NYS Music 20​17

Tag: aqueous

  • Best of NYS Music 2017: Bands on the Rise and Artists You Should Know

    As we continue our look at the best of and the brightest in music in 2017, we shift our focus to up and coming bands that are ready to burst on to the national stage.  While our staff picks may mirror those of last year, NYS Music readers have voted for a new act that’s ready to join the ranks of other popular New York bands with bight futures.

    And if you’ve missed any of our previous voting results from earlier this week, check out our winners for Best Venues, Best Albums and Best Festivals.

    Bands on the Rise

    Staff Pick

    Aqueous

    For the second year in a row, our staff has selected Aqueous as a band on the rise as the Buffalo, NY quartet continues their steady progression towards national relevancy.  Playing bigger festivals, opening for acts like The Disco Biscuits, and collaborating with members of moe., fellow Upstate New Yorkers, in addition to a steady touring schedule have all contributed to this band’s surge in popularity.  This should come as no surprise to Buffalo area music fans who have been singing the group’s praises for years now.  They’ll get to enjoy Aqueous back in their hometown as they ring in the new year at Town Ballroom.  Tickets are still available and can be purchased here.

    Readers Pick

    The Other Brothers

    At least the readers of NYS Music have offered up a new taste this year for their Band on the Rise selection as they’ve chosen The Other Brothers.  Fresh off the heels of their recently released EP Jones, this band has seen a steady rise in prominence in 2017 thanks to increased exposure this summer at local festivals like Disc Jam and strong word of mouth.  They hang their hat on being able to mix delicate ballad-like songs with focused and heavy jamming in the live setting.

    Artists You Should Know

    We’re always looking for new music, especially bands from New York State, and this year we stepped up our game and found bands from all corners of the state playing our local bars and clubs, just getting started.

    We checked in with our readers, and they overwhelmingly suggested three New York artists: The Backseat Bullets (for fans of shoegaze and a 90s grunge influence), Aqueous (jam stalwarts of Buffalo), and Hartley’s Encore, the new funk powerhouse in Albany.

    The Backseat Bullets

    Aqueous

    Hartley’s Encore

    Meanwhile, we asked the staff who were some artists readers should know about, and we ended up with an impressive list of 21 different artists to check out. There’s no sense in sending you off to listen to three or four bands worth checking out when there is so much variety in store. So here’s the NYS Music Staff list of Best Artists You Should Know for 2017.

    St. Phillip’s Escalator

    Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

    Sydney Worthley

    Big Mean Sound Machine
    King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

    The Honey Smugglers

    lespecial

    Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

    Vulfpeck

    Turkuaz

    oh wonder

    The Seratones

    Sofus

    Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals

    Portugal. The Man

    The Wood Brothers

    Root Shock

    Parquet Courts

    Mary’s Blood (Japan)

    Highly Suspect

    Royal Jelly Jive

  • Best of NYS Music 2017: Albums of the Year

    With a wide ranging variety of music across the state, New York has an intense amount of bands releasing music each year, much of it recorded in New York State. Whether it was recorded at in Syracuse at Subcat Studios, at Albany’s Overit Studios, New Paltz’s Castle Studios, or Dreamland Recording in Woodstock (among the numerous options around the state), these 2017 albums from homegrown artists reflect the diverse music being produced right at home in New York.

    Best Albums by a New York Artist

    Staff Picks

    Dopapod MEGAGEM

    Dopapod may be taking 2018 off, but they left a fantastic album for fans prior to their year long hiatus. After their Fall Tour closing show in Syracuse this past Saturday, the band gears up for two final shows – December 30 at Fete Music Hall in Providence, and December 31 at Paradise Rock Club in Boston. Catch em while you can, because these NYS Music faves won’t be back until 2019!

    Read what Alyssa Ladzinski had to say about Megagem: “With their most themed release to date, its apparent the quartet knew exactly where they wanted to go, as they take their listeners on a dream pop journey to the center of self fulfillment. The 5th studio album comes a a bittersweet symphony, the last creative piece relinquished by the jam rockers before the looming hiatus. While its bittersweet to know you wont witness the live, raw talent of a band so deserving of its praises for an entire year, at the very least, we’re left to see how the entire album translates on stage and if any of those strings just so happen to surface during fall tour.”

    Big Mean Sound Machine Runnin’ For The Ghost

    Ithaca’s Big Mean Sound Machine is no small touring band. Nine members have been storming the Northeast for the past few years, and their fan funded album Runnin’ for the Ghost served as a catalyst for the group to launch outward in 2018. “Known for throwing some of the sweatiest dance parties in the Northeast, Big Mean Sound Machine has been ambitiously touring and working hard to welcome new followers with no plans of slowing down.  The new fan-funded album, Runnin’ for the Ghost, is just one example of how relentless experimentation on the road can lead to something positive and fruitful in the studio.” Read more of Ben Boivin’s review.

    Formula 5 All Points North

    Eli Stein said of the jam happy foursome “On All Points North, the new album from Albany jam-rockers Formula 5, ‘North’ is not a physical direction, but a mental state. North is up, and up is good.” Read more and don’t miss Formula 5’s final show of the year at DROM following Phish on December 30.

    The Other Brothers Jones


    New Paltz is alive and kicking with The Other Brothers storming out of the gates with their Jones EP, released in September with a sold-out show at American Beauty to celebrate. Alyssa Ladzinski said of Jones “With eclectic and effortless transitions between a broad horizon of styles, The Other Brothers don’t allow themselves to be labeled as a one-genre group, if anything, they’re simply contagious. Instead, they master a collection of ballads and soul-soothing soundscapes leaving their exploration and further projects open to directions of all kinds.” Read more here

    Folkfaces How Long

    Folkfaces have had a great year – they were one of the founding bands of NYS Music 87/90, they had a relentless Summer Tour, and released How Long back in April. Buffablog said of the album “From the back-country banjo charm of “Institution Blues,” to the rowdy foot-stomping pandemonium of album opener “Arrows We Break,” right on down to the sultry jazz elements of “Indian Lake,” there is something for everyone on this record. No matter what your poison, it is served with a smile on How Long.

    Reader Picks

    The Other Brothers Jones

    Readers loved The Other Brothers Jones, and why not? Their dedicated fans sold out their album release show at American Beauty in September. Check out our recap.

    Aqueous Element Pt. 1, Element Pt. 2

    Aqueous has had a monster year, including signing with Nugs.net and releasing not one but two live releases in the form of their Element series. Stream these jam favorites below and pick up the album at their Bandcamp store.

    Best Albums – Nationwide

    Staff Picks

    Mike Gordon OGOGO

    The evolution of Mike Gordon’s side project has been a delight to watch over the past decade. The current incarnation of Mike Gordon Band straddles the line between Phish’s jammy goodness and Mike’s inherent weirdness. Tracks like “Marissa” and “Crazy Sometimes” have made their way into Phish’s rotation this year and OGOGO was well received on Mike’s recent fall tour.

    Body Count Blood Lust

    Ice-T’s heavy metal band returned with their first album since 2014’s Manslaughter received a Grammy nomination for the song “Black Hoodie.”

    Kendrick Lamar DAMN.

    When you are named the greatest living rapper, you expect greatness. That’s exactly what DAMN. delivers. It ended the year as the #1 album on Billboard, and was nominated for Best Rap Album and Album of the year, which is Lamar’s third consecutive album to be nominated for the honor.

    Queens of the Stone Age Villains

    Marc Ronson produced the seventh album from the heavy rocking QOTSA, led to longer than usual tracks (six of nine are over 5 minutes long), all based on hearing the Ronson produced “Uptown Funk.” Frontman Josh Homme told VICE earlier this year “I knew I wanted to make something that sounded very tight, and with the air sucked out of it and very clear. So he was just a great reminder just as an opening and then his desires are so beat-centric. And so are mine […] we had this tremendous amount of overlap.”

    lespecial Cheen

    Boston’s heavy jamband lespecial produced a winning album in Cheen, released this past Halloween. Read more in our review, that said ‘lespecial has spent several years cultivating a dedicated fanbase with a sound that cleverly interweaves psychedelia, technical math-rock, metal, electronica, and a tribal influence that feels like it comes from deep in the jungle. The entire album has the coherent flow of a concept album, with its many themes seeming to bleed effortlessly from one song to the next.

    Dopapod MEGAGEM

    No surprise here – Dopapod was a staff favorite, enough to be selected as album of the year nationwide.

    Reader Picks

    King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Polygonawanaland

    Australian Psych rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard produce a style of rock that is as unique as their name. They’ve produced 12 albums in the past five years, with Polygonawanaland their fifth of 2017 alone. Stream the full album below and discover the weirdness within.

    Dopapod MEGAGEM

    NYS Music’s readers were on the same page with us. There’s no denying how great Megagem is.

    Kendrick Lamar DAMN

    Kendrick’s conscious rap received rave reviews from media outlets around the country. It’ll be a surprise if he doesn’t win top honors at the Grammys in January.

  • NYS Music’s Guide to 2017 New Years Eve shows around New York State

    NYS Music combed the state, across I-90 and I-87, up into the North Country and down into the Southern Tier, and has compiled a comprehensive list of all events coming up this New Year’s Eve. Make your plans for New Years Eve 2017 and say hello to a brighter 2018! (If we missed a show, email details to editors@nysmusic.com)

    Buffalo and WNY

    Join Intrepid Travelers and Folkfaces in their Buffalo hometown at Nietzsche’s. Event Link

    2017 new years eveRing in the New Year at Buffalo Iron Works with Moon Hooch, Gnomedad & Honeycomb. Get your tickets in advance – this show is sure to sell out! Event Link

    Aqueous has a Gorillaz-themed set planned for their bash at Town Ballroom. Event Link 

    Renown Pink Floyd Tribute band The Machine will be performing at Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls. Event Link 

    North Tonawanda’s Strand Theatre has Miller & The Other Sinners with special guest Cinnamon Jones. Event Link

    Celebrate The New Year in Jamestown at Jamestown Eagles Club with the Kates Brothers Band. Event Link

    Ithaca

    Big Mean Sound Machine’s Big Mean New Year’s Eve will mean of night of getting down at Lot 10. Event Link

    Get a double dose of folk rock at The Haunt with Driftwood. Event Link

    Rochester and Finger Lakes

    Rochester’s hottest new venue, Radio Social, has a hot show planned featuring harp-playing singer/songwriter Mikaela Davis. Event Link 

    Mosh your way into 2018. Floated Magazine is hosting a hardcore show a show at Bug Jar with REPS, The Weight We Carry, Kodivk, and Bone Mask. Event Link

    Funk n Waffles Rochester: Dirty Blanket & Root Shock. Event Link 

    Anthology has two nights of fun planned. Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad plays both nights. On December 30 they’re joined by John Brown’s Body and Thunder Body. And on New Year’s Eve, they share the stage with Easy Star All-Stars (performing Dub Side of the Moon) Event Link

    Syracuse and CNY

    In Syracuse, Sophistafunk and Skunk City will rock out at Funk N Waffles Downtown. Event Link

    Or catch The Ripcords at the Fireside Inn in Baldwinsville.

    Verona – Mick Adams and The Stones at Turning Stone Casino. Event Link

    Capital District

    Throughout Albany, Schenectady and Troy this New Year’s Eve, celebrate responsibly. Call for a free cab in the Capital Region during New Year’s Eve, courtesy of Martin, Harding, & Mazzotti LLP.

    Twiddle will ring in the New Year, with a second performance at the Palace Theatre in Albany with special guest Giant Country Horns. Event Link.

    Join in on the mystique of Albany, at the Hollow Bar + Kitchens NYE Masquerade party with live music by The Late Shift, and Mirk. Event Link

    The Albany Hilton will host a NYE ’80s theme party, with music by The Refrigerators. Event Link

    A Pirate, and mermaid themed Shipwrecked party will take over The Desmond Hotel in Albany, with live music by The Audiostars, Skeeter Creek, and DeeJay Element. Event Link

    Playing With Fire Band, along with many others, will perform at Bethlehem’s First Night, in Delmar. Event Link

    Ring in the New Year at the annual First Night, in downtown Saratoga, where there will be a wide range of activities and live music. Event Link

    Vapor Nightclub at the Saratoga Casino and Hotel, with feature the biggest balloon drop in the Capital Region along with music by The New York Players. Event Link

    Motown will take over the Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, as R&B and Funk legends, The Commodores, are set to ring in the New Year in the Electric City. Event Link

    Proctors Theater in Schenectady will hold their own Motown NYE bash with music by The Chronicles. Event Link

    Soul Provider will rock in the New Year at the Rustic Barn Pub in Troy. Event Link

    The Shop in Troy, along with other neighboring spaces, will host a Masquerade party with Burlesque performers and live jazz bands. Event Link

    Hudson Valley

    Kingston’s BSP Lounge will host Rubblebucket and local organist Marco Benevento. Event Link 

    Bearsville Theater will welcome Gratefully Yours on New Year’s Eve for a night of Grateful Dead music. Event Link

    In Woodstock, check out The Big Takeover at Colony Cafe. Event Link 

    North Country

    In Plattsburgh, The Monopole will host Groovestick for all night party with some Grateful Dead added in! Music starts at 10pm and goes until 6am. Event Link

    Saranac Lake at The Waterhole will feature Annie in the Water and Nina’s Brew. Event Link

    Westchester

    Portchester’s Capitol Theatre brings in Colorado’s String Cheese Incident for 3 sets! Event Link

    New York City

    Brooklyn

    They Might Be Giants at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Event Link


    Brooklyn Bowl will host the legendary funk troupe Lettuce along with rising dance artists Jaw Gems. Event Link 

    Rich Medina presents HOME at C’mon Everybody  in Brooklyn, performing house, rare groove and garage classics. Event Link

    Soul Clap will keep the Crew Love real this New Year’s Eve with special live performances from rhythmic house duo No Regular Play and Afro-Futuristic pilots The Illustrious Blacks. Event Link

    Budos Band will hit The Knitting Factory with Evolfo and Electric Citizen. Event Link

    Bell House hosts The Rub NYE featuring DJ Ayres, DJ Eleven, Makossa Brooklyn Cookout and Prince Klassen. Event Link

    Manhattan

    Holly Bowling will perform her annual pre-show at The Cutting Room at 4pm on NYE. Event Link

    Electric Love Machine hosts a FREE pre-party at American Beauty before Phish. Event Link

    Gov’t Mule will host ‘The Rockin Mule Revue’ at The Beacon Theater, with special guests including Jackie Greene, Shawn Pelton, The Chronic Horns and The Better Half Singers. Event Link

    Gramatik throws a dance party like no other at Terminal 5 on NYE. Event Link

    Prefer Jazz to kick 2018 off? Try The Birdland Big Band at Birdland. Event Link


    Three sets of Disco Biscuits await their loyal fans at The Playstation Theater in Times Square. Event Link


    Macy Gray’s soulful voice will be singing the crowd into 2018 at Iridium Jazz Club. Event Link


    John Digweed and Tara Brooks headline a bevy of DJs at Output. Event Link

    and of course, Phish at Madison Square Garden. Event Link

    Followed by and one final Phish After-party, this one with Kung Fu, Wyllys, Jerry Lounge Experience and more at American Beauty. Event Link

  • Aqueous Announces Gorillaz NYE Theme

    Buffalo groove rockers Aqueous will be making their Town Ballroom headlining debut this New Year’s Eve.  In anticipation of the evening, the Buffalo based quartet has announced that in addition to their own catalog, they will be dedicating a set of music to the English virtual band, Gorillaz.

    aqueous gorillaz“AQ draws from many different bands’ catalogs for inspiration, and the Gorillaz catalog is one that all four of us are HUGE fans of,” noted Aqueous frontman and guitarist Mike Ganzter via press release.  “Their catalog integrates four styles of music that we all love: hip-hop, rock, punk and electronic, and once the idea got thrown out there to do a Gorillaz themed set, it was clear that that was the vibe we wanted to really set our NYE party over the top!”

    This past March, Aqueous made their performance debut at the Town Ballroom opening in support of Vermont’s genre fusing jam band, Twiddle.  As AQ steps into the headlining position to close out 2017, Ganzter reveals the evening’s importance to the band. “This city has so much love for us and has supported us on a really profound level at every turn,” he said. “We’re coming into this gig with true gratitude and a mission to deliver in a big way at a venue that we all grew up seeing our favorite bands perform at.”

    Buffalo post-rock art band Lazlo Hollyfeld has been added in support.

    On Thanksgiving eve, Ganzter stopped by the Lazlo Hollyfeld annual Thanksgiving Eve show for an unannounced sit-in.  Besides their own unique brand of musical stylings, Lazlo Hollyfeld is also known for their perfected tribute sets, including performances of the Talking Heads, Radiohead and most recently, Arcade Fire.

    Aqueous is currently finishing up a nearly three month tour of the greater United States before retuning home to celebrate the New Year with their hometown fans. AQ will kick off 2018 with performances on Jam Cruise as well as tour in support of Papadosio for recently announced dates in February and March.

    Tickets for Aqueous’ NYE Gorillaz bash at Hometown Ballroom are $20 in advance and are still.

    Aqueous Upcoming Tour Dates

    Dec. 6 – Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge
    Dec. 8 – Fort Collins, CO – Hodi’s Half Note
    Dec. 9 – Frisco, CO – The Barkley Ballroom
    Dec. 12 – Davenport, IA – Redstone Room
    Dec. 13 – St. Louis, MO – The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy
    Dec. 14 – Lexington, KY – Cosmic Charlie’s
    Dec. 15 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands Tavern
    Dec. 16 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Rex Theater
    Dec. 29 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium *
    Dec. 31 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
    Jan. 17 – 22 – Miami, FL – Jam Cruise

    * w/ Umphrey’s McGee

  • The North Country Welcomes The Summit

    The Summit, a first time concert series presented by Wild Adriatic and Mean Max Brew Works made it’s way into The Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls, N.Y. for a two night engagement on Friday, September 29 and 30.

    Night one featured, Sun Satellites, Sad,  The Lateshift, Girl Blue, Madaila, event hosts and organizers, Wild Adriatic and headliner, Aqueous. Night two brought on a full evening of music with Last Daze, Chestnut Grove, Paradox Saints, Ramblers Home, Angels On The Fourth, Let’s Be Leonard and Wild Adriatic to close out the event.

    AQUEOUS.E.COKER_06

  • Photo Recap: Night Lights Music Festival 2017

    Once a year in late August, The Heron becomes a temporary home for hundreds of friendly faces at Night Lights Music Festival. Also known for being the grounds of The Great Blue Heron Music Festival, The Heron holds a secluded location tucked into the woods of Sherman, NY.

    Night Lights Music Festival 2017The drive to Night Lights consists of winding hills, endless woods, and a considerable amount of horse-drawn carriages.

    Upon arrival, you can expect to be greeted by the gatekeeper with a genuine “Welcome home!” If you’re lucky, you might also have a friendly encounter with the Parking Wizard.

    The Heron takes an entirely different form when the sun goes down. The trees are lit up all throughout the woods, creating a breathtaking atmosphere.  And last but not least, the musicians that brought the NLMF family together.

  • Wild Adriatic to Host ‘The Summit’ Hometown Music Festival

    After years of planning, Wild Adriatic unveiled details of their very own music festival. The Summit will be an annual hometown event featuring up-and-coming live bands. Wild Adriatic aims to use the event to bring music lovers together to foster community and collaboration. The premier on September 29 and 30 at the Queensbury Hotel will include performances by Aqueous, Madaila, Girl Blue, NYS Music 87/90 artist Let’s Be Leonard, Angels on the Fourth, the LateShift, Ramblers Home, Last Daze, Paradox Saints and Chestnut Grove.

    Wild Adriatic spends much of the year on the road. Fresh on the heels of their new album, Feel, the power trio is currently on tour. They dish out high-energy rock and roll, creatively incorporating elements from influences including Motown and classic rock.

    Wild Adriatic member and festival producer Mateo Vosganian issued the following statement regarding the new festival:

    We’re three guys who were raised within two miles of each other in Queensbury and we’ve been fortunate enough to build a career of touring the world playing our music. Our hometown played huge roles in that in so many ways and we’ve been looking for ways to do something fun, memorable, and community oriented.

    The Summit is an opportunity for us to gather friends from all over the northeast under one roof with the intention of collaborating and creating a special, memorable weekend that we can build on as a yearly function. We’ve already been poking around about next year and adding an outdoor mainstage, so this is something we’re looking to keep cheap, fun, and accessible for our local community for ideally a long time to come.

    Featured artists for the festival include bands that they’ve played with over the years. This sense of camaraderie is sure to add fun to the festivities. Live performances will run from 5 p.m. – 1 a.m. both nights, running on two stages within the Queensbury Hotel. The festival is a bargain at $15 for one day or $25 for both, thanks to partnerships with Mean Max Brew Works, Empire Audio Recording + Sound, and the Queensbury Hotel. Tickets go on sale on Thursday, July 20.

  • Photo Gallery: Aqueous Welcomes Joel Cummins and Jake Cinninger to Highline Ballroom

    After a 30 minute set at Summer Stage, Buffalo’s Aqueous headed to Chelsea for a post-Umphrey’s show at The Highline Ballroom. Aqueous was joined tonight by Jake Cinninger and Joel Cummins, who joined the band for a majority of their set. After “Uncle Phil’s Parachute,” Jake and Joel hit the stage during “Don’t Do It,” and joined on a debut of Umphrey’s “Booth Love,” Radiohead’s “National Anthem,” and Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne.” To close the night, Aqueous performed ‘just one more song’ with a 40+ minute “Random Company” > “Numbers and Facts” > “Random Company” and an encore of “Origami.” Umphrey’s and Aqueous seem like a natural pairing, one that we hope to see again later this fall.

    Set: Skyway, Uncle Phil’s Parachute¹ > Don’t Do It¹ ² > Highline Jam², Booth Love² ³, National Anthem², Strange Times², Kid Charlemagne², Random Company > Numbers and Facts > Random Company
    Encore: Origami
    ¹ Unfinished
    ² Ft. Jake Cinninger and Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee
    ³ Aqueous debut, Umphrey’s McGee cover

    Setlist via Aquiantances

  • Audience Gets Wet and Keeps Dancing at Umphrey’s McGee in Central Park

    Central Park’s Summer Stage has quite the lineup this summer, with the centerpiece being a double bill of prog/jam goodness in Aqueous and Umphrey’s McGee on July 7.

    Aqueous performed just two songs, “Second Sight” and “Kitty Chaser,” in their 30 minute, all-too-short set to start the night, but that would be remedied by their post-show later this evening. Umphrey’s opened up their set with some technical issues, doing a double take on “Bridgeless” as a result. After the second attempt, the band played “Miss Tinkle’s Overture,” hinting they were slightly pissed off but pressed on with “2×2” and “Dump City” which highlighted the rest of the set, and the final segment of “Bridgeless” finishing the first set.

    Much like their Midwest counterparts playing in the Bronx this evening, Umphrey’s began to heat up when the rain cleared. Jams blossomed through the encore with two huge sandwiches in their second set. “Plunger” opened, as did the skies during “Utopian Fir” which had a “Whole Lotta Love” tease, as well as “Driven 2 Tears” which segued back into “Fir.” If the crowd wasn’t already wet, “Mantis” > “The Triple Wide” > “Mantis” took care of that. An encore of “Rocker Part 2” capped the night and sent the fans streamed out of a moist Central Park and headed to the Highline Ballroom where Aqueous and Umphrey’s would join forces for the after show.

  • Photo Recap: Summer Camp Music Festival 2017

    Summer Camp 2017 was another fantastic year in the Midwest festival’s history. Amid powerhouse sets from hosts Umphrey’s McGee and moe., and alongside memorable performances from Trey Anastasio Band, Pretty Lights Live, Gov’t Mule, Turkuaz, TAUK, The Disco Biscuits and dozens more artists from across the country.

    Tributes to Gregg Allman, who passed away on the third day of the festival, poured out almost immediately, with Eric Krasno Band, Flaccid and Gov’t Mule all covering “Whipping Post” within hours of his death. Trey Anastasio Band followed suit the next day by covering “Midnight Rider,” just a small sampling of the immense influence and praise Greg Allman earned from nearly 50 years of performing. Watch Gov’t Mule’s star-studded tribute:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVt8ni18N50

    Buffalo’s Aqueous played three sets over the weekend, each one drawing a larger crowd than the last as they finally moved from the Camping Stage to the Starshine Stage. The following Aqueous has developed over the past decade is a testament to the band’s work ethic and connection with fans as far back as performances at Nietzsche’s. They welcomed moe.’s Vinnie Amico and Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee to the stage for a cover of Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne,” putting an exclamation point on their breakout weekend.

    Lettuce alums Break Science and Eric Krasno Band stepped out on their own for well received performances, as did Brooklyn’s Turkuaz, who blew the crowd away at the Campfire Stage late Saturday night with a powerhouse set, putting them head and shoulders above others in the funk world. Wild Adriatic and Intrepid Travelers performed at the Camping Stage, a stepping stone for the many rising bands that Upstate New York produces. Both bands dropped spirited covers to the Camping audience, with Wild Adriatic covering Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” and Intrepid Travelers paying homage to Prince with “Electric Avenue.”

    Of course moe. performed five sets throughout the weekend, with one set being rained out on Friday afternoon. Their late night performance in the Red Barn with Everyone Orchestra was full improv, and a treat for all ticket holders. moe. later brought up Turkuaz horns for “Ophelia” and “Happy Hour Hero” and bringing a jaw-dropping opener “Battle Without Honor Or Humanity” from Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill and was part of moe.’s Halloween performance last year. Turkuaz later came out in full for “Life During Wartime” in a show that featured a giant “Meat” sandwich of the entire second set on Saturday. Sunday’s performance closed out with pure moe. start to finish, including a “Chromatic Nightmare” sandwich of the second set and “Opium” featuring Allie Kral of Yonder Mountain String Band on fiddle.