NYS Music 20​17

Tag: The Egg

  • Best of NYS Music 2017: Staff and Reader Picks for Best Venue

    NYS Music is celebrating the end of 2017 by sharing our staff and reader picks in 10 categories, and today we are highlighting the winners of the Best Venue in New York State.

    Staff Picks

    Brooklyn Steel

    This new venue in the heart of the East Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn has been quite busy in its first year of existence.  Playing host to such acts as Ween, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Turkuaz and Yo La Tengo, this 1,800 person capacity room prides itself on open sight lines and great acoustics thanks to a roof specially designed to keep in sound.  The venue’s name is derived from the previous use for this building on the corner of Frost and Debevoise streets, steel fabrication, and patrons are constantly reminded of this with a minimalist decor furnished with scrap metal.

    Owned by Bowery Presents, the similarities between Brooklyn Steel and Terminal 5, another Bowery Presents-owned NYC music venue, are unmistakable.  Both rooms have an industrial feel to them, highlighted by the standing room only viewing areas that surround the stage on both sides.  With fairly easy access thanks to the L line Subway stop nearby and featuring a room with good sound and sight lines, it’s a pretty easy prediction that Brooklyn Steel will be a staple of the city music scene before long.

    Here’s an interesting time lapse video showing the remarkable transformation of an old steel factory into a first rate concert venue.

    The Capitol Theatre

    Located just a short drive outside the city is Port Chester, home to the historic Capitol Theatre which is constantly housing first rate bands and artists.  It was originally designed and used as a theater for cinema and Vaudeville acts when it first opened way back in 1926, but it’s since been redeveloped as a music venue and has seen a wealth of musical royalty pass through its doors.  Acts like Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin, Traffic and The Grateful Dead, who played 13 gigs there in a one year span from 1970-71, all drew large crowds there back in the day just as acts like moe., The Disco Biscuits, Twiddle and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead do now.

    Affectionately known as “The Cap,” this building has all the looks and feels of a classic music hall with modern day amenities. An open floor area generally has more than enough space for concert goers, even for shows that are sold out, while the expansive mezzanine offers seats as well as additional bars upstairs. And if that’s not enough, the adjoining establishment to The Cap was bought out and turned into a bar as well, appropriately named Garcia’s. Peter Shapiro, who also owns Brooklyn Bowl, has done a nice job of refurbishing and putting the Capitol Theatre back on the map as a first rate home for live music in New York State.

    Here’s a clip of moe.’s performance from last year that gives you a little idea of the views and the usage of the walls to double as projection screen of sorts at The Cap.

    The Egg

    The last of our staff picks for best music venue in NYS is that oddly shaped building you might have seen at Empire State Plaza in Albany.  Completed in 1978, this circular shaped performance venue actually holds two different theaters inside with the 982 seat Hart Theatre being the one mainly used for concerts. Although the smaller, 450 seat Swyer Theatre that resembles more of a lecture hall than a music hall recently played host to an acoustic evening of Keller Williams tunes.

    As you would expect from observing it from the outside, The Egg has no sharp angles or straight lines inside with almost everything having a gentle curve to it, even the walls as they meet a gently concave ceiling above them.  This results in not only a relaxed atmosphere for a show, but impeccable acoustics as well. Phish’s Mike Gordon even put out a live release that was recorded here simply called The Egg.  It may not host the large, national touring acts that can fill an arena, but for a pure musical experience with pristine sound in a sit down environment, it doesn’t get much better than The Egg.

    Here’s a clip of the aforementioned Keller Williams playing piano in the smaller Swyer Theatre that gives you a taste of the sound and intimate feel of the room.

    Readers’ Pick

    Bearsville Theater

    The NYSMusic.com readers have spoken and, in a bit of a surprise, the Bearsville Theater located in Woodstock came out on top when the polls closed.  This iconic, yet quaint, music hall is located on the outskirts of town and a perfect location for an intimate evening. Stop next door at Bear Cafe for fine New American dining options before the show, then saunter next door and enjoy the warm ambiance of the lounge and bar inside, before entering the venue and enjoying the incredible acoustics of a popular venue in one of New York’s most iconic towns for arts and music.

    Stay tuned all week for more of our series of the Best of NYS Music.

  • Keller Williams and Danton Boller Perform Intimate Show at The Egg’s Swyer Theater

    Guitar virtuoso Keller Williams returned to The Egg Performing Arts Center on Thursday, December 7, and performed two intimate one hour sets in the Swyer Theater, alongside stand up bassist Danton Boller, the first of three shows together.  Keller recalled his previous shows in the Hart Theater (which he referred to as the “Red Room”), and how years ago before going on stage, he stuck his head into the Swyer Theater and professed a desire to play the room.

    Keller Williams Danton BollerKeller started the first of two acoustic sets with the Grateful Dead’s “Bird Song” and Phish’s “Birds of a Feather,” all while wearing a guitar strap featuring Angry Birds. Williams showed some more love for Jerry Garcia in the form of the Peter Rowan tune “Mississippi Moon,” and after the classic “Freeker by the Speaker,” wrapped up the first set with a 78 RPM version of “Samson and Delilah.”  Set 2 kicked off with the audience contributing to “Off Time” and “Breathe,” with one of Keller’s best hits, “Best Feeling,” emerging from an open call to the audience for suggestions. A little more Dead followed in the form of a tease-happy “Scarlet Begonias” wrapped up the show with an encore of “I Feel High” off the appropriate album, Vape. Keller Williams and Danton Boller will wrapped up their three show run on Saturday night at Stage One at FTC in Fairfield, CT.

  • Front Country swing through NY for 3 shows this week

    Front Country, a Roots Pop band out of the San Francisco Bay Area heads into New York this week for three shows in NYC, Albany and Nelson. NPR has recently said of these musicians “In the bluegrass world, musicians tend to define themselves by their tradition and discipline. But Front Country is defined by its no-rules approach.”

    With acoustic string instruments, the group finds a way to combined acoustic sound with pop songwriting, the byproduct being both complicated yet infectious. Their most recent release Other Love Songs has emotional songs throughout, with lead singer Melody Walker penning 8 of the 12 tracks

    “These songs follow the lessons that everyone learns in their own personal evolution toward emotional maturity and vulnerability,” says Melody Walker, “in which all of us learn to break down toxic romantic fairy tales and write our own Other Love Songs that work for real people in the real world.”

    Catch Front Country this week across New York. Thursday the 7th they’ll be at American Beauty in NYC, Friday they are at The Egg in Albany supporting Darlingside, and Saturday they play The Nelson Odeon in Nelson, NY.

  • David Crosby and Friends bring Sky Trails tour to The Egg

    David Crosby brought his friends to The Egg on Friday, November 17 for a sold out performance that featured tracks off his new album Sky Trails, as well as songs from the 60’s and 70’s by CSNY, CPR and The Byrds. Crosby’s Friends this evening included Jeff Pevar on guitar, James Raymond on keys, Mai Agan on bass, Steve DiStanislao on drums, and Michelle Willis on keys and vocals.

    david crosby and friends
    David Crosby and Friends at The Egg

    Shortly after opening with “In my Dreams,” a prime sample of Crosby, Stills and Nash’s late 70s elevator rock sound, Crosby dove into the first of a few CPR tracks, “Morrison” and later “At the Edge” and the powerful “Breathless,” as he spread out his vast catalog throughout the evening.

    After a show in Boston that had an audience member taking issue with Crosby’s anti-Trump stance, there were four instances this evening where he took jabs at Trump, with no vocal disdain from the audience. There was also the groovy “She’s Got to be Somewhere,” a song about a spy, influenced by Trump, and the first track off Sky Trails.

    Crosby shared stories throughout the evening, the first about The Byrds touring in England for the first time in the 60s, and told of how they were scared to meet The Beatles because they had copied their look, clothes, hair, shoes, sound and all. While performing one night, Crosby saw Mick Jagger and John Lennon in the crowd, and while he was nervous to meet either of them, they were as mellow as could be when they got to talking after the show. This led to Crosby offering a Ravi Shankar album to George Harrison, which had a profound influence on the quiet Beatle and his music in the years that followed. Crosby and Friends then performed “Laughing” which was written for Harrison.

    The touching CSN classic “Guinevere” was followed by referencing the Boston audience member, leading Crosby to wonder if “maybe they thought it was a Stephen Stills show,” before discussing the impact of Eisenhower’s “Military industrial Complex” speech and how it had an early influence on his view of American politics. With cheers and applause from the audience, he briefly spoke against the buying of Congress (and how there may only be five good ones left), which led into the short acapella song from an era of protest against the Vietnam War “What are their names?” Keeping the spirit of the era alive, a pairing of “Long Time Coming” and an extended “Deja Vu” with a soft jazzy interlude closed the first set.

    “Delta,” a song written on Warren Zevon’s piano (thanks to Jackson Browne when he was helping Crosby get clean) and “My Country Tis of Thee” with a CSN spin on the American staple stood out in a shorter second set. An encore of Neil Young’s “Ohio” had Crosby encouraging the crowd to sing the chorus “Four dead in Ohio,” and left the audience emboldened to take the spirit of the era from which these songs were born.

    While the show had plenty of reminiscing, Crosby’s show was far from a novelty act or nostalgia show. There were a few songs from his forthcoming album Sky Trails that were performed this evening amid plenty of classics from across his Canon. The 76 year old showed no signs of slowing down or mailing in his performance as he heads into the twilight of his career. Crosby is fired up and ready to go.

  • Leaning into the Darkness: Cowboy Junkies Soothed Albany Audience with Soulful Folk Jazz

    The Cowboy Junkies brought their smooth, dark chocolatey sound to a sold out Swyer Theatre at The Egg on November 4, 2017. The stage was set for an intimate evening of bluesy folk music, complete with oriental carpets and roses by the microphone. When the band members took the stage a bit later than expected, any annoyance felt by the audience was quickly soothed away as they opened to “Late Night Radio.”

    cowboy junkiesBy the second song, “Cheap,” the audience was swaying in a sweet, dream like state normally reserved for sharing a bottle of merlot with old friends. With her hands in her pockets, Margo Timmins presented like someone you knew from college who was swaying and crooning to make you relax and smile. Real, human, and still incredibly talented, Margo’s haunting voice shared story after story from newer albums during the first set. “Mountain Streams” and “Missing Children” highlighted the mandolin as she whispered dreams of abandonment, disillusionment, and loneliness. Her style of pulling her mouth away from the microphone while still crooning along with the instruments added an intense harmony of layered instruments to the complex music.

    Song after song of free associating story telling, even over the saddest plot lines, offered calm reassurance about the human condition. “Sun Comes Up” and “My Little Basquiat” regulated the mood; melancholy but sweet, the richness of the sound rebounded the mood of the concert until “Reckoning,” the final song of the first set. Heavier in bass, and highlighting the musicianship of both the percussionist’s ability to coax his instruments with professional timpanist ability and the bassists’ rhythmic thick sound, “Reckoning” brought the first set to a close on the sad message that lovers often ask for more than they can give.

    Timmins was drinking tea and taking breaks away to the back of the stage to blow her nose, but those were the only cues she was sick.  Her velvety voice opened the second set as strong as the first. Moving between songs of longing like “Dreaming” and “Hunted” to the more trance like piece “State Trooper,” the Cowboy Junkies demonstrated that they weren’t only prolific in producing albums (they are currently producing their 51st album since 1985), but also able to maintain a mellow vibe through heavier rock, alternative country, folk jazz, and the occasional trance song.

    A three-song acoustic set nicely broke up the second half of the concert, complete with Timmins sharing stories about parenting her son that again brought her humanity directly into focus. The group moved into more familiar territory, including “Sweet Jane” after a satisfying bass and percussion riff led the music back into heavier lands. Ending with “Misguided Angel,” the Cowboy Junkies left the stage with their audience begging for more. They returned to do two more pieces, but the climax of the evening was already passed.

    The Cowboy Junkies is a Canadian band that was founded by guitarist/songwriter Michael Timmins and bassist Alan Anton. Joined by drummer Peter Timmins and singer Margo Timmins, they were well known in the late 1980s for the album The Trinity Session.  While Anton never cracked a smile, and had the flattest affect possible throughout the soulful songs, his intense bass playing is a cornerstone of this mellow group. Adding the talented Jeff Bird on mandolin and harmonica was a beautiful, seamless fit; his sound magically pulled much of the night together with sounds that transformed the Egg to a smoky jazz bar.

    The Cowboy Junkies celebrate what it means to be human: the pain, the longing, and also the connection. Here’s to wishing for at least 50 more albums from this band.

  • Fusion Lives with John Mclaughlin and Jimmy Herring at The Egg

    “FUSION LIVES!” This was the mantra repeated by an enthused patron during breaks between songs at The Egg on Thursday, November 2nd. Few would disagree with her this evening, one that included the legendary and inspired sounds of Mahavishnu Orchestra great John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension, with Jimmy Herring and the Invisible Whip opening the night on the Meeting of the Spirits Tour.

    Herring’s new group includes former Aquarium Rescue Unit bandmate Jeff Sipe on drums, Matt Slocum on B3 organ and clavinet, Kevin Scott on bass and Jason Crosby on keyboards and violin – and they were just the opening act. Groovy funk lines from Scott laid the foundation for flowing instrumentals, with hints of the Flecktones heard in spots throughout the set. Crosby and Slocum blended together perfectly, and Sipe sat masterfully behind the kit. “Les Brers in A Minor” was a delight to all, nodding to Herring’s time with Allman Brothers Band and respect to the late Gregg Allman.

    As John McLaughlin took the stage with the 4th Dimension, the audience was ecstatic, with chirps of excitement coming out of the crowd in a raucous ovation. This being McLaughlin’s final tour, he played little new material, “El Hombre Que Sabia” in tribute to Paco Lucia, and made the music of Mahavishnu Orchestra come alive once again.

    There were instances where the foursome onstage – Mclaughlin, Gary Husband (drums/vocals), Etienne Mbappe (bass) and Ranjit Barot (percussion) – sounded like they were recreating Frank Zappa songs, but with fewer personnel needed to build compositions to a frenzied state before returning to earth. Mbappe’s tone on bass was like an Altoid – curious strong, for he was wearing gloves the entire night. Jazz musicians gonna jazz I guess.  Husband’s vocal effects on the kit and his superb double team with Barot (and later, with Sipe) drove the set towards a triumphant close.

    The Invisible Whip joined the 4th Dimension for Mahavishnu Orchestra compositions, and altogether with nine musicians on stage, Jimmy’s jazz rock and John’s jazz fusion took alternating turns leading the way, with McLaughlin stepping to the side at times to let Jimmy and the rest do their thing. When McLaughlin broke out the two-necked guitar, the audience was captivated. When he wailed on the whammy bar of his Paul Reed Smith ‘PRS,’ it created a most unique and melodic tone, not a wank on a note for show. Combined together, these two legendary guitarists, John Mclaughlin and Jimmy Herring, along with two powerhouse drummers, brought to mind influences that could be found among the music of Col. Bruce Hampton and Aquarium Rescue Unit, Phish, Frank Zappa, and all the rest who take a ride on the spacious musical journey that is improvisation.

    John Mclaughlin and Jimmy Herring

  • Little Feat Play To a Sold Out Crowd in Albany

    Little Feat played to a sold out crowd at The Egg on Sunday, September 10 in Albany, NY. Wasting no time, the group opened up with “Spanish Moon” and throughout their two hour set, Little Feat gave the fans what they wanted with tunes such as “Oh Atlanta” and “Time Loves A Hero.” For more information on Little Feat’s upcoming tour dates, visit littlefeat.net

    little feat albanylittle feat albany

  • Bobby Whitlock and Coco Carmel Perform Intimate Show at The Egg

    Legends of their various genres pass through the Capital District all the time. The Egg’s Roots and Branches series brings acts that can bring an intimate audience together with a legend who has touched their lives through his or her music. June 16 found Bobby Whitlock of Derek and the Dominos in The Swyer Theater at The Egg for an two hour acoustic performance with plenty of story time built in between songs.

    Bobby Whitlock

    I’ve listened to Bobby for years, wearing out burned copy after burned copy of Derek and the Dominos at The Fillmore East 10/23/70 and 10/24/70. Every minute of those shows is pure rock n roll at the start of its greatest decade. By the end, the audience had a different view of Layla and Assorted Love Songs and heard the original songs performed in one of the songwriter’s to the classic album.

    “We just come to play for your guys, we’re not promoting an album or with merch,” Bobby shared with the audience prior to “Anyday” off Layla. Bobby and Coco Sherman, whom has been performing alongside Coco for nearly 20 years, each played acoustic guitars while Reuben Chess from Brooklyn played backup electric guitar.

    Bobby Whitlock

    Chess took his solos with reserved grace so as not to step on the toes of Bobby Whitlock. “Got to get Better in a Little While” was gritty and not rushed. Whitlock shared a story of how he spent a year in England with Clapton, intending to be there for just a week., leading to “I Looked Away,” the first song they wrote together.

    “Keep on Growing” was preceded by an extended story on recording the song with Clapton and George Harrison; the story reflected on how Sam and Dave’s vocals influenced Clapton and Whitlock’s on “Growing.” This story made the audience sit up in their seats and get comfy while they listened to Bobby tell tales from the road.

    Whitlock switched to piano and Carmel to saxophone for “The Captain’s Song,” “Slowdown,” and “Bell Bottom Blues.” The closer, “Layla,” took on its own life – slow and bluesy during the verses, but back up to 38rpm for the chorus. The second half of the song was performed just as God/Clapton intended, and Chess closed the song out effortlessly. In three years, Layla and Assorted Love Songs will be 50 years old – let’s hope we can see Clapton and Whitlock together to perform the one of rock’s most influential and classic albums.

  • Trombone Shorty brings N’Awlins to The Egg

    Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue brought the N’awlins flavor to The Egg in Albany on Wednesday, June 14 to the delight of a sold out audience. Troy Andrews AKA Trombone Shorty and friends made jaws drop by their range in abilities and genres in which they proved to be fluent.

    The once brass prodigy now household name, arrived on stage to a surprisingly hard rock sound with blinding lights and funky riffs from band mate Pete Murano. It was certainly not the typical “N’Awlins” intro one might expect, but added a certain level of intrigue that would continue throughout the nearly 90-minute set.

    From funk to blues to R&B and soul, each song brought a new variation but with the consistent Louisiana street party the crowd came to see. Andrew’s ability to seamlessly move between trumpet, tambourine, vocals, drums and of course, trombone, highlighted the musical Renaissance Man’s many talents.

    The largely middle-aged crowd was shy at first, sitting politely while bopping along to the rhythm, but it took almost no time to move them to their feet. Andrews engaged the fans with call and response vocals, and naturally handed out beads to the excited ladies in the front row.

    Each of the six members of the band had many opportunities to showcase their talents. BK Jackson on tenor sax along with his brass partner Dan Oestreicher on baritone sax worked their magic as both musicians and dancers, gliding across the stage with ease while muscling through some impressive solos. Michael Baily practically did an army crawl across the stage while thudding the bass, his CamelBack strapped on only adding to his masculine charisma.

    Song selections sprawled across the board including old favorites like “Where Y’At” and new songs like “Where it At” from their latest album “Parking Lot Symphony.”  Andrews “took it to the bridge” with James Brown samples as he moonwalked across the stage, sending the crowd into a loud roar.

    Their rainbow lights that splashed across the interior walls of The Egg served as street lamps as they paraded into the crowd to Louis Armstrong’s “When the Saints go Marching In,” a true staple of The Big Easy.

    “We’re going to have to come back to Albany more often,” said Andrews to end the incredible evening.

  • St. Paul and The Broken Bones Flow Like a Mighty River in Albany

    The eight-piece powerhouse that is St. Paul & The Broken Bones took the stage at The Egg in Albany on Sunday, March 5 in classic soul – R&B fashion, with the lights dimmed and front man Paul Janeway cloaked in a cape. As the sound of “Crumbling Light Posts, Part 1” built to a crescendo, he shed the cape as the band exploded into their next number, in which Janeway sang “Just flow with it.” It was good advice. Janeway and the Broken Bones took the audience on quite a journey, from funk to earth shaking shouts to heartbreaking soul music, changing tempo and dynamics while the attendees’ enthusiasm continued to build.

    The group consists of Chad Fisher on trombone, Allen Branstetter on trumpet, Jason Mingledorff on saxophone and flute, drummer Andrew Lee, bassist Jesse Phillips, guitarist Browan Lollar, and Al Gamble on organ and piano, with Paul Janeway on lead vocals. A consummate showman clad in a leopard print jacket and pants with gold shoes, Janeway pulled out all the stops, dropping to his knees, rolling on the floor, shimmying and sliding all over the stage, and doing a crowd walk halfway up and across the theater during the emotionally wrenching “Broken Bones and Pocket Change.” The band changed gears once again, following up with the crowd singing and dancing to “Call Me.” The bulk of the set was from 2016’s Sea of Noise, but there were a few remarkable cover songs. During the encore, a fan called out for some Otis Redding. Janeway responded that the band hadn’t played the song yet on this tour, but led them into a showstopping rendition of “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long.” Despite over ninety minutes of music and a four song encore, St. Paul & The Broken Bones adhered to one more bit of showmanship – always leave the audience wanting more.

    Opening act Aaron Lee Tasjan captured the audience’s attention before he even played a note, taking the stage bedecked in a black and white star-spangled suit, silver boots, and a wide brimmed cowboy hat.

    He led his trio through an eight song set peppered with humor and story telling between songs. The songs were from his 2016 album Silver Tears, released on the New West Records label. Describing him as alt-country, or folk rock with a gritty undertone, doesn’t completely tell the story. Some songs, including “Little Movies” had an ethereal Brian Ferry / Electric Light Orchestra vibe, and Tasjan certainly showed his considerable guitar skills on “Ready to Die” and also when he was invited onstage for an encore with the headliners for a cover of David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream.” You should put both of these acts on your list of artists to listen to and go see live.

    Set Lists:

    Aaron Lee Tasjan: Out of My Mind, Little Movies, Memphis Rain, Lucinda’s Room, 12 Bar Blues, Where the Road Begins and Ends, Ready to Die, Success

    St. Paul & The Broken Bones: Crumbling Light Posts, Pt. 1, Flow With It (You Got Me Feeling Like), Like a Mighty River, I’ll Be Your Woman, Tears in the Diamond, All I Ever Wonder, I’m Torn Up, Unknown (band instrumental), Brain Matter, Waves, Midnight on the Earth, I’ve Been Working (Van Morrison cover), Broken Bones & Pocket Change, Call Me, Sanctify

    Encore: Is It Me?, I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (Otis Redding cover), Moonage Daydream (David Bowie cover, joined by Aaron Lee Tasjan), Burning Rome