydney Worthley
    1:00 p.m. – Andrew Wheeler & Donna Marie Tritico
    12:00 p.m. – 19th Annual Mother of the Year Award

  • Hearing Aide: Mastodon ‘Emperor of Sand’

    With 2017 underway we already have seen so many great releases in the metal world. We had Kreator’s Gods of Violence, Obituary’s self-titled album, and even Overkill with their thrashing hit The Grinding Wheel. Now it is time for perhaps the most anticipated sludge and progressive metal album this year. If you are a fan of those genres then you know exactly which album I am speaking of! Mastodon’s seventh studio album Emperor of Sand released March 31 has given many people a metalgasm! Might need to clean yourself up after checking out this album review.

    mastadon Emperor_of_sand_coverEmperor of Sand (released via Reprise records) is a follow up from the band’s 2014 hit Once Around The Sun (released via Reprise). This album has started an uproar since it was teased with such singles like “Sultan’s Curse” and “Show Yourself.” As the clock hit midnight and my phone notified me it was ready to be viewed on Google Play Music, damn skippy I played it as soon it was ready for my puny mortal ears to binge on. The album continues the progression the band has been going with for sometime with more audible vocals approach and a more lean guitar sound. It has created a great energy of soothing jams like “Show Yourself” and “Steambreather” taking center stage for this formula in perfect harmony. The combination of Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher’s vocals really shows the band’s strong suit making catchy song structures while keeping the skilled technical foundation strong. This album is perfect for those who enjoy bands like Red Fang and Baronness. American sludge progressive metal bands like these are slowly taking over the metal scene once again.

    Sure the album may have some mellow songs, but these guys still know how to get some sweet aggressive playing going on. “Clandestiny” is the dose of heavy sludge that the doctor ordered! With the great drumming work of Brann Dailer and the bass playing from Troy Sanders it is one solid heavy sludge tune. It is for the fans that need some progressive in their life mixed with some heavy licks to get them stoned or drunk. Hey perfect tune to try to drink the Mastodon beer to! Cheers! This album is pure awesome with a side of bad ass and it will quickly climb to the top of the metal charts and hard rock. It would not shock me if it becomes the number one release in it’s genre. I will put money on that! You can say all you want about the boys, but they will always remain a steamroller force of pure genius!

    This album gets a solid 5 out of 5 from Black Metal Steve. Go buy the album from your local record store or from the band’s website.

    Key Tracks: Show Yourself, Sultan’s Curse, Steambreather

  • Roots of Creation: Love Out of the 603

    Roots of Creation is known to sing of its love for the “603.”

    That’s the area code for New Hampshire, of which the reggae-jam fusion band calls home. Its 2012 video “Summertime in the 603” (a homage to Sublime’s 1995 “Summertime”) remains a colorful sight for those recently wishing winter away. Just a day after returning from the warmth of sunny Costa Rica, Brett Wilson continues to defend his love for the “Live Free or Die” state. This, after snowstorm Stella dumped more than 20 inches of the white stuff across the region.

    “Well, a lot of us here like to ski and snowboard and stuff,” said Wilson, in a phone interview from his home. He admits to feeling out of place with the heat and sun of the coastal vacation spot, from which he just left. With his “pale skin,” he said he found himself retreating more often to the evening hours to avoid being burned. “I like having all the seasons. Costa Rica was great. It was nice and warm, but man. I was not built for 100 degrees, everyday.”

    The popularity of a band that envelopes the offbeat rhythms and staccato chords of reggae initially seems just as out of place in New England as Wilson is in the Caribbean sun. But, that’s not the case. Wilson explained he was introduced to the Jamaican music through his mother at an early age. She would provide him with mixtapes of the popular bands that, too, called New England home. When she took him to a reggae fest to hear the music live, he was hooked.

    Flash forward 20 years later, Roots of Creation is a Billboard chart topping band. The band’s latest release “Livin Free” debuted on the Billboard Reggae Chart last April. The success follows a cultivated reputation of making each live show a unique gem for the audience’s experience. Wilson recalls Phish and The Grateful Dead, two of some of his favorite bands whose fans often trade recordings of individual shows throughout the years, each with a different line-up of songs, possessing its own unique experience. Today, it’s not uncommon for those who follow Roots of Creation to do the same thing.

    “We never really saw any of those bands play the same shows once,” said Wilson. “That was cool, because it built kind of a culture around the band. People wanted to follow them around, collect set lists and tape the shows. Also, the bands never got tired of it. So, we definitely adopted that kind of mentality.”

    Whether on the festival circuit, performing at jam favorites like Gathering of The Vibes, Wakarusa, Camp Bisco and Closer to the Sun, or sharing the stage at sold out shows with some of their diverse influences including Slightly Stoopid, The Wailers, Fishbone, and Michael Franti, Roots of Creation has been recognized as a Top 20 artist on the Relix/Jamband radio chart as a festival staple.

    Roots of Creation’s fan base played a substantial role with last year’s release of “Livin Free.” The CD, and subsequent three-CD set, was released from the band’s own label, Bombshelter Records, and distributed by ILS/Caroline/Universal Music Group. The record was funded with a crowdsourcing initiative through PledgeMusic.

    “We could not have done this without everyone who was a part of our PledgeMusic campaign, those who purchased the album, our fans who come out to the shows, and our team behind the scenes,” said Wilson. “It was a really huge team effort. The RoC family is just amazing, and we thank everyone for their support.”

    “Livin Free” features guest performances by Melvin Seals (Jerry Garcia Band), Marshall “Ras MG” Goodman (Sublime, Long Beach Dub Allstars), the Rubblebucket horn section, Billy Kottage (Reel Big Fish), Bill Carbone (Zach Deputy, Max Creek), Grammy-nominated Pato Banton (Sting, UB40), and Mighty Mystic.

    This article was originally published by The Spot 518.

  • The Winner of NYS Music 2017 March Madness is….

    Root SHOCK takes the crown as the winner of NYS Music’s 2017 March Madness. Over 6 rounds, Root SHOCK brought their fanbase together to propel them to the top, holding off Buffalo’s Intrepid Travelers in the finals.

    Catch Root Shock on April 14 at Funk n Waffles in Syracuse with Danielle Ponder and The Tomorrow People, as well as all across New York State this May and June.

    march madness root shockNYS Music talked to bassist Bill Eppel this weekend about winning March Madness:

    Pete Mason: Congrats on winning NYS Music’s 2017 March Madness! How does it feel to win?

    Bill Eppel: It’s a total blast! March Madness has been a great experience all along the way. Checking out all the bands represented underlines the diversity of music in the region. It’s definitely opened our eyes to some bands we weren’t aware of. The support we’ve received from our fans (what we think of as our family) along the way has reinforced that we’re on the right track and connecting with people in a positive way with our music and our lyrics. We’re blown away by the outpouring of votes and positive vibes from everyone, it’s humbling for us.

    root shock march madnessPM: For those who aren’t familiar with the reggae sounds of Root Shock, what influences do you draw on and what can fans expect from your live performances?

    BE: We always refer to ourselves as ‘high energy reggae soul.’ While we have great respect and draw musical and spiritual inspiration from the wide range of reggae styles (roots, dub, dancehall and more), we color that with the classic soul, modern neo-soul, funk, American rock and roots that we grew up with. All that aside, the first thing most first time listeners notice is the powerful vocals, presence and will of our lead singer, Jessica Brown. She’s an overwhelming force of nature on stage and the embodiment of the positive uplifting lyrics that she and guitarist/singer Phil Grajko pen. Hopefully the listener can feel the sincerity of what we do, and walks away with our message of empowerment, equality, respect and love.

    PM: How has growing up and performing in CNY impacted the group’s growth?

    BE: This band probably couldn’t have happened somewhere else. When we came together about 5 years ago, we’d all been involved in the wider CNY music scene and connected with the modern reggae scene in some way previously. Seeing regional bands (John Brown’s Body, Thunderbody, and many others) that had been creating reggae related music but weren’t copying classic Jamaican and world reggae; synthesizing something new with it felt like there was positive artistic and spiritual motion that was furthering the genre. But more importantly the greater CNY area was so obviously supportive and accepting of stretching the genre that we felt comfortable putting ourselves out there stylistically even if we weren’t doing the traditional thing. We don’t write songs to ‘fit in’ to a specific niche, we write them to express ourselves, we’ve thrown lots of stuff at the audience and are consistently surprised with the reaction. It’s given us a freedom to explore. It turns out that the listeners, bands, clubs, pretty much everyone, has been really receptive and supportive. Luckily we also live in an area with a vibrant music scene these days, so we’ve been able to play such a cool and wide variety of places. It’s funny, living in a place that’s so cold and hostile environmentally for so much of the year is obviously difficult…but it’s balanced by the warmth of the people here and how really enthusiastic music fans are once you get them in front of a stage.

    Stream Root Shock’s self titled album and read the NYS Music review of the breakout release.

  • Hearing Aide: Body Count ‘Bloodlust’

    Body Count have returned with a vengeance.  For the first time since 1994’s Born Dead, the band has finally put out two consecutive albums with the same line-up.  And this is clearly Body Count’s best line up since the original lineup.  So what does Bloodlust bring to the table?

    The album starts off with “Civil War” which features Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine on additional guitars, clearly stating that this album is going more political this time through. Obviously with the political climate as well as the on going violence in inner city areas around the country, Ice-T and the gang are here to make a statement.  Then going into the first single release “The Ski Mask Way, ” which has the old school Body Count feel to it, shows the band is on point, clutch, and heavy as ever.  Not to mention the production on the album is top notch.

    Similar to the previous album Manslaughter,  Body Count has dialed up some additional help from other big names in metal.  And on the song “All Love Is Lost” Max Cavalera of Soulfly lends his deadly vocals which was a nice touch to the track. Following that Body Count busts out a kick ass Slayer medley cover which is a cool way to segue at the halfway point in the album.  I would call it heavy metal half time.  Lamb Of Gods’ Randy Blythe also makes a guest appearance with “Walk With Me” where his vocals make a brutal mix with Ernie C’s nasty guitar riffs and Ill Will’s relentless drumming.

    The tail end of the album grabs you by the collar and gets politically heavy with “No Lives Matter” whether you agree or disagree with what Ice-T and gang have to spit out, you can’t deny the beats and breakdowns kick major ass, but that’s the beauty of it.  The music is damn catchy, it helps convey the message that much easier.  The last track “Black Hoodie” which pays tribute to KRS-One while conveying one last message, is the album’s best track and leaves you wanting more.

    In conclusion, a lot has changed since their first album from 1992, the previous album Manslaughter was aimed at society, this album attacks politics and discrimination.  While all the breakdowns, amazing Ernie C riffs, spectacular drumming, and powerful lyrics from Ice-T are all there, which we are used to hearing from a Body Count album,  the album did feel much shorter than their previous album and there are not as many guitar solos and there are no ballads or clean singing vocals from Ice-T or Ernie C.  But it is still a fantastic metal album and a solid entry to the Body Count catalogue.  This is one of their best albums to date and a lead candidate for best metal album of 2017.

    Key Tracks: All Love Is Lost, Walk With Me, No Lives Matter, Black Hoodie

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  • The Other Brothers Tour NY This Spring

    New Paltz area jazz, funk, and soul band, the Other Brothers, will hit the road for a spring tour around New York State, stopping in nine different cities from April through June, in some of the bands favorites venues to perform. The Other Brothers will also make a stop at the Pacific Standard Tavern in New Haven, CT. The tour kicked off at the Spinning Room in Tannersville, and will close on June 21 at the Angry Orchard in Walden.

    The Other Brothers TourThe tour will mark the first time The Other Brothers have performed in the cities of Nyack, New Haven, and Syracuse. Several acts will join The Other Brothers as support on select shows including Gang Of Thieves, Space Carnival, Formula 5, Theo Katzman, Eggy, Goose, and The New Daze.

    The Other Brothers are slated to perform at this years Disc Jam Music Festival in Stephentown, NY on June 8-11. The band’s sound and style have drawn comparisons to the likes of Stevie Wonder and D’Angelo. The band is currently recording their debut album titled Jones. The album will be released sometime during the fall of 2017.

    The Other Brothers consist of Chris Owens (vocals), John Morrison (guitar), Jordan Mendelson (bass guitar), Brandon Bera (drums), Gabe Marquez (keys), and Jared Nelson (percussion).

    The Other Brothers 2017 Tour Dates:

    April 8 – BSP Kingston – Kingston, NY!
    April 14 – Olive’s – Nyack, NY@
    April 15 – Putnam Den – Saratoga Springs, NY#
    April 19 – Garcia’s – Port Chester, NY$
    April 21 – Pacific Standard Tavern – New Haven, CT%
    April 29 – Snug Harbor Bar and Grill – New Paltz, NY^
    May 6 – Funk ‘n Waffles – Syracuse, NY*
    May 8-11 – Disc Jam Music Festival – Stephentown, NY
    June 21 – Angry Orchard – Walden, NY

    !Gang Of Thieves
    @Space Carnival
    #Formula 5
    $Theo Katzman and Joe Dart of Vulfpeck
    %Eggy
    ^Goose
    *The New Daze

  • Hearing Aide: Grand Gesture ‘King of Cups’

    All in all, it’s a wholesome, laid back and refreshingly straightforward collection. The album holds a  psychedelic feel without bombarding listeners with abstract and unnatural sounds that tend to come with the genre, and not doing so takes a considerable amount of talent. It’s well produced, diverse and catchy – something the group harps on in their biographies.

    Grand Gesture hails from Brooklyn and are best described as a combination of Talking Heads, Lou Reed, The Pixies, the Grateful Dead. They don’t copy the sound of these historical groups, but there are hints of their inspirations found throughout all of their tracks. They range from a fairly heavy rock drive to a plain and simple folk jam, and listeners might hope that they take a more aggressive route with their tone in any forthcoming album because tracks based off that formula leave more of an impact that their lighthearted tracks, if they were to ever drop another album.  Examples of this style are found predominantly in “King of Cups.” One of the highlights is a dueling guitar breakdown that’s very Allman Brothers-like along with a funky and heavy guitar solo played through a fuzzy and distorted amps.

    “Straw In My Sock” is another key track that had a more forceful tone which keeps listeners engaged. Their songs don’t rise and fall as much as other psychedelic rock songs do, so songs like “Wildflower” seem to drone on a bit. With the more intense tone, listeners feel more immersed into the music. This feeling could also only be only true when listening to the recording. They claim, “The band aims to write songs with pop song precision, yet they have a deep respect for improvisation so it’s not uncommon for the material to take on new directions in the live setting.”

    “Hey Okay” has a cool ‘skipping’ feel to it with more of those dueling guitars everyone loved from the Allman Brothers. It’s funky and technically with great direction and precision. It’s a song that would be an absolutely blast to see live as there’s so many fantastic opportunities to vamp and mess around.

    It is undoubtedly feel good music and would make a perfect fit for a live setting in an intimate bar or concert hall. The album is available on their website and Spotify and show no sign of any live performances this year, but will post upcoming events on their Facebook page.

    Key tracks: King of Cups, Straw in My Sock, Hey Okay

  • REVIEW: Making up with Adam Levine

    Watching Adam Levine perform with Maroon 5 was a dream come true for me and likely for many of the fans who came to the Times Union Center on Tuesday, March 7. The band had previously cancelled its appearance last September due to the birth of Levine’s first child with wife, Behati Prinsloo.

    Opening the evening was the U.S. Virgin Island group, “R-City” (also known as “Rock City), featuring brothers Theron and Timothy Thomas with a half-hour set of Jamaican based hip-hop, rap, and pop hits from its debut album, “What Dreams Are Made Of.” Upon performing the hit, “Make Up,” the brothers continued to make the show kid-friendly by teaching fans some Virgin Island slang. The crowd went crazy for a medley of songs R-City recorded for other performers —“Replay” (Iyaz), “We Can’t Stop” (Miley Cyrus), “I Don’t Mind” (Usher) and “Pour It Up” (Rihanna). R-City closed out the evening with “Locked Away,” a track that features Levine, of which he would reprise later in the evening.

    A rousing, electrifying drum solo welcomed the crowd to Tinashe and her group of female dancers, as they opened to “Ride Of Your Life,” from her sophomore album, “Nightlife.” In her half hour set, Tinashe also performed hits from Justin Bieber (“Let Me Love You”) and a remix reminiscent of 5th Harmony’s “Work.” before leading on into her own “Company”  and “All Hands on Deck.” The dance choreography from Tinashe and her dancers was great to watch. At one point, they were all in formation dancing to an Beyoncé-inspired rendition of “Single Ladies.”

    By the time the lights dimmed and the music began to blare, the audience was on their feet in anticipation of Maroon 5. Levine and company opened with “Moves Like Jagger.” Levine (guitar/ lead vocals) and his band, featuring Jesse Carmichael (guitar/piano), James Valentine (lead guitar), P.J. Morton (piano), Matt Flynn (drums) and Mickey Madden (bass), wasted no time in getting the audience to sing, video tape, and dance along to a majority of the band’s hits from “Songs About Jane,” “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long,” “Hands All Over,” “Overexposed” and “V.”

    Watching Maroon 5 perform to an almost sold out crowd was an evening I will never forget. Levine’s famous falsetto range was on point for every single song he performed. If you’ve thought watching the band perform with Levine on The Voice was awesome, watching their live performance in person at a live venue is amazing. One of the highlights of the band’s first set was a high-energy performance of “Let’s Dance,” a tribute to the late David Bowie. While another was when Levine gathered the band to center stage for an acapella chorus of “Payphone.”

    The encore featured nothing but an electronic drum kit and a piano. Levine and Valentine opened with an intimate look at the timeless hit, “She Will Be Loved.” Valentine took the lead, performing on acoustic guitar as Levine sang. He dedicated the song to all of the beautiful ladies who came to watch the show. Morton and Flynn joined Levine and Valentine to perform, “Don’t Wanna Know.” After a few more songs, the band closed the evening with yet another tribute —an electrifying homage to Prince. Purple lights flashed and illuminated the stage as each of the members poured their hearts out to perform “Let’s Go Crazy.” Levine stepped up to the challenge, performing Prince’s blistering guitar solo at the end to the crowd’s delight.

    Amy Modesti is a visual artist, photographer and musician who’s dedicated to sharing what’s surrounding her with the rest of the Capital District and beyond. She’s one of the photographers for TheSpot518.

    This article was originally published by The Spot 518.

  • A New York City St. Patrick’s Day with Larry Kirwan and Friends

    Every St. Patrick’s Day, the New York City streets and subways flood with green from onlookers of the 5th Avenue parade and thirsty pub-goers. With many options for a good St. Pat’s show or party from uptown to down and across to Brooklyn, one might almost need to throw a dart at a subway map to plan their night. But near Times Square a staple of the New York Irish scene returned to BB King’s to put on the perfect show for the occasion. For a second St. Patrick’s Day in a row, Larry Kirwan brought his songwriting and music from the retired Black 47 to the midtown blues club along with entertainment from some friends.

    The evening started right on time with the dinner crowd being treated to a set from the Lia Fail Pipes and Drums from Mercer County, NJ performing traditional Irish and Scottish tunes including the 1916 Easter Uprising inspired “Foggy Dew.” Singer-songwriter Pat McGuire, a native New Yorker who calls Galway home, was greeted with admiration from the crowd starting to gather near the stage. As a pleasant surprise to many in the room, former Black 47 member Geoff Blythe joined McGuire for most of the set on soprano/tenor sax. The two complimented each other very well, especially on McGuire’s new songs. His set included a nod to his hometown, “A Song for New York,” in tribute to the Hurricane Sandy victims and storm cleanup efforts.

    Returning to the BB King’s stage following McGuire’s set was Rory K, an independent hip-hop artist from the city, with a short set from a genre that was certainly the odd one out from the other acts yet fit in well. This year Rory drew more folks into his self-written lyrics with a high-energy and charismatic stage presence, debuting within the set a brand new song, “Talkin’ that Talk.”

    With just the blink of an eye between sets, we arrived at the main act of the evening, Larry Kirwan & Friends. With the retirement of Black 47 two and a half years prior on the same stage, Kirwan’s band for the night returned from the previous St. Patrick’s Day show –  Coty Cockrell (keys), Deni Bonet (violin), Rene Hart (double bass) and former Black 47 bandmate Thomas Hamlin (drums). The band had a tighter sound this time around giving a different take on the arrangements of the Black 47 songs in the set.

    The band’s instrumentation was that of a typical rock setup but with upright bass, keys, and violin – a bit of a contrast to Black 47’s horn and uilleann pipe section, so the feel of the performance was inherently different from what longtime fans of the band had been used to. But that’s not to say anything about the quality of the show. The tunes in their different arrangement stood in their own right for a perfect show, with Cockrell’s keyboard lines and the pretty sounds of Bonet’s violin complimenting the original songrwriting well.

    Concurrent with giving a performance with plenty of dancing to be had, Kirwan brought one of his former band’s recognizable elements to the show – politics in the form of song. A number of songs in the set came from Kirwan’s fervor for the history and stories of his home country of Ireland. Just like in the Black 47 days, these songs engaged a passionate audience, particularly the anthem to the Irish labor activist James Connolly. In more current affairs, Kirwan debuted a new single, “Second Coming Blues,” fueled by the recent election season and inspired by William Butler Yeats’ 1919 poem similarly titled “The Second Coming.”

    The show also featured a few surprises mixed throughout. The first was an appearance received with much applause by Cait O’Riordan (from The Pogues), who Kirwan introduced with a fun little story about when he attended that band’s first gig in NYC. Right after a rendition of The Pogues’ “I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Everyday,” the band paid tribute to David Bowie with a cover of “Heroes” to which Kirwan had penned an extra verse about Belfast. Rory K stepped back out on stage for a father-son moment during a section of “Fire of Freedom,” and perhaps one of the most exciting moments for long-time fans was the reunion of Kirwan and Black 47 co-founder Chris Byrne for “Walk All The Days.”

    Before the night was over, the Kirwan treated BB King’s to one of Black 47’s MTV hits “Funky Ceili,” a song that for some intangible reason does not seem to get worn out with time, and the night closed with a large sing-along on the choruses of Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone.”

    The evening was by no means low key but was rather a fun-filled, laid back way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and a show well worth checking out next time it rolls around on the calendar. Until then, Kirwan has some solo gigs/talks popping up which can be found between Facebook and the Black 47 website.

    Setlist: Livin’ In America, Bas In Eirann, Five Points, Camptown Races/Hard Times, Big Fellah, I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Everyday (w/ Cait O’Riordan), Heroes (David Bowie), Fanatic Heart, Sean MacDiarmada, Redemption Song -> Fire of Freedom, Second Coming Blues, Walk All The Days (w/ Chris Byrne), James Connolly, Funky Ceili

    Encore: Like A Rolling Stone

  • Sitting down with Matisyahu

    Walking into the green room of the Bearsville Theater after the evening’s performance, I couldn’t tell who was more in a haze, myself or the room I was about to enter. A small group formed, celebrating the night’s incredible performance when I met up with Matisyahu and we headed toward the couch at the back of the party for our interview. A very chill presence, it was probably the most calm and existential conversation I remember having. Matisyahu’s stage persona is reflective of the man he is behind the scene as well. We discussed his upcoming album, collaboration in the jam scene and how his evolving faith influences him and his music.

    NYS Music: The New Year’s coming up, and what I wanted to talk about was your evolution ya know, everybody talks about how they’re going to change in the new year… what they’re going to do in the new year. Over your career you’ve done quite a bit of evolving, and I wanted to kinda get a feel for why you made the changes you did, how they’ve affected you, how they’ve affected your music. How have you evolved over your career?

    Matisyahu: I would say that like when I started out, there was more just my understanding of music and what it is, my voice, and my sound, and what it is I do, it was just new. It was like when you first start learning something or first getting to know something or someone and it’s fresh and it’s a certain kinda excitement, energy, passion love… Also sort of like unfamiliarity, or a little bit of an uncomfortability with it. And over the years, being able to be on the road, make music, play music, write music, just become much more solidified in terms of my understanding of what music is and what it is that I do. So I think there’s a lot more dimensions to what I do now, in terms of my evolution. When I first started out, it was more like there was one kind of dynamic to what I did. And now there’s a lot of different dynamics and colors that I use in order to create music.

    NYS Music: When you started out, who would you say your influences were? It’s a unique blend, so who did you look at and go I want to be like them? Or did you just want to do your own thing?

    M: No, I was influenced and continued to be influenced over the years.

    NYS Music: So, the change in your appearance over the course of the last couple of years, you’ve changed look and feel. Was there a reason for that?

    M: Well, my look has always been a direct reflection of what’s going on in terms of my expression of my inner world, so absolutely. My look is kind of defining what’s going on.

    NYS Music: And that’s coming out in the music as well?

    Matisyahu: Exactly. The music is like the main place for me to express it intellectually, emotionally, and even intuitively and style, fashion and like the way that I look I guess, is sort of the outgrowth of where my existential self is.

    NYS Music: I see you evolving into more and more integration into the jam world. And tonight you guys went on it was beautiful, you let some of those things just go and evolve on stage. What kind of direction are you seeing yourself in that world, the jam world?  You’ve been on stage with Umphrey’s McGee quite a few years ago and you’ve got a tie with Twiddle too, right?

    M: Yeah, I think in terms of the jam thing, basically, I really wanted to go with them in terms of the music that they make. Like, me, I’ve been doing this for over 10 years and playing a lot of shows a year in order to to support myself and my people and my family. It’s mandatory to be keeping the music interesting, and I find that there’s sort of like, a person’s brain is sort of split in terms of life and the times that we feel the most like free are when we do something new. For example, like a person that has a habit, and when they break that happen and do something differently, even in the smallest little thing, it’s a big deal. It creates a wave inside them and inside the world, of basically moving towards freedom. And in music, there’s the same thing. So like when you rely on your songs, which are great, you know it’s great to have songs, it’s great to write songs, record songs, it’s even great to play songs. But when you rely on what you already know, your muscle memory in your body automatically goes on autopilot. However, when you improvise and you’re making music, unique music in the moment, your other side of your brain, your creative part of your brain automatically turns on. That’s really what I’m interested in, in terms of the music that we’re making. Is those unique moments and creating basically a certain vibe to bring everyone including the band and the people watching the music so that there’s no more real line. Like, you’re not coming to watch the show or watch the performer, but everyone is kinda together in the room, going through the same feelings, the same emotions, going in the same zone. And uh that kinda ties into what you’re saying about jam. That’s for sure the type of music that I’m interested in and making in that sense.

    NYS Music: What do you have in store for us for 2017?

    Matisyahu Well we’ve made a record along those same lines, where, as a band, we were on tour for a while kind of figuring out what our sound was and how to bring together a lot of these different elements of genres that we like to dip into. Basically, we went into the studio, wrote, recorded, and have a new record coming out with 8-10 min. songs on it. It’s not the typical 3.5-4 minute radio songs, but it’s a band record. And that’ll be out Spring 2017 and we’ll continue to be out on the road playing our music and hopefully people will be listening.

    NYS Music: Do you do a little bit of everything you’ve done over your career?

    M: It’s pretty progressive. It’s hard to say what the core of this record is. It’s very soulful, it has sort of a classic almost like a throwback sound to some extent because it’s all done live, it’s not done digitally. It’s not beats that are made on the computer, but uh, it’s all the band live playing in the studio.

    NYS Music: Band you had on stage?

    Matisyahu: Yes. Pretty much, it’s the band on stage.

    NYS Music: How does religion fit in with where you’re going?

    M: I think that, you know, I think that with certain songs that I’ve written that are out that really mean a lot to a lot of people. Those songs will be there forever and will continue to have meaning for people.  In terms of the religious and the Jewish fanbase, there are certain songs that I think… I really believe that my existential search and process in being sort of a young teenager on a quest for understanding of my world and where being Jewish and God and spirituality and music, all those things fit in. And becoming religious, and exploring Judaism, and a lot of different facets of Judaism in particularly within the Hasidic world and writing songs based on a lot of what I explored there. And my process of going through it and in my process coming out of it I think has a lot of meaning for a lot of people on a lot of levels at different times in their lives. So for young Jewish people who may or may not be religious, I think that different albums and lyrics and songs will connect with them at different points of their lives for the person becoming religious to the person sort of moving beyond it, to the person tapping into their own identity as a Jew.

    NYS Music: All different themes in the new album?

    Matisyahu: No, this is all one theme, all the lyrics and songs and the records are connected. This is definitely the continuation of my process of in terms of my understanding of myself, and the religion, and God, and Judaism.

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