Bushicks (pronounced bush-hicks), a power trio based out of the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn with members all originating from Upstate New York, have announced the release of two singles; “When Life Gives You Lemonade” and “Truffle Shuffle” as a Digital 45rpm to all major platforms.
Working with talented Engineer, Phil Duke at Continental Recording Studios in Long Island City, Jonny “Bushick” Patrizio (Guitar/Lead Vocals), Jess Bogwicz (Bass Guitar), and John Adamski (Drums/Backing Vocals) add their own style to the classic sounds of rock ‘n roll. Patrizio’s songwriting and vocal approach adds a fresh take on the genre while making use of the large selection of vintage equipment available at the studio. A 1960’s Montgomery Ward amp was used on both tracks.
Dukes had this to say about the band:
Bushicks are a REAL Rock and Roll band. There are many imitators out there, but these guys don’t need to fake it. Drawing upon inspiration from our heroes of yesterday, I had the pleasure of recording a band that is building for the future and continuing the spirit of great Rock and Roll music. For a young band, I am excited to hear them grow and I hope you do too.
Bushicks will be headlining Brooklyn Bowl on Sunday, Sept. 16 with Johnny Butler and The Epic Fail and Brooklyn natives, Ltrain. This will be Bushicks second Brooklyn Bowl show and their first time headlining. The show starts at 7:30 PM and tickets are $7. For more information, visit the Brooklyn Bowl website here.
News of a Slayer farewell tour hit many in the metal community hard, but in a year of farewell tours, it’s not surprising that this Huntington Park, CA band, created in 1981, would call it a day.
Joining Slayer on this final trek across North America were fellow thrash metal veterans Anthrax and Testament, current thrash flag-bearers Lamb of God, and British grindcore pioneers Napalm Death.
Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway of Napalm Death
It would be easy to say that this lineup of veteran thrash legends is a cash grab nostalgia tour, but nothing could be further from the truth. All five bands are touring on current releases. Critics have proclaimed the latest Anthrax and Testament releases among the best of their respective careers. This was a lineup of bands still fresh, despite several decades of headbanging that left fans of each band wanting more.
New York-based Anthrax had an especially strong contingent of fans in attendance, as lead vocalist Joey Belladonna is a native of Oswego, a short drive from the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater. Anthrax, always the historians, opened and closed their set with a tribute to the recently deceased Pantera drummer, Vinnie Paul. The band opened with the riff from the Pantera classic, “Cowboys From Hell” and closed with the same, sending those in attendance into a headbanging frenzy. Anthrax, particularly bassist Frankie Bello, is one fun band to watch perform.
While most of the show was an exercise in headbanging for the largely 40-something crowd, Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe added some acrobatics to his band’s set, invariably leaping from the riser at the front of the stage.
Napalm Death performed a career-spanning set, including a slightly extended version of their song, “You Suffer.” This track, from Napalm Death’s debut album Scum, has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the World’s Shortest Recorded Song at 1.316 seconds long. Make some time to hear that below:
Slayer bid a fond farewell to a standing ovation following a raucous “Angel of Death” from the band’s classic Reign in Blood album. Their setlist was dotted with songs covering their entire career, including the opener, the title song from their latest album, Repentless.
Setlists
Slayer: Repentless, Blood Red, Disciple, Mandatory Suicide, Hate Worldwide, War Ensemble, Jihad, When the Stillness Comes, Postmortem, Black Magic, Payback, Seasons in the Abyss, Dittohead, Dead Skin Mask, Hell Awaits, South of Heaven, Raining Blood, Chemical Warfare, Angel of Death
Lamb of God: Omerta, Ruin, Walk With Me in Hell, Now You’ve Got Something to Die For, 512, Engage the Fear Machine, Blacken the Cursed Sun, Laid to Rest, Redneck
Anthrax: Cowboys From Hell (Pantera cover) (Jam), Caught in a Mosh, Got the Time (Joe Jackson cover), Madhouse, Be All, End All, Evil Twin, Antisocial (Trust cover), Indians
Testament: Brotherhood of the Snake, Rise Up, Dog Faced Gods, The Preacher, Practice What You Preach, The New Order, Into the Pit, Over the Wall
Napalm Death: Multinational Corporations, Instinct of Survival, When All Is Said and Done, Smash a Single Digit, Standardization, Suffer the Children, Silence Is Deafening, How the Years Condemn, Scum, You Suffer, Dead, Nazi Punks Fuck Off (Dead Kennedys cover)
Syracuse’s Palace Theater is presenting a day of summer jazz at the storied Eastwood playhouse Aug. 19. The CNY Young Lions of Jazz will feature the William Gorman 4tet with guest vocalist Gabrielle Gorman.
Tickets for the all ages show are $12 and available at the Palace Commons Cafe, Sound Garden and Ish Guitars in Syracuse. They can also be purchased online through Brown Paper Ticket.
Three acts will open the show. The Lawless Jazz Collective, feature trombonist Jake Lawless, guitarist David Millen, drummer P.K. White, bassist Sean Peters, and tenor saxophonist Jacob Penner.
The Nick Fields Trio, led by Fields on jazz trumpet and vocals also features Dave Solazzo on piano and Josh Dekaney on drums.
Drew Serafini & Friends rounds off the lineup. Guitarist Serafini will be joined by Dunham Hall on saxophone, Sean Peters, pulling double duty on bass, and drummer Keenan LeBlanc. Vocalist Aaron Ruiz will join the band for two songs during their set.
William Gorman is a Syracuse native an a senior at William Paterson University pursuing a degree in Jazz Piano under the tutelage of pianists Bill Charlap and Harold Mabern. He’s an active member of the New York City jazz and blues scenes and has an impressive array of credits to his name.
Gorman was recently in blues legend Joe Louis Walker’s touring band, where he performed throughout the United States and abroad, including a performance at Syracuse’s Funk ‘n Waffles in January 2017.
Gabrielle Gorman is also a Syracuse native, now living in New York City. She possesses a unique voice and can manuever among several genres with ease. She has a B.S. in Musical Theater and a M.S. ABT in Theater and Performance Studies from the University of Buffalo.
Joining the Gormans in the 4tet are saxophonist Sarah Hanahan. Hailing from Hartford, CT via Marlborough, MA, she has performed with Dave Pietro and Tom Palance and recently appeared at the Caramoor Jazz Festival.
Drummer Eric Dupont was born and raised in New Hampshire and has studied under Winard Harper, Horacee Arnold, Bill Goodwin, and Billy Hart.
Bassist Vincent Dupont recently enrolled in the Jazz Studies program at William Paterson University. He was a participant in Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center in Washington as well as the Ravinia Steans Music Institute in Chicago.
The Devon Allman Project begins a swing through New York Tuesday, July 24, with a stop at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock. This is followed by dates in Rochester, Albany, Baldwinsville, and Pawling. The man with the legendary Allman Brothers bloodline has teamed up with another Allmans progeny, Duane Betts on a tour that has both men joining forces to display their own projects as well as pay tribute to their fathers’ legacies. NYS Music recently sat down with Allman to discuss the tour, being a father and the state of music today.
Mike Kohli: So is the band starting to gel yet?
Devon Allman: Oh yeah, we rehearsed really hard six months prior. We were doing three to five days a week rehearsal for six months. I wanted us to come out already primed.
MK: You’re working with Duane as well on this tour.
DA: Yeah, he’s got a new EP out. He was in his dad’s band for years and a band called Dawes for maybe a year or two. So this is like the first time he’s come out and done his own stuff, fronted his own band. It’s exciting. He’s great.
MK: You’re sharing a rhythm section?
DA: Yeah, it’s an eight-piece band at the end of it. It’s a brilliant thing.
MK: Doing the tour with Duane Betts, a guy you kind of grew up with. This is something you guys, in a way, dreamed of doing, correct?
DA: We were hanging out with our dads. Their band was experiencing a pretty big renaissance. But that’s where we made our first bond just from being on that tour. I don’t think when we were kids we really had dreams of playing together, but as we grew into adults and started touring and making records, we talked about it. We knew it would be special. And that’s really what it’s all about. We don’t want to go out there and be a tribute band. There’s only one Allman Brothers. But we can certainly do our part to help keep some of their music alive.
MK: What was the trigger that made you guys decide, “We need to do this together?”
DA: It was just timing. I lost both parents inside of five months. I took a year off. I didn’t have the heart to go and perform. So I kind of rallied around my family. I spent a lot of time around my siblings and my son. Duane was wrapping up with Dawes. I knew I was going back out there. And I wanted to go back out there in a bigger fashion. So it made sense to team up. Timing is everything.
MK: So you’re going to be in Syracuse soon. You make your home in St. Louis, right? That’s a big BBQ town. (Laughs). Are you a partaker of the BBQ?
DA: So they say (laughs) I mean, I go back and forth with being a carnivore and not being a carnivore. St. Louis is really a big baseball town and a good blues town. And we have our own pizza. A lot of people don’t realize there is a St. Louis-style pizza and it’s amazing.
MK: Well, if you’re in a carnivorous stage while you’re up here, be sure to check out some of our BBQ.
DA: Is that where Dinosaur is? Oh yeah, I’ve partaken.
MK: Did you always feel that pull to become a musician? You were obviously exposed to music at a young age. Did you want to become a musician right off the bat?
DA: I fell in love with music when I was four years old. My mom used to spin a lot of vinyl. I was infatuated from then on. I saw my first concert at nine. I saw Cheap Trick. When Rick Neilsen pulled out that five-neck guitar, I mean that was it. The epitome of cool. I have to get in on this immediately. I started playing guitar at 13. I had dreams of it but I really never thought I’d get to do what I do. I just thought it was an untouchable magic act to tour and make records. I got lucky and I got to do it. And I put a lot of work into it too.
MK: You’re producing too, right? Also started your own record label?
DA: Yeah, it’s gonna launch this fall. I’m excited about it. I want to give some younger artists a chance to develop a following, become bonafide recording artists. I haven’t put a record out since Ride or Die. That one came out in, I think, late ’16. I’m definitely due. I’m going in the studio this fall so I’ll have a new record out in probably January.
MK: Is that going to come out on your label or are you going to shop it around?
DA: I’ll shop it around. We’ll see.
MK: I have a son the same age as yours. Does he have any interest in music? Are you persuading, dissuading him in regards to music?
DA: I’m really letting him feel his way. He played piano for years and years and he played some guitar. I don’t know. He starts college in the fall and he may end up playing music, he may not. I’m not really sure. But I would never persuade him and I would never try to steer him away from it either. I think his love affair, his passion, his career, that’s gonna be up to him.
MK: Absolutely. This is a bit of a scary time for me. This is my first kid going to college. You just hope you did things right along the way, ya know?
DA: I mean, I’ve spent 45 years either being somebody’s son or being a father to a son. That’s all over, it’s scary new territory. It’s exciting, but it’s also sad. I’m gonna miss having my kiddo around every night.
MK: What do you listen to?
DA: I spin vinyl at home, keeping my mom’s tradition alive. I probably have 500 records. It’s everything, man. There’s Nigerian jazz to thrash metal to Miles and Coltrane. I like to listen to jazz when I’m cooking. I cook a lot. Man, there’s everything.
MK: Any new artists that have been catching your ear lately?
DA: Yeah, man, Caroline Rose. She’s a badass. She really is. She’s a gifted songwriter and storyteller and singer. She’s great. I love the new Lucero record. Always loved Lucero. They’re from Memphis, friends of mine. I love just about everything from Jason Isbell lately. I love his records. He’s a friend. There’s good new music out there. You just have to dig for it.
MK: Do you recognize a renaissance of outlaw country happening, in artists like Isbell and Sturgill?
DA: I think it’s more a renaissance of organic music in general. Doesn’t matter the flavor. I think people that really get into music are looking for something that is real. There’s so much crap out there.
MK: Do you think a lot of it has to do with the environment the country is in now?
DA: No, I think it has to do with the fact that somewhere along the way, it might have started with MTV, ya know, as soon as you could become a TV star by way of music video, I think people started wanting to get into music to become a star, not to make good music. And that’s where it really started getting shitty. If somebody grabs a guitar and wants to tell you a deep story about something they’ve been through, that’s gonna hit you a lot harder than someone who grabs a guitar because they want to be on TV. I guess, since time immemorial in music we’ve had that. There was bubblegum music in the ’50s and ’60s. So it is what it is.
MK: So you have a good stretch of Upstate NY shows coming up, hitting up Woodstock’s Bearsville Theater. Have you been to Levon Helm Studio?
DA: No, I haven’t.
MK: Well, if you ever get the chance, that’s like a church.
DA: Yeah, I know. I’m a huge freak of The Band. I just got their whole vinyl collection, every album. Amazing.
MK: Speaking of Woodstock and taking in sites, do you ever get a chance to take in the towns that you’re touring through or is it more a load in, play your show, head on to the next?
DA: I’m able to a little bit more now because we finally graduated up to a tour bus so we’re arriving to the towns, waking up around 10:00 – 11:00 on the bus, ya know have the whole day until you get called for soundcheck. I went and did a little guitar shopping in New Orleans, vinyl shopping, got to take my men out for sushi in NYC, try to make the most of it.
MK: It’s good to finally have a bit of that luxury, if you will.
MK: We’ll see you on your upcoming Upstate dates. Thanks for your time.
DA: Thanks for your time today, I appreciate you. We’ll see you up north soon.
The Devon Allman Project is currently on tour with Duane Betts. New Yorkers have several opportunities to catch this unique show. Betts opens the show, performing music from his recent EP using Allman’s rhythm section. Allman follows with a set of his own material and for the encore, all the musicians take the stage to pay tribute to the Allman Brothers.
The tour hits Baldwinsville’s Bud Light Amphitheater at Paper Mill Island on Saturday, July 28. Tickets are still available for the show through Ticketfly.
Devon Allman Project/Duane Betts Tour Dates:
July 24 – Bearsville Theater – Woodstock, NY July 26 – Party in the Park – Rochester, NY July 28 – Bud Light Amphitheater – Baldwinsville, NY July 29 – Darryl’s House – Pawling, NY
Aug. 3 – Flood City Music Fest – Johnstown, PA
Aug. 4 – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille – Warrendale, PA
Aug. 5 – Music by the Bay – Ajax, ON, Canada
Aug. 7 – Music by the Bay – Ajax, ON, Canada
Aug. 8 – Kent Stage – Kent, OH
Aug. 9 – Arcada Theater – Saint Anne Woods, IL
Aug. 11 – Riverside Park – Rushville, IN
Aug. 12 – Prairie Magic Music Festival – Valparaiso, IN
Buffalo native and current New Orleans resident, Ani DiFranco will perform at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater on Sept. 16 on her fall tour, Creative Concerts announced Tuesday.
Ani DiFranco
The folk singer-songwriter, activist, poet and entrepreneur released her 20th album, Binary, last year and is touring with a renewed vigor. DiFranco described a breakthrough moment that hit during the writing of the pro-choice anthem “Play God” from her latest album:
When I wrote the line ‘You don’t get to play God, man/I do,’ I paused and thought, ‘Can I say that?’ It’s not the first time I’ve thought that, but it’s been a while. And in that moment, I thought, ‘I’m back, mothafuckas!
Tickets for the all ages show are $35 in advance and $40 the day of the show. They go on sale Friday, July 20 at 10:00 through the Westcott’s website.
Peter Mulvey is the support act for this show. Mulvey wrote the song “Take Down Your Flag” following the shooting at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC in June 2015. After his first performance of the song opening for DiFranco in Northampton, MA, Mulvey put out an invitation to other artists to add verses. Mulvey’s introduction video is below, followed by DiFranco’s version, where she is accompanied by Ivan Neville and Terrance Higgins.
Ani DiFranco Fall Tour:
Sept. 15 – Grand Point North Festival – Burlington, VT Sept. 16 – Westcott Theater – Syracuse, NY
Sept. 28 – Lyric Theatre – Birmingham, AL
Sept. 29 – Center Stage Theater – Atlanta, GA
Sept. 30 – The NorVa – Norfolk, VA
Oct. 1 – The Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PA Oct. 3 – Le Poisson Rouge – New York, NY
Oct. 5 – Somerville Theatre – Somerville, MA Oct. 6 – Bardavon 1869 Opera House – Poughkeepsie, NY
Nov. 4 – Delta Hall at Eccles Theater – Salt Lake City, UT
Nov. 6 – Vancouver Playhouse – Vancouver, BC
Nov. 8 – The Neptune – Seattle, WA
Nov. 9 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
Nov. 10 – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR
Nov. 12 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
Nov. 14 – Palace Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 15 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ
Nov. 17 – Granada Theater – Dallas, TX
Nov. 18 – Emo’s Austin – Austin, TX
Nov. 19 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
Check out DiFranco’s Tiny Desk Concert from last year below:
Longtime Central New York festival, K-Rockathon is back to a one-day affair after Avenged Sevenfold decided to cancel their upcoming Saturday date due to an ongoing illness within the band.
Back in March, Central New York radio station K-Rock announced that the 22nd edition of the annual festival would expand to two days at the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview (formerly Lakeview Amphitheater) in Syracuse. The July 22 date of the festival was to feature Avenged Sevenfold as the headliner with support from Rise Against, Three Days Grace and Ho99o9. The Sunday, July 23 show is still happening and features Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie.
A statement issued by Avenged Sevenfold said:
Due to a continued illness, we unfortunately have to cancel our performances this week in Rimouski at Les Grandes Fetes TELUS and at Syracuse’s KROCKATHON. To our fans, we’re just as let down about this as you are and we look forward to seeing you next time.
The band did not provide any information on the illness. In addition to the Syracuse show, shows in Quebec City, Saint John, New Brunswick and Rimouski, Quebec were also scrapped.
Tickets for the festival were available as single-day or two-day passes. Those who purchased two-day passes will be receive a 50% refund while those who purchased Saturday only will receive a full refund. Live Nation stated that online purchases will be automatically refunded. Physical tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase.
K-Rock issued the following via Facebook, “Listen, it SUPER bums us out & we completely understand that everyone will be upset (and have their own opinion to voice), but we can’t control sickness so, we’re here for questions & hope you still come party with us on Sunday for Rob Zombie & Marilyn Manson”
John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd. has been celebrating its 40th anniversary throughout 2018. Dates throughout Europe and Japan have dotted the band’s itinerary the early part of the year and now, beginning in October, the tour comes to North America.
The Public Image is Rotten tour kicks off in New Orleans on Oct. 9 and makes its way to Asbury Park and Brooklyn on Oct. 13 and 15. Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, July 13 at 10:00 a.m. local time. PiL is also touring in support of a documentary with the same title as the tour, which will see its theatrical premiere at the Metrograph in New York on Sept. 14.
The band is also set to release a career-spanning box set on July 20, titled The Public Image is Rotten (Songs From the Heart). The expansive box set will be available as five-CD/two-DVD, six-LP and in digital formats. It will include radio sessions, B-sides, remixes as well as the PiL Singles Collection (1978-2015). Also included is a complete live performance from New York’s Ritz from July 16, 1989.
The DVDs include PiL performances on the BBC shows Old Grey Whistle Test and Top of the Pops, two complete live shows from Estonia in 1988 and Sydney, Australia in 2013 and various promo and music videos.
For more 40th anniversary PiL info, visit the band’s official website here.
Public Image Ltd. 2018 Tour Dates:
Oct. 9 – The Civic Theatre – New Orleans, LA
Oct. 10 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
Oct. 12 – Black Cat – Washington, DC
Oct. 13 – Asbury Lanes – Asbury Park, NJ Oct. 15 – Brooklyn Steel – Brooklyn, NY
Oct. 16 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
Oct. 18 – Club Soda – Montreal, QC
Oct. 19 – Lee’s Palace – Toronto, ON
Oct. 21 – The Majestic – Detroit, MI
Oct. 22 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL
Oct. 24 – Granada Theatre – Dallas, TX
Oct. 25 – The Mohawk – Austin, TX
Oct. 28 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
Oct. 29 – Showbox – Seattle, WA
Oct. 31 – The Chapel – San Francisco, CA
Nov. 1 – The Chapel – San Francisco, CA
Nov. 3 – El Rey – Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 6 – Pepsi Centre – Mexico City, MX
Sherrill may be the smallest city in New York State, but its long-running summer concert series boasts some of the biggest music acts in the Central New York scene.
Among those slated to perform at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday from June 26 – Aug. 28 are country artist Eddie Arcuri, alt-folk band the Old Main, fan favorites and Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame inductees, Fritz’s Polka Band and Central New York’s premier party band, Showtime.
Eddie Arcuri performs in the pavilion Tuesday, July 3. Arcuri has recently been recording in Nashville and performed at Frog Fest in June. You can check out his single for “Beer Goggles” here.
(Photo: Anthony Owens)
Cazenovia’s Oldfield 5 performs on July 10. The band’s name is derived from the old phone exchange for Cazenovia. Band member, Gary Powers is a Sherrill resident.
Showtime takes the stage on July 17. This seasoned band has a proven track record of being able to perform just about anything. They’ve been on the CNY scene since the early ’90s and are one of the most high demand bands in the area.
Fritz’s Polka Band, based in nearby Verona, has the claim of being the only Polka band to ever play at a Woodstock Festival, having performed at the ill-fated Rome version in 1999. FPB was inducted into the Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame in 2017 and have been nominated in several categories at the Cleveland awards ceremony over the years. The band has proven over the course of its career that Polka music can, in fact, rock, as exhibited in this fan-shot video of their version of “All Along the Watchtower” below.
The Old Main brings their unique brand of Americana to Sherrill on July 31. The band has proven very popular on the upstate brewery circuit and also has a solid fan base at the ski resorts of the Adirondacks and Vermont.
On Aug. 7, the jazz group E.S.P. This high energy group of seasoned jazz professionals is the recipient of three SAMMY Awards for Best Jazz Album (2009, 2011, 2017) and features Sherrill native, Evan Duchene on drums. Check out their video for “When Fortune Smiles” below.
The PartyNuts perform oldies from the ’50s and ’60s at the gazebo on Aug. 14. Their performance will be followed by a movie under the starts. The movie will be announced at a later time.
Central Winds is an all-star CNY wind ensemble comprised of more than 40 local music educators. They will be performing music spanning several genres at the park on Aug. 21. Aside from performing at such esteemed venues as the Eastman School of Music in Rochester and the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, the ensemble also conducts workshops throughout the year. Read more about this talented group of musicians here.
Sherrill Summer Series concerts are held in the gazebo of Reilly-Mumford Memorial Park, next door to Sherrill City Hall. For more information on this series, visit the City of Sherrill’s website here.
School’s out and summer is in full effect. With summer, comes live concert series throughout New York.
The city of Rome’s Griffo Green at City Hall will play host to the city’s annual summer concert series. Each Monday evening, beginning July 9, many of Rome’s most talented musicians will be showcased on the green outside of Rome’s City Hall. All shows are free and run from 6-8 p.m.
The series kicks off July 9 with a double shot of rock. Baddogg and 24/7 team up for opening night on the green. Both bands feature members with long pedigrees in the Central New York music scene. Baddogg began as a blues-based three piece and have evolved to include classic rock as well. Bassist Billy Carman performs in both bands. Carman has performed with a plethora of other CNY artists over the years as well as a stint in the band Boston. To say Carman is prolific would be an understatement.
Local blues legend, Midnite Mike Grimaldi and his band, the Bent Blinds take the stage on July 16. Grimaldi has played with some of the legends of the blues, including B.B. King, James Cotton and Joe Bonamassa. Grimaldi is a proud hometown musician with a pure passion for performing. Listen to some of the band’s work on Soundcloud below.
Husband and wife duo, Tammy and Andy Box, performing as the Boxed Set, bring a taste of ’70s rock to Griffo Green on July 23. The Boxed Set performs classics from Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac and other classic ’70s artists.
The Loco Brothers bring a fresh take on classic rock to the green July 30.
When it comes to covering deep tracks, Caut!on is your band. Chad Plantz and Mike “The Wizard” Bell form the core of this outfit. The lineup is rounded out by bassist Billy Carman and drummer John Dugan. Arkansas native, Bell plays a mean slide guitar and Plantz can belt out classics from Warren Zevon, the Grateful Dead, Bruce Cockburn and Dave Matthews like no other.
Mike “The Wizard” Bell of Caut!on
For your ’60s and ’70s hits, look no further than Vinyl 45 on Aug. 13. Long time CNY band, Dubonnet will finish off the series on Aug.20.
The 26th annual NYS Blues Festival has expanded to three days for 2018. The extra day of the free festival in Clinton Square has allowed organizers to bring in additional national acts, including Thursday’s headliner, sister duo, Larkin Poe and several local acts.
Anders Osborne, C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band both bring a Louisiana flair to the festival as well as local legends, Los Blancos, who have been known to dip into some Zydeco from time to time.
The festival kicks off Thursday with local blues/soul act the Lightkeepers at 5:00 p.m. They were recently featured on Soundcheck Live at Subcat Studios. You can catch their electric performance below.
Central New York native and saxophonist in fellow Central New Yorker, Joe Bonamassa’s band, Paulie Cerra, is the Friday night headliner for the festival.
In addition to all the action on the main stage in Clinton Square, four venues will be providing free live music on Thursday night. The Dinosaur BBQ on Willow Street offers Anonymous Willpower; Empire Brewpub on Walton Street features Jimmy Wolf performing with Todd Minerd and Zubby; Neil Minet performs at Funk ‘n Waffles on Clinton Street and Shifty’s features the Barking Loungers. Shows at the Dinosaur, Funk ‘n Waffles and Empire begin at 9:00 p.m., while the Shifty’s show kicks off at 8:00.
Everything kicks off with a pre-party Wednesday night with Jack Broadbent at the Syracuse Marriot Downtown. Opening the show for Broadbent is Colin Aberdeen and Max Eyle. Broadbent is being hailed as the “new master of the slide guitar.” Tickets for this show are $20 and are still available through the festival website. See the daily schedule below and check out the Spotify playlist curated by festival organizers to get a taste of what’s in store.
Thursday June 28:
5:00 p.m. – The Lightkeepers
6:10 p.m. – The Hi-Jivers
7:30 p.m. – Larkin Poe
Friday June 29:
3:00 p.m. – Blues Ignition
4:00 p.m. – Chris Eves Blues Trio
4:50 & 6:00 p.m. (side stage) – Jane Zell
5:10 p.m. – Matt Tarbell’s Built for Comfort
6:20 p.m. – The Ripcords
7:30 & 9:00 p.m. (side stage) – Nate Gross
7:50 p.m. – Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers
9:20 p.m. – Paulie Cerra
Saturday June 30:
12:00 p.m. (side stage) – Workshop: Blues Harp Family Jam with Chris Merkley
1:00 p.m. – Mike DeLaney and the Delinquents
1:40 & 2:55 p.m. (side stage) – Mike “Cotton Toe” Scrivens
2:00 p.m. – The Roustabouts with Tom Townsley
3:15 p.m. – Los Blancos
4:10 & 5:40 p.m. (side stage) – Mark Wahl
4:30 p.m. – AJ Ghent [ j-ent ]
6:00 p.m. – Bruce Katz Band
7:10 & 8:40 p.m. (side stage) – Todd Fitzsimmons
7:30 p.m. – C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band
9:00 p.m. – Anders Osborne
Mike Kohli: So is the band starting to gel yet?
