The band played mostly hits, but dropped in an occasional B-side or rare track. They kicked off their set by going way back to the first song off their very first album, Rockin’ Around (With You). Petty and the Heartbreakers took us on a ride through time which Petty described as “We’re going to pretend like this is a record spinning around up here playing our entire catalog and every now and then we are going to drop the needle.”
Petty took fans through a history of his solo and the Heartbreakers catalog, including “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” “You Don’t Know How it Feels,” softer hits like “Wildflowers” and “Crawling Back to You.” They ended the evening with fan favorite, “American Girl.” Check out the photo gallery below.
After a two year hiatus, moe.down returned to its birthplace at Snow Ridge for the Fourth of July weekend. The highly anticipated return of the festival featured many sit-ins and covers along with rarely played moe. classics and seven full sets of moe.
moe.down was founded as a fan and family friendly festival in 2000 at Snow Ridge Ski Resort in the Tug Hill town of Turin. The festival made a name for itself over the years by inviting bands not typically associated with the jamband scene. Past years of moe.down have seen such acts as They Might Be Giants, Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven, Violent Femmes, Flaming Lips and Meat Puppets join moe. in upstate New York on a yearly basis. You can read all about past moe.downs in NYS Music‘s featured series here, here and here.
moe. also has a reputation for fostering younger bands. This year’s festival was indicative of that. Up and comers such as Mister F, Wild Adriatic, Organ Freeman, the Black River, Hayley Jane and the Primates, Ripe and the Hip Abduction were included in this year’s lineup, along with such familiar tour mates as Kung Fu, Twiddle, Railroad Earth, Ryan Montbleau and Blackberry Smoke. Fishbone was this year’s inclusion for outside-the-jamband mainstream act and did not disappoint. Several moe.-related bands were also included in this year’s lineup, including Floodwood, Al and the Transamericans and the Mike Dillon Band. Frequent moe.laborator, Shannon Lynch of Conehead Buddha and Lynch was also on hand, contributing her sax and vocals to several performances throughout the weekend.
Occasional heavy downpours throughout the day on Friday made for a muddy start to the weekend as much of the parking, main stage and high traffic areas became nearly nonnegotiable. Regardless, moe.rons are a hardy bunch and mud or not, moe.down was back.
Friday opened with Yes Darling on the tent stage. Yes Darling is a collaborative effort of Ryan Montbleau and Hayley Jane. Their chemistry got the festival off to a great start and provided a foreshadowing of what would come later in the night.
A reunion set of Al and the Transamericans followed on the main stage, followed by Hayley Jane and the Primates’ set in the tent and Ryan Montbleau on the main stage. The scheduling throughout the weekend was precise. As soon as one band finished on one stage, the other stage cranked up almost immediately. The proximity of the stages also allowed those at either stage to remain where they were and still enjoy the music from the other.
Kung Fu funked up the tent as many of the moe. faithful began filing in for the band’s first set at Snow Ridge in nearly three years.
moe. kicked off its festival with the apropos “Bring it Back Home,” seamlessly segueing into “Akimbo.” The segue-fest continued with “Defrost” > “Bearsong” until they brought it all back home to “Bring it Back Home” > “Captain America.” A fairly straight-forward rendition of “Captain America” was interrupted by a slight lyrical flub that was quickly recovered.
This led to the first sit-in of the weekend as Kirk Juhas and his Hammond B3 made their way to stage left to participate in three songs, “Blue Jeans Pizza,” a stellar cover of the Allman Brothers Band’s “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Juhas’ keyboard style fit in well with the flow of “Blue Jeans Pizza.” A “Two Tickets to Paradise” tease alluded to the moe.down hiatus before flowing back into “Blue Jeans.” If moe. were to consider adding a full-time keyboardist to the lineup, Juhas would be a great fit.
The “Elizabeth Reed” cover was noticed early on by many in the crowd and met with a huge roar when the opening notes hit Chuck Garvey’s pick. Juhas played the part of Gregg Allman as Garvey and Al Schnier did their best Duane Allman/Dickie Betts. The band made this song its own while still nodding to its Allman’s influence. The first cover of the weekend would have been the perfect set closer but moe. had another trick up its sleeve.
The trick in question was bringing Ryan Montbleau and Haley Jane onstage for a spot-on rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Montbleau nailed Lindsey Buckingham’s vocals while Jane’s Stevie Nicks was a bit more bluesy than the original but a perfect complement to Montbleau. This is where the two’s chemistry was truly on full display.
Friday’s second set was joined by three members of Kung Fu for a ripping version of Frank Zappa’s “San Ber’dino.” Guitarist Tim Palmieri, keyboardist Beau Sasser and saxophonist Robert Somerville joined moe. for one of the band’s traditional covers turned into a funky guitar duel between Garvey and Palmieri that also featured some “Elizabeth Reed” teases. Somerville’s solos added a punch sometimes lacking in moe.’s versions of the Zappa classic while Sasser’s keys added the crunch the song very much needed. The fun had onstage among all the musicians was truly evident as Garvey and Palmieri traded licks and Sasser smiled from ear-to-ear. Despite being the opening song to the second set of what would be a marathon night, the crowd was visibly spent as was Garvey, who exclaimed as the Kung Fu fellows exited the stage, “Now what the hell are we gonna do?”
What moe. did was get back into its catalog with a series that included “Billy Goat” > “Tailspin” > “Hi & Lo” > “Water” > “Hector’s Pillow” into a tease-heavy “Farmer Ben,” that hinted at influences throughout moe.’s career, and finally into a trippy, short “meat.” The inclusion of “Water” was truly appropriate considering the amounts of it that had fallen from the sky leading up to and during the fest.
Following the traditional post-set Al.nouncements, Schnier thanked the musicians that had performed that day and the soundcheck the previous night along with the crew that helped to keep things going despite the weather, offering a cheers to the moe.down faithful as they broke into an acoustic version of “Raise a Glass.”
The four song encore got into the silly zone as the clock sniffed the 2 a.m. barrier. A cover of the Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun,” sung by Schnier, turned into a group sing-along. Friday ended with “Nebraska” and an extended “Faker.” An epic, nearly five hour set by the hometown heroes set the stage for an amazing weekend.
After the rain came the sun, and with that even more interesting interplay between the acts on Saturday at moe.down.
Waking up Saturday, it appeared we might be in for even more mud and gross weather, but that never happened. What did occur was a day saved by increasing temperatures, a bright sun and a renewed positive energy among the crowd, who were clearly ready to un-cake the mud, dry out and boogie without sliding down the slippery mountain terrain.
Kung Fu and moe. both battled the elements Friday night to piece together a memorable evening. But a little after noon on Saturday, the Black River kicked things off inside the tent stage. Perfect for the lazy morning, Mike Powell lead the still waking crowd through an hour of fun rock.
A little after its slated 1:30 p.m. time slot, moe. took to the mountain stage and intertwined some of the parade from the kids tent into their set, performing Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” and rousing the attendees to sing along in unison. “Spine of a Dog” and “Buster” opened the set in fun fashion, with Schnier and Garvey trading licks, as is usual.
“Bullet”> “Kyle’s Song” > “Kids” proved itself to be a trio of meticulous segues. moe. then closed out the Saturday set with an extended “Moth.”
Albany-area progressive funk rockers Mister F, who were all enjoying their weekends near the VIP camping area, were up next in the Tent Stage. Keyboardist Scott Hannay said prior to their set that the band was very prepared to give fans a treat.
What they weren’t planning for was more bad weather, as rain and lightning caused the band to have to exit the stage for about 15 minutes due to safety reasons. They didn’t miss a beat when they returned, giving the rowdy crowd another half hour of blistering time signatures. “Duck Tales” > “Eye Level” > “Everything You Say” kicked off the set, but it was “Answer the Dog” that was the set highlight. It featured teases of Inspector Gadget and the Snoop Dogg/Dr. Dre classic “Nuthin’ but a G Thang.”
Funk and reggae mixed with a little punk rock was up next, as veterans Fishbone brought its crew onstage for 90 minutes of unadulterated, unapologetic, in-your-face music. Maybe they were energized by what was going to happen later?
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Floodwood brought its folksy, Americana blend to the tent stage next. This writer missed most of the set due to having to change out of soggy, muddy clothing and to prepare for the evening’s activities. Blackberry Smoke, followed by Saratoga Springs riff rockers Wild Adriatic, were next on the docket. It was the perfect back-to-back combination, as the southern charm of Blackberry Smoke was the perfect breeding ground for the hard hitting Wild Adriatic.
moe. came back on for its second Saturday set with blazing covers of Pink Floyd’s “In the Flesh,” followed by “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2.” The energy caused the crowd to sing along in unison with the two of the psychedelic rock group’s most beloved songs off The Wall. Fishbone then joined in the fun for a cover of “Freddie’s Dead,” before Charlie Starr, of Blackberry Smoke, sat in for a southern tinged take on moe. favorite “Opium.” “32 Things,” “Seat of my Pants” and “Plane Crash” were performed, with the latter two closing out the set.
For the late night set, moe. kept with the theme of inviting guests to explore their material, as well as others’ music. “Wind It Up,” “Same Old Story,” “Tubing the River Styx” and “The Pit” began the set, before “Silver Sun” gave way to a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “The Other One,” which featured Jason Barady and Nick Piccininni, both of Floodwood.
Sunday featured a renewed optimism, as the mud was nearly dried, and some fresh music on tap.
Mike Dillon Band started the music on the tent stage, before roots-Americana band Railroad Earth brought their brand of bluegrass to the Main Stage.
Twiddle, seeing its stock rise steadily in 2016 and into 2017, took to the mountain stage at 5:30 p.m. and lit right into “Nicodemus Portulay,” featuring an extended trance-like jam. Favorites “Polluted Beauty” and “Lost in the Cold” were up next, as the former carried into the 16-minute range.
“Orlando’s,” “The Fantastic Tale of Ricky Snickle,” and “Drifter” finally gave way for a set-closing “Wasabi Eruption” > “The Box” before finally settling on “Juggernaut.” It’s abundantly clear that Twiddle have not only carved out their place in the jam scene, but based of their moe.down set, they’re ready to continue pushing to uncapped heights.
The final night of moe.down had the band dressed all in white, similar to Saturday night. The band opened with “Puebla” and quickly returned to “meat.” from Friday night. Loughlin’s extended malletkat (“It’s not a xylophone”) solo led the band into an early moe. classic, “Awesome Gary,” sending the crowd into a dancing frenzy, while also indicating that Loughlin would have a large presence on this night.
Schnier donned a white suit with a fedora reminiscent of the Panama Jack spokesman and proceeded to level up to rock star mode during the solo in the proceeding “Crab Eyes,” standing on top of the monitors and all.
The unexpected highlight of Sunday’s set was when Rob Derhak forgot the lyrics to “New York City” and asked the audience for help, “Someone’s gotta give me the first line. The band has no clue…But what’s the first word? Anybody know the first word of this next line? This is gonna go down as the most epic ‘New York City’ ever.” Unfortunately the crowd was no help, which resulted in his son pulling up the lyrics on his phone while the band continued the bridge in the background.
Sunday’s first set concluded with a guest appearance from Twiddle’s Mihali Savoulidis and Ryan Dempsey for a performance of moe.’s “Mexico.” Dempsey’s keys weren’t really prominent in the mix, while Savouldis’ fretwork mixed well with Schnier and Garvey. All of the musicians were obviously pleased to be sharing the stage as the crowd sang along.
Following setbreak, the traditional Mayor of moe.down election took place. It’s obvious at this stage of the game that Derhak has had enough of this tradition. The nominees included such animate and inanimate objects as the hay (that was laid down on top of the mud), Screaming Trumpkin (a rubber chicken that resembled President Donald Trump), Frank (moe.’s guitar tech, Frank Robbins), Rex (the reigning Mayor of moe.down) and Rob’s Bulge (a reference to bassist Derhak). The resulting “election,” much to Derhak’s chagrin, was Rob’s Bulge. The acceptance speech included Derhak saying, “I hate this. And, uh, fuck everybody here. But my bulge is Mayor of moe.down.” This was followed by a chant of “Rob’s Bulge” led by Schnier.
Following the election, a “McBain” sandwich occurred, that included a “Skrunk,” a “Yodelittle” and a return to “McBain” that featured percussionist Mike Dillon battling Loughlin on the mallets, truly one of the many highlights of the weekend.
As the band broke into “Brent Black,” the skies opened yet again, sending the faithful scurrying for cover. Many gathered in the tent stage area as the band troopered on through the downpour. As the rain fell, the band converged to presumably discuss what to do for the remainder of the show. Vinnie Amico and Derhak continued playing as Schnier convalesced with the stage crew. The rains diminished and the band persevered, the result was pure exuberance from fans.
The weekend concluded with Schnier thanking the crew, their families, fans, Snow Ridge and the people who cleaned out his basement during the recent flooding in the Utica area, followed by an encore that included a “Not Coming Down” > “Okayalright” and a fitting “America, Fuck Yeah” from the Team America soundtrack.
moe.down XVI by all accounts was a success despite the weather. When it comes to moe.down, it’s expected you’re going to get weather. That’s what makes moe.rons such a special breed and moe. such a special band. The return of this festival to its origin proved successful and bodes well for a return for moe.down XVII in 2018. Let’s hope it’s so.
Ten minutes down the road from Saratoga Performing Art Center’s Dead and Company concert June 20th, the performing arts center was co-hosting with Skidmore a classical event “Mozart in Havana.” While stylistically different from the jam up the road, and certainly separate in target audiences, the Cuban orchestra inspired by free expression and lighthearted love for music.
Pianist Simone Dinnerstein and the Havana Lyceum Orchestra intrigued a full house of excited classical music lovers with over two hours of intricate dialogues between piano and orchestra. The concert featured a classical piece from Cuba, two Mozart concertos, a Copland, and a surprise arrangement of Cuban music that had the orchestra members dancing in their seats, and eventually off stage to a salsa rhythm. Simone Dinnerstein, a well-respected and acknowledged talent of her generation, paired her love of piano music with her interest in Cuban music and culture on this cool June evening.
Taking the stage at Skidmore’s Arthur Zankel Music Center, Ms. Dinnerstein held the audience captivated with the technically challenging yet beautifully managed Mozart concertos. Both concertos 21 and 23 were recognizable to the audience, making the music selection accessible to audiences while also demonstrating Ms. Dinnerstein’s well-controlled and expressive musicianship.
Simone Dinnerstein, a well-respected and acknowledged talent of her generation, paired her love of piano music with her interest in Cuban music and culture on this cool June evening. The concert’s bookends were well-loved compositions from both Cuban and American cannons for orchestra. Concert notes reflected thought about how to best bridge the cultures through classical music
The concert’s bookends were well-loved compositions from both Cuban and American canons for orchestra. Concert notes reflected thought about how to best bridge the cultures through classical music choices and had settled on Farinas and Copland for this purpose.
The true excitement of the night, however, came from an encore performance of an arrangement composed by the orchestra’s own violinist, Jenny Pena Compo, who delighted audiences with dueling melodies on the trumpet and later violins. Showcasing musicianship and a true passion for their country’s music, the young and diverse orchestra members swayed together to the rhythms of Cuba’s traditional melodies. Musicians left the stage dancing and playing their instruments with a joyful, young energy often missing from classical concerts.
Audience members shared culture through music in the concert hall, laughing and dancing in their seats in an invigorating and inspiring night of music.
“We’re the Record Company, and we play rock and roll.” This is how the Record Company’s lead vocalist/guitarist/harpist Chris Vos often introduces his band at the start of a performance. While said in an understated fashion, it is no understatement.
Throughout the nearly hour and a half performance at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater May 20, The Record Company proved time and again that they do indeed play rock and roll. Steeped in a blues tradition but still maintaining a contemporary rock sound, the Record Company is out to prove that rock is not dead.
Before The Record Company hit the stage, opening act, Nashville-based duo Smooth Hound Smith, won over the crowd early with some self-deprecating humor and foot stomping blues. The husband and wife duo, Zack and Caitlin Smith had a great stage presence and could easily have passed as the headliner on this night.
Zack Smith plays guitar, harmonica and foot drum as well as handling the majority of the vocals, a virtual one-man band. He has a country-blues feel with a touch of rockabilly. Caitlin Smith adds percussion and lush vocals with a bit of a Nashville touch and the occasional Janis Joplin wail to round out the Smooth Hound Smith sound.
The Record Company, Vos, Alex Stiff on bass/vocals and Elmira native Marc Cazorla on drums/keys are as cohesive a unit as you’ll find in music today. The rhythm section is tight and Vos is a multi-instrumental maestro. Vos’s bluesy vocal style was perfectly complemented by Stiff and Carzola’s harmonies all night.
One can derive many influences in the music of The Record Company – Delta and Chicago blues, gospel, mid-70s stadium rock and even hip hop. The latter was exhibited in a spirited, bluesy cover of the Beastie Boys “So What’cha Want” that had the near capacity crowd happily bouncing along.
Vos leans heavily on his weathered Fender lap steel at shows and for good reason, he made that thing sing, especially on the greasy blues dirge “Rita Mae Young.” His harmonica style, especially in the band’s single “Hard Day Comin’ Down” beckons Bob Dylan.
Speaking of Dylan, midway through the show, the band worked in a three-song acoustic mini-set, anchored by a scorching version of “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”
The set closed with Vos lying his acoustic guitar across his lap for lesson in the slide. Stiff and Cazorla kept the back beat while Vos furiously worked the guitar and later the harmonica on the appropriately titled, “The Burner.” Cazorla was often pulling double duty on his bass, sometimes playing it as a lead instrument as well as using a slide.
The show closed with a one-song encore, a new one from the band’s latest album. “In the Mood” is a blues, via Mod era Who, romp that ended the night on a high note, including crowd participation on the chorus. The band took a collective bow with appreciative smiles, the audience reciprocated, another audience won over. This is a band that is on to bigger things, dragging honest rock and roll along with it.
The Record Company Setlist: On the Move, Baby I’m Broken, Hard Day Coming Down, Night Games, Rita Mae Young, Feels So Good, Crooked City (acoustic), I’m Changing (acoustic), Subterranean Homesick Blues (acoustic) (Bob Dylan cover), Don’t Let Me Get Lonely, So What’cha Want (Beastie Boys cover), Turn Me Loose, Off the Ground, The Burner
E: In the Mood
Carolyn Wonderland returned to Central New York April 14, performing a benefit for the NYS Blues Fest in a night of raucous blues at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse. The Austin-based performer showcased her powerful voice and mastery of the lap steel and Telecaster to the faithful gathered upstairs at the famed Willow Street venue.
Whether belting out blues standards like Blind Willie Johnson’s “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” or her own soulful original, “Only God Knows When,” Wonderland proved that she is one of the genre’s most dynamic acts. Her Joplin-esque rasp held the crowd’s attention while her six-string prowess had jaws on the floor.
Wonderland (Her real name is Carolyn Bradford.) and her band, Kevin Lance (drums), Bobby Perkins (bass) and special guest Shelley King (guitars/vocals) turned in a 15 song set mixed with classics and originals. The rhythm section kept the time with an understated tone while Wonderland and King stood front and center, beautifully harmonizing and joking with each other throughout the set.
To say the crowd was appreciative would be an understatement. Throughout the set, fans jockeyed for position to get a glimpse of Wonderland’s furious fretwork. Wonderland has garnered a loyal Upstate New York following since she opened an impromptu Midnight Ramble at Levon Helm’s studio in Woodstock in 2009. She has since performed in that hallowed room at least a dozen times. Performances at Rochester’s Lilac Festival in 2010, the 2012 NYS Blues Fest in Syracuse and the 2016 Chenango Blues Festival in Norwich have provided strong word of mouth recommendations most artists can only dream of.
Watching Wonderland perform, it is obvious that the stage is her place. She becomes the music, whether it’s her song or somebody else’s. This was especially obvious during her solo in the King-penned “Welcome Home.” The sound coming from her Telecaster was a mix of emotion and intensity. At one point, as she reared her auburn mane back, her eyes rolled back in her head, lost in the song. Wonderland never goes through the motions. When she’s strapped in, the audience better as well because she’s taking you on a trip from South Texas through the Delta, straight up to Chicago.
The show opened with an acoustic set from Syracuse’s Colin Aberdeen. He has been working the Central New York music scene for more than 25 years and has become somewhat of a godfather to Syracuse musicians. Aberdeen is well steeped in everything from the blues to all forms of Americana. Joining Aberdeen for several songs was young harmonica player Max Eyle. He and Aberdeen goaded the crowd into some call and response and the crowd eagerly responded. Aberdeen, a member of Los Blancos, the Barking Loungers and the Westcott Jugsuckers, is one of Central New York’s hardest working musicians and was a perfect fit to open this show.
Following Wonderland’s show, the party continued on the main floor of the juke joint as the Carolyn Kelly Blues Band took the baton on Carolyn night. Kelly’s soul, especially in the Roosevelt Dean song, “Somebody Told Me,” brought tears not only to her eyes but to many of those in attendance as well. Todd Fitzsimmons’ stellar guitar work kept the blues going well into the night, capping off yet another terrific night of music in the Salt City.
The 2017 NYS Blues Festival lineup was announced at this show. You can find more information about this free downtown festival, taking place July 7-8 here.
It sure didn’t feel like a Sunday night in Albany’s Times Union Center on March 12, as the Garth Brooks World Tour played its third and final night at the Capital Region venue. Garth’s three hour set, which also featured his wife and country/food network star Trisha Yearwood, had the whole arena shaking, testing the building’s foundation.
Fans ate up and reacted thunderous to everything Brooks did on stage, prompting him to scream and raise his arms in triumph, like a MMA fighter winning his match after every song. The atmosphere that was created between fans, and one of the best entertainers, not only in country music, but the music industry itself, has to be experienced in person. Brooks sounded amazing; his powerful country southern twang just draws you in and almost hypnotizes you with every lyric he sings, especially on hits like “The River,” “Unanswered Prayers,” and “The Thunder Rolls.”
I’ve never seen so much love and admiration between fans and an artist like Brooks. Brooks is such a class act and in a league of his own when it comes to an artist, caring for his fans. During Brooks set, he admitted that back in 1992 when he first came to the Capital Region area, he was afraid, because of the stereotypes of the Northeast, but it’s nights like this, that prove all of that wrong, and that country music is well received in the area.
The energy in the building was unbelievable. Brooks constantly ran around the arena-width round stage set up, while waving and howling at fans. Every fan in the building, reacted to every first note, and sang every word, to every song. The fans were so vocal on every song, the tour should be renamed “Sing along with Garth and Trisha.” Fans at times even drowned out Brooks, when he performed and talked to the crowd in between songs. The crowd was so loud in singing his songs, it felt like a 17,000 plus choir that was part of the show.
Garth was so amazed by the crowds participation, he said to them that they were singing his songs, like it was their songs, and if they keep singing like this, he’ll stay and play all night.
When the night was over, fans leaving the arena were on a natural high, as they sang “Friends in Low Places,” together as they filed down the staircases leaving the Times Union Center.
After openers Karyn Rochelle and Chris Lane, opened the show with solid performances, all that stood in the way of fans, from Brooks, was a countdown clock to Garth. As every second inched closer, the Times Union Center began to vibrate.
A brief video package started playing on the video wall backdrop, reflecting Garth’s career and the achievements he’s earned throughout, The video wall lifted to reveal Garth’s band, as Brooks shot up on a platform from underneath the stage. Brooks started his extensive set with “Baby Let’s Lay Down and Dance,” followed by “Rodeo.” By the second line in the first verse in “Rodeo,” Brooks realized quickly that the vocal fans in Albany meant business, as he yelled to fans “Oh you came here to sing!”
Once the song ended, Brooks said to the crowd “Thanks again people, it’s been 20 years since we been back, thank you [the fans] for coming back.” Brooks then went on to say that fans were going to get everything that the two previous nights saw, and more.
Brooks spoke briefly about when he goes to concerts as a fan, he wants to hear the old stuff, and know fans feel the same when wanting to hear their favorite songs when coming to a show performed by their favorite artist. He then told the crowd that he and the band brought all their old stuff with them. Brooks then joked to the crowd “Speaking of old stuff, you got to remember, I’m like 117 years old. The only way this big ass is gonna get through this night, is your gonna have to pick me up and carry me over the finish line.” Brooks then said to the crowd before playing “The River,” “We can talk about the old stuff all night, let’s find out who knows the words to the old stuff.” Cell phones started to light up for this song, as the crowd sang along.
Fans held their breath for a brief moment as Garth’s high energy convinced himself to climb to the top of the sphere like structure that surrounded his drummer during the song “Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til The Sun Comes Up).” Amazed on how hot the crowd has been through the night, Brooks said to the crowd “This is a Sunday Night?”
Brooks conducted a 2 minute scream off between fans in attendance, on what section of the arena could be the loudest. Brooks double pointed at each section like a gunslinger drawing his weapons.
Garth stood in awe, took off his cowboy hat, and applauded the audience after they sang “Unanswered Prayers,” with him in a magical performance.
Fans went crazy when they heard the sound of thunder starting to roll. Garth talked about how the next song didn’t catch on right away, and it took a while for it to eventually become a hit. As he started singing the first verse of the song, Garth, hearing fans still singing right on cue with him told fans to “Bring It.” Everyone could not get enough of Garth and reacted to every gyration, note, and crash.
Trisha Yearwood soon took over the show, and gave her husband a breather. Garth did stay on stage and play some guitar during her set.
Yearwood started off with “XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl).” Yearwood stated after the song that they had the best weekend performing in Albany. She said “It’s been loud, it’s been fun, you have been singing every word. It’s been incredible, thank you, thank you, thank you for a great weekend Albany.”
Yearwood told the crowd that she’s been listening to them sing, and that they sounded really good, and asked, if they knew the next song, to please sing it with her. She continued that the song has a really high note in it, then joked to the crowd “So I’m expecting a lot.”
Fans then held it down throughout Trisha’s amazing vocal performance of “How Do I Live.” Yearwood slowly made her way around the stage giving all fans in the arena a glimpse of her as she waved. When she came full circle, Yearwood turned the ending of the song over to the Albany fans. She held the mic in the air and said “It’s on you Albany.” In that instance, a breathtaking concert moment was created as fans did not let Yearwood down including hitting the high note she talked about. Yearwood said after the song, “Even the high note Albany, great job.”
For those of you who know the lyrics, a real life Katie and Tommy in the crowd holding a sign, caught the attention of Yearwood as she was explaining the rules of the kiss cam for the upcoming and last song in her set “She’s In Love With The Boy.” Yearwood brought them up on stage for the song. Couples were kissing and dancing as Trisha sang the feel good song. After the song, Katie and Tommy walked away with not only one hell of a memory, but Yearwood autographed her sign, and not to be outshined Brooks autographed the guitar he was playing and handed it over to the couple.
Garth returned with a cover of Billy Joel’s “Shameless,” and “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” before performing “Friends In Low Places.” As Brooks hit the first note, the place erupted. The crowd was at peak singing volume and insanity at this point. Fans received a special treat during the song as Garth explained to fans, that on the new World Tour, he and the band, don’t perform the third verse of the song. He then stated “I am thinking though, it’s the last night here. It has been 20 years since we been back here.” Brooks then joked that still wasn’t enough before stating “But when you think about a Sunday night, kicking the shit out of any other Saturday night…that’s enough reason to say screw it, let’s do the damn thing, so New York if we’re going to break the rules, I got to hear you sing this as loud as you have ever sang before.” Confetti cannon’s shot white streamers over the crowd as the song ended.
Garth came back out for an encore. Before he got started, he thanked fans for coming out and wished those who needed to leave cause they have work tomorrow, safe travels.
A lot of artist should take note from Brooks, and change the norm of an encore if you perform all your hits during your set. Brooks said to the crowd, “For you guys who may never have been to a Garth show…if I’m lucky enough to get to this position after the show is over… people will bring their signs, and they will bring them out here for songs that maybe they didn’t get to hear during the show, sometimes like album cuts. So let’s see what we can do here.” Brooks then scoured the signs for songs and made brief comments to fans holding signs that he chose. In all, Brooks performed seven tracks from the audience’s wish list.
An impromptu second encore started with an amazing version on Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” Garth stated he only pulls out the guitar he his holding on special occasions to perform this one song. It was the perfect song to fit the mood of the evening. Garth once again took his cowboy hat off and bowed to the crowd for their appreciation and admiration, after the song concluded.
Brooks again stated to the crowd “Ok, same speech as before, but now it’s 11:00 at night. For you people who have to go, thank you for a tremendous evening, for a tremendous weekend. For you people who can stay…I’m gonna play more music for you all night.” At one point, the crowds enthusiasm, prompted Garth to say “Are you motherfucking kidding me?” Brooks lowered the mouthpiece on his headset mic, so the curse word didn’t come through the PA.
Before running off more covers, Brooks said that he was going to play songs by some of the greatest voices in country music. Brooks stated to the crowd “You guys always get a bad rap, people don’t think you know your country music. I know, you know country music.”
He went to talk about that after so many years in the business, he considers himself one of the old guards, he self imposed on himself the responsibility, to make sure the newer generation, knows some of the greatest country vocalist that he knows. Brooks played covers by Keith Whitley, George Straight, and Randy Travis, before ending the night with “Standing Outside the Fire.”
Garth Brooks World Tour Setlist: Baby Let’s Lay Down and Dance, Rodeo, Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House, The River, Two Pina Coladas, Papa Loved Mama, Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til The Sun Comes Up), Unanswered Prayers, If Tomorrow Never Comes, That Summer, The Thunder Rolls, In Another’s Eyes, XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl), How Do I Live Without You, Prize Fighter, Georgia Rain, She’s In Love With The Boy, Shameless, Callin’ Baton Rouge, Friends in Low Places, The Dance
Encore 1: When You Come Back To Me Again, Wild Horses, Belleau World, The Red Strokes, Fit For a King, Much To Young (To Feel This Damn Old), More Than A Memory, Piano Man
Encore 2: Don’t Close Your Eyes, Amarillo By Morning, I Told You So, Standing Outside the Fire
moe. closed out its Syracuse residency Saturday, March 4, with a scorching show at the F Shed. A show that featured a hot first set, a second set “Kids” sandwich and three-song encore.
The above referenced residency had moe. spending a few days in town being feted by the Syracuse Area Music Awards as inductees into that organization’s Hall of Fame, along with a three song performance at Friday’s award ceremony. Saturday was the culmination of a great weekend of music in the Salt City.
The frigid night began with guitarist Chuck Garvey’s monotone greeting, “Welcome to the hockey rink. Are you ready to rock? I said, ‘Are you ready to rock?’ I can’t hear you. Are you ready to rock?” As he fiddled with the tuning knobs of his Fender Stratocaster, he proclaimed, “I’m not quite ready to rock.” The lackluster delivery of a standard arena rock tone gave an ironic insight to the night’s proceedings. moe. – and Garvey – were, in fact, ready to rock.
The F Shed is one of the more unique venues on the live music circuit, as it is literally a shed. Located in the Regional Market on Syracuse’s north side, the market provides not only a venue for live music, but a year-round location for farmer’s markets and flea markets. Garvey’s hockey rink reference isn’t a far stretch. One could easily see a set of dasher boards and red and blue lines being a part of this facility. With outside temperatures hovering in the zero range, the indoor temps seemed just slightly warmer upon entry. Thoughts of an impending hockey game weren’t a far stretch.
The show opened with a boom, boom, boom, as the band busted into “Crab Eyes” from Wormwood. The song had a heavy Garvey/Jim Loughlin presence, which set the tone for the remainder of the night. The band dipped into its early 2000s catalog of songs featuring Garvey’s vocals and Loughlin’s percussion often.
The first set was segue after segue as the band whirled through “Threw It All Away” and a rare moe., version 1.0 run-through of “Funky Reuben” before seamlessly moving back into “Crab Eyes.” The nearly all-segued first set continued with Garvey leading the way out of a spacey “Silver Sun.” “Akimbo” closed the solid first set, finally allowing the near capacity crowd to catch its breath.
Following an extended setbreak, the band kicked into a low-key “Moth” to usher in the second set. moe. kept it mellow as Rob Derhak’s familiar bass intro to “Kyle’s Song” segued out of “Moth.” Garvey’s mid-song solo kicked up the pace with the crowd following suit.
Throughout the night, the lights incorporated the industrial sized ceiling fans into the scenery, creating a scene reminiscent of Willy Wonka’s ‘Fizzy Lifting Drink.’
The opening notes of “Kids” ripped open a box of crazy that resulted in a “Kids” sandwich to wrap up the second set. “Down Boy” set a funky tone into “Hector’s Pillow” and “Bring You Down” before settling back into “Kids.”
After a quick break, Al Schnier returned with his usual slate of al.nouncements. Offering a cheers to the crowd with a can of Utica Club, Schnier ran through engagement announcements and show numbers from various fans as well as a tease of moe.down’s return to Snow Ridge Ski Area this summer.
An energetic encore began with the slow swirling build up of “Wind It Up,” with Loughlin’s mallets working overtime. The closing chorus turned into a sing-along as lights lit up the inside of the shed. The crowd-pleasing “Nebraska” followed with nearly all in attendance joining in.
moe. has often used classic rock staples as show closers. Tonight was one of those times. The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” has been tackled by many but moe. seemed particularly equipped to replicate the synthesizer opening using Loughlin’s malletkat and guest violinist Nick Picciccini from Floodwood tackling the signature solo with ease.
“Baba O’Riley” ended the night on a high note. The entire night capped off a three-day celebration of moe. as hometown heroes following the band’s induction into the Syracuse Area Music Awards (SAMMYS) Hall of Fame on Thursday and a performance at the awards ceremony on Friday.
Seeing moe. perform in their home area creates a great homey vibe that reveals a fondness of their roots as a blue collar jamband from Central New York. At this point in their storied career, moe. is playing with an energy that is still infectious to the long-timers yet finds them gaining new fans along the way. The return of moe.down to its original location in the Tug Hill can only add to what could end up being the peak year in the band’s career.
Setlist:
Set I: Crab Eyes > Threw It All Away > Funky Reuben > Crab Eyes, Captain America > Rise > Silver Sun > Akimbo
Set II: Moth > Kyle’s Song > Kids > Down Boy > Hector’s Pillow > Bring You Down > Kids
On Friday, Feb 17, local rock artist from Upstate NY, Frank Palangi, and his band, had the sold out crowd at Jupiter Hall inside the Lucky Strike Social located at the Crossgates Mall in Albany, on their feet. Opening for Red Sun Rising and Badflower, Palangi performed all his fan favorite tracks, and threw a cover in by Full Devil Jacket. The boys more than did their job, and after their set, they had the sold out venue more than ready for a rock show.
New York state is filled with a tremendous amount of musical talent on the rise. Whether you’re a local writer, photographer, or both, NYS Music is one of the leaders when it comes to promoting local talent chasing down their dreams in the music industry, while we hone our crafts by covering these artists.
Palangi got right down to business, and rocked out track after track, which is expected, since he was slated in the crucial spot of opening the show to warm the crowd up. In the end, he and his band rocked the faces off everyone inside Jupiter Hall. It was obvious by the crowds reaction, and those who have not ever seen Palangi perform, and wrote him off as just a local talent not worthy, had their minds changed in a heartbeat making a perfect example why fans should show up early to events, and take in all the artist on the bill.
This group of musicians have a good chemistry on stage. They come off as well polished veterans in the business with their stage presence, playing style, and personality which are traits you look for in a band. All three seemed to be genuinely having a blast on stage.
Palangi is really coming together as an artist, and owned the crowd with his deep husky vocals and catchy rock tunes. His confidence and professionalism on stage grows with each performance. The Queensbury native opened the show with the track “Break These Chains,” which he recorded with Daughtry guitarist Brian Craddock, at Craddock’s recording studio in Virginia. Before the band played the single “I’m Waiting,” drummer Josh Opitz held down the beat, as Palangi tossed out free merchandise to the crowd. New guitarist Dillon Swertner, is very charismatic in showing off his guitar skills throughout the bands set.
Palangi is no stranger when it comes to opening up shows for national artist. He has opened up shows and festivals that have included several major rock artists including Shinedown, Megadeth, Alice in Chains, Ghost, Janes Addiction, Buckcherry, 3 Doors Down, Trapt, Lacey Sturm, Powerman 5000 and Aaron Lewis to name a few.
Electric is not his only forte, Palangi holds many acoustic shows across the region. He has upcoming shows on March 25, at Mean Max Brew Works in Glens Falls, and April 21 at Dinosaur BBQ in Troy. Frank Palangi consists of himself on vocals and guitar, Josh Opitz (drums), and Dillon Swertner (guitar).
Setlist: Break These Chains – I Am Ready – Now You Know (Full Devil Jacket Cover) – Thank You – Jam – I’m Waiting – Turn It All Around
Syracuse was treated to a double dose of bluegrass Wednesday night as Greensky Bluegrass and Fruition rolled into The Westcott Theater. The Kalamazoo crew returned to the Westcott stage nearly a year to the day from their last visit, this time in support of the new album, Shouted, Written Down & Quoted, released in September.
Earlier in the day, news of founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, Butch Trucks’ death cast a sadness upon the music world and the jam scene specifically. A tribute to Trucks would surely be on the agenda for Greensky, one of the premier progressive bluegrass bands on the scene today.
Greensky eased the capacity crowd into things, kicking off the set with a midtempo “The Four” that segued into a rollicking “Eat My Dust” featuring some stellar dobro work from Anders Beck. The first set remained heavy on the bluegrass the band was founded upon before slowing things down for a heartfelt rendition of “Nine Days” with Michael Arlen Bont’s banjo and Beck’s dobro again featured prominently. A lengthy run through of the Greensky staple and jam vehicle, “Broke Mountain Breakdown,” brought the highlight moment of the night, if not one of the most anticipated. Fruition’s Jay Cobb Anderson was welcomed on stage, harmonica in tow, for a ripping tribute to Trucks in the form of the Allman Brothers Band’s “One Way Out.”
“Hold On,” from the band’s latest release, kicked off the second set, segueing into a cover of the Traveling Wilburys’ “Handle With Care” and into “Blood Sucking F(r)iends.” The segue-filled second set finished up with a “Casual Wednesday” for this casual Wednesday, segueing into the new “Run or Die,” an explosive way to finish the night.
Frution, from Portland, OR, gained the respect of the early arriving attendees, ripping through twelve songs in their opening set. While also heavily based in bluegrass, Fruition blends soulful vocals and a funk downbeat to deliver a unique sound that complemented the headliners perfectly. This is a band that will be headlining stages at theaters in short order.
If you missed Greensky and Fruition at The Westcott Theater you can still catch them at The Egg in Albany on Jan. 31, the Union Transfer in Philadelphia PA on Feb. 1, and a three night run at the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C.
You can also check out Greensky Bluegrass and Fruition’s upcoming tour dates here.
Set 1: The Four> E.M.D. (Eat My Dust), Into the Rafters, Room Without a Roof, White Freight Liner Blues, Demons, Nine Days, Broke Mountain Breakdown> One Way Out*
Set 2: Hold On> Handle With Care> Blood Sucking F(r)iends, Tied Down, Last Winter in the Copper Country> A Letter to Seymour> New Rize Hill, Casual Wednesday> Run or Die
Funk ‘n Waffles Downtown is one of the few Central New York venues that offers live music seven days a week. The unique location on Clinton Street in Syracuse hosts everything from open mics to national touring acts of all genres in addition to serving up some fantastic waffles. Thursday featured the blues stylings of Grammy-nominated guitarist Joe Louis Walker and his band.
The intimacy of the room was felt even before walking in the door. The headliner himself was standing outside the front door on this snowy evening, making time to speak with patrons and thanking them for coming out. Members of his band (Syracuse natives Byron Cage – drums and Will Gorman – keyboard and bassist Lenny Bradford) mingled about the crowd pre-show as a Chicago blues soundtrack provided the atmosphere over the PA.
Walker and his solid backing band set the tone early with a funky Walker original “I’m Not Messin’ Around” from his 1998 album Preacher and the President. Walker’s soloing quickly heated up the room, displaying the skills he’s honed since the age of eight.
Taking in a Walker show is experiencing a lesson in the history of American blues. The Blues Hall of Famer has performed with Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King – name a late 20th century blues legend, Walker has played with them. All of these influences are revealed in his style of play and singing yet he is able to channel the sounds of the Chicago style, Delta blues and Texas blues to make his own sound. The man is an encyclopedia of musical knowledge who turns that knowledge into the sounds he creates on stage.
One of several highlights of the night came when Walker began plucking the opening notes to the Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Those in the crowd who were passively paying attention quickly turned their eyes to the stage for an emotional and powerful rendition of the classic. Walker’s solo mid-song proved that this was no mere runthrough of an oft-played cover. He made this song his – a combination of force and finesse that had the near sellout crowd eating out of his hand.
As the night wore on, the windows began to fog up and the smell of waffles mingled with the tight sounds coming from the band. Each member was featured prominently in the new song “Black and Blue,” one from Walker’s latest, Everybody Wants a Piece, a Grammy nominee for Best Contemporary Blues Album this year. The song began with a tribal beat led by native son Cage and carried along by Bradford. Over the course of the song, Walker and band straddled genres with ease. His soulful vocals mixed with great backing vocals from his bandmates, creating a sound that can be classified as contemporary soul.
Walker is a story teller and at each show he makes sure to pay tribute to those who came before him who may have not gotten recognition for their talents. On this night, he chose to regale the crowd with a tale of Earl Zebedee Hooker, “a guitar player’s guitar player,” as Walker put it. Hooker, a highly respected disciple of the Chicago style, was a contemporary of Muddy Waters and Junior Wells. He recorded an instrumental for London Records titled “Blue Guitar” that quickly became a favorite among the bluesmen on the Chicago circuit. Chess Records acquired the song to use for Muddy Waters’ 1962 album, using Willie Dixon penned lyrics and Waters’ overdubbed vocals for a song that would become “You Shook Me,” a song that was made even more famous by Led Zeppelin later on.
Following a humorous introduction by Walker, proper tribute was paid with his rendition of “Blue Guitar,” making full use of the slide techniques often employed by Hooker.
Each band member took turns soloing, a particularly blistering solo by another Syracuse native, Gorman, had the audience singing his praises during a funky and stomping take on “Hornets Nest” from the 2014 album of the same name. Walker also took this opportunity to switch guitars, retiring his gorgeous Zemaitis for the blue hollow-bodied D’Angelico. Walker teased the Ohio Players’ “Rollercoaster of Love” during this one, perking up some of the Red Hot Chili Peppers fans in the crowd.
After nearly two straight hours, the band wrapped up its set with the Hellfire track “Too Drunk to Drive Drunk.” This gritty number had a bit of a Double Trouble vibe to it and many teases from Walker, including “All Day and All of the Night” and “You Really Got Me” from the Kinks and the Monkees’ “I’m a Believer.”
A brief break preceded the encore, a straight-forward cover of Chuck Berry’s “Reelin’ and Rockin’” followed by the Walker original “Aint That Cold.”
It was a night well worth the drive through lake effect snow. Syracuse is blessed with a knowledgeable blues fan base and they were treated to a world-class performance in an intimate venue on this night.
moe.down was founded as a fan and family friendly festival in 2000 at Snow Ridge Ski Resort in the Tug Hill town of Turin. The festival made a name for itself over the years by inviting bands not typically associated with the jamband scene. Past years of moe.down have seen such acts as They Might Be Giants, Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven, Violent Femmes, Flaming Lips and Meat Puppets join moe. in upstate New York on a yearly basis. You can read all about past moe.downs in NYS Music‘s featured series 
Whether belting out blues standards like Blind Willie Johnson’s “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” or her own soulful original, “Only God Knows When,” Wonderland proved that she is one of the genre’s most dynamic acts. Her Joplin-esque rasp held the crowd’s attention while her six-string prowess had jaws on the floor.
Following Wonderland’s show, the party continued on the main floor of the juke joint as the Carolyn Kelly Blues Band took the baton on Carolyn night. Kelly’s soul, especially in the Roosevelt Dean song, 
Fans ate up and reacted thunderous to everything Brooks did on stage, prompting him to scream and raise his arms in triumph, like a MMA fighter winning his match after every song. The atmosphere that was created between fans, and one of the best entertainers, not only in country music, but the music industry itself, has to be experienced in person. Brooks sounded amazing; his powerful country southern twang just draws you in and almost hypnotizes you with every lyric he sings, especially on hits like “The River,” “Unanswered Prayers,” and “The Thunder Rolls.”
Once the song ended, Brooks said to the crowd “Thanks again people, it’s been 20 years since we been back, thank you [the fans] for coming back.” Brooks then went on to say that fans were going to get everything that the two previous nights saw, and more.
Garth stood in awe, took off his cowboy hat, and applauded the audience after they sang “Unanswered Prayers,” with him in a magical performance.
Trisha Yearwood soon took over the show, and gave her husband a breather. Garth did stay on stage and play some guitar during her set.
