Disc Jam Music Festival announced today the initial lineup for the 8th installment of the annual music festival held in Stephentown, NY. Slated for June 7-10, the music-filled weekend promises over 80 artists, along with Disc Golf Tournaments, Flow Tribe dancers, craft vending, yoga workshops and much more.
The 2018 artist lineup includes a heavy dose of national and regional funk and jam artists, in addition to collaboratives and side projects, including unique pairings only found at the festival. Headliners include Lotus, Beats Antique, Galactic, The Motet, Electron (feat. members of Lotus and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead), Disco Biscuits guitarist Jon ‘The Barber’ Gutwillig (solo acoustic set), DJ Logic and Friends (feat. members of The Disco Biscuits, Dopapod and Turkuaz), Gubbulidis (Twiddle side project), Kung Fu, Moon Hooch, Aqueous, Ghost Note (Snarky Puppy side project) Tom Marshall’s Amfibian All-Stars, Ghost Light (Tom Hamilton and Holly Bowling project), among more than 80 artists performing on 4 stages over 4 days of camping at the picturesque Gardner’s Farm.
“I spent the entire off-season trying to come up with a festival experience that could one-up the magic we conjured up last year. I think what we have in store will set the bar high for next year. And I’m already nervous thinking how we’ll top this in 2019.” In their 4th consecutive year at Gardner’s Farm, Disc Jam has found a venue that feels like home. “I truly believe that we have been blessed with the perfect festival grounds, surrounded by rolling hills with picturesque views and soft grass beneath our feet.”
As the name Disc Jam would imply, this 4 day and night event features the fast growing sport of disc golf and festival grounds hold a 27-hole disc golf course on site. Disc Golf Tournaments for men and women are held throughout the weekend, with prizes from Innova and Pure Flight Disc Golf. The annual tournament is a must for Disc Golf enthusiasts and encourages the casual and first timer players to try their hand on the course all weekend long with no additional costs to play and even provide discs free of charge for those interested in trying their hand at the course.
VIP packages include hotel and condo style rooms at the beautiful Jiminy Peak Ski resort just 5 minutes from the venue. A variety of activities and workshops are a big attraction for Disc Jam, including flow art workshops, daily yoga sessions, interactive music and art amidst the festival grounds, plus craft and art vending that help make Disc Jam create a unique and memorable experience for both new and returning fans.
Music can be found on twin Main stages, ensuring nonstop music well into the night along with the massive Tent stage and Woods stage, the latter of which features nightly takeovers from some of the top names in bass and house music, with The Wook of Wall Street hosting a Silent Disco Party lasting until sunrise.
Check out our review of Disc Jam 2017, Watch the 2017 Disc Jam Recap video and check out the lineup below!
Lotus
Beats Antique
Galactic
The Motet
Electron
Jon ‘The Barber’ Gutwillig (Acoustic Set)
DJ Logic and Friends (feat. members of The Disco Biscuits, Dopapod and Turkuaz)
Gubbulidis
Kung Fu
Moon Hooch
Aqueous
Tom Marshall’s Amfibian All-Stars
Ghost Light
Jo Jo Mayer / Nerve
Ghost-Note
Consider The Source
The Nth Power
Yes Darling
Wolf!
Soule Monde
The TAZ Band
Bella’s Bartok
Marbin
Compa/Gantzer
Ryan Dempsey Solo
Big Mean Sound Machine
West End Blend
Dub Apocalypse
The Funky Dawgs Brass Band
Strange Machines
Space Bacon
Escaper
G-Nome Project
The A Beez
Root Shock
Bearly Dead Formula 5
Goose
Shwizz
Funktional Flow
Mammal Dap
Floodwood
Blind Owl Band
Swimmer
Of Clocks and Clouds
Cousin Earth
Space Carnival Of Tomorrow
Harsh Armadillo
Fake Flowers Real Dirt
The Clock Reads
The Wiley Griffin Band
The Mushroom Cloud
Catullus
Lord Electro
Dizgo
Dewpoint
Let’s Be Leonard
Cypher
Members of Dopapod, Kung Fu and Wurliday joined forces on Thursday, February 15 for the latest installment of Funk Night in Albany. Held at Parish Public House, the night featured funk tunes, Zappa and Nirvana covers, plus special guests Rob Sommerville of Kung Fu on saxophone and Philippe Chow of Albany on trumpet. Watch video footage from the show, plus a gallery from the night’s performance below.
Set 1: Hot Dog, Miss Riverside, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), Stink Foot, All Apologies, Shake Everything You Got, Cold Sweat
Set 2: Ain’t it funky now, Peg, Bodhisattva, Catfish John, Flood in Franklin Park, Windjammer
Irish Americana-pop duo Hudson Taylor, comprised of brothers Harry and Alfie Hudson Taylor, will release their new EP, Feel It Again, capturing their fresh sound and three tracks produced by Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Vance Joy). They’ve also announced tour dates in both Ireland and the US, where they will be supporting Gabrielle Aplin.
The brothers honed their craft busking on the streets of their hometown of Dublin, as well as cities all over Europe, leading to the release of their debut album, Singing for Strangers, in 2015. Most recently, the band enjoyed a very successful 2017, playing to one of the biggest crowds of the weekend at the Electric Picnic festival in September, and their lead-off Irish single “Feel It Again” was one of the biggest national airplay hits of 2017. Hudson Taylor’s Irish autumn tour was a sell-out and they also played huge shows with Picture This, The Script and Kodaline.
Fresh from a sold out UK tour, Hudson Taylor are currently touring in Europe in support of their brand new single “Run With Me.” The brothers will visit North America for a tour supporting Gabrielle Aplin, kicking off in February, before returning to Ireland in March for an eight-date tour which will coincide with the release of Feel It Again.
Hudson Taylor Tour Dates (supporting Gabrielle Aplin):
Feb. 21 – Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground Feb. 22 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Feb. 24 – Cambridge, MA – Sonia’s
Feb. 25 – Washington, DC – U Street Music Hall
Feb. 27 – Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry at The Fillmore
Feb. 28 – Columbus, OH – A&R Music Bar
March 1 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
March 3 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall
March 5 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
March 7 – Portland, OR – Holocene
March 8 – Seattle, WA – Chop Suey
March 10 – West Hollywood, CA – Troubadour
March 11 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
Ireland Headlining Tour:
March 27 – Belfast – Elmwood Hall
March 28 – Dublin – Olympia Theatre
March 29 – Cork – Opera House
March 31 – Galway – Radisson Hotel
April 1 – Limerick – The Big Top
April 2 – Castlebar – TF Royal Acoustic Room
April 4 – Derry – The Glassworks
April 5 – Carlow – The Tower
Long Island’s Cloud (aka Tyler Taormina and friends) return with their new album Plays With Fire, featuring the single “Wildfire.” With a poppy, vibrant sound, hints of Panda Bear Electronics, Mazzy Star and Cocteau Twins can be found in this warming tune.
“Wildfire” is accompanied by a music video for “Watch Your Mind Wander,” which Taormina directed in Los Angeles, one which revels in the sinister side of a good time, and an exclusive non-album B-Side. Nearly 10 minutes of tenderness and melancholy, “Watch Your Mind Wander” glimmers and glistens as it loops to its gentle conclusion. It’s a powerful comedown from the frenetic crash of “Wildfire” and offers yet another hint of what’s to come on the forthcoming Plays With Fire LP from Cloud.
The Friday after Valentine’s Day at Funk n Waffles Music Hall homemade hearts hung from the ceiling and decorated the stage. It was a night built for the love of the local music scene. The Moho Collective set the stage and Overhand Sam would close it down, but not before inviting a bunch of friends to help with the celebrating.
With a name like The Moho Collective, you might believe this band would bring a stageful of members. But as just a trio, the “collective” in their name might better describe their influence-rich sound. The trio, Kurt Johnson on guitar and pedal steel, Justin Rister on bass, and Ryan Barclay on drums and percussion, “collect” musical styles from across the globe, combining them in new and mystifying ways. Their hour-long set travelled to Australia, with Barclay laying down a low drone on the didgeridoo on “Bamal,” Mexico/Latin America with the fiery Satana-esque guitar shredder “Wenindee,” the Far East with the pedal steel plinking groove of “Chikyu Hakken,” before finishing up in Canada with their stirring instrumental rendition of Neil Young’s “Cowgirl in the Sand.”
Through it all they explored heavy rock, soulful funk, jazzy blues and tripped-out effects-laden spaciness. If you like music that shakes your hips, pumps your fist and makes your head spin, The Moho Collective is for you. They’re promising two new albums this year and probably already have more shows on the calendar than they played in all of 2017 so there should be ample opportunity to enjoy their worldly and otherworldly grooves this year.
Johnson’s guitar mate from Maybird, Sam Snyder, aka Overhand Sam, is even more enigmatic to first-time listeners. As is implied in the name, he plays guitar “overhand.” It looks odd at first and is met with many quizzical looks from first timers. Playing for friends, family and longtime fans, there weren’t any surprised faces Friday night. Snyder lends his hand to many bands in the Rochester area, gives lessons and records/produces local music. He used his set as a bit of a showcase for some of these projects.
Backed by bassist Benton Sillick and drummer Aaron Mika from Anamon, Snyder ran through tracks off his 2017 release Longer Legs. Songs ran the gamut from melodic punk to new wave to twang rock, with the trio format giving Snyder’s unique guitar stylings plenty of room to shine.
Midway through their set, Anamon front-woman Ana Emily Monaco was invited up to play a pair of new songs she’s been recording with Snyder’s help, who also plays in her band. Johnson joined on the pedal steel to lend a rich backwash of country twang to her lilting mid-tempo rock.
Next, Snyder invited his guitar student Matt Treadwell and drummer Joe Parker to premier a couple songs of their own, in a project tentatively named Penthorse. In a bit of a 180 from Anamon, these songs had a spastic herky-jerky energy, afro-beat inflected sound and near-spoken word vocals.
The set finished up back with the original trio playing more from Longer Legs, with a lively cover of the Kinks’ “Everbody’s Gonna Be Happy” thrown in for good measure. Yet more friends helped close out the night, with the McCarthy brothers from new-to-town August West joining on vocals, and Johnson back up to play some Omnichord. The band laid down yet another premier, ripping through the infectiously catchy “Lalalazy” to close out what was a lovely night showcasing the talent of Rochester.
Valentine’s Day. The perfect occasion to spend an intimate evening alone with your loved one, or as was the case Wednesday night in Rochester, the perfect occasion to spend an evening with a few hundred live music lovers for an intimate show with The Ballroom Thieves. It was apparently an easy choice for many, as the show at the Arbor Loft, a beautiful event space above Hart’s Grocers in the East End, was sold out in advance.
The trio from Boston, returned for their third Rochester show, and first in over two years. They played two near-hour long sets, both with their own unique overlying flavor. Guitarist Martin Earley strapped on his electric guitars throughout the opening set, while Calin Peters picked up her electric bass for a good portion. In the second set, Earley went almost entirely acoustic, while Peters spent the majority on her cello. The energy ramped up throughout the first half, up until a blood-pumping fervor in the set-closing “Wolf.” The second set was more subdued on the whole, eventually winding all the way down to a show-closing encore performance of Paul Simon’s “American Tune,” completely unmiked.
Electric, acoustic, no matter. This trio is greater than the sum of it’s parts. Their unique mix of instruments and variety of playing styles kept their sound fresh and invigorating throughout the two-hour show. Devin Mauch is more percussionist than drummer. He serves as not only the beat-keeper, but a third melodic instrument. Utilizing multiple mallets, wire brushes, and traditional sticks, he coaxed a smorgasbord of sound from his minimalist kit, which included an unusual hand-powered bass drum. Peters’ could hold down the low end with the bass during unexpectedly rocking moments, pluck out a more gentle bass on the cello, play foil to Earley’s leads or carry the load with lush bowed flourishes. Earley’s guitar sounds ran the gamut; electric, acoustic, finger style, flat picked.
The band had a full toolkit, but also knew when and where to use it. There might be no drums, no cello, or just Earley solo; almost every song had a unique mix. Their gorgeous three-part harmonies were nearly ubiquitous though. And with good reason, it’s what elevates this trio to the next level and makes The Ballroom Thieves sound like The Ballroom Thieves. Even a cover of The Heartless Bastards’ “Low Low Low” turned into a song of their own (Earley jokingly wanted to claim that it was), as Mauch sang with just a hint of Erika Wennerstrom’s distinct vocal delivery.
Nothing fills the heart quite like an intimate evening of genuine and earnest music, even if the messages conveyed weren’t always all that romantic. As they wrapped up the evening with the aforementioned bare bones “American Tune,” there wasn’t a person in attendance who didn’t believe that The Ballroom Thieves was the right choice for Valentine’s Day, love songs or no.
Setlist Set 1: Peregrine, For Mercy, Lantern, Pocket of Gold, Oars to the Sea, Here I Stand, Trouble, Saint Monica, Do Something, Wolf
Set 2: Blood Run Red, Wild Woman, Coward’s Son, Bury Me Smiling, Archers, Bees, Only Lonely, Low Low Low (Heartless Bastards), Sea Legs, Anybody Else
Encore: American Tune (Paul Simon)
With members of his touring bands on stage at The Egg, the catalog of David Bowie was celebrated in earnest, featuring a mix of classics, rarities and fan favorites that sprang an audience from their seats throughout the night. Having lost Bowie just over two years ago, the stars sounded very different tonight thanks to the voices of Bernard Fowler (The Rolling Stones), Gaby Moreno, Joe Sumner and Corey Glover (Living Colour) bringing life to Starman’s songs once again.
Celebrating David Bowie featured an incredible lineup fronted by Queens native Mike Garson, who performed with Bowie at his first and last U.S. concerts, and noted early on that he was blessed to play 1000 concerts and 20 albums with Bowie and was proud to continue bringing his music to you. Joining Garson were guitarists Earl Slick and Gerry Leonard, Carmine Rojas on bass and Lee John Madeloni (Slick’s son) on drums. Over the course of two and and a half hours of more than 20 songs, between 5 and 10 musicians were on stage at a time, echoing Garson’s remark, “It takes a village to get Bowie’s music across.”
With all this talent and the music of David Bowie, it raises the question, “Is there such a thing as too many hits to play?” The answer, by the end of the marathon performance, was a definitive no. Rojas noted after the show that with all the tunes to choose from, it is hard to pick what to play, but they intend to mix it up night after night this tour. Bowie indeed had too many hits to count, plus a bevy of under-appreciated albums, many of which found themselves in the limelight this evening, performed by the musicians who knew the music better than anyone other than Bowie himself.
Starting the night with “Bring Me the Disco King,” an extended cut from 2003’s Reality album, Fowler took the lead on vocals from the get-go, following with “Rebel Rebel,” “Moonage Daydream” and ‘Fame” which saw the crowd rose with encouragement from Fowler. Living Colour’s Corey Glover, who sang backup for Fowler on many songs tonight, took to the mic for the first time singing “Changes,” followed by “Space Oddity,” the first song vocalist Gaby Moreno, a 2017 Grammy nominee for Best Latin Pop album for Ilúsion, sang amid a starry backdrop. Joe Sumner, Sting’s son, sang and played acoustic guitar for “Quicksand” off Hunky Dory, followed by Glover back on vocals for “Young Americans.”
An immense highlight of the show followed in the form of “5 Years,” performed elegantly by Moreno. The gritty, dark rock of “Station to Station” brought Earl Slick into the limelight to perform the title track of the album to which he contributed. During the outro to “Alladin Sane,” a piano medley by Garson included Bowie, Beatles, and old timey piano tunes mixed in. Moreno and Fowler performed a duet on “Wild is the Wind” while Sumner sang “Ziggy Stardust” better than anyone alive, with Slick shredding throughout.
During “Suffragette City,” Glover ventured into the crowd for the latter part of the song, and admiring the amphitheater in front of him, he took a seat in the top row to take in the set closing “All the Young Dudes,” where Sumner had everyone waving hands in the air.
For the encore, Gerry Leonard came out for a solo guitar rendition of rarity “Loving the Alien,” followed by Sumner stepping out to sing “Life on Mars?,” an emotional rendition of one of Bowie’s best songs. For the grand finale, “Heroes” closed the show, bringing all 10 musicians to the stage for an all-star ending to an emotional tribute for one of the greatest rock n’ roll legends ever.
Setlist: Bring Me the Disco King, Rebel Rebel, Moonage Daydream, Fame, Changes, Space Oddity, Quicksand, Stay, Conversation Piece, Can You Hear Me, Young Americans, 5 Years, Station to Station, Time, Lady Grinning Soul, Alladin Sane, Wild Is the Wind, Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City, All the Young Dudes
Encore: Loving the Alien, Life on Mars?, Heroes
Celebrating David Bowie next perform this Friday, February 16 in Boston, MA at Chevalier Theatre, Saturday, February 17 in Montreal, QC at M Telus and Sunday, February 18 in Toronto, ON at Danforth Music Hall.
I Set My Friends On Fire has come a long way in the past decade. The post-hardcore band that started with two teens and a laptop and has evolved into a full band with members from across the U.S. NYS Music caught up with guitarist Nate Blasdell and bassist Connor Mitchener as they were readying to take off for the tour to celebrate the 10th anniversary of ISMFOF’s debut album You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter.
photo: Daniel Finkelstein
Paula Cummings: How did you get your start in I Set My Friends On Fire?
Nate Blasdell: I played in a band called The Bunny The Bear. I was pretty young, 18 years old, just out of high school. I learned a lot from that band. It was everything I thought I wanted. We were signed to a label, doing well on tours. We had a booking agent. On the outside, that looks awesome. But there’s a lot of awful stuff that happened. We burned bridges, we made mistakes. We were kids. I was considering what I wanted to do with my life and how I wasn’t a free-spirited 18 year-old looking to run away anymore. I just wanted to play music with people I cared about. Matt Mehana and I started talking and one day I asked if he wanted to get ISMFOF rolling again. We went back and forth for eight months. One day, I was like, “Let’s make a deal, if I can book us a tour in Russia, you’ll start ISMFOF up again and we’ll start touring.” Twelve hours later we had a contract and the plane tickets were fully paid… You have to be crazy to be a musician.
Connor Mitchener: You have to be a masochist.
NB: You have to make a lot of sacrifices. It’s hard to maintain relationships. We sleep in a van, from sleeping in hotels. We went from having plane tickets paid for you to having to front for plane tickets. So we started to lose money and we went through member changes before things fell into place. We had this strand of two months of touring that were horrendous. Not just financially but emotionally. We were in Russia and we all got sick.
CM: I missed a show.
NB: Our drummer got robbed of his camera. My Uber driver ran someone over.
CM: I almost got detained.
NB: He almost got kicked out of the country because his visa expired. We saw money lost from our hotel room.
CM: Literally all the money gone.
NB: All the money we made from tour we lost on our last day in Russia.
CM: That was the kick in the gut.
NB: The biggest thing about that is we flew from Russia to New York and had to play a show in New Jersey that night. We ended that tour with a smile on our faces. Everyone was still laughing, still making the best of it. That’s when we knew we had the right lineup. I think we’ve finally got it right. We’ve all been through the struggle. Instead of being jaded, it makes us that much more hungry and more appreciative of whatever comes our way.
PC: How many countries and continents have you played?
NB: It was thirty last year. Then we did Estonia, Latvia and Sweden. So thirty three. We did Asia, Europe, North America and Australia. Russia was awesome. We didn’t expect to be treated so well there. People were waiting at the train station. We couldn’t walk outside the show. They were really appreciative. We can have that experience, then we can come home and be completely normal people. I think it’s cool because you can experience it, but it’s not your full life.
PC: What was the feedback from your teachers and school counselors when you wanted to pursue a career in music?
NB: I grew up in a suburban area. I came from a good family too. There were expectations. I went through a lot in high school. I used to be all about sports. As I fell out of love with sports, I fell in love with music. Teachers and counselors I had thought I was crazy. Not only teachers and counselors, but some friends of parents and some extended family. I got lucky that I have the most supportive family every. My father has a good job. He saw that money doesn’t buy happiness, and he wanted me to be happy. I went to college when I turned 21. I’m glad I went back. I think that anyone who had a tough time in high school shouldn’t rule out college. It’s crazy. I work as a substitute teacher now alongside of some of the teachers who told me to give up. I had an orchestra teacher tell me I was a failure at music when I was in 6th grade and that I should give up violin. When you tell a kid something like that…
CM: At the most vulnerable age.
NB: It’s funny how that stuff comes around. I had some caring teachers who wanted what was best for me, but I had some who were like, “You have no idea what you’re doing.” We went out and found ourselves.
CM: We learned a lot more than we ever would in school.
NB: It took a couple years to find ourselves. We learned a lot from touring. Every kid has a different plan. I highly advise finishing high school. I know it’s a battle for some people, but once you get that piece of paper, it’s like your life is about to get a thousand times better.
CM: Like Dobby getting a sock.
NB: It will make your life that much better. You can hang it on the wall and no one can take that away. I went on tour thinking I was going to tour for the rest of my life, and I came back as a teacher. That’s one of the reasons I became a teacher is to push kids in the direction of their own greatness instead of society’s standards of greatness, and find themselves. College is always there. It isn’t for everyone, but I encourage people to try it. But there’s no time frame on it.
PC: Connor, did you have similar experiences with teachers and counselors in high school?
CM: Oh, yeah. I come from a way smaller place than Nate did. It’s pretty country. I remember getting called to the counselor’s office to do financial aid. I’m like, “I’m not going to school right away, so I don’t need to do this.” They were like, “Yes you do, because you’re dumb not to.” It sucked. High school sucked. That place just didn’t get it. People in my town never leave. There were teachers who were like “I had your parents when they were in school.”
PC: How supportive was your family?
CM: So my mom was stoked. When Nate called me, he was like, “Buy a bass, learn to play bass and come join me.” We were homies. I was like, “cool.” I go home and tell my mom and she was ok. I was a cross country and track runner. I had scholarships. I go to my dad and say, “I’m going to play music,” and he told me I was pissing away my future. They saw where this led and my dad comes to out of state shows now. They were concerned. It was random. It wasn’t a plan I ever had because I never thought I could do it. Honestly, at face value, our story is kind-of ridiculous.
NB: We both grew up in good families where there was a lot of trust. It’s cool because they’ve been supportive. There was a point where they were worried, but now there are instances like my dad will be at work and say, “My son is in a band.” They’ll ask what band, and he’ll say I Set My Friends On Fire, and they’ll be like, “No way!” Our dads brag about us.
CM: It started like, “My kid plays in a band. He doesn’t really do anything,” and now it’s prideful to say.
PC: What advice would you give to 18 year-old you?
NB: Look at the bigger picture. Don’t be blindsided by the initial look of something. And don’t let hate affect you so much. People are going to hate. I don’t let it affect me at a personal level. Don’t get caught up in what everyone else is doing. Everyone has a different plan. You can’t compare your success to others. Try not to get attached to your idols on an emotional level.
CM: Heroes become human.
NB: Who they portray themselves as and who they are is way different.
Photo: Andrew Parker-West
PC: What is your favorite lyric on You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter?
NB: Matt’s lyrics are insane. “Don’t drink and park, accidents in cars cause population” from Beauty Is In The Eyes Of The Beerholder.
CB: The end of WTFWJD, “Let me get a sip of what you want me to say, I am so thirsty.” I love the end of that.
NB: IMFOF lyrics are more meaningful than they appear. You can’t deny that we’re a sexual and violent band with content.
CB: It’s more wacky than violent.
NB: The thing that Matt does that’s really cool is that he has lyrics that appear sexual or violent but they are part of a way bigger meaning. It’s not like he’s writing it to be edgy.
As I was thanking them for the interview, they mentioned that they will be doing an interview called ‘How Well Do You Know Your Bandmate?’ while on tour. I threw a few practice questions at them. Having known each other for seven years and spent so much time together, they nailed the answers. In case you were wondering… their favorite restaurants on tour are In-N-Out Burger, Chipotle, Cook Out and Chic-Fil-A. Connor’s favorite beverages are Code Red Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper. And Nate doesn’t eat candy often, but when he does, his favorite is Lemonheads.
Tickets are on sale now for the I Set My Friends On Fire on their 10 Years of Slaughter Tour. They still maintain their MySpace page, as well as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Find music by I Set My Friends on Fire, from their debut You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter to their latest single “My Uzi Holds A Hundred Round Conscience” on iTunes and Spotify.
Mike Candela is the lead guitarist of the D.C.-based band Of Tomorrow and was previously the lead guitarist of Mister F. Mike brings ripping leads to any show he may be playing, as well as extremely skillful looping abilities as showcased in his cover of Girlfriend is Better by the Talking Heads. Catch Of Tomorrow at their official Funk vs. Bluegrass Umphrey’s McGee After Party in D.C. on Feb. 15th!
Guitars & Amp
2007 Paul Reed Smith Hollowbody II & 2017 Music Man Cutlass Strat
Supro Royal Reverb 60W 2×10 Combo
Keyboards
Akai Advance 49 & Novation Circuit
Pedalboard
Signal Chain-
EHX Pitchfork > TCE Polytune 2 > Pigtronix Philosopher’s Tone > EHX Micro Synth > Noisekick Almond Blossom > Teese RMC3 Wah > Noisekick Oriole Fuzz > JHS Double Barrel > EHX Small Stone > Xotic EP Booster > Strymon Timeline > Mr. Black Eterna> A/B Box > TCE Hall of Fame > MXR Talkbox > TC-Helicon VoiceTone H1
Behind the Gear: How did you develop your solo show? You have a pretty extensive set up for a one man band.
Mike Candela: So my one man band set up is actually everything pictured plus a Boss RC 300, and I was heavily inspired by Zach Deputy’s early setups. Basically I needed drums which I get from the Novation Circuit, and keys which I get from the Akai Advance 49. Also the TC Helicon Voicetone gives me some cool harmony effects that correspond to what I’m playing on guitar.
BTG: How has your new Music Man been treating you?
MC: This thing is the Strat of my dreams man, haha, the 10″ radius and stainless steel frets make it feel very similar to my PRS, which was refretted with SS by Philtone Guitars in Baltimore MD.
Photo credit to Matt Way of Moon Daze Photography.
BTG: What are three pedals on your board that you couldn’t live without?
MC: The Double Barrel is a really nice sounding 808 clone and a killer Bluesbreaker clone in one box, it’s definitely the foundation of my tone. The EP booster is a great clean boost that’s adds a slight amount of tonal color, but it’s a really great color, I am always using this pedal for solos. The TimeLine allowed me to go from having 3 delay pedals on my board to just 1. The functionality and sound quality is off the charts, and it’s really easy to use live; switching between the different preset banks is a breeze.
BTG: What kind of synth/keys sounds are you running from the laptop?
MC: I run a Novation Bass Station plugin to my talkbox and I use the included Akai plugins and VIP software, which groups your VSTs together in a central program that you can control from the keyboard itself.
BTG: How do you like your Supro Royal Reverb?
MC: It’s an amazing clean pedal platform amp. It has a great midrange character that is essentially always there due to the lack of a mid knob, and it’s also got trem and reverb. It also switches between 35, 45, and 60 watts for getting cranked amp sounds at lower volumes, I always run it on 60 watts though since I get all my dirt sounds from the pedals.
The Hollow Bar and Kitchen was in a New York state of mind on Friday night. Albany progressive rock quartet Ampevene, celebrating the release of its new album Ephemagoria and Brooklyn-bred Cousin Earth threw down the perfect blend of Led Zeppelin-esque energy and a quirkiness in the Frank Zappa vein at Albany’s leading rock club.
Kicking things off with “Rometheu,” Ampevene put on display its prowess for technical proficiency, led by guitarist Gabe Stallman and bassist Mack Hogan trading runs. Hogan’s thumping rhythm was a constant throughout the group’s set. “Tracalysis” was followed up with an all out rock ‘n roll drum solo from Brian Fahey.
Pulling from one of their main influences, Ampevene launched into the chunky opening chords of the Nirvana mega hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Stallman added a unique spin to his short solo, making the song take a psychedelic spin. “Goliath” preceded “Tumultous,” the latter of which morphed into a crowd pleasing segment featuring Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused.” The jam saw the crowd grow a little rowdy and the band responded with the highlight of their set. “New Song” and “Valencia” closed out the set to a roaring applause from the band’s friends and family in attendance.
Up next was Cousin Earth, playing their first headlining show at the venue. The five-piece group melds together a wide array of musical variety, proved right out of the gate with a searing take on the “Zelda” theme song. Joey Calfa, on his trusted electric ukulele, showed his prowess on the unconventional rock instrument by transforming each note into a blend of guitar and ukulele.
“Zelda Sarias Song” > “Think of all the Things” > “Tale Spin Theme Song” was next, as Calfa and bassist Corey Feldman, who plays on a Kala U Bass the size of a ukulele, continued to feed of each other’s energy. Tara Lawton, who also plays the melodica, and Terry Brennan held down the vocals with the confidence of a seasoned opera singer, giving the band a sometimes Vaudeville-like feel.
(Side note: I first saw Cousin Earth a little more than three years ago, just as they were transitioning into their new name from Ukulelian. They opened up a small festival and the crowd was sparse to say the least. I was unsure what this band was going to be like given the irreverent instrumental selections, but the band blew me away that afternoon. Since then, Cousin Earth has been on a steady upward climb, and their headlining slot at the Hollow was proof of their professional work ethic.)
“Dancing Fool,” “Keep it Greasy,” “Super Fun Laser Beams” and “Alive” allowed each member to stand out at times, while also showcasing their incredible improvisational skills. Drummer Nate Searing held it all together throughout the night, while at the same time providing a loose and fun atmosphere.
The funniest part of the night is when they burst into a cover of actress Natalie Portman’s rap from Saturday Night Live. Attendees sang along and the band had some trouble containing laughter on stage.
The closing segment of “Blisters,” “Keep On”>”Scuttle Buttin’”>”Little Wing”>”Capricorn on the Cob” saw Calfa switch between his ukulele and his cherry red Fender Stratocaster to do his best Jimi Hendrix impression.
All told, this show was great in every aspect. As both Ampevene and Cousin Earth continue to ascend and grow, both groups still put all of their effort into a pleasing live experience.
Ampevene setlist
Rometheu, Tracalysis, Drum jam, Smells like Teen Spirit, Goliath, Tumultuous*, New Song, Valencia
*with Dazed and Confused jam
Cousin Earth setlist
Zelda Main Theme> Zelda Sarias song > Think of all the things > Tale Spin Theme, Dancing Fool > Keep it Greasy, Super Fun Laser Beams, Alive, Womp > Natalie Portman Rap (SNL) > Womp > Space Worms (future folk) > Tarantella Napolitana, Spiritual Spun, Blisters, Keep On ( show me the numbers, Ian), Scuttle Buttin’ > Little Wing > Capricorn on the Cob
Keyboards
Pedalboard
