It’s that time again! Time to get packed and head out for Curveball! Phish will hold their 11th music festival is being held this weekend, August 17-19 at Watkins Glen International Raceway in Watkins Glen, NY. This will be the third festival held at this venue, and it is sure to be as over the top & extravagant as SuperBall IX & Magnaball.
Over the last 30 years Phish has developed a large and loyal following, and the 2018 summer tour leading into Curveball has fans ready for an incredible festival experience that only Phish can provide. Summer tour kicked off in mid-July in Stateline, NV, and altogether the band has hit nine venues, playing 2-3 night runs at some of the largest venues in the country. Among many highlight was the return of Hot Chocolate’s ‘You Sexy Thing’ throughout the band’s third night in Alpharetta, GA, plus three versions of “Tweezer Reprise” at the final night before Curveball at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
The much anticipated Curveball festival has sold out, selling 60,000 tickets and maxing capacity at the raceway. If you are heading into Watkins Glen, find updated travel info through the festival website, as recent rains have caused road washouts and closures throughout the region. The Schuyler County Sheriff’s Office has announce some road closures around Watkins Glen International to help control the incoming traffic for the festival. Read more information on specific traffic routing via WENY.
In preparation for the festival, fans should make sure to bring their rain gear! The venue has been receiving a healthy dose of rainfall, but we all know that a little petrichor isn’t a bad thing! All things are running on track for the event despite the weather and the show will go on as scheduled, and a source has shared that the ferris wheel is up and ready to rock!
Among the many things to look forward to at Curveball are the Runaway Jim Memorial 5k on Saturday, the which takes place on Friday at 12 noon, Saturday at 9am and Sunday at 10 am, and a cornhole tournament also held all three days. There will be dozens of food vendors in and out of the festival grounds, as well as a farmers market, and a farm to table restaurant on site called Farmhouse.
The water program is also returning to Curveball. The WaterWheel Foundation will have limited edition Nalgenes for sale in conjunction with Reverb and there will be several water refill stations around the venue to make sure fans stay hydrated throughout the weekend.
And for those who need to ship something home, Phish has you covered, and they also want you to write to your mother! They’ll be giving away Curveball postcards all weekend long on site, while supplies last. Since Curveball will be something to write home about, an official US Post Office will be on site to send both your postcards and merch – just bring your own packing supplies.
The JEMP Records Store at Curveball will have a series of releases over the course of the weekend, including a vinyl edition of 1997 live album Slip Stitch and Pass, the accompanying poster by Drew Millward, as well as Phish photographer Rene Huemer’s photo print sale.
The Bunny will once again serve as the festival’s radio station throughout the weekend, with three episodes of “From the Archives,” hosted by archivist Kevin Shapiro and offered a dive into Phish’s catalog. Episodes will air on Thursday at 10pm and on Friday and Sunday at 3pm. Tune into The Bunny on SiriusXM Radio channel 29 or at LivePhish.com.
Can’t make it to Watkins Glen for Curveball? Order the webcast at livephish.com, either for a single day or the entire weekend and enjoy Couch Tour! Stay tuned to NYS Music on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and look for daily reviews and photos starting on Saturday!.
Rochester natives Diluted are set to release their latest EP, Legitimate Bastard, on August 18. Pat Mulligan, Zach Coffey, Matt Helmer, Tyler Creller, and Mike Kimack came together in 2014 and have created a fan base with their unique sound and killer instincts. The band’s previous album Never Fit In was nominated for Rochester’s city newspaper’s Best Local Album of 2017. I was excited to see if Legitimate Bastard would be a worthy follow up.
My favorite track on this EP is the final song “Bothered.” Matt Helmer and Zach Coffey really shine in this song on the guitar. Their guitar solo, about 2 minutes and 40 seconds in, is joined by Tyler Creller on the drums. However, Creller is only playing the cymbals which adds to the cathartic feel of this song. The band did an amazing job using all the tools at their disposal to portray the emotion of the song. They are not afraid to think outside the box.
I also enjoyed the third track, “Spintech.” The band made some very interesting choices instrumentally that make this song catch your ear as soon as it begins. Ten seconds in, I almost felt as though I was entering the twilight zone. It is almost creepy, in a good way, after listening to two very heavy songs. When I first listened to this album, I thought this song would have worked better as the first track, given its interesting instrumentals, as if you were entering the twilight zone. However, after my second listen, I appreciate the placement of this song as it is leading the listener into yet another dimension of Diluted’s talent.
I was not a fan of the first two tracks on this album. “Lose My Number” is a very heavy metal song, and while I can appreciate the style of music, the vocals seemed messy even for this genre. The second track “An Innocent Onlooker” is also a heavy metal track but the vocals are cleaner and more precise. My only complaint about this song is it begins with one vocalist screaming and another singing. I found it distracting to be listening to both styles at the same time.
The range of talent showcased on this EP is impressive. From screaming heavy metal, to a beautiful ballad, there is something for everyone on this EP. However, while that would work on a full album, I am not sure it is a smart choice on an album with only four songs. As a first-time listener to Diluted, Legitimate Bastard sounds like a mix tape rather than an album by one artist. Diluted made some great choices in the making of this album but with only four songs there is no chance to reiterate their different talents. I finish this album a fan of Diluted, and I would love to see them live, but I am not sure this is an album I would buy for myself.
Diluted will be performing an EP release show on Saturday August 18 at the Bug Jar in Rochester.
CATS are back! Circles Around the Sun will release their second instrumental project August 17, shorn from the pretense of set break music like their first album, Interludes for the Dead. The four-man fellowship is guitarist Neal Casal and keyboardist Adam MacDougall (bandmates in the Chris Robinson Brotherhood), bassist Dan Horne (Jonathan Wilson, Grateful Shred) and drummer Mark Levy (We Dream Dawn, Bonfire Dub).
The seven-track double album jumps right into the eight-minute “On My Mind” with comforting undertones CATS fans adore, but shedding the lethargic nap time vibes to reveal energizing velocity.
Chuck D of Public Enemy introduces the second track “One For Chuck,” after hearing CATS record at Castaway 7 Studios, digging their sound, and agreeing to make a cameo on the song. The ensuing low key dance groove offers effects with an uncanny likeness to cats meowing but still pleasantly tickles the ears. You don’t have to like cats to like CATS.
“Immovable Object” embarks on a sultry trajectory, followed by the near 20-minute “Halicarnassus,” which beckons the listener with another contagious progression, slowly darkening in tone, possibly dragging some listeners into the rabbit hole of their own consciousness without drowning in the abyss. The constant gentle beat is the life preserver that keeps the listener afloat. Casual references to the Beatles love song “Something” add a comforting familiarity.
“Tacoma Narrows” hits hard with soulful guitar, while the sprightly nature of “Electric Chair (Don’t Sit There) is accomplished with the addition of hand drums. “Ticket to Helix NGC 7293” (an actual nebula in our galaxy) rounds out the album with a feelgood beginning that over the course of 20 minutes devolves into a plasmic soundscape fit for a horror film. Gentle guitar breathes life back into the song to end the album on a high note.
The experience start to finish is satiating. When jams can be overwhelmingly heavy or too loose and disconnected, CATS swiftly navigate the sweet spot in between. They create songs that have just the right amount of weird to intrigue music junkies but still appeal to a wide audience.
Let it Wander is an album perfect for those looking to add more tunes to their chill party mix. The album title is a fitting name for the project which includes two near 20-minute tracks that truly allow space for the band to wander with their work, and for the listener to wander with them.
Catch CATS for one of their small hand full of tour dates while you can! Pre-order the album here!
August 22 – Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar August 23 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
August 24 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall
August 25 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground August 26 – Pine Plains, NY – Huichica Music Festival
Key Tracks: One For Chuck, Electric Chair (Don’t Sit There)
Bushicks (pronounced bush-hicks), a power trio based out of the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn with members all originating from Upstate New York, have announced the release of two singles; “When Life Gives You Lemonade” and “Truffle Shuffle” as a Digital 45rpm to all major platforms.
Working with talented Engineer, Phil Duke at Continental Recording Studios in Long Island City, Jonny “Bushick” Patrizio (Guitar/Lead Vocals), Jess Bogwicz (Bass Guitar), and John Adamski (Drums/Backing Vocals) add their own style to the classic sounds of rock ‘n roll. Patrizio’s songwriting and vocal approach adds a fresh take on the genre while making use of the large selection of vintage equipment available at the studio. A 1960’s Montgomery Ward amp was used on both tracks.
Dukes had this to say about the band:
Bushicks are a REAL Rock and Roll band. There are many imitators out there, but these guys don’t need to fake it. Drawing upon inspiration from our heroes of yesterday, I had the pleasure of recording a band that is building for the future and continuing the spirit of great Rock and Roll music. For a young band, I am excited to hear them grow and I hope you do too.
Bushicks will be headlining Brooklyn Bowl on Sunday, Sept. 16 with Johnny Butler and The Epic Fail and Brooklyn natives, Ltrain. This will be Bushicks second Brooklyn Bowl show and their first time headlining. The show starts at 7:30 PM and tickets are $7. For more information, visit the Brooklyn Bowl website here.
News of a Slayer farewell tour hit many in the metal community hard, but in a year of farewell tours, it’s not surprising that this Huntington Park, CA band, created in 1981, would call it a day.
Joining Slayer on this final trek across North America were fellow thrash metal veterans Anthrax and Testament, current thrash flag-bearers Lamb of God, and British grindcore pioneers Napalm Death.
Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway of Napalm Death
It would be easy to say that this lineup of veteran thrash legends is a cash grab nostalgia tour, but nothing could be further from the truth. All five bands are touring on current releases. Critics have proclaimed the latest Anthrax and Testament releases among the best of their respective careers. This was a lineup of bands still fresh, despite several decades of headbanging that left fans of each band wanting more.
New York-based Anthrax had an especially strong contingent of fans in attendance, as lead vocalist Joey Belladonna is a native of Oswego, a short drive from the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater. Anthrax, always the historians, opened and closed their set with a tribute to the recently deceased Pantera drummer, Vinnie Paul. The band opened with the riff from the Pantera classic, “Cowboys From Hell” and closed with the same, sending those in attendance into a headbanging frenzy. Anthrax, particularly bassist Frankie Bello, is one fun band to watch perform.
While most of the show was an exercise in headbanging for the largely 40-something crowd, Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe added some acrobatics to his band’s set, invariably leaping from the riser at the front of the stage.
Napalm Death performed a career-spanning set, including a slightly extended version of their song, “You Suffer.” This track, from Napalm Death’s debut album Scum, has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the World’s Shortest Recorded Song at 1.316 seconds long. Make some time to hear that below:
Slayer bid a fond farewell to a standing ovation following a raucous “Angel of Death” from the band’s classic Reign in Blood album. Their setlist was dotted with songs covering their entire career, including the opener, the title song from their latest album, Repentless.
Setlists
Slayer: Repentless, Blood Red, Disciple, Mandatory Suicide, Hate Worldwide, War Ensemble, Jihad, When the Stillness Comes, Postmortem, Black Magic, Payback, Seasons in the Abyss, Dittohead, Dead Skin Mask, Hell Awaits, South of Heaven, Raining Blood, Chemical Warfare, Angel of Death
Lamb of God: Omerta, Ruin, Walk With Me in Hell, Now You’ve Got Something to Die For, 512, Engage the Fear Machine, Blacken the Cursed Sun, Laid to Rest, Redneck
Anthrax: Cowboys From Hell (Pantera cover) (Jam), Caught in a Mosh, Got the Time (Joe Jackson cover), Madhouse, Be All, End All, Evil Twin, Antisocial (Trust cover), Indians
Testament: Brotherhood of the Snake, Rise Up, Dog Faced Gods, The Preacher, Practice What You Preach, The New Order, Into the Pit, Over the Wall
Napalm Death: Multinational Corporations, Instinct of Survival, When All Is Said and Done, Smash a Single Digit, Standardization, Suffer the Children, Silence Is Deafening, How the Years Condemn, Scum, You Suffer, Dead, Nazi Punks Fuck Off (Dead Kennedys cover)
America is in the midst of a funk revival and no place is currently funkier than Middlebury, Vermont. Home to The Big Sip, this town has helped the quartet grow their sound since they met on the Middlebury College campus in 2016. With Evan Mercer on the drums, Jack Cattabiani on the bass, Nick Schrope on the keys and Matt Dienar tackling the vocals and guitar, it’s easy to see why they have gained such popularity over the last two years.
This past June, The Big Sip unveiled their 2nd release, Sip Responsibly, their follow-up to 2017’s debut EP, Music for Clapping. This fantastic album starts with an immediate gem titled “The Worst of It”. On the first listen, the Elton John and Zappa influences drip out of the speakers but that similarity doesn’t do the track justice. This bubbly lounge song grows on you immediately with its slow crawling groove and sharp beat.
Following this is “Midnight Snek”, which sounds like a track from Sonic Spinball, my favorite 1993 Genesis game. When the band plays together, it’s organized cacophony with the guitarist’s high notes bringing the track to a whole new level. This song is very fun in a Richard Cheese kind of way and has a plucky solo to end the jam in this track. Jack really sets the stage for the third track, “Skucking Funks” with his infectious bass line.Matt balances the vocals incredibly well with his guitar in this song and Nick’s synthy goodness is really apparent in the chorus. Overall this song has a rhythm to it that immediately gets stuck in your head as soon as you hit ‘Play’.
The second half of the album begins with “Parking in the Parking Lot”, which takes the mood down a notch with its soulful verses and emotional chorus. The guitar in the intro sounds like rays of sunshine peeking through the clouds while the beat drifts along like a summer breeze. The jam in this song is equally impressive when it takes a little walk, building up more and more before shimmering and diving back into the vocals again.
“Two Hips / One Night” starts off with some spooky synthesizer before the band kicks into the groove you’ve come to expect with this album. This song has a lovely mix of different styles and also features a spectacular saxophone solo from Jack to end the track.
The Big Sip concludes this album with a truly magical rendition of “Valerie”, the Amy Winehouse classic hit. The track itself starts off slow and unassuming with a lovely organ solo but grows as the first verse unfolds into the famous chorus. For a band that started out covering Vulfpeck tracks, it’s really nice to see them return to form with a cover of this caliber.
Sip Responsibly is a magnificent release from the Big Sip and an impressive follow-up to last year’s debut EP. Do your ears a favor and check them out on Bandcamp.
Finding an amazing live band is like finding a rare gem, their energy while performing is what makes them unique and amazing. 10 Years is one of these rare gems. Their live performance is so amazing that they “lead you to believe in something” and forget about the numbing of life’s tolls for just a moment in time.
10 Years outdid themselves at The Wolf Den in Uncasville, CT on July 20 and put on one of their best shows at that venue. The crowd was bigger than ever at the Wolf Den and they simply rocked!
The eighth annual Levitate Music Festival took place July 7 and 8, hosted by the Levitate Surf Shop at the Marshfield Fairgrounds. The two day event featured three stages, the Soul Stage (smallest), Style Stage (mid-sized), and Stoke Stage (main); each stage featured killer musicians, both local and national touring acts. The weather remained hot and sunny all weekend, which the festival aided with free sunscreen dispensers all across the grounds.
One of the coolest parts of this year’s Levitate was their move towards an eco-friendly festival experience. Attendees could purchase metal cups to use at the Reverb water-filling stations, or at the many beer tents around the grounds, receiving a $1 discount for purchasing the cups. There were also several compost tents, and some food vendors even served their food on biodegradable plates. Spread across the grounds were numerous local food trucks, one of the most popular being the Sweet Tomatoes pizza truck, which constantly had a line longer than the bathrooms.
Samantha Fish was one of the more surprising sets of the first day, bringing her soulful blues playing and outstanding voice to the Soul Stage, surprising many festivalgoers that were passing by. Immediately following her and her band’s performance was Vermont-native jam band Twiddle, who seemed to have drawn their fans from all over New England. The quartet played the recently dusted off “Frankenfoote,” much to the crowd’s bemusement, and clearly seemed to enjoy being back in their home field after their recent cross-country tour with Stick Figure. Robert Randolph & The Family Band brought their gospel-blues fusion sound to the Soul Stage following Twiddle’s performance, and among their many covers, brought out Samantha Fish for a fiery rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s famous “Voodoo Child,” which had the crowd dancing and singing along all the way back to the soundboard.
Slightly Stoopid and Stick Figure brought their reggae stylings and roots music to the Style and Stoke stages before the main event of the fest, Trey Anastasio Trio, took to the main stage. Trey’s trio actually became a quartet for the set, featuring Ray Paczkowski on the keyboards for his second show back since the recent removal of a brain tumor. The quartet played a mixture of Trey Anastasio Band and Phish songs, opening with the uplifting summer jam “Blaze On,” a song about being carefree and keeping on, which fit the atmosphere of the fest well. Trey was visibly excited to be onstage, probably due to having just played in Central Park the previous night, and the forthcoming start of Phish’s annual summer tour. After a unique rendition of TAB’s “Cayman Review,” the group broke into even more Phish classics, such as the jam vehicles “Gotta Jibboo” and “Sand,” as well as the fan-favorite “Farmhouse.” The highlight of the set was the segment of “Bug > Undermind > First Tube” at the end of the set, featuring the deepest jams of the night. After the usual climactic ending of “First Tube,” Trey came out with an acoustic to perform solo versions of the bittersweet love song “Waste” and the joyful “More,” and asked the crowd to cheer as loud as they could for Ray when the rest of the band came out. The deafening roar of the attendees seemed to embarrass Ray—-though they made Trey smile and laugh—and the group broke into their final song of the evening, “Push On Til’ The Day.”
On the second day of the fest, the Style Stage featured a lot of the best acts. The day was kicked off by Spafford, a first timer at Levitate, who have been on fire all summer long. The group played a near-20-minute version of their heavy hitter “Blackfoot Funk,” and a stellar version of one of their newest tunes “Broken Wing,” the fast paced rocker that heavily showcases the rhythmic abilities of bassist Jordan Fairless and drummer Cameron Laforest. The group closed out the set with “Space Gadget,” a more progressive song that features the famous main melody of Inspector Gadget theme, a request made by a fan who recently released an Inspector Gadget pin. Following Spafford were Brooklyn’s favorite funk group, the 9-piece Turkuaz, who got everyone up and dancing in the warm summer heat. Their set featured the always-entertaining “Percy Thrills, The Moon Dog,” as well as the Sami Garrett-led “Tiptoe Through the Crypto,” a song that really exemplifies her impressive vocal range. After Turkuaz came the popular bluegrass group Greensky Bluegrass, whose set featured a couple sit ins from some big names. The first sit in had singer-songwriter Ryan Montbleau sitting in on Coolio’s magnum opus, “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which had a bit of a Greensky flair on it. The whole crowd was singing along with the rap anthem, really enjoying the group’s interesting take on the song. The second sit in featured guitarist Brian Moss of Spafford on their original “Kerosene,” which was taken over by Moss towards the end with an impressive solo on his beloved guitar “The Raven.”
Of all the big names that were featured on the main stage, Lake Street Dive stoke the show as always with their upbeat, soulful swing sound. The set showcased many of the group’s popular originals, including “I Don’t Care About You,” “Good Kisser,” and “Baby Don’t Leave Me Alone With My Thoughts,” as well as an impressive cover of Shania Twain’s “You’re Still The One.” Over on the Soul Stage, Mihali Savoulidis of Twiddle hosted a “Mihali and Frends Community Jam” set to close out the festival, which featured a hefty lineup, including Eli Winderman and Rob Compa of Dopapod, Zdenek Gubb of Twiddle, Russ Lawton of Trey Anastasio Band, and many, many more. The set consisted mainly of covers, most impressively John Lennon’s “Stand By Me,” led by a guy named Hitch on acoustic guitar, and Alanis Morrissette’s classic “You Oughta Know,” led by Rob Compa, whose vocals were eerily similar to Morrissette’s.
The eighth annual Levitate Music and Arts Festival was a major success, especially in the way of their green initiative. The festival will return next year and years to come, most likely with an even more impressive lineup and even better food. Check out the photo gallery below for a taste of what the weekend was like.
The indie garage-punk quartet Shannon and the Clams has been electrifying the nation with a vintage sound which incorporates elements of doo-wop, classic R&B, garage psych and surf rock into their high energy performances. At Panorama Music Festival we had a chance to catch up with guitarist Cody Blanchard and drummer Nate Mahan to discuss their extensive touring schedule, recording their most recent album Onion (produced by Black Key’s Dan Auerbach), and their plans for the future.
Ryan Randazzo (RR): Your music is described in many different ways from doo-wop, surf rock, R&B, psychedelic; you’ve got an entire array of genres in there. How did you sound form to become what it is now?
Cody Blanchard (CB): It was all Shannon at first. She was playing open mics by herself and just really wanted to love that ‘60’s girl group sound. Then we started a really ramshackle band in 2008 with different people, and it was really punk because we were sloppy and 21 years old. We just kind of rolled with it and made it fun. Then we got better and started working with better people, like Nate our current drummer for the past few years, and he is better than our old drummer. It just got tighter and we added a keyboard player, so that allowed us to get more nuanced, bigger sounds. I also think we get really restless musically and want to explore new zones. Then we hear more different kinds of music we’ve never heard before and it all gets mixed in.
RR: What kind of music are you guys into right now?
CB: I’ve been into some old country stuff. I’ve been really into mid to late ‘80’s synth driven R&B stuff. There’s this period of music that me and my wife have been trying to describe and we call it “cocaine comedown,” and it’s like late ‘70s early ‘80s. It almost sounds like disco, but it’s low and everything’s sad sounding. It sounds like the next day. Some of The Eagles’ later shit sounds like that, and Lindsey Buckingham has a couple of really clean and tight sounding tracks. I love that stuff right now. It’s very sad disco music. What do you think?
Nate Mahan (NM): I don’t know. I’ve still been high out on the early country; just exploring. California country music in particular. The Central Valley is such a strange part of California and there are so many weird genres that originate from it.
CB: It’s the frontier of the frontier.
NM: Yeah. It’s not the fancy part of California. You think the fancy part of California, you think San Francisco or L.A., which is glamorous, but the Central Valley has this whole working class thing. It’s strange that it would yield a band like Korn. I’ve been listening to Korn a lot. It’s just a strange zone for creative activity for whatever reason, and I’ve been exploring that recently myself.
RR: You recently released Onion which was produced by the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. How was working with him, and how was creating this album different from other albums you’ve done in the past?
CB: Very different. He’s a very hands on producer. He likes to get really into the song structure and add tons of layers. It was cool not being responsible for everything. Our first few albums we recorded ourselves and I just felt like we were always doing everything. It was rad to have an outside party to come in and contribute stuff or just have a totally outside perspective on it.
NM: Getting songs down fast and having lots of time to explore what we could do with them and mess with the arrangements. I feel like it works to such an advantage when you know that what you have is quality and you can really just go from there and build it.
CB: Yeah, start with a strong foundation and layer a bunch of crazy shit on top of it. The other thing is his studio is extremely streamlined, so I think because he likes to add lots of instruments really fast and not have to wait around to move things in the studio or something. I’ve never seen that before. Most studios you’ll have to go in the closet and haul out the vibraphone, then get out the microphone, and it takes like an hour. He doesn’t have that much stuff, but it’s all ready to go. You can just record that and go, which is cool and inspiring.
NM: Yeah definitely because if you wander by an instrument, see it and go, “I’m hearing something,” he’ll say, “Great, record.” Five minutes, done. Efficient.
RR: You guys have a really extensive touring schedule. You’re going to Europe then coming back to the West Coast and working your way east. How have you noticed your audience differs from region to region, and what would you describe as your favorite market/which one do you feel you need to break into more?
CB: One of our biggest markets is the L.A. area. A lot of young kids there, and a lot of really high energy kids out there. Some really great shows. Europe has been slow for us because we’ve worked with so many different booking agents. I don’t know – we just keep changing, but I think we’re trying to do some of the bigger festivals in Europe to get our name out there. In Europe, I’ve definitely noticed in the Netherlands people are very stiff as an audience. They’re very cool and friendly, but as an audience they’re very stiff. No dancers. I love the U.K. a lot, which most bands don’t like for some reason. We do well there, and I really like the people; they’re really rowdy.
It’s been interesting touring with Dan Auerbach because our audience is generally very rowdy and unruly, and Dan’s audience, who didn’t know our material also, was very pleasant and mild mannered, so that was kind of fun.
RR: How were your first few shows with his audience?
CB: They loved it. It was a really different vibe. New Orleans is a very rowdy place, which I love.
NM: Florida too. There’s something about that hot weather, you just want to have a good time.
RR: How do you feel your shows differ from a festival set like today at Panorama and your normal touring shows?
CB: They’re shorter at festivals. It probably sounds better when we’re touring because we do a normal soundcheck. We’re not as close to the audience at festivals; there’s more an energetic distance so it doesn’t feel as intimate. I feel like we play pretty much the same. We usually do an hour to an hour and fifteen minute set on our normal tours so festivals are just a little shorter.
RR: I was talking to a couple of your fans after your set, and asked them if they had anything they’d want me to ask you, so their question was: “If you guys all live so far apart from one another, how does your songwriting and recording process work?”
CB: We each usually make demos at home then meet up for a week or less and rehearse. Usually if we have a show, we meet a few days early. The last record, we met in Oakland and rehearsed a bit then met in Seattle and recorded demos of the songs at a friend’s house with the full band. I feel like next time, going into Auerbach’s studio, we can come less prepared. I feel like we were pretty well prepared last time, but I feel like we could show up and fuck around more. Everything seemed rushed at a different studio before that, so I was going into it like, “We’ve got to be ready with each song,” but it’s tough because stuff is expensive. Playing the songs as a group is also SO different from the recording process.The end product of recording with Dan is different. The things that end up on top are so different from what was originally on top of the recording.
RR: Are there any elements of your sound or show that you feel like you’d want to add? Maybe a new light rig, psychedelic images, new instruments?
NM: I think we all have plenty of ideas (laughs).
CB: I used to think about that stuff all the time, then I started realizing that the return of investment on energy is pretty low. I think people are happy with a very human show or experience. But if we had tons of money… we’ve had tons of weird ideas.
RR: What’s your weirdest?
CB: I used to want to do weird sketches on stage and crazy costumes; hire our own lighting person and do our own spotlights. I used to want to do weird inflatable creatures and shit on stage. I made some animatronic, weird monster one time for our record release show three years ago. I just took old toys that are motorized and moved around, but put different things on the outside so they looked totally different. I put real animal fur and fake eyeballs on them; that was cool. That shit is just a lot of extra effort and takes up a lot of space, and we want to focus on the music. We’ve been trying to keep it really efficient. Lately, I’ve been less ambitious with stage elements and more focused on our sound.
RR: What are your big plans for 2019?
CB: I’ll bet we record next year. I think I’ll be ready. I think it’ll be a faster turnaround because when we recorded our last album, Dan’s label wasn’t quite ready for records to come out, so we had to wait a year. I think we’ll record. I would like to.
NM: Hopefully we go and visit Australia.
CB: Yeah, we were talking about trying to go to Australia or Japan, we’ve just never had a good connection. We’d love to do either of those. We’re heading to Mexico City later in the year, and I would love to go to South America and Central America. I feel like that audience would love it also. We’ve met a few bands from there, like big bands, and they always say, “You’ve got to come down.” Hopefully we’ll get a chance.
Slayer brought their Farewell Tour to the Times Union Center in Albany, NY on August 1, along with a handful of some of the metal genre’s best acts. Lamb of God, Anthrax, Testament and Napalm Death joined the legendary thrash metal band’s going away party. In January, Slayer announced that they would be embarking on a farewell tour, playing concerts all across the United States along with select dates in Canada. The show started right around 5 pm with Napalm Death taking the stage. Following a short set by Napalm Death, Testament was up next. The band played many fan favorites among music off their latest album, Brotherhood of the Snake. Anthrax took the stage next playing fan favorites such as “Indians.” The thrash metal band out of New York City also delivered a tribute to Pantera.
Slayer opened the show with guns blazing, courtesy of one of their newer songs, “Repentless.” Next, they played “Blood Red” followed by “Disciple.” For the rest of the show, Slayer treated fans to career-spanning songs ranging from the early days up to their latest album. The line up featured Gary Holt from Exodus on lead guitar who has been with the band since the passing of the great Jeff Hanneman, along with Paul Bastoff on drums who has been in and out of the band throughout their career. Slayer’s legacy began when they formed in 1981. What made them stand out is that they pushed metal to its limits. The group out of Huntington Park, California is known to be one of the heaviest and most influential bands in the metal music community. They have produced many of the most important albums in the scene including their third album, Reign In Blood. They are also part of the “Big Four” of thrash metal which also includes Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth who all toured together between 2011-2012 all over the world, including a special concert at Yankee Stadium. Slayer has released 12 studio albums over their career and will always be known as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Fans will truly miss them.
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