Area fans of Rich Robinson, Marc Ford, and all of their previous musical projects, had eagerly anticipated the first Central New York appearance of their latest collaboration, The Magpie Salute at del Lago Casino in Waterloo, New York on July 19. In addition to Robinson and Ford, the band includes Sven Pipien on bass, Joe Magistro on drums, Matt Slocum on keyboards, and John Hogg on vocals, guitar, and harmonica.
Del Lago Casino’s first class, state-of-the-art, 2400-seat theater, The Vine, hosted an enthusiastic crowd with many people up and dancing, or advancing to the stage. The opening song, “Mary the Gypsy,” set the tone with Magistro’s booming, manic drums, with layers of guitars and keyboards energizing the entire room. Later in the set, the band raised the bar even higher with a full-throttle version of Jeff Beck’s “All Shook Up.” The band displayed remarkable range by switching immediately from that powerhouse high-tempo blues rock number to covering the alt-country tune “Hot Burrito #2,” a love letter of sorts from the iconic Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers.
It was interesting to see a few of the band members smile as they recognized familiar faces in the crowd. Robinson made mention of this, stating that such continuing support of he and Ford over all the years meant a lot. He made it a point to say that this was a new venture, with new ideas, and in the face of the world being “batshit crazy these days,” it was important to focus on now, and maybe not so much on the past. That notion was reflected in the set list. Though there were a few songs from Ford and Robinson’s previous individual side projects, any fans expecting an evening of Black Crowes covers were left empty-handed on this night, which emphasized that this was indeed a new sound and a new direction.
One element from the past that did remain evident was the effortless interplay between Ford and Robinson. It can be argued that the two of them were the equal of any guitar duo of the nineties. Though they had separated for a number of reasons, and hadn’t played together for over a decade, their decision to reunite in The Magpie Salutehas found that their old magic still exists. That connection was never more evident than during “For the Wind.” This is a sweeping song that begins with a light melodic line from Robinson, and builds to a muscular crescendo with Pipien keeping the bottom end on his familiar blue Fender jazz bass while the guitars soar and seem to draw from each other. As Robinson has stated, “Marc Ford and I have this thing and it’s something you can’t put your finger on and understand, but he and I just go to these places when we play together. The older I get, the more I realize how important that is.”
Hogg, Robinson, and Ford each took turns on lead vocals, with Pipien adding backing vocals and harmonies. Most of the evening’s one hour and forty minute set was from The Magpie Salute’s upcoming release, High Water I, available August 10 via Eagle Rock, Mascot Label Group, and Sony Japan. Pre-orders are available here. The band will continue to tour in support of the album, with scheduled U.S. dates through September.
The Magpie Salute Setlist: Mary the Gypsy, Comin’ Home*, Walk On Water, I Remember, Take It All, Shalimar Dreams, All Shook Up ^, Hot Burrito #2~, Open Up, Hand In Hand, You Found Me, Goin’ Down South, For the Wind, Devil’s In the Details, I Don’t Hear the Sound of You, Colorblind, Can You See, High Water, Send Me An Omen
Taylor Swift never stops to surprise us with great music and unforgettable performances and Taylor jumped in front of a huge crowd Friday, July 20 2018 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. For the first one of three shows in a row this weekend. Here are the Top 5 amazing things that happened during the show.
Photos By http://www.msartsandphotos.com/
5. Stages
The Reputation Stadium World Tour brings an ever changing 110′ feet tall stage with different set ups through out the concert. She also has two other extra stages for a total of three allowing Swift to get closer to those fans that couldn’t make it to the front row. This has been the biggest stage Taylor has ever had on tour.
4. Bringing people together
There is no doubt that the 28 year old songwriter is capable of pulling every heartstring of our bodies with her songs. She is also capable of bringing thousands of people together singing at the same time for a magical and fulfilling experience for any fan. The audience clearly demonstrated that they knew every song to its core.
3. Creativity
Many fans took the opportunity to unleash their creativity creating custom costumes, signs and props to catch her attention during the show.
2. Giant Snakes
No, It’s not a joke!. While she performed the lead single of the Reputation album Look What You Made Me Do. Taylor was joined in stage by her dancers and a stunning 30′ feet tall cobra. During her song “Shake it Off” she also had two giant snakes followed by great fireworks surprising the crowd even more.
1. Top Quality Performances
Charli XCX and Camila Cabello were the opening acts in the show. Both of them performed some of their hit songs such as “Boom Clap” by Charli and “Havana” by Camila. They also joined Swift on stage when she performed “Shake it Off” which was the lead single on her previous album “1989”.
The Reputation Stadium World Tour is set to continue until November 21, 2018. The last show will take place in Tokyo, Japan. The tour could become one of the highest-grossing tours of all time and it’s definitely worth seeing with your own eyes.
The Long Island music scene is incredibly fertile and diverse. It is rare to have an event that brings everyone together in one place, from the hardcore kids out east to the classic rock loving dads from Glen Cove, to celebrate music, art, and unity. Great South Bay Music Festival achieved this in strides with their incredibly colorful lineup of popular acts ranging from Sublime with Rome to Electric Hot Tuna. Located directly on the water of the south shore of the island at Shorefront Park in Patchogue, NY from July 12-15, the festival grounds is the optimal place to see live music on a hot Long Island summer day.
Festival Guide
Unlike other festivals around the nation which focus in on one single genre of music, Great South Bay is a family-oriented festival that mixes up the genre of music played each day to give everyone a chance to enjoy themselves. Music lovers who attended each day went through a journey of seeing hardcore/punk bands on Thursday night to ska/reggae groups on Friday night to jam bands on Saturday night with blues/classic rock acts capping off the weekend on Sunday night.
The overall vibe of the festival was incredibly relaxed, despite how many people attended, and festival goers had the option to sit back on the grass in their lawn chairs and blankets or head up front to stand in the pit if they wanted to get closer to the music. Because of how drastically the music changed from night to night, the crowd tended to change with it, creating a different feel for each day of the festival.
Jim Faith, the man responsible for putting the event together, started Great South Bay Music Festival to create a Long Island music festival which would keep the spirit of music alive, positively change people’s lives, and create a space safe for people of all races and ethnicities to come together and celebrate different kinds of music. His goal is to inspire people to listen to new music as well turn younger folks onto legendary artists they might not have heard. The festival is not designed to be an over the top production, but rather a place to bring people together and get to the heart and soul of the community- which it certainly achieved.
Happy Festival Goers
Thursday, July 12:
The first night of music kicked off with a bang with an assortment of punk and hardcore groups who played to an energetic crowd of generally younger fans. When Get Up Kids took the main stage at 6:10 pm, the crowd was antsy and ready to go. The 90’s rock/emo band got the crowd going with an injection of high energy punk-esque songs which kept up the entire set and established the first big mosh pit in front of the stage of the night, but certainly not the last.
Eddie Breckenridge of Thrice
Thrice followed at 7:30 to the excitement of many attendants, and picked up exactly where Get Up Kids left off. The veteran alternative rock band’s heavy riffs incited headbanging, fist pumps and mosh pits in the crowd close to the stage, while those who were hanging back danced to themselves. Thrice was a treat to many festival goers as they had recently released new music and came back from a three-year hiatus, so it was many fans first time seeing them since they returned. An incredibly polished, hard rocking band, their set was played with such precision it sounded as though it was recorded in a studio.
A half hour after Thrice finished their set, the headliners of the night, The Front Bottoms, took the stage and treated the crowd to an energetic hour and ten minute set of twists and turns. Playing with the “Legendary Uptown Horns,” the set featured an animated setlist of melodic arrangements. The band sounded like a mix of Mumford and Sons and Streetlight Manifesto, and produced incredibly positive and vibrant music. By the end of the set there were people jumping, crowd surfers bouncing, and heads banging: a magnificent end to the first night of the festival, which would set the stage for the next three nights.
Front Bottoms
Friday, July 13:
Friday night was all about the ska and reggae scenes, and featured an impressive assortment of some of the nation’s top touring acts for the genre. The crowd began to fill up after 6 pm as they made their way over to the festival grounds after work, and included a very diverse crowd of fans old and young.
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake started their set right on time at 6:30 and jumped right into a fast-paced, rocking ska song to the crowd’s delight. The band seemed to be in a great mood as they played a set of many of their hits from their most recent albums to older crowd favorites, and played around heavily with crowd participation. In between songs they made jokes, brought people up on stage to dance, and even had a beer chug off with people from the crowd who they brought on stage. They had the crowd in the palm of their hands as they encouraged sing-a-longs, jumping in unison, and moshing. While they were very playful they were also an incredibly tight band who clearly had been playing together for a long time.
Dirty Heads
The Dirty Heads followed at 8 pm as the smell of marijuana filled the air in anticipation. The Dirty Heads are a great, chill summer band, and the beach is the ideal place to catch one of their sets. The band played a very diverse setlist from hip-hop beats and rapping to slow, bouncing reggae tunes which saw the massive crowd swaying in harmony like the waves of the sea behind them. Everyone sang along when they played their hits, and Rome even came out to perform a song he’d recorded with them for one of their earlier albums, to the crowd’s delight.
The appearance by Rome in the Dirty Heads’ set was only a taste of what was to come, as Sublime with Rome followed in the headlining spot. The band got the crowd going right away with a few classic Sublime songs, each featuring an echo of the crowd singing along. The band was able to emulate the sound of the original Sublime lineup with ease, while at the same time staying fresh with many of their new songs. Some of their new songs sounded like something from a vintage Sublime album, while others strayed genres a bit and became much heavier. Overall the night was exactly what the crowd came for as they left smiling and hazy.
Sublime With Rome
Saturday, July 14:
Saturday’s show featured an array of artists from the jam scene, ranging from cover bands to some of the top touring acts of the scene. JGB Featuring Melvin Seals brought heat with a set of Jerry Garcia music that would make Jerry proud. Seals still has the chops he had while playing with Jerry, and put together a band of world class musicians to keep the spirit alive. The set mirrored that of a ‘90s JGB show with original Garcia tracks and some of his favorite covers played with emotion and soul. Each member of the band came to play, and every note played was treated with dignity and respect, whether it was a fast-paced rocker or classic ballad.
Photo of The Great South Bay Music Festival courtesy of their website.
Papadosio followed and began their set with a jam on middle-eastern chord progressions, which piqued the interest of the crowd. Their hour long set featured mild twisting space-funk, dangerous peaks, and breezy, floating jams which exploded like the waves on the nearby jetty. Although the band normally plays indoor shows or late night time slots, having them play in the afternoon was a treat because despite the lack of light show, the crowd was able to see that the band was dancing on stage and as into the set as the audience, which only pushed the music further.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
With the crowd loose and ready to jam, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong took the stage at 7:30 and impressed the crowd with a show that they played like it was their last. The upbeat funk-rockers explored different areas of jam music from ‘70’s disco-esque grooves to dark, gritty jams. The entire crowd grooved along as the non-stop set kept everyone dancing and on their toes for what they would play next. At the end of their set the crowd didn’t seem to want them to leave, as they didn’t want to either, and gave the band an ovation which was heard a town over.
The half hour time slot in between bands gave festival goers a chance to sit down and collect themselves before they were thrown back into the madness with a dynamic set by jam band giants Umphreys McGee. Umphreys McGee quickly dove into a high-energy rocker, each note played with sharp precision. For the first time that evening, it was dark enough for a band to incorporate a light show, and it did not disappoint as the lights added another layer to the improvisational machine on stage. The band shined effortlessly through difficult progressions and raging peaks with an incredibly fun set of music. The band left the stage before their time slot ended only to come back and deliver a rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” that sounded like a crisp studio recording of the song until they put their own spin on the jam which amused and exhilarated the attentive audience.
Umphrey’s Mcgee
Sunday, July 15:
The final day of the festival seemed to attract the largest crowd, as well as the oldest crowd. From Thursday to Sunday the average age of the crowd seemed to jump nearly a decade, with the old boys coming in and finishing things off right. The Devon Allman Project featured impressive guitar work and blues jamming by sons of the original Allman Brothers Band, Devon Allman (Greg Allman’s son) and Duane Betts (Dickey Bett’s son). Looking the carry on the family musical tradition, the band did not disappoint and put a fresh spin on bluesy, rocking tunes. Some might have thought that the band was only there because of the last names of the performers, but had their names been John Doe the band would have been incredibly impressive with their set of high quality musicianship.
Festival Goers, Old and Young
Little Feat came next to the crowd’s excitement, and the classic rock legends played a set full of fun and hits. The large band of musicians played with incredible gusto, and communicated with each other musically on stage as if they were speaking a language the crowd instinctively knew. Their soulful singing and silky jams showed that they are a band worth continuing to see as they segued from song to song with their eyes closed.
After a short break, Electric Hot Tuna took the stage to an ovation unmatched by any other of the weekend. Practically ignoring the applause, they dove into a sneaky, haunting blues jam featuring impressive guitar licks and full band modulations with ease. Each song featured a notable jam of its own right, and the versatile rockers changed genres on the turn of a dime with each song. The sound was ideal as the bass was up in the mix, which is exactly what you want when Jack Casady is on stage.
Dickey Betts Band
After Electric Hot Tuna’s set, the crowd was antsy to hear the final headliner of the night, Allman Brothers Band guitar player and founder Dickey Betts take the stage with Dickey Betts Band, however they were forced to wait an additional half hour due to sound issues. The crowd was overjoyed when the band finally took the stage and jumped right into the Allman Brothers material Betts wrote. Betts was a bit rusty throughout the set, but still reached many highs on well-known Allman Brothers Band solos, and the crowd was happy to hear the music they grew up with.
Overall the festival was a great success, with attendants raving about the music they had just seen as they made their way to the parking lot on the final night. With sunlight and a cool ocean breezes, you couldn’t ask for a better weekend as people from all walks of life joined together to celebrate love and music.
Canton, NY based electric blues outfit Waydown Wailers have released Backland Blues, their third album released on Woodstock Records. The band, which was formed in 2011, is composed of brothers David Parker (vocals, guitar) and Christian Parker (rhythm & lead guitar), as well as Connor Pelkey (bass, backing vocals) , and Mike Scriminger (drums).
Backland Blues is Waydown Wailers‘ third release and was produced by Aaron Hurwitz aka Professor Louie on the Woodstock Records label. Hurwitz who was given the moniker “Professor Louie” by Rick Denko of The Band, plays Hammond Organ on multiple tunes on the record including No Mercy,” the fifth track. The song also features some excellent guitar work by Parker and illustrates why this band has garnered so much attention by music critics in the U.S. and Europe as an outstanding electric blues outfit. Another highlight of the album is “Another Bump In The Road” which feels more like an electrified Country and Western Tune.
The band also included two covers on Backland Blues, “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” (Made famous by the Beatles and Elmore James’ “Done Somebody Wrong.” The band did a superb job covering these vintage tunes and it was probably a calculated gamble that paid off handsomely for a band that has a large following in the United Kingdom. My personal favorite track on the album is “I Want Your Soul,” which is a tight little rocking number that demonstrates how well the boys play together as a band. The tune also features a nice hard rocking tone with great slide guitar.
The Waydown Wailers will be supporting the new album this summer, with their next date slated for Friday, August 23 at the Concert in the Park series held in Massena, New York.
Key Tracks: Back Door Woman, I Want Your Soul, No Mercy
On the evening of Wednesday, July 18, Dispatch, joined by Nahko and Medicine for the People and singer-songwriter Raye Zaragoza, took the stage in Manhattan’s Central Park for the first of a two-night stand. Brad Corrigan, Chad Stokes and Pete Francis formed Dispatch over twenty years ago and have been no strangers to New York City over the last two decades. The band reminisced on stage about the early years at the former lower Manhattan venue “The Wetlands.” In the summer of 2007, during their hiatus, Dispatch sold out Madison Square Garden for three consecutive nights. All of the money raised from those ticket sales went directly to charities that are fighting disease, famine and social injustice. And now, seven years after the break ended in 2011, they are a part of The City Parks Foundation’s illustrious SummerStage line up. Their blend of folk, indie rock, funk and reggae combined with their ability to just downright jam out is a perfect addition to the outdoor music scene the park is hosting this season.
Set List:
Only the Wild Ones, Time Served, Midnight Lorry, Bang Bang, Beto, Windy Like, Flying Horses, Painted Yellow Lines, Rice Water, Fallin’, Curse + Crush, Open Up, Fly With Me, Bats in the Belfry, Be Gone, Out Loud
On July 27, 2018, as We Banjo 3 make their first appearance at the Great American Irish Festival, in Frankfort, NY, they will also be releasing their fifth album titled Haven. As lovers of both bluegrass and Celtic music, these four musicians from Galway, Ireland have dubbed their sound as “Celtgrass” and achieved the perfect marriage of both sounds.
The album starts out strong with the title track “Haven,” a song of wanting to escape the daily grind that surrounds each of us every day to a personal haven. We each need a haven to regenerate and refill, and to each of us it’s different. Whether it’s a person, place, or thing, the song inspires us to find that haven and refuel our souls.
Recently I spoke with band member David Howley about the new album and a few of the songs that really resonated with me. He told me that “the idea of (the song) ‘Haven’ came about organically. The world is crazy right now, probably no more crazy than it’s ever been, but we are all reaching a boiling point. Art, music and culture have always provided relief amidst the chaos. We realized that so many people come to our shows to dance, sing and step away a little from the every day, to recenter on what’s truly important. That interaction is what fuels us as a band, the smiling eyes or the tear of empathetic harmony that rolls down someones face, it means we’re down to our human level and that’s where people can be fully present. We are not claiming to know how to fix things or to change things; we just know how to get people to dance like new born baby giraffes and sing like they wrote the lyrics themselves.” And for those of us that dance like new born baby giraffes, we can totally relate. Music is a haven for us all and this song is a perfect depiction of that. Loved the song, and loved the horns within it.
As you get deeper into the album, they pick it up in the next couple songs with quick tempoed banjo and fiddle numbers. In “Light In The Sky,” you can’t help but be inspired to follow your dreams while, with “Sugar House,” you’re grabbing the nearest partner to cut a rug. True ‘Celtgrass’ magic these two numbers are. I loved how the “Sugar House” progressively sped up, exhausting you and encouraging you to keep up at the end. You would definitely get your steps in on this one if you were on the dance floor.
I’m a sucker for love and in “War of Love” you can’t help but reminisce about the one got away while watching them move on. Loved the beautiful writing and harmonies on this one with Sierra Hull.
In “Annabelle’s Cannon,” you have the perfect blend of musicianship – great banjo, great fiddle and great mandolin in this number. Okay, I just love the melody of this one which made it all great in my book. The beauty of it is that they each were featured perfectly, never competing with each other, only accompanying each otheras they took turns front and center…and did I hear an electric fiddle or cello in there, friends?! Not quite sure of which it was, but great add!
“Pack It Up” has a very folksy vibe to it and I specifically liked the progression of the song to the climatic end of musical movement.
On “Marry Me Monday,” I love this love song’s vibe. It makes you want to grab the one you love, or would like to love, and takea twirl to this classic Celtic waltz. Definitely a favorite for this season’s wedding dances.
“Sunflower” is an inspirational quirky tune. With lyrics about love, I found this number very uplifting and loved the harmonies on this one.
“Don’t Let Me Down” is my favorite number of all on this album. It’s a beautiful love song that is beautifully written, with beautiful musical composition and outstanding harmonies – a true example of less is more. You’ll see what I mean when you listen to it. Just beautiful! Too many beautiful’s? Nah!
“Dawn Breaks” is my second favorite track on the album. It’s a true Irish jig mixed with a peppering of bluegrass music. It’s a perfect marriage of both and shows the true musicianship of all the members of the band in this number. It’s a party in a song; some mighty fine craic here!
“Hold Onto Your Soul” is my third favorite. Although a bit serious in its message compared to the others on the album, it’s beautifully written and conveyed. I asked David about this song. He told us that, “‘Hold On To Your Soul’ sprouted from an idea our banjo wizard Enda had, a heartbreaking story that is so common in today’s metal health climate. He and I sat down in a hotel room in Tokyo and grew it a little more…we got together as a band and watched as it kept growing into the song it is now. It’s brutally honest, and doesn’t shy away from how it really feels to be down. The message of the song is that when your right there, as low as you think you can be, that’s when you just need to hold on a little longer and things will get better.” This a message that so many don’t tackle. It’s something that should be talked about more, however, tends to be taboo. So through these lyrics, they speak to so many, sending a message of hope for tomorrow. Although things may look bleak today, just “Hold on for tomorrow / Your time will come / This too shall pass / And there’s nothing to fear / Hold on for tomorrow.” It’s an amazing number all around. I applaud them for tackling the subject!
You can’t help but be happy listening to this album.I’m a sucker for a banjo and fiddle, but the compilation of the lyrics and music weave a story of love, adventure, hope, celebration and community throughout the whole album. Although I’ve been around the Celtic music scene now for about twelve years, this is the first time I’ve heard their music and I was very impressed. They lived up to all the hype I’ve heard and blended two of my favorite genres to make the best of both worlds.
Being a newcomer to their music, I asked David if he felt this album was different or an continuation of a story of their previous albums. “Our previous albums are all perfect snapshots of where the band was at a point in time. This album is a little different, it was written, recorded and mixed with a sense of risk. We’ve never been as honest in our writing before, from love sappy songs to songs about going to your ex-girlfriend’s wedding, we tried to stay honest and not shy from uncomfortable feelings. Mental health is a big theme of the album because it’s been a big theme in all of our lives, but we also wanted to portray that ‘Haven’ is a safe space for people to come and just be free.” I look forward to exploring their other albums as well as seeing them live as I have heard they are highly energetic and this energy is impossible to capture in an album.
Join me this year at the Great American Irish Festival to feel this energy, share their message, and welcome them for the first time as we are extremely fortunate to have them playing here. Take a ride down, grab their set, grab their new CD and meet them as they bring their musical Haven to the festival.
Key Tracks: Don’t Let Me Down, Dawn Breaks, Hold On To Your Soul
The John Butler Trio and special guest Mama Kin Spender performed at Albany’s The Egg Performing Arts Center on Thursday, July 12 to a packed house of enthusiastic fans. The two Australian-based bands have a very special connection – their lead members are married to one another. JBT’s front man and namesake John Butler and Danielle Caruana, who performs as Mama Kin in the folk duo Mama Kin Spender, have been married since 1999. The couple have two children together: a daughter, Banjo, and a son, Jahli, who are currently joining their parents on the North American leg of their tour.Butler was born in Los Angeles, California and moved to Australia with his family when he was 16. He started his musical career as a “Busking” street musician and, with hard work and determination, has created 10 albums to date and started his own record label called Jarrah Records. The current lineup of JBT has been expanded to a quintet whose members include John Butler (guitar, banjo, lap steel,vocals), Byron Luiters (bass, vocals), Grant (G-Money) Gerathy (drums, vocals), Lozz Benson (percussion, vocals), and Ben Corbett (keyboard, vocals). The John Butler Trio has won multiple music industry awards in Australia since its creation back in 1998 and they have been successful in leveraging that success into serving the community by supporting a variety of non-profit causes that are close to the band.
The night started out with Mama Kin Spender taking the stage and performing “Cold Roof Top” off of their 2017 release Golden Magnetic. Tommy Spender played acoustic guitar while Mama Kin played drums as they performed the selection. The song is a love cry from a forlorn lover who is calling out the name of the object of their desire off a snowy city rooftop. The raw and sparse performance was a great start to their performance. Next up was “Dotted Line,” a protest march anthem that supports the rights of people to have same sex marriages. Spender explained that in Australia, much like in the US, the government was slow to make same sex marriages legal, but that it has now become a legal right to all of its citizens. They also commented on stage that the highly energetic number which needs to be forcefully belted out was a great way for the duo to get there “cardio” in during the show. Next up was the rockabilly number “Bird In Your Tree” which could have been a hit cut at Memphis’ famed Sun Studios back in the ’50s and featured some great guitar work by Spender.
A high point of the performance was when Mama Kin introduced the hypnotic tune “Underground.” Kin explained to the audience that the song was inspired by a special fungus named mycelium that acts as a caretaker of the forest by creating a “wood wide web” that interconnects the roots of a large number and variety of plants; something that Kin feels that as humans we need to work harder at emulating. The duo also performed a personal favorite of Spender’s, a cover of the country-western classic “Long Black Veil” that was executed superbly. The duo finished their opening set playing “Air Between Us” and priming the audience for the arrival of JBT.
After a brief break it was time for the main event as The John Butler Trio started strong with “Wade In The Water.” Benson and Corbett started off the number with percussion leading the band into the new number. During the introduction of the tune, Butler explained to the audience that where they come from it is tradition, while visiting someone else’s territory, to acknowledge the traditional indigenous custodians of the land. Wherever they travel the band shows them respect and to all of the ancestors whose shoulders we stand on.
Butler then rocked the lap steel and along with the band, created a primal soundscape that set the mood for the remainder of the performance. Next up, Butler switched over to the banjo and went into the pop friendly “Better Than That” off of 2007’s Grand National. Songs like “Pick Apart,” off of 2012’s Tin Shed Tales, illustrate the cohesiveness of the band and featured first-class solos by both G-Money on drums and Luiters on bass.
Butler is intimate with the audience on stage and describes his live performances as his own type of therapy. Whether it is relating stories of his father’s personal struggles after being injured in a fire and then expressing those feelings into a newly crafted song “Coffee, Methadone, & Cigarettes” or the telling of the story of a chance meeting of a girl in western Australia during a road trip that ends up being the woman he would fall in love with and marry, while introducing JBT’s love song “Betterman“. Butler lets the audience into his world creating an intimate bond with his fans that is palpable in the theater during the performance.
Butler’s guitar work is also something to see showing a versatility in playing many different types of music like Celtic, Folk, Hard Rock and Reggae. That musical prowess was on full display as, alone on stage, Butler strapped on his 11-string acoustic guitar and played the JBT classic “Oceans.” The intensity of the performance was electric and left the audience on their feet wanting more. The first encore brought Mama Kin back on stage joining Butler. The couple sang “Losing You” as a duo, which was perhaps the cutest part of the night, with the spouses riffing off one another during the selection. The band closed the night with a shout out to their road crew and then went straight into a funkalicious version of “Zebra” that got the crowd dancing one more time before the house lights came up. The John Butler Trio will continue to tour throughout the summer with dates across North America.
Setlists
Mama Kin Spender: Cold Roof Top, Dotted Line, Bird In Your Tree, Underground, Long Black Veil, Dig Below, Air Between Us
John Butler Trio: Wade In The Water, Better Than, Tahitian Blue, Betterman, Just Call, Blame It On Me, Coffee Methadone and Cigarettes, What You Want, Pickapart, Ocean, Ragged Mike, Miss Your Love, Don’t Wanna, Livin’ In The City,
Encore: Losing You (Featuring Mama Kin), We Want More, Zebra
Thousands of fans “went down the rabbit hole” to Zac Brown Band’s sold out show in Syracuse, NY at the Lakeview Amphitheater Saturday, June 23. Zac Brown Band is one of those bands that have been around for a while because they have so much stamina live. As the show progressed, the realization of how many popular songs they have hits you like the radio waves they have been surfing on.
It was amazing seeing fans of all ages in the audience, proving that the Zac Brown Band appeals to music lovers of all ages. One of the highlights of the evening was when Zac brought out the opening act Mark O’Connor Band to perform “In My Blood” that Zac produced. It was truly an amazing sight and sound with the stage full of such talented musicians surrounding Zac. It was absolutely perfect when they all covered “With a Little Help From My Friends” by The Beatles.
Zac also took the time to speak about a cause that is dear to the band’s heart, Camp Southern Ground, which is a music camp for children. Zac told the audience that $2 from every ticket was donated to Camp Southern Ground that night. As the band began to play the riff’s to their smash hit “Chicken Fried,” Zac also thanked all of the service men and women.
All in all after seeing the Zac Brown perform live, they made loving them so easy. They are one of the best live bands out there, sounding even better than on their albums. If you missed out on seeing their amazing performance, you still have a chance to catch them live July 28 and 29 in NYC at Citi Field, and on September 29 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Set 1: Knee Deep, As She’s Walking Away, Sweet Annie, Day That I Die, It’s Not OK, Uncaged, Take Me to Church (Hozier cover), Tomorrow Never Comes, 2 Places at 1 Time, Keep Me in Mind, Highway 20 Ride, Whipping Post (The Allman Brothers Band cover)
Set 2:Toes, Next to Me (Imagine Dragons cover), Family Table, Free / Into the Mystic, In My Blood
(Mark O’Connor cover), Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles cover), With a Little Help From My Friends
(The Beatles cover), Beautiful Drug, Colder Weather / Take It to the Limit, Chicken Fried, Homegrown
Encore: Cult of Personality (Living Colour cover), Bennie and the Jets (Elton John cover), Long Train Runnin’ (The Doobie Brothers cover), Tush (ZZ Top cover), Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Sly & The Family Stone cover), Despacito (Luis Fonsi cover), Baby Got Back (Sir Mix‐A‐Lot cover), Thunderstruck (AC/DC cover), Sabotage (Beastie Boys cover)
In the summer of 1996 an estimated 70,000 to 85,000 Phish fans drove to a former Air Force Base in Plattsburgh, NY to attend an event that would forever change the landscape of modern music festivals and add yet another dimension to Phish’s already polarizing live music experience: The Clifford Ball. Fans camped out from August 16-18 to see Phish performed three sets of music and an encore on each of the two show days, as well as a secret jam, the Flatbed Jam, at 3:30 a.m. on the night of the first show. The audience was four times the size of the county the festival took place in, Clinton County, and for that one weekend Plattsburgh became New York’s ninth largest city.
The Clifford Ball was the first festival Phish had ever thrown, and since then they have kept the tradition going with their upcoming festival, Curveball, as their eleventh installment. Going in, fans had no idea what to expect, and most were completely astonished by the experience they had that weekend. In addition to the music, attendants were treated to flights overhead by bombers, gliders, and other aerial vehicles, carnival rides, wandering jugglers, fireworks, a classical violin quartet, a blues quartet, guitar soloists, a choral quintet, a full orchestra, movies in the camping area, a full village built on a hill, a vast array of food and drink vendors, a general store, trampolinists, a aerialist swinging on ropes, and scattered art installments. The carnival vibe filled fans with glee and wonder, and those who attended still say it was one of the most stupendous experiences of their lives. For those interested in watching the festival in its entirety, Phish released a massive seven DVD box set in March 2009. Below is a look back on experiences had at the festival by friends of NYS Music and Phish.net.
Anticipation and Arrival
John Demeter, Contributor to The Phish Companion, Third Edition: “Oddly enough, we didn’t really expect some Dionysian party, beyond what we were accustomed to (see what I did there?). There were literally a million other places we could go camping that are better than a shitty closed airfield in Plattsburgh. We were expecting to hang out during the days, entertain ourselves, and then see Phish outside the construct of a regular venue. The baseline expectation was Sugarbush from the prior year, which was really nothing but rows of tents in the ski area parking lots.
We had no idea what “festival” in that sense meant at the time. We were calling it “the camp out” right up to the show. We didn’t even consider that there’d be vending, art installations, gliders, and trampoline skiers and such.”
Todd Wimer: “I was beyond stoked when I opened up my mailbox, took out the latest Doniac Schvice, and saw the Clifford Ball announcement. This was how I got Phish news back then, not months in advance via rumor gurus like Attyaloew. Coming off of the New Year’s ’95 run, with 12/1, 12/15, and 12/31/95 being the most recent shows I had seen, I was obsessed with Phish at the time, so the timing was pretty ideal. My high school crew all felt the same way and it was an understood thing that we’d make it up to the festival no matter what.
[Going in] the enthusiasm everywhere was palpable. Phish felt like this big inside joke at the time, and the festival was astounding in that we all looked around and acknowledged that a lot of people were in on the joke. And that was fine, because I love being around Phish people, so the more the merrier (barring tough-ticket shows and scalpers who have since learned to capitalize on this rabid fandom.) My first few shows in ’93 and ’94, the crowd was a lot of white-cap collegiate dudebrahs and nerdy guys with glasses who looked like they played D&D. The wook element was there at those shows, but not as present until after Jerry died the previous summer.”
Russell Howze: “[My initial] reaction was excitement. I knew it would be large, but it was an incredibly large crowd there. I did not expect the art and creativity that happened when the band was not playing, and was also amazed at how many different subcultures were there for the music/party/scene. I expected a huge police presence (the Grateful Dead’s horrible tour/riots/gate crashing were still fresh), but there were only about four mounted, pot-friendly, Texas sheriffs. The gathering of all those people, with no real authority present made for a laid back good time.”
shirt design by Tripp
Dan Hewins: ”I was in Vermont at a friend’s house about three hours from Plattsburgh. We (three of us) decided to leave on Thursday about 11 o’clock. We thought we’d beat the traffic by arriving at two and that there should be some people there since the gates opened at noon. Well the surprises began immediately upon entry. There were so many people already there, the lots were filling, and the camping areas were already fully inhabited. The place was booming when we got there so we quickly closed up the car and began moving about the masses. We took a walk to get our bearings and see what we could see. All I could think for a while was, Damn. All this for one band? We explored, danced some by the DJ bus, and explored more.”
John Lockerby: “I had been seeing Phish for two years at that point (five shows) but wasn’t the “true” fan as many others tried to be. I was there for the party. Really, it could of been a Dave Matthews Band fest and probably would of gone. I don’t remember much of the drive there except the closer we got the more we knew we were in the right place. Getting up to the gates there was a huge line to get in, of course, but not like the lines you see today.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lOhpm-ru6c
The Festival Scene
Marco Esquandolas*: ”The Clifford Ball was also my first show. Honestly one of the biggest memories that sticks out to this day, non-musically speaking, was just the fact that I managed to find everyone I was looking for, in that pre-cell phone era. Near my campsite there was this big corkboard wall where hundreds and hundreds of people had posted things hoping other folks would see their messages and connect. I picked up a paper plate off the ground and wrote a Sharpie message on it telling my best friend where my tent was – magically he saw that note amongst all the others and found me…. nearly miraculous!”
Mark Larezzo: “I remember it as a giant chaotic mess and total 24 hour party. That and it was CROWDED. I saw the first set on the second day from so far away that the only thing I could make out on the stage was a tiny bright green dot that was Mike.”
Poster by Star City Art. An unofficial Clifford Ball print commemorating the 1996 event. The imagery is inspired by aviation and some sort of pageantry of old entertainment balls, which inspired the vision of the event. The font and stars around the propeller are inspired by the 76ers logo.
Russell Howze: “Folks weren’t really into wearing the costumes back then, but my friend made me a crazy costume to wear (fish-themed fabric, like a Scottish kilt/sash). I also brought a tuxedo and walked around like I was a butler during one of the daytime sets. The stares and drunken drink orders were priceless. The memory I still love is: While chilling under a shade structure on one of the night set breaks (I think it was during a set break), a guy walked in with a flashlight on a tripod. He set it up, turned it on, checked his focus, and then threw a brilliant hand shadow show up on the shade tent’s white-fabric roof. I just had to roll over on my back to watch it, and when he finished, dozens of folks gave him a round of thunderous applause.”
Todd Wimer: “There was a big movie screen in the campground that was showing Simpsons episodes. Drum circles. Many many grasshoppers. Mounties. I’ll tell you some fun that we didn’t have at the campground: the flatbed jam! We were fast asleep and when it passed by, twenty feet away from our tent, we slept right through it. I think there were newspapers being printed daily and circulated on site and we read about the flatbed jam or someone told us about it and we were just confused. ‘Whattaya mean? Where was the stage? Was the truck moving?’ I thought they were trolling us.”
Dan Hewins: “There was a town square replete with Barber Shop, Ball Court, Ball Diner, some kind of chapel, General Store, and a statue of Clifford Ball himself in the center. On the outskirts was an artist area where people were making, building, painting, and creating. There was another building that contained giant asphalt balls. One was about five feet in diameter and some of the others were a bit smaller, but they were all painted like a street. Outside of that building there was a guy standing in front of a huge log about three feet in diameter. He was chopping at it with a hatchet, a tiny hatchet, he was making very slow progress. There was a theme here and if you can guess what it was you win. It was Clifford Ball. Ball was the theme. Artists were sculpting and decorating balls of all types. Inside on of the buildings in the square there were plaques up on the walls with words: orb, sphere, dance, globe, testis, bullet. I got orb, globe, sphere, and dance but I wasn’t sure what testis was.
Jim Pollock was in a tent signing art that he had done. There was a special deal, if you were wearing a shirt he designed you got a dollar off a purchase. I bought a three dollar sticker for two bucks. There was a music tent too, there was a saxophone quartet, that’s all I remember. There also was a place to “confess to Phish.” It was attached to the chapel. It was a small room with a mic and a podium that you would sit behind and “confess” in front of a camera. Hmmm. The barber that I mentioned before gives haircuts too. He only cuts one hair though. I found him giving a haircut to a camera crew guy’s fuzzy microphone. I chose the hair that he should cut and then presented the cut hair to the guy holding the mic. So basically, Clifford Ball square was cool.”
The Music
Tela Esquandolas*: “Clearly there were so many musical highlights in retrospect. At the time the Phish I knew best was A Live One and the studio albums up to that point, so a good deal of nuance was lost on me at the time, but what I will never forget is the “Chalkdust Torture” opener. The opening notes sent a wave of goosebumps over my body – the roar of the crowd only increased them… I was there… I had finally arrived… this was it! Still to this day if I play that “Chalkdust” or watch the video of that opener, I get goosebumps – it was the true beginning of my obsession with their music.”
John Demeter: “Seeing Mike’s outfit when he took the stage on day two was among the funniest things in the world. The sound was phenomenal. One hundred bigger and better than anything I could imagine. (Having never experienced the wall of sound. Or heard of it at that point, for that matter. But I had been to plenty of other arena and stadium shows. No comparison.) I can still hear the end “Life On Mars”, the perfect articulation of all those notes across the massive field. I didn’t even know the song at the time, but the sound system permanently etched it in my memory.
Todd Wimer: “Musically, I remember the opener because my best friend and I were up against the rail and had to wait a long-ass time for them to go on, and the bigness of the “Chalkdust Torture” opener made it all worthwhile. The band were obviously thrilled and so were we. It was loud, and everyone was unabashedly pumped. I also remember the sort of acoustic set that they played I think the second set of that night, just because that was when we needed to bail from the rail, so we could go piss and get some water and nourishment, and that the timing for that interlude set seemed perfect as we kicked back and had some chicken fingers.
Other highlights were the 2001, the ferocious “Antelope” with… the UVM ski team on trampolines? Or the chick swinging around on the rope? And also, the “Harpua” encore on the last night. I recall the band being a little bit miffed at something during this, and ever since then my friends and I had assumed it was a miscue. I think the glider with the sparkling trails was supposed to be doing its thing after Trey’s narration but had gotten the timing wrong and released the luminescent sky writing early so the very end of the festival was kind of …curious. And my impression was that people who had an absolute blast for the whole weekend weren’t thrilled with the ending. We were only slightly confused, but definitely not unappreciative!”
Russell Howze: “”Brother” stood out. Ben and Jerry sang horribly on that one and it was hilarious. The “Tweezer” circus spectacle was fun. The flatbed truck jam was amazing, and the highlight of the weekend. I still wish I could’ve kept running along the truck longer than I did (it was a long day and they weren’t stopping).”
John Lockerby: “The “Chalkdust Torture” was the perfect way to open the festival. The energy was indescribable. You can see from Trey’s face how much fun the band was having. I don’t think they knew what they were in for. Whenever I hear the “Chalkdust” riff I think of Jeff and me running down the runway. I think I was pissed at the encore. Not that “Amazing Grace” isn’t a fun tune, it’s just not what I drove all day to see.
We missed the late night set. I guess the truck didn’t drive by us. I didn’t bring a tent, so I slept in my car. (It was a hatchback though so there was plenty of room for me.) Maybe that’s why I missed it.
[The second day was the] best concert of our lives, but once again, we were bummed out by the encore. I mean it was only half the song. Luckily, I didn’t know “Harpua” at the time, so I had no idea what was missing.”
Leaving/Final Thoughts
John Demeter: “The end of the festival was abrupt and very confusing. I fully expected that some massive cosmic energy had manifested over that spot and some great energetic event would occur. But they didn’t even finish the song, really. I am still confused.
Leaving was disgusting. An absolute embarrassment of waste trash garbage people ditching perfectly good stuff. Gross. Figured more of us knew approximately what “leave no trace” meant.”
Mark Larezzo: “I remember it being a mess in the camping area and musically amazing. I am thankful I was so young because there is no way I would survive it now. The only other festival I have been to is Magnaball and it was 100 times more civilized but not quite as exhilarating as the Clifford Ball.”
Todd Wimer: “I mean, only for a band like Phish can ‘making it big’ be something beyond selling out Madison Square Garden. Yes, that was amazing. But being a sort of indie band and building a tent city from the ground up by luring 70k people all the way up to Plattsburgh, that was awesome. And we all felt it. One of my lasting takeaways from the Ball was that I forever wondered if and when they would release the video footage of the shows. We saw the camera crew on stage for the whole weekend and kept speculating about why they were filming it. Years later (15?) when they announced the 5.1 mix and the DVD set I was almost as excited as when I first heard about the festival.
I saw three festivals during 1.0 and two so far during 3.0 (Can’t wait for Curveball!) I lump together the ’97 and ’98 festivals, I guess because they were held at the same spot; and I do the same with the two previous Watkins fests. But The Clifford Ball was its own thing, and stands out for being so huge, timed perfectly, 100% FOR the fans, and very positive. And now that I read that back, I think those positives apply to ’11 and ’15 as well, but in ’96 we didn’t know what to expect or that it would be as special as it was. “
courtesy of PhanArt
Russell Howze: “Looking back, the Clifford Ball was a fun event. Compared to the disastrous Coventry (the only other festival I’ve attended), it was a perfect slice of rock n roll heaven. Being at the first Phish festival means to me that I really don’t have to go to another Phish festival. I left CB exhausted, but it was worth the effort.”
Nala C. Egapal: “The atmosphere was so incredibly warm and welcoming. I recall such a large amount of vehicles but I feel like traffic (getting in and out) was not a problem. One of my biggest memories was watching Trey on the screen almost lost staring at the “Mr. Sausage” booth and those words coming out…”Mr. Sausage” I had never been to a festival before, but this opened my eyes to how awesome they could be. There was so much to explore, people on shakedown, the giant art pieces, people getting lost within themselves playing devil sticks, etc… The weather was hot and clear from what I remember, and nights were perfect. I did not see the set the band played on the flatbed trailer but remember hearing about it the next day. My favorite set was definitely set 1 just because of the energy level, my but favorite song was either “Makisupa Policeman” or “Chalkdust Torture.” One cannot forget Ben and Jerry singing.”
Darren Barcomb: “I had seen the Grateful Dead in 1994 and 1995 in Highgate, Vermont, and can say that the Clifford Ball definitely established Phsh as the premier festival group in the post-Grateful Dead era. The Plattsburgh airbase was a perfect spot for a 70,000+ person weekend performance but I do recall issues with heavy traffic and high demand for food/water. Overall, it was a well received show by those in attendance and is still discussed in Plattsburgh routinely 22 years later. I’m not sure if the local community loved the event, but those in attendance enjoyed a historic weekend.”
On a beautiful day in Lake George, Formula 5 held their Rock the Dock Festival provided family fun and good music for the plethora of attendees that made their way through the gates. A portion of Rock the Dock’s profits were donated to the Fund for Lake George, a non-profit organization focused on keeping the Lake clean and healthy.
Rock the Dock is a very intimate festival, taking place on the dock for the famous steamboats the Mohican and the Lac du Saint Sacrement, with the Minne Ha Ha docked there for the event as well. Attendees were able to go up on any of the three boats to watch the music, enjoy the full service bars, or look at the stunning scenery of some of the Adirondack mountains standing tall around the lake. For food options, the festival featured trucks from the Plaid Pancake and O’Pablo’s Mexican Food, a father/son snow cone tent, and a tent selling hamburgers and hot dogs.
The music kicked off with Saratoga Springs-based group Let’s Be Leonard, a 5-piece rock outfit that put forth a very unique sound while still providing the listener with the familiarity of that “jam band” tonality. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Karl Bertrand addressed the crowd saying how different it was to have the audience on boats after performing the first few songs, seemingly enjoying the uniqueness of the festival. The group ended their set with an impressive segment of an original tune “Good” into the Grateful Dead’s classic “Estimated Prophet,” into another original “Princess on the Run” which was one of the highlights of the set.
Next up was the New England-based electrofunk group Strange Machines, a nice change of pace after the rock stylings of Let’s Be Leonard. Strange Machines play the Saratoga/Albany area often, so the crowd started to fill in as their set continued. The group’s set included many fan-favorites, such as “Klepto,” “Canopy,” “Motion Potion,” and a newer one, “Wook in a Onesie.” Strange Machines also covered a Grateful Dead song, following in Let’s Be Leonard’s footsteps, performing their take on the classic Bob Weir-penned “Feel Like a Stranger,” which had the crowd boogieing like it was 1980 all over again.
Trey Anastasio Band)’s Russ Lawton and Ray Paczkowski funk duo Soule Monde were the final band to take the stage before the headliners, Formula 5, performed, and they brought the house down with their danceable grooves and jazzy melodies. This was one of the first few gigs Paczkowski played since the removal of his brain tumor, and he didn’t waste any time getting back into the swing of things as he coaxed those familiar Milkman sounds out of his vintage keyboards. The pair performed a mixture of songs from their newest LP, Must Be Nice, and their previous EPs, and they had the whole crowd dancing by the end of the set. Before they concluded the music, the duo brought up Formula 5 guitarist Joe Davis to sit in on their tune “Bernard,” where he locked in with Ray’s keyboard melodies and got to show off some of his chops to the crowd before F5’s set.
As the sun started to set over the lake, Formula 5 took the stage for the final set of the evening. The group performed a range of their original music, from one of their newer songs, the uplifting “Blue,”to a bust-out with the electronic “Nu-Gen.” One of the highlights of the set was the debut of the classic Warren Zevon tune, “Lawyers, Guns, and Money,” often covered by Widespread Panic, which had the crowd singing along and dancing the night away as the last glimpses of sunlight disappeared behind the mountaintops. Another bust-out from the night was the blues-jazz fusion tune “Excalibur,” a song that’s been shelved for a while, which was met with ecstatic cheers from the crowd as the jam at the end of the song drew to a close. “Nu-Gen” was the jam of the night, featuring an electronic jam that isn’t typical of Formula 5’s style, lasting around 15 minutes. After a short encore break, drummer Greg Marek came out to say a quick thank you to everyone attending, and the group broke into their another new song, “Breaking Glass.”
Rock the Dock featured a lot of local, talented bands, and unique vendors that provided attendees with the ultimate small festival experience. The festival will return in 2019. More videos and audio from some of the sets will be coming in the future.
Setlists
Formula 5 Come Along, Pedro* -> Excalibur, Sad Bed* -> Lawyers, Guns, and Money^, Blue -> Nu-Gen
E: Breaking Glass
* Unfinished ^ Warren Zevon cover, debut
Soule Monde Slide B, Whassat, The Story, Take My Hand, Jody Grind, Allah Uya, Bernard*, Tango
*with Joe Davis (Formula 5, guitar)
Strange Machines Golden Rule > Remote Dream > Golden Rule, Canopy, Wook In a Onesie > Moose Soup, Motion Potion, Feel Like a Stranger*, Klepto
*Grateful Dead cover
Let’s be Leonard Sunrise, Foresight, Open Your Eyes, How Do You Fall In Love?, Good > Estimated Prophet* > Princess on the Run
On July 27, 2018, as 
Butler was born in Los Angeles, California and moved to Australia with his family when he was 16. He started his musical career as a “Busking” street musician and, with hard work and determination, has created 10 albums to date and started his own record label called 
The night started out with Mama Kin Spender taking the stage and performing “Cold Roof Top” off of their 2017 release 
Butler then rocked the lap steel and along with the band, created a primal soundscape that set the mood for the remainder of the performance. Next up, Butler switched over to the banjo and went into the pop friendly “Better Than That” off of 2007’s Grand National. Songs like “Pick Apart,” off of 2012’s 
Butler is intimate with the audience on stage and describes his live performances as his own type of therapy. Whether it is relating stories of his father’s personal struggles after being injured in a fire and then expressing those feelings into a newly crafted song
Butler’s guitar work is also something to see showing a versatility in playing many different types of music like Celtic, Folk, Hard Rock and Reggae. That musical prowess was on full display as, alone on stage, Butler strapped on his 11-string acoustic guitar and played the JBT classic 
The first encore brought Mama Kin back on stage joining Butler. The couple sang “Losing You” as a duo, which was perhaps the cutest part of the night, with the spouses riffing off one another during the selection. The band closed the night with a shout out to their road crew and then went straight into a funkalicious version of “Zebra” that got the crowd dancing one more time before the house lights came up. The John Butler Trio will continue to tour throughout the summer with dates across North America.
