NYS Music 20​18

Category: Reviews

  • Squirrel Nut Zippers Prove They are Back and Better Than Ever in Homer

    The ’90s was a decade of maelstrom in the music industry. The decade that saw the death of hair metal also saw the rise of alt-rock, the second wave of ska and the swing revival, among many other genres. It was arguably the most eccentric of all decades in the history of American popular music. One of the bands that hit the big time in this era was Squirrel Nut Zippers, a Chapel Hill, NC band that straddled the line of swing music and New Orleans jazz. Their hit single “Hell” was ubiquitous on alternative radio in 1996.

    Sunday night, the revamped version of Squirrel Nut Zippers rolled into the Center for the Arts of Homer, once the Homer Baptist Church, to hold a Palm Sunday service of their own, rapt with swing music, New Orleans style brass, Klezmer and old school crooning.

    Riding the release of their first album in 18 years, Beasts of Burgundy, the new version of the Zippers provided the near sellout crowd with Vaudeville style entertainment and world class musicianship.

    The band has been revamped after relocating to New Orleans and showcases some of the genre’s best musicians, including Dr. Sick, the spirited fiddler/multi-instrumentalist who stole the show with his outgoing and somewhat suggestive performance. Sick had a local connection to the show, Cortland musician Chris Merkley opened the show in the Community Space at the Center for the Arts of Homer. He documented his connection with Dr. Sick and the Squirrel Nut Zippers in a Facebook post on Friday:

    https://www.facebook.com/cmerkley/posts/10155196362865825

    The Zippers kicked off the show with a rousing rendition of a new song, “Karnival Joe From Kokomo,” a song that would fit right in with the 1996 Zippers’ catalog. The remainder of the night was a mix of old and new songs mixed with many jokes. When attending a Zippers show, you’re not just going to dance, you’re going to laugh your ass off. Between songs, band leader Jimbo Mathus and Dr. Sick riffed off each other with a string of cringe-worthy Dad jokes and bad bird puns that had the audience simultaneously laughing and wincing.

    The highlight of the night was when Mathus introduced the “dancing portion” of the night. Permission was asked for audience members, who had largely been seat-ridden most of the show, to get up and dance for the upcoming section of the show. Mathus often referred to the early Zippers’ catalog as “songs from the past century.” These songs comprised the “dancing portion” of the night and the crowd complied. The band ripped into “Bad Businessman,” “Hell” and the rousing Klezmer-style song “Ghost of Stephen Foster” to finish out their outstanding set.

    The encore consisted of “Axman Jazz,” “Prince Nez,” “Plenty More” and another new song, “Hey Shango!,” a Cuban-style romp from their latest album that led to a Second Line exit for the band. The Second Line wound its way through the audience and made its way to the Community Space, where the band continued playing before settling in for pictures and autographs with fans.

    The Center for the Arts of Homer proved to be a tremendous host for a show like this and the Squirrel Nut Zippers were very grateful for those who attended. And the Zippers proved that original American music is not dead.

  • Hearing Aide: Lakecia Benjamin “Rise Up”

    Lakecia BenjaminLakecia Benjamin is a funk, jazz, and R&B artist from New York City. She is best known for her own recorded saxophone work and her group Soul Squad. She has also performed with other great names including Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Clark Terry, and many more.

    Her latest album titled, Rise Up, comes to us from the New York label Ropeadope. The LP features 13 tracks of a funk and jazz fusion led by Lakecia’s voice and her Alto Saxophone. The lyrics span a variety of topics but there is a clear focus on social justice and particularly the issues facing the African American community.

    In opening jam, “March On,” Lakecia’s vocals and instrumentation command your attention and set a poignant tone for what is to come. Track two, “On The One” keeps up the momentum, but adds smooth male vocals for a different flavor; of course Lakecia continues to flourish with her evocative saxophone. After a thoughtful and meaningful lull in the middle, the album turns it back on with the song “Little Children.”

    The powerful record not only calls people to arms, but it also offers encouragement to those who have already joined the fight. It’s tracks like “Takeback” that Lakecia is able to say so much, without actually “saying” very much at all; her saxophone screaming at the top of its lungs, heavy undulating bass and drums marching forward, and a complete atmosphere of power holding it all together. Perhaps the most urgent and evocative track from the album is “Little Children,” which harkens back to the blistering pace and utter catharsis of “Sinnerman” from Nina Simone.

    Lakecia’s saxophone playing has intensity and poise. Benjamin manages to sew together lead riffs that bring the songs a strong cohesiveness, while also taking the audience on a more personal journey during her improvisations. The instrumentation is akin to the work of Kamasi Washington and the work he did with Kendrick Lamar on To Pimp a Butterfly, but with Lakecia’s own unmistakable style.

    For all things Lakecia Benjamin, find your way to her website. The album will be available on bandcamp, and iTunes come March 23.

    Key Tracks: March On, Little Children, Cornbread

  • Cousin Earth Does St. Patty’s at Scottish Dave’s Pub

    Cousin Earth had everybody shaking their shamrocks last Saturday night at Scottish Dave’s Pub in Clinton, Connecticut. With their signature arsenal of whimsical instruments, the Brooklyn-based band took to the stage in full force… and full green!

    Scottish Dave's PubDrummer Nate Searing set the pace all night with unwavering energy. Corey Feldman plucked his pint-sized Kala U Bass while Joey Calfa served up roaring solos on his electric uke, proving that great things do come in small packages. Tara Lawton and Terry Brennan’s vocals are larger than life, adding catchy and clever lyrics to the band’s memorable melodies. Add to the mix a melodica, slide whistle, vibraslap (a quirky little instrument that brings me straight back to my middle school band days), train whistle, megaphone, and banana shaker, and you have the marvelous musical machine that is Cousin Earth.

    Amidst their original songs, the band enjoyed breathing new life into old favorites, starting off with a nostalgic rendition of “Zelda”, then later resurrecting Natalie Portman’s hilariously raunchy SNL rap, and eventually getting the whole bar clapping and bouncing to Nathanial Rateliff’s “S.O.B.”. Even the bagpipers were getting their jig on.

    The crowd also had first dibs on the band’s new album, Human Music. It’s not set to release online until next month, however the band had the first physical copies on sale at the show. Be on the lookout for the official release on 4/27, and if you’re in NYC, they are throwing an album release party that night at the Bowery Electric.

  • Puttin’ It In The Dumpsta

    On Friday, March 16, Dumpsta phunk made a stop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for a night of New Orleans funk at the Brooklyn Bowl. They gave fans everything expected in a show from the Nola-funk gurus with a couple of surprises mixed in, including a cover of The Eagles’ hit “Life in the Fast Lane” and a two-song cameo from guitarist Tash Neal. The Dumpstaphunk tour goes through Philly and Richmond before it hits the West Coast.

    Setlist: Make it After All, Let’s Get At It, I Wish You Would, Do You, Street Parade, Life In The Fastlane, Sounds*, United Nation Stomp*, Dumpstamental, Maze, Justice, Up From The Downstroke, Dancin’ To The Truth

    *Featuring Tash Neal

  • Tough Old Bird March Tour Underway: First Stop Rochester

    Tough Old Bird are venturing from their home in the Allegheny region and taking to the road this month and next. The Northeast run began on March 15 at The Bug Jar. Local support for this show came from indie folk duo Bitter Bells and alt-country outfit Brindamor.

    Tough Old Bird
    Tough Old Bird

    Bitter Bells is Ben Proctor and Rita Harris Proctor, who are better known for their work with the band The Crooked North. Songwriter Ben Proctor alternated between guitar and banjo, and they both sang. Their beautifully harmonized vocals resonated as they performed a selection of sad songs, followed by even sadder songs, with themes about loss, like unrequited love, tragedy, and being far from home. The mood was lightened by their playful banter, and a running jest about refraining from banjo jokes.

    Bitter Bells

    Tough Old Bird took the stage next. Hailing from Fillmore, New York, songwriting brothers Matthew and Nathan Corrigan were joined on stage by Jay Corwin on upright bass. From the first strum on the banjo, the music seemed to transport the listener through time and space, and everything from the psychedelic decor on the walls to the digital camera in my hand seemed oddly out of place.

    Tough Old Bird

    Their music taps into the time-honed tradition of roots music, plucking at the heartstrings and reviving forgotten innate rhythms. The intriguing story lines in the lyrics carry listeners on a journey through the instrumental landscape. In addition to a selection of songs they’ve written over the past five years, their set included a stunning rendition of Tom Wait’s “Cold Cold Ground.”

    Tough Old Bird

    This was the first of many dates they have lined up over the next several weeks, as they trek along the Eastern Seaboard and venture into the Midwest. I picked up a copy of their latest CD, Where The Great Beasts Are Buried at the show, but their music can also be bought online.

    Brindamor closed out the night. They brought copies of their brand new CD released that day, and handed out copies throughout the night. The songs on the EP are titled “About You” and “Betsy, Before I Forget,” and they were recorded nearby at 1809 Studios with Dave Drago. That was all I knew about them before the quartet took the stage. Even though we were heading into late hours on a weeknight, I was intrigued and I stuck around a bit later than planned. I’m glad I did. Brindamor’s sound is grand and seems larger than the sum of its four members. The music straddles the lines of indie folk and contemporary alt-country, giving it broad appeal.

    Brindamor

    Tough Old Bird’s Upcoming Show Dates:

    MAR 18 – Bourbon & Branch w/ Deep City Healers – Philadelphia, PA

    MAR 19 – PIANOS – New York, NY

    MAR 20 – The Bebop w/ Aaron Wardwell Lindsey Sampson – Boston, MA

    MAR 31 – Hot Mama’s Canteen – Buffalo, NY

    APR 6 – Postcrypt Coffeehouse – Manhattan, NY

    APR 7 – Cafe Veritas – Rochester, NY

    APR 14 – The Geneseo Riviera w/ Straw Hat – Geneseo, NY

    APR 18 – Hotel Crittenden – Coudersport, PA

    APR 19 – The Funhouse At Mr. Smalls – Millvale, PA

    APR 20 – The Listing Loon w/ Warrick & Lowell Moriah Haven – Cincinnati, OH

    APR 21 – Evangeline’s – St Louis, MO

    APR 23 – Blue Canoe – Tupelo, MS

    APR 24 – Alley Cat – Carrollton, GA

    APR 26 – The Grove – Fayetteville, WV

    APR 27 – Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar w/ Jordan Ashby Gio – Charlottesville, VA

    APR 28 – The Purple Fiddle – Thomas, WV

    APR 29 – The Purple Fiddle – Thomas, WV

  • Hearing Aide: Progger ‘Dystopia’

    Progger has put together a masterful ensemble to release an album that consists of layers of different music to stimulate all your senses. Progressive jazz-rock-funk fusion Progger released their fourth album Dystopia recently. Twelve musicians make up the credits for the album — from New York City, Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles.

    This album puts some of the best work right in the beginning to show listeners how explosive this band can be. “Oba-bow” sets the tone for the album with a dramatic build-up that teases the expectation of a musical journey that takes you high and low.

    The bass must be played at an appropriate level when listening to Dystopia. Without proper speakers, the listener will not get the full effect of the tremendousness of the sound Progger creates.

    Progger does a great job of mixing energy and taking it away to a peaceful melody. On “Housewives” the soothing, soft sounds go from an R&B feeling to something grittier when the guitarist shows off his skills.

    The brass and keys really give Progger their impressive sound. The album title track, “Dystopia,” brings out a progressive melody from the saxophone, while delivering some pretty sounds from the piano and going off the other end with the keyboards. Some of it is reminiscent of classical music.

    “Adryllanin” is a crescendo that has a very soft beginning and progresses into a loud collaboration of all the instruments to pull together a beautiful song. “Adrenal Interlude” brings out some different sounds from Progger. The funky dance beat is fun. It’s just a short song, but perfect for the middle of the album to keep the energy flowing. The energy stays consistent through “Morning Star.” The end of the album transitions to softer, soulful sounds. “Choom” keeps the same level throughout and is an easy-listening song for relaxation.

    “Sinister decisions” features a mellow, energetic tone. The harmony between all the instruments takes on a different journey. “Haunt” comes in soft like a lullaby. The album’s structure flows well to end with softer songs. Beautifully written, “Haunt” feels like a proper conclusion to a good time. One last song, “Sinister Prelude,” is a short outro to conclude the album with just a few more fun noises from the band before they go.

    Progger’s Dystopia is a quality album that deserves recognition and accolade. The music is a soundtrack to a good time. Whether you are relaxing by yourself or hosting a party with a few friends, Dystopia is an album to keep in your collection for the right moment.

    Performing on this album are Daniel Watson (drums), Devin Collins (drums and electronic percussion), Steve Anthony Belvilus (drums on “Morning Star”), Nicholas Clark (electric bass and synth bass), Bryan Ladd (electric bass), Isamu McGregor (keyboards), Carter Arrington (guitar), Daniel Muniz (guitar), Akira Ishiguro (guitar), Matthew Muehling (guitar), Paul Deemer (trombone), and Brian Donohoe (saxophone, keyboard, drum loops, and additional guitar).

    Key Tracks: Oba-Bow, Housewives, Sinister Prelude

  • Joe Russo’s Almost Dead jam for sold out crowd at The Palace Theatre

    Joe Russo’s Almost Dead continued their sold out northeast run at the historic Palace Theatre in Albany on Friday, March 1, 2019. Many fans traveled to the city from Syracuse after their nonstop Thursday show at the Landmark, and fought through the wind chill to get into the theater, ready to hear some Grateful Dead tunes.

    Joe Russo's Almost Dead Palace

    JRAD kicked the night off with an energetic version of the classic tune “Feel Like a Stranger,” setting the mood for the first set. Tom Hamilton took the helm of the song’s jam with a killer solo, and used the ending lick of “Stranger” to help transition into “Help on the Way”, which was met by a roar of cheers from the crowd. There was a notably good jam into the last chorus of “Help” before the band segued into “Slipknot!.” “Slipknot!” started off normally with the arpeggio section that fans are familiar with, but after one go around, Marco Benevento made good use of his grand piano and took a lengthy solo, using that same arpeggio section as a home base in between improvisations. The band jumped back into the song with a strange chromatic jam that turned into one more repetition of the arpeggios, until they segued into “The Wheel.”

    After a very emotional peak at the end of “Slipknot!,” “The Wheel”’s upbeat sound had the crowd dancing like there was no tomorrow. The song featured multiple “Bathtub Gin” teases and a jam on the Phish classic, the first of many teases of songs by the jam powerhouse. The band brought the song into a very high energy peak and one last chorus before Hamilton and Metzger led them into “Uncle John’s Band.” The whole theater sang along with the fan-favorite Dead song, and Hamilton took another ripping solo. The jam was disco-esque, and made way into an acapella chorus supported by the crowd keeping the beat with clapping.

    The group quickly transitioned from “Uncle John’s Band” into “Truckin’,” playing it more quickly than normal. Scott Metzger and Joe Russo really shined during this “Truckin’,” but you could tell that the whole band was having fun with each other as they steamed through the song. Finishing up the last verses and choruses, the band segued into a version of “Music Never Stopped Reprise” that featured a “Born Crosseyed” jam. This first set was filled lots of classic Dead songs and energetic playing, and it left the crowd excited for set 2.

    To start off the second set, the band went into an improv jam before breaking into the Jerry Garcia Band’s classic “Reubin & Cherise.” “Rubin” was met with plenty of cheers from the audience and provided a very upbeat start to the set, as well as another Phish tease of “The Divided Sky.” The band worked their way into “Viola Lee Blues,” the highlight jam of the night, using the energy built up during the end of “Reubin & Cherise” to kick the song into high gear. “Viola Lee” featured a jam on Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” that sent the energy in the theater through the roof, before transitioning back into “Viola Lee Blues Reprise” that included a jam on “Foam” by Phish towards the end. The group segued into “Jack Straw” which began with a jam over a jungle-like rhythm that Russo was throwing down. “Jack Straw” featured a psychedelic jam that included a section where the whole band was harmonizing over a lick Tom Hamilton was playing, and every time he played the lick, each member would change the harmony they were playing.

    Following a very powerful “Jack Straw”, the band broke into “So Many Roads,” one of the later Hunter/Garcia collaborations, which was a nice cool down after the intensity of “Rubin & Cherise > Viola Lee Blues > Jack Straw.” Marco Benevento took another beautiful grand piano solo that made Joe Russo whip his head around, and gracefully passed the torch to Hamilton who soloed his way into one last verse and chorus. The group broke into “Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad” which brought the energy back up following the somber “So Many Roads.” Scott Metzger took a fantastic solo over a bluegrassy section before Benevento squeezed in one last solo, during which the entire band was laughing and playing around with each other. The set closed out with an instrumental version of “We Bid You Goodnight” that was quite beautiful.

    The group encored with “Magnificent Sanctuary Band” off of Jerry Garcia’s Cats Under the Stars album, which set a nice, whimsical feel for the end of the show. The whole crowd was getting down and grooving as Hamilton serenaded the theater, and the band was having a ton of fun taking turns soloing at the end of the song. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead first sold out Palace Theatre show was a giant dance party and featured fantastic jams such as “Viola Lee Blues.”

    Recording via Brian Goldstein, Setlist via Peter Costello

    Set One: Feel Like A Stranger >Help On The Way -> Slipknot! @ -> The Wheel # -> Uncle John’s Band $ -> Truckin’ % -> Music Never Stopped Reprise -> Born Cross-eyed Jam

    Set Two: Jam -> Ruben & Cerise ^ -> Viola Lee Blues -> 9 to 5 Jam -> Viola Lee Blues Reprise + -> Jam & -> Jack Straw * -> So Many Roads -> Going Down The Road Feeling Bad -> We Bid You Goodnight (Instrumental)

    Encore: Magnificent Sanctuary Band

    @ – With an MB Solo
    # – With “Bathtub Gin” (Phish) Teases & Jams
    $ – With a “Poison” (Bell Biv DeVoe) Tease (JR) & a “Mama, I’m Coming Home” (Ozzy Osbourne) Tease (TH)
    % – With a “Chalkdust Torture” (Phish) Tease (TH)
    ^ – With a “Divided Sky” (Phish) Tease (TH), a “Let My Love Open the Door” (Pete Townshend) Tease (TH) and a “Paradise City” (Guns N Roses) Tease (Band)
    + – With a Unknown Tease (SM) & a “Cavern” (Phish) Tease (JR)
    & – With “Foam” (Phish) Teases & Jams
    * – With a “Llama” (Phish) Tease (JR),  Ruben & Cerise Teases & GDTRFB Teases (TH)

  • Albany Hip Hop Outshines Headliner Riff Raff at Jupiter Hall

    Local hip hop acts found their beat at Jupiter Hall in Albany, on March 10, sharing the stage with headliner RiFF RAFF. The evening saw multiple acts from the Capital Region of New York bring short, yet effective sets to the futuristic venue tucked inside Lucky Strike at Crossgates Mall.

    Interestingly, hardcore metal band Misgiver joined the opening acts with a loud, yet memorable performance. Misgiver’s sound is unexpected at a hip hop show, and certainly memorable and surprising. To their credit, it is certainly difficult to perform as an “outlier” at a show, and with a quick set, they showcased their abilities well.

    Along with them, Philly Fine$$e delivered a high strung hip hop set joined by DJ David Acevedo, SwaggyT, and friends. Having streams on songs like “Lonely,” “GUCCI,” and “Like This,” Fine$$e and his fellow performers got the eyes of the crowd in a short amount of time. Their show has entertaining potential, and their music lends itself seamlessly to the club scene and they were received well by the crowd, even in the earlier part of the evening.

    Along with Philly Fine$$e, show attendees dove in for Wavy Cunningham & DJ Mercy, a creative duo who mix wide varieties of samples with old school sounds to create a fun, beach-type atmosphere. Their music is a departure from stereotypical thoughts of hip hop being such a serious matter, and in a lot of ways it has the ability to make the listener smile. The two took the stage with huge smiles and vibed with onlookers. They politely commanded their setlist with no pretense, and just played music for enjoyment. People danced, sang along with tracks such as “Mass Appeal,” and stayed open to newer songs such as “1000 Verses.”

    The more Wavy and Mercy performed, the larger the crowd got, with audience members even asking for an encore. This energy cleared the path for Clear Mind, who also drew a large following. He released his project, “Swords, Metaphors & Pressure Points,” in November of 2017, which included instrumental production by himself as well as a variety of others.

    Clear Mind’s own unique voice is not lost in the wide variety of sounds used in both his live set and his album. His lyrics cover a multitude of modern subjects, including parenthood, love, personal struggles, and more. As many people can relate to these topics, he continued the energy and grew the audience even more. Few artists have the bravery to perform a song acapella — without musical accompaniment — but Clear Mind did, and his seamless infusion of this into his set won him a great deal of respect amongst those unfamiliar with his music.

    He, Wavy Cunningham, and DJ Mercy, all set a tone with their common charismatic approach to the stage — their futures as performers, locally and beyond, carry promise. Likewise, DJ duo, The Dropouts, consisting of Eric Whin and David Acevedo, played music from multiple popular artists such as Post Malone, but infused their own mixes and synth parts, just continuing to excite the crowd with their mastery of modern sounds. Their lightshow and visuals, as well as excited persona added to the mix and certainly won the crowd over.

    But as the cliche goes, all good things must come to an end. Although it is typically expected that the headliners would have more experience and production value, this did not appear to be the case for RiFF RAFF or 2 Stoned. Their respective shows got stolen by all the opening acts. Although both performed with some professional proficiency, neither went above “ just getting the job done.” 

    Since RiFF RAFF and 2 Stoned are both portrayed in media as flamboyant and defiant, one would have thought their sets would have both been more exciting, but this was not the case. Perhaps this may be seen as a rush to judgment by an unfamiliar viewer, but one would think a performer would want to be as interesting or more, than his backing tracks, lightshow, clothes, and hairstyle, but sadly this was not the case. Overall, the headlining part of the show could have been missed in favor of the energetic opening acts.

  • Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Played Host to a Marathon Party at Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre

    It was a busy Thursday night in Armory Square in Syracuse. The bars and restaurants were filled with revelers, with the overabundant party spilling out into the streets. Did their beloved Orange just win a big game? Not quite. Today’s premiere Grateful Dead cover band, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD), was making it’s upstate New York debut at the nearby Landmark Theatre. As the clock struck 8, the streets, bars and restaurants all quickly emptied and quiet returned. For a few hours at least. The party continued, and ramped up into full swing, inside the confines of the historic theater.

    For many it was their first taste of this revelatory refreshing of the catalog left by one of the all-time great American rock bands. Though many others had caught them elsewhere, as this is a band worth traveling for, cover band or no.

    As is usually the case, the band, Joe Russo on drums, Marco Benevento on keys, and for this night on the theater’s baby grand, Tom Hamilton and Scott Metzger on guitars, and Dave Dreiwitz on bass, began the night with a warmup jam. It started quietly, loosely based around Tom Petty’s “Breakdown”, before slowly building in volume and complexity and exploding into “Mississippi Half-Step.” A couple lengthy jams eventually dissolved into a groovy space reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter” which wound wonderfully into “Estimated Prophet.”

    The Dead’s catalog served as a template, a coloring book for the band to fill in with their own color. But, in the true spirit of the music, they had a liberal and creative way with the colors and styles with which they fill the spaces, frequently and almost by rule coloring outside of the lines. Common traditions are bucked, new ones written. The songs sound like the ones you know and love, but the band quickly jumps ship and bring it to a nebulous no man’s land.

    “Estimated” broke into a weird and wild freeform space where disparate pieces of “China Cat Sunflower” emerged. Like a puzzle, the different pieces fit together and like that the crowd found itself shaking to a new groove. The band could break the songs down into parts, shake them up, all the while mixing in new on-the-spot improvisations along with parts from other songs. Bits and pieces of other songs, some Dead many otherwise, were thrown into the mixer and given a few more good shakes. It made for a dizzying and disorienting musical experience that left listeners blissfully lost in the haze. Depending on how keen one’s ears were they may have heard Herbie Hancock’s “Fat Mama,” “Farmer in the Dell,” Radiohead’s “Airbag,” Harry Belafonte’s “Banana Boat Song,” the Drifters’ “On Broadway” along with the Dead’s “Iko Iko,” “St. Stephen,” “Let It Grow,” and many others jumbled into the pot at various points in the evening.

    The traditional “China > Rider” combination was expectedly untraditional as they stuffed it with “Good Lovin’” and “Cats Under the Stars.” As “I Know You Rider” came to a finish, the band had been playing for 90 minutes straight with nary a second of silence. The first set was all but assumed to be over. Though, Russo, after introducing the band, indicated that because of a strict 11pm curfew they were also going to buck the traditional set break. Benevento jokingly laid atop the piano, almost posing for a painting, though it was the band who needed to get back to their painting. Russo announced “Set Two,” and the band immediately kicked off “Row Jimmy.”

    Without the break available to reorient themselves, the crowd dizzily jumped back into the mix while the band continued their long explorations for another non-stop hour. By the time it was all through, “Saint of Circumstance” was taken the distance and the usual “Scarlet > Fire” was once again untraditionally broken up with Bob Dylan’s “Sylvio.” The band wasn’t above the traditional encore, and a relatively quick “Promised Land” ended the indoor party at the Landmark, 3 hours and thirteen songs later. The quiet streets outside were once again bustling with the giddy energy of the crowd, and so the party continued…

    Setlist:
    Jam> Mississippi Halfstep> Estimated Prophet> China Cat Sunflower> Good Lovin> Cats Under The Stars> I Know You Rider, Row Jimmy> Lost Sailor> Saint Of Circumstance> Scarlet Begonias> Silvio> Fire On The Mountain

    E: Promised Land

  • Hearing Aide: Townhouse Warrior ‘Words, Unsaid,’

    Reigning from Upstate New York, the group Townhouse Warrior are set to release their third full-length album on March 20. This four-man punk rock band released their debut album just three years back and followed it up with their sophomore album in 2016. The group is back with their newest project and is ready to share it with the world. The latest addition to their group is guitarist Tim Hall who joins original members Zack Fitzgerald on lead vocals/guitar, Kyle Malfa on drums and Joshua Rivet on bass to take their high-energy sound even further.

    Words, Unsaid, features twelve songs; each one is a powerhouse track in its own right. Every song brings a level of upbeat intensity starting with track one, “Echoes.” The opening to track three, “So Left, It’s Right,” slightly differs from the others as the guitar and drums are panned left and right respectively. This adds more layers to the song and encourages a head-bobbing reaction to its rhythm right off the bat.

    I am personally a big fan of the album title namedrop in the song “Fake Confrontations.” The lyrics tell the story behind the title Words, Unsaid, giving this title a deeper meaning. Other noteworthy tracks on this album include “Toll Taker,” as it begins with an almost soothing electric guitar solo before introducing the sound from rest of the band. Likewise, “Daydreaming” is an inherently dynamic song as takes its listeners on a journey through soft and high-energy segments.

    In my opinion, Townhouse Warrior is the perfect fit for the DIY music scene. Their fast-paced musical style has the power to electrify an audience and I would personally love to catch them performing in a basement venue.

    Key Tracks: Echoes, Far Away, Daydreaming

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