NYS Music 20​18

Category: Features

  • David Byrne brings American Utopia Tour to the Palace Theatre

    David Byrne’s much-hyped (and rightly so) American Utopia Tour found its way to Albany’s Palace Theatre on Sunday, September 9, after six months of crisscrossing the country, with all the buzz about the set and production having preceding each performance. Byrne’s catalog of music was on display throughout the night, with 21 songs covering his solo work, as well as that with Talking Heads and with St. Vincent and Fatboy Slim, combining for a nearly two-hour performance with the psychedelic alt-rock of Tune-Yards opening the night. With a futuristic mix of electronic, new wave and indie pop, plus a lead singer dressed like a dystopian Supreme Court justice, made for an interesting prelude to Byrne. Forty minutes of pure energy and symphonic pomp was capped by “Heart Attack,” and paired nicely with the variety of Byrne’s music that would follow.
    American Utopia TourNature sounds over the PA filled the air as the stage was set for David Byrne. When the curtain opened, we found Byrne sitting at a table holding a human brain, pointing out the purpose for the brain in the lyrics of the opener ‘Here,’ an anticipatory introduction into the evening’s performance. Slowly, an 11 piece band, including six percussionists and drummers, emerged from behind the silver strand curtains that surrounded the stage on three sides, as Byrne moved into “Lazy,” which could have easily been pulled from LCD Soundsystem’s catalog. But it was the opening beats of “I Zimbra” that brought the audience to their feet in unison, like a preacher calling the congregation back from a moment of reflection.

    Following “Slippery People,” Byrne took a moment to recognize Headcount and encouraged everyone to register to vote, and then make sure they vote in elections, which was met by thunderous applause from the audience. The St. Vincent collaboration “I Should Watch TV” and “Everybody’s Coming to my House” preceded two of the most familiar songs of the night, “This Must be the Place (Naive Melody)” and “Once in a Lifetime,” the crowd singing along some of Byrne’s finest work.

    The band was introduced one by one for a slowly growing intro to “Born Under Punches” from the acclaimed Remain in the Light. Byrne’s solo work was showcased with four songs that followed, “I Dance Like This,” “Bullet,” “Every Day is a Miracle,” and “Like Humans Do.” Blind” took on an ominous feel with low stage lighting projecting a monstrous shadow of Byrne on the curtains behind the band, with a raucous “Burnin Down the House” closing the 80+ minute set.

    For an encore, Byrne introduced “Dancing Together” as a song with lyrics provided from Imelda Marcos’ own words and originally from a musical Byrne collaborated on with Fatboy Slim about the former Philippine dictator’s love of shoes and disco. A frenetic version of “The Great Curve” followed, with the woke audience moving to the enthusiastic Talking Heads original. Returning to the stage for a second encore, Bryne chose “Say Your Name” by Janelle Monae to put a coda on the evening, which shares the names of numerous individuals who have been victims of police and/or racial violence, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Amadou Diallo and others. It was a powerful statement to send the audience out on and left an exclamation point on an evening at The Palace.

    Byrne’s American Utopia tour continues with stops in Syracuse on Sept. 12, Queens on Sept. 15, and two nights in Brooklyn Sept. 16-17.

    Setlist: Here, Lazy, I Zimbra, Slippery People, Dog’s Mind, I Should Watch TV, Everybody’s Coming to my House, This Must be the Place (Naïve Melody), Once in a Lifetime, Doing the Right Thing, Toe Jam, Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), I Dance Like This, Bullet, Every Day is a Miracle, Like Humans Do, Blind, Burning Down the House

    Encore: Dancing Together, The Great Curve
    Encore 2: Hell You Talmbout*

    *Janelle Monae cover

  • Aqueous Discuss Tour, New Album and More at Cobblestone Live Music Festival

    On day two of the second annual Cobblestone Live music festival, three-fourths of Buffalo’s own groove-rock powerhouse, Aqueous, joined me amidst the celebration of music and art. Dave Loss (guitar/vox), Evan McPhaden (Bass), and Rob Houk (Drums) sat down to discuss their incredibly busy summer thus far, coming home to Buffalo, their new studio album, Color Wheel, and their upcoming, and most extensive fall tour yet.

    aqueous cobblestone

    Andy Hogan: Cobblestone Live is obviously a homecoming for you guys, but you’ve had quite the summer away from Buffalo, so far. Between Summer Camp, Mountain Music Festival, Disc Jam, Electric Forest and Peach, what have been some major takeaways from the tour?

    DL: One of the bigger highlights I think was being able to sell out The Bluebird Theater.

    RH: That was a huge highlight of the summer. I think a good rule of thumb is never expect to sell out, and when you’re not in a hometown scenario, you never know what’s going to happen.

    AH: But in Denver, that’s kind of just the scene, right? People just get out and go to see music.

    RH: I feel like it’s become a second home to us. The response to music out there is just something you don’t see…like, every night there is just a banging show.

    AH: And you see those weird kind of pockets even locally, right? Ithaca, for example, has tons of people getting out to see music on a Friday or Saturday night. Where else do you guys see that?

    DL: Burlington, VT for sure.

    RH: Omaha!

    DL: Yeah! Omaha, Nebraska we’ve had three really good experiences. Once with Papadosio, and twice at the Reverb Lounge.

    RH: People go nuts in Omaha…they throw down.

    AH: Coming back to Buffalo for Cobblestone must be a special occasion. Particularly for you, Dave and Evan, having grown up here. To see this area transform, could you have imagined this would be happening even a few years ago?

    DL: No. Even the whole city in general from ten years ago has seen such growth in a positive way. Like you said, this whole area was not a thing, the whole Canalside area was not a thing, so it’s really nice to see all of this happening.

    aqueous cobblestone

    AH: From what I read online, your first time ever playing down here was not too long after Iron Works opened in 2014…is it safe to say Iron Works is your favorite spot around town?

    DL: It was definitely a huge place for us to continue to grow in the city. Josh [Holtzman] obviously runs it, and he’s our homie so it’s been really nice. Even more than that, it’s helped bring a lot of great music into the city…a lot of other acts that hadn’t really been coming to Buffalo prior to it being open.

    RH: It’s a good spot for a mid-level band…they treat you like a king. It’s not just a great spot to play, they also understand what it’s like to be on the road. At the end of the day, when you treat your musicians well, they’re going to play better, your patrons are going to be happier…it works all around.

    EM: It’s definitely a music venue for musicians. Josh actually used to manage us and would come on the road with us. So he’s seen all the venues we’ve been to and knows exactly what he wants for Iron Works.

    AH: Now, there’s something new in your live set that I noticed last night. I saw that both you (Dave) and Mike [Gantzer] are now using PRS (Paul Reed Smith) guitars. How does this affect you sonically?

    DL: Haha, he’s finally seen the light! I love those guitars. What’s cool about his, and mine does it too, but you can coil tap. So there are two humbuckers on the outside that can go between single and humbucker, then there is a single coil in the middle. Plus it’s a bolt on neck, all that adds that like Fender Stratocaster snap that you can get. So he can still get that single coil, fatty-strat kind of sound with that guitar, but he can still get the rippin’ leads with the humbuckers.

    Shortly after this interview, Aqueous announced both Mike and Dave are now officially endorsed by PRS guitars.

    aqueous cobblestone

    AH: Evan, while we’re on the topic of gear, what can you tell me about your bass?

    EM: It’s made by a Polish company called Mayones. Our friend Ryan has one, and I got to play it for a weekend and I fell in love with it. It’s deep, but still bright at the same time. I run it through a TC Electronic Blacksmith…I think it’s 1600 watts, which is, a lot. I also have a 6×10 Ampeg Cabinet.

    AH: Rob, I don’t know anything about drums, but I am curious what kind of kit you play; what are your preferences?

    RH: My kit is a Gretsch Renown Maple with a Pork Pie Lil’ Squealer Snare, which is also kind of weird because I play a 12” snare as my primary. Cymbals, I break them so often that I just try to find something that sounds good, usually used.

    AH: It’s funny, most drummers will tell you they prefer used cymbals. Like in the Phish documentary, Bittersweet Motel, Jon Fishman has a room just filled with old, somewhat beat up cymbals.

    DL: I randomly watched that clip the other day for some odd reason!

    RH: Yeah, some of that stuff really builds character. Like having dirt, and just the grit and oil that gets on them. Some drummers like to clean them until their just shiny all the time…I don’t know, I think that might do them a disservice — that metal is there to develop, it’s part of your sound, part of your tone

    AH: Now the new album [Color Wheel] will be your first studio album since the Best in Show EP. You guys recorded at GCR again, right?

    DL: Yep, with Justin Rose.

    AH: When I had Mike on the podcast, he had said that you guys studied a lot of musicians and artists, not only their music, but also the way they actually recorded. Who were some of those artists?

    DL: Steely Dan was always a huge influence.

    RH: I think we were also looking at some late 90s hard rock albums…some Incubus type stuff.

    EM: Even pop material, as well. I feel like in albums in the past, the way we mixed background vocals were kind of loud. I feel like on this one we had more of a lead singer kind of sound. The Beatles, for example, do a lot of very full harmonies that are always upfront.

    DL: Yes! I always love listening to The Beatles before we go into recording…there’s so many interesting mix choices, tones, ect.

    AH: Well in addition to the new album, your fall tour is coming in quick. Is this the biggest headlining tour to date?

    DL: Yes — we’re really excited. We have a lot of great support on it too; Mungion, Heavy Pets, Goose, and Elm.

    AH: Super exciting. I saw that September 7th you guys will be back at the Utica Brewery with moe. What an honor to play with them, and all these bands you get to play with.

    DL: Yeah doin’ another one with them and getting to play with Umphrey’s again in October.

    EM: I think the last couple of years, we’ve been very lucky to be put where we have been…and we’re very grateful.

    Aqueous kicks off their fall tour Friday, September 7th in Utica, NY with moe. at the Saranac Brewery. For tickets, all of Aqueous’ fall dates, and to pre-order their new upcoming studio album, Color Wheel, visit aqueousband.com.

  • The Magpie Salute occupies The Space in Westbury Sunday

    The Magpie Salute is riding a wave of popularity following a busy spring and summer touring with Gov’t Mule and the Avett Brothers along with several well-received headlining and festival gigs. Sunday night the band rolls into The Space in Westbury in support of their debut release, High Water I.

    magpie salute westbury

    The band brings together three core members of the Black Crowes – guitarists Rich Robinson and Marc Ford and bassist Sven Pipien, along with drummer Joe Magistro, keyboardist Matt Slocum, and singer John Hogg. They first began collaborating in late 2016 and spent most of 2017 on the road perfecting their sound.

    The band has a catalog of over 200 songs in its repertoire, a mix of covers, Black Crowes songs and original Magpie Salute material and has quickly gained a reputation as an explosive live act. Robinson describes the renewed relationship with his former bandmates:

    It’s the recontextualization of playing with one another. When I was putting this thing together, I was thinking about how even though we may not have played for almost a decade, it just comes back immediately. The chemistry is unexplainable. Of course, I’m the same guy who played with the Black Crowes and wrote all of those songs, but this is a different context for myself, Marc, and Sven. It’s the convergence of three different worlds and eras for me. We’re all here together in this one place. Simultaneously, it’s amazing for Marc and Sven to play with Joe and Matt and John to be in the middle of it all. For me, that was really cool to witness. This is what I wanted to do.

    Tickets are still available for the Sunday show at The Space at Westbury. General admission tickets are $25 and reserved seating is $35. Following Sunday’s show, the band heads to the Canadian Maritimes to perform at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in Fredericton, NB. For ticketing information and tour dates, visit the Magpie Salute website here.

    Listen to “For the Wind” from High Water I below:

  • Adirondack Independence Music Festival Closes Out Summer in Lake George

    Just in time to close out the summer, Adirondack Independence Music Festival snuck in a final taste of carefree living and beaming sunshine with a two-day jam in Lake George. Tucked away in upstate New York, the cozy site with two alternating stages backdropped the Labor Day Weekend everybody needed with familiar faces and top-notch talent across the early September lineup.

    Ready to launch festival goers into two straight days of live music, The Melting Nomads took the stage as the opening act. Featuring members from Annie In the Water’s last lineup, the fresh-on-the-scene artists played about an hour set. Next up was Jen Durkin & the Business on the Improv Stage. Steal your Peach band entertained in classic fashion with covers of The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers over two sets. Keller Williams brought a real blue grass, jazz vibe to the entire grounds while Twiddle’s Mihali brought out his guitar to jam alongside Keller. Following Keller Williams was the renowned Sublime cover band Badfish. Twiddle closed out the night for the second year in a row, with an outstanding performance that had everyone on their feet. The band brought out special guests such as Joshua West of The Melting Nomads and Lowell Wurster. Attendance was nearly double of what the festival brought in the year prior, reaching nearly 3,5000 attendees.

    Ready to follow the kinetic atmosphere of day one with high energy, Let’s Be Leonard jump started Sunday funday and got the crowd moving in the early afternoon. Their laid back personalities and welcoming sound are the first to reel you in but their individual talents bring an extra flair to their live performance as a whole. The quintet played a few tunes from their sophomore release, Static, among the zany crowd favorite, “Brad Paisley.”

    Back to School Special followed punctually on the adjoining stage of the 25-acre Charles R. Wood Park. The first-time super group crafted by Turkuaz drummer Mikey Carubba, laid down the funk as they offered up impressively tight playing and fun splashes of covers throughout the hour set. With a highly skilled lineup consisting of Carubba, Beau Sasser (Kung Fu keys), Craig Brodhead (Turkuaz guitarist) and Sam Kininger (former Lettuce Sax), the experienced quartet instantly blended together to create quality tunes and a professional sound you’d think they’ve been crafting for years.The first double set at AIM Fest was taken on by Lucid, who draws a familiar and devoted crowd from Plattsburgh NY.

    Bringing Woods Rock to the forefront of the ADK stage, the North country musicians tapped into an eclectic selection of genres including harmonica solos throughout their two-hour gig. Previously introduced to Lucid or brand new to their sound, their catalogue and live performance is equipped with something for everyone. Right in the middle of a Lucid sandwich, Swift Technique came as a fresh pop of flavor delivering Philly funk with charisma, booming voices and a horns section demanding to be heard. Stellar crowd engagement from all band members and light-hearted messages to take care of one other truly reaffirmed what the upstate festival setting was all about. The entertaining outfit ended their set with Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” and passed the mic back to Lucid for their final set, which found a performance of “Backwoods,” featuring Lowell Wurster’s father and Scott Hannay (Mister F, Wild Adriatic).

    Stepping on stage as if they were walking in the front door of their childhood homes, Pink Talking Fish comfortably let loose and connected with the vibrance of their musical predecessors. Momentum kept rolling through a seemingly sped up version of Phish’s “Cities,” giving phans who missed out on Curveball a reason to groove and shake about. A dive into Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” surely found bodies swaying in unison, with the song’s lyrics acting as a reminder to cherish the final moments of festival season. The Allman Brother’s Band “Whipping Post” made a surprise set-list appearance, acting as a bookend to a drum heavy “What’s the Use?” with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong drummer Alex Petropulos dropping by for a tasty breakdown.

    Lespecial hit the stage at dusk, taking the setting sun as an opportunity to bring the hard hitting funk metal and entrancing beats. The multi-talented trio has a way of mesmerizing festival goers with their gritty, unique sound. They loop their live performances and indulge in genres from electronica and house to progressive rock and dark metal. Known for their musical parallels and tendency to cover Primus, Lespecial took on “Jerry Was A Racecar Driver” to begin closing out their set in style with drummer Rory Dolan nailing the Les Claypool vocals.If there was any comfortable space around you, it was instantly absorbed by the time 8 o’clock rolled around. Bodies quickly assembled and flocked towards the front of the stage as Saturday night headliners Pigeons Playing Ping Pong closed out the fest with high spirits and optimal animation. With two sets of straight funk, the unstoppable touring machines pulled out all the stops, including a “Funk E. Zekiel” opener, a number of hits from their latest album, Pizazz, and two sit-ins from the Swift Technique horns on “F.U.N.K.” and Pink Talking Fish keyboardist Richard James on “Cliffs”> “Once In A Lifetime”> “Cliffs.” Always at the top of their craft with wacky facial expressions, in sync jamming and polished dance moves, the quartet have perfected their stage presence. With a tune self explanatory of the entire weekend, PPPP appropriately shut down AIM Fest with fan-favorite, “Fun in Funk.”

    Mirroring a similar feel that the tight-knit Disc Jam community gives off and what has been missing since Catskill Chill shut down, AIM Fest continues to emerge on the scene at the right place and time. It’s fourth year in operation proved to be the best yet and a fitting, colorful sunset to a noteworthy summer of live music.

  • Interview: Roan Yellowthorn is Back with New Music and to Talk about Their Growth

    Since last speaking with Jackie McLean nearly a year ago, she and her partner, Shawn Strack have grown tremendously as musicians. They are known as Roan Yellowthorn – an indie pop rock duo. Shawn, who had never been involved in musical production before, is the main engineer and instrumentalist on the upcoming album, Indigo, which is set to be released later this month.

    Roan Yellowthorn

    Their latest single, “Talk About It” is their audience’s first sneak peek as to how the album will sound. This song is a beautiful take on an unresolved relationship as it winds you through a journey both lyrically and melodically. It has a catchy chorus that will remain in your head long after listening to the song.

    My last discussion with Roan Yellowthorn touched on many of the overarching questions regarding her musical influences and the power of a song. This time around, we delved a bit deeper into her artistic development and how this is reflected in her upcoming project. Read more about Jackie and Shawn’s journey below.

    Sammy Steiner: After listening to “Talk About It,” it was clear that Roan Yellowthorn headed in a new sonic direction. Can you talk about how you have grown since “Child in Chief” and your self-titled EP?

    Jackie McLean: The songwriting process has pretty much remained the same except this time I am making a conscious decision to be more honest in my lyrics. The main difference between my last project, (which was made in 48 hours) and Indigo is not only the time we put into it but also the overall production of every song. On this album, my partner, Shawn and I worked very closely to create the entire album ourselves. Shawn used to be a video editor but had never been involved in production before working on this project. The nature of our relationship made our collaborative process extremely complimentary. He knew how to take my abstract concepts and turn them into a reality. Additionally, since we did everything ourselves we were able to go back and tweak every song until we felt it sounded perfect.

    SS: As a follow-up, what has this past year looked like for you guys in terms of the work you put into creating this album? Where did you draw most of your inspiration from?Roan Yellowthorn

    JM: I am constantly writing songs so by the time I started recording Indigo, I already had the majority of the album written. We spent about one week recording in Upstate New York during August and then the following three months were focused on intense mixing and producing. Shawn played every instrument on the album with the exception of the piano which I played. I would say that the biggest difference since our EP is that now we’re doing everything together as opposed to before when we outsourced most things.

    SS: What are some goals you have for the upcoming album and tour?

    JM: My main goal is to bring our music to more people. I really enjoy being able to interact with the audience and hear their opinions in person. We are currently working on putting together a setlist, which will most likely consist of the entire Indigo album as well as a handful of songs from past projects. We are also excited to be experimenting with the drum pad on stage to enhance our live performances by recreating some of the sounds you will hear on the album.

    SS: I had the privilege of getting a sneak listen to the album – for everyone else, can you tell them a bit about what they can expect?

    JM: This album is very personal and very emotional for me. It came together really organically as I kept writing songs to process my feelings. It is an extremely sincere album and I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever be able to write another album like this one. I dug so many emotions out of my soul but now it feels like I’ve shed a layer. I hope that everyone likes it!

    SS: What was it like for you, Shawn, to produce this album having never done this kind of work before?

    Shawn Strack: I used to work in film, media and television so I had a basic understanding of the software and the editing process. After having many conversations with Jackie, I understood her vision for the album and was confident that I could translate those ideas into the music. To give you an example – she once said to me that she wanted the title track “Indigo” to sound as if she was flying through space with stars exploding around her. I added a post rock influenced guitar under the verses while she played the piano and put drum and guitar layers during the chorus.

    SS: Finally, what does the word ‘indigo’ mean to you and to this album?

    Shawn: The color indigo is present in the colouring of the sounds on the album. It can be dark but there are moments of brightness.

    JM: The last song I wrote for the album was the title track, “Indigo.” This song really encompassed the idea behind the entire album and I had really strong instinctual feelings that the album was done once it was written. Afterwards, I came to find many more meanings behind the word as it is also a feeling, color, mood, idea, etc. I finally had a name for the feeling.

  • Space Carnival Announces Final Show at the Black Oak on October 6

    In a sincere and heartfelt announcement, Space Carnival took to Facebook Tuesday to address their decision to disband and hold their final show after five exciting years. The quartet originally launched in the Oneonta music scene and earned loyal listeners all across the country. They went on to humbly dedicate their amazing memories to musicians they have shared the stage with, awesome fans, and that this experience has exceeded their wildest dreams.

    On a more personal note they mentioned that they have respectively been focused on individual paths for the past two years and despite every effort, they believe it is within the group’s best interests to go separate ways. Lead guitarist Jeremy Kraus stated that he will be following a dream and moving to Colorado in the following month to pursue a concert production career. The aspirations of other members remains to be seen but they explained: “We are still best friends and have zero hard feelings towards each other.”

    As they conclude their interplanetary disco career, the group also decided to perform an additional show at The Black Oak in Oneonta on Oct. 6. This venue in particular has been a welcoming home for the band as it is where they played their first show and several others during their maturity over the years. Pursuing music is undoubtedly a demanding but rewarding dedication for any individual or group. What Space Carnival has offered to their fans in their time is an inclusive community that can be enjoyed for what it truly is. Genuine and talented production that serves to “make people dance and go to outer space.” They would faithfully debut original content and allow their sound to resonate for people’s enjoyment. Nothing else. That rarity is something to be cherished in a world where we often fail to recognize the passion devoted musicians instill in their work.

    NYS Music would like to thank Space Carnival for the gift of music it has released throughout the course of its existence and encourage any support their incredible fans have to offer as the band wishes their final heartfelt goodbyes.

    See dates below:
    9/14: Private Festival Ithaca, NY
    9/15: Wormtown Festival Greenfield, MA
    10/5: The Range Ithaca, NY
    10/6: The Black Oak Oneonta, NY

  • Hearing Aide: Cory Wong ‘The Optimist’

    Cory Wong "The Optimist"
    Cory Wong “The Optimist”

    Cory Wong is rebranding what it means to play rhythm guitar. Though it’s often regarded as less expressive than lead guitar, Wong has evolved his own unique style illuminating the magic beyond the melody. He’s recently released his first full length solo project, The Optimist, after his 2016 EP MSP, Part 1. He took some time to chat with NYS Music about the new album, the adorable meaning behind “Juke on Jelly,” and why he continues to confuse (but also impress) people at his shows:

    Ally Dean: Have people been responding well to tunes off the new album during this tour?

    Cory Wong: It’s been great! I’m surprised- oddly enough I did not bring enough records. I’ve sold three times as many albums as I expected as far as physical merch. It’s a great metric- people are receiving it even better than expected.

    AD: That’s so exciting! Speaking of people digging your music, some have referred to you as a “rock god.” Does that do anything for you or do you kind of just shrug it off?

    CW: Yeah, I mean we all have an ego and people stroking your ego and saying insanely complimentary things is very flattering, but it’s also really funny. People know me as “rhythm guitar god” which is a rare thing. When people see a guitar show they expect to see shredding solos and insane scales. So what’s challenging for me is figuring out how to uphold that title but not be “shredder guy,” but playing in a very groove and feel-based way.

    I’ll do all my guitar fireworks but they’re very different. They’re clean, direct and rhythmic guitar. So people will come up to me say that [guitar god] phrase, but with a confused look on their face.

    AD: You’ve collaborated with a lot of different people. Does the dynamic usually involve a sense of shared learning or are there a lot of musicians out there that feel more their way is the right way and they aren’t as open to learning and improving from their peers?

    CW: In general the vibe I try to set up is one in which people feel they can contribute. For me it’s all about the artistic endeavor of it, regardless of whether it’s a business venture. It’s about the art and the craft. Of course I have a radio sensibility because I’ve played in a bunch of bands that have been on the radio so I have a good sense of what is radio friendly and that influences what I do but that’s not the goal.

    So when I collaborate with someone like Robbie [Wulfsohn] from Ripe or Antwaun [Stanley] I say “we’re going for this energy.” Antwaun and I are so close almost like brothers at this point from touring together with Vulfpeck for the past few years. When we get together to write there’s a lot more of a relationship there, it’s not about writing something to pay the bills. Most of the people I collaborate with are guys that have a mutual respect for me. I surround myself with people I enjoy being with. That’s part of the recording process too. Everybody is making themselves very vulnerable with what they’re doing, so you have to have that mutual respect.

    AD: And speaking of Robbie, I was excited to see you collab with him on “Light as Anything” because Ripe is one of my favorite bands right now. I saw them play in Rochester last year and loved them so much I saw them in Syracuse the next weekend. I think the structure of that song compliments his vocals really nicely. How did you choose him for the vocals?

    CW: While I was producing their record, I realized in the process Robbie is legit! And the whole time I was producing their record I had this little selfish wishbone in my rib cage goin’ “you need this guy for your record.” So we had to come up with the right tune because we both wanted to feel good about it. For them, they have such an insane live energy, as you know. The thing about producing that band was how to get that live energy in the studio. What they’re going for is a somewhat more straightforward, radio friendly thing. Robbie and I were talking a lot in that realm and about lyrical concepts for his record, and he had this one idea that didn’t quite make sense for Ripe, so we decided to put it on my record. So it was a lot of fun. And our writing process was a lot of back and forth through voice memos, sharing lyrics and melodies. It was when I was on tour with Vulfpeck and he was on tour with Ripe and then we met up in L.A. to actually record it.

    AD: I love when musicians I adore collaborate on projects. It makes my heart so happy.

    CW: That’s awesome and that’s part of the community thing too. We find time during touring to make it happen. It’s been fun to kind of be one of those community connectors. It does come full circle and the community is not as big as people may think. It is huge but there’s so much interconnectedness.

    AD: I was wondering about another song on the album. The “Juke On Jelly” tune is quite fun. And KATIS [pronounced kaytis] repeats this line really quickly and I can’t quite figure out what she’s saying…

    CW: It’s “Oh my little jelly, get up on the telly.” There are kind of two stories to it. It’s the story of a person trying to audition for a TV thing that didn’t feel the confidence to do so and it’s an encouragement to them. I have a friend whose name is Jellybean and he plays a Telecaster. Jellybean is the drummer from Morris Day and The Time. He’s also a Minneapolis legend and shreds on the guitar. I used to pay guitar with Dr. Mambos Combo, it’s like a house band at a club in Minneapolis. Jellybean would come up and play guitar and it was a Tele. So the song is also kind of asking him to come up and play, but it’s mostly about a person who wants to audition and they’re afraid but they know it’s what they’re meant to do.

    AD: That’s absolutely adorable. So who would you still love to collab with whether they’re alive or dead?

    CW: There’s a handful. I’d love to play with George Benson, a legend guitar player. Always wanted to play with the guys from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Seeing them in high school split the door wide open for me to say, “Wow, this kind of music can be done and people will like it. You can have stuff that is both complicated and simple at the same time.” Seeing them was transformative as a musician. Chris Thile is one of the greatest musicians to ever live. He’s a mandolin player. Brad Mehldau is a jazz piano player I love.

    A lot of people I really wanted to collaborate with I’ve already worked with. I wanted to work with Nate Smith for a while and then we did the Fearless Flyers record and now we have a band together. It’s amazing.

    I went to school for science. It was a real leap of faith to choose music as my profession. I knew it’s what I was supposed to be doing with my life. My friends all knew it. Without being too Christian about it, but that’s my background, but I really felt like that’s what God was telling me to do and I still really believe that.

    And now I’m in a band with Nate Smith, the most insane drummer of our time. It’s an amazing reminder that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing but also a serious reminder to keep doing it well and treat it with valor. Now that stuff is happening for me, I can’t get lazy, and have to work harder.

    Review: The Optimist is a fitting title to describe both the overall attitude of the album and Wong’s buoyant demeanor. Every song’s distinctive character still brightly demonstrates how Cory Wong is redefining the “guitar god” persona. “Jax” animates the album to life with a sharp infectious rhythm that stimulates the brain, buzzing like the most welcome alarm clock signaling dance time.

    “Jax” is felt more in the brain, but “Light As Anything” is felt more in the heart. Robbie Wulfsohn’s vocals mixed with elegant and thoughtfully placed guitar synthesize so well. “91′ Maxima” grants listeners some of that quirky sensibility that may be familiar to Vulfpeck fans with some viscous, drool worthy guitar work. “Jumbotron Hype Song” opens with thirst quenching bass from fellow Minneapolis musician Sonny T along with surprisingly poppy vocals from longtime collaborator Antwaun Stanley, combining to create a really interesting spread of highs and lows.

    It’s impossible not to smile during “Sitcom” which employs a comically contrived laugh track throughout an already very cheerful tune with happy horns and a ton of momentum. British singer KATIS and German musician Marti Fischer on the clavinet (which is famously and very prominently used in Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition”) come together for “Juke On Jelly” which is an incredibly feel good anthem of encouragement. The title track “The Optimist” is a classy instrumental that rings truest to Wong’s style without being too whimsical. He geniously used the studio recording as a platform requesting famed sax player Dave Koz to make a cameo on the video and IT WORKED (see link above). The album ends with “Massive Action” which brings that heavy bass back with mischievous horns and heavier more lethargic approach that’s just plain cool. The Optimist is available for purchase all over the Internet. Get your copy now!

    Key Tracks: Light As Anything, Sitcom, The Optimist

  • Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Flock To Buffalo

    The last Friday of August saw jam-funk favorites Pigeons Playing Ping Pong stop in Buffalo. After previously selling out venues in town such as Nietzsche’s and Iron Works and now graduating to the larger Town Ballroom, the excitement was tangible with the sold out crowd and the band’s high-energy funk quickly turned the proceedings into an all out dance party. A lengthy fall tour will be taking the band coast to coast, however, this is the last NY show scheduled until January 26 when they play the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester.

    Photography by Matt Shotwell / Strawberry Island Dweller

  • Hearing Aide: Ariana Grande ‘Sweetener’

    When a terrorist bombed the Manchester Arena in England after Ariana Grande’s concert there in May 2017 which killed 22 and injured 500, this overt attack on music caused many to wonder what the singer’s next move would be, or if she would consider leaving the industry altogether. But she bravely returned for a $23 million-raising benefit concert called One Love Manchester on June 4, and was an apt appetizer to her next album, Sweetener.

    This theme of healing and inner peace would tightly inform this album, which first welcomed worldwide listeners on Aug. 17. An overt contrast from her last album, 2016’s Dangerous Woman which was darker and sexual in nature, Sweetener is lighter and calmer.

    “It’s kind of about like bringing light to a situation, or to someone’s life, or somebody else who brings light to your life, or sweetening the situation,” Grande said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last May.

    Given the album’s tragic background concerning the fateful concert, it was assumed that Sweetener would have a melancholic and depressed sound overall, which lead single “No Tears Left to Cry” briefly teased when it premiered back in late April. But after 20 seconds, the song jumps from its expected slow tune into a bopping uptempo dance-pop number, with Grande dancing animatedly on her feet. Its lyrics related to that transition, in that Grande has to move on and be resilient professionally and personally.

    Sweetener actually begins with a 38-second a cappella introduction, “Raindrops (An Angel Cried)” which hauntingly soothes the listener with her bare vocals. The second song, “Blazed,” features acclaimed singer and producer Pharrell Williams whose signature happy-go-lucky sound is very evident, as listeners start getting warmed up with this delicate dancing number.

    The third entry, “The Light is Coming,” features rapper Nicki Minaj, who actually released her own album, “Queen” a week earlier on Aug. 10. This disappointing collaboration failed to measure up to high expectations like “Side to Side” (another Grande-Minaj duet in 2016) and only peaked at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100.

    Euphoria and positivity mostly permeates through this album though. A highlight is “Breathin” which addresses the singer’s anxiety, its lyrics confessing that people have told her to use drugs to feel better. Its universal message of self-help, hope and mental health can easily connect with listeners, especially within the music realm as fellow musician Demi Lovato survived an overdose in late July. It is a clear example that exposing one’s vulnerabilities can ironically showcase their strengths.

    The four last tracks—“Better Off,” “Goodnight N Go,” “Pete Davidson” (her fiance’s name) and “Get Well Soon”—particularly continue Grande’s mission to spread tenderness and optimism. These are slower and quieter, and her almost-whispery diction make the quartet the perfect soundtrack to one’s slumber.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6QwoGTCJsk

    Sweetener slightly recalls her earlier albums, back where she was not too concerned with landing chart toppers and focusing more on delivering joyful, grin-inducing pop and R&B songs.

    Still unafraid to use art and visuals for getting her point across, the marketing for the album, including its lead single, “No Tears Left to Cry,” and the album cover itself, often displayed Grande and words as being literally upside down. This was a subtle commentary on how Grande’s personal life and career spiraled aimlessly for a while, in the aftermath of the May 2017 concert bombing.

    But with Grande’s determination to not be swayed away by negativity and danger, she bravely set out a new course for herself, making this light-sounding album sound less like a scared murmur for pity but more like a stance of defiance.

    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.

  • Night Lights Music Festival Welcomes Attendees Home

    This past weekend, the eighth annual Night Lights Music Festival was held at The Heron in Sherman, NY. Nestled in western New York’s Amish country, The Heron’s grounds bring attendees back to simpler times, reminiscent of the summer camps some of us were sent to as younglings. For the most part, the weather was stellar besides a heavy rainstorm rolling in during Octave Cat’s late night set on Saturday night.

    night lights

    One super special thing about Night Lights’ community is the festival’s focus on the physical and mental health of everyone attending. The security onsite is more focused on the well-being of each audience member than busting people for illicit activities, and on the grounds was an area called the “Sanctuary,” which was designated for those who needed to calm down or ease themselves if they were feeling particularly hairy.

    The weekend started on Thursday night, with bands alternating on the smaller two of the three stages, the Cafe Stage and Drum Circle Stage. Intrepid Travelers took the Cafe Stage by storm with their jazzy improvisations, filling their set with musical segues and a few choice covers, including “Musicology” by the late funk legend Prince. The Buffalo-native group also featured one of their groovier tracks, the synth-heavy “Woolify,” towards the end of their set.

    Fellow Buffalo-based group Space Junk were next and and brought their jamtronica stylings to the Drum Circle Stage. The band kept this set all original, as they were getting ready to perform a Disco Biscuits tribute set on Saturday. This first set featured the fan favorite “Das Bootie” into “Ascension,” as well as “Hammurabi’s Code,” all of which were delivered with Space Junk’s usual jam treatment, although Night Light’s environment seemed to breed something special in the group’s music, a theme that became common throughout the weekend.

    Closing out the night on the Drum Circle Stage was a seemingly mysterious band known as Boss Tweed & The Carpetbaggers. Despite the mayhem they caused last year, the group was invited back to play again this year. Among the many profane songs they performed, “I Killed It With My Dick,” “I Fucked Your Wife,” and the eloquently named “Boners” seemed to get the crowd riled up the most. The band also shaved multiple audience members’ heads, pied several others in the face, and asked the audience for a dollar on numerous occasions.

    Friday kicked off with Pappy Biondo of Cabinet’s side project Gatos Blancos on the Main Stage. Gatos Blancos featured a similar rocking bluegrass sound to Cabinet, while still remaining its own group.There are a few other well known artists in the group, namely drummer John Kimock of Mike Gordon Band and guitarist Justin Mazer of Ryan Montbleau Band, who showed off his impressive guitar skills throughout the set. Pappy immediately moved from the Main Stage to the Cafe Stage to sit in with the upbeat Buffalo bluegrass group Folkfaces.

    Folkfaces performed numerous originals, all oozing with positivity and optimistic worldviews, which brought an overwhelming sense of joy to the audience. They’ve been making a name for themselves recently, touring extensively throughout the country, all the way from Buffalo to New Orleans. Funktional Flow performed on the Drum Circle Stage later that night, bringing their reggae-infused jams to The Heron’s grounds. Wild Adriatic brought their Led Zeppelin tribute set to the Cafe Stage, and after performing one of their original tunes, broke into numerous Zeppelin classics, including “Dazed and Confused,” “Communication Breakdown,” and “Good Times Bad TImes.” Lead vocalist Travis Gray’s voice suited the music perfectly, borrowing from Robert Plant’s soulful vocals at times while still maintaining his own soulfulness.

    As the night crept on, Buffalo groove rockers Aqueous took to the Main Stage for their first set of the weekend. The group is a mainstay at Night Lights, and a big reason a lot of people return. For this first set, they broke out into the heavy rocker “Gordon’s Mule,” and then jammed out “The Median,” two fan favorites that really got the crowd going. After a stellar version of “Complex pt. 2,” they debuted their cover of Supertramp’s classic “Goodbye Stranger,” and brought it into the upbeat, yet spooky “Don’t Do It,” which featured a sit in from moe.’s Chuck Garvey on guitar. To close out the set, the group played keyboardist/guitarist Dave Loss’ magnum opus “Staring Into The Sun,” which they’ve performed at Night Lights every year they’ve played it.

    Following Aqueous on the main stage were the funk outfit The Motet, the Denver-based 7 piece that always fill their shows with positivity and funky grooves. The group was on fire on Friday night, which happened to be saxophonist Drew Sayers’ birthday, a fact that vocalist Lyle Divinsky delighted in sharing with the audience multiple times throughout the set. The last major set of the night came from Fearless (A Pink Floyd Tribute), featuring Chuck Garvey of moe., Eli WInderman of Dopapod, Mike Gantzer and Evan McPhaden of Dopapod, and Matt Kellen of Mungion. The supergroup worked through many Floyd classics, including “Breathe,” “Time,” “Another Brick in the Wall pt. 2,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “Brain Damage/Eclipse,” and of course, “Fearless.” The highlights of the set included jammed out versions of “Have a Cigar,” “Run Like Hell,” “Comfortably Numb,” and “Young Lust,” which the group did not shy away from putting their own spin on. The entire crowd sang along to every song, and thoroughly enjoyed the group’s renditions of these Pink Floyd classics.

    Upstate, formerly known as Upstate Rubdown, were the talk of the town on Saturday, taking to the Cafe Stage for an enthusiastic set of music. The three always wonderful female lead vocalists brought their harmonies to the forefront of the music, filling the audience with a feeling of joy. After some technical difficulties, the group decided to bring the show to the crowd, and performed a couple songs acoustically amidst the attendees. Tropidelic performed on the Main Stage next, bringing their funk-infused reggae music to life with a very active hour and a half long set. Throughout the set, the group did some synchronized dance moves, which really got the crowd going amidst the drizzling of rain that occurred. Following Tropidelic, lespecial performed on the Cafe Stage, and they were on fire, despite having driven all the way there from Connecticut in a rental van. The group brought out percussionist Chuck Morris of Lotus for a few songs, namely “Jackwise,” a popular track from their most recent album Cheen. The group also performed a newer song with Chuck, titled “Machine Elf Production Co,” as well as the fan favorite “Fruit Wolf Dance.”

    Aqueous took to the Main Stage for the second time of the weekend after lespecial, breaking into their super popular “Kitty Chaser (Explosions),” to kick off the set. Following “Kitty,” the group performed a new song called “Say It Again,” (debuted in Buffalo last month at Cobblestone Live), before breaking into the oldie but goodie “Dave’s Song,” which was brought into the mysterious “Mosquito Valley pt. 2.” After a stellar rendition of “Mosquito,” the band debuted their version of Prince’s classic “Kiss,” with lead guitarist Mike Gantzer singing in a falsetto Prince-esque voice to really nail the song. Towards the middle of the jam, Dopapod and Octave Cat keyboardist Eli Winderman came onstage for a killer Moog synthesizer solo, before the group brought the jam into “Warren in the Window.” To close out the set, the Buffalo groove rockers performed the somewhat rare original “20/20,” which featured a strong electronic jam section towards the end, getting the crowd ready for Lotus’ set.

    Lotus started their set off with the fan favorite “Wax,” a tense tune that features one of Mike Rempel’s best guitar melodies. The group kept the groove going throughout the set, bringing their well known jamtronica sound to the woods of Sherman, NY. Rounding out the night, Octave Cat took to the Cafe Stage for a late night set, and their music seemed to bring down some heavy rain. The group performed lots of original music, including “Intl Klein,” “Spar,” and their new single “Precarious,” which had the whole crowd dancing the night away. As the set crawled on and on the sky seemed to open up more and more, leading to the crowd removing all of their cares and dancing harder. The group seamlessly integrated their improvisations into the songs, barely even letting the crowd know that they were improvising in the first place. The group provided the perfect set to close out the weekend, and created many new fans at Night Lights.

    The eighth annual Night Lights was a major success, featuring a lineup of incredible bands and homegrown (literally) food vendors. The festival will return in 2019, and NYS Music hopes to see some familiar faces there. Check out the photo gallery below for a taste of what the weekend was like.

    Photography by Matt Shotwell at Strawberry Island Dweller

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