NYS Music 20​18

Category: Reviews

  • Funktional Flow and After Funk rock Buffalo Iron Works

    Funktional Flow has been a staple in the Western New York area for years. The band has gone through many changes, and because of this they are always evolving and growing as a group. Known for being able to make any show a dance party, they have solidified their place in the scene. The band consists of Jeff Kuebler (guitar & vocals). Ben Whelan (bass), Joey Lewis (guitar & vocals), Ryan James Acanfora (drums), and Matthew Lester (keys, sax, and vocals), all of which contribute to the show and the sound in their own, critical way. After Funk (out of Toronto) started the night off strong, loosening up the audience for the spectacle to follow.

    funktional flow after funkFunktional Flow decided to try out a new formula for the show, and it was a success. They have a collection of songs usually reserved for opening sets, as they consider them not to be their “heavy hitters,” but that night they changed it up. This mix-up breathed new energy into their usual first-set staples such as “Baby Song,” Black T,” “Gone,” and “Seems to Feel.”

    The highlight of the night was when After Funk’s Yanick Allwood joined Funktional Flow for “What a Fool Believes” and “Eminence Front.” Their synergy was palpable.

    Funktional Flow will be returning to Buffalo Iron Works on March 24, bring your dancing shoes.

    Setlist: Mulligans > Baby Song, Black T, TomTom Part 1 > China Town > TomTom Part 2 , What a Fool Believes*, Gone, Seems to Feel, Trouble, Eminence Front*
    *with Yanick Allwood on After Funk

  • “Weird Al” Yankovic opens his weirdest tour to date in Poughkeepsie

    “Weird Al” Yankovic opened “The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour” in Poughkeepsie, NY on Tuesday, February 27. While past tours have featured giant video screens, costumes changes and parody-heavy setlists, Al included a disclaimer on his website stating that this tour is “a scaled-down tour in smaller, more intimate theaters, with limited production (no costumes, props, or video screens) and Al’s set list will be comprised almost entirely of his original (non-parody) songs.” The sold-out crowd of 950 was treated to the comic stylings of Emo Philips, featured in the movie UHF as Joe Earley. Al hand-picked him to open for the entire tour and his absurd 30 minute set had the audience roaring with laughter.


    Yankovic’s band took the stage at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House and laid down an instrumental version of “Dare to be Stupid” before the man himself arrived to a massive fanfare. His first song of the tour was the White Stripes pastiche, ‘CNR.’ Al took it down for a minute to warn the crowd that tonight was in fact, their “soundcheck” and that “if you came to see me screw up, you will not be disappointed!”. He did not disappoint as he dove into the Bob Dylan’esque ‘Bob’ and the 2003 favorite, ‘Why Does This Always Happen To Me?”

    After fooling the audience into thinking that this tour would not feature costumes, parodies or accordions, Al finally brought out his new MIDI-accordion as the band started into “Generic Blues.” This classic track from the UHF soundtrack was followed up by the Hawaiian Reggae tune, “Buy Me a Condo.” The 9-minute epic “Jackson Park Express” was played for the first time live as the weirdness continued. Next up was the 2011 hit “Stop Forwarding That Crap To Me” before Al channeled the Lizard King with his Doors homage, “Craigslist.”

    Al continued the set with one of his darker songs, “Good Old Days,” an example of what would happen if James Taylor collaborated with Charlie Manson. The band lightened the mood with the song “Happy Birthday” from his debut album before taking it down a notch with the anti-love ballad, “You Don’t Love Me Anymore.” “Party At The Leper Colony,” one of the bands “Top 3 Immature Songs” preceded the 2006 hit, “Don’t Download This Song” and the Don Henley inspired “When I Was Your Age.” Weird Al continued the 80’s hits with “Melanie” and “One More Minute” before changing the pace of the concert.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BfwhNj3nagt/?hl=en&taken-by=nystatemusic

    Despite announcing a lack of parody songs prior to the tour, Al dove into a medley of his comedy hits as the band played differing music underneath. The band started playing a wonderful rendition of “Layla” as Al sang the lyrics to his hit “Eat It.” This led into “I Lost On Jeopardy” with a walking baseline before switching over to chimes and acoustic guitar for “Amish Paradise.” “Smells Like Nirvana,” “White and Nerdy” And “Rocky Road” had a mix of bouncy pop and doo wop behind it before a piano heavy rendition of “Like A Surgeon” ended the set.

    Weird Al and his bandmates came back out to “play a song they usually end each show with.” The audience was dumbstruck as the band started playing the guitar riff to Deep Purple’s, “Smoke On The Water.” This was no parody as Al wow’d the crowd with a spectacular, normal, regular version of this track. Not to disappoint, Al ended the show with fan-favorite, “The Saga Begins” before thanking the crowd for a wonderful show.

    Weird Al will continue his tour March 13th in Buffalo, March 14th in Ithaca, March 17th in Huntington and March 22nd and 23rd at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

  • I Set My Friends On Fire Light Up the Night in Buffalo

    I Set My Friends on Fire played at Mohawk Place last weekend. The show on February 25 marked the third sold out show in a row on the 10 Years of Slaughter tour, celebrating the anniversary of their popular debut album You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter.

    Awaken I Am made the trip all the way from their hometown of Brisbane, Australia to tour the US with Kissing Candice and I Set My Friends On Fire. Although far from home, they received a warm welcome from the crowd. Their music was more in the vein of rock than the metal bands that make up the rest of the bill, but it resonated with the crowd. Awaken I Am played a selection of songs which included some off their latest album which they released last year on Victory Records, Blind Love. When I stopped by the merch table, I noticed that the t-shirts and album cover included the words ‘Blind Love’ spelled out in braille, which was a nice touch.

    Awaken I Am

    Long Island metal heavyweights Kissing Candice was a stark contrast to the previous act. The stage filled with the haze of smoke, as the five piece ensemble took the stage in horror-show costumes and masks. The music was as intense as the theatrics, an industrial metal rage that got the crowd moshing once they were over their initial awe. This band is not for the faint of heart. If you’re a fan of heavy hitters like Slipknot, you need to check them out. While tour with Awaken I Am and I Set My Friends On Fire ends on March 16 in Oklahoma, they are playing a show in Illinois on the 18th, followed by a hometown show when they get back to New York at Revolution in Amityville on the 21st.

    Kissing Candice

    Then came the act that fans had been waiting all night to see: I Set My Friends On Fire. A decade ago, two teenagers with a laptop posted a punk cover of “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” on MySpace. It’s been an incredible journey for the band since then. Worldwide tours, lineup changes, and two full length albums later, the band is still challenging the status quo. Clever insightful lyrics are paired with experimental sounds that incorporate a myriad of genres including hardcore and funk.

    I Set My Friends On Fire

    The band is currently comprised of founding member Matt Mehana on vocals, Nathan Blasdell on clean vocals and guitar, Connor Mitchener on bass, Chris Thompson on drums and Hector Bagnod on guitar. Out of the gate, the guys brought an energetic vibe that was contagious. Blasdell was encouraging crowd participation between and during songs, but honestly the crowd didn’t need much encouragement to get moving. A mosh pit opened up on the first song, and it didn’t let up.

    The setlist was comprised of all the songs from You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter. I was expecting them to play all the songs in order, like other bands that I’ve gone to when they had 10th anniversary tours, but they mixed it up a bit, which was a pleasant surprise. The music was intense and raw, but with an overarching sense of fun. The band members just seemed so happy to be up on stage, and grateful to be celebrating the birthday of this iconic album.

    I Set My Friends on Fire

    There will always be a place for music that captures adolescent antics and questioning of authority and societal standards. Fans of I Set My Fire who turned out at the show included everyone from teenagers who were too young to see the band on previous tours to middle-aged folks who were seeing them for the fourth or fifth time. But the majority of the people in attendance were those who were coming of age when the album came out ten years ago, those who connect on a personal level with the disillusionment and angst of a generation that had their American dream ripped away by the great recession. For them, this concert seemed like both a validation of their experience and a communal catharsis. They purged their emotions in the mosh pit.

    I Set My Friends On Fire

    The 10 Years of Slaughter Tour continues through March 16. Follow I Set My Friends On Fire on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or visit their My Space page. To learn more about the band, read the recent NYS Music interview.

  • Flashback: Phish’s Legendary 2003 Nassau Coliseum Show

    On February 28, 2003, Phish performed the penultimate show of their Winter Tour at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island, their first since returning from a two year hiatus. The result was one of the best Phish performances of the ‘2.0’ era that spanned from December 31, 2002 through August 15, 2004.

    phish nassau 2003
    poster by Louis Arzonico

    The first set of the show kicks off with “Birds of a Feather” and while this is a solid starter to a 2003 Phish show, the “Destiny Unbound” that followed is the song that fans skip to, for this was the first version of the song since 1991, and one that fans had been clamoring for since the mid-90s. At first, few in the crowd knew what it was, but as the lyrics started, you can hear the crowd erupt, and even more so when the refrain “We gotta get on the road, Destiny Unbound” is sung.

    phish nassau 2003
    poster design by Troy Alexander

    Shock and awe swept through the crowd and continued into “Horn,” for the biggest bust out of them all was finally here. A 20+ minute “Bathtub Gin” is full of peaks and jam sections, never letting up and only resting when followed by “Sleep.” An extended “Back on the Train” and “Walls of the Cave” sandwich “Bouncing Around the Room” to wrap up the firepowered first set, and set two would prove to be equally incredible.

    One of the best versions of “Tweezer” this century kicked off a five-song second set, stretching more than 27 minutes and finding ebbs and flows throughout, never noodling or fading out, just pure improvisation start to finish. The segue into a then-rare cover of Bob Marley’s “Soul Shakedown Party” lit up the room once again, as did a dark 19 minute “David Bowie.”

    The only time to catch a breath this set was “Round Room,” but being the title track off the band’s recently released album, fans were rapt with attention to the new tune. Closing the set was a slow building “Harry Hood” that capped the show with a bang.

    phish nassau 2003
    shirt design by chris mcmurray

    A three song encore starting with “Contact,” “Mexican Cousin” gave the fans a couple of sing-alongs before the energetic close of “Tweezer Reprise.” You would be hard pressed to find a Phish show in 2003 or 2004 that had as much firepower as February 28, 2003 did.

    Phish, Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, Long Island, NY February 28, 2003

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Birds of a Feather, Destiny Unbound, Horn > Bathtub Gin, Sleep, Back on the Train, Bouncing Around the Room, Walls of the Cave

    Set 2: Tweezer > Soul Shakedown Party -> David Bowie, Round Room > Harry Hood

    Encore: Contact, Mexican Cousin > Tweezer Reprise

    Listen on LivePhish.com

  • moe. wraps up February tour in Albany, honored by Mayor Sheehan

    At moe.’s final show of their February tour, the city of Albany had something special on tap to honor the group who called Albany a second home during the 1990s. Mayor Kathy Sheehan was welcomed to the stage by promoter Greg Bell where she recalled seeing moe. at Valentine’s, and issued a Mayoral Proclamation declaring February 24 as moe.day. With band on stage, the audience erupted in delight at the honor bestowed on them by a town ripe with bands following in moe.’s footsteps.

    After being handed a ‘Rob. Strong’ banner, moe. dove into the first of two firey sets with a “Rebubula” intro fakeout that dove into “Buster” on a dime, and followed with back to back ~12 minute versions of heavy hitters “Haze” and “Y.O.Y.” and the second version of “Who You Calling Scared?” which debuted in Portland a week earlier. “Akimbo” and “Rise” sustained the energy of the set ahead of the only cover of the weekend run, “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” with Chuck and Al trading off throughout.

    “Stranger Than Fiction” led the way in Set 2 with a hefty and fluid “Faker” and “CalifornIA” that followed. Jim Loughlin then dove into “Farmer Ben” and a rage rocker “Don’t Fuck with Flo” kept Loughlin in the spotlight on vibraphone, as well as in “McBain,” the ninth of ten 10+ minute songs played this evening alone (there were 7 the night prior). After a potential segue towards “George,” moe. opted to wrap up the show the way they started and swung for the fences with “Rebubula” to the intense delight of the crowd. Returning to the stage following a balloon drop, Al Schnier thanked the crowd and the city of Albany and led the band in “Letter Home,” wrapping up the run on a heartfelt note and giving time for the kids to keep dancing long after the show on South Pearl Street.

    Setlist

    Soundcheck: Johnny Lineup, Who You Calling Scared? – Listen here.

    Set 1: Rebubula > Buster > Haze > Y.O.Y. > Who You Calling Scared?, Akimbo > Rise > In Memory of Elizabeth Reed*

    Set 2: Stranger Than Fiction, Faker > CalifornIA > Farmer Ben > Don’t Fuck With Flo > Faker, McBain, Rebubula

    Encore: Letter Home

    * with Silversun tease

    photos by Dave DeCrescente

  • Photo Gallery: Deer Tick spends Friday night at the Mall

    Going to the mall on a Friday night seems something a bunch of teenagers might do. Friday, February 23 saw a slew of twenty and thirty-somethings take over Crossgates Mall in Albany. The relatively new Jupiter Hall, located toward the back of Lucky Strike Social, has been bringing a variety of great concerts to the area and they might have outdone themselves with Deer Tick.

    Deer Tick’s “Twice Is Nice” tour is highlighting an acoustic set and an electric set. This allows the band to explore their wide variety of influences from folk to rock and from country to blues. It’s a special treat for the dedicated fans that want to hear over two hours of music from the incredibly talented group from Rhode Island.

    Deer Tick (John McCauley, Ian O’Neil, Chris Ryan and Dennis Ryan) brought along a friend for the Albany show, the Catskills’ very own James Felice jumped in on keys and accordion adding to the energy of the evening.

    The tour heads out west and back in New York for shows at The Haunt in Ithaca (March 3) and the Lost Horizon in Syracuse (March 4). The band will be taking the tour overseas to Australia and will be back in the states in April for the Rhythm and Blooms Festival in Knoxville and then another stretch of dates throughout the south.

  • Hearing Aide: The Plot In You ‘Dispose’

    The Plot In You premiered their latest album, Dispose, on February 16 on Billboard Music. Lead singer and songwriter Landon Tewers co – produced the album in Los Angeles with Drew Fulk, known for his work with Crown The Empire and I Prevail. As their first album with Fearless Records, Dispose contains ten tracks total and steers away from the band’s signature, heavy sound, leaving just a risky, yet shell of their previous work — and in its place a calculated contingency away from the past.

    For the most part, the album backs off the heavy guitars, defiant lyrics, and warmongering breakdowns. Once classified as a metal band, The Plot In You both proves their versatility and bends unspoken rules characteristic in their previous albums, such as 2011’s First Born, instead turning to multiple genres such as pop, rock, and electronic.

    Dispose opens up with “Rigged,” a slow, intense build of a track centered around a few clean, crisp guitar riffs which transition into a tense progression of Nine Inch Nails – esque industrial electronic sounds and a chaotic blitz, culminating with Tewers asking the question, “What’s left in me? Guess we’ll see. Didn’t see this coming.” This question sets the tone for the rest of the album.

    While every track experiments with the extensions of the band’s songwriting abilities, such as “One Last Time,” and “Paid in Full,” Dispose falls victim to the bane of many modern releases: tracks set in a difficult – to – follow order. However, this is not an unforgivable sin as many of the songs stand well on their own to be played as one – offs as opposed to a back to back listen. A few points’ deduction, but not a total loss.

    In fairness, The Plot In You, takes an exciting artistic risk. While their heavy side still exists in songs such as the anthemic “Feel Nothing,” they leave room for a Frank Ocean/Ed Sheeran – type ballad with “The Sound,” which introduces a soulful, lounge saxophone solo to accompany Josh Childress’ shining, dramatic guitar performance. Tewers plays with this same concept on “I Always Wanted to Leave.” Both songs deal lyrically with the stages that many relationships go through: comfort and security, and then betrayal and loss.

    The band’s unsung heroes, however, are drummer Mathis Arnell and bassist Ethan Yoder, who hold down the basis of this rock/pop – driven album. Songs such as “The One You Love” and “Disposable Fix,” both use a building block approach, starting with input from the rhythm section and centering around their pocket. Along with Childress, Arnell and Yoder keep the instruments minimalistic yet intentional. The space left in each song provides a mysterious effect which draws the listener in and allows for the breathing and taking in of fine details in each painting. This is also true for the music videos of the album, “Feel Nothing,” “Not Just Breathing,” “I Always Wanted to Leave,” and “Disposable Fix,” all of which Arnell directed.

    Although Dispose has been met with mixed criticism over the band’s changed sound, their songwriting, engineering, and production deserve acknowledgment. And whether most fans enjoy these changes or not, some credit must be given to the group for sticking to their intentions and musical wishes. Independent of any previous claims, songs, or performances, Dispose objectively displays cohesion, weighted movements, experimentation, and vulnerable soul. At the very worse, it could be a small misstep in a continuing career; at best, a welcome change in direction, an honest set of thoughts, and a passionate description of current events with a unique blend of genres. That is to say, overall, it’s a solid effort that The Plot in You can be proud of.

    Dispose is available digitally and physically at all major platforms.

    Key Tracks: “Feel Nothing,” “The One You Loved,” “The Sound”

  • moe. Returns Home to Albany for Night 1 at The Palace Theatre

    moe. returned to The Palace Theatre in Albany on Feb. 23 for the first time since New Years Eve 2015 and brought along Buffalo’s Aqueous, giving fans a look at the past, present and future of the New York State jam scene.

    Looking to the future of the scene, look no further than Aqueous, one of the success stories coming out of Western New York. The versatile foursome set a standard for touring bands who are just getting their start or waiting for their big break out of the clubs and into the national scene. They kicked off the night shortly after doors and proceeded to give the Albany audience a five-song set. Guitarist Mike Gantzer noted they only had 15 minutes left, and that meant there was time for one more song, and with that dove into the proggy “Triangle,” which had hints of Umphrey’s McGee but still the classic Aqueous tightness throughout.

    moe. stepped out with bright lights shining behind creating a silhouette during the accelerating instrumental “Jazz Wank” and instead of the usual “Buster,” “Skrunk” followed and bled into “Down Boy” with Chuck and Rob creating a vocal segue over the end of “Skrunk” with the first verse of lyrics. 15 minutes of a Chuck-led jam later, “Down Boy” moved into a high energy “Tailspin.” The new “I Can Never Remember” was the only breather in a firey first set, with “Blue Jeans Pizza” jumping the tempo back up and giving the crowd chills when Rob hit the high note. The highlight among a packed first set was Mike Gantzer of Aqueous coming out for “Waiting for the Punchline,” with Al taking the lead on the jam before turning Mike loose on the audience who greeted his moment in the spotlight with intense cheers to end the set.

    moe albany palace

    Set 2 began with the Sticks and Stones era “Deep This Time” and “New York City,” followed by a break for tuning that led to Al and Rob riffing on an ‘Albany Song’ made up on the spot. “What Can I Say” was a lighthearted break in the action but from here the jamming went deep. “Hi and Lo” built the foundation for the next hour that built with a Latin-tinged “Montego,” a marvelous “Captain America,” and a 26 minute version of “She” that was at times loose and spacey and somehow found its way into “Happy Hour Hero.” The encore of “Downward Dog” closed the night at nearly 1 in the morning, with one more night in store on Saturday. Tickets are available here.

    Aqueous setlist: Aldehyde > Skyway, Strange Times > Marty, Triangle

    moe. Setlist:
    Set One: Jazz Wank > Skrunk > Down Boy > Tailspin, I Can Never Remember > Blue Jeans Pizza > Waiting For The Punchline*
    Set Two: Deep This Time > New York City, Albany Song^, What Can I Say, Hi & Lo > Montego, Captain America > She > Happy Hour Hero
    Encore: Downward Facing Dog

    * with Mike Gantzer of Aqueous on guitar
    ^ ‘debut’, made up on spot

  • Hearing Aide: Soulive ‘Cinematics Vol. 1’

    Soulive Cinematics Vol. 1Easy Rider, Boogie Nights, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Pulp Fiction. What do these films have in common? Fantastic soundtracks. But what if the soundtrack preceded the movie concepts and producers were asked to build their storyline around the music? This is the question that New York’s funk trio Soulive takes aim at with their new EP, Cinematics, Vol. 1.

    When you’re an all-star in any profession in life, people want you to play for their team. This is why it has taken guitarist Eric Krasno, drummer Alan Evans and keyboardist Neal Evans six years to join forces and release new material. Individually keeping busy and immersing themselves in a universe of sound has always been the formula they have used since the birth of Soulive in 1999. After nearly 20 years, the sonically mature threesome continues to say it best with their instruments and give listeners a chance to go on a wordless adventure of their own. “We didn’t have to talk about anything,” Alan says. “It all unfolded as we were working on it; one song influences the direction of the next, and soon you find yourself going down this path. We want this music to take people on a little journey.”

    The “Ad Lib” puzzle of carefully crafted soundtrack material begins with “Kings March,” a vintage villain theme song for any 70’s James Bond flick. When the movie theater displays the rules before the film begins, they always ask you to “turn your goddamn phone off” in the politest way possible and occasionally they will add some universally intimidating music to the background. That is “Kings March.” “Bluebird” is the easy rider of the 5-pack EP and offers listeners the opportunity to mellow out and grab some more popcorn. Imagine a drug-dealing montage where everything is going well in the storyline… there is probably trouble and intensity lurking but it is the mystery that keeps us entertained and “Bluebird” is the sound heard in the backdrop.

    “Sidekick” sits in the middle of ‘Cinematics’ and highlights Neal’s ability to blast some interstellar effects into the number. Serving as a platform to give Robin some love in a world of Bruce Wayne, “Sidekick” reintroduces us to the Soulive studio time we have been asking about for the better half of a decade. Authentically groovy with a psychedelic backdrop, this track will hopefully find itself sampled on the next Wu-Tang Clan album.

    Quentin Tarantino would kill for the rights to use “Millers Last Stand,” the spaghetti western infused cocktail that can be ordered on the newest Soulive menu. Krasno’s wobbly guitar is at a standoff with Alan’s whip cracking drum kit and creates a sonic landscape as vast as the desert for listeners to explore. The EP comes to a crashing finish with “Waves,” the calm, salt-water soaked ditty that gives our imaginary character some alone time to tell Sandy she’s the one that he wants.

    The beauty of jazz is that like a great film, it is timeless and thought-provoking. Soulive can throw these tunes into any of their cataloged creations and fans might not tell the difference, but it is the way they place each track into a story that gives it power. While ‘Cinematics, Vol. 1’ will not win an Oscar, the next all-star director may throw on some headphones and space out to the mix, finding the next ET, Dirty Harry, or Black Panther.

    Key Tracks: Kings March, Sidekick, Millers Last Stand

  • Bring On The Heat: Vicious Jimmy Tears Up Albany’s Parish Public House

    It was a cold and snowy night on Saturday, February 17th, outside Albany’s Parish Public House, but inside you could feel the heat with a packed house that was ready for a heavy dose of deep fried funk served up by Vicious Jimmy and special guest Morris Code. It was apparent that Vicious Jimmy’s two year hiatus from playing did not detract from their fans coming out and supporting the band. This type of fan support could be due to the fact that the lineup of the band features all Albany natives, including Tom “TK” Kretzler on guitar/lead vocal, Tim Fiato Jr. on keyboards, Jeff Jukes on Bass, Gary Nowik on drums/percussion and newcomer to the band, Jason “JY” Young on lead guitar/backup vocal.

    Vicious Jimmy was formed back in 2009 and released their single LP Relatively Dangerous in 2012.  The band has had a few lineup changes over the years, but with the welcomed addition of Young to the band’s roster this past year,  the band has developed a new energy in their playing and showmanship. JY is no newbie, he has been a mainstay in the local musical scene for years with his long time work in the acoustic duo Yellow Dog, which just celebrated their 25th year playing together. Kretzler and Young met at a party and when JY listened to their music, he knew he wanted to be part of the band.

    Vicious Jimmy took the stage first, which initially seemed strange to me, but when I asked about the band opening the show bassist Jeff Jukes stated jokingly,  “Our fans like to be home before midnight so they can get their sleep”.   He was alluding to the fact that the audience that came out for Vicious Jimmy was primarily comprised of their Generation X contemporaries, who are now well into their late 40’s.

    The band started their set with a “Black White Black” jam which is strictly an instrumental led off by Tim Fiato’s funky keyboards which was slowly picked up by the rest of the band, leading them straight into “Intro,” a mainstay in the band’s set list.  This number set the groove for the evening while, at the same time, musically introducing the band members to the crowd in a very Vicious Jimmy deep fried, funky way.  Next up was “Ape City” which showcases the comical and irreverent lyrics that makes VJ’s music so much fun to listen to. During the break between songs, guitarist Young called for the audience not to be shy and to come up towards the stage and dance.  After a brief tune up, Vicious Jimmy went into their classic song “Donkey” and kept the pressure up on the audience with their lyrical chant, “Get Your Ass Grooving”.  The crowd still seemed reluctant at first, but after a few more funky licks from the boys, they finally started to loosen up and dancing started to break out right up by the stage. Vicious Jimmy showed that they came to play. During the number “Underground,”  when Kretzeler and Young went into a complicated extended guitar solo, the two guitarists harmonized expertly together, creating a jam that was a personal highlight of the show.

    Another high point of the night’s set was Fiato’s artful keyboard solo that was an intro into “Dr. Selkirkian,” a song that eerily depicts a menacing physician living in the tiny town of Selkirk which is located just south of Albany.  VJ finished their set strong, performing fan favorite “Liquor,” but instead of playing the number as it is on Relatively Dangerous, they broke the piece up into three pieces in a variant style labeled as “Liquor in Three Jiggers.”  The first part being the bluesy “Who’s Drinking?,” in which Kretzler polls the audience from the stage on what type of alcohol they were partaking in. The second “Jigger” was the more traditional “Liquor” that featured the band’s signature funky sound.  The third and final movement was straight out of the Blues Brothers/Sam and Dave soul review routine. The boys sped up the tempo of the last movement, while Kretzler, in true Elwood Blues style, thanked everyone for coming out in the crummy weather and pleaded to the crowd to drive safely home and to remember to be good to one another.  The set wrapped up with the band leaving the audience craving more of Vicious Jimmy’s down home, deep fried funk.

    After a brief pause in the action, while the bands transitioned their gear, it was Morris Code’s turn to take the stage.  The Albany 5-piece is comprised of band members Conor Donovan on vocals,  Jesse Rawson on guitar, Daniel Milici on keyboard,  Dan Walker on drums, and Kyle Salcedo on bass. Walker was not available for the gig so Vicious Jimmy’s drummer Gary Nowik was gracious enough to fill in for him for the performance.  The band came out strong with a Morris Code original, “Take Over.”  The sound of the band was much harder than Vicious Jimmy and lent itself more to hard rock than funk.  The band also did a few covers and featured a mash-up of The Allman Brothers’ classic “Midnight Rider,” Lorde’s “Royals” and finally Lynyrd Skynyrd’s rock anthem “Sweet Home Alabama.”  While you might think that this would not be a good combination of songs to work with musically, all in all, it really seemed to work. It became apparent that the crowd was thinning out and became much younger.  Morris Code went on to play more original material including “Snake Charmer” and “Cafe Berlin,” both of which were featured on the band’s 2015 LP Decrypted.  A personal highlight of the set was an interesting version of Radio Head’s “Creep” which featured Rawson on both electric guitar and trombone.

    SETLISTS:

    Vicious Jimmy:  Black White Black Jam, Intro, Ape City, Donkey, Good For You,  Blackhouse, Underground, Hard Boiled, Dr Selkirkian, Stiff Arm, Liquor in Three Jiggers: • Who’s Drinking? • Liquor

    Morris Code:  Take Over, Only Me To Blame, Midnight Rider/Royals/Sweet Home Alabama, No Turning Back, Charades, Hysteria, Snake Charmer, Creep, Cafe Berlin Watching Stars, Joker And The Thief, Don’t Count Me Out

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