NYS Music 20​18

Category: Special

  • Get Up and Dance to Redbeard Samurai’s ‘Turn It Up’ Video

    Redbeard Samurai has just released a new music video that’s going to make you want to get your groove on. The video for his catchy number “Turn It Up” features dancers from a variety of different styles, from hip hop to swing. This fits with the song’s overriding message: “It doesn’t matter how you cut loose, it matters that you cut loose.”

    “Turn It Up” is the first single from from Redbeard Samurai’s upcoming debut hip-hop album Second. The project is the brain-child of versatile musician Blake Pattengale, a recent graduate of Eastman School of Music. With school behind him, Redbeard Samurai is finally ready to launch the music they’ve been writing and recording for the past few years.

    Photo: Dave Jones Empire West Photography

    The video for “Turn It Up” was directed by Josiahx, and features some members of the band and their friends. (Vanishing Sun fans will recognize a cameo by singer Zahyia.) The dancers don everything from traditional dance costumes to a panda suit. It was filmed at Arbor Loft in downtown Rochester, which fit the cleaned-up post-industrial vibe Pattengale was looking to achieve.

    As a concept album, ‘Second’ includes both songs and skits to tell a tale. Pettengale describes it as “an underdog story in which Redbeard Samurai works to liberate the people of Highstrung Falls from the shackles of propriety, conformity and mostly from the autocratic Chancellor who rules Highstrung Falls.” ‘Second’ is being mixed and mastered by Matt Ramerman of The Green Room. The release date will be announced soon. The album visuals were designed by Mexican artists Raul Urias and Moises Cordova.

    To stay current on upcoming events and album news, visit the website or follow Redbeard Samurai on Facebook and Instagram.

  • Autumn is the new Summer at first Borderland Festival

    On the equinox, the border between summer and autumn, just outside Buffalo at the border between the US and Canada, emerged a brand new festival showcasing music, arts, and crafts bordering in and around roots and Americana. The first Borderland Festival was, by all measures, a huge success in its inaugural year, establishing itself as a viable extension to the Western New York festival season and an event worthy of a summer’s long anticipation.

    The festival was gorgeously situated at Knox Farm State Park. Parking was on polo grounds, craft vendors were set up inside horse stables (a few of which actually housed horses), and craftsmen were scattered about, demonstrating their expertise in sheep shearing, cigar rolling, beer brewing, horseshoeing and more. Tasty local food and beverages were available via tent and truck, and a consciousness for the environment was on display with many people drinking from available reusable metal cups and volunteers assisting in proper disposal of all garbage, recyclables and compostables.

    Though with non-stop quality music filling the air, there really was time for little else. Two main stages, the Grasslands Stage and the Split Rail Stage, sat mere yards apart and featured alternating sets for a continuum of music across the entire day. A short walk past the horse stables sat the Homespun stage where local talent held court, filling time as viable alternatives to the main acts. Buffalo roots bands like Folkfaces, The Observers and 10 Cent Howl kept the party rambling with down home jams and singalongs. All of the stages were within a few minutes walk and fans could easily catch some of everything with little sacrifice.

    And O, the music! Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds gave a little preview of their forthcoming album, busting out the upbeat and catchy “Ghost” and showcasing singer Arleigh Kincheloe’s incredible vocal range on the soulful “Gold.” Montreal’s Barr Brothers made a rare appearance in the area, opening with “Come in the Water” and closing with “You Would Have to Lose Your Mind” in a set chock full of their warm and eclectic folk rock. With harps, pedal steels and 12-string guitars, it was a rich tapestry built of many strings, and even one thread which Brad Barr pulled through his guitar for a spacey sonic vibration that reverberated across the farm.

    Veteran indie-rockers Dr. Dog are no strangers to Western New York and they were treated like old friends by the crowd which was dancing and singing along from note one. Decked out in matching festival sweatshirts, they treated the audience to an energetic career-spanning set, featuring classics like “The Breeze” and “That Old Black Hole” while also working in a solid chunk of their 2018 release Critical Equation. The slinky groove of “Listening In” turned heavy and dark while “Go Out Fighting” built an deep energy that reached a My Morning Jacket-style intensity level.

    The Sam Bush Band showcased their unique take on traditional music, delving into Bush’s newgrass roots on the instrumental “Greenbriar” and getting funky on a fine cover of Alan Toussaint’s “Sneakin Sally Through the Alley.” There was still room for some classic bluegrass stomps with “Howling at the Moon” and “Big Rabbit” and even some social action with “Stop the Violence.” Another Canadian crossing the border for the Borderland Festival, Sam Roberts thanked the area fans for being his first American audience to take him in. Roberts and his band, with stylish guitar-heavy grooving rock, delighted the audience with fan favorites like “Brother Down” and “Mind Flood.”

    The clouds persisted for most of what was a perfectly brisk first day of fall. But just as the sun was setting, the clouds parted enough for a beautiful sky filled with reds, oranges, yellows and purples to flow over the festival. It was against this backdrop that New Orleans octet The Revivalists took the stage for the final set of the evening. The crowd kept plenty in the tank and were ready to rage along as the band brought an infectious energy to the stage. Blasting horns, tight rhythms, shredding guitars and a soaring pedal steel formed a crunchy American rock sound that jammed and grooved its way through the darkening night. Autumn was officially here, but for one small corner of the world, a few thousand people were still holding on tight to the spirit of summer.

  • Lark Fest to Pack a Punch this Weekend in Albany

    When Adrian Lewis takes the stage at Lark Fest this Saturday, Sept. 22, he will complete an unofficial Triple Crown here in the Capital District.

    Better known as The Age, Lewis played Rockin’ on the River and Alive at Five this year. He and his band will headline upstate New York’s largest one-day street festival this Saturday.

    “I’m super excited about Lark Fest,” said Lewis. “I’ve wanted to be a part of it for a few years now and it’s kind of mind blowing that we are going to be a headlining act this year.”

    To place his excitement into perspective, he opened for the B.B. King Blues Band featuring Tito Jackson at Alive at Five this June.

    The Age is one of two headlining acts which also includes Stellar Young. Saturday’s performance will be Stellar Young’s third at Lark Fest.

    “We’re so humbled to be a part of such an awesome event,” said lead vocalist John Glenn. He added that the band will be selling sunglasses to fund its third release “And Turned to Ash.”

    The lineup to this year’s festival, the 37th for Lark Street, is worth taking note.

    The music starts with Becoming a Ghost at 11 a.m. Becoming a Ghost most recently played at WEQX’s Battle of the Bands at Jupiter Hall. It put on a high energy, interactive performance that moved the crowd. The band could have just as easily won the competition to open last week’s Pearlpalooza.

    The lineup continues with the Ryan Leddick Trio, Onlyness, Bendt, Greens, Mirk, Apostrophe S, Kimono Dragons, Useless Cans, and JB & Victory Soul Orchestra. Stellar Young takes the stage at 3:45 and The Age follows at 4:20 p.m.

    The all-day event expects to attract 50,000 people with live music, local vendors, food trucks and more. Start walking at 10:30 a.m. and finish the day at 5:30 p.m.

    This article was originally published by The Spot 518. is property of Spotlight Newspapers in Albany, N.Y., and appears as a special to NYS Music. TheSpot518 and NYS Music work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene in the Capital District and New York state, respectively. For more, visit TheSpot518.com.

  • Premiere: Let’s Be Leonard release “Channel 2” video off ‘Static’

    Let’s Be Leonard has released the second video off their sophomore album Static, for the track “Channel 2.” The video features art design by Toni Nastasi and whimsically depicts the central focus as a love affair between Nick, and his mop-lover, Sally. “Channel 2” follows on the heels of “Most Days,” released earlier this summer.

    The band will release one more single prior to the release of the full film. The feature will be shown at intermissions during a three-day stint at The Barrelhouse in Saratoga Springs on October 11, 12 and 13. Let’s Be Leonard will also appear in Troy at River Street Pub for Troy Night Out on September 28 with Great Mutations and Better Pills.

  • State Fair Closes Out with Record Attendance

    The Great NY State Fair is like no other event of the year and set record attendance with over a million attendees meandering the fairgrounds throughout the week, scoping out the best eateries to gorge their faces at, visiting all their favorite exhibits and animal barns, braving the carnival rides, and spending tons of money on winning a super-sized stuffed animal that probably won’t even fit in the car for the ride home.  In today’s economy this is one affordable family-filled excursion this has become a family tradition for many. We all have our favorite things and traditions while at the Fair, and the diverse attractions and exhibits offer something for everyone. That’s what makes the Fair the Great New York State Fair!

    Another tradition at the Fair is the amazing music fairgoers get to experience for free.  When most things are beyond our means, this gift comes with the price of admission and never ceases to amaze me at the quality of acts they are able to get twice a day.  This year’s lineup had something for everyone; every genre was represented.  Starting the Fair off with a bang on Day One was a mix of rap with Mir Fontane, and rock legends Blondie.  You may think that Mir Fontane and Blondie have little in common musically, but I beg to differ. Although “Rapture” was not the first rap song ever to have commercial success, it was the first to hit the charts and, some say, the first to be aired on MTV.  Blondie introduced us to a Fab Five Freddy and Grandmaster Flash, as she sang of the “Man from Mars.”  Although it was on the B-Side of Walk Like Me, the song grew legs and took off running in 1981, climbing the charts to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.

    Mir Fontane may not be a household name for some, but I didn’t mind him.  It’s difficult to describe if he is versed at what he does, as I’m not qualified to judge.  But if I was to give a personal opinion here, this wasn’t anything that would make me change the radio station. I would continue to listen. He had a great stage presence and got the audience engaged from the moment he came out.

    As the day wore on, the crowds began to fill in as the show time neared.  You can always tell when there is a favorite act as the seats begin to fill in earlier than usual.  Taking my place up front, I watched and listened to the scuttlebutt of stories of those waiting, sharing with each other memories of Blondie back in the day.  Whether it was shows they had seen or songs that they loved, there was a strong connection – one to which I could relate.  Back in the ’70s and ’80s, female-fronted bands were a rarity.  Blondie was a role model to those who followed music.  What made Blondie unique was her ability to be herself and share her craft in her own way, whether it was through her lyrics, her videos, or her presence itself.  She was unique and fascinating.  Fast forward 40 years and she’s still that beautifully expressive individual.

    With an estimated 18,000-20,000 in attendance that first night, she took the stage and it was as though the clock rewound to 1981 for me as she stood there singing all of my favorite hits.  Joining her on stage was original member Clem Burke on percussion, with Matt Kitz-Bohan on bass, Leigh Fox on keyboards, and Tommy Kessler on guitar. Although not elaborating, Deborah Harry mentioned Chris Stein’s absence as he was greatly missed by all. Despite being down one member, they were on their ‘A Game’.  Belting out both original hits from back in the day and newer recent releases, she captivated the audience and had them on their feet dancing and singing along from song number one. Still marching to the beat of her own drums, her stage ensemble included a cape that said “stop fucking with the planet”, to a ’60s-like swing dress, to an Under Armour neon pink shirt that only she could pull off as the ensemble lit up the stage under black lights. To say she’s still got it is an understatement.  She’s got it and, like great wine and whiskey, has only gotten better with age.

    The week progressed along nicely with shows and events going off without a hitch.  Even when Dickey Betts had to cancel his appearance due to a medical condition, the Fair was able to substitute the Dropkick Murphys in his place without batting an eye.  A first time appearance for the Murphys at the State Fair, they were quickly a crowd favorite as attendees began to fill in and pack Chevy Court in anticipation of their favorite Celtic Rock band.  People called off work and traveled from all over for this last minute show.  Listening to fans share memories of performances at Fenway Park on St. Patrick’s Day, I knew this truly was a score on the part of the Fair.

    A Celtic music lover myself, this was a first time performance for me.  This Boston-based band has been around since 1996, how they escaped me until today was beyond me – perhaps because they are a little edgier than the bands I normally see at the Irish Festivals.  As the Fair prepared for the rowdy crowds this band usually incites, the troopers were placed along the fence line and ready in the event a mosh pit and crowd surfing began.  Not that their fans usually get too unruly, but because this was not a normal venue for such activities.  As the band began to play, I could certainly see why their fans love them so much.  Their energy was off the charts.  Frontmen Al Barr and Ken Casey flew around that stage in a non-stop blur for the next hour or so, making it difficult to even photograph them.  Fans sang the lyrics verbatim and when Casey came out into the crowd to sing “Rose Tattoo,” they loved it. Heck, I loved seeing that. Artists that are there for their fans garner much respect in my book and this band is known for being down to earth and right there for and with their fans.

    The variety of music at the Fair was vast and although I didn’t have a chance to see everyone I wanted due to scheduling conflicts, the quality of acts was unprecedented in my book.  A first time look at Live, the band, was enjoyable for many, including myself.  Touring with the Counting Crows this summer, they certainly packed a punch, filled the seats on a hot August afternoon, and gave the fans a show heating up the stage for the latter performance.

    An arena band for certain, The Counting Crows sell out no matter where they go.  In my personal opinion, Adam Duritz and his band are musical geniuses. Their ability to tell a story is more than just the simplistic vantage we are accustomed to in musical lyrics. Their songs are more than just lyrics, they are literature.  The story they tell has depth, has feeling, and the characters have emotions. Duritz’s ability to convey this is a gift and I’m moved every time he sings. This was one show I knew I had to make the time for. No matter what is going on, when Counting Crows come to town, I’m there.  Duritz seemed very at home with the crowd that night.  Sitting, singing, smiling, and engaging with the audience and his band; it was a joy to see him so light hearted. Normally, he’s so focused into his music and performance and serious.  That night it was just a jam session with thousands of his closest friends.  One of his best performances I’ve seen yet.

    There just wasn’t enough time in the day to see everything I wanted.  For the most part, the weather held out for all of the shows, with only a few hiccups during the weeks of the Fair. The Lil Yachty show was unfortunately canceled due to rain, and then the incidents that followed the Boogie Wit da Hoodie show will un-foundly fuel the fears of trouble that is often associated with rap acts.  Unrelated, other than the trouble makers arrested that were there the same night as that show, we hope the Fair will continue to book rap artists as the majority of those in attendance that evening have rare glimpses in this area to see their favorite rap performers.

    As we close the book on the 2018 Great New York State Fair performances, it’s exciting to see what they will begin to schedule for the new Exhibition Center at the fairgrounds.  This new facility is huge with state of the art features, and we look forward to seeing the variety they bring there.  Hats go off to the staff and coordinators for this year’s events and a job well done.

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    Set Lists

    Blondie: One Way or Another, Hanging on the Telephone (the Nerves cover), Fun, Call Me, Gravity, Rapture, Fragments (an Unkindness cover), Maria, The Tide is High (the Paragons cover), Too Much, Long Time, Atomic, and Heart of Glass

    Dropkick Murphys: Kelly’s Kitchen, The Boys Are Back, Prisoner’s Song, Sandlot, Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya, Blood, The State of Massachusetts, Caught in a Jar, I Had a Hat, Sunshine Highway, The Fields of Athenry, Folsom Prison Blues

    Live: All Over You, Love Lounge, Pain Lies on the Riverside, The Dolphin’s Cry, Selling the Drama, Baby What You Want Me to Do (Jimmy Reed cover), The Distance, I Alone, Lakini’s Juice, White, Discussion, Encore: Heaven (Ed solo acoustic), Turn My Head (Ed solo acoustic), and Lightning Crashes

    Set List Counting Crows:  Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby, Catapult, Omaha, Hard Candy, Anna Begins, Miami, Colorblind, God of Ocean Tides, Washington Square, Round Here, Recovering the Satellites, Goodnight LA, A Long December, Mr. Jones, Hanginaround, Encore: Palisades Park, Rain King, and Holiday in Spain

    ​

  • Burning Man: a Weird, Wacky, and Wonderful Family Reunion

    Shortly after two in the morning, after a reoccurring nightmare woke me up for the third time, I began to wonder if my forthcoming trip to the Burning Man was such a great idea after all. It was late summer 2002, and for the third time in several hours I dreamed that I was standing at the gates of hell. (There was a seven hour wait to get in.) I had been warned for weeks about the withering heat and relentless sandstorms, and suddenly it dawned on me that unless you were born and raised in a Mad Max post-apocalyptic future world, the Black Rock desert of northern Nevada might be a fairly inhospitable environment that could resemble a trip to hell.

    burning man

    Riding shotgun in my friend, Daddy Vegas’ minivan a few weeks ago, I chuckled at the memory as I was about to make my 15th entry to the annual week-long festival. The face of the surrounding desert peaks began to blush pink against the face sunrise as I peered into the cracked rearview mirror of my mind. As I approached the beginning of my 15th year at Black Rock City I found myself in a self-reflective mood. The festival’s founder, Larry Harvey, had recently died due to a massive stroke. Losses have a way of causing pause, and then flinging us forward into the unknown.

    That’s what it had been about all those years ago-pushing myself, a budding Southern Baptist preacher at the time, through the gates of Dante’s Inferno. I had questions about my chosen path. There was the gnawing clench of my heart muscle that told me I was missing something. That the universe was a bigger place than I had previously imagined, and I had an all-too-eager friend coaxing me to a budding festival once hyped by writer Daniel Pinchbeck as “more decadent than Warhol’s Factory, more glamorous than Berlin in the 1920s, more ludicrous than the most lavish Busby musical, more of a love-fest than Pepperland, more anarchic than Groucho Marx’s Freedonia, more implausible than any mirage.”

    burning man

    “Come on!” she implored as curly dark locks danced around her impish gaze,” Go with me to the desert. If you still want to be a preacher when we get back, then go to it!” Of course, there was no going back. There never is for anyone, but I didn’t realize that truism at the time. All I saw was the cracked, bleached pavement of a single lane road leading me to an open-ended journey set on the salty dust of a prehistoric lake bed.

    As I look through the rear view mirror of Vegas’ van the words read that objects in the mirror were closer than they appeared to me, but inside I felt the vast distance of  a by-gone time. That first year of Burning Man, as many others before me had experienced, had changed my life. I never preached again. I literally became myself with each new year of attending Burning Man. My life grew larger as the festival expanded.  I found a new career in special education, learned to climb, ski, and mountain bike though I have a slight form of cerebral palsy. I discovered that I had a talent for photography, and traveled the lower 48 states documenting arts and music festivals. In 2015 I married my wife Greta at Black Rock City.

    The festival grew up and I grew up with it. When I first attended Burning Man there was around 25,000 participants and now there is over 70,000. The art structures are larger, more plentiful, and as beautiful as ever. The city is more sprawling with lit-up fire-shooting grandeur. The festival’s live music presence continues to grow as well. There were surprise shows from the Alan Parsons Project, Infected Mushroom, a significant funk/New Orleans jazz presence that included the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. But that’s not what brings me back anymore. I most certainly enjoy the eye-popping sights and gaudy fashions. But I do understand the worry of some critics who say that in its size, Burning Man has lost its way sort of like a wayward itinerant preacher who is no longer certain of his beliefs. For some there is no longer any reason to go. For others, there never will be a reason to go.

    burning man

    Except for me, there is a reason. Family. Back in 2002, I and my impish curly-locked friend were invited to camp for that week in the Reno-based theme camp Gallavant with their modest, but still-sailing pirate ship mounted on a bread truck. That camp, as the larger population of Burning Man, is a varied group of doctors, electricians, artists, accountants, teachers, misfits, construction workers, wayward seekers, finders, anarchists, doubters, and dreamers-all of whom want nothing more than to find and create their place in an indifferent world. There are more posers, preeners, and naval gazers that attend Burning Man now. (The bigger the population, the more of every kind of folk you’ll experience.)

    Still, for many of us, for at least for one week, we reach across the wind-scrubbed empty canvas of our differences to find what binds us all together. That magic still happens out there. All these years later. I and my wife are still members of Camp Gallavant. And each year we return is a joyous reunion. Unlike my fevered dream, Burning Man didn’t deliver me the gates of hell-or heaven-for that matter. Just home.  If you decide to venture their one year, you might find that too. The festival’s impulse, at its best, is less Dante and more Laura Ingalls Wilder-if she hooked up with director John Waters. It’s all about finding family-a weird, wild, and wacky family for sure-but still, family.  So, here’s to all the misfits and dreamers who still believe the Burning Man spirit still beats deep in the heart of the sprawling spectacle of Black Rock City. Even if there is a seven hour wait at the gate.

    burning man burning manburning manburning man burning manburning man burning man burning man burning manburning man burning man  

  • Rochester Fringe Continues: A Recap of Saturday Afternoon at Parcel 5

    It was a muggy 80 degrees in Rochester with nary a breeze to be found, but that didn’t stop people young and old from gathering at Parcel 5 for some live music on Saturday afternoon. Four days into the 11-day-long KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival, and the party is still going strong. The lineup at the main stage included Chris Eves and the New Normal and Shane Scarazzini & EightFingers, leading up to an encore performance by the UK’s Massaoke.

    Chris Eves and The New Normal kicked things off. The Syracuse-based band jam band has shared a bill with the likes of Zac Brown Band, Jon Fishman of Phish, Turkuaz, Gov’t Mule, Cheap Trick, and Gregg Allman. Today, they opened up the main stage on the first weekend afternoon at New York State’s largest multi-media festival.

    With a smooth blend of roots rock, funk, and blues, Chris Eves and The New Normal have been making a name for themselves in the region. The band laid down some groovy tunes that got people from ages 8 to 80 up and dancing. The set included their original songs, featured on their SAMMY-nominated debut album Find Your Way, as well as their latest single “In Between.”

    Following this act was Shane Scarazzini & EightFingers. A Hudson Valley native, Scarazzini relocated to Nashville a few years ago. Luckily for us, he still spends a lot of time gigging in New York. EightFingers is his latest endeavor, a trio that includes Don Holocher on drums and Lucas Carillo on bass.

    They started their set strong with a searing hot cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” People around me were singing along, even though the official mass karaoke party wouldn’t start for a couple hours. The band was comfortable playing everything from rock standards to country. Their set also included their latest original song, “Camilla.”

    Check out our opening weekend preview and coverage of Friday night’s Massaoke headlining set. Stay tuned to NYS Music for more coverage of the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival, which runs daily through Saturday, September 22.

    For information about upcoming events, go to RochesterFringe.com, where you can filter the 500+ events by type, venue, and date.

  • Massaoke Transforms Parcel 5 Into Sing-Along Dance Party at Rochester Fringe

    KeyBank Rochester Fringe has brought the band Massaoke from the UK for the US debut. The sensation of the international festival circuit brings the karaoke experience to the masses – complete with live band, on-screen lyrics, and audience participation.

    Downtown Rochester comes to life during Fringe: people are out and about and there’s something to do or see on every street corner. But the main stage is at Parcel 5, part of the former site of Midtown Plaza on East Main Street. Thanks to a recent vote, parking is still free at meters on weekday evenings. But with record-breaking attendances every year, it was no surprise that I couldn’t find a spot on the street and had to use one of several garages within walking distance.

    When I arrived on site Friday night, the party was in full-swing, with an audience of thousands between the stage and the lights of the Liberty Pole singing along to “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus. While I’m not comfortable standing on stage to sing karaoke, I was quickly swept up in the excitement of the experience. I found myself setting down my camera and notebook several times to sing and dance along with the people beside me to favorites like Blink 182’s “All The Small Things” and The Village People’s “YMCA.”

    Massaoke led the audience in some themed medleys, some specific to decades or genres like 80’s or disco. They also did a really fun guys versus girls sing-off with songs from Grease. In traditional karaoke, people can choose songs. Massaoke replicates this through having the audience vote by volume (for example, Blink 182 beat out Backstreet Boys on this night). They also have an app where fans can vote in polls, request songs, or ask for a shout-out.

    For those who missed last night’s performance, there’s an encore tonight at 8:30pm. It will be the last chance to see Massaoke before they head back across the Atlantic.

    Parcel 5 is where the food trucks are stationed, so if you don’t need to go far to grab a quick bite. Organizers have cordoned off an area where people can bring their own lawn chairs for the shows. There are also stadium-style risers to the side for those who opt not to bring their own chair.

    All tuckered out from the show, I popped over to the Spiegelgarden at the corner of Main and Gibbs. The “pop-up urban lounge” is a great place to relax and enjoy refreshments. This is where you’ll find the Immersive Igloo, the Cirque Du Fringe, and the Silent Disco. But it’s also a place to relax between the 500+ events that occur during the 11 days Rochester Fringe. Grab some refreshments, then rally some friends for a game of cornhole, dominoes or connect four. Or pick up a pair of headphones and flop on a beanbag to enjoy the pedestrian drive-in – just like a drive-in but without the cars! While you’re there, pick up some Rochester Fringe merchandise, pick up tickets at the box office, or just chat with the Fringe volunteers about upcoming events.

    Check out the NYS Music preview of some of the music shows this weekend, and head over to the official rochesterfringe.com website to search for events by type, day, and/or venue. Rochester Fringe runs through Saturday, September 22. Stay tuned to NYS Music for more coverage and next week’s preview.

  • Premiere: ponder releases new single “Fits the Scene”

    Ponder this – Buffalo alt-rock group ponder (small p) today premieres “Fits the Scene,” a groove-oriented, jazz and funk inspired song arranged over dozens of shows with different musicians of varying influences as ponder’s lineup was solidified. The Buffalo alt-rock group has been on a journey since their formation at SUNY Geneseo and have found a sound and lineup that has them on a track for success.

    “Fits the Scene” was originally slated to be released in mid-2017, but when ponder’s original drummer left the band, the song was placed on the back burner while the group decided what the fate of the band would be going forward. With hard work already put into the project and with much on the horizon for the band, Gabe Birkby (guitar/vocals) and Andy Hogan (bass/vocals) chose to rally and rapidly began recruiting as many musicians in the Buffalo area who they knew would help drive the band sonically.

    “Fits the Scene” is ponder’s first release since April 2017’s These Words and acts as a definitive statement of how they have re-invented themselves. “These Words was a hodgepodge of punk, blues, funk, and indie elements — we were more or less absorbing all of our childhood influences and throwing them all against the wall to see what stuck. This new tune builds on those earlier songs like fan favorites “Toast” and “Shot Down” said Hogan. Andy Fischer (trumpet) and Paul Sottnik (keys) are also featured on “Fits the Scene.”

    Ponder’s current line up is stronger than ever with Gabe and Andy with Marcus Peters (drums) and Sam Shafer (lead guitar) helping to launch the band into its next phase. Catch them this fall across New York:

    September 14: Nietzsche’s, Buffalo, NY, with Litz
    September 28: The Firehouse Saloon, Rochester, NY with Adventure Dog
    October 18: TBA
    October 19: CyberCafe West, Binghamton, NY
    October 20: The Black Oak Tavern, Oneonta, NY
    November 1: Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY with The Werks

  • Adirondack Independence Music Festival Closes Out Summer in Lake George

    Just in time to close out the summer, Adirondack Independence Music Festival snuck in a final taste of carefree living and beaming sunshine with a two-day jam in Lake George. Tucked away in upstate New York, the cozy site with two alternating stages backdropped the Labor Day Weekend everybody needed with familiar faces and top-notch talent across the early September lineup.

    Ready to launch festival goers into two straight days of live music, The Melting Nomads took the stage as the opening act. Featuring members from Annie In the Water’s last lineup, the fresh-on-the-scene artists played about an hour set. Next up was Jen Durkin & the Business on the Improv Stage. Steal your Peach band entertained in classic fashion with covers of The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers over two sets. Keller Williams brought a real blue grass, jazz vibe to the entire grounds while Twiddle’s Mihali brought out his guitar to jam alongside Keller. Following Keller Williams was the renowned Sublime cover band Badfish. Twiddle closed out the night for the second year in a row, with an outstanding performance that had everyone on their feet. The band brought out special guests such as Joshua West of The Melting Nomads and Lowell Wurster. Attendance was nearly double of what the festival brought in the year prior, reaching nearly 3,5000 attendees.

    Ready to follow the kinetic atmosphere of day one with high energy, Let’s Be Leonard jump started Sunday funday and got the crowd moving in the early afternoon. Their laid back personalities and welcoming sound are the first to reel you in but their individual talents bring an extra flair to their live performance as a whole. The quintet played a few tunes from their sophomore release, Static, among the zany crowd favorite, “Brad Paisley.”

    Back to School Special followed punctually on the adjoining stage of the 25-acre Charles R. Wood Park. The first-time super group crafted by Turkuaz drummer Mikey Carubba, laid down the funk as they offered up impressively tight playing and fun splashes of covers throughout the hour set. With a highly skilled lineup consisting of Carubba, Beau Sasser (Kung Fu keys), Craig Brodhead (Turkuaz guitarist) and Sam Kininger (former Lettuce Sax), the experienced quartet instantly blended together to create quality tunes and a professional sound you’d think they’ve been crafting for years.The first double set at AIM Fest was taken on by Lucid, who draws a familiar and devoted crowd from Plattsburgh NY.

    Bringing Woods Rock to the forefront of the ADK stage, the North country musicians tapped into an eclectic selection of genres including harmonica solos throughout their two-hour gig. Previously introduced to Lucid or brand new to their sound, their catalogue and live performance is equipped with something for everyone. Right in the middle of a Lucid sandwich, Swift Technique came as a fresh pop of flavor delivering Philly funk with charisma, booming voices and a horns section demanding to be heard. Stellar crowd engagement from all band members and light-hearted messages to take care of one other truly reaffirmed what the upstate festival setting was all about. The entertaining outfit ended their set with Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” and passed the mic back to Lucid for their final set, which found a performance of “Backwoods,” featuring Lowell Wurster’s father and Scott Hannay (Mister F, Wild Adriatic).

    Stepping on stage as if they were walking in the front door of their childhood homes, Pink Talking Fish comfortably let loose and connected with the vibrance of their musical predecessors. Momentum kept rolling through a seemingly sped up version of Phish’s “Cities,” giving phans who missed out on Curveball a reason to groove and shake about. A dive into Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” surely found bodies swaying in unison, with the song’s lyrics acting as a reminder to cherish the final moments of festival season. The Allman Brother’s Band “Whipping Post” made a surprise set-list appearance, acting as a bookend to a drum heavy “What’s the Use?” with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong drummer Alex Petropulos dropping by for a tasty breakdown.

    Lespecial hit the stage at dusk, taking the setting sun as an opportunity to bring the hard hitting funk metal and entrancing beats. The multi-talented trio has a way of mesmerizing festival goers with their gritty, unique sound. They loop their live performances and indulge in genres from electronica and house to progressive rock and dark metal. Known for their musical parallels and tendency to cover Primus, Lespecial took on “Jerry Was A Racecar Driver” to begin closing out their set in style with drummer Rory Dolan nailing the Les Claypool vocals.If there was any comfortable space around you, it was instantly absorbed by the time 8 o’clock rolled around. Bodies quickly assembled and flocked towards the front of the stage as Saturday night headliners Pigeons Playing Ping Pong closed out the fest with high spirits and optimal animation. With two sets of straight funk, the unstoppable touring machines pulled out all the stops, including a “Funk E. Zekiel” opener, a number of hits from their latest album, Pizazz, and two sit-ins from the Swift Technique horns on “F.U.N.K.” and Pink Talking Fish keyboardist Richard James on “Cliffs”> “Once In A Lifetime”> “Cliffs.” Always at the top of their craft with wacky facial expressions, in sync jamming and polished dance moves, the quartet have perfected their stage presence. With a tune self explanatory of the entire weekend, PPPP appropriately shut down AIM Fest with fan-favorite, “Fun in Funk.”

    Mirroring a similar feel that the tight-knit Disc Jam community gives off and what has been missing since Catskill Chill shut down, AIM Fest continues to emerge on the scene at the right place and time. It’s fourth year in operation proved to be the best yet and a fitting, colorful sunset to a noteworthy summer of live music.