Philly’s Funktronic outfit Tweed has released a wild new music video for their latest single “El Sucio Grande.” The disco-inspired tune highlights guitarist AJ DiBiase’s voice in groovy choruses, and combines with Tweed’s signature outer-space synthesizer licks and soaring guitar riffs. Add in gigantic drums, bass bombs, and a trappy ‘big-dirty-style’ breakdown, and you have a powerhouse track.
“El Sucio Grande” features modular synth from Lotus’ Jesse Miller and was produced at New Jersey’s Brooksound Studios with Jeff “Mudd” Mahajan. The video was filmed in Philadelphia and directed by Kevin Shields (of hip-hop duo Little Stranger) and portrays keyboardist Jon Tomczak and DiBiase planning a heist while Philly Vice Cops – drummer Joe Vela and bassist Dan McDonald, are on the chase. The story comes together when the band unites in their getaway van.
The last time Jamiroquai graced NYC with its presence, they sold out the newly opened Nokia Theater Times Square for two nights back in 2005. The band was hot off the heels of their latest release, Dynamite, and it seemed like the United States could not get enough of their frontman, Jay Kay. Fast forward to 2018 and the East Coast was aching for some Jamiroquai news. After teasing 4 U.S. dates via Twitter, it was finally announced that their triumphant return to NYC would occur on September 8 at the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.
Saturday finally arrived and the crowd did as well to a day full of drizzle and promise. Gangstarr’s DJ Premier took the stage at 7 pm to start a massive dance party for anyone that beat the traffic. The legendary producer spun ’90s hip hop tracks for the ever-growing crowd to get down to as the sky continued to open up on everyone that arrived. He warmed up the crowd for 45 minutes before the stage was set for the main act.
Just after 8 pm, the enormous screen on stage lit up and the band members began to assemble as Jay Kay ran on stage to a thunderous applause. As Jay’s helmet moved up and down while changing colors, they started things out with “Shake It On,” off of the new album, Automaton, before diving into 2001’s “Little L” off of A Funk Odyssey. The party continued with “Use The Force” and the always funky “Space Cowboy.”
“Alright” from Traveling Without Moving kicked the crowd into fifth gear and gave everyone the opportunity to sing along with Jay during the chorus. He brought it back to 2018 with “Dr Buzz” off the new album and followed that up with the hit, “(Don’t) Give Hate a Chance.” Continuing the hop between decades, they dove into “Main Vein” as the rain started coming down a little harder. No precipitation was going to keep this crowd from enjoying their night and the classic “Runaway” was the perfect soundtrack to the weather. Jay was met with a phenomenal cheer as he sang the opening lyrics, “Can you dig it? There’s something in the air tonight”.
Jamiroquai knows what their fans love and “Cosmic Girl” could not have come at a better time in the show. This psychedelic disco track illuminated the crowd as they continued to lose their minds before Jay slowed things down and treated everyone to the slow version of “Emergency on Planet Earth” off of their debut album. Soon enough, the sounds of Jay’s Lamborghini Diablo SE30 could be heard over the speakers as they dove into “Travelling Without Moving.”
The crowd exploded with cheers as they started “Canned Heat” and I certainly saw at least a dozen ‘Vote for Pedro’ shirts dancing harder than anyone else. Jay allowed his bandmates to really jam out this song and the funky beat never stopped. The last song of the set was 2002’s “Love Foolosophy” and the crowd could not have been more receptive of this choice. Jay thankfully understood the strict 10 pm curfew enforced by the venue, so without leaving the stage, they dove headfirst into their most popular hit, “Virtual Insanity.” The crowd and the band gave it all they had as 10 pm approached. Amidst a roaring applause, Jay promised they would be back and we couldn’t have been happier.
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.”
Brooklyn-based nine-piece Turkuaz have released the video for “If I Ever Fall Asleep”, the second single off their upcoming album Life In TheCity, due out in September 28. The video was filmed live at vocalist/guitarist Dave Brandwein’s Galaxy Smith Studios, and was produced by Jerry Harrison.
“If I Ever Fall Asleep” is a powerhouse funk number, the first written by Josh Schwartz (baritone saxophone), has incredible energy as the Turkuaz signature upbeat funk channels the paranoid ramblings of an insomniac before embracing his own unraveling.
Turkuaz is currently on the road in support of the new album, traveling across the U.S. with performances at Red Rocks in Morrison, CO on September 23 and The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY on October 19 before the band closes out 2018 with a bang on New Year’s Eve at The Palladium in Worcester, MA.
TURKUAZ 2018 TOUR DATES:
September 14 Greenfield, MA @ Wormtown Music Festival
September 15 Fredericton, NB, Canada @ Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival
September 20 Steamboat Springs, CO @ Old Town Pub
September 21 Steamboat Springs, CO @ Old Town Pub
September 23 Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre October 4 Syracuse, NY @ Westcott Theater*
October 5 Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom*
October 6 Saratoga Springs, NY @ Putnam Den*
October 11 Chattanooga, TN @ Songbirds*
October 12 Mount Vernon, KY @ The Moonshiner’s Ball
October 14 Greensboro, NC @ The Blind Tiger*
October 17 Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street*
October 18 Providence, RI @ Fete Music Hall* October 19 Port Chester, NY @ The Capitol Theatre^
October 24 Greenville, SC @ The Firmament*
October 25 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In*
October 26 Covington, KY @ Madison Theater*
October 28 Live Oak, FL @ Suwanee Hulaween
October 31 Asheville, NC @ Salvage Station~
November 1 Greenville, NC @ State Theatre~
November 2 Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore~
November 3 Washington DC @ Anthem~
November 8 Pittsburgh, PA @ The Rex Theater%
November 9 Columbus, OH @ The Funk’n Beer Fest
November 10 Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue#
November 11 Grand Rapids, MI @ Elevation#
November 14 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
November 15 Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon#
November 16 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café+
November 17 Chicago, IL @ Park West December 29 Rochester, NY @ Anthology**
December 31 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium**
January 15 Miami, FL @ Jam Cruise
* with Butcher Brown
^ with Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles
~ with Lettuce
% with Dynamo
# with Andy Frasco & The UN
+ with Rubblebucket
** with Too Many Zooz
Holly Bowling returns to the Capital District on Sunday, September 16 at Cohoes Music Hall, bringing her classical interpretations from the catalogs of the Grateful Dead and Phish with her. Bowling has twice performed in Albany at the Massry Center for the Arts, as well as at The Whisper Dome in Schenectady, most recently last October. With Phish just one month away in the state capital, Bowling will find a familiar audience once again in one of the oldest venues in the state. Check out what we said of her performance at The Whisper Dome in March of 2017 and get your tickets to this special night of music.
After studying piano performance at SF State University, Bowling has turned her agile mind and interpretive prowess to the works of Phish on 2015’s Distillation Of A Dream album and the Grateful Dead focused Better Left Unsung (2016, The Royal Potato Family). Her compelling playing and unerring ability to successfully collaborate with other musicians in an impressive array of styles has brought her to the attention of Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes, and other luminaries who’ve asked Bowling to perform with them. Already a rising star on the festival circuit, Bowling currently tours as a member of Ghost Light with Tom Hamilton, Steve Lyons, Raina Mullen and Scotty Zwang. Texture, nuance, and a gift for dexterous high-wire improvisation are the hallmarks of San Francisco-based classically trained pianist Holly Bowling.
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.
Thursday, September 13 saw iconic indie rockers Yo La Tengo settle into an evening within the confines of Asbury Hall at Babeville in Buffalo. With no opener the first set found the trio testing their footing with a concise selection of mostly mellow tunes showcasing Ira Kaplan’s whisper sung lyrics. In contrast, the second set wasted little time upping the tempo and intensity as the band delved into the more sonically adventurous side of their catalogue.
Will Fredette of El Modernist walked into a conversation that included radio personality Jeff Morad of WEQX. The radio station just concluded the second round of its annual battle of the bands competition. It pits four bands against one another to determine who opens Pearlpalooza, a large all-day block party in the middle of Albany. On this night it looked like Fredette’s band wasn’t going to be it. His band lost, earning first runner-up honors to Dooojj.
Fredette extended a hand and thanked Morad for the opportunity to play. His El Modernists had just played a tight set. Despite the short 20 minutes, the four came out hot. They got the Friday night crowd on their feet with a lively punk act that contrasted against the popular jam and garageband sound across the scene. If he was dejected by the loss, he didn’t show it. The kid’s toothful grin made it look like he just earned the job.
“Nice burp you had there,” Morad said, complimenting Fredette for appearing loose enough on stage to let out a belch into the mic. The lead singer admitted to downing a drink just prior to taking the stage. He felt the air bubble crawling back up from his gut as he was introducing the band to the crowd. He laughed as he later explained what was a pending dilemma in his mind. Should he back away or just own it?
He shrugged it off. “I had to own it,” he said.
El Modernist came out with, not so much a devil may care attitude, but more of an affable and earnest personality between them. Afterall, the band wasn’t supposed to be there. The collection of bands playing in this year’s competition included recognizable names. Acts that had CDs to sell at their merchandise table in the back of Jupiter Hall. The four of them just formed as a band. They only played their first gig together on St. Patrick’s Day five months before.
“Honestly, that first set… we liked that opportunity,” said Will Hahn, El Modernist’s drummer and occasional rapper. The 15 minutes allotted to each band in the preliminary rounds was like doing a late night show on television. Just enough time to do a quick highlight of the band’s act. “Get it done and leave people wanting more.”
It was enough to have judges bring the band back to the final round, and the gratitude was expressed yet again on stage. The largest crowd out of all the rounds gathered for the last act to see who would win. There were members from other bands, promoters and manager scattered around. The local music community was in one room. As if in tune to the fact, Hahn announced he created a Spotify playlist, “We Are Albany NY,” to market all of the local bands online.
“Every single band in every round we played with was a great band,” said Hahn. “Not only that, but very supportive. Awesome people to work with. Fun part of the event was that you get more people to play some shows with.”
These newcomers were going against veterans. Honey Suckle Vine, though relatively new to the local scene, had played together out West before moving into town. Joey Jaquez, who often sported a mean harmonica, fronted the four-piece band that brought a blues flavor to the party. Dooojj, who beat out El Modernist in the second round, was a good four-piece garageband. Then, there was Bendt.
The members of Bendt knew how to embrace the local music community. Before taking the third round, Matt Plummer knew to thank and compliment his competitors. Hahn said he couldn’t “be mad” to losing to a bunch of guys like them. In the final round, taking the stage after El Modernist, with each of its four members sporting a T-shirt from Girl Blue, Good Fiction, Stellar Young and Hasty Page. If any one band knew how to win, it was Bendt. The band’s grunge style won Schenectady County’s Battle of the Bands last year.
El Modernist, however, stood out with elements of punk — screaming guitar riffs and electric drums. The four each graduated from the College of St. Rose’s prestigious music program. They’ve messed around with other bands before coming together in March, blending various influences and creating something entirely their own.
“El Modernist seemingly came out of nowhere to take us all by surprise with their performance at the finals,” said Morad, after the four earned the coveted Pearlpalooza slot. “It says a lot about them when you consider they knocked off the likes of Bendt, Honey Suckle Vine and Dooojj!”
Morad said El Modernist pulled away with the win because of it’s “high energy, engaging and unique.”
“Going from the wild card slot and winning it, I was little surprised,” said Joe DeTillio, El Modernist’s bass player. “Aside from that, it was so cool.”
The opportunity now places El Modernist in the same company with Good Fiction and four different national acts coming in to Albany to play Pearlpalooza: Kitten, The Greeting Committee, Caroline Rose and Superorganism.
“The four other bands are all national acts that blew everybody away at the 2018 SXSW Fest in Austin,” said Morad. “We’re glad to have been able to put them all together on the same day — for free! Not to mention, but I am mentioning, all four national acts are female fronted, cause girlpower.”
El Modernist is already on the move. After the band sets the scene for Pearlpalooza this Saturday, at 1 p.m. and follows up with a gig at Savoy Taproom at 9:30 p.m. The band released its debut single “Up” on all available streaming services, including the band’s Albany-centric playlist on Spotify.
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.
The Magpie Salute treated their fans to an intimate night of music at The Space in Westbury on September 9. The show was separated into 3 parts: full band, acoustic set with Marc Ford, Rich Robinson and John Hang, and then back to the full band. The full band consisted of Rich Robinson and Marc Ford on guitar, Sven Pipien on bass, Joe Magistro on drums, vocals by John Hagg, and Matt Slocum on keys.
Before kicking off their Europe tour, The Magpie Salute will be on the east coast during the month of September. Check out their upcoming tour dates here – http://themagpiesalute.com/events
Full Band: High Water, Mary the Gypsy, Take it All, For the Win, The Killing Moon*, Everything’s Alright#, All We Need to Do Is Love$
Acoustic: You Don’t Miss Your Water%, Sister Moon
Full Band: Lay It All On Me&, Open Up, Walk On Water, What Is Home&, What Is and What Should Never Be^, Can You See, A Conspiracy&, (Only) Halfway to Everywhere&, Send Me an Omen
The WinterWonderGrass Music Festival has been an exciting treasure of Colorado and California for several years. Being an all-ages, community-centric event, with a variety of craft beer, cider, and local foods, it has earned the love and admiration of many who have attended. Not to mention that it features world-class bluegrass and roots artists who add musical entertainment to the mix. However, what was once thought to be an event almost entirely composed of local residents, WWG has made its first steps to expand its amazing winter lifestyle celebration to the east coast. After an impressive seven years in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and five years at Squaw Alpine Meadows in Lake Tahoe, Stratton, Vermont will be the first Northeast destination to experience this thrilling combination of high-quality artists and authentic partners/vendors from December 14-16.
Founder of WinterWonderGrass, Scotty Stoughton wished to make his vision of community, family, philanthropy and leadership into a fantastic display of music, craft beer, and cuisine appreciation. When asked about what WWG truly stands for and the motivation to create such an immensely popular communal event, he responded:
The inspiration behind WinterWonderGrass is to recreate the magic of ending your snow day at the base of the hill surrounded by family and friends, reminiscing about the days turns, while sipping a beer and listening to acoustic music. I learned to ski at Bromley, and those moments and memories are never far from my spirit. Living in the West, I have observed the expansion of ski towns and mountains, and I have a deep desire to recapture the true essence of the sport and communities that were built around mountain adventure!
Out of the 20+ bands performing on four stages over the course of three days, Railroad Earth and The Infamous Stringdusters have already been announced to kick off the extravagant grassroots festival. The layout of the event itself is conveniently designed to accommodate all attendees, music lover or otherwise.
The outdoor main stage is flanked by three heated beer halls, where side stage acts deliver inspired performances, often joined by guest musicians. The audience then has a variety of delightful options to move from the main stage, to the toasty beer halls, to the coffee bar, kids zone and to on-site sponsor activities. This journey of winter music and spectrum of drinks is shaping by the day to include more attractive performers and contributors to make it an event you do not want to miss.
For further information on General Admission, VIP, and Ski Pass details, check out the WinterWonderGrass Music Festival website here and be set for the Northeast and Vermont’s very own December debut of this iconic celebration.
Just after 8 pm, the enormous screen on stage lit up and the band members began to assemble as Jay Kay ran on stage to a thunderous applause. As Jay’s helmet moved up and down while changing colors, they started things out with “Shake It On,” off of the new album, 
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 
Check out the 
Will Fredette of El Modernist walked into a conversation that included radio personality Jeff Morad of 
