NYS Music 20​18

Category: Features

  • Cohoes Music Hall hosts Holly Bowling on Sunday September 16

    Holly Bowling returns to the Capital District on Sunday, September 16 at Cohoes Music Hall, bringing her classical interpretations from the catalogs of the Grateful Dead and Phish with her. Bowling has twice performed in Albany at the Massry Center for the Arts, as well as at The Whisper Dome in Schenectady, most recently last October. With Phish just one month away in the state capital, Bowling will find a familiar audience once again in one of the oldest venues in the state. Check out what we said of her performance at The Whisper Dome in March of 2017 and get your tickets to this special night of music.

    After studying piano performance at SF State University, Bowling has turned her agile mind and interpretive prowess to the works of Phish on 2015’s Distillation Of A Dream album and the Grateful Dead focused Better Left Unsung (2016, The Royal Potato Family). Her compelling playing and unerring ability to successfully collaborate with other musicians in an impressive array of styles has brought her to the attention of Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes, and other luminaries who’ve asked Bowling to perform with them. Already a rising star on the festival circuit, Bowling currently tours as a member of Ghost Light with Tom Hamilton, Steve Lyons, Raina Mullen and Scotty Zwang. Texture, nuance, and a gift for dexterous high-wire improvisation are the hallmarks of San Francisco-based classically trained pianist Holly Bowling.

  • Massaoke Transforms Parcel 5 Into Sing-Along Dance Party at Rochester Fringe

    KeyBank Rochester Fringe has brought the band Massaoke from the UK for the US debut. The sensation of the international festival circuit brings the karaoke experience to the masses – complete with live band, on-screen lyrics, and audience participation.

    Downtown Rochester comes to life during Fringe: people are out and about and there’s something to do or see on every street corner. But the main stage is at Parcel 5, part of the former site of Midtown Plaza on East Main Street. Thanks to a recent vote, parking is still free at meters on weekday evenings. But with record-breaking attendances every year, it was no surprise that I couldn’t find a spot on the street and had to use one of several garages within walking distance.

    When I arrived on site Friday night, the party was in full-swing, with an audience of thousands between the stage and the lights of the Liberty Pole singing along to “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus. While I’m not comfortable standing on stage to sing karaoke, I was quickly swept up in the excitement of the experience. I found myself setting down my camera and notebook several times to sing and dance along with the people beside me to favorites like Blink 182’s “All The Small Things” and The Village People’s “YMCA.”

    Massaoke led the audience in some themed medleys, some specific to decades or genres like 80’s or disco. They also did a really fun guys versus girls sing-off with songs from Grease. In traditional karaoke, people can choose songs. Massaoke replicates this through having the audience vote by volume (for example, Blink 182 beat out Backstreet Boys on this night). They also have an app where fans can vote in polls, request songs, or ask for a shout-out.

    For those who missed last night’s performance, there’s an encore tonight at 8:30pm. It will be the last chance to see Massaoke before they head back across the Atlantic.

    Parcel 5 is where the food trucks are stationed, so if you don’t need to go far to grab a quick bite. Organizers have cordoned off an area where people can bring their own lawn chairs for the shows. There are also stadium-style risers to the side for those who opt not to bring their own chair.

    All tuckered out from the show, I popped over to the Spiegelgarden at the corner of Main and Gibbs. The “pop-up urban lounge” is a great place to relax and enjoy refreshments. This is where you’ll find the Immersive Igloo, the Cirque Du Fringe, and the Silent Disco. But it’s also a place to relax between the 500+ events that occur during the 11 days Rochester Fringe. Grab some refreshments, then rally some friends for a game of cornhole, dominoes or connect four. Or pick up a pair of headphones and flop on a beanbag to enjoy the pedestrian drive-in – just like a drive-in but without the cars! While you’re there, pick up some Rochester Fringe merchandise, pick up tickets at the box office, or just chat with the Fringe volunteers about upcoming events.

    Check out the NYS Music preview of some of the music shows this weekend, and head over to the official rochesterfringe.com website to search for events by type, day, and/or venue. Rochester Fringe runs through Saturday, September 22. Stay tuned to NYS Music for more coverage and next week’s preview.

  • Yo La Tengo Puts a Spell on Buffalo

    Thursday, September 13 saw iconic indie rockers Yo La Tengo settle into an evening within the confines of Asbury Hall at Babeville in Buffalo. With no opener the first set found the trio testing their footing with a concise selection of mostly mellow tunes showcasing Ira Kaplan’s whisper sung lyrics. In contrast, the second set wasted little time upping the tempo and intensity as the band delved into the more sonically adventurous side of their catalogue.

    Photography by Matt Shotwell / Strawberry Island Dweller

  • A Look into Proctors and its Founder

    Frederick Freeman ProctorOn Friday, Sept. 7, locals were able to learn more about both the personal and professional life of vaudeville impresario F.F. Proctor — full name is Frederick Freeman Proctor — who is known for developing the original Proctors in Schenectady back in 1912.

    The event was titled “Proctor: A Man, His Theater, Our Heritage” and was part of the Coffee and Conversation series at the Bethlehem Public Library, which is co-sponsored by Bethlehem Senior Projects, Inc.

    The series takes place every Friday through Nov. 16, starting at 1 p.m. with visiting speakers and musicians talking about their craft, followed by an hour of complimentary coffee and light snacks at 2 p.m.

    Marilyn Sassi — a long-time museum curator, and adjunct professor at both Hudson Valley Community College and Schenectady County Community College — did her research before presentation that Friday, hoping to educate the audience about the theater’s origins, since it has been a significant landmark in the Capital District.

    While providing a slideshow of vivid historical photographs of Proctor himself who lived from Mar. 7, 1851 to Sept. 4, 1929 as well as the theater’s appearance through the decades, she also spoke about how the man grew from being an acrobatic performer himself to achieving his dream of opening his own theater.

    A self-professed theater lover, Sassi personally volunteers at Proctors where she has served as a tour guide for 13 years now. She recounted how she first watched movies at the theater with her grandfather when she was around five years old. Eventually, she became fascinated with Proctor’s life as well as how throughout the 20th century, his theater was developed, maintained, almost demolished and renovated for the modern times.

    To gather her research, Sassi worked with historians at the Schenectady County Historical Society, a historian near Central Valley as well as Proctor’s closest living relative, his great-grandnephew, who supplied exclusive information and photographs.

    She discussed how Proctor himself was a professional acrobat and performed in vaudeville houses in the late 19th century, calling himself “F.F. Levantine.” Gaining a desire at age 29 to buy and manage a theater though, “the only thing he can afford was a rundown, really shabby theater down on Green Street in Albany called the Gaiety at the time,” she said.

    Eventually, he oversaw the openings of more theaters nationwide and in 1925, the aforementioned Albany theater was moved to its present location in Schenectady. Sassi noted that the introduction of television, shopping malls and World War II factored into the theater’s downfall eventually, as well as Proctor’s own death in 1929.

    Falling into particular disrepair by the 1960s and 1970s, the theater was almost demolished but was saved when the Schenectady Council of the Arts intervened and money was raised via grants to begin renovations. It officially reopened on Jan. 3, 1979. Since then, the theater has undergone further renovations and maintenance in an effort to return it to its former aesthetic glory from the early 20th century.

    “Now, when you go into the theater, you are walking into what people would have seen when the theater first opened,” Sassi concluded her presentation, resulting in sheer applause from the mostly-packed audience.

    The next Coffee and Conversation event is this Friday, Sept. 14 at 1 p.m.

    This article was originally published by The Spot 518. 

  • El Modernist wins WEQX Battle of the Bands, opens Saturday’s Pearlpalooza

    El Modernist WEQXWill Fredette of El Modernist walked into a conversation that included radio personality Jeff Morad of WEQX. The radio station just concluded the second round of its annual battle of the bands competition. It pits four bands against one another to determine who opens Pearlpalooza, a large all-day block party in the middle of Albany. On this night it looked like Fredette’s band wasn’t going to be it. His band lost, earning first runner-up honors to Dooojj.

    Fredette extended a hand and thanked Morad for the opportunity to play. His El Modernists had just played a tight set. Despite the short 20 minutes, the four came out hot. They got the Friday night crowd on their feet with a lively punk act that contrasted against the popular jam and garageband sound across the scene. If he was dejected by the loss, he didn’t show it. The kid’s toothful grin made it look like he just earned the job.

    “Nice burp you had there,” Morad said, complimenting Fredette for appearing loose enough on stage to let out a belch into the mic. The lead singer admitted to downing a drink just prior to taking the stage. He felt the air bubble crawling back up from his gut as he was introducing the band to the crowd. He laughed as he later explained what was a pending dilemma in his mind. Should he back away or just own it?

    He shrugged it off. “I had to own it,” he said.

    El Modernist came out with, not so much a devil may care attitude, but more of an affable and earnest personality between them. Afterall, the band wasn’t supposed to be there. The collection of bands playing in this year’s competition included recognizable names. Acts that had CDs to sell at their merchandise table in the back of Jupiter Hall. The four of them just formed as a band. They only played their first gig together on St. Patrick’s Day five months before.

    “Honestly, that first set… we liked that opportunity,” said Will Hahn, El Modernist’s drummer and occasional rapper. The 15 minutes allotted to each band in the preliminary rounds was like doing a late night show on television. Just enough time to do a quick highlight of the band’s act. “Get it done and leave people wanting more.”

    It was enough to have judges bring the band back to the final round, and the gratitude was expressed yet again on stage. The largest crowd out of all the rounds gathered for the last act to see who would win. There were members from other bands, promoters and manager scattered around. The local music community was in one room. As if in tune to the fact, Hahn announced he created a Spotify playlist, “We Are Albany NY,” to market all of the local bands online.

    “Every single band in every round we played with was a great band,” said Hahn. “Not only that, but very supportive. Awesome people to work with. Fun part of the event was that you get more people to play some shows with.”

    These newcomers were going against veterans. Honey Suckle Vine, though relatively new to the local scene, had played together out West before moving into town. Joey Jaquez, who often sported a mean harmonica, fronted the four-piece band that brought a blues flavor to the party. Dooojj, who beat out El Modernist in the second round, was a good four-piece garageband. Then, there was Bendt.

    The members of Bendt knew how to embrace the local music community. Before taking the third round, Matt Plummer knew to thank and compliment his competitors. Hahn said he couldn’t “be mad” to losing to a bunch of guys like them. In the final round, taking the stage after El Modernist, with each of its four members sporting a T-shirt from Girl Blue, Good Fiction, Stellar Young and Hasty Page. If any one band knew how to win, it was Bendt. The band’s grunge style won Schenectady County’s Battle of the Bands last year.

    El Modernist, however, stood out with elements of punk — screaming guitar riffs and electric drums. The four each graduated from the College of St. Rose’s prestigious music program. They’ve messed around with other bands before coming together in March, blending various influences and creating something entirely their own.

    “El Modernist seemingly came out of nowhere to take us all by surprise with their performance at the finals,” said Morad, after the four earned the coveted Pearlpalooza slot. “It says a lot about them when you consider they knocked off the likes of Bendt, Honey Suckle Vine and Dooojj!”

    Morad said El Modernist pulled away with the win because of it’s “high energy, engaging and unique.”

    “Going from the wild card slot and winning it, I was little surprised,” said Joe DeTillio, El Modernist’s bass player. “Aside from that, it was so cool.”

    The opportunity now places El Modernist in the same company with Good Fiction and four different national acts coming in to Albany to play Pearlpalooza: Kitten, The Greeting Committee, Caroline Rose and Superorganism.
    “The four other bands are all national acts that blew everybody away at the 2018 SXSW Fest in Austin,” said Morad. “We’re glad to have been able to put them all together on the same day — for free! Not to mention, but I am mentioning, all four national acts are female fronted, cause girlpower.”

    El Modernist is already on the move. After the band sets the scene for Pearlpalooza this Saturday, at 1 p.m. and follows up with a gig at Savoy Taproom at 9:30 p.m. The band released its debut single “Up” on all available streaming services, including the band’s Albany-centric playlist on Spotify.

    This article was originally published by The Spot 518. is property of Spotlight Newspapers in Albany, N.Y., and appears as a special to NYS Music. TheSpot518 and NYS Music work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene in the Capital District and New York state, respectively. For more, visit TheSpot518.com.

  • Photo Recap: The Magpie Salute at The Space in Westbury

    The Magpie Salute treated their fans to an intimate night of music at The Space in Westbury on September 9. The show was separated into 3 parts: full band, acoustic set with Marc Ford, Rich Robinson and John Hang, and then back to the full band. The full band consisted of Rich Robinson and Marc Ford on guitar, Sven Pipien on bass, Joe Magistro on drums, vocals by John Hagg, and Matt Slocum on keys.

    The Magpie Salute

    Before kicking off their Europe tour, The Magpie Salute will be on the east coast during the month of September. Check out their upcoming tour dates here – http://themagpiesalute.com/events

    The Magpie Salute – The Space at Westbury – Westbury, NY

    Full Band: High Water, Mary the Gypsy, Take it All, For the Win, The Killing Moon*, Everything’s Alright#, All We Need to Do Is Love$

    Acoustic: You Don’t Miss Your Water%, Sister Moon

    Full Band: Lay It All On Me&, Open Up, Walk On Water, What Is Home&, What Is and What Should Never Be^, Can You See, A Conspiracy&, (Only) Halfway to Everywhere&, Send Me an Omen

    * Echo and the Bunnymen cover

    # Rich Robinson song

    $ Marc Ford and the Neptune Blues Club cover

    % William Bell cover

    & The Black Crowes cover

    ^ Led Zeppelin cover

    The Magpie Salute The Magpie Salute  

  • Winter WonderGrass Music Festival set to Make Northeast Debut in Vermont this December

    The WinterWonderGrass Music Festival has been an exciting treasure of Colorado and California for several years. Being an all-ages, community-centric event, with a variety of craft beer, cider, and local foods, it has earned the love and admiration of many who have attended. Not to mention that it features world-class bluegrass and roots artists who add musical entertainment to the mix. However, what was once thought to be an event almost entirely composed of local residents, WWG has made its first steps to expand its amazing winter lifestyle celebration to the east coast. After an impressive seven years in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and five years at Squaw Alpine Meadows in Lake Tahoe, Stratton, Vermont will be the first Northeast destination to experience this thrilling combination of high-quality artists and authentic partners/vendors from December 14-16.

    Founder of WinterWonderGrass, Scotty Stoughton wished to make his vision of community, family, philanthropy and leadership into a fantastic display of music, craft beer, and cuisine appreciation. When asked about what WWG truly stands for and the motivation to create such an immensely popular communal event, he responded:

    The inspiration behind WinterWonderGrass is to recreate the magic of ending your snow day at the base of the hill surrounded by family and friends, reminiscing about the days turns, while sipping a beer and listening to acoustic music. I learned to ski at Bromley, and those moments and memories are never far from my spirit. Living in the West, I have observed the expansion of ski towns and mountains, and I have a deep desire to recapture the true essence of the sport and communities that were built around mountain adventure!

    Out of the 20+ bands performing on four stages over the course of three days, Railroad Earth and The Infamous Stringdusters have already been announced to kick off the extravagant grassroots festival. The layout of the event itself is conveniently designed to accommodate all attendees, music lover or otherwise.

    The outdoor main stage is flanked by three heated beer halls, where side stage acts deliver inspired performances, often joined by guest musicians. The audience then has a variety of delightful options to move from the main stage, to the toasty beer halls, to the coffee bar, kids zone and to on-site sponsor activities. This journey of winter music and spectrum of drinks is shaping by the day to include more attractive performers and contributors to make it an event you do not want to miss.

    For further information on General Admission, VIP, and Ski Pass details, check out the WinterWonderGrass Music Festival website here and be set for the Northeast and Vermont’s very own December debut of this iconic celebration.

  • Premiere: ponder releases new single “Fits the Scene”

    Ponder this – Buffalo alt-rock group ponder (small p) today premieres “Fits the Scene,” a groove-oriented, jazz and funk inspired song arranged over dozens of shows with different musicians of varying influences as ponder’s lineup was solidified. The Buffalo alt-rock group has been on a journey since their formation at SUNY Geneseo and have found a sound and lineup that has them on a track for success.

    “Fits the Scene” was originally slated to be released in mid-2017, but when ponder’s original drummer left the band, the song was placed on the back burner while the group decided what the fate of the band would be going forward. With hard work already put into the project and with much on the horizon for the band, Gabe Birkby (guitar/vocals) and Andy Hogan (bass/vocals) chose to rally and rapidly began recruiting as many musicians in the Buffalo area who they knew would help drive the band sonically.

    “Fits the Scene” is ponder’s first release since April 2017’s These Words and acts as a definitive statement of how they have re-invented themselves. “These Words was a hodgepodge of punk, blues, funk, and indie elements — we were more or less absorbing all of our childhood influences and throwing them all against the wall to see what stuck. This new tune builds on those earlier songs like fan favorites “Toast” and “Shot Down” said Hogan. Andy Fischer (trumpet) and Paul Sottnik (keys) are also featured on “Fits the Scene.”

    Ponder’s current line up is stronger than ever with Gabe and Andy with Marcus Peters (drums) and Sam Shafer (lead guitar) helping to launch the band into its next phase. Catch them this fall across New York:

    September 14: Nietzsche’s, Buffalo, NY, with Litz
    September 28: The Firehouse Saloon, Rochester, NY with Adventure Dog
    October 18: TBA
    October 19: CyberCafe West, Binghamton, NY
    October 20: The Black Oak Tavern, Oneonta, NY
    November 1: Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY with The Werks

  • moe. Fills Second Night of Saranac Run With Heavy Hitters

    After a warm, beer-scented night one at the Saranac Matt Brewery, moe. prepared to warm up the crowd on a rather chilly night two of their Utica run. It was bassist Rob Derhak’s turn to write the setlist, and he had some surprises in store for the eagerly awaiting moe.rons.
    moe saranac run    To start off the first set, moe. dropped into their classic “Spine of a Dog,” singing the opening acapella lyrics for a few lines before letting the audience take over. Following a standard composed section, the group jammed on the song’s chord structure for the entirety of the jam, leading it into an up tempo peak before dropping into “Plane Crash,” sans Al Schnier’s usual tremolo-laden intro. Arguably Derhak’s most well-known song, “Plane Crash” had the whole audience singing along with its catchy chorus. The jam again stayed within the structure of the song itself, but led to its usual Schnier-led peak before ending with one last chorus. After a little bit of banter about how playing at Saranac in Utica feels like home to Derhak, the group played the short but sweet Chuck Garvey-penned “Who You Callin’ Scared?.” “Lazarus” followed soon after, a somber sounding tune seemingly referencing the biblical figure Lazarus, the man who Jesus supposedly rose from the dead 4 days after his death. Garvey took many jaw-dropping solos throughout the song’s many music interludes, leading the group through the jam section and into the final choruses before ending the song.

    To close out the set, the group whipped out the segment of “SIlver Sun > Puebla > Moth,” beginning with the Pink Floyd-esque Schnier tune “Silver Sun” to keep the slower vibe of “Lazarus” going. The intro was jammed out for a good eight and a half minutes before Schnier and Garvey broke into the song’s mysterious lyrics.

    Following the lyrical portion, the song was brought into a dark ambient jam led by Garvey, and driven by the strong rhythm section of Jim Loughlin on percussion, Vinnie Amico on drums, and Derhak on bass. As the jam picked up, Schnier and Garvey dropped into the song’s beautiful guitar harmonies before bringing the tune into “Puebla,” retaining the somber vibe of “Lazarus” and “Silver Sun.” “Puebla” wasted no time getting into the jam, kicking it off a mere two and a half minutes into the song, and jamming on the song’s main structure for more than six minutes before bringing the tune into uncharted territory. The group experimented a bit before ultimately bringing the song up into “Moth,” another Schnier led number that brought the mood up after the somber previous few songs. After working through a few verses and choruses, the group let Derhak take the spotlight for his first big bass solo of the night. The rest of the band decided to back up a motif Derhak was creating in his bass solo, and added textures around it to bring the musical idea to life. After about five minutes, the group brought the jam back into “Moth” territory and Schnier led the band to the best peak of the set with a fiery solo, singing out one last chorus before exiting the stage.

    After a toast to Nick Matt, the CEO of Saranac Matt Brewing Company, moe. came onstage and dropped into “New Hope For The New Year,” Garvey’s contribution to the new songs performed at the band’s return to the stage at the Capitol Theatre this past February. It seems to be Garvey’s way of putting everything into perspective and appreciating life after Derhak’s cancer scare, a very optimistic message for a somewhat downbeat song. The jam didn’t get too crazy, mainly switching between the typical A/B sections and allowing Garvey an area to stretch his legs solo-wise. After the hook, the group performed the main melody one last time before transitioning into “Kyle’s Song” through a “no huddle” segue. “Kyle’s Song” is a fan favorite across the board, coming from the band’s most loved album, Wormwood, a studio masterpiece released in 2003. The “Kyle’s” jam kicked off like it always does, with a killer solo from Garvey himself that usually makes up a good portion of the song.

    After a near six minute solo, the group dropped back into the chorus, before suddenly dropping into an unusual jam on the song’s main melody, but at half time. Loughlin saw this as an opportunity for a Marimba solo, and took a quick one before the band started to pick up the pace and bring the song into the legendary “Bearsong,” one of the heaviest songs in moe.’s catalog. Big inflatable Saranac branded bears were released into the audience as the intro of the song played out, and Schnier drove the group into the main section of the song. The jam stayed in the song structure and acted more as a solo base for the dueling duo as Derhak slapped away at his bass. The audience raged in full force with the group as Schnier brought it into one last chorus and the ending riffs of the song.

    As a break between the heavy jamming, Schnier led the group in his tune “What Can I Say,” a ballad with heartfelt lyrics backed by soulful blues music. The only way the band could follow that up was of course, “Rebubula > Yodelittle > Rebubula,” the jam segment of the night. Garvey kicked off “Rebubula” with an extended Leslie filled intro, before the rest of the band joined in and started to tease what song was about to start. After nearly seven minutes of open ended improv, the guitar duo broke into the opening notes of the song, and Derhak quickly fell in line behind them with Amico and Loughlin backing the groove up. The song is centered around Derhak, slapping and singing his heart out during the main verses of the song, and this time he was driving the bus a bit faster than usual. The group went through the typical composed riffs before Loughlin melted “Rebubula” into “Yodelittle,” with the help of Schnier and Garvey. Schnier assumed his role as the leader for the song, dropping into the song’s catchy chorus with Garvey harmonizing his vocals as usual. “Yodelittle” featured the longest jam of the night, clocking in at 23 minutes, and went the most out there of any song the group played over the weekend. Derhak took another of his famed fuzzy bass solos while the rest of the group layered textures behind him, before Loughlin took the reigns from him for a quick vibes solo. Schnier and Garvey dropped back into the opening riff of “Yodelittle” as they brought the song back into “Rebubula,” finishing out what they had started.

    Garvey took the helm and soloed his way into the peak of the jam before Derhak broke into the final verse of the song. The group repeated the chorus a few times before ending the song, leaving the stage for a quick encore break and Al.nouncements. The encore opened with “Don’t Wanna Be,” Loughlin’s first vocal effort of the night, which started the end of the show off on a dark note. He showed off his unique, yet spectacular voice as well as his vibraphone skills before the group took a quick break and dropped into “Okayalright.” A highly upbeat Derhak-penned tune about a time before moe. was even a band. The song didn’t contain any jamming, the group seemingly wanting to spread the positivity of the chorus of the song. After a quick thank you from Derhak, the group left the stage for the final time of the weekend.

    moe. performed two fantastic shows this past weekend in Utica, playing to their hometown crowd at a venue they love. The audience was spreading the love, and sharing in the incredible experience unfolding around them. Check below for a taste of the night through the photo gallery from Dave DeCrescente.

  • moe. Brewed Up Tasty Jams on Night 1 of Saranac Run

    Buffalo rockers moe. returned to Saranac Matt Brewery in Utica, NY for a 2-night run over September 7th and 8th. The weather was warm, the city was bustling, and the moe.rons were ready for some brain-melting music. 

    The show opened up with a fellow Buffalo act, moe.’s protege if you will, Aqueous, a younger group more focused on groove, but inspired by moe.’s progressive music. The band opened with their version of the classic “Super Mario Bros. Theme,” before bringing it into the four on the floor dance tune “Second Sight,” a song featured on the group’s newly released Color Wheel Wave 1 EP, released the day of the show. Following “Second Sight” was one of their more popular songs, “Kitty Chaser (Explosions),” a heavier rock tune that usually leads the crowd to some head banging during the explosive chorus.

    The group jammed it out a bit before segueing into their freshly debuted cover of Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die.” Next was another heavier tune, the Evan McPhaden-penned “Origami.” At this point the crowd had started to fill up, and they grooving along to what Aqueous was brewing at Saranac. To close out the set, the band played the jovial “Random Company,” featured on their last studio effort, Best In Show. “Random Company” had the longest jam of the set at 18 minutes and solidified Aqueous as a band to look out for in many .rons’ hearts.

    moe Saranac Run

    If you’ve ever been to a moe. show, you know the band loves to come out swinging and stay that way until they leave the stage following the encore. Saranac was no different. As they broke into “Timmy Tucker,” the audience knew they were in for a treat. It should be noted, Rob Derhak was particularly on point all weekend, nailing all of his vocal and bass parts in his typical Rob fashion, but attendees could tell he was feeling especially on fire in this home field venue.

    After a few chorus sing-a-long’s with the audience, the group brought “Timmy” into a fairly standard jam, before slowing it down a bit for the majority of the improv section. Around the 15-minute mark, there was a short peak, and the group brought the song into one last chorus before bringing it to a close. Following “Timmy” was the fast-paced “Mar-DeMa,” originally written for an event the group threw called ‘The Electric Lemoe.nade Acid Test.’ The tune acted as a great break from jamming following “Timmy,” and heavily featured the rhythm pair of Vinnie Amico and Jim Loughlin on drums and percussion, respectively. The group brought “Mar-DeMa” into the Al Schnier classic “Bring It Back Home,” another crowd sing-a-long, with catchy lyrics that are easy for even the non-.rons to follow. The song stayed within the bounds of its musical world for the jam, serving as a sort of experimental solo backing track for both Chuck Garvey and Schnier.

    moe Saranac Run

    As “Bring it Back Home” was closed out by a fantastic drum solo from Amico, the grip dropped into the fan favorite “Water,” greeted by a roar of cheers from the crowd. “Water” was the first heavier song of the show—while still keeping its flowy vibe throughout—and led to an amazing solo from Garvey as the rest of the band kept the train going behind him. After a short break, the band dropped into the Garvey-led “Hi & Lo,” slowing the feel down a bit after the faster paced “Water,” and allowing Garvey to stretch his legs vocally for the first time of the show.

    “Hi & Lo” featured a more experimental jam at first, but was brought into a usually driving moe. jam with a peak led by Garvey, before being slowly dropped into Derhak’s newest tune, “LL3,” written following Derhak’s victory over cancer, penned about the train he took into Boston for his cancer treatment. This version of “LL3” was a bit faster-paced than they’ve been playing it since it was debuted at their return to the Cap and the stage this past February. The whole group was locked in throughout the tune, and Derhak was singing with all the emotion he had in his heart. The song was brought into a quick peak, featuring another fantastic Garvey solo over the tune’s dark, descending melody. After one last chorus, the group brought the tune into the set’s closer, “Big World,” an upbeat tune that brought the crowd’s energy back up following the rather somber “LL3.” Schnier led the song vocally and on guitar, taking a quacky, envelope filter-filled solo and leading the tune into its usual peak.

    After a short set break, the group came out and immediately broke into “Buster,” the upbeat song about a pig that can fly, a fan favorite. “Buster” featured a fairly standard jam on the song’s main groove, and provided a soundtrack to the party .rons were having out in the audience. Following a mini-peak, the band took a quick break, and dropped into “Prestige Worldwide,” the Derhak-penned jam vehicle that debuted in late 2016. The intro of the song always provides some of the finest Schnier-Garvey guitar interplay you’ll get to see live, and sometimes will build into a mini-peak before the main song even starts.

    After Derhak finished singing the last of the song’s verses, the group dropped into the “B” section of the song, and started into a typical Schnier-led jam, before Loughlin took a hefty vibrophone solo that left jaws dropped to the floor. Garvey took the helm after Loughlin’s solo and brought the group into the end of the song. Following “Prestige,” Schnier introduced Mike Gantzer of Aqueous, while praising the group and saying “they really keep us on our toes,” before leading the group into his song “Mexico.”

    “Mexico” is the tale of Schnier’s 21st birthday trip to Mexico, a trip he’ll never forget. Throughout the tune, Gantzer followed along with Garvey’s textural lead playing while still adding his own flavor to the mix. Following the the main portion of the song, Gantzer grabbed the bull that is moe. by the horns and led them into a jam that isn’t exactly typical in a tune like “Mexico.” The Aqueous guitarist proceeded to take a solo that evoked the loudest cheers of the night from the crowd, and Schnier changed “cousin Dave” to “cousin Mike” for the last verse of the song.

    moe Saranac Run

    Derhak dropped into the opening lyrics of “Captain America” and the crowd cheered as it raged full force at the brewery. The jam was getting ready to drop into “Four,” so the group took it slow and let the tension build as they crept their way towards those opening chords. Garvey and Schnier led another duo guitar section until Derhak took off on a tiny bass expedition before “Four” officially started. This version of “Four” started off a little slower than it typically does, but the group brought it up to tempo in time for Garvey to start into the lyrics. The jam was the second longest of moe.’s night, consisting of 2 peaks and a really experimental bass solo from Derhak, utilizing some of his more interesting sounding effects pedals and blowing the minds of everyone in the audience. To close out the set, the group brought “Four” into “Meat” through a really ambient, almost techno jam.

    The progressive “Meat” was met by a roar of cheers from the crowd, and immediately got down and dirty. “Meat” is like Rush taking steroids and jamming for 20 minutes. The song is a prog rock masterpiece, and moe. knocked this one out of the park. Loughlin took another, shorter impressive solo in the midst of the jam, before Derhak took another long bass solo. This time he utilized some fuzz effects, making his unique bass sound like a synthesizer for doing what he does best and ending out the jam with a crazy awesome slap solo.

    The group drove the train all the way home to the station at the end of the “Meat” jam, peaking with an impressive solo from Garvey that was weaving in and out of the song’s riffs. The group came out and encored with the Schnier-penned fan favorite “Seat of My Pants,” the reggae-esque rock number with scat-like lyrics. The jam didn’t get too crazy, it stayed a typical “SOMP” jam till the end, but provided the perfect ending to an incredible show.

    NYS Music will also be providing coverage of the final night the moe. Saranac run, so check back tomorrow for that article. For a taste of what the first night of the Saranac run was like, check out the photo gallery below.

    Setlist:

    Set 1: Timmy Tucker, Mar-DeMa > Bring It Back Home > Water, Hi & Lo > LL3 > Big World
    Set 2: Buster, Prestige Worldwide, Mexico*, Captain America > Four > meat
    Encore: Seat of My Pants

    *ft. Mike Gantzer of Aqueous on guitar

    Photography by Matt Shotwell / Strawberry Island Dweller

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