NYS Music 20​17

Tag: Umphrey’s McGee

  • Special Message From Rob Derhak Regarding Summer Camp 2018

    Hot on the heels of moe.’s recently announced, and now sold out, shows at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester Feb. 2 and 3, moe. bassist/vocalist Rob Derhak and his son put together a video to announce the 2018 Summer Camp in Chillicothe, IL.

    Summer Camp, now in it’s 18th year, will be held Memorial Day weekend (May 25-27) at Three Sisters Park with its traditional hosts, moe. and Umphrey’s McGee, co-headlining the event. Additional acts are yet to be announced. The 2017 edition of Summer Camp featured Primus, the Trey Anastasio Band, Gov’t Mule, Run the Jewels and the Disco Biscuits.

    Three-day general admission and Thursday pre-party tickets go on sale Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 12:00 p.m. Central Time (1:00 p.m. in the east). Also available will be specially discounted Loyal Summer Camper passes. Details are available at the Summer Camp website.

    The announcement alleviated concerns that the festival may be in jeopardy due to Derhak’s cancer diagnosis in July of this year. Speaking to that, Derhak took to social media Thursday to discuss his progress. He expressed appreciation for the support given him and his family since his diagnosis of oropharyngeal cancer and throughout his subsequent treatments that put moe. on indefinite hiatus. He particularly addressed the comments from fans and well-wishers claiming he had beaten cancer or is now cancer free. In his statement, Derhak said, “I’m still in recovery, and I’m doing well, but I’m also waiting to hear from my doctors on the state of my diagnosis. I’m cleared to play our upcoming shows, and my doctors feel confident, but I️ still do not know if my cancer has been fully cured.” Read the full statement below:

    https://www.facebook.com/rderhak/posts/10156071568422216

  • Photo Gallery: Lockn’ 2017

    LOCKN‘ 2017, held annually at Infinity Downs Farm in Arrington, Virginia, draws lovers of funky jams, old school blues, and gritty hard rock from all corners of the country. This year, residents from every single state migrated to the mountainous landscape on a late summer weekend, August 24-27. Beautiful sunny weather with a scattering of clouds provided much welcome shade as festival goers danced and mingled, sampling a variety of local brews and food. All-star jams and vibrant performances by local artists studded the four-day event with excitement and musical release.photo gallery lockn 2017

  • LOCKN’ 2017 Day 1 Recap

    As the sun lowered behind the Blue Ridge Mountains, bathing the show field and it’s patrons in an opulent cloak of sun-kissed finery, the Mount Zion First African Baptist Choir paraded onto the main stage to welcome patrons to the 2017 LOCKN’ Music Festival. A sense of contentment swirled with eager anticipation permeated the crowd as the National Anthem and “Amazing Grace” drifted through the air.

    A moment of silence in honor of recent events in Charlottesville unified the respectfully silent crowd before local group Kendall Street Company took to the stage to get into the festival groove with some homegrown, incredibly danceable tunes. Their tight instrumentation and seasoned rock sound defied their youthful visage boldly displayed on the larger screens bordering both sides of the stage. Lead vocalist Louis Smith uttered the lyrics, “We are here now, so come along,” an inviting sentiment as patrons continued to accumulate near the stage. At one point Smith exclaimed, “I need to get things that fit tighter on my head. I’ve lost my glasses, I’ve lost my hat.” It was a fair representation of his energetic performance.

    Luckily LOCKN’ provides a general store on the grounds with a variety of essentials  for anyone, musicians and attendees alike, if they find themselves lacking something they can’t do without. Umphrey’s McGee did not seem to forget anything behind, producing an incredibly lively follow-up to Kendall Street Company. As night fell, the show field continued to populate with head banging humans, approving with jovial cheers and applause as Umphrey’s flooded the audience with dazzling lights and heart pumping jams.

    As Umphrey’s first set concluded, the stage gracefully spun 180 degrees as The String Cheese Incident flawlessly picked up where Umphrey’s left off, with no time wasted.   Lead vocalist/guitarist Keith Moseley donned a flat brim with a hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses, as if trying to remain incognito while playing their unique brand of bluegrass rock to thousands of spectators. During their set, some crowd members couldn’t resist the urge to release handfuls of vibrant glow sticks through the inky air despite being banned on festival grounds. They are a time-honored tradition that will die hard despite known environmental and personal health hazards. During their performance of “Texas,” the rhythm provided an almost salsa-like feel that even reflected in the bouncy footwork of the more enthusiastic dancers in the crowd.

    Umphrey’s and String Cheese each produced one more set seamlessly sharing the stage as festival goers danced, mingled, sampled the vast assortment of food and brews provided by local restaurants and breweries. At the conclusion of String Cheese set two, another seamless transition to the Relix stage took place as The Disco Biscuits took up residence to carry on the heavy and never-ending musical stimulation that LOCKN’ executes so well.

  • Mountain Jamming: 2017 Peach Music Festival Preview

    It is not unusual in this day and age for a band to have it’s own festival. It is however, unusual, for a band’s festival to outlast the band itself. The Peach Music Festival, running August 10-13, 2017 was started by the Allman Brothers Band back in 2012. The band broke up for good a little more than two years later, but the festival lived on, featuring various off-shoots and solo projects of the band each year. 2017 has seen the untimely deaths of founding members Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks.

    But the festival lives on. It will again host performances from Allman-related bands, including Gov’t Mule (joined by guitarist John Scofield and other unnamed guests), Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band, and the final performance of Les Brers. More importantly, will be the special, not-to-be-missed Peach Tribute to Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks, which will feature Chuck Leavell, Jaimoe, Oteil Burbridge Marc Quiñones, Duane Trucks, Devon Allman and many more family and friends.

    “Caterpillar sheds his skin to find a butterfly within…”

    Gregg and Butch, Berry Oakley and Duane Allman, and the Allman Brothers Band, will live on in the spirit of the Peach Music Festival. The bands invited this year will surely keep it very much alive. A who’s who of the world of jam, it is a lineup that is tough to top in a summer crowded full with festival goodness. The headliners Thursday through Sunday read like a 2017 jam band All-Star team: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead reinvigorate the music from the king of jam bands on Thursday night, My Morning Jacket will set the mountain ablaze with their rock torches Friday night, and southern jam titans Widespread Panic sneak their limited tour north of the Mason-Dixon line for shows on both Saturday and Sunday nights.

    Slip just below the top line and the names don’t get much smaller, with Mike Gordon fresh off Phish’s Baker’s Dozen run at the Garden, blues-guitar phenom Joe Bonamassa, and progressive jammers Umphrey’s McGee joining the ranks of the aforementioned Allman-related artists.

    The rest of the lineup is buoyed by smaller but well-established bands like Galactic, Steve Kimock, Greensky Bluegrass, Lettuce, The New Mastersounds, Keller Williams, as well as new rising stars like Aqueous, Cabinet, Spafford, The Record Company and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. At no point does this lineup’s bottom fall out however, it remains solid to the last dot.

    “First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is…”

    The Peach Music Festival will once again be held on Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA. Not only is it a naturally beautiful location, but it also includes a full and accessible water park with rides, slides and a lazy river. This is no ordinary waterpark, it comes equipped with a custom live music soundtrack running throughout the entire day of course! The mountain also includes a full restaurant, bar, and bathrooms, in addition to the usual festival fare.

    Once you bite into this Peach, the sweet juices will be flowing all weekend, but that large Allman Brother pit from which it grew, will continue to hold it all together. For daily or weekend passes, and all the information you’ll need to prepare for your time at the fest, visit the official festival site at thepeachmusicfestival.com. See you on the mountain, jamming!

  • Levitate Festival Brings The Rythym To South Shore

    Levitate Music Festival said this year there would be two days and it was groovy. July 8 and 9 in Marshfield, MA, this little grassroots festival brought thousands of fans to the fairgrounds for some of the best and brightest names touring today.

    Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad had people going ape in the pits to start off on Saturday. The good tunes kept rolling as New Orleans’ own Rebirth Brass Band brought that southern jazz you never knew you needed. These Grammy winners didn’t become a NOLA institution by accident. You can’t help but get down to this kind of funk. I was a little disappointed to find that Mihali & Friends was dueling with Rubblebucket, but the festival was so well organized that I was able to move between stages with ease to make sure I captured as much of the magic as possible. Deer Tick and The Revivalists were followed by the first set of Umphrey’s McGee. A heavy dose of Umph goodness echoed over a packed crowd. The guys took a quick break to let local-legends Stick Figure tear up the main stage, and then returned with a jam-heavy second set that took over that little fairground. The headliner for the night was the legendary Dispatch, and the rails were surging as they rocked the crowd til the sun had finally set on a magnificent first day.

    Guitar prodigy and singer/songwriter Quinn Sullivan really impressed to start off Sunday. The teenage phenomenon has made a true name for himself in his short career. It was a treat to see him and his star-packed band play a hometown show. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong opened the main stage with their insanely contagious energy and funky jams that cannot be matched. Once “Melting Lights” was done melting everyone’s brain, Ripe followed on the Style Stage. This funk/pop group has completely taken this scene by storm with Robbie Wulfsohn’s sassy and soulful presence. Their cover of Ellie Goulding’s “On My Mind” is one of those songs that you can play on repeat for an hour… at least. Trevor Hall and JJ Grey & Mofro had the pits screaming so loud I thought my ears were gonna burst. Vermont favorites, (and yours), Twiddle blew the fans away and blanketed them with dreams and relaxation. You couldn’t help but sing along when they played their new song “Orlando’s.” The Style Stage was closed out with the hottest folk-rock band out there right now, in Lake Street Dive. The reggae legend, Ziggy Marley closed out the festival in pure style. The festival could not have ended on a higher note. Check out the pics from Zatchmo Lives Media and remember to Dream Big, Live Bigger.

  • Photo Gallery: Aqueous Welcomes Joel Cummins and Jake Cinninger to Highline Ballroom

    After a 30 minute set at Summer Stage, Buffalo’s Aqueous headed to Chelsea for a post-Umphrey’s show at The Highline Ballroom. Aqueous was joined tonight by Jake Cinninger and Joel Cummins, who joined the band for a majority of their set. After “Uncle Phil’s Parachute,” Jake and Joel hit the stage during “Don’t Do It,” and joined on a debut of Umphrey’s “Booth Love,” Radiohead’s “National Anthem,” and Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne.” To close the night, Aqueous performed ‘just one more song’ with a 40+ minute “Random Company” > “Numbers and Facts” > “Random Company” and an encore of “Origami.” Umphrey’s and Aqueous seem like a natural pairing, one that we hope to see again later this fall.

    Set: Skyway, Uncle Phil’s Parachute¹ > Don’t Do It¹ ² > Highline Jam², Booth Love² ³, National Anthem², Strange Times², Kid Charlemagne², Random Company > Numbers and Facts > Random Company
    Encore: Origami
    ¹ Unfinished
    ² Ft. Jake Cinninger and Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee
    ³ Aqueous debut, Umphrey’s McGee cover

    Setlist via Aquiantances

  • Audience Gets Wet and Keeps Dancing at Umphrey’s McGee in Central Park

    Central Park’s Summer Stage has quite the lineup this summer, with the centerpiece being a double bill of prog/jam goodness in Aqueous and Umphrey’s McGee on July 7.

    Aqueous performed just two songs, “Second Sight” and “Kitty Chaser,” in their 30 minute, all-too-short set to start the night, but that would be remedied by their post-show later this evening. Umphrey’s opened up their set with some technical issues, doing a double take on “Bridgeless” as a result. After the second attempt, the band played “Miss Tinkle’s Overture,” hinting they were slightly pissed off but pressed on with “2×2” and “Dump City” which highlighted the rest of the set, and the final segment of “Bridgeless” finishing the first set.

    Much like their Midwest counterparts playing in the Bronx this evening, Umphrey’s began to heat up when the rain cleared. Jams blossomed through the encore with two huge sandwiches in their second set. “Plunger” opened, as did the skies during “Utopian Fir” which had a “Whole Lotta Love” tease, as well as “Driven 2 Tears” which segued back into “Fir.” If the crowd wasn’t already wet, “Mantis” > “The Triple Wide” > “Mantis” took care of that. An encore of “Rocker Part 2” capped the night and sent the fans streamed out of a moist Central Park and headed to the Highline Ballroom where Aqueous and Umphrey’s would join forces for the after show.

  • Photo Recap: Summer Camp Music Festival 2017

    Summer Camp 2017 was another fantastic year in the Midwest festival’s history. Amid powerhouse sets from hosts Umphrey’s McGee and moe., and alongside memorable performances from Trey Anastasio Band, Pretty Lights Live, Gov’t Mule, Turkuaz, TAUK, The Disco Biscuits and dozens more artists from across the country.

    Tributes to Gregg Allman, who passed away on the third day of the festival, poured out almost immediately, with Eric Krasno Band, Flaccid and Gov’t Mule all covering “Whipping Post” within hours of his death. Trey Anastasio Band followed suit the next day by covering “Midnight Rider,” just a small sampling of the immense influence and praise Greg Allman earned from nearly 50 years of performing. Watch Gov’t Mule’s star-studded tribute:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVt8ni18N50

    Buffalo’s Aqueous played three sets over the weekend, each one drawing a larger crowd than the last as they finally moved from the Camping Stage to the Starshine Stage. The following Aqueous has developed over the past decade is a testament to the band’s work ethic and connection with fans as far back as performances at Nietzsche’s. They welcomed moe.’s Vinnie Amico and Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee to the stage for a cover of Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne,” putting an exclamation point on their breakout weekend.

    Lettuce alums Break Science and Eric Krasno Band stepped out on their own for well received performances, as did Brooklyn’s Turkuaz, who blew the crowd away at the Campfire Stage late Saturday night with a powerhouse set, putting them head and shoulders above others in the funk world. Wild Adriatic and Intrepid Travelers performed at the Camping Stage, a stepping stone for the many rising bands that Upstate New York produces. Both bands dropped spirited covers to the Camping audience, with Wild Adriatic covering Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” and Intrepid Travelers paying homage to Prince with “Electric Avenue.”

    Of course moe. performed five sets throughout the weekend, with one set being rained out on Friday afternoon. Their late night performance in the Red Barn with Everyone Orchestra was full improv, and a treat for all ticket holders. moe. later brought up Turkuaz horns for “Ophelia” and “Happy Hour Hero” and bringing a jaw-dropping opener “Battle Without Honor Or Humanity” from Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill and was part of moe.’s Halloween performance last year. Turkuaz later came out in full for “Life During Wartime” in a show that featured a giant “Meat” sandwich of the entire second set on Saturday. Sunday’s performance closed out with pure moe. start to finish, including a “Chromatic Nightmare” sandwich of the second set and “Opium” featuring Allie Kral of Yonder Mountain String Band on fiddle.

  • Summer Camp Music Festival Returns for 17th Installment this weekend

    Music Festival season gets underway across the country in May, and Summer Camp Music Festival has made a mark for being a destination event in the Midwest. Umphrey’s McGee, moe., Trey Anastasio Band, Pretty Lights Live and dozens more can be seen this weekend, May 25-28 at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL. New York State artists Aqueous, Break Science, Eric Krasno Band, Escort, Turkuaz, Intrepid Travelers, Wild Adriatic, and of course moe., will perform at the four-day festival, now in its 17th year.

    Summer Camp has a lot going on, making it tough to see it all, but far from overwhelming like mega-concerts and nowhere near the dumpster fire that is/was Fyre Festival. Check out the full schedule here, or create your own on the Summer Camp app (highly recommended).

    Listen to your Counselors!

    You should listen to your counselors. Seriously, these are the pros who know Summer Camp inside and out. They’re the best resource for Scampers of all ages and experience levels. Read the handbook, which covers virtually every detail and question about the festival, and if you still have questions, join the Facebook group where you can find answers to virtually any question that may arise over the weekend.

    When it comes to camping, unless you’re in an RV, NYS Music recommends the field between Sunshine and Camping (Area D in the map above). Why? Because you are proximate to five stages—Sunshine, Starshine, Vibe Tent, Camping and Soulshine Tent (very underrated, even late at night)—and although there is no shade, you’ll love being able to catch a set of music while chilling between sets of music. The Woods are a solid option as well if you have a smaller set up, but fear not—the sprawling area in the woods is one of the coolest areas to walk through at any festival, night or day.

    And while you are at Summer Camp, Make a Difference! there are so many ways to leave Three Sisters Park better than how you found it; clean up trash, cigarette butts, bring a reusable water bottle, recycle your waste and check out the Soulshine Tent to find ways to bring some of that positive energy from Summer Camp back home with you.

    Then, of course, what do you do when you want to relive a little bit of Summer Camp from your youth? You participate in Field Day! Yes, Field Day is an annual tradition at Summer Camp, one that has a rightful place in the history of the festival. Started in 2011, the annual event takes the cake as the most unique and most fun non-musical component of Summer Camp. Sign up online, and the first 100 get a free team bandana on Friday from noon–1 p.m. at the Vibe Tent. Come back Saturday at 3 p.m. and participate in capture the flag, arm wrestling, spelling bee, banana eating contest and much more, with a Champions ceremony at noon Sunday. Field Day is open to all, the smack talk is free and it has become a growing event everyone should check out, whether as spectator or participant.

    The Field Day staff shared a little insight into why you should take part in Field Day:

    The number-one reason why people should sign up is because of the amount of awesome people you’ll meet doing so, especially myself Ashley Pardy. What keeps me coming back is all of the memories, and the Red Team wins. I mean would you leave a team that has won almost every year?” – Ashley Pardy

    “You will meet amazing people, laugh your ass off and drink free beer. Participating in one of the many cool activities at Summer Camp will make your festival experience unique beyond just seeing shows.”
    – Jessica Coughlin

    “Bragging rights.” –  Elizabeth Cox

    What memories of past years keep these wonderful staff keep coming back, year after year?

    I come back year after year because the people are so amazing. Favorite memory is Sheppy nearly getting arrested by some serious looking state troopers for defacing an American flag, while simultaneously being hoisted on our shoulders raising the red flag after yet another contested victory.”
    – Anthony Piccirilli (Shep talked his way out of it and the cop came to our keg party.)

    “Mud Tug-o-War, Drunken Spelling Bees, Sheppy drunken walks with the cup.” – Elizabeth Cox

    “Drunken Spelling Bees.” – Anthony Piccirilli

    And while sunrise kickball isn’t an official activity, it has been the unofficial opening ceremony of the games for six years now. This is one of the highlights of Summer Camp; at 5:30 a.m. come to the Sunshine Stage for a game of kickball with faithful fans led by Ryan Stasik. There will be trampolines, bacon at second base and no apparent rules; it is the most beautiful and absurd shit-show ever witnessed, and one worth staying up for!

    There you have it; NYS Music gives you the ins and outs of Summer Camp 2017. Make sure to follow us all weekend on Twitter and Instagram to live vicariously if you can’t make the trip to the Midwest.

  • Umph Gets Extra Oomph with Joshua Redman in Rochester

    On a quiet and cold late January Sunday night, one beacon of activity in Rochester was drawing in warm bodies from all over Western New York. The line wrapped from Anthology’s doors, down the tour bus-filled alley and around the corner as showtime quickly approached. Bundled-up ticket seekers marched with their fingers out in hopes of scoring an opportunity into the sold out show. Progressive rockers Umphrey’s McGee were set to take the stage in moments, in what would prove to be one of the biggest shows the young East Ave. music hall would host to date.

    Anthology is a smaller venue than the band is used to playing at their current popularity. For the intimacy, the crowd was trading in the opportunity to catch the buzz-worthy jam act Spafford. The stage couldn’t accommodate them for their scheduled opening slot. Likewise, the low ceilings couldn’t accommodate Umphrey McGee’s massive lighting rig. Additionally, guitarist Jake Cinninger was sitting the show out with a sickness, doctor’s orders.

    No opener. No lights. No Jake. No problem. The quintet née sextet was up to the task.

    The dual guitar assault combined with the vibrant and chaotic lighting assault can make an Umphrey’s McGee show an overwhelming overload of the senses. This was a chance to take a step back and enjoy the more subtle nuance of their music and appreciate the musicians’ efforts on a more individual level. From the opening “Domino Theory” and on through the whole night, the rhythms laid down by drummer Kris Myers and percussionist Andy Farag really shone through and became front and center moreso than usual.

    Wisely and fortunately, guitarist Brendan Bayliss didn’t attempt to make up for his partner’s absence by redoubling his efforts. He took a more laid back stance, allowing the music to breathe. It certainly helped that their special guest for the evening was none other than saxophonist Joshua Redman.

    Redman, no stranger to playing with the band and finishing up a four-night run with them, was no ordinary guest. “Thanks for saving our ass,” Bayliss quipped. During his stint, which spanned the final three songs of the first set and the first five songs of the second set, he all but controlled the action. Entering first on “The Linear,” he immediately locked horns with Bayliss as they jammed in unison. Later on “Example 1,” he intertwined with some intense drum leads from Myers.

    The highlight of the night came as Redman took over in the mellower run through “Upward” and the rare “1000 Places to See Before You Die,” which slowly built to an intense and fiery jam highlighting Myers once again. Myers and Redman continued to punctuate the action in “Similar Skin” and when the dust settled it became apparent that Umphrey’s McGee had played almost an hour without any notable guitar solos.

    One young fan spent the entire night on their father’s shoulders just a few rows back from the stage. Bayliss noted him early on, sending him a rock salute. But the real treat came later in the evening when he dedicated Bob Marley’s “Lively Up Yourself” to the lucky kid. He sure had a good story for show and tell the next morning. Fans both young and old got a rise out of the set-closing fist-pumping singalong “Front Porch” which contained a rare romp through “Muff II” for good measure. As the last notes hung in the air, the sated crowd filed out and the quiet and cold returned to Sunday as the page flipped to Monday.

    Setlist (via umphreesmcgee.com)

    Set 1: Domino Theory, Loose Ends > Turn & Dub > Yoga Pants > The Linear[1], Example 1[1], Make It Right[1]

    Set 2: The Triple Wide[2] > Upward[1] > 1000 Places to See Before You Die[1] > Similar Skin[1], Lively Up Yourself[1], Robot World > Front Porch > Muff II: The Revenge > Front Porch

    Encore: Orfeo[3], Waiting Room

    [1] with Joshua Redman on saxophone
    [2] with Joshua Redman on saxophone; with Cocaine Blues (Escort) teases
    [3] just Joel on piano
    Notes:
    entire show without Jake
    last Muff II: The Revenge 12.30.2013 (311 shows)
    [FinalTilesGallery id=’965′]
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