NYS Music 20​18

Author: Renee Clark

  • Weezer a Crowd Pleaser at Syracuse Show

    Weezer and Pixies‘ co-headlining tour brought a seamless blend of 90s rock nostalgia to the St. Joseph’s Amphitheatre in Syracuse, NY on July 15.

    Pixies ripped right into their set with their raw punk rock hits. Their set was much more rigid and simplified in comparison to Weezer’s. It was also so jam-packed that they left no time to interact with their fans. They undeniably showed the audience why they have been the influence to many of their other favorite artists.

    Once Weezer took the stage, they wasted no time busting out their mega hits. They kicked off their set with their most notable song “Buddy Holly.” Fans had a nostalgia overload because the band re-created the “Buddy Holly” Arnold’s Drive In video set and each band member was dressed in clothing to match while performing the song.

    Weezer was the complete opposite of Pixies and had numerous interactions with the crowd. The band’s front man, Rivers Cuomo even visited the cheap seats on a small stage in the back of the amphitheater and performed a few hits including “Island in the Sun” and “Feels Like Summer”. He traveled to this other stage via the S.S. Weezer which was a small boat with wheels that security operated in the absence of water.

    The crowd could be heard singing along with every song with Rivers all the way to the parking lot. You could tell Rivers and the rest of Weezer were genuinely enjoying themselves and putting on the best show they knew how.

    Weezer setlist: Happy Days Intro, Buddy Holly, Beverly Hills, Pork and Beans, Undone – The Sweater Song, Hash Pipe, Perfect Situation, My Name Is Jonas, El Scorcho, In the Garage, Susanne, Happy Together, (The Turtles cover) (with a snippet of Longview by Green Day), Keep Fishin’ (Brian Bell vocals), B-Stage, Island in the Sun – (Rivers solo), Take On Me – (a‐ha cover) (Rivers solo), Burndt Jamb, (Smells Like Teen Spirit lyrics, without Rivers), (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To, Feels Like Summer, Africa – (Toto cover)

    Encore: The Good Life, Play Video, Say It Ain’t So (with Black Sabbath “Paranoid” outro)

  • Arctic Monkeys Give Fans the ‘Star Treatment’ at CMAC

    The Arctic Monkeys returned to Upstate NY for the second time in their touring history fresh off of their four year hiatus, making a rare appearance at CMAC on July 25, 2018.

    Fans from all over NY gathered for this special occasion, weathering heavy downpours of rain. Some stating that they’d never thought they would have the opportunity to see them in their area.

    The band’s near 90 minute set had fans young and old cheering and dancing in their seats, reveling in the fact that their favorite band had finally came back to perform for them. It was clear to see that the Arctic Monkeys did their job and left the masses satisfied.

    Arctic Monkeys – CMAC Performing Arts Center – Canandaigua, NY – Wednesday, July 25, 2018

    Setlist: Four Out of Five, Brianstorm, Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair, Crying Lightning, Teddy Picker, 505, The Ultracheese, Do Me a Favour, Cornerstone, Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?, Knee Socks, Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, One Point Perspective, Do I Wanna Know?, I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, Pretty Visitors, Arabella

    Encore: Star Treatment, The View From the Afternoon, R U Mine?

  • Brad Paisley Heats Up Syracuse With Weekend Warrior Tour

    Blistering heat didn’t stop masses of Brad Paisley fans from coming out to his Weekend Warrior World Tour stop at the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater in Syracuse, NY.

    Flocks of ‘Weekend Warriors’ came to the venue early to tailgate by setting up tents, chairs and grills in true parking lot party form.

    Tour mates Dan Tyminski and Kane Brown performed for the crowd as the party moved from the parking lot into the venue for the show. Brown’s good looks and southern drawl left every female, young and old, screaming for more.  

    When Paisley hit the stage, he kept the party atmosphere going by having two bars set up on stage behind him with a handful of lucky fans enjoying drinks while he performed.

    Known for his support for the military and generosity, he brought out members of the military to salute them and every troop for their service. Shortly after that, he signed a guitar and gave it to a young girl in the audience saying, “This is how you make a Taylor Swift,” and instructed the young girl to learn how to play.

    Paisley performed for nearly 90 minutes and his old school guitar pickin’ country was truly refreshing to see. Carrie Underwood even made a surprise “appearance” via video chat with him as she sang their duet hit “Remind Me.”

    Brad Paisley‘s Weekend Warrior World Tour will continue to roll through the United States through September and will re-visit New York in Wantagh at the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on August 10. 

  • Imagine Dragons leaves Syracuse fans feeling ‘On Top of the World’

    First things first, Imagine Dragons live performance at the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse, NY on June 11 will be a hard act for any artist to follow there this summer.  The band’s energy was clear right from the beginning, starting with “Radioactive.” They were elevated into the middle of the stage playing various percussion instruments, building up the energy for the show.

    imagine dragons syracuse

    Second things second, it is so rare to see huge acts spend up close and personal time with their fans. Lead singer Dan Reynolds owns his stage presence and isn’t afraid to hop off stage and walk through the entire venue as he sings. Reynolds even jumped over the fence to give fans in the lawn section some love.

    About a third of the way into the show, the band dialed the energy down a bit and followed Reynolds into the crowd to perform acoustic versions of “Amsterdam,” “I Bet My Life” and a stripped down, stringed version of “Bleeding Out” with violin and cello.imagine dragons syracuse

    Third things third, Reynolds told the crowd that he hoped their show would be a great escape from their fans’ troubles for a few hours. With confetti flying four times throughout the show and balloons dropping on the crowd at the show’s end, Imagine Dragons know how to add that extra flare of fun to their shows. Fans at the amphitheater enjoyed every minute and could hardly contain their excitement by jumping up and down singing along to every song.

    imagine dragons syracuse

    Last things last, If you come to a show as a fair weather fan, Imagine Dragons will make you a believer once you’ve seen them perform live. Their love for their fans, talent and energy in their live performance is so authentic for a band as big as they have become.

    Setlist: Radioactive, It’s Time, Whatever It Takes, Shots, Yesterday, Walking the Wire, Next to Me, I’ll Make It Up to You, Start Over, The River, Gold, I Don’t Know Why, Mouth of the River, Amsterdam, Bleeding Out, I Bet My Life, Demons, Thunder, On Top of the World, Believer