NYS Music 20​17

Tag: Saratoga Springs

  • An Interview with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s Greg Ormont

    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.

  • This is Dopapod Halloween: Grateful Sabbath Set Stuns at Putnam Den

    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.

    Treat of the night:  A Grateful Sabbath Bust-Out set.

    Looking back at the group’s latest moves on social media, they teased the second set theme by 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

  • Formula 5 Gets By with a Little Help From Their Friends During ‘All Points North’ Album Release Party

    Capital Region jammers Formula 5 pulled out all the stops for their final All Points North album release party in Saratoga Springs in front of a full crowd of familiar faces and an exponentially growing fan base. After premiering the album in its entirety in New Haven with Relative Souls, the foursome decided to team up with the New Paltz-rooted The Other Brothers to serve up slices of true NY funk and soul on a Saturday night with a dirty laundry list of reasons to celebrate.

    From 8pm-10pm, fans rolled through the Putnam Den doors to enjoy the likes of a free keg with The Other Brothers set slated to rock at 9 pm. With a 15-song set, the six-piece of Chris Owens (vocals), Brandon Bera (drums), Gabe Marquez (keys), John Morrison (Guitar), Jared Nelson (Percussion) and Jordan Mendelson (Bass) kicked off the night with their rock and roll origins, soulful captivation and soaring vocals. Having convened in 2012 at SUNY New Paltz, the group is in the midst of preparing their first studio album, Jones. Having played shows for a few years and acting as seasoned veterans on the Rock and Roll Resort lineup, it’s a bit surprising that they’re only releasing their first album. At the same time, it allows you to get in on the ground level and perhaps grow with a band you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing or listening to before.

    From first impression, you could tell The Other Brothers’ sound and Owens’ powerhouse vocals provided a pleasing contrast to Formula 5 and what was to follow. As their set unraveled, each song found the front man, dressed in pale pink, rocking his hips back, forth and around town and further exploring his vault of dance moves. During a fun reggae-fusion tune, “These Cycles,” Owens’ charisma and onstage conversation demanded your attention–all that was left to do was listen and sway along with him. He often took the audience through anecdotes of how song titles came to be and strange one-off experiences that helped shape their musical contributions. It was hard not to keep your eyes locked on Nelson as his hands transitioned through tapping the congas and tossing a shaker, tambourine and rain stick for high points of the set, which also included Mendelson, sporting a Iron Maiden hockey jersey, impressively hitting quick tempo switches and odd time signatures on “Your Machine.” “Hit You Up” brought out the first guest of the night, Wavy Cunningham, to ease smooth tunes and a bit of rap into the set while the ending track of the night, “Levee for Free” had all fans on foot and Formula 5’s Joe Davis (also sporting pink) delivering tasty licks on guitar.

    The eclectic group of six will open up for Vulfpeck’s Theo Katzman on April 19 at the famed Capitol Theatre in Portchester, NY.  Looks like all is pointing North not only for Formula 5 but for these New Paltz natives as well.

    The Other Brothers Set List:

    Sleep Yo, Good Thing, The Man, Don’t Mean A Thing, Love Recedes, These Cycles, K2 in the Bathroom, New Friends, Can I Get It?, Why You Are, Hit You Up*, Game Show Radio, Your Machine, Bound, Levee for Free*

    * Wavy Cunningham

    $ Joe Davis from Formula 5 on guitar

    After a short introduction from a sincerely grateful and proud band manager, Pete Mason, Formula 5 immediately launched into their double header with transcending energy and multicolored lights boasting “F” and  “5” from the top corners of the stage.

    set the tone for their Saturday night gig with kinetic energy that only kept building. While fans may have heard the newer tunes from recent gigs and even more recent album release teases, it was the first time listening to the entire album in a live setting, lending their ears to Formula 5’s natural creativity and improvisation. Bassist James Woods sported a slight smirk all night, which could be attributed to a number of things, but we’ll just pin it on the electric energy and a “load-off” feeling of finally offering the band’s new studio album to the world. The merch table was freshly stocked with musical material both new and old, freshly crafted Trout Waters pins and newly designed T-shirts available for longtime fans and those just discovering their music.

    Having transformed a Kickstarter goal into reality, Joe, Matt, and James long awaited the night’s celebrations after pouring endless amounts of effort into their third studio album which follows their self titled debut album, April 2014’s Edging on Catastrophe and one live album, Live Five Vol. 1. The quartet implemented some classic strategies as well as newfound ways to draw a dancing crowd to their Putnam Den gig. Joe and Matt dedicated a few hours of their day to Albany’s own Madison Avenue Ben and Jerry’s shop on free cone day to dish out tasty frozen treats to Albany locals, hand out fliers for the album release show and spin their newest record to listening ears and the hungry humans attached to them–talk about a marketing triple threat. 

    Set one presented All Points North front to back, with friends Phil Chow on trumpet and Bryan Brundige of The Chronicles on trombone during “It Goes” paired with a loud exclamation of “I love horn-ula 5!” from the depths of the crowd. Not only did Brundige lend a helping horn on stage, he handles audio engineering at OverIt Media and aided the guys through their All Points North journey in the studio. A long set break brought set two, chock full of covers, a “Tweezer” tease and a loaded surprise sit in. Following a jam and “Booher’s Pass,” moe.’s own Vinnie Amico took to the drum kit during “Pedro” to sit in for the group’s drummer. The two seamlessly transitioned on and off stage while the drummer tried to use his surroundings to aid the beat to try and smoothly dip back behind the moe. veteran. Amico’s presence was unplanned, making the surprise sit in all the more sweet. The seasoned drummer happened to be hanging in the Saratoga venue before wandering into the back room and admitting  he was a Formula 5 fan and excited to see their set. From there, an organic sit in blossomed to cap off an already exceptional night.

    Next up was a double header of covers with Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry” and Steely Dan’s “Hey Nineteen,” band and fan favorites alike. Appropriately closing out a night of well deserved festivities and completing a pretty solid song cover trifecta, the night was wrapped up into a funky package with a Phish phavorite, “Run Like An Antelope.” Keeping the momentum rolling the next day, the guys announced their participation at The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival alongside Dopapod, Emancipator, BIG Something, Spafford and more. They’ll keep the grooves going with a continued Spring 2017 tour as summertime bliss will bring Formula 5 tunes not only to the festival circuit but directly to phans during the Madison Square Garden Baker’s Dozen run.

    Formula 5 Set List:

    Set I: (“All Points North”)

    Come Along, Sad Bed*, Trout Waters, Pt. I & II, It Goes…^, Excalibur, The Birch Tree^, Q&A, Do Tell^, Figure Out A Feeling^

    Set II:

    Jam -> Booher’s Pass, Pedro$, Dirty Laundry$, Hey Nineteen!

    E: Run Like An Antelope~

    *Unfinished

    ^ Phil Chow on trumpet, Bryan Brundige on Trombone

    $ Unfinished, Vinnie Amico of Moe. on drums

    $Don Henley cover

    ! Steely Dan cover

    ~ Phish cover

  • Photo Gallery: LOCASH at Vapor Nightclub

    The Nashville-based Country/Pop duo LOCASH performed along with a full band on February 16 at Vapor Nightclub in Saratoga Springs, to a packed house.  The show was hosted by 100.9 The Cat.

    locashChris Lucas and Preston Brust, whose powers’ combined make up LOCASH, were in especially good spirits after receiving their first major Country Music Industry award nomination earlier in the day for New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year. Lucas and Brust, along with their band, were riding high throughout the show, taking the opportunity to celebrate this milestone in their careers with their fans who showed up for them in droves and packed the club out.

    The ACM Awards will air live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 2nd.

  • Interview: Wild Adriatic to Unleash ‘Feel’ Album Release Party at Putnam Den

    Grounded with combined elements of soft grooves, grit, guitar heavy tunes, seventies rock and Motown soul, Wild Adriatic will bring a stacked show to Putnam Den on Saturday, Feb. 4, just one day after their latest album, Feel, drops. Having only released 3 EPs prior, the power trio consisting of Travis Gray, Rich Derbyshire and Mateo Vosganian will celebrate their fresh release for a Saratoga Springs home crowd, the very place in which the group first convened.

    Wild Adriatic have already notched three EPs and one live album — leaving 2017’s Feel highly anticipated by fans and band members alike. During the growth process of Feel, the trio decided to focus on their raw, live performance as opposed to the craftiness that can be conjured up in the studio through samples, digital instruments and the like. This time around, the goal was to emphasize organic talents in Gray’s powerful, soul-grabbing vocals and lead guitar riffs, Derbyshire’s bass slaps and Vosganian’s heavy-hitting drums, bringing their natural creativity and emotions to the forefront of the music.

    Promotion of the sophomore full-length release has not seen a lull. The group has shown triumphant efforts to push the album recorded in Austin, Texas with Grammy-nominated producer Frenchie Smith. Fans have been delighted with various album teasers, acoustic video sessions and snippets of mock reality show footage featuring members of the band in Ghost Hunters, Dancing with the Stars and Naked and Afraid. Sure, playing the bass in a band is rewarding but check out Rich as he takes on new moves for Dancing with the Stars. You can also check out Mateo’s fearless ghost hunting video and Travis’ video on Facebook, where he took on a different area of exploration–he is most certainly naked, but is he afraid? 

    2017’s Feel reaches new depths with 11 tracks of emotion, dipping into realms of politics, modern relationships, friendships and soul crushing break ups, adding nods to new genres into their personal melting pot of sound.

    Don’t miss a wild album release party at Putnam Den on Feb. 4 with openers Let’s Be Leonard and Bathrobe Robots–available to those 18+, with a surcharge of $5 for those under 21. Tickets cost $10 in advance or $15 the day of the show but WA fans can also get their hands on a few combo deals, like an advance ticket and CD for $20, advance ticket and tee shirt for $25 and all three in a bundle for $35! Doors open at 8 with the show to follow at 9.

    Q&A with Mateo Vosganian of Wild Adriatic:

    Alyssa Ladzinski:  It’s obvious that the message of Feel is to be in touch with your emotions. Can you elaborate on the occurrences that made each one of you come to terms with accepting your own feelings and using them as inspiration for your second full length release?

    Mateo Vosganian: This record was written and recorded during a pretty tumultuous few years in our personal lives. A lot of the songs are about a specific old relationship of Travis’ that was the source of a lot of stress and craziness in his life. Writing more specifically and personally to our lives seemed to be a natural progression for us with this record. We go into each new recording process with hopes to open some more doors and explore our abilities a bit. I turned 30 in 2016 and we’ve all grown up together a lot in the last five years we’ve been doing this band. Personally, I feel like a big part of growing up is getting in touch with your feelings and who you are as a person. Finding what makes us tick and being honest about it. This record is another step down that path.

    AL: Favorite track off of the new album and why?

    MV: I think my favorite track is “Chasing A Ghost.” It’s the song that took on the most influence from our surroundings and producer down in Austin and we were sort of able to get in touch with our more cosmic & space-y yet still soulful sides.

    AL: I know you guys wanted to focus on your raw talents other than the effects that can be placed on music in the studio. Are there any new avenues you explored on this album in lieu of recording studio magic and finishing touches?

    MV: We recorded the basic tracks for the album live in a room together and I think that really added more of our vibe to the recording than we’ve been able to capture in the past. We’ve self-produced all of our old records and this time we worked with a very talented and inspiring dude named Chris “Frenchie” Smith down in Austin. He helped us tap into some very expressive areas in our playing and inspired searches for new sounds and lots of risk taking in the studio.

    AL: You and Travis were once involved in a pop punk group called Horse in A Box. Can you recall some of your favorite memories playing in this band and how it lead you to where you are today?

    MV: Travis and I have been making records and playing shows together since we were teenagers. My favorite memories of that band came from absolutely ridiculous road trips in my mothers mini van to go play shows all over NY state. We were 4 of the weirdest, dumbest kids you could find and it was an absolute blast. We took it pretty seriously even as kids so we were on the road most weekends. I think that led to interesting school lives where we weren’t really around a lot on the weekends and the band was our family. We learned a lot about performing live, recording and the business side of making music at a young age. That has helped so much now, along with a hell of a lot of growing up.

    AL: What are your favorite current pop punk acts– favorite while you were in Horse in A Box?

    MV: Honestly I haven’t been paying too much attention to pop punk these days but the one record I heard last year that i really loved was State Champs’ album. They’re a band from Albany who has slowly but surely been taking over the world and it’s been a delight to see and hear.

    AL: You guys originated in Saratoga Springs and attended school extremely close to the area in Queensbury. What are some of your favorite Saratoga Springs businesses/restaurants?

    MV: My absolute favorite restaurant in Saratoga is the Park Side Eatery on Phila St. It’s got a super diverse and delicious menu, wonderful staff and just an overall great vibe similar to places we’ve run into on the road. Oh and the baked goods. OH the baked goods. Homemade donuts, cinnamon buns, the works. It’s ridiculous. And we have to mention Esperanto because doughboys are a way of life when we play in town.

    AL:How does it feel to have an album release show in a place you can refer to as home?

    MV: Well the tour starts on 2/1 in Virginia so it’s kinda nice to play a few shows (in VA, NYC and Pennsylvania) before we come home and celebrate with our amazing home area. It’s about to be a big year on the road and we’re grateful to be able to do a show at home before taking off for a few months!

    AL: Does this pose extreme levels of comfort and/or pressure to do something huge?

    MV: At this point we feel very comfortable in our lives as working musicians and these kinds of shows and tours end up being so rewarding if we can stay present and keep a good mindset. It helps to remember how little control we have over anything but ourselves and just go out there and be with the audience.

    AL: So on FaceBook, it says you enjoy voodoo. Are you putting hexes on those who don’t feel your music?

    MV: I’m amazed you read that. Sometimes, me from three years ago writes shit on Facebook that even I don’t understand anymore.

    AL: You’re playing this show with fellow Saratogians Let’s Be Leonard– what do you want fans who’ve never listened to them to know?

    MV: They’re one of our favorite bands; they write great songs and perform them with tons of heart and open minds live. No two shows are the same from Leonard and that’s one of my favorite parts about seeing them. Also, they have a new record coming out this year at some point!

    AL:Your TV parody commercials were brilliant. Where did you get the idea to place yourselves in the midst of reality TV in order to promote your latest album? Are you actually hardcore fans of each show you “participated” in?

    MV: Honestly, Travis was telling us about some really super ridiculous episode of Naked and Afraid that he had seen where the guy wouldn’t stop talking about how a Sasquatch laid on him one time. No joke, this happened on TV. We thought it was so funny and I had been toying around with ideas for ways to help promote that weren’t your traditional live videos and studio videos and such. It just sort of happened that we needed three solid concepts and we knew to start with Naked and Afraid. Rich is actually a great dancer so we knew that would be fun too. It all worked out really well and, with our ideas, that’s not always the case haha. We really love comedy, love being ridiculous and have some extremely talented friends in Jamie, Nick and Zach at Chromoscope Pictures. They spent a whole day running around with us to shoot those 3 commercials and then edited them beautifully. We’re psyched people think they’re as fun as we do!

    AL:You start touring Feel in the beginning of February. Any locations or venues on the bill that you’re looking forward to hitting the most? Why?

    MV: Oh man, pretty much all of the venues are favorites we’ve hit before. We’re doing some new spots in the southeast with our good friends Welshly Arms before we join up with the Rock Boat down in Tampa, FL. That’s going to be an absolutely insane week at sea, we’ll be sailing with around 30 bands and 2200 music fans, and we’ve got a late night 70s themed set prepared that has been SO much fun to work on. The Rock Boat is definitely one of the most exciting things in our lives and we love being a part of that family.

    AL: After spending massive amounts of time on the road and gearing up to do it again, have you come into any “road habits,” games or activities to help pass long hours on monotonous drives?

    MV: We listen to a ton of new music and lots of podcasts. We love good comedy podcasts like You Made It Weird and The Boogie Monster. My Dad has a pretty vast knowledge of music and is always showing me new bands to dig into, so that’s been fun to just have so much time to listen to entire records and really get into bands.

    AL: Which groups are you hoping to hear more from in 2017?

    MV: Always White Denim. Northern Faces. Welshly Arms. Marcus King Band. Eric Krasno Band. West End Blend. Swear and Shake.

  • Ginuwine is the real MVP; Most Valuable ‘Pony’

    Since Ginuwine came out with his would-be classic “Pony” in 1996, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who couldn’t at least sing the chorus back to you. His career continued strong through the early 2000’s with songs like “Differences,” “In Those Jeans,” and collaborations with people like P.Diddy, Missy Elliot, Nas, and more.

    Flash forward to 2017 and he is still beloved by his fans and actively proving to his critics that he has had the staying power over his more than 20 year career, to sell out shows and set the crowds ablaze. He is the real MVP; Most Valuable ‘Pony’, and a King of R&B.

    ginuwineWhile covering his sold out January 26 show at Vapor Nightclub in Saratoga Springs, one major thing struck me; the energy. Ginuwine’s live show was not the watered down nostalgia that you tend to expect from an artist in the 3rd decade of their career. It was electric, upbeat, relevant and above all, entertaining.

    Playing about 90 minutes with a 7 piece live band, who were fantastic in their own right, Ginuwine was warm and giving to his fans. He frequently hopped into the crowd, grabbing hands, giving hugs, and dancing. Vocally, Ginuwine is still rich with strength and tone, a true feat after so many years in the business. The buzz in the crowd was that he thoroughly impressed everyone in attendance including those who showed up not expecting much.

    After watching him own the sold out crowd from the beginning to the end of his performance,  I don’t doubt that he will continue to sell out shows as his come back progresses.  It was a surefire reminder that the real OG’s are never to be counted out. Upstate NY made it clear, they still love Ginuwine.