Gary Clark Jr., aka “The Chosen One”, brought his high energy fusion of blues, rock and soul to the Jersey Shore’s iconic Stone Pony on Saturday August 26th. The Austin, Texas native was accompanied by London, England’s Michael Kiwanuka, and New York City’s Tangiers Blues Band. The Tangiers feature photography legend and New Jersey home town hero Danny Clinch on harmonica. It was a perfectly curated trio of blues bands on a cool late summer evening in front of a capacity crowd. With the sunset behind the stage and the ocean across the street, fans flooded the open air venue for a memorable night with a powerhouse guitarist at the helm.
Tag: live music
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In Their Own Words: Freekbass
On a sunny Friday evening on August 18, funk icon’s Freekbass and The Bump Assembly rocked the main stage at Nights Of Fire Music Festival in Franklinville, NY. Before the big performance, NYS Music was honored to sit down with Chris “Freekbass” Sherman in Freekbass and The Bump Assembly’s tour van. As we began, Freekbass wittily commented, “It’s appropriate that we’re doing this in the van, because this is where we live.”
Born, raised, and currently based out of Cincinnati, OH, Freekbass has released six full length albums and has collaborated with modern legends including Bootsy Collins, DJ Spooky, Mike Gordon, Buckethead, Bernie Worrell, and many others. His touring band, Freekbass & The Bump Assembly includes Razor Sharp Johnson (Bootsy’s Rubberband/P-Funk) on keys and synths and Rico Lewis (George Clinton & P-Funk) on drums.
Whether he’s rocking the cover of Bass Guitar Magazine, playing upward of 150 shows each year, or working on his new album with Ropeadope records, Freekbass is one of the hardest working musicians in the funk business. NYS Music is humbled to present you this edition of “In Their Own Words.” Here we have a collection of bite size nuggets of knowledge, quoted directly from Freekbass:
On Life On The Road:
Living in the van, we play about 150 dates a year. I enjoy the road life. I always say you sorta have to have that trucker gene in you to really enjoy it. In James Brown’s autobiography, he explains how they started in a station wagon, then they moved to a van, then to a bus, then a plane, and then a private jet. It doesn’t matter if you’re in that private jet or that station wagon, the road is still the road. You have to enjoy yourself.
I like meeting new people all the time. It’s always exciting because you gain energy from new people, and the energy is always different in different places. The audience becomes as much a part of the music and the band as we are. I used to thank the audience at the end of the show. I’d say, “thanks for letting us play for you,” nowadays, i’m always saying, “thank you for letting us play with you.” It feels like our audience has become as much a part of the music as we are. We can play a song for 20 minutes long or the same song for 5 minutes. It all has to do with what the vibe is that night. A lot of our performance has to do with what’s happening with the audience.
In the last few years, music streaming, illegal downloading, and torrenting has taken over the industry. Five to ten years ago, you recorded a record and then you played live to promote the record. Nowadays, it feels like it’s almost the opposite. A band records a record to help bolster their live show. For instance, when they first began, Pretty Lights gave all of their music away for free. Some people said, “oh wow this is a pretty odd business model,” but, the idea was to get inside everyone’s ears. All of a sudden, they created this huge live buzz, it was all about going to see them live. We have a brand new business model. I think it’s great. Nowadays, you have to be a really good live act. The one thing you can’t replace is a good live show.
On Cincinnati Ohio’s Funk Music Scene:
The Cincinnati music family is pretty tight knit. In the music industry, there already is just six degrees of separation between everybody, but, the funk community is even smaller. That’s one thing that’s great about being in Cincinnati. The history goes back to the days of James Brown and King Records; that’s how many great funk players such as Bootsy Collins got their start. There’s always been a strong community of funk musicians in the midwest. When there is a plethora of musicians playing the same kind of music, it’s easier to connect then it might be in other parts of the country.
On Pre-Performance Rituals:
We always get together and meditate and pray before a show. It’s something we do no matter what. This is nice because sometimes-at festivals especially-performing can be freaking chaotic due to changeovers and all sorts of things. I feel like prayer grounds us. Right before we go on, no matter how chaotic the day is, even if we have to run behind the back of the van and do it, we always pray.
Fun Facts:
I’m looking forward to the new Justice League movie…I also listen to a lot of superhero podcasts. My favorite one is called Holy Batcast. There is also Batmannews.com, Suicide Squadcast, Batman On Film, ect. I’m a big podcast fan. I also listen to WTF with Marc Maron quite a bit. I enjoy putting my headphones in and listening on long road trips.
Listen To The Entire Freekbass Live at Nights Of Fire Performance:
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In Their Own Words: Byron Cage of The Joe Louis Walker Band
On the evening of August 16, 2017, Blues Hall of Famer Joe Louis Walker graced the Photo City Improv stage in Rochester, NY. Joe Louis Walker has been playing the blues since the 1960’s and is still rocking both classic and contemporary styles. Earlier this year, Joe Louis Walker’s new album, “Everybody Wants A Piece” received a nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 59th annual Grammy’s. Before their show at Photo City Improv, NYS Music had the humbling opportunity to sit down with Joe Louis Walker’s drummer, a Syracuse NY native, Byron Cage. Here are some bite size nuggets of knowledge, quoted directly from Cage:
On Working With Joe Louis Walker:
I’ve been playing with Joe Louis Walker almost four years. It’s been a wonderful four years. I am learning and growing as a musician, and as a young man. Joe is my mentor. He’s a complete mentor. He’s a great guy onstage and off stage.
Joe has taught me to be proud of who you are and be proud of what you do. To be able to share the blues with the world is privilege. It’s a cultural experience, and you want to represent yourself well.
We try to keep our music authentic and stay true to the roots of the blues. There is nothing wrong with new age experimenting or adding new things… A lot of spontaneous things happen every night. But, when traditional blues is called for, that’s what we play. When it’s time for electric or rockin’ blues, we can do that too. It’s fun to exercise all these different music muscles in one night. We work together as a team; we are a real band. Our chemistry off stage shows on stage. We all genuinely care for each other as people and musicians. This is represented in our live performance, and everything else we do.
On Live Music:
When you play music, the sky is the limit. You don’t level out unless you want to. You can keep growing and growing as long as you push for it. There’s always something new to learn. There is always something new to experience and explore musically. That’s what we want to do. Keep it fresh.
Music is a universal language. No matter where we go, from Australia, to Asia, to Europe, to Brazil, we connect through the feeling of the music. We vibe together. I believe that is what life’s about.
At the end of the day, the goal is to share something positive. There is so much crazy stuff happening in our world. People are dying senselessly. We are experiencing a whole new wave of hate. What better way to fight against that hate than to pull everybody together to enjoy some music- to smile and laugh with one another. Then, we shake hands at the end of the night, and create good memories. It’s a beautiful thing. I’m happy to be a part of it.
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Countdown To Wild Woods Music And Arts Festival
Greenvibe Entertainment cannot seem to contain themselves for the upcoming Wild Woods Festival in Croyden, NH, and who can blame them? This year is set to be the best yet, and on Aug. 11 – 13, Page Farm will host this small festival that packs a lot of heart.
The team has been hard at work, adding an entire new building for the beautiful art that will be on display all weekend. They’ve also welcomed back The Reliquarium to add their incredible works of art to each stage. Their intricately designed stage setups are custom made and add much to each set. Because of the Lotus will have one of their mind-melting visual art installations on site, and you can be sure there will be plenty of performance artists dancing, hooping, and fire-spinning, as The What Collective will be in attendance.
Wild Woods has added heavy hitters Emancipator and Papadosio as the headliners this year. There are many familiar faces with Kung Fu, Lespecial, Strange Machines, Of The Trees, and Harsh Armadillo returning for another year at the farm. This festival has become a staple in a lot of these band’s summer tours and you can be sure they’re going to add a little extra energy to their sets. The list of musical talent continues with Cabinet, Roots of Creation, Govinda, and Broccoli Samurai being just a few of the other notable mentions.
Wild Woods has a very special vibe going down on the little farm in New Hampshire. You can tell the thing they care about most is the fans. Between the live art, visual displays, amazing stage setups, and a lineup that just won’t quit, what else could you ask for? Well, how about a whole extra night to set up and relax with your friends? This year (for a fee) you’ll be allowed early entry into the festival on Thursday, Aug. 10 to claim the best spot for you and yours. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the Wild Woods website. Get them before Aug. 10 to save yourself $20.
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Hearing Aide: SkyDaddy ‘Wide Eyes’
Two years succeeding their debut, self-titled EP as a funky musical quartet, SkyDaddy makes a comeback with their latest EP Wide Eyes, due out on all digital platforms come
August 1.Dave Heinz (bass/vox), Joe North (saxophone/EWI), Tom Claney (guitar/vox) and Pat Agresta (drums) fit together as a jazzy-funk ensemble with nods of soul and rock fusion from downstate New York. However, its their solo skills that come together to create all that SkyDaddy stands for. Riding the wave of the ever-growing music scene in the Northeast, the foursome have lent their jam talents to venues across NYC and the tri-state area in support of The Nth Power, Pink Talking Fish, Amy Helm, Spiritual Rez, Sophistafunk and Zach Deputy, all within the last year.
Their self-titled effort brought fourth a five-track EP, including “Tell Me I’m Crazy” and “Just Enough Wine.” Dipping their toes into varying genres, Heinz, North, Clancey and Agresta use their talents to deliver spacey, progressive-like jams while capturing soul through their meaningful lyrics and memorable hooks.
Wide Eyes comes in the form of three tracks, all of which have the ability to get you on your feet and dancing or at least swaying side to side in your work chair. “Effortlessly Elegant” introduces the EP with a fitting title as the opening notes of the track and buttery-smooth saxophone make the listener’s need to move around and dance grow stronger by the second. “By the Fire Tonight” follows next, letting Agresta and the drum kit lead into the second track which appeals largely to the funkier soundscapes of their music. “Perspective” emphasizes on Heinz’ hearty vocals as he sings of relationships, wide eyed girls and the burning question of how they found their soul. Over the course of one year, the EP was recorded in REM Studios in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, collectively and accurately encompassing their sound as a unit thus far.
You can catch SkyDaddy on their Wide Eyes Tour during their slew of upcoming NY show dates, including a live WRRV Session at Newburgh Brewing Company, a September 19 Garcia’s gig with The Magic Beans in Port Chester and quick stops through VT and CT.
Check out more of their music on Soundcloud!
Key Track: By the Fire Tonight
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Swimmer Dives into Second Pool of Summer Tour Dates
There’s only one way to cool yourself down on these thermal, mid-summer nights and that’s to let loose and do some swimmin’. Vermont outfit, Swimmer, resides just a stone’s throw away from New York in the jam-centered, musical hub that is Burlington, VT. As a well-known Burlington band having held an impressive residency slot at Nectar’s and previously opening up for the likes of Dopapod, the quintet made it a point to splash into unexplored territories, cities and states in order to further their rising presence in the jam community.
Welcoming the conception of their first-ever U.S. tour, the guys already completed stint one with stops across the Northeast. They hit NY specifically, with a July 2 show at Silvana in Harlem and a July 7 gig at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC before they dipped their toes into WV, NC, VA and DC. Their second voyage will see more NY dates, beginning with back-to-back stops at Plattsburgh’s Retro Live on Aug. 3 and Buffalo’s Neitzsche’s on Aug. 4 while gearing up to make their first appearance out West in Muncie, IN, Boulder and Denver, CO. They’ll return to MA and ultimately their Burlington swim hole for an appropriate tour closer at Nectar’s and a festival stop at Beaver Fest from Aug. 25-26.
Heavily influenced by artists such as Phish, Frank Zappa and The Disco Biscuits, Joe Agnello (guitar/vocals), Matt Dolliver (keys/saxophone), Cotter Ellis (drums/vocals), Paul Klein (guitar) and Jack Vignone (bass), encompass an encyclopedia of jam, progressive and experimental rock styles, blending them together to create a waterfall of elements all their own. Troy Rosenberg was recently introduced to the Swim team to manage stellar light shows to supplement Swimmer’s engaging and improvisational live performances.
Summer tour has given Swimmer the platform to promote their latest album, No Shape. The release compiles tunes they’ve been delighting fans with for quite some time, such as “Undercover Junkie,” while introducing fresh tunes for fans to float in, like fan-favorite “Godmeat” and “Schwack,” featuring Nate Reit on trumpet. No Shape gives any new swim-fan an in-depth look as to what the group is all about. As any jam band fan would explain, the full experience resides within the magical atmosphere of their live shows. The band’s ability to roll out extensive jams within any given song makes for a unique gig each night, always keeping the crowd fully engaged with a toss up of treats. For more of Swimmer’s live shows and to listen to their studio work, be sure to visit their Bandcamp.
If you don’t know these guys, catch them on the second leg of their summer tour. Get acquainted, get aquatic and check out their tour dates below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN_zXtHSbAI&feature=youtu.be
Summer 2017 tour dates part 2:
Aug. 3 – Retro Live – Plattsburgh, NY
Aug. 4 – Nietzsche’s – Buffalo, NY
Aug. 5 – Be Here Now – Muncie, IN
Aug. 10 – The Lazy Dog – Boulder, CO
Aug. 12 – Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom – Denver, CO
Aug. 17 – Thunder Road Music Club – Somerville, MA
Aug. 18 – Nectar’s – Burlington, VT
Aug. 25 – Beaver Fest @ Historic Memorial Hall- Wilmington, VT
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Hearing Aide: Benn Rymon ‘A Long Time’
A Pennsylvanian both by nature and at heart, rapper Benn Rymon and his beats are now based out of Plattsburgh, where he continues to record and perform just as he’s been doing since the 90s. This time, his ideas were carefully crafted into his solo debut album, A Long Time.
Normally, he’d be found lending an instrumental helping hand to an array of friends and artists to help complete their passion projects. Never releasing one of his own, A Long Time, dropped on July 7 as his very first release. It chronicles a lifetime of friendships found and foraged through the gift of music, which led to Rymon joining forces with fellow rappers in the Plattsburgh community, eventually becoming the founding member of the Plattsburgh Home Team. Each song tells its own story, whether that includes hard-knock times, unexpected adventures and at times, dangerous happenings. Prominently using an “in-your-face” style of rap, paired with his blunt character and unwavering confidence on stage, Rymon brings an eclectic gathering of genres, featured artists and a branded style of hip-hop all his own.
The odyssey of an album explores Rymon’s long-time background in the scene, how he’s been brought up by others and how he’s in turn, doing the same and inspiring those to find their own musical passage. Making a musical cocktail combining obvious elements of rap and hip hop with some dance tunes stirred in, Rymon introduces a number of artists and their respective flavors.
Unraveling the story, Rymon kicks things off on “Out of Control” with Ms Adventure before jumping into the fun, high tempo track “Sensational,” making a number of references to dancer/actor/singer Gregory Hines. Word play follows with “Pass or Pull,” and “Hot Box Gondola” featuring Phen Yaqeen, which takes on a more rap-centered approach with traded verses and a simple beat layered behind it. “On the One” stands out as the hardest hitting rap track on the release with a spooky, perfectly fitting tune paralleling its equally eerie lyrics. “Town Center” shines with its tropical touch making it perfect for a summertime drive.
The second half of the album introduces record scratching on “W.I.S.” and sees help from a number of collaborators like Epick, Craig Holmes, Lucid Lowell, Trixx, Phonix Dark and Symfonyi. A Long Time gets put to bed with the hypnotizing “Sleepers” before closing out with “Dedications,” with blaring horns and appropriate fade out lyrics “thats all, people.”
A Long Time was produced, recorded, arranged, & mixed by Benn Rymon and Mastered by Adrian Carr for AC Mastering. Order the album here.
Key Tracks: Sensational, Town Center
https://soundcloud.com/antwonlevee/sets/benn-rymon-a-long-time/s-2nQx2
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Clifton Park Announces Free 2017 Performing Arts at the Common Series
The popular trend of outdoor concert series for the summer has taken off and Clifton Park Commons decided to join in on the fun. With a free-to-the-public, package deal of 2017 Performing Arts at the Common Series, the initiative will bring family fun to Clifton Park on both Wednesday and Sunday nights.
With the exception of multi-day shows, Wednesday nights will cater to fun for the entire family, including the kids. Bring your little ones to the Clifton Common Stage for the Performing Arts Family Series where featured musicians, magicians, puppeteers and performers appeal to children of all ages for a night of free fun and entertainment.
A mix of children’s theatre, artists new to the area as well as well-loved local and cover bands made it onto the summer lineup, including “Alladin Jr.” Theatre Camp, The Accents, Fiddler on the Roof, Sirsy, Moriah Formica and Yellow Brick Road- A Tribute to Elton John. Closing out Performing Arts at the Common Series, energetic Celtic favorites Hair of the Dog have made their rounds playing their 70’s classic rock inspired music for widespread audiences and Albany natives for quite some time.
Sunday evenings will boast adult fun and entertainment in the form of an array of talented musicians and live performers ready to take the stage for your enjoyment. All Clifton Common performances will take place on Vischer Ferry Road, next to the basketball courts in Clifton Park, ready to kick off at 7:00 p.m., rain or shine, unless stated otherwise.
Check out the full line-up below:
July 2 – The Accents
July 9 – Sirsy
July 21-22 – “Alladin Jr.” Theatre Camp 5pm start.
July 14-16 & 20-23 – “Fiddler on the Roof” presented by Not So Common Players
July 30 – Moriah Formica
Aug. 6 – Yellow Brick Road, A Tribute to Elton John
Aug. 13 – Hair of the Dog -
Rockin’ On the River 2017 in Troy’s Riverfront Park: Did You Say Free?
Summertime fills the air with one-of-a-kind, free music–chirping birds, bikes whizzing by and children laughing as they play in the neighborhood. That’s not all the
free music left to explore–all around the Capital Region, summer concert series have been crafted to offer a blend of different genres to the city’s inhabitants week after week. Rockin’ on the River in Troy has been a well-loved staple to its surrounding community, offering a free, 10-week concert series every Wednesday between June 7 and August 9.Wednesdays just got better, as “hump days” can now be marked on the calendar with *outdoor music at Riverfront Park* in downtown Troy. Attracting between 5,000 to 8,000 guests per night, the series already boasted four mid-week performances from Almost Queen, Deerhoof, Skeeter Creek and Alex Torres y su Orquesta.
Lovers of live music can look forward to the remainder of Rockin’ on the River, to bring musical appearances from The British Invasion Experience, Saintseneca, Who’s Bad – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience, Taina Asili y la Banda Rebelde, SIRSY and Rumours- Fleetwood Mac Tribute to close.
Rain or shine from 5:00PM to 8:30PM, the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District brings the summer concert series to residents free of charge and in turn, draws in crowds to Troy’s local shops and businesses, keeping the town thriving!
Check out the full Rockin’ on the River schedule below:
July 5 – The British Invasion Experience
July 12 – Saintseneca with The Sea The Sea
July 19 – Who’s Bad – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience with Kristen Capolino
July 26 – Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde with Girl Blue
Aug. 2 – SIRSY with Sly Fox and The Hustlers
Aug. 9 – Rumours – Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band -
Erie Canal Bicentennial Inspires Statewide Music Celebration
Upstate NY music lovers can catch a unique experience while celebrating a part of history. The Albany Symphony, along with the New York State Canal Corporation, will present Water Music New York, a celebration to commemorate the bicentennial year of the Erie Canal. Organizers of the week long event ask music lovers to “follow the barge.”
Musical history buffs across the state will have the chance to experience live music canalside at several different locations across the state, as the Albany Symphony‘s week long barge adventure on the Erie Canal will run from July 2-8, making stops in Albany, Schenectady, Amsterdam, Little Falls, Baldwinsville, Brockport, and Lockport. All shows are free.The celebration will kick off on July 2 at Jennings Landing in Albany, and also make stops on July 3 at the Mabee Farm in Schenectady, July 4 at the Riverlink Park in Amsterdam and July 5 at the Rotary Park in Little Falls.
During the week-long Erie Canal Bicentennial journey, the Albany Symphony will collaborate with local art groups and debut seven world premieres by up and coming composers. The composers found their inspiration in the culture, history and stories of each canal community while composing their works of art that celebrate New York and the Erie Canal.
Communities taking part in the event will present a full day of block parties and activities that are centered around the communities’ historic character and cultural highlights. Grammy award winning conductor, David Alan Miller, will head up the conducting duties during the week long event. Miller and the Symphony will also perform selections from Handel’s Water Music, and American favorites including the “Superman March,” “Stars and Stripes Forever,” “Raiders Of The Lost Ark,” “March, and Hoedown from Rodeo. The events will also feature Daniel Schlosberg in his composition, “Work Song,” and collaborating artist such as the ESYO Youth Jazz Ensemble, and the Skidmore Storytellers Institute.More information on this historic tour can be found at the Albany Symphony Orchestra’s website.