NYS Music 20​18

Category: Photo Gallery

  • Rubblebucket Brings Albany To Its Knees… Literally

    On December 6, Rubblebucket brought their tour through Lucky Strike in Albany in support of their new album, Sun Machine. The duo in Kalmia Traver and Alex Toth are keeping the Rubblebucket name alive after a long, tough road. Sun Machine is an album that literally follows their own struggles as an on and off couple and keeping their personal issues aside as they continue to work together. The songs are incredibly powerful and make for what is being considered quite the theatrical performance.

    And The Kids from Northampton, MA opened the show. They’ve been on tour together a few times now as Kalmia and Alex have become close with the members, even having the “Kids” come out on stage with them for a couple songs. Rubblebucket backs themselves with an incredible touring band that changes from time to time but generally stays the same. Mixing their old classics like “Came Out of a Lady” and new ones like “Party Like Your Heart Hurts,” the band puts on an incredible production with shadow screens and, at one point, literally bringing the crowd to its knees and crowd surfing over them while playing their horns.

    Rubblebucket just announced their spring tour, coming back through New York in late January and mid-March before heading west.

      

     

  • Keller Williams Celebrates Tom Petty with Petty Grass

    “Petty Grass is bluegrass versions of Tom Petty hits. Sing-alongs that some people didn’t even know they knew.  Tom Petty songs are like that and Petty Grass celebrates this.” ~ Keller Williams

    Keller Williams and the Hillbenders performed Keller’s latest project, Petty Grass, at a new venue in Jersey City, NJ, White Eagle Hall. The recently renovated and restored historic theater has been “outfitted with the latest sound technology” and has two hand-crafted stained glass skylights.

    petty grass

    Williams began the concept in 2015, for a local S.P.C.A benefit. After Petty’s recent death, Williams decided to take the concept on the road and add a band. The Hillbender’s couldn’t be a more perfect choice to fill this role.

    The Hillbenders, a talented bluegrass band from Springfield, MO, are experienced with translating rock and roll into bluegrass and are the perfect compliment to Williams. They released a bluegrass version of The Who’s Tommy called Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry in 2015. 

    petty grass

    The show was indeed a big audience sing-a-long, with the crowd participation increasing during each song. Tom Petty had many fun loving hits. William’s sing-a-long version, combined with the Hillbender’s picking intensity, successfully showcases this. The band often came together as a group on stage, demonstrating their exemplary skills as a bluegrass band.

    Notable songs included “Refugee,” the extended jam combined elements of William’s Grateful Dead roots with the Hillbender’s penchant for picking. “Even the Losers” had a great texture from the mandolin by Nolan Lawrence. “Last Dance With Mary Jane” was meant to be a bluegrass sing-a-long. “Running Down a Dream” has a harmonious melody from Gary Rea on guitar and Chad Graves on dobro. 

    petty grass

  • Rubblebucket Shows Buffalo Some Love

    Rubblebucket‘s sound may be hard to pin down with influences spanning the umbrella of pop but Talking Heads for the modern age gets you close.

    Of course the best way to experience such a sonic celebration is in concert and a celebration is just what happened on a cold winter night on December 5 at Buffalo’s Babeville.

    Horns blared, polyrhythms took hold, lines between stage and crowd blurred while dance parties sprang to life.

  • LANY Celebrates ‘Malibu Nights’ With Sold Out Shows at Terminal 5

    Los Angeles trio LANY brought their SoCal indie pop sound from LA to NYC to celebrate the release of their second studio album, Malibu Nights, for two sold out nights at Terminal 5 on Nov. 4 and 5. Opening the evening as the crowd continued to roll in was Anna of the North, stage name for Norwegian singer-songwriter Anna Lotterud and her band.

    LANY hit the stage with the same energy seen on the 2018 Governors Ball main stage, condensed into the three-tier music club in midtown Manhattan. Frontman Paul Jason Klein’s charismatic stage presence gripped the ebullient audience throughout the entire show, navigating the dynamic between the effervescence of their pop sound and mellifluous melodies of their other songs.

    Malibu Nights was released a month prior on October 5 and met some quick success reaching #3 on Billboard’s Alternative Albums Chart and even bumped the band up to #11 on Billboard’s Emerging Artist chart.

    LANY’s brief 8-stop North American tour concluded at Terminal 5, but after a short break, the band began an aggressive tour of Europe which returns to the US in April and continues through Summer 2019. They’ll be back in NYC at the Hammerstein Ballroom on May 17.

    Setlist:

    Thick and Thin, Good Girls, 4EVER!, Babe No Way, I Don’t Wanna Love You Anymore, Taking Me Back, Made in Hollywood, Hurts, Run, 13, If You See Her, the Breakup, Pink Skies, Hericane, Super Far, Malibu Nights

    Encore: Malibu Nights, Thru These Tears

  • Dave Matthews Band Opens NYC Run With Rarities and Special Guest

    Dave Matthews Band returned to the world’s most famous arena for back-to-back sold-out shows as part of their 10-city fall tour on Nov. 29 and 30.

    Having the opportunity of a summer tour to spotlight songs from the band’s 2018 release Come Tomorrow, DMB shied away from making that the focus with one four songs from the album in their set. Instead, they took the opportunity to mix the show up a bit with some rarities and older songs not often seen in their touring set lists.

    Highlighting the latter part of the nearly three-hour single set was a special appearance by the talented Eric Krasno, a NYC native and founding member of Soulive (alongside Alan and Neal Evans) and Lettuce. Krasno joined the band for a fiery solo on “Lie In Our Graves.” (DMB’s second night featured Warren Haynes as a special guest).

    With the early 2018 departure of the band’s long-time violinist Boyd Tinsley, whose parts were a defining part of their live sound, the band found keyboardist Buddy Strong to fill the spot. Strong is a talent behind the keys, touring or performing with majors acts like Usher, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and others. He brought a different dynamic to the performance than we are used to, adding a bit of funk and soul to the overall sound and crafting a new feel to some of the improvised moments of the show such as his solo on “Funny The Way It Is.”

    A few familiar songs anchored the setlist to keep the less-seasoned DMB fans engaged such as “#41” and “Satellite,” though night two’s set was a little bit more mainstream in the tunes. Closing the encore was one of DMB’s more commercially popular songs, “Ants Marching,” featuring some extended jamming and Beauford riffing around an a drum intro that slowly teased the song.

    Setlist (Night 1):

    Seek Up, That Girl Is You, Why I Am, Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin), Kill the King, #41, Satellite, Again and Again, Sweet Emotion, Minarets, Can’t Stop, Lover Lay Down, Lie in Our Graves (w/Krasno), Sleep to Dream Her, Typical Situation, Funny the Way It Is, You & Me, You Might Die Trying

    Encore: What You Are, Ants Marching

  • Cousin Earth Says Goodbye to Tara Lawton

    Cousin Earth said an emotional goodbye to singer, percussionist and keyboardist Tara Lawton last Thursday at the Mercury Lounge. The band filled the room with high energy jams, to the audiences’ delight. Lawton jumped around on stage as she took in her final performance, while delivering vibrant vocals and funky keyboard riffs. At the end of the set, the band members took turns embracing with Lawton.

    Formula 5 followed this memorable performance with a delicious set of flawless jam rock. From the first song, the Capital Region band dove into a groove, and did not stop. Guitarist Joe Davis and Keyboardist Matt Richards were often jamming together, creating electric and cohesive improvisation.

  • Khruangbin Gets Funky North of the Border

    The Texas trio Khruangbin brought their unique blend of Thai influenced funky psychedelic music to Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall for a sold out show on Thursday, November 29. As the venue was filling up,  Ginger Root opened the show with their self-described aggressive elevator soul. After a short pause, Khruangbin calmly took the stage to an enthusiastic audience weaving elements of hip-hop, soul, and surf-rock into their unique mostly instrumental sound that made for a most memorable evening.

  • Tea Leaf Green Brings The Heat To The Northeast

    Tea Leaf Green recently celebrated 20 years as a band and was greeted with an exceptionally warm Northeast welcome. This run was special because the San Francisco-based jam quartet hasn’t visited the area in two years. These shows notably mark the second time bass player Eric DiBerardino played with Tea Leaf Green in the New York City Metro region. DiBerardino replaced bass superstar Reed Mathis in 2016. Fans are excited to be more acquainted with his style.

    StageOne in Fairfield, CT (11/16/2018)

    Described as a “coffee shop stage,” StageOne in Fairfield, CT offered fans a chance to see the band up close with great acoustics. The venue has a 225 person capacity, with seating on both sides of the stage. Tea Leaf Green rewarded those in attendance with a classic set of favorites.

    The set began with “5000 Acres” and “Ride Together,” which got the crowd on their feet and grooving. Next up were “Make a Connection,” “Innocence” and the electro-funk jam “Germinating Seed,” featuring notable guitar segments from guitarist Josh Clark. The set wrapped up on a high note with the perennial hit “If It Wasn’t For the Money,” featuring outstanding vocals and smooth solos by keyboardist Trevor Garrod.

    Set II picked up where Set I left off, starting with the funky “These Two Chairs“ and an electrified “Don’t Curse the Night.” The high energy “One Reason“ got the crowd ready for the first jam of the night, “Gasaholic.” Garrod’s soulful vocals and funky keyboard execution combined with Clark’s guitar improvisation made this an unforgettable rendition.

    “All Of Your Cigarettes“ brought a few chill moments before Jordan Giangreco of The Breakfast joined Tea Leaf Green on stage, playing organ next to Garrod for the high energy favorites “Give Me One More Chance“ and “Incandescent Devil.” Musical nirvana between all five musicians was reached during the second jam of the night and closed the second set on a high note.

    The encore brought the energy down to earth for the melodic Garrod classic, “Earth and Sky.”

    Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, NY (11/17/2018)

    Tea Leaf Green has a rich history of high energy jamming at the Brooklyn Bowl, which features a bowling alley adjacent to the stage. Gadadu and Greg Humphrey’s Electric Trio opened and got the crowd on their feet.

    The band was ready to rock and roll from the very first song, “Devil’s Pay,” including eloquent vocals from Garrod and mind-numbing guitar solos by Clark. The harmonica-fueled “Let Us Go“ was the perfect precursor for the jam of the night, “Red Ribbons” > “Garden III.” Both are classic Tea Leaf Green songs, and “Garden” included a unique rock infused jam, which delighted longtime fans.

    Garrod’s vocals and keyboard skills shined in “Been So Long“ and “Cops Took My Weed“ followed by a Clark electric guitar clinic in “Space Hero“ and “Hot Dog.” There is no question how talented this band is.

    The soulful Garrod tune “Kali Yuga” closed out the set, and included celebration confetti from the audience. The encore began with “Carter Hotel,” an inspiring ballad sung by Clark. The show ended on a high note with the electric “Vote on Tuesday,” including more audience confetti to close this memorable night.

    The Northeast was jubilant after two fantastic Tea Leaf Green shows and awaits their return for more soulful, funky improvisational rock and roll.

  • Garbage Celebrates 20 Years of ‘Version 2.0’ at The Capitol Theatre

    On Oct. 20, 90s alt-rockers Garbage made their debut at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester to a house packed with loyal fans, celebrating 20 years since the release of their album Version 2.0.

    Garbage treated The Cap to the entirety of Version 2.0, but changed it up a bit playing it out of order and mixing in tracks from their other albums including covers of The Seeds’ “Can’t Seem To Make You Mine” and Big Star’s “Thirteen.”

    The colorful Shirley Manson, whose image mimicked the cover of the Version 2.0 album, gave an expressive performance through the whole show with an amount of animation in concert with the aura of each song. Just before starting the encore, she gave an extended thank you to the fans for their support with some emotional pauses which only seemed to garner more applause from the crowd.

    Though the band has its roots in Wisconsin and singer Shirley Manson is from Edinburgh, the show was a homecoming for co-founder/guitarist Steve Marker, a Westchester native who spent some time working at the theatre years ago.

    The bottom line of Garbage’s show at The Cap is one of genuineness – between the band and audience the room felt like a close-knit family pouring their hearts out to one another.

    Setlist:

    Afterglow, Deadwood, Temptation Waits, Wicked Ways, Special, The World Is Not Enough, 13x Forever, Get Busy With the Fizzy, Hammering in My Head, Medication, Thirteen, Can’t Seem to Make You Mine, I Think I’m Paranoid, Sleep Together, Dumb, Soldier Through This, Lick the Pavement, Push It, When I Grow Up, You Look So Fine

    Encore: The Trick Is to Keep Breathing, No Horses, Cherry Lips

  • Lucky Chops and Funky Dawgz Brass Band Turn the Heat Up in Ridgefield

    On October 11, The Ridgefield Playhouse hosted two acoustic bands with a big sound. Lucky Chops, who are on a national tour, were joined by Funky Dawgz Brass Band for a double bill that made a Thursday night feel more like the start of a long weekend.

    Funk Dawgz started the night with a high energy take on the New Orleans street band sound, mixing some funk and hip-hop elements into their arrangements and improv. Later in their set, Tommy Weeks (tenor sax) welcomed one of his younger music students on stage for a few minutes to shine during a traditional NOLA take on “When The Saints Go Marching In.”

    Lucky Chops has been growing in popularity since getting a bit of attention busking in the NYC subway stations, so much so that they’ve gone on to play at packed houses on European tours. Though om a Thursday night with a small crowd, the band played with the high level energy they consistently bring to the sold-out clubs shows of Brooklyn and the outdoor summer festivals.

    Lucky Chops debuted some new music from an upcoming recording project and dug a bit into their 2018 EP Virtue and Vice Sessions, Vol. 1. As a tribute to their high school band roots, they started off their encore with “For Connie,” a tune written in dedication to one of their music teachers.

    Lucky Chops Setlist: Halfway to the Hudson, Best Things, The Dancing Babies, Ab Jam, Prisoner, Temple of Boom, Buyo, These Tears, Hoodoos at Sunrise, Familiar Places, Full Heart Fancy, Without You, Coco, Ska Ba, Danza

    Encore: For Connie, Funkytown/I Feel Good