Saratoga Springs’ Wild Adriatic has logged a good deal of miles on their way to many well deserved accolades as a live act. On their latest LP, Feel, they looked to their touring experience both for inspiration and style. In a recording session in Austin, with Grammy-nominated producer Frenchie Smith, they kept it simple. They avoided production bells and whistles, opting for a more organic and in-the-moment sound. The songs themselves were born on the road as well, in various writing retreats around the country, from Wisconsin to Virginia to Texas.
But this journey begins in Appleton, Wisconsin, site of some of the band’s most memorable shows. The opening track, “Appleton,” starts things off with an unexpectedly funky nod to Sly and the Family Stone. They ease into their more muscular moments with the slinky and soulful “Runnin’ Thru” and the infectious and poppy “Come Back Baby,” where guitarist Travis Gray works a gorgeous falsetto backed by the West End Horns.
There’s no looking back from there. Fueled up, the trio – Gray, Rich Derbyshire on bass and Mateo Vosganian on drums – step on the gas, letting loose on their energetic and soulful rock engine. When all three cylinders are firing, Wild Adriatic commands attention.
“Same As It Ever Was” establishes their ability to elevate a simple blues into a grooving and fist-pumping rocker – a formula they find more success with on “Hurricane Woman” and “Some Nerve.” Thumping bass, rollicking drums, ripping guitar riffs are all tied together with Gray’s unmistakable voice.
“Blaze of Love” blends their knack for funky grooves, powerful beats and soaring leads perfectly. The album closes with “Busman’s Holiday,” a deep rocking blues number that calls to mind Led Zeppelin and the Black Keys. Gray repeatedly sings, “I’m going back on the road.” This excellent collection of songs is ready to go with them there. Back where they all began.
Key tracks: Blaze of Love, Same As It Ever Was, Come Back Baby
New Jersey native Peter Karp has returned to the studio realm with his latest effort, Alabama Town. Beginning his career as a teenager in the blues band They Came From Houses, Karp has been musically inclined from a young age. Growing up near New York City and later moving to backwoods Alabama left him with a unique perspective of the sounds of folk and blues, hearing acts such as James Brown, the Beatles, the Animals, and the Temptations live at a young age. After a foray into the film industry in the 90’s, Peter officially returned to the music world with the independently released Live At The American Roadhouse in 1998 with his band Peter Karp and the Roadhouse band. It’s been many years and many releases since then, including 2004’s The Turning Point with Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones, but Karp’s old school blues-oriented folk rock still forces reminiscence of the founding fathers of American roots music.
The album begins with the title track, “Alabama Town,” which immediately transports the listener to the slow moving pace of Southern living with an ambling blues riff and lyrical imagery that includes grits and grandpa drinking Jack Daniels out back. “Blues In Mind” also sounds as though it’s from an earlier time while maintaining a modern edge. One could almost imagine it coming from the radio of a ’59 Chevy Impala as it comfortably cruises through town on a warm Sunday afternoon. The other half of the sound that comprises the album is a bit softer, a slide guitar kind of folk music that exemplifies how the less is more concept can sometimes work in the musical world. “Lost Highway” has a poetic rhythm to it, with more of a story telling vocal performance. “Beautiful Girl” wraps it up with a mournful harmonica whine in a tale about a lost love.
Anyone interested in celebrating the album release with Peter and his Roadshow Band can do so at the release party at Roy’s Hall in Blairstown, New Jersey on February 4.
Key Tracks: Alabama Town, Blues In Mind, I Walk Alone
NYS Music had the chance to sit down and interview with Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers just days before they embarked on their 2017 Winter Tour, which is currently under way. Due to their familial connection, the Woods come from the same musical roots, but their talents grew in all different directions over the years prior to forming the soulful folk band that now has a worldwide following. Some dates on this tour are already sold out, so if the spirit of their music moves you, purchase your tickets today!
Ben Boivin: Let’s start from the very beginning…The Wood Brothers connection with the state of New York. Your first ever show was at Tonic in NYC and two of the first five shows were at Savannah’s in Albany. How did the Capital District wind up as your first stomping grounds?
Oliver Wood: Well, part of it was a matter of convenience because my brother [Chris Wood] used to live in Saugerties and in the early days of The Wood Brothers we were trying to find little gigs and do things that were realistic and convenient. I was living in Atlanta at the time so I would just go up there and hang out for a few days and work on music and then get a few gigs in the area. We played gigs nearby Atlanta for the same reason. My brother would come down and that just made the most sense. Sort of how we cut out teeth and started to figure out what The Wood Brothers was all about.
BB: What do you feel is different about playing in New York State compared to other parts of the country?
OW: Every region has its own unique vibe and certainly New York State has that. The first thing that comes to mind for me is obviously New York City. That’s where we got our record deal and where our management company is located and where we played our first gig. There’s a sentimental connection to it. Also, we played several times at Levon’s [Helm] barn, his rambles, while he was still alive. Besides Chris living in that part of the country, it certainly has some sentimental value to me as well. There is such a rich tradition there.
BB: Is there one band member that chooses the set lists or is it a group effort?
OW: We definitely tweak it as a group, but I would say Chris is the master set writer. He is the guy that masterminds it and really thinks it through. I don’t know why, it is just something he started doing and was really good at. I guess he is a better decision maker than me? We certainly consult each other and as a group make a list of songs, but Chris is really good at putting them all together.
BB: Do you ever consider cutting songs based on the crowd?
OW: Oh, absolutely. If the crowd is rowdy, we add some rowdier songs. Sometimes we try to tone it down for people and they might be rowdy, but what they don’t know is that they actually want to shut up for a minute and really be in the moment and that’s cool too because it brings them in. It gives them something they didn’t expect.
BB: I read something you said about touring with the Zac Brown Band in front of 20,000 people and how that is a much different level than the normal tours you do as a trio. What makes that different from the theaters and bars where you primarily play?
OW: In a large venue, it is more consistent, there is this one gear. But, I like the variety of small and medium places because they are all unique and you can play them in different ways. It is very satisfying to not just do the same thing every night.
BB: How does playing music with your brother help or hurt what it is you are trying to do?
OW: It is definitely a different dynamic. I mean when you play in a band for years and years with people they become brothers. It’s like a family. It’s like a marriage even. There are those kind of brothers and then something different and deeper with a real brother because you’re family and because you have a more shared experience. Your childhood and your growing up and your parents are all formidable things that you both have. I think also, there is that innate, intangible, yet genetic thing that Chris and I noticed right away. After years apart, being able to comfortably play together and have this telepathy that usually takes years to develop, we were kind of like,“Wow, we have it built in!”
BB: In recent tours you guys have been taking different versions of the same songs on the road. Does Jano Rix help you dissect and resurrect new versions of the same song?
OW: It’s very much a group effort. Part of that is for us. By rethinking a song it is keeping it fresh for us. If we have been playing a song for a couple of years, we may think people love this song but maybe we are getting kind of tired of it. Let’s do something different with it. There is a big rocking number, like the song “Shoefly Pie,” that’s a full electric one, but we made it more porch-y the next time around. We made it all acoustic and Jano was on percussion instead of drum kit, and that’s an example of how we can deconstruct a tune and put it back together in a completely different way. It keeps it fresh for us and for the audience too. We have had a lot of comments where people appreciate and enjoy that.
BB: I have seen you guys a lot and must have heard “Luckiest Man” about 100 times.
OW: Yeah me too, tell me about it.
BB: In the Winter 2016 tour, Jano came out and did a long piano intro before a very jazzy version of “Luckiest Man” and it was really special to hear a familiar song played differently for the first time.
OW: I think people like to get surprised and challenged a little bit and there’s nothing wrong with that on either side.
BB: Going back to the topic of New York, your most recent release, Live from the Barn, was recorded right in the heart of the Catskill music scene in Woodstock, NY. Why did you choose that spot and why is it so special to you?
OW: It’s a very sentimental place for us and Levon is a serious influence and indirectly like a mentor to us. We hadn’t been there in years. Since he passed away we have done stuff with Amy, his daughter, and felt that family connection with their family. When we made the plan to go back there to play, it felt like a special occasion and we wanted to record it all. You never know how it will turn out. Maybe that was okay or that was horrible, but as it turned out, if felt like a real special night. We were really happy and excited that we captured it. We were sort of tripping on being there. It was magical and brought back all these memories. I mean, we were there watching Levon play and standing two feet from his drum set. By the end of the night, we were singing songs with him and sitting around in his kitchen after the show. There are spirits there that you just don’t get anywhere else.
BB: What is the best piece of advice Levon gave you?
OW: He never really gave us any specific advice. I think we just learned by example. I will tell you the thing I get from him is to just be yourself. Just be real and be yourself. That’s what he was and sometimes it is hard to do that and remember that in this business. Sometimes you think, what can we do to survive and to sell more tickets? It’s not about that. If you can be yourself, that’s going to be the best art you can make.
BB: I am sure you are aware that “Big Pink,” the house that The Band rented to create their debut album, is located about 10 minutes outside of Woodstock. Do you, Chris and Jano have your own “Big Pink”? Is there a place that makes writing and creating music easier for you as a group?
OW: Not necessarily. We’ve had several spots, but it has been a challenge since Chris and I lived in different parts of the country for the first six or seven years of The Wood Brothers. I would go up to him and we would write and then he would come down to my place. We would write on the road, backstage, in dressing rooms and at sound checks. He would send me e-mails and we would go back and forth. I will say, since we all moved to Nashville a few years ago, it has been awesomeness because we have been able to hole up in someone’s basement or living room or even rehearsal space. Nashville has been a good place to gel in that regard and relax with our writing. It makes it fun.
BB: What was it about Nashville that drove you guys there?
OW: It was a combination of things. For one, it was somewhat in between New York and Atlanta. We wanted to stay on the east side of the country and I was in the South so long and I like the South, a lot! Part of it too is that we had a lot of great experiences before we lived here. Really cool times where we came to town and recorded with people and collaborated with people and had some shows we really enjoyed. At random, we got to know some good friends and we had kids in school and Nashville is a nice place to raise a family. The music industry here has a stigma that it is just a country music town but there is all sorts of stuff happening with great writers and great music. It is really inspiring just to be here. You can sit in your house and think, “Maybe my neighbors are writing great songs and making great music.” I love that part too.
BB: You will be returning to the Empire State this summer, hitting SPAC in Saratoga and the Highland Bowl in Rochester as well as over a dozen other cities with the Tedeschi Trucks Band & Hot Tuna for the 2017 “Wheels Of Soul” Tour. What’s it like touring with other well-known bands compared to being on the road as a trio?
OW: It’s real special because usually when you’re on the road alone you are crossing like ships in the night and you don’t get to hang out with your contemporaries and they’re all playing at the same time as you are in some other city or state. It is a real treat even at summer festivals to get to cross paths with some of our friends and to get to hang out for a few minutes if we’re lucky. To do a tour with Tedeschi Trucks and be with them every day for a month or two is a real privilege because not only do we get to hear them play every night, but we also get to play with them, eat meals with them and be close.
BB: Well, we are definitely looking forward to that tour.
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
Anders Beck had a moment before Greensky Bluegrass’ performance at The Egg on January 31. He shared with the audience that, for dinner, he was served chicken inside an egg. And that was just one of the many egg yolks cracked by the dobro player this evening, who had high praise for the venue in saying, “It’s unique, it’s different, it’s The Egg.” An apt description.
Fruition opened the night with a crisp and refreshing Northwest bluegrass sound that is at times mellow and folky then at times rockabilly. They emanate an energy that kicked up in unexpected spots, never spending too long in one genre for more than a song.
A symphony of sound greeted a sold out audience inside The Hart Theater for Greensky Bluegrass this evening, and they opened with “A Letter to Seymour” and a dark “In Control.” The Band’s “Shape I’m In” got deep and stretched out nicely in a patient jam before a trio of new songs off Shouted, Written Down & Quoted followed — “More of Me” (with extra egg humor), “Fixin to Ruin,” and the very upbeat and extended “Living Over.”
The second set began with crowd pleaser “Take Cover” and a hypnotic beat developed two songs later during “Lose my Way,” fitting to its name. The psychedelic light show paired perfectly with the progressive jamgrass and fell neatly into Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al.” An animated Paul Hoffman took off on mandolin during “Pig in a Pen,” then swapped to guitar to jam out the final two songs, “While Waiting” and “Don’t Lie.” The latter of which was built layer upon layer and led to a deep culminating jam to close the set.
For the encore, Greensky brought out opener Fruition and stepped in front of the mics to the front of the stage as the audience gathered near for purely acoustic versions of “Demons” and “Meet me on the Mountain.” The camaraderie the two bands exhibited as they collaborated in the finale was representative of the communal nature of their mutual bluegrass roots. That communal sense stretched to the crowd, who found themselves inspired to leap to their feet at numerous junctures throughout the show and dance with a passion aroused. As a friend said in passing prior to show time, “This is bluegrass for the rock n’ roll fan and rock n’ roll for bluegrass fans.”
Set 1: A Letter to Seymour, In Control, Last Winter in the Copper Country, Ghost of Richard Manual > Shape I’m In, More of Me, Fixin’ To Ruin, Living Over
Set 2: Take Cover, Burn Them, Lose My Way, You Can Call Me Al, Room Without a Roof, Pig in a Pen, While Waiting, Don’t Lie
Grounded with combined elements of soft grooves, grit, guitar heavy tunes, seventies rock and Motown soul, Wild Adriatic will bring a stacked show to Putnam Den on Saturday, Feb. 4, just one day after their latest album, Feel, drops. Having only released 3 EPs prior, the power trio consisting of Travis Gray, Rich Derbyshire and Mateo Vosganian will celebrate their fresh release for a Saratoga Springs home crowd, the very place in which the group first convened.
Wild Adriatic have already notched three EPs and one live album — leaving 2017’s Feel highly anticipated by fans and band members alike. During the growth process of Feel, the trio decided to focus on their raw, live performance as opposed to the craftiness that can be conjured up in the studio through samples, digital instruments and the like. This time around, the goal was to emphasize organic talents in Gray’s powerful, soul-grabbing vocals and lead guitar riffs, Derbyshire’s bass slaps and Vosganian’s heavy-hitting drums, bringing their natural creativity and emotions to the forefront of the music.
Promotion of the sophomore full-length release has not seen a lull. The group has shown triumphant efforts to push the album recorded in Austin, Texas with Grammy-nominated producer Frenchie Smith. Fans have been delighted with various album teasers, acoustic video sessions and snippets of mock reality show footage featuring members of the band in Ghost Hunters, Dancing with the Stars and Naked and Afraid. Sure, playing the bass in a band is rewarding but check out Rich as he takes on new moves for Dancing with the Stars. You can also check out Mateo’s fearless ghost hunting video and Travis’ video on Facebook, where he took on a different area of exploration–he is most certainly naked, but is he afraid?
2017’s Feel reaches new depths with 11 tracks of emotion, dipping into realms of politics, modern relationships, friendships and soul crushing break ups, adding nods to new genres into their personal melting pot of sound.
Don’t miss a wild album release party at Putnam Den on Feb. 4 with openers Let’s Be Leonard and Bathrobe Robots–available to those 18+, with a surcharge of $5 for those under 21. Tickets cost $10 in advance or $15 the day of the show but WA fans can also get their hands on a few combo deals, like an advance ticket and CD for $20, advance ticket and tee shirt for $25 and all three in a bundle for $35! Doors open at 8 with the show to follow at 9.
Q&A with Mateo Vosganian of Wild Adriatic:
Alyssa Ladzinski: It’s obvious that the message of Feel is to be in touch with your emotions. Can you elaborate on the occurrences that made each one of you come to terms with accepting your own feelings and using them as inspiration for your second full length release?
Mateo Vosganian: This record was written and recorded during a pretty tumultuous few years in our personal lives. A lot of the songs are about a specific old relationship of Travis’ that was the source of a lot of stress and craziness in his life. Writing more specifically and personally to our lives seemed to be a natural progression for us with this record. We go into each new recording process with hopes to open some more doors and explore our abilities a bit. I turned 30 in 2016 and we’ve all grown up together a lot in the last five years we’ve been doing this band. Personally, I feel like a big part of growing up is getting in touch with your feelings and who you are as a person. Finding what makes us tick and being honest about it. This record is another step down that path.
AL: Favorite track off of the new album and why?
MV: I think my favorite track is “Chasing A Ghost.” It’s the song that took on the most influence from our surroundings and producer down in Austin and we were sort of able to get in touch with our more cosmic & space-y yet still soulful sides.
AL: I know you guys wanted to focus on your raw talents other than the effects that can be placed on music in the studio. Are there any new avenues you explored on this album in lieu of recording studio magic and finishing touches?
MV: We recorded the basic tracks for the album live in a room together and I think that really added more of our vibe to the recording than we’ve been able to capture in the past. We’ve self-produced all of our old records and this time we worked with a very talented and inspiring dude named Chris “Frenchie” Smith down in Austin. He helped us tap into some very expressive areas in our playing and inspired searches for new sounds and lots of risk taking in the studio.
AL: You and Travis were once involved in a pop punk group called Horse in A Box. Can you recall some of your favorite memories playing in this band and how it lead you to where you are today?
MV: Travis and I have been making records and playing shows together since we were teenagers. My favorite memories of that band came from absolutely ridiculous road trips in my mothers mini van to go play shows all over NY state. We were 4 of the weirdest, dumbest kids you could find and it was an absolute blast. We took it pretty seriously even as kids so we were on the road most weekends. I think that led to interesting school lives where we weren’t really around a lot on the weekends and the band was our family. We learned a lot about performing live, recording and the business side of making music at a young age. That has helped so much now, along with a hell of a lot of growing up.
AL: What are your favorite current pop punk acts– favorite while you were in Horse in A Box?
MV: Honestly I haven’t been paying too much attention to pop punk these days but the one record I heard last year that i really loved was State Champs’ album. They’re a band from Albany who has slowly but surely been taking over the world and it’s been a delight to see and hear.
AL: You guys originated in Saratoga Springs and attended school extremely close to the area in Queensbury. What are some of your favorite Saratoga Springs businesses/restaurants?
MV: My absolute favorite restaurant in Saratoga is the Park Side Eatery on Phila St. It’s got a super diverse and delicious menu, wonderful staff and just an overall great vibe similar to places we’ve run into on the road. Oh and the baked goods. OH the baked goods. Homemade donuts, cinnamon buns, the works. It’s ridiculous. And we have to mention Esperanto because doughboys are a way of life when we play in town.
AL:How does it feel to have an album release show in a place you can refer to as home?
MV: Well the tour starts on 2/1 in Virginia so it’s kinda nice to play a few shows (in VA, NYC and Pennsylvania) before we come home and celebrate with our amazing home area. It’s about to be a big year on the road and we’re grateful to be able to do a show at home before taking off for a few months!
AL: Does this pose extreme levels of comfort and/or pressure to do something huge?
MV: At this point we feel very comfortable in our lives as working musicians and these kinds of shows and tours end up being so rewarding if we can stay present and keep a good mindset. It helps to remember how little control we have over anything but ourselves and just go out there and be with the audience.
AL: So on FaceBook, it says you enjoy voodoo. Are you putting hexes on those who don’t feel your music?
MV: I’m amazed you read that. Sometimes, me from three years ago writes shit on Facebook that even I don’t understand anymore.
AL: You’re playing this show with fellow Saratogians Let’s Be Leonard– what do you want fans who’ve never listened to them to know?
MV: They’re one of our favorite bands; they write great songs and perform them with tons of heart and open minds live. No two shows are the same from Leonard and that’s one of my favorite parts about seeing them. Also, they have a new record coming out this year at some point!
AL:Your TV parody commercials were brilliant. Where did you get the idea to place yourselves in the midst of reality TV in order to promote your latest album? Are you actually hardcore fans of each show you “participated” in?
MV: Honestly, Travis was telling us about some really super ridiculous episode of Naked and Afraid that he had seen where the guy wouldn’t stop talking about how a Sasquatch laid on him one time. No joke, this happened on TV. We thought it was so funny and I had been toying around with ideas for ways to help promote that weren’t your traditional live videos and studio videos and such. It just sort of happened that we needed three solid concepts and we knew to start with Naked and Afraid. Rich is actually a great dancer so we knew that would be fun too. It all worked out really well and, with our ideas, that’s not always the case haha. We really love comedy, love being ridiculous and have some extremely talented friends in Jamie, Nick and Zach at Chromoscope Pictures. They spent a whole day running around with us to shoot those 3 commercials and then edited them beautifully. We’re psyched people think they’re as fun as we do!
AL:You start touring Feel in the beginning of February. Any locations or venues on the bill that you’re looking forward to hitting the most? Why?
MV: Oh man, pretty much all of the venues are favorites we’ve hit before. We’re doing some new spots in the southeast with our good friends Welshly Arms before we join up with the Rock Boat down in Tampa, FL. That’s going to be an absolutely insane week at sea, we’ll be sailing with around 30 bands and 2200 music fans, and we’ve got a late night 70s themed set prepared that has been SO much fun to work on. The Rock Boat is definitely one of the most exciting things in our lives and we love being a part of that family.
AL: After spending massive amounts of time on the road and gearing up to do it again, have you come into any “road habits,” games or activities to help pass long hours on monotonous drives?
MV: We listen to a ton of new music and lots of podcasts. We love good comedy podcasts like You Made It Weird and The Boogie Monster. My Dad has a pretty vast knowledge of music and is always showing me new bands to dig into, so that’s been fun to just have so much time to listen to entire records and really get into bands.
AL: Which groups are you hoping to hear more from in 2017?
MV: Always White Denim. Northern Faces. Welshly Arms. Marcus King Band. Eric Krasno Band. West End Blend. Swear and Shake.
John Prine, the “songwriter’s songwriter,” is busy touring. He makes a stop in Albany in July to share his classic tunes.Prine is known as the “songwriter’s songwriter” as many legendary artists have recorded his music, including Carly Simon, Johnny Cash, John Denver and Bonnie Raitt. His catalog includes classic songs like “Angel from Montgomery,” “Sam Stone,” “Paradise,” and “Hello in There.” At 70, he is still actively touring.
Prine heads out on a month-long European tour in April after playing a handful of dates stateside. He makes stops in nearby Hershey, PA on March 31 at the Hershey Theatre and Newark, NJ on April 1 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, both shows with Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams. Upon his return from Europe, he plays some shows in the maritime provinces in Canada.
Prine makes a stop at Albany’s Palace Theatre on Friday, July 28 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the show go on sale tomorrow, Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. with prices ranging from $38 to $102.50.
Escort played their second night of a two night run on Saturday, January 28 at the Brooklyn Bowl, with Horizon Wireless opening. DJ Harrison Waxenberg created the electronic textures while drummer Daniel Lyons kept the beat driving, getting the crowd nice and warmed and setting the tone for the night.
The sold out crowd was crammed on the floor by the time the headliners took the stage, and they kept up with them, matching the energy Escort was putting out. They started out the night with a string of originals before treating everyone to section of disco covers. They finished off the night with their hits and the crowd kept on dancing to a closing set by DJ Speakerbot.
Following Brooklyn Bowl, Escort finishes the run in Philly and Washington D.C. this week.
Even though they were part of rock’s biggest tours last year with Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin, that is no way to enjoy an Alter Bridge show. During that run, which did travel through various cities across New York State, Alter Bridge only played a small handful of songs during their opening slot. If you really want a display of heaviness and fun and REALLY get your money’s worth of Alter Bridge, then seeing them headline is the best route to go. Those who were lucky enough to catch them on The Last Hero Tour with Nonpoint and Weapons Of Anew at Niagara Falls’ Rapids Theatre were blessed with a kick ass night of music.
Unfortunately for me, I was unable to catch Weapons Of Anew due to the travel conditions, but I came in just as Nonpoint was performing “What A Day,”one of their trademark songs. Nonpoint must have been a part of the tour because Mark Tremonti is a fan, and I believe they were an appropriate choice. The urban flavor they bring to metal and hard rock makes them a standout, not to mention that this is their 20th anniversary tour (which is hard to believe at this point). They had a very loud and energetic set; the crowd was really into it. Some of the stand outs were their new songs such as “Divide and Conquer” as well as their cover of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.” They ended their set with their anthem, “Bullet With a Name.” It’s great to see that the band is twenty years strong and still bring a lot of energy into a show.
Alter Bridge graced the stage by opening with “Writing On The Wall” which is off their newest album The Last Hero. Alter Bridge is a very rare and unique talent. Not since Judas Priest has a band had two lead guitarists/soloists that share the stage, alternate solos and really feed off each other. Vocalist/guitarist Myles Kennedy and guitarist/vocalist Mark Tremonti are the perfect complement to each other and are a powerhouse force on stage with the most wicked one-two punch that most metal and hard rock bands are lacking. Alter Bridge made a wise decision by playing not only a hefty amount of songs off of The Last Hero, but also from their previous album Fortress which came out in 2013. But they didn’t really tour behind it much because Myles was busy with Slash’s band and Mark had his hands full with his band Tremonti. So it was awesome to hear songs like “Cry Of Achilles” and “Addicted To Pain,” but the real stand out was “Water Rising,” which gave Mark Tremonti to display his lead vocal.
If there is any complaint about the show, you could say the bass was too loud. Now that isn’t a fault of bassist Brian Marshall, it’s on the venue’s sound crew. It just sounded muffled. But luckily, Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti’s guitar playing is so clean and they shred so much that the muffled bass sound coming off the venue’s sound didn’t interfere with the guitars or drums for that matter.
The best part of the show was hearing the bands best song, “Blackbird.” It’s their masterpiece. It’s their “Free Bird” (no pun intended) and afterwards they closed their set by finally playing material off their debut album One Day Remains with “Metalingus” and “Open Your Eyes.” I was surprised they didn’t play much from that album, however, material from the last two albums had to be heard, not to mention that with five albums in, you only can play so many songs. Those who stayed for the encore were in for a treat as they came out and played “Show Me A Leader” which was the lead single off The Last Hero. Afterwards, the crowd was treated to a guitar battle between Kennedy and Tremonti, which was a great way to really see their talents on display and was fun to see. This is something I wish bands did more. Finally, the band left the crowd wanting more in closing with Blackbird’s “Rise Today” which is band’s trademark closing song. Overall, it was a great set from Alter Bridge who definitely deserve more recognition in the music industry and need to headline more shows. I would recommend this band to almost anyone. And I will definitely catch more shows at Rapids Theatre.
Marco Benevento is the latest artist to record his Woodstock Sessions at Applehead Recording in Woodstock. The live album, recorded in a single take in front of a sold out studio audience with his band consisting of Karina Rykman on bass and Andy Borger on drums, features tracks spanning his career – from “Bus Ride” off his debut album Invisible Baby through the entire title suite from The Story of Fred Short.
The album kicks off with Marco giving the audience his permission to dance as he jumps into “Dropkick” off The Story of Fred Short, setting the tone for this often bouncy and highly danceable set of music. While the pièce de résistance is the entire “The Story of Fred Short” suite, the 22 minute opus spanning styles, the instrumental tracks “Bus Ride,” “Coyote Hearing,” and “Greenpoint” all show off the band’s musical talent. He returns to the bouncy dance music with “At the Show” to close out the album.
While the band is tight and musically talented, Benevento’s vocals are a bit lacking and almost a distraction. However, they aren’t enough of a distraction to prevent this from being a fun collection of tunes. Any Marco fan is sure to enjoy the album, and new listeners can hear a great career-spanning collection of his music. Woodstock Sessions will be released on Feb. 17.
Marco Benevento is currently on tour. He plays New York City’s Brooklyn Bowl tonight followed by The Hollow in Albany tomorrow night. He’ll also be at Higher Ground in nearby South Burlington, Vermont on Saturday. After a few more shows in the Northeast this month, he heads west starting in late-March.
Key Tracks: Dropkick, The Story of Fred Short, Bus Ride, Coyote Hearing
Saratoga Springs’ Wild Adriatic has logged a good deal of miles on their way to many well deserved accolades as a live act. On their latest LP, Feel, they looked to their touring experience both for inspiration and style. In a recording session in Austin, with Grammy-nominated producer Frenchie Smith, they kept it simple. They avoided production bells and whistles, opting for a more organic and in-the-moment sound. The songs themselves were born on the road as well, in various writing retreats around the country, from Wisconsin to Virginia to Texas.
A symphony of sound greeted a sold out audience inside The Hart Theater for Greensky Bluegrass this evening, and they opened with “A Letter to Seymour” and a dark “In Control.” The Band’s “Shape I’m In” got deep and stretched out nicely in a patient jam before a trio of new songs off Shouted, Written Down & Quoted followed — “More of Me” (with extra egg humor), “Fixin to Ruin,” and the very upbeat and extended “Living Over.”
Marco Benevento is the latest artist to record his Woodstock Sessions at Applehead Recording in