NYS Music 20​17

Tag: upstate concert hall

  • Fozzy to Invade Upstate Concert Hall

    After a small break from touring, Fozzy will pack the road gear and continue the band’s “Judas Rising,” tour into 2018 at Upstate Concert Hall. Fozzy is touring in support of the band’s seventh studio album, Judas. The title track of the album, “Judas,” has become a huge hit for the band, blowing up rock radio stations everywhere.

    Part two of the “Judas Rising” tour will see support by Through Fire, Santa Cruz, and Dark Star Choir.

    New Orleans will get the tour started at the Parish on Feb. 28 and see the “Lights Go Out” on April 8 at Wally’s in Hampton Beach, NH. One of the two New York dates on the tour will come through the Capital Region. Fozzy will make a stop at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on April 4, then the next night on April 5 at the the Gramercy Theatre in NYC. Tickets to the UCH show cost $17 in advance. Fozzy die-hards can also purchase a $150 VIP upgrade to each show on the tour.

    In a recent Blabbermouth article, frontman Chris Jericho, and guitarist Rich Ward gave their opinions on the upcoming “Judas Rising,” tour.

    Jericho stated: “I’m stoked to do this extensive tour of the States now that ‘Judas,’ the song, is a Top 5 rock radio hit and ‘Judas’, the album, has gone top 40! FOZZY is bigger than we’ve ever been, which means bigger production, bigger songs and bigger lighted jackets! So we can’t wait to rock your literal socks off starting in February!! JUDAS IS RISING.”

    Rich Ward added: “I started playing guitar because of how deeply powerful the experience of going to concerts was for me. With a hit single and a new album pushing FOZZY to new heights, I can’t wait to get back on the road in America to capture the power that only live music can create. Make sure to bring a helmet and your dancing shoes when FOZZY rolls through your town.”

    Fozzy “Judas Rising” Tour Dates:

    Feb. 28 – The Parish – New Orleans, LA
    March 1 – Scout Bar – Houston, TX
    March 2 – Canton Hall – Dallas, TX
    March 3 – Jake’s – Lubbock, TX
    March 4 – Speaking Rock – El Paso, TX
    March 7 – Club X’s – Tucson, AZ
    March 8 – Marquee Theater – Phoenix, AZ
    March 10 – The Whisky – Los Angeles, CA
    March 11 – Count’s Vamp’d – Las Vegas, NV
    March 13 – Slim’s – San Francisco, CA
    March 15 – Dante’s – Portland, OR
    March 16 – Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
    March 27 – Turner Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
    March 28 – Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
    March 29 – Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI
    March 30 – Shelter – Detroit, MI
    March 31 – Oddbody’s – Dayton, OH
    April 2 – House Of Blues – Cleveland, OH
    April 3 – Jergel’s – Pittsburgh, PA
    April 4 – Upstate Concert Hall – Clifton Park, NY
    April 5 – The Gramercy – New York, NY
    April 6 – The Foundry – Philadelphia, PA
    April 7 – Aura – Portland, ME
    April 8 – Wally’s – Hampton Beach, NH

  • JJ Grey and Mofro: Greetings from the Sunshine State

    Jacksonville Florida’s own JJ Grey and Mofro played to an enthusiastic crowd at Clifton Park’s Upstate Concert Hall on Thursday October 19. These seasoned veterans of the road have been playing since the 1990’s and are currently five weeks into their tour spreading the gospel of the electric blues and soul to audiences around the nation. The band has deep roots in the south which is apparent in the nine studio albums that they have created since their inception.

    JJ Grey and Mofro
    JJ Grey & Mofro getting “Janky” at the Upstate Concert Hall 10/19/17

    The current lineup of the band consists of JJ Grey on vocals, harmonica, and electric guitar, Dennis Marion and Marcus Parsley on trumpets, Todd Smallie on bass guitar, Craig Barnetter on drums, Zac gilbert on guitar, and Eric Brigmond on keyboards.

    JJ Grey and Mofro

    The night kicked off with Pittsburgh PA’s 10 piece soul powerhouse The Commonheart. Led by front-man Clinton Clegg, the energy was palpable with high energy renditions of The Commonheart originals “I Am A Ram “ and “Aloysius” off of their 2016 LP Grown. The Commonheart were a tight knit unit that was exceptionally good at getting the Upstate crowd grooving by offering them up a heaping helping of Electric Soul and RB. The highlight of the opening set was a gritty version of Randy Newman’s soul classic of “You Can Leave Your Hat On” that would have made the Commitments jealous.

    JJ Grey and MofroGrey thanked the crowd for singing and began reminiscing about his days working at a lumberyard in Jacksonville, Florida adjacent to a tiny church located in a nearby strip mall. He recounted days drinking iced tea and listening to the church’s preacher singing and playing spiritual hymns on guitar, while the ladies in the choir sang along. He went on to say that was one of his inspirations for what he calls his band’s “Rock and Roll Revival Show.”JJ Grey and Mofro

    Grey then switched out guitars and got comfortable sitting down playing electric slide guitar on John Anderson’s Blue Grass classic “Seminole Wind.”  The song was a unique and “Janky” interpretation of the song, which was dedicated by Grey to his grandmother.  Grey said that she lived in the “good old bad days,” being born in a tent on a tobacco farm in Georgia.  It was apparent that her strength in overcoming such a tough and hard scrabble life was a great inspiration to Grey.

    The evening ended on a high note with an encore comprised of a rousing rendition of the Beatles classic “Hey Jude”  with the audience singing the chorus until the very last note. JJ Grey & Mofro will continue touring the U.S. with dates scheduled into the Spring.

    Setlists:

    The Commonheart:  Show Me The Light, Questions, Cannonball, You Can Leave Your Hat On, Do Right, Save Me, Aloysius

    JJ Grey & Mofro:  How Junior Got His Head Put In, Light A Candle, Every Minute, Brighter Days, 99 Shades, Gal’ Young’en, Seminole Wind, Lochloosa, Orange Blossoms, Lazy Fo Acre, Ol’ Glory, Shining Down, Hey Jude

  • JJ Grey and Mofro: Tasty Soul from the Sunshine State

    Since the 1990s, JJ Grey and Mofro have been dishing out hearty helpings of southern soulful blues rock. Based out of Gainesville, Florida, these seasoned road veterans have played around the globe spreading their brand of musical expertise that hearkens to the likes of Otis Redding, Jerry Reid, and The Allman Brothers Band. Lead singer and soul-bent swamp rocker John Higginbotham aka “JJ Grey” infuses his music with a definitive southern flavor, transporting all who listen to the landscape of his youth. If you have a hankering for upbeat feel good music and you love to, as lead singer Grey states, get “Janky” this is the band for you.

    The current lineup of JJ Grey & Mofro includes JJ Grey on vocals and electric guitar, Dennis Marion and Marcus Parsley on trumpets, Todd Smallie on Bass guitar, Craig Barnette on drums, Zac Gilbert on guitar, and Eric Brigmond on keyboards.

    Live Nation Promotions will be presenting JJ Grey & Mofro along with special guests The Commonheart at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park NY on Thursday October 19. Get tickets here.

  • Parkway Drive Brings their Last US Tour of 2017 to the Upstate Concert Hall

    Parkway Drive brings their last US tour of the year to the greater North American area. Thursday, June 22 they paid a visit to Upstate Concert Hall.

    The crowd was off of their feet the second Parkway Drive came on stage and started their set with the song “wild eyes.” With nonstop crowd surfing and moshing throughout the whole set, you could feel the energy and the room shaking from the stage all the way to the back of the venue! You do not want to miss this tour.

    The openers to the show were Wage War and The Word Alive.

    Setlist: Wild Eyes, Carrion, Dedication, Vice Grip, Karma, Sleepwalker, Dark Days, Destroyer, Boneyards, Writings on the wall, Idols and anchors, Romance is Dead

    Encore: Crushed, Bottom feeder.

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  • State Champs Sell Out Hometown Show

    Albany natives State Champs truly came around the world and back after selling out their hometown venue in Clifton Park, N.Y. With a full house, State Champs performed to the best of their ability for their friends and loved ones on Saturday.

    On May 13, State Champs alongside Against The Current, With Confidence and Don Broco sold out Upstate Concert Hall on their second to last night of their headlining tour.

    The night kicked off with Young Culture, another band from Albany, N.Y. Even from the start, they got everyone’s attention by performing their song, “Bedroom Floor” which features Derek DiScanio of State Champs. The support from fans of Young Culture led into the next band on the lineup, Don Broco.

    The England-based rock group kicked off the night with their fantastic stage presence, and unique sound. Frontman Rob Damiani made sure to jump into the audience for their hit single, “You Wanna Know,” which took the audience by storm.

    Don Broco, which sound like a heavier version of The 1975 as a comparison, had a perfect vibe to bring to this tour. With their outstanding energy and audience engagement, Don Broco left an impression on fans with their catchy pop-sounding choruses with rock undertones. With their unique vibe and style, had it been any other night of the tour, Don Broco have the ability to be the band to steal the show.

    Intense pop-punk group With Confidence picked the pace back up with their engaging and impressive vocals and energy. Opening their set with their hit song, “Voldemort,” the crowd immediately reacted accordingly to their performance. Fans were jumping and screaming the words to the song, and trying to get as close to the stage as they could. Due to the importance of this date of the tour, With Confidence dedicated their performance of “London Lights” to State Champs. “This goes out to anyone who knows someone who’s stepped on their fucking heart,” said vocalist Jayden Seeley as they led into their performance.

    With the crowd starting to get sweaty from all of the activity, the night shifted to pop group Against The Current to steal the stage. Frontman Chrissy Costanza immediately jumped on stage grabbing everyone’s attention. Despite being on the road for over a month, you would not have been able to tell from Costanza’s performance. Her vocals were great for a live performance with the amount of jumping and running around she does with her time on stage.

    Although some of her high notes could have used a bigger breathe for a cleaner note, this can be forgiven from her non-stop intensive energy song-after-song. The band also worked to get the crowd ready for State Champs by having screaming contests with fans. Perhaps their strongest performance of the night was their song “Runaway.”

    When the time came for State Champs to take the stage, the energy inside the venue shifted. There is something absolutely incredible when you feel the energy and excitement of the friends and family of the members of State Champs cheering along in support.

    “It was truly special for us to play in our hometown at Upstate Concert Hall,” said guitarist Tyler Szalkowski. “We grew up going to shows there when we were teenagers so to now come back as a headliner and sell it out was astounding,” he said.

    State Champs opened their set with a popular older hit of theirs, “Remedy.” Fans immediately made their way to the front of the venue in droves crowd surfing on top of each other to make contact with State Champs.

    With their first performance at Upstate Concert Hall this year, the feeling of love and support from seeing friends and family in the audience made the vibe for this hometown State Champs show indescribable.

    “The night was made even more special by all of our friends and family being there alongside us,” said Szalkowski.

    With the new release of the deluxe edition of Around The World And Back, State Champs were able to use their tour to debut performing their new song, “Slow Burn” which was received well by the audience.

    Along with performing their newer material, you could tell there was support from longtime fans at the show due to the amount of activity from performing an older State Champs song during the show. Their performance of “Deadly Conversation” led to not a single person still inside the venue. Uncommon for State Champs, on this tour they performed one of their earlier acoustic hits, “Stick Around,” followed by a single from their new album, “Around The World And Back.” Their performance of the ballad featured Costanza from Against The Current, and had every fan in the audience singing along. “We used to sneak into this venue when we were too young to get in,” said frontman DiScanio.

    If you have the chance to see a band perform in their hometown venue, you have to take that opportunity. With the nature of State Champs intense energetic performances, this style is only magnified while performing for their friends and family back home.

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  • Infinite Spectrum To Hit The Road With Fates Warning

    NYC progressive metal drama rockers, Infinite Spectrum, will hit the road and support Fates Warning’s North American “Theories of Flight” summer tour. The tour will see several NY dates throughout the sixteen stops in the U.S. and Canada. Theories of Flight will take off on June 11, at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY, and return to the hangar on July 1, at the Brighton Music Hall in Allston, MA. Infinite Spectrum will end their run at the progressive themed Progpocalypse Now!, on July 15, at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn.

    Other NY stops on the Theories of Flight tour are July 13 at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, July 14 at Mulcahy’s in Wantagh, July 16 at the Gramercy Theater in NYC and on July 20 at the Iron Works in Buffalo.

    Infinite Spectrum’s second album release, Haunter Of The Dark, is a full length concept album based on the horror fiction writings of author H.P. Lovecraft. Haunter Of The Dark was released in June 2016 and marks the band’s debut album on Sensory Records. The album songs tell the stories of Lovecraft’s writing’s in the way the band has interpreted them through their progressive metal meets theater style of music.

    Infinite Spectrum is Will Severin (vocals), Alex Raykin (guitars), Alex Repetti (bass), Greg Schwab (drums), and Katie Pachnos (keyboards/harp).

    Theories of Flight North American Tour 2017:
    06-11 – The Chance – Poughkeepsie, NY
    06-13 – Upstate Concert Hall – Clifton Park, NY
    06-14 – Mulcahy’s – Wantagh, NY
    06-15 – Ram’s Head On Stage – Annapolis, MD
    06-16 – Gramercy Theater – New York, NY
    06-18 – Mexicali Live – Teaneck, NJ
    06-20 – Ironworks – Buffalo, NY
    06-21 – Mod Club – Toronto, ON
    06-22 – Agora Ballroom – Cleveland, OH
    06-23 – Token Lounge – Detroit, MI
    06-24 – The Forge – Joliet, IL
    06-25 – Shank Hall – Milwaukee, WI
    06-27 – The Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, PA
    06-28 – Sellersville Theater – Sellersville, PA
    06-30 – Webster Theater – Hartford, CT
    07-01 – Brighton Music Hall – Allston, MA
    07-15 – Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY @ Progpocalypse Now! (no Fates Warning)

  • The Rest in Space Tour Sells Out Clifton Park

    The Clifton Park performance on Sunday, March 5 for the Rest in Space Tour may have left fans covered in pizza and Doritos, but smiles were stretched across their faces. Pierce The Veil acted as kings for a day performing at the sold out venue alongside Falling In Reverse and Crown The Empire as they all brought the Rest in Space Tour to Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park.

    The show opened with metal group Crown The Empire who kicked off their set with the hit “Zero” off of their most recent album, Retrograde. Crown The Empire kept the energy up from the very start of their set, encouraging fans to crowd surf to the front of the venue. Front man Andy Velasquez tried to encourage the action by discussing their tradition of having crowd surfers at the venue.

    During their hit “The Fallout,” a fan crowd surfed to the front of the venue with two beers in hand for the band. “Is this what I think this is? This is the best day of my life,” said Velasquez as he took the beers from the fan. This was the first time that Crown The Empire played a sold out show the Clifton Park venue. Due to this, there seemed to be additional energy and joy given off by the band. The set contained an entertaining performance by Velasquez by using all areas of the stage to get fans’ attention, as well as from bassist Hayden Tree and guitarist Brandon Hoover.

    Following Crown The Empire was the rock band Falling In Reverse who initiated a food fight during their set. Fans found themselves being victims of the “Bad Girls Club” after foods like Doritos and an entire pizza were rained upon them. Besides food being thrown around during “Bad Girls Club,” the song of the night seemed to be the way the crowd reacted to “Fashionably Late.”

    When the band started “Alone,” a fight broke out in the middle of the song, and as security escorted people out of the venue, Falling In Reverse decided to start the song over again. This was Falling In Reverse’s first performance at the Clifton Park venue since their headlining show in 2012 which resulted in front man Ronnie Radke leaving mid-set due to his disapproval of actions by the audience.

    After personally kicking out fans who came to the show to protest Falling In Reverse, this was the first time in four years that the band decided to play their set at the venue. Although this led to the show starting on an odd note, by the end of the set, Radke seemed grateful for the way the crowd responded to their set. The band all bowed together, as Ronnie thanked the crowd for the performance

    When Pierce The Veil took the stage, the sold out venue became the loudest it was the entire evening. All four members took the stage exhibited intense energy which included guitarist Jaime Preciado jumping to all parts of the stage. “Do you guys like to make noise out there, Clifton Park?” said frontman Vic Fuentes as the crowd screamed back at him.

    Their set opened with fan favorite “Dive In,” off of their new album, Misadventures. A more emotional song of the night, Fuentes spoke a little before performing their first single off of their new album, “The Divine Zero.” “I was a super timid kid and I didn’t have that voice yet, I didn’t have my confidence yet,” said Fuentes. For Fuentes, music became his, “one thing” to build up his confidence. With this, he dedicated the song to everyone in the audience.

    A treat for older fans of Pierce The Veil, for their Rest in Space Tour show, the band decided to do an acoustic performance of “Stay Away From My Friends,” a song off of their second full-length album Selfish Machines, and a song not commonly done by the band live.

    Besides the songs they performed, Pierce The Veil gave an incredible performance. There were minimal errors to be heard in their live performing in comparison to their studio recording. Vocals by Fuentes were crisp, and he was able to do harsh vocals that complemented that of their recordings. The guitar by Preciado was exceptional compared to that of their recorded work. During fan favorite “Bulletproof Love,” Pierce The Veil brought one lucky fan on stage with them throughout the beginning of the song for Fuentes to serenade.  “Are you ready to cut f-cking loose on this last song?” said Fuentes as they led into their encore.

    When it came to the end of their performance, Pierce The Veil closed their set with their intense, powerhouse song, “King For A Day.” The venue felt electric with the energy from the vocal performance by Fuentes, guitar by Preciado, the bass chords by bassist Tony Perry and drumming by drummer Mike Fuentes. The Rest in Space tour concludes on March 10 in Pheonix, A.Z.

  • Show Preview: Pierce The Veil The Rest in Space Tour

    Pierce The Veil fans are running in circles from the excitement of the Rest In Space tour. 

    Pierce The Veil, alongside direct support Falling In Reverse and Crown The Empire, are scheduled to play at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, N.Y. on Sunday, March 5.

    On May 13, the band released their fourth full-length album, Misadventures. Fans are welcoming back the band to perform their new material at the Clifton Park venue for the first time since their nearly sold-out show in 2013 with Memphis May Fire, Letlive and Issues.

    Their third U.S. headlining tour promoting the album, the Rest In Space Tour will be hitting North America until March 10. Since the release of Misadventures, Pierce The Veil have released music videos for fan favorites, “Circles,” “Dive In” and “Floral & Fading.”

    Direct support Falling In Reverse are scheduled to release their new album, Coming Home, on April 7 via Epitaph Records. Their fourth full-length release, Coming Home features hit singles, “Loser” and “Coming Home.”

    Following the departure of vocalist Dave Escamilla, in July of last year Crown The Empire released their third full-length album, Retrograde. Their Retrograde Tour promoting the album hit the Clifton Park venue in late November.

    Doors open for the Rest in Space tour at 6 pm on Sunday, and the show kicks off at 7 pm. 

  • A Phantogram Homecoming

    Phantogram played to a sold-out crowd in Clifton Park Saturday with New York City-based We Are Scientists. Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel of Phantogram spoke of their love for Upstate NY throughout the set and even Sarah’s mother was in attendance. They electrified the crowd with new gems like “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” and threw down with the classic “When I’m Small.”

    Setlist: Funeral Pyre, Black Out Days, Turning Into Stone, Don’t Move, You’re Mine, Same Old Blues, Answer, Mouthful, Howling At The Moon, Bad Dreams, Destroyer, When I’m Small.  Encore: Cruel World, Fall In Love, You Don’t Get Me High Anymore.

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