It’s no secret that the Disco Biscuits are touring, improvisational machines. The trance-fusion foursome offers their die-hard fan base countless opportunities to catch them on the road throughout the year, even if they tend to favor the East Coast, their home base in Philadelphia, PA and the renowned Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. What remains annually constant, is their long-running Montage Mountain mania. Camp Bisco is now boasting a ‘save the date’ and offering alumni pre sale tickets to bring your ass to the party, taking place from July 12-14, 2018.
After being held in a total of four different locations and taking a break in 2014, Magner, Barber, Brownie and Allen will bring their flair to Montage Mountain, with Scranton acting as the festival’s residence for the fourth consecutive year. While freshly crafted festivals are popping up each year, Camp Bisco managed to hold its own, on and off since ‘99. With its 16th festival and year in operation, the recurring party provides six Biscuits sets, mesmerizing laser shows, abundant art and camping, cool downs in the pool, 5k marathons, zany color wars and other activities over the course of three jam-packed days. Although hosted and heavily based around the Biscuits, fans favoring a multitude of genres, specifically electronic dance music, find their way to the mountain. In the past, favorable acts have included STS9, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Gramatik, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Lotus and more.
Partying isn’t the only thing taking precedence over the weekend, the quartet makes sure they give back to the community by promoting fundraising and food drives, having raised money for hurricane relief and even gathering young fans to register to vote.
An alumni pre-sale begins this Thursday, Dec. 21 at noon at the Camp Bisco website with the password: ALUMNI. You can catch The Disco Biscuits for the last time in 2017 at NYC’s Playstation Theater from Dec. 28-31.
The Camp Bisco 2018 lineup is still TBA but check out the official 2017 aftermovie and NYS Music’s coverage of last year’s fest here to hold you over:
Music Festivals are constantly curated and in recent times, unfold in abundance as live music lovers today are spoiled to have their preferred picks of summertime get downs. However, there’s only one original festival that can be credited with truly sparking an endless movement–Woodstock. We’re lucky enough to see footage, listen to wild tales of the 1969 live music renaissance and visit the stomping grounds where the magic of Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin and so many more were unleashed. Now, New York State has big plans to step in with financial funding to commemorate the fest with a 2019 50th Woodstock anniversary event.
After rumors have circulated among fake bills, rock music fans can rest knowing that a dream will soon be reality. According to LocalSyr, “The Regional Economic Development Council announced earlier this week includes nearly $690,000 for the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts — that’s located on the site of the original Woodstock Music Festival.”
Promoter Michael Lang put together two previous anniversary versions of the iconic festival; the first in nearby Saugerties at Winston Farm in 1994. The event featured a raucous mud-throwing performance from Green Day, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus and Bob Dylan. The 1999 edition, held on a deactivated air force base in Rome, is most remembered for its tumultuous ending. Attendees rioted, starting fires and looting vendors as the final bands performed. Allegations of rape throughout the weekend also tainted the festival, putting any further incarnations of it in doubt.
Having showcased three days of peace, music and love to over 400,000 attendees, the 2019 event will offer the same three-day setup at the 11-year old venue. Bethel Woods oozes history from its amphitheater to its Woodstock Museum that often showcases clothing and special effects from its generation’s biggest stars, offering you a way to get lost in time and get on the bus for a bit.
We won’t get to see Hendrix shred the “Star-Spangled Banner,” hear Jerry Garcia sing songs to fill the air or listen in awe as Joplin unleashes her raspy vocals to an endless crowd but we can only expect the biggest names to make their way out to the late 1960s and 1970s resurgence. No one who was there will ever be the same, and we’re hoping this statement at least holds up half way for its 50th anniversary bash.
Relinquishing their debut full-length album to the world, Sun Parade successfully tugs at familiar emotions to send listeners on a 12-track sensory highway. Shuggy Mtn Breakdown boasts airy pop-rock blended with vibrant psychedelia that comes crashing down in waves. The 5-piece Northampton, MA outfit take you on a journey through self discovery with thematic commonalities all humans endure–love, life, questioning happiness and how to pursue it.
With infectious melodies and light-hearted vocals, Chris Marlon Jennings (vocals, guitar), Jeff Lewis (vocals, guitar), Max Wareham (bass, vocals), Karl Helander (drums, vocals), and Eli Salus-Kleiner (keyboard) are able to instantly grab a listening ear through their radio-ready sound while remaining comfortably candid. Reminiscent of elements of the White Stripes’ prominent and punchy vocals, Tame Impala’s airy singing and the Black Keys‘ american rock tone, the indie, power-pop album was recorded in a one-room studio on the 4th floor of an old industrial Brooklyn building. It’s no surprise that Rubblebucket’s own Ian Hersey sat in the producer’s chair to extend a helping hand and trained ear.
The whimsical opening track of “Sleep Alone” warmly welcomes listeners into a dream-pop state of mind before launching into the cheeky “Cheer Up,” which does just as its title implies with both tempo and mood simultaneously picking up. Distorted noise and spoken word vocals shine on “Steal My Thunder” while “Game Boy” brings forth an extremely relatable message, embracing hooks and easy-to follow lyrics.
A relaxed and slowed down “Braindrain” flips a genre switch as it walks away from the bubblegum sound and introduces a more delicate, soul-leaning attitude, complete with mesmerizing synth sounds and whistle-along tangents. The hard hitting and emotional rock track “Psycho” follows with wailing vocals and gritty grunge guitar breakdowns you didn’t see coming but can’t imagine the album without. “Shuggy Mtn” holds its own as the album’s party anthem. The namesake song dives into sonic exploration and punk tendencies by blending psychedelic rock elements with wailing vocals and hard hitting on the drum kit.
The second to last track on the album, “Echoes of My Heart,” softens the tone and slows the release’s pulse with a quick, dreamy interlude before “Tear (Can’t Stop Believing),” wraps Sun Parade‘s initial release and circles back to the album’s blunt storytelling and hopeful tone.
Through airy vocals and melodic exploration, the quintet proved they aren’t afraid to have fun and dip their toes in a pool of myriad genres while getting emotionally raw with their audience. Shuggy Mtn Breakdown aims to be timeless, allowing their hopeful and tender lyrics to appropriately contrast and offset its darker rock and roll musical elements.
Touring in support of their release, Sun Parade will storm through Rochester’s Bug Jar on Dec. 10 just ahead of Swordpaw on Dec. 15. Listen to Shuggy Mtn Breakdown in it’s entirety below:
Key Tracks: “Steal My Thunder,” “Braindrain,” “Psycho”
Mastering the headlining slot across the country, invading the studios at Paste Magazine and announcing a fresh run of gigs for Winter tour with a pass through Rochester’s Anthology, Greg Ormont, Jeremy Schon, Ben Carrey and Alex Petropulos have channeled their full potential into their latest studio effort.
With their ‘Pizazz’ tour in full swing hitting every square inch of North America, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong have perfected their explosive live energy and demanding presence with each passing show. Never slowing momentum and bringing the “better than the last” mentality to every gig, they stormed the freshly introduced Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 24, just before P4 brings their “Fun in Funk” to Saratoga Springs’ newly renovated Putnam Den just over one year from their Dopapod opening set.
NYS Music got to chat with Ormont, the wide-eyed front man on a rare day off, ahead of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong‘s Putnam Den resurgence. Here’s what he had to say about song-writing evolution, evanescent free time and the group’s steadfast efforts, all with interjections from wrestling foster cats.
Alyssa Ladzinski: Hey Greg! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me tonight. You’re in between gigs, where am I catching ya today?
Greg Ormont: I’m in Baltimore where we live when we’re not touring all the time so I’m at home which is always appreciated! Ready to get this interview rollin’.
AL: Let’s do it. Well as far as NY state shows go, you hit Brooklyn Steel a few days ago and being from Port Washington, LI yourself, how can you describe the atmosphere of that NY show and playing in a freshly opened and energized venue?
GO: Oh, Brooklyn Steel is fantastic. It’s very “Brooklyn” in the sense that you’re walking outside of it and it kinda looks like a warehouse, you really wouldn’t expect it to be this awesome venue from the outside but once you’re inside, its expansive, everyone can see the stage, the sound is great and on our end, the crew was awesome and super helpful. We had a smooth time at a new venue in Brooklyn. The energy in the room was off the charts. I had a few friends from LI in the crowd but it was hard to see them because fortunately a lot of people came out, so it was a blast. We even debuted a new Stevie Wonder cover that seemed to go over well.
AL: The last time you played Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs you opened for Dopapod. This time around, you’re headlining. Are you approaching this show any differently than you did nearly one year ago?
GO: Well we approach all our shows more or less the same with the full amount of energy that we can muster. With a headlining show, we have more time to jam and extend songs. I think the only difference will be that we’re able to dig into our catalogue more and extend jams for however long we want. When you’re opening, you’re always looking at the clock trying to wrap up with enough time for the next band to go on. We have a lot more freedom headlining and hopefully it’ll reflect in the music.
GO: *Hold on, time out. I have to break up a cat fight. Come on! Enough! Sorry, you can include this in all the quotes. Or don’t.*
AL: You bet I will. It’s all gold. I feared my cats would do the same.
GO: Go upstairs! My fiance fosters a lot of animals so I have an old geriatric dog barking at random cats. OK they’ve been separated. We should have a smooth interview from here. We have a bunch of cats walking around. This dog will bark at its reflection for a while. Animals have been separated, adrenaline is pumping, let’s keep movin’!
AL: Colorful is one word that comes to mind when thinking of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. Let’s say you, Jeremy, Ben and Alex are each your own crayons. What color would each of you be and why?
GO: Holy moly I really didn’t see this question coming. Well Jeremy would be green and we’re gonna go with snake green. That’s because our guitarist has always been into snakes, lizards and frogs and stuff. He’s the kinda guy that will pick up a frog if its hopping around and I believe his first screen name was greensnakeman, maybe greensnakeman88. For some reason I’m thinking Alex would be red. I haven’t played with crayons in a while. He’d be a ragin’ red. And then I really wanna be blue but I’d have to pick a better adjective.
AL: I’m channeling a Blazin’ Blue.
GO:Blazin’ blue, that’s not bad! I’ll take help from NYS Music. Boy, and Ben would be the only one that changes color. He’d be the chameleon crayon. Everyday is different, every song is different and he changes outfits right in front of your eyes on stage. He’s a chameleon crayon straight-up and I’m blazin’ blue courtesy of NYS music.
AL: That’s what we’re here for! You announced even more winter tour dates on this ‘Pizazz’ run- how do you take time to rejuvenate with every show during this expansive and rigorous touring schedule?
GO: Well we just appreciate the times that we’re home and try to pour as much energy into our home life as we do on stage and on tour. We keep pretty busy off the road between working on new material, upcoming shows and we’ll be announcing a theme for our New Year’s show very soon. Jeremy and I throw Domefest, so you know I would like to rejuvenate more but I definitely don’t have any complaints. Now is the time for us. I know that and I love hustlin’, it’s good to stay busy. Even on tour we have some sweet off days. We went out in New Orleans this past tour and blew off some steam day drinking and wandering around the city. We recently went jet skiing in San Diego with our original drummer which is a great way to rejuvenate and keep the spirits exploding. It’s also another way to stay completely exhausted on tour on your one day off but it’s a sacrifice we’re willing to make.
AL: A lot of these tracks have been performed over the course of the years with your extreme live presence and are already fan-favorites. Which track are you happiest made the cut onto Pizazz?
GO: I’m definitely proud of “Ocean Flows.” That’s a song that I wrote the basic ideas for a while ago and it took us a while as a band to agree that it’s one we should play live. It’s one of the band’s more favorable songs to play to keep the energy flowing all the way to the end. It’s always cool listening to the finished products and remembering how they were written. Some being in spur of the moment goofy situations and it’s amazing people are listening and playing it on the radio when it was just a fun little diddy that developed into a song. A lot of times it boils down to if you picked up the guitar that day. One day I pick up the guitar and stumble across a fun new song that we love playing live, then it’s onto the album and radio station. You can always bring it back to “what if I never picked up the guitar that day.” Reminds me to take chances and strike now but at the same time keep it loose and not worry about where the song is going. If it ends up on an album that’s great, but if not, that’s also fine because fortunately the jam community allows us to play a lot of different kinds of music.
AL: Let’s talk the Flock and the Coop, your Facebook fan page and marketplace. Your fan base exponentially grows as does the sale of your pins. Are you surprised to see how much money people are willing to drop on them? I’ve even seen a few go for around 300 bucks.
GO: It’s pretty wild people are collecting our pins so feverishly. I kinda shut that type of stuff out. I stopped looking at the Flock as much as well its better I just focus on writing music and making plans for upcoming shows and not getting bogged out whats going on with the outside of things. I’m very appreciative people are psyched about our artwork and the band and we hope that whoever is flipping these pins are doing something good with the money. We prefer that go to charity or something but nonetheless, we’re excited that people are stoked on it and we love working with local artists and people from all over the country to make new artwork and keep pushing the envelope with how wacky we can get with a band named Pigeons Playing Ping Pong.
AL: What advice do you have for first time flockers catching the Putnam Den show?
GO: Oh man, well just relax and if you feel like dancing like a monkey go for it, no one’s gonna judge you if you dance like a monkey. We’ve had a few monkeys at our shows that have impressed us and inspired us to play more jungle style music. Just let it flow and don’t forget to smile.
AL: What actor would play you in a movie based on your life?
GO: Oh I hope me, that would be so cool! Do people do that? Maybe John C. Reilly but we’d have to act quickly. Wouldn’t want to do that in 20 years, that would be older Dewey right before he has a heart attack on stage. I think he could pull it off. Maybe Idris Elba. A strong combo of Idris Elba, John C. Reilly and a dash of Jack Black.
AL: Spitfire round! Choose the first answer that comes to mind.
AL: Kiwi or mango?
GO: Kiwi!
AL: Lemon or lime?
GO: Lemon
AL: New York or California?
GO: Ah. I know it’s supposed to be quick but I’m from New York and I really like California and I WANT to say California but my heart says New York.
AL: Sweet or savory?
GO: Sweet
AL: White or dark chocolate?
GO: White, and you know, I really would choose milk chocolate and in retrospect, I’d probably go lime but I said lemon. But that’s what it’s all about! It reveals things to me that I didn’t know about myself. In most interviews I don’t learn a lot about myself so thank you for this introspective line of questioning. I’ll be up all night thinking about the crayons and who would play me in a movie. I’ll text you later if i think of a better answer. Also feel free to take a poll! If any of our readers know who would play me in a movie, let’s hear it!
AL: We’ll put a call out! Thanks so much for entertaining these questions with some fun answers and anecdotes. Really looking forward to catching you at the Den.
GO: That was fun! You really threw me off. I normally get more standard questions. If I seriously think of anything else I’ll text you a follow up and you can say ”Greg texted later that it’s really “Sahara orange.”
Catch Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at Putnam Den on Saturday, December 2nd with the help of Flamingosis in the opening slot. Doors open at 8:30pm with the show to rage shortly after at 9:30pm.
Looking ahead just a few months from now, the year 2018 will be Dopapod-less, which means fans have flocked from inner cities, out of town and hours away just to catch what will be their remaining shows ahead of hiatus. Bringing the heat during each gig on fall tour so far, word traveled fast that their Halloween bash at Saratoga Springs’ newly renovated Putnam Den wasn’t one to be missed, a Grateful Sabbath if you will.
Adorned in an astronaut suit, Eli Winderman and company would eventually sit behind the keys and prepare to launch the outrageously dressed and over-excited crowd into outer space for the remaining hours of All Hallow’s Eve.
Kicking off the night for the quartet was rising Burlington outfit, Swimmer, who previously took the reigns of opening for Dopapod in the past. Walking on stage in an assortment of costumes from a bassist puppy dog (Jack Vignone), a guitar wielding, “all you can eat Jimmy Buffet” pun (Paul Klein), a keys/sax playing Santa Clause (Matt Dolliver) and Alladin’s Abu on drums and vocals (Cotter Ellis) the prog rock 5-piece swiftly grabbed attention of Den dwellers as the room began to fill over the course of their set. The crowd quickly realized why these guys have been able to snag opening gigs and musical praises from Dopapod–their sound can be sentient and groovy and in seconds build to heavier territories, never executing boring composition.
The “No Shape” musicians warmed up the crowd with “Turko,” “Murphy’s” Song,” “J.I.G.” and an enchanting, jammed out “Sea Cerebral” as well as an appropriately placed HalloWeen cover of “Put The Coke on my Dick” with Ellis nailing the familiar vocal outcries. Taking full command of the exponentially growing audience, a masked and shirtless Joe Agnello (guitar/vocals) corralled the colorful crowd and had them dancin’ into set break with Prince’s party anthem “1999.”
Trick of the night: Ellis cracked his snare mid jam in true rock and roll fashion, although his relentless and professional playing fully disguised it. Both relying on lip reading and hand gestures, Dopapod’s Neal “Fro” Evans saved the day by hand-delivering his own snare to a fellow drummer in need.
Astronaut Winderman, a monkey headed Chuck Jones, a low key Rob Compa and Evans were greeted on stage with a “This Is Halloween” introduction before a stacked set one of continuous, hard-hitting originals came into orbit–exactly what fans needed to submerge themselves in during the concluding gigs of 2017. Offering up fired-up favorites with an opener of “Black and White” paired with color coordinated lighting, each studio album was given a taste with as Never Odd or Even’s “Present Ghosts” trailed right behind. Serving up “Sonic,” “Bubblebrain” and a fix of the latest efforts on Megagem, a fun delivery of “Mucho” found extensive live twists creatively altered from the studio version, giving those already familiar with the tune a fresh way to remember its live adaptation. Somehow managing to find time to squeeze in a sit in with Moe’s Vinnie Amico on drums for a gratifying and turbulent “8 Year’s Ended,” Redivder’s funky “Blast” closed out the powerhouse set which was ultimately a lengthy, indulgent Saratoga Springs get down.
Hopping back on the tightly packed stage to settle down a wondering crowd, all eventually found themselves puzzled yet enlivened to be singing along to the words of the Dead’s “Eyes Of the World,” as Dopapod’s imaginative flair inventively took on the American rock classic. Hinting at a full cover set, a fierce and expressive Black Sabbath cover of “War Pigs” came next as it completely paralleled the carefree feel of it’s predecessor. The third song took some time to gain recognition as eventually the lyricism from Scarlet Begonias and intense anatomy of Sabbath songs magically fused together to create the ultimate Halloween treat.
Looking back at the group’s latest moves on social media, they teased the second set themeby uploading two photos of frontmen Ozzy Osbourne and the late Jerry Garcia with the caption “milk,” to their Instagram feed. Each song execution conjured stupefied giggles and pure astonishment as Dopapod managed to fully rework well-known songs into interchanged genres, pulling off Sabbath’s “N.I.B.” with a laid-back Californian twist.
Inspiration behind the set came to fruition years ago when Fro realized that Black Sabbath is “just the Grateful Dead playing minor instead of major,” as divulged on a recent Facebook post. So for those who never thought they’d get to see “Friend of the Devil” and “Sweet Leaf” performed in the same set, anything can transpire during a Dopapod Halloween gig. Adopting the Drums>Space routine of the Grateful Dead, Fro as well as wildly talented light/sound engineer and friend Luke Stratton were given time to shine as eye-catching shapes and colors rapidly twisted and whirled across the blank canvas of the Den walls.
Adding to the themed mash-up, Sabbath lyrics were placed mainly to the tune of “Terrapin Station” and introduced a long-haired “Jerry Osborne,” aka Stratton, to the stage for electrifying assistance on guitar and costume hilarity. A rebellious “Fire on the Mountain” making nods to the tunes of “Paranoid” and “Iron Man” closed out the eclectic bust out set with vigor. Quickly returning for encore, the four approvingly spliced together a tight delivery of 2009’s “Indian Grits” with the Dead’s groovy “Shakedown Street.”
Everyone already had the seed planted in their minds to scurry to the remaining Dopapod gigs of the year but when you’re told not to miss a show, there’s probably good reasoning. In a matter of hours fans were scavenging on the Internet for Grateful Sabbath sound boards and video clips, surely face-palming envy deep into their hands. With just 28 gigs standing between the Boston-born band and a touring recess, catch the duo of Swimmer and Dopapod again at Providence’s Fete Music Hall for a Dec. 30th gig in Rhode Island with Hayley Jane and the Primates.
Putnam Den 10/31/17 Setlists:
Swimmer: Turko, Murphy’s Law, Put the Coke on my Dick* > J.I.G > Sea Cerebral, 1999^
*Ween ^Prince
Dopapod: This Is Halloween* (Walk out music), Black and White^, Ghosts ->, Sonic ->, Braindead, Mucho, 8 Years+, Blast
Set II: Eyes Of The World$ >, War Pigs& ->, Sabbath Begonias@, N.I.B.**, Friend of the Devil^^, Sweet Leaf++ >, Drums >, Space >, SweetLeaf++, Black Sabbath$$, Fire on the Mountain&&
Encore: Grits@@, *From Nightmare Before Christmas, walk-out music
^This Is Halloween tease +with Vinnie Amico of moe. sit-in on drums $Grateful Dead cover &Black Sabbath cover @Scarlet Begonias (Grateful Dead) lyrics in a Black Sabbath style **N.I.B. (Black Sabbath) in a Grateful Dead style ^^Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) lyrics in a Sabbath style ++Sweet Leaf (Sabbath) lyrics in a Grateful Dead style $$Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath) lyrics in a Grateful Dead style (mainly Terrapin Station), Jerry Osbourne (Luke Stratton) sit-in &&Fire on the Mountain (Grateful Dead) lyrics in a Black Sabbath style (mainly Paranoid and Iron Man), Scarlet Begonias tease @@Elements of Shakedown Street (Grateful Dead), Trapper Keeper teases
Primus has never fit the mold of conventional music, so it was only fitting the trio helped kick off Halloween weekend in appropriately eccentric style. Playing to a sold out crowd of not only those who grew up on Primus in the eighties, the packed Palace Theatre housed an audience that ranged from elementary-aged, youthful rockers to unsuspecting parents with college students. Having only performed in Albany three times prior, the fourth run-around brought tricks on stage and treats in unique encores as bodies dressed head to toe in spider webs, sequin dresses and spooky masks trashed around for a three-hour show. Yes, Primus still sucks.
Equipped with video screens behind them, Les Claypool, Larry LaLonde and Tim Alexander began the night with the help of quirky British flash animation series, Saladfingers, as the first set was jam-packed with Primus favorites. Quickly following, “Too Many Puppies” spiked ultimate excitement in the regal downtown Albany venue. While the short, hard-hitting tracks seemed fleeting, “Sgt. Baker” found its way into an energizing “Too Many Puppies” sandwich as technicolor prisms were projected onto the Palace ceiling and Claypool stomped circles around the stage with grit. More classics like “Last Salmon Man,” “Mr. Crinkle” with a Zeppelin “Kashmir” tease and “My Name is Mud” popped up throughout the set with tempo-matching, psychedelic video footage before a fun “Candy Man” called for clips of hypnotizing and colorful candy-like claymation.
LaLonde and Les Claypool left the stage for an anticipated drum solo as a hooded Alexander led the show. Claypool shortly returned while sporting a pig mask and breaking out the Whamola for entrancing sounds. This time, the video projections offered clips of instrument strumming, as it matched up perfectly in sync with the live strums of Claypool’s Whamola. Interacting with the audience every so often with small interjections like “beautiful building you’ve got here,” Les Claypool asked the crowd to guess the ending track of set one with the firm strike of one note. Without a doubt– “Jerry Was A Racecar Driver” would close out the night with clips from the music video displayed symbiotically.
Trading in a pig mask for a ram head, set two unleashed the force behind the Ambushing the Storm tour as Primus shredded through their latest studio effort, The Desaturating Seven, finding applause during every passing silence. Eerie cartoon goblins found their way dancing across the screens in the Palace, the same ones from an Italian children’s book, The Rainbow Goblins. The newest album was heavily influenced on the Ul De Rico-written book, one Les Claypool used to read to his children. Played front to back, the unique seven-track album reminded everyone why Primus still sucks after all these years. On the heels of ending a grimy Halloween weekend performance, the trio ended with a triple-header of an encore with special dedications to the devastating fires in California. “Groundhog’s Day,” “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” and one they rarely ever play, “Tommy the Cat,” all welcomed extended guitar solos and wicked improvisation from LaLonde as well as shrieks and rock on symbols from the crowd.
With their last Palace Theatre gig in 2014 and before that 2009, for some this was a short-lived chance to catch the seasoned rockers in person. There are two situations where walking by talking animals and skipping pirates is the norm: during halloween festivities and leaving a Primus show, as a satisfied audience quickly flooded out of the venue and infiltrated an already amped up South Pearl Street crowd.
What’s in a name? Well, in terms of the latest Dopapod album, everything. We know the phrase “never use a word in its own definition” but for right now, we’re scrapping that. Dopapod’s Megagem is just that–an 8-track album, its title and definition all in one.
While fans were relishing in the excitement of fresh material and the show planning that comes along with it, all came to a halt when a Facebook post from Rob Compa, Eli Winderman, Chuck Jones and Neal “Fro” Evans, stated that the ever-growing powerhouse would take a break from the road for the entirety of 2018. Megagem, while acting as the band’s mic drop before a sabbatical, can teach us all a lesson while exploring its larger thematics: cater to your needs as they need to be met–time doesn’t stop for anyone.
Kicking things off in typical fashion with wailing guitars, stellar harmonies and entrancing tempo changes, the album launches into a powerful opener of “Plaese Haalp.” While many have already heard the tune live over the course of the last few months, this time, listeners are introduced to triumphant strings, violins and cellos, helping to create a larger than life sound. Lyricism plays a key role, detailing inner emotions and exploring parallels between time, creating music and giving attention to other avenues in life. Eventually tempo slows down as Winderman’s roaring and impressive vocals take the reigns of explaining their reasoning behind the 2018 hiatus.
Fro leads us into “Piazole” for a few bars on the drum kit, before the rest of the band jumps in to create an eccentric tune, capturing the essence of what could double as a soundtrack from our favorite N64 video games. Coming as the first instrumental track on the album, “Piazole” tells a story all its own through incredible song structure and varying instrumental spotlight. This track feels like home as its zippiness, appropriately placed guitar solos and eerie bass line are representative of everything Dopapod does so well. “Zonk” comes next as a zany, momentary interlude, stringing together “Piazole” with the other known Megagem track, “Mucho.” As a fun addition on the release, it leaves tons of room for interpretation and live jamming, should it be played before the 2017 gigs are up. Pro tip: be extra cautious while listening for the first time in any vehicle. Abrupt horns sound off twice and can cause immediate confusion.
“Mucho” brings a diverse flavor to Megagem with airy vocals, a light-hearted message and a chorus sung entirely in Spanish. The album’s themes of fulfilling different facets of life and prioritizing fleeting time are stitched throughout the track and in the chorus that immediately follows three prominent, crowd engaging claps. For those who were wondering, the chorus translates:
“The purpose of life is simple. Have a good time until the day you die. Live life in the present moment. Just go out and have a good time, silly.”
“Confabuation” comes next with Compa and Winderman pleasantly and traditionally harmonizing vocals. As the song progresses with contextual lyrics to their current situation, inventive guitar licks slide into the spotlight before Fro masters odd time signatures and high cymbal taps to abruptly close out the track. A mysterious intro leads us into “Turn by Turn” and based on the title alone, let’s hope to see a Turn by Turn > Turning Knobs before the guys wrap up the year for good. This song instantly places you in a convertible driving along the coastline with your hair blowing in the breeze as Dopapod offers jazzy drum fills and lyrics based on colors and “stretching your minds eye,” alluding to the cerebral album art. “Turn by Turn” has fun exploring various arrangements all within one song, with creative drums that your ear just can’t stray from. The song’s lyrics end, but the tune carries on as a crescendo of sound builds stronger alongside ambient effects before a blunt ending.
Holding down the blues on Megagem, “Buster Brown” acts as the final instrumental track. Slowed down, filled with soul and heavy on guitar, Dopapod lets the instruments smoothly speak for themselves. Compa and his guitar unmistakably shine over the course of the song but its Jones’ intricate bass-work that lays down the foundation for the jam. “Starfish” comes as the final piece to the Megagem puzzle- a spacey, intuitive ending track ready to sing you to sleep for a 365-day lullaby. It’s dreamy tone guides listeners into a utopic, upside-down world were Dopapod never goes on hiatus–a prelude to a dream acting as a perfect ending to reflect on the album as a whole. Winderman is given another opportunity for an ending psychedelic, soliloquy. Strings come into play once again to wrap “Starfish” at high volume as we come full circle to where the album’s journey all begin.
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.
The next NY show dates take place on October 27 at Irving Plaza with The Motet and Halloween trickery at Putnam Den with Burlington VT’s Swimmer. Catch ya in 2019, Dopapod! We’ll be waiting.
After a September residency at local Buffalo dwelling, Nietzches, Intrepid Travelers packed up their sets chock-full of themes and set their sights on new residencies. Week one offered tunes from the British Invasion, spanning from the expected efforts of the Rolling Stones, Beatles, The Who, Cream, and Jimi Hendrix while week two introduced a set list that spelled out”Witty Tarbox.”
Carefully crafted to spell its theme out with the first letter in each track, week two ripped through an eclectic combination of tunes by pairing Pink Floyd, Rush, Talking Heads and Lotus covers in the company of Diana Ross and Dr. Dre. Sam Pavlovich was introduced as the new bassist in Intrepid Travelers and sat in on “Take Me to the River,” “YYZ,” “Xxplosive,” and “Funky Duck.”
The third week of the IT residency treated fans to an intersteller set appropriately in place with Space Junk acting as supporting act. The night unveiled “Space Odyssey,” “Satellite of Love,” “Rocket Man,” “Great Gig in the Sky,” “Standing on the Moon,” and other intergalactic classic rock favorites. The fourth and final week closed out a wildly executed residency with a final theme as a play on “dirt,” with musical support from Dirty Blanket. Also acting as David Neimanis’ last as a member of Intrepid Travelers, the group welcomed covers of musical giants Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Phish, Primus, Lettuce and more, with the help of Ellen Pieroni on saxophone.
Everyone, at some point, dreams of being in a band. Everyone who is in a band, dreams of achieving ultimate success. Some bands spend years in musician purgatory, putting forth albums, riding the in-between waves of small victories within their genre and trying to come to terms with if they’ll ever break through to fame or if the future remains with sold-out hometown shows. The Other Brothers, while still managing similar questions of their own, have showed relentless passion and drive to come out on top over the years, despite the lack of tangible music, until now.
Trading in hometown gigs for Capitol Theatre collaborations with Theo Katzman and Joe Dart of Vulfpeck as well as slots on festival bills, The Other Brothers have quickly hopped amid their own neo-soul totem pole to the top. Beginning as a New Paltz quartet in 2012, the six-pack made up of the flavorful Chris Owens (lead vocals), John Morrison (guitar), Jordan Mendelson (bass), Brandon Bera (drums), Gabriel Marquez (keys) and Jared Nelson (percussion), constantly performed to friends and family while hitting up the town bars and cafes, quickly making their name known and earning the gold star achievement of local favorites. Fast forward five years and the high-talent sextet have finally compiled a five-song, debut EP, Jones, ready to bestow a plentiful stew of soulful R&B, funky, rock and roll genres onto new listeners.
Adorned with a simple cartoon drawing of a burnt orange beanie, Jones offers up a fusion of sound from the very first track. The EP kicks off with “A2W,” or better known as “Addicted to Weed” and if you’ve had the pleasure of catching The Other Brothers live, you’ve noticed it’s quite the crowd pleaser, evoking smiles around the room. The song’s theme is centered on playful lyrics about tokin’ and jokin’ as listeners are lead into Jones with a head-knock worthy drumbeat and funky bass line. Owen’s launches into a narrative of all things that have been blown off because of his unwavering marijuana morale. His deep and smooth articulations are perfectly supplemented by the sultry back up vocals of Mary Corso which make a second pop up later on the release.
Lyrics like “Used to make me laugh, now I just wanna quit” and “get a full-time job and maybe a car” allude to the crossroads many people come to–when to shake a certain comfortable lifestyle in hopes of shifting into a different one or how to make both worlds coexist. The end of the song finds a rap breakdown filled with inner thoughts about giving up personal addictions while guitar aficionado Morrison dives into a funky segue with a build up and climax of heavy, mind-altering psychedelia. The EP quality is top-notch as Jones was recorded to tape, mixed and mastered by David Andersen at Art Farm in Accord, NY and Sound City Studios in Los Angeles.
“Can I Get It” quickly follows as the second track of the EP, with pronounced drum-circle percussion by Nelson and Mendelson’s bass hook stealing the show in the midst of a dance-party anthem that awakens all senses. The lyrics, while repetitive and straight-forward, aren’t meant to be the highlight of the track. Rather, they state exactly what the band will do as vocal growls and embellishments unleash before wrapping back to the song’s theme of “We’re gonna funk you up, gonna funk you down!”
An abrupt ending welcomes another fan favorite “Hit You Up” ft. The Other Brothers’ companion Wavy Cunningham. Taking a slower R&B approach to track three, silky smooth vocals and Marquez’ assistance on the keys come to the forefront of the tune before Cunningham steals the mic for a quick rhyme, appropriately placed smack dab in the middle of the track. Owens truly displays his powerhouse singing chops as the song nears its end with high-hitting notes, running scales and impressive falsetto.
Up to this point, the EP has offered slower, smooth arrangements and dance-centered tracks until “Your Machine” comes as the funkiest tune off of Jones, immediately placing you in a time machine to their enchanting Disc Jam 2017 performance. An unmistakable groove first grabs hold of your ear as odd time signatures, soaring guitar licks and swift tempo-switches keep you attentively listening to the very ending note. The guitar-wailing track collectively showcases all member’s talents and even ends with a stellar outro that tantalizes a full spectrum of sentiments.
“Cave In” is delivered as the EP’s 5th and final track, giving off a stimulating and inviting arrangement to tap your toes and swing your hips to. The dreamy vocals enter into airy falsetto, unmistakable growls and even add jazzy scatting into the mix for a nod to yet another wall of sound. “I’m gonna hide inside this groove, baby, until I get back to you” perfectly depicts the soulful and emotive themes the ending track delivers.
Before The Other Brothers even released their tunes in any capacity, they shared the stage with Vulfpeck giants Theo Katzman and Joe Dart at the famed Capitol Theatre, sold out their EP release party at American Beauty in NYC on September 30 and tore up their festival slots and summertime gigs. Taking the frontman’s signature hip sways and energetic bops across the stage out of the equation, the debut places focus on the band’s music alone–solidifying what most already knew. Owens may act as the mitochondria of The Other Brothers cell, but each of the members carry out their own complimentary duties to craft their ever-morphing sound.
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.
Celebrating their first official EP, a release party will take place at American Beauty in NYC on Sept. 30 at 8PM. Keep your eyes peeled for impending fall tour dates that will be released prior to the show.
When we hear the name Berklee College of Music, it’s natural to think of the great musicians who attended this institution such as John Mayer, Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) and Annie Clark (St. Vincent) to name a few. This impressive school has fostered the talent of a countless number of artists and bands and continues to do so with the members of the up-and-coming New England band, The Penthouse with their new album Overnight.
This indie rock group consists of Eric Derwall on the drums, Kyle Raney on the bass, Jacob Arias on guitar and Patrick James as the front man. Although their band is based in Boston, they are making a name for themselves through live music performances in major cities such as New York and Boston.
The band’s latest releases “City Lights” and “Another Day” perfectly embody what it means to be ‘indie rock.’ Every track makes you both want to move but also listen closely to the story being told through the lyrics. “Best Friend” for example is a relatable track about falling in love with your best friend that also makes you want to dance to its fast-paced and foot-tapping beat.
The band member’s varying musical backgrounds make the instrumental portions of their music even richer in songs like “Everytime” and “Clear As Day (feat. Noah Jackson)” as each instrumental solo is just as strong as the next. This new rising band welcomes you to The Penthouse as stated on their SoundCloud page so don’t miss a chance to listen to their new music!
LaLonde and Les Claypool left the stage for an anticipated drum solo as a hooded Alexander led the show. Claypool shortly returned while sporting a pig mask and breaking out the Whamola for entrancing sounds. This time, the video projections offered clips of instrument strumming, as it matched up perfectly in sync with the live strums of Claypool’s Whamola. Interacting with the audience every so often with small interjections like “beautiful building you’ve got here,” Les Claypool asked the crowd to guess the ending track of set one with the firm strike of one note. Without a doubt– “Jerry Was A Racecar Driver” would close out the night with clips from the music video displayed symbiotically.
With their last Palace Theatre gig in 2014 and before that 2009, for some this was a short-lived chance to catch the seasoned rockers in person. There are two situations where walking by talking animals and skipping pirates is the norm: during halloween festivities and leaving a Primus show, as a satisfied audience quickly flooded out of the venue and infiltrated an already amped up South Pearl Street crowd.
What’s in a name? Well, in terms of the latest Dopapod album, everything. We know the phrase “never use a word in its own definition” but for right now, we’re scrapping that. Dopapod’s Megagem is just that–an 8-track album, its title and definition all in one.
While fans were relishing in the excitement of fresh material and the show planning that comes along with it, all came to a halt when a Facebook post from Rob Compa, Eli Winderman, Chuck Jones and Neal “Fro” Evans, stated that the ever-growing powerhouse would take a break from the road for the entirety of 2018. 
When we hear the name