NYS Music 20​17

Tag: Let’s Be Leonard

  • Proctors Announces Capital Records Live

    Capital Records Live, to be held on March 23 at the GE Theatre at Proctors, is a new model for local music entertainment. Presented in association with WAIX, “Albany’s Independent Experience,” the series’ debut performance will feature six of the region’s most popular bands playing classic songs of The Beatles.

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    The first act in the inaugural show will find the Bryan Brundige Collective, Clear Mind, Eastbound Jesus, Girl Blue, Let’s Be Leonard and Wild Adriatic offering self-chosen selections from 1968’s The Beatles, better known as The White Album.

    The second act will challenge the same groups, with Proctors and WAIX 106.1 determining which songs the band will perform, all from 1967’s groundbreaking, multiple Grammy Award-winning album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

    Whether you’re a fan of local artists, wanting to support local music or a Beatles buff who can’t miss these iconic albums performed in a whole new way, Capital Records Live will be the place to be.

    Capital Records Live is a planned annual concert featuring a variety of local and regional artists performing a classic album live in concert. Its mission is to promote the local music scene by introducing artists to new audiences, fostering new musical relationships and offering a performance opportunity in a world class environment. Audiences, in turn, are treated to a local “All Star” night of music featuring timeless favorites.

    Tickets for Capital Records Live, $25, are available at the Box Office at Proctors, 432 State Street, Schenectady; by phone at (518) 346-6204; and online at proctors.org.

    This article, originally published by The Spot 518, is property of Spotlight Newspapers in Albany, N.Y, and appears as a special to NYS Music. TheSpot518 and NYS Music work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage of the local music scene in the Capital District and New York State, respectively. For more, visit TheSpot518.com.

  • Help those in need at Jam for Tots Shows throughout NYS this Holiday Season

    NYS Music along with Positive Mental Trip present 13 Jam for Tots shows throughout New York State (and one in Connecticut) to help those most in need this holiday season. Fans who attend any of these shows are encouraged to bring an unwrapped gift for a child age 2-12.

    help jam for totsEight bands are part of the Jam for Tots lineup this year, a charitable effort that brings live music and holiday season charity. Luke Weiler (Positive Mental Trip) has brought this series of shows to venues around Northeast, and has been expanded this year to span across New York State and includes 87/90 artists Intrepid Travelers, Cousin Earth, Formula 5, Space Carnival, Gowanus and Let’s Be Leonard, as well as Funkworthy and Chinatown Lights.

    Bring an unwrapped gift for a 2-12 year old and the gifts will be gathered by USMC representatives. Give back to those most in need this holiday season and enjoy a great show at the same time!

  • Let’s Be Leonard Releases ‘Live at Nectar’s’

    Let’s Be Leonard have released Live at Nectar’s, from their June 16, 2017 performance at the fabled Burlington venue. Tune in below and check out Let’s Be Leonard on their Fall Tour!

  • Funk Night in Albany on Sept. 21 to be Hosted by Justin Mazer, members of Mister F and more

    September’s installment of Funk Night in Albany will featured members of Mister F and Let’s be Leonard, and will be hosted by Justin Mazer and Starbird. The return of Funk Night on August 17 was a rousing success and the crowd that packed The Hollow got down to music from members of Kung Fu, Wurliday and The Chronicles.

    Mazer has toured nationally with American Babies, Leroy Justice, and Miz and performed with Electron, Bob Weir, Oteil Burbridge, Larry Campbell, Steve Earle, Blues Traveler, and Dave Schools. Starbird is a trio featuring Al Smith (formerly of American Babies), and Dylan Skursky (of Cabinet). The trio have long performed together in various side project and will bring original compositions that focus on groove oriented music, sonic soundscapes, and a bit of twang. They’ll lay down the beats for funk night and welcome three local musicians to the stage during the night.

    Joining Starbird and Mazer are Scott Hannay of Mister F on keys and Connor Dunn of Let’s be Leonard on saxophone. Doors open at 8 with music starting at 9pm on September 21. Only $10 cover to get down with members of 4 bands laying down some funk! Take a peek at the last funk night:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BX6ycrRn0Cq/

  • 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.

  • Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe Brings The Funk To Alive at 5 Opener

    The city of Albany kicked off its annual Alive at 5 concert series in grand fashion with Saratoga’s Let’s Be Leonard and funk from Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe on June 8. Leonard and Denson got the crowd going right from the beginning and launched the summer series properly.Karl Denson's Tiny Universe funk

    Next week’s Alive at 5 has Victory Soul Orchestra along with Average White Band playing right at 5pm.

    Karl Denson's Tiny Universe funkKarl Denson's Tiny Universe funk

  • Albany’s Alive at 5 Concert Series Begins June 8 with Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and Let’s Be Leonard

    Alive at 5 is heading into its 28th season, starting off on June 8 with performances by Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and Let’s Be Leonard. The summer series takes place at Jennings Landing from 5-8 p.m. on Thursdays (with the exception of July 4). A partial lineup for other dates has been announced, including performances by Average White Band, The Funky Meters, Marian Hill, and King Yellowman & the Sagittarius Band. Regional support for these headliners comes from Victory Soul Orchestra, Wurliday, and Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets.

    Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe  is a funk soul band from California. Frontman Denson also plays saxophone for The Rolling Stones, and just wrapped up a tour with them. Primed to release a new album this year, KDTU will be performing some of their new songs at Alive at 5.

    Saratoga’s jazz fusion phenoms Let’s Be Leonard will open the show. Renowned for their improvisational style, the band just released Live at Gug’s, a session recorded in Glenn’s Falls earlier this year. Read the NYS Music review.

    2017 Alive at 5 Dates (Full Schedule Will Be Announced Soon):

    June 8 – Karl Denison’s Tiny Universe / Let’s Be Leonard
    June 15 – Average White Band / Victory Soul Orchestra
    June 22 – TBA
    June 29 – TBA
    July 13 – The Funky Meters / Wurliday
    July 20 – TBA
    July 27 – Marian Hill / TBA
    August 3 – King Yellowman & the Sagittarius Band / Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets

    For more information and updates, visit www.albanyevents.org.

  • Hearing Aide: Let’s Be Leonard ‘Live at Gugs’

    After planting their musical seed in Saratoga Springs, Let’s Be Leonard sprouted rather quickly into a jam-jazz fusion powerhouse with all intentions of climbing the jam community ladder. Just a few short years after their formation and quitting their jobs, they’ve become a prized outfit in the Capital Region and beyond. Following the debut of their 2015 debut Cow., LBL put forth four live recordings on Bandcamp, this time, releasing the fifth, Live at Gugs in Glens Falls.

    The 5-piece, led by Karl Bertrand (vocals and rhythm guitar), Matt Griffin (guitar), Connor Dunn (saxophone), Chris Cronin (bass) and Paul Guay,
    (drums) took on their Thursday night gig at Gugs on March, 23.      The 14-track live recording displays the group’s organic and majestic improvisations, whether they’re taking it slow and steady with poppy lyrics and sing-a-long choruses or bringing back the blues with suave, seductive saxophone solos.

    The gathering at Gugs was treated to a debut opener of “Spit it Out,” a fresh track with buttery-smooth jazz from start to finish and soft vocals to match. “Kindergarten Blues” follows as a well-known LBL track off of Cow. If you’re a previous fan, you’ve probably heard the blues-referenced track, as well as “Frisbee,” the third execution of the night, on radio stations like WEQX. The back-to-back hits ended with attention honed in on Dunne’s tickling of the saxophone, a busted drum pedal and verbal rant by Mike Rios. “Jump Ship” comes next with a switch-up in musical approach. Vocals take precedence in this easily accepted track with a story to tell, while the band acts as support on this Bertrand-led venture.

    In relation to their debut album, Bertrand described them as “generated by feelings you have at the best time in your life: childhood.” It’s safe to say that the material played at Gugs drew from that same care-free mentality. Other highlights of the night include a blues-heavy “Young Sprite,” which bears a slight, yet pleasant sounding comparison to the Dead’s “Sugaree” at moments, as well as unmistakable insight to the groups comfort with one another and stage banter, regardless of the time span they’ve officially been Let’s Be Leonard. If all that wasn’t enough to be wrapped around their fingers, the sensationally executed guitar solos mark a personal favorite milestone in the set.

    A surprise “Brad Paisley” cover ended the night with unconventional onstage vocal motif between the guys, extremely comparable to Phish’s “David Bowie.” All members repeatedly sing and spew out the country star’s name over and over in a mimicked care-free manner as the jam icons. The light-hearted song acted as an engaging way to close out a set that was so obviously and mutually enjoyed by band members and the crowd alike.

    While Saratoga Springs is no stranger to celebrity strolls down in its perfect weekend-visit city with SPAC just round the corner, it’s hard for residents not to get excited when Brad Paisley is spotted in a local coffee shop. In town for his summer show at SPAC, a local mentioned the group’s own “Brad Paisley.” I wonder if he ever found his way to track of his namesake.

    Bertrand and company recently snagged a headlining spot for Glenn’s Falls 2nd annual GEM Festival held on July 29 and sits among local artists on the newly announced trio of Sunday afternoon concerts on SPAC’s gazebo stage. From their youngest hours as a group, they’ve gained fast and hard earned notoriety. With signing on as one of the founding bands on NYS Music 87/90, it’s safe to say things will keep moving with the same onward energy and hunger to get their next gig booked and festival played.

    Key tracks: Spit it Out, Young Sprite, Brad Paisley

    Live at Gug’s Set list:

    Spit It Out,  Kindergarten Blues,  Frisbee, Jump Ship, “Salvation”, Balloons, Most Days > How Do You Fall In Love?, Open Your Eyes,  Channel 2, Young Sprite, Comet > High n Dry, Birdsong > Rocky Road, Sad Town
    E: Brad Paisley

  • NYS Music Launches 87/90

    Every band was a local band once. Today, we launch NYS Music 87/90, reflecting the highways artists travel upon to reach markets across The Empire State. 87/90 brings together 8 New York State born and raised bands that have strong potential to make it big. We will bring news and coverage of these bands to you on a regular basis, highlighting what we see as the next wave of bands to come out of New York State. These are just the first wave of bands that we will be bringing to your attention – there are plenty more artists in every corner of the state from all genres. As we discover them, we’ll bring them to you and beyond.

    nys music 87/90The 8 artists we launch with include: Space Carnival, Cousin Earth, Formula 5, Folkfaces, Boogie Low, Intrepid Travelers, Let’s Be Leonard and Gowanus. These artists were selected for potential, work ethic and appeal to a wider audience. They include jam bands, bluegrass/folk, psychedelic rock, electronic and a mix of everything. We will expand in the future with bands that we see strong potential in – this is a select group we launch with and we will keep it reserved only for bands that pass muster.

    The bands we are reaching out to as founding artists are bands that we have highlighted on our pages in recent years, see a strong future in and have shown that they are committed to making a name for themselves well outside of New York State. This is not an open invite – the initial roster includes only bands that are on the rise and have developed a following through their music.

    Every band was once local.

  • We’re hEAR For You, NYS Music, HEAROS and Nimbleslick Entertainment Join Forces for Hearing Protection Campaign

    An often overlooked aspect of seeing live music is hearing protection – we want to hear it loud and don’t want to let anything come between us and hearing our favorite band’s unfettered sound. And rightly so! Live music fans are ardent supporters of bands and artists and want to see them every chance they can! But your ears aren’t invincible and can be harmed if you listen to music too loud for too long a time.

    NYS Music is proud to announce a partnership with We’re hEAR For You, HEAROS Ear Plugs and Nimbleslick Entertainment to bring ear protection direct to fans across the country. The campaign kicks off with 10 artists: Cousin Earth, Earphorik, Mister F, Electric Love Machine, McLovins, Eminence Ensemble, Gowanus, Greener Grounds, Let’s Be Leonard and Space Carnival who will have HEAROS earplugs available for free at their shows at the merch table in a bin with the campaign’s logo on it.

    hearing protectionOur goal is to have earplugs available to fans at all shows across the country, promoting hearing protection and bringing to light an overlooked issue in the enjoyment of live music, ensuring years of future listeners. This is just the start of a campaign that will grow and expand over the next few months and years.

    In the near future, artists will be featured in a video detailing reasons why wearing ear protection at concerts is important to them and should be a priority for their fans.

    Hearing protection is something that should concern all live music fans – if you can’t hear properly, you can’t enjoy music to its fullest! Check out We’re hEAR For You, a 501(c)(3) charity and support their efforts to bring earplugs to shows nationwide! If you want to support this campaign through a donation, visit this link and help get earplugs in the hands (and ears) of live music fans across the country!

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