NYS Music 20​18

Category: Features

  • Hearing Aide: West End Blend ‘Live at the Waterhole’

    West End Blend Waterhole

    Say hey to the first live album from Connecticut funk group West End Blend, whose eight-track recording includes a blend of songs from their three previous albums, invigorated with the energy captured during their two-night run at The Waterhole in Saranac Lake.

    Captured on a studio-style soundboard engineered by the GRAMMY award winning Brendan Morawski, the recording is bright and full, bringing fans closer to the band without even setting foot in the venue.

    Overall the live tracks match the recorded versions in quality, but play out a littler longer and showcase the band’s live flair. Purposeful guitar on “Get By” leaves space for a more intense build, intensifying the plea in the song’s lyrics to make a relationship right. The track is cleverly bookended with emotive guitar instead of the layered vocals and sound effects they used on the studio version, adding weight to the song.

    Most of the songs they chose for this album deal with the uncertainties of love (“Day Dreamer” and “The Scene”) and determination and finding inner power (“All You Got” and “I’m Time”). The lyrical content relays compelling and relatable themes backed by powerful dance grooves that emphasize the message.

    There are a couple of dates to catch West End Blend before the end of the year including December 21 at Anthology, and December 22 at The Haunt. Check out their Facebook page for event details.

    Key Tracks: Get By, Day Dreamer, The Scene

  • Dave Matthews Mixes Favorites and Covers in Albany

    Dave Matthews Band has been on an extensive fall tour this year, making stops all across the United States, sounding tighter than ever and brought an incredible show to the Times Union Center in Albany, NY on December 5.

    Usually, the band makes their way to the Albany area in the summer for their legendary SPAC runs in Saratoga Springs. The group opened up with “You Never Know” into “One Sweet World,” followed by “Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin).” Next, Dave Matthews and his band played crowd favorite “Everyday” followed by a cover of Aerosmiths’ “Sweet Emotion.”

    dave matthews albanyThe night was filled with crowd pleasers and hits like “Where Are You Going,” “Don’t Drink The Water” and of course “What Would You Say.” The Dave Matthews Band ended the night with a two-song encore featuring “Granny” and the Bob Dylan cover “All Along the Watchtower.” The group continues their tour through December 28 when they close in Miami, FL. Check out photos from their Albany performance below provided by Vinny Otto:

    Setlist: You Never Know, One Sweet World, Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin), Everyday, Sweet Emotion (Aerosmith cover), Minarets, Where Are You Going, Burning Down the House (Talking Heads cover), Crush, Kill the King, What Would You Say, Here on Out, Don’t Drink The Water, Dancing Nancies, Come On Come On, Grey Street, She, You Might Die Trying

    Encore: Granny, All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan cover)

  • Rubblebucket Shows Buffalo Some Love

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

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

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

  • Hearing Aide: Jackson Cavalier ‘Spellbound’

    Jackson Cavalier is well-known in his hometown of Rochester as a solo act. As a one-man band he has won the city’s Best Busker contest year after year. With guitar in hand and harmonica at the ready, he keeps time with his toes tapping at the tambourine and a rustic suitcase bass drum. His first solo LP entitled Full Moon sounds a lot like his live act, but with a few extra touches. Now, within a span of less than a year, Cavalier has released his second full-length solo album, Spellbound.

    Like the black and white labyrinthine album art, the music at first seems deceptively simple. It soon becomes apparent to the listener that the songs are comprised of multiple layers of acoustic texture and lyrical meaning. Spellbound comes out of the gate at a full gallop with the title track, an acoustic song heavy on guitar and harmonica. The Southwest-inspired finger-picked tune sets the tone for a bewitching tale about trying to avoid a spell, but finding it’s too late. The shanty sets the tone for the entire 12-track album, which shares the common theme of being enchanted – whether by love, death, or even time itself.  

    Cavalier uses the medium of Indie Folk Rock to take listeners on a journey through an anthology of timeless tales. “Mt. Hope Blues” is set in the hills of Rochester’s Victorian cemetery, and told from the perspective of a ghost watching his beloved pick wildflowers for his grave. The boot-stomping song “Sister Prim” tells a story of revenge by a woman scorned. “Razor Wire Death Song,” the one single pre-released before the album, is perhaps the most poetic: “I see the reaper grim and tall / scythe and cloak and horse and all. / He’s not a specter on a hill to be feared, / he’s standing right in front of me beside this mirror.” Later in the album Cavalier reels it way back for the sparse and sentimental ballad “Ribbons.”

    Whereas Cavalier’s earlier original songs with his full band The Fevertones had a more traditional Americana folk styling, with accompaniment by violin and upright bass, his sound has evolved into a distinctive style of folk rock with country flair. The songs on Spellbound have a rich, full quality, in part from the addition of Thomas Draper on bass guitar and Joey Small on drum kit & auxiliary percussion. The tunes are accentuated by a subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) sprinkling of melodica and Glockenspiel.

    The harmonious pairing of the music and storytelling has a mesmerizing effect. The result of Cavalier’s adept musicianship is a work that has come by its name honestly, as it truly leaves the listener spellbound.

    Spellbound is available for purchase on Bandcamp or streaming on Spotify. Follow Jackson Cavalier Music on Facebook for the latest news and events.

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

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

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

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

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

    Setlist:

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

    Encore: Malibu Nights, Thru These Tears

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Setlist (Night 1):

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

    Encore: What You Are, Ants Marching

  • Monster Energy Outbreak Tour Announces first tour of 2019 featuring A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie

    The Monster Energy Outbreak Tour is coming out of the gates strong in 2019. The prestigious touring brand just named multi-talented rapper, singer and songwriter, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, as the headliner for their upcoming winter and spring tour. The tour kicks off February 20 in Austin, TX and will make stops in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta and other major cities across the U.S.

    Monster Energy Outbreak

    Bronx native Artist Dubose, aka A Boogie, rose to stardom when his major label debut, The Bigger Artist, reached #1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart and cracked the top 5 of the Billboard Top 200. Named by The New York Times as “the most promising young rapper the city has produced in some time,” and nominated by BET for 2018’s Best New Artist award, A Boogie is poised to prove that his accolades are well-deserved in 2019.

    Amidst all the acclaim, A Boogie remains humble. Describing his excitement to connect with fans, A Boogie stated, “Partnering up with The Monster Energy Outbreak Tour marks a milestone moment in my career. I can’t wait to create memories with the fans that will live with them for a lifetime.”

    Tickets for the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour will go on sale on Friday, December 7th at 10am local at www.outbreakpresents.com and www.aboogiehbtl.com, with pre-sale schedule as follows:

    TOUR DATES:
    2/20/19 AUSTIN,TX – EMO’S
    2/21/19 DALLAS, TX – HOUSE OF BLUES
    2/23/19 HOUSTON, TX – HOUSE OF BLUES
    2/25/19 TAMPA, FL – THE RITZ
    2/26/19 ATLANTA, GA – TABERNACLE
    2/28/19 CHARLOTTE, NC – THE FILLMORE
    3/1/19 RALEIGH, NC – THE RITZ
    3/4/19 BALTIMORE, MD – SOUND STAGE
    3/5/19 SILVER SPRING, MD – THE FILLMORE
    3/7/19 NEW YORK, NY – TERMINAL 5
    3/10/19 BOSTON, MA – HOUSE OF BLUES
    3/12/19 TORONTO, ON – REBEL
    3/13/19 CLEVELAND, OH – HOUSE OF BLUES
    3/15/19 GRAND RAPIDS, MI – INTERSECTION
    3/16/19 DETROIT, MI – THE FILLMORE
    3/19/19 INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DELUXE
    3/22/19 CHICAGO, IL – HOUSE OF BLUES
    3/23/19 MINNEAPOLIS, MN – VARSITY THEATER
    3/26/19 DENVER, CO – SUMMIT
    3/28/19 LAS VEGAS, NV – HOUSE OF BLUES
    3/29/19 PHOENIX, AZ – THE VAN BUREN
    3/30/19 SAN DIEGO, CA – HOUSE OF BLUES
    4/1/19 ANAHEIM, CA – HOUSE OF BLUES
    4/2/19 LOS ANGELES, CA – THE BELASCO THEATRE
    4/4/19 SAN FRANCISCO, CA – THE FILLMORE
    4/5/19 SACRAMENTO, CA – ACE OF SPADES
    4/8/19 VANCOUVER, BC – COMMODORE BALLROOM

  • RPI Celebrates Launch of New Music Degree with the Rensselaer Orchestra at Carnegie Hall

    A small yet well-known engineering school in Upstate NY isn’t somewhere that would be expected to produce the talent to perform at a world class concert hall. However, that’s what happened at Carnegie Hall on Oct. 24 when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) celebrated the launch of a new Bachelor of Science degree program in music with a debut performance by the Rensselaer Orchestra.

    RPI Music Degree

    Produced by DCINY (Distinguished Concerts International New York), the show brought together friends, family and classmates of the performers along with NYC locals for an enjoyable night of classical music.

    Under the direction of Nicholas DeMaison, the Rensselaer Orchestra presented two pieces beginning with River Rouge Transfiguration composed by Missy Mazzoli (commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2013) and continuing with Jean Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82, composed during the years of World War 1.

    RPI President Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson began the show with some opening remarks about the new music degree and program. “…the degree is a means of preparing today’s contemporary musician for fluency in the arts as well as in the sciences…We all have recognized the degree to which the arts can spark innovation and the value connected with the arts, science, and technology.” Dr. Jackson continues, “our new Bachelor of Science in Music will enable us to further incorporate the arts throughout our research, curriculum, and student life experience…The theme of our musical program this evening is also about transformation that celebrates the work of two innovative and inspiring composers, Missy Mazzoli and Jean Sibelius.”

    Since the concert, the university has released a video of the concert which can be seen here.

  • 2019 Newport Folk Fest Sells Out, Begins Lineup Announcements

    2019 Newport Folk Festival tickets went on sale last Thursday and completely sold out all three days within a matter of hours. This news is not particularly surprising as the festival has been selling out with increasing quickness over the past few years. But it is no less incredible, particularly since not a single artist had been announced. You can read our review of last year’s festival to get a sense of why it is a special event that garners such fervor among it’s fans new and old, old and young.

    If you missed the on sale, don’t fret, there’s still a chance. In one of many moves the organizers have employed to fight the ever present threat of scalpers, the festival set up its own fan-to-fan resale site, hosted by Lyte. Sign up for a spot in line and hope for the best. It might seem like a long shot, but it has proven to be a very successful system in the past, so sit tight. And definitely be wary of any other resellers. Since tickets haven’t even been issued yet they are most definitely not real.

    Newport is a festival of surprises, and in a pleasant surprise, soon after the sell out they revealed the festival’s finale set. Entitled “If I Had a Song,” the set will celebrate what would have been festival co-founder Pete Seeger’s 100th birthday with a singalong.

    This set will surround hate, and force it to surrender. In what would have been our co-founder’s 100th year, we could think of no better way to celebrate Pete’s spirit in a time where we need each other now more than ever, than to do so with a celebratory sing-along. We’re stronger when we sing together, so we intend to do just that for this year’s festival finale.

    The festival also announced that on behalf of every artist playing this year, the Newport Festivals Foundation will make a donation to a music education charity of the artist’s choice. In honor of this set, the festival will be making a donation to Beacon Advocates for Music in Seeger’s hometown of Beacon, NY.

    Dear Folk,

    This is an important day for the festival and the foundation because we are sharing our vision for 2019 and beyond with you, our folk family.

    Sixty years ago, our event defined the modern day festival paradigm, which is so prevalent today. Yet we feel that our own understanding of what it means to be a festival needs to be reexamined. Are we empowering artists? Are we supporting the next generation of musicians? Are we inspiring our fans? In short, can we be doing more?

    While we’ve laid the groundwork as a non-profit in recent years, it has become clear that the increasing burden to sustain music education in America is falling squarely on communities like ours.

    Therefore, we are making a commitment to partner with every artist playing Newport Folk this summer on donating to a music education cause of their choosing. That’s right, EVERY ARTIST.

    Yes, it’s going to be a challenge, but together we’re confident we can make a difference, because that’s what families do for each other.

    Grateful,

    Jay Sweet, Executive Producer

    Usually the lineup would start trickling out starting in January or February, but the festival just announced the second artist for the 2019 lineup. Gregory Alan Isakov, the indie-folk musician from Colorado will return to the Fort after his last appearance in 2014. He is slated for an appearance on Saturday, July 27 and in his honor the Foundation will be making a donation to the Columbine High School guitar class.

    Stay tuned for more lineup announcements!

  • Jam for Tots 2018 line up shows across the state

    Tis the season to enjoy live music and support a great cause, across New York State! Annually, NYS Music works with bands and promoters across the state to help those in our local communities who are less fortunate and in need of a healthy dose of cheer this holiday season. Combining live music performances and the spirit of giving during the holiday season are a natural combination, and we present these 4 Jam for Tots 2018 shows where fans are able to enjoy the best music across the state, and help kids out at each show.

    Or stop by Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs all month long and drop off a toy!

    jam for tots 2018

    December 6 – Stewart House – Athens

    In the Catskills, join John Pinder and the gang for Open Mic on the first Thursday of the month. The jam lends a hand to the Toys for Tots drive this month by asking musicians and patrons to bring along an unwrapped toy for a less fortunate child. Jam for Tots has become a cherished tradition at The Stewart House.  The list opens up at 6:30pm, be sure to ask the bartender or the host John Pinder to get signed up! All are welcome. Be it a solo, duo, group, spoken word, or stand up session, head down to the Stewart House to share your talent.

    December 13 – Parish Public House – Funk Night in Albany Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

    It’s a Funk Night XMAS Ugly Sweater Party ft. Hayley Jane & Members of Kung Fu, West End Blend, Wurliday, & More! Come out and sing some funky XMAS classics with us at this special holiday rendition of NYS Music’s Albany Funk Night! 5$ off with a toy for our Jam n Tots drive.

    On December 13, celebrate a Funk Night Christmas with an Ugly Sweater Party at Parish Public House in Albany! Join the band and sing some Christmas songs at this special holiday rendition of NYS Music’s Albany Funk Night! Take $5 off the cover charge when you bring a toy for our Jam for Tots drive.

    The Funk Night Christmas lineup includes Hayley Jane, Beau Sasser (Kung Fu), Chris DeAngelis (Kung Fu), Justin Henricks (Wurliday), and Bryan Brundige and Phil Chow (The Chronicles). Tickets are $15, or $10 if you bring a toy.

    December 15 – Nietzsche’s – Intrepid Travelers and Folkfaces

    Join two of Buffalo’s best groups, Intrepid Travelers and Folkfaces, as they team up for an incredible night of jam, rock and much more. Bring an unwrapped gift for a 2-12 year old and the gifts will be gathered by USMC representatives. Give back to those most in need this holiday season and enjoy a great show at the same time! $5 , 21+ unless accompanied by a parent/guardian

    December 21 – Caffe Lena – A Very Leonard Christmas

    Let’s Be Leonard returns to Caffe Lena for their annual holiday show! Expect to hear your favorite Leonard boys performing the holiday classics sprinkled with their signature Leonard flavor!

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