NYS Music 20​18

Category: Genres

  • A Music-Lover’s Guide to Rochester Fringe Festival 2018 Opening Weekend

    The seventh year of the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival is underway. Now the largest multi-genre festival in New York State, the 2018 Rochester Fringe Festival offers more than 500 performances and exhibits across dozens of venues. Offerings include theater, comedy, art exhibits, multidisciplinary shows, and live music. Here’s the NYS Music Guide to what music-lovers can look forward to this opening weekend.

    https://youtu.be/f2WL6Gy329o

    The main attraction this weekend is the outdoor spectacle on Friday and Saturday, featuring the US debut of Massaoke. The UK sensation is sweeping the festival circuit world-wide, playing everyone’s favorite sing-along hits. Catch the act at Parcel 5 on Main Street. Massaoke starts at 8:30pm each night, but live music starts at 5pm. Opening on Friday night are The Crooked North (Americana), La Muralla (salsa), and Vanishing Sun (funk/soul). Saturday night features Chris Eves and The New Normal (rock), EightFingers (country/blues), and Cold Fronts (garage rock from Philadelphia). Parcel 5 events are free and open to the public.

    For the night owls, the party continues long into the night at the Immersive Igloo 3D sound experience at Spiegelgarden at 9:30 and 10:30 and the Silent Disco in the Spiegeltent. These two events are ticketed, and sell out quickly. Check ticket availability: Immersive Igloo and Silent Disco.

    Silent Disco photo by John Schlia

    Looking for something a little more laid-back? Settle in and enjoy some refreshments at local coffee shops and enjoy some free live music.

    Java’s Cafe on Gibbs Street hosts eclectic rock/folk band Paxtor at 7 p.m. on Friday. Then on Saturday, they feature acoustic trio The Genesee Three on Saturday at 5 and the eclectic musical stylings of Leah and the Upheaval at 7 p.m.

    Around the corner the Little Theatre Cafe has plenty to offer music-lovers, starting with local cover bands B2 and Sad Bastards on Friday night. A full bill on Saturday starting at 2 p.m. includes RIT Surround (a capella barbershop), Proof of Purchase A Capella, The Annual Bill Destler and Rebecca Johnson Show (folk), Norm and The Outliers (jazz), Desert Rhythms (belly dancing), and Howie Lester (international/folk). And the fun continues with interactive shows on Sunday with Music and Visuals with Motion Capture at 1:30 and Virtual Karaoke at 5:30.

    Eastman School of Music will be hopping this weekend. Friday night features two performances by the University of Rochester’s Institute for Popular Music: a performance of The Yes Album at 7 p.m. and Led Zeppelin IV at 9 p.m. Dave Rivello’s ensemble performs Saturday Night. And Sunday brings the return of the popular Gospel Sunday at 2 p.m. Gospel Sunday is free, but the room fills to capacity quickly, so arrive early. Tickets are on sale for the other shows at Eastman School of Music’s Killbourn Hall.

    U of R Institute for Popular Music

    Fans of contemporary dance troupes will want to check out the schedules for PUSH Physical Theatre and Garth Fagan. And if you’re in the mood for a musical, there’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch at 7 p.m. all this weekend or next Thursday and Friday at Lyric Theatre (click here for tickets).

    If you’re already looking ahead to next week’s events, you may want to consider heading out on Wednesday night to catch a rare live performance of Instrumental, the soundtrack to the comic of the same name. Author and composer Dave Chisholm released the set last year, and this will be the first time it will be performed with the comic pages projected as the backdrop. More information and tickets are available here.

    This is just a taste of what this weekend has to offer in Rochester. A comprehensive list of events can be found at the Rochester Fringe website rochesterfringe.com.

    Several events are already selling out. If you plan to attend a show, purchase tickets in advance. 
    Online: rochesterfringe.com
    Phone: (585) 957-9837 (additional fees apply)
    Box Office: One Fringe Place (corner of Main & Gibbs Streets)
    In Person: Venue door one hour before start of show (subject to availability)

  • 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

  • moe. Fills Second Night of Saranac Run With Heavy Hitters

    After a warm, beer-scented night one at the Saranac Matt Brewery, moe. prepared to warm up the crowd on a rather chilly night two of their Utica run. It was bassist Rob Derhak’s turn to write the setlist, and he had some surprises in store for the eagerly awaiting moe.rons.
    moe saranac run    To start off the first set, moe. dropped into their classic “Spine of a Dog,” singing the opening acapella lyrics for a few lines before letting the audience take over. Following a standard composed section, the group jammed on the song’s chord structure for the entirety of the jam, leading it into an up tempo peak before dropping into “Plane Crash,” sans Al Schnier’s usual tremolo-laden intro. Arguably Derhak’s most well-known song, “Plane Crash” had the whole audience singing along with its catchy chorus. The jam again stayed within the structure of the song itself, but led to its usual Schnier-led peak before ending with one last chorus. After a little bit of banter about how playing at Saranac in Utica feels like home to Derhak, the group played the short but sweet Chuck Garvey-penned “Who You Callin’ Scared?.” “Lazarus” followed soon after, a somber sounding tune seemingly referencing the biblical figure Lazarus, the man who Jesus supposedly rose from the dead 4 days after his death. Garvey took many jaw-dropping solos throughout the song’s many music interludes, leading the group through the jam section and into the final choruses before ending the song.

    To close out the set, the group whipped out the segment of “SIlver Sun > Puebla > Moth,” beginning with the Pink Floyd-esque Schnier tune “Silver Sun” to keep the slower vibe of “Lazarus” going. The intro was jammed out for a good eight and a half minutes before Schnier and Garvey broke into the song’s mysterious lyrics.

    Following the lyrical portion, the song was brought into a dark ambient jam led by Garvey, and driven by the strong rhythm section of Jim Loughlin on percussion, Vinnie Amico on drums, and Derhak on bass. As the jam picked up, Schnier and Garvey dropped into the song’s beautiful guitar harmonies before bringing the tune into “Puebla,” retaining the somber vibe of “Lazarus” and “Silver Sun.” “Puebla” wasted no time getting into the jam, kicking it off a mere two and a half minutes into the song, and jamming on the song’s main structure for more than six minutes before bringing the tune into uncharted territory. The group experimented a bit before ultimately bringing the song up into “Moth,” another Schnier led number that brought the mood up after the somber previous few songs. After working through a few verses and choruses, the group let Derhak take the spotlight for his first big bass solo of the night. The rest of the band decided to back up a motif Derhak was creating in his bass solo, and added textures around it to bring the musical idea to life. After about five minutes, the group brought the jam back into “Moth” territory and Schnier led the band to the best peak of the set with a fiery solo, singing out one last chorus before exiting the stage.

    After a toast to Nick Matt, the CEO of Saranac Matt Brewing Company, moe. came onstage and dropped into “New Hope For The New Year,” Garvey’s contribution to the new songs performed at the band’s return to the stage at the Capitol Theatre this past February. It seems to be Garvey’s way of putting everything into perspective and appreciating life after Derhak’s cancer scare, a very optimistic message for a somewhat downbeat song. The jam didn’t get too crazy, mainly switching between the typical A/B sections and allowing Garvey an area to stretch his legs solo-wise. After the hook, the group performed the main melody one last time before transitioning into “Kyle’s Song” through a “no huddle” segue. “Kyle’s Song” is a fan favorite across the board, coming from the band’s most loved album, Wormwood, a studio masterpiece released in 2003. The “Kyle’s” jam kicked off like it always does, with a killer solo from Garvey himself that usually makes up a good portion of the song.

    After a near six minute solo, the group dropped back into the chorus, before suddenly dropping into an unusual jam on the song’s main melody, but at half time. Loughlin saw this as an opportunity for a Marimba solo, and took a quick one before the band started to pick up the pace and bring the song into the legendary “Bearsong,” one of the heaviest songs in moe.’s catalog. Big inflatable Saranac branded bears were released into the audience as the intro of the song played out, and Schnier drove the group into the main section of the song. The jam stayed in the song structure and acted more as a solo base for the dueling duo as Derhak slapped away at his bass. The audience raged in full force with the group as Schnier brought it into one last chorus and the ending riffs of the song.

    As a break between the heavy jamming, Schnier led the group in his tune “What Can I Say,” a ballad with heartfelt lyrics backed by soulful blues music. The only way the band could follow that up was of course, “Rebubula > Yodelittle > Rebubula,” the jam segment of the night. Garvey kicked off “Rebubula” with an extended Leslie filled intro, before the rest of the band joined in and started to tease what song was about to start. After nearly seven minutes of open ended improv, the guitar duo broke into the opening notes of the song, and Derhak quickly fell in line behind them with Amico and Loughlin backing the groove up. The song is centered around Derhak, slapping and singing his heart out during the main verses of the song, and this time he was driving the bus a bit faster than usual. The group went through the typical composed riffs before Loughlin melted “Rebubula” into “Yodelittle,” with the help of Schnier and Garvey. Schnier assumed his role as the leader for the song, dropping into the song’s catchy chorus with Garvey harmonizing his vocals as usual. “Yodelittle” featured the longest jam of the night, clocking in at 23 minutes, and went the most out there of any song the group played over the weekend. Derhak took another of his famed fuzzy bass solos while the rest of the group layered textures behind him, before Loughlin took the reigns from him for a quick vibes solo. Schnier and Garvey dropped back into the opening riff of “Yodelittle” as they brought the song back into “Rebubula,” finishing out what they had started.

    Garvey took the helm and soloed his way into the peak of the jam before Derhak broke into the final verse of the song. The group repeated the chorus a few times before ending the song, leaving the stage for a quick encore break and Al.nouncements. The encore opened with “Don’t Wanna Be,” Loughlin’s first vocal effort of the night, which started the end of the show off on a dark note. He showed off his unique, yet spectacular voice as well as his vibraphone skills before the group took a quick break and dropped into “Okayalright.” A highly upbeat Derhak-penned tune about a time before moe. was even a band. The song didn’t contain any jamming, the group seemingly wanting to spread the positivity of the chorus of the song. After a quick thank you from Derhak, the group left the stage for the final time of the weekend.

    moe. performed two fantastic shows this past weekend in Utica, playing to their hometown crowd at a venue they love. The audience was spreading the love, and sharing in the incredible experience unfolding around them. Check below for a taste of the night through the photo gallery from Dave DeCrescente.

  • Rabbit Jaw responds to anti-immigration policies through music

    Erin Bahn is a singer, a dancer and a humanitarian. Through her art, she expresses her passionate messages against oppression and authoritarian regimes, and she is backed by her band of equally revolutionary-minded musicians. The Buffalo-based art-rock band Rabbit Jaw has released a music video for their song “Stowaway,” which is in response to right-wing American anti-immigration policies.

    Bohn, who choreographed and directed the video, recently told Buffalo Rising, “This film is one take, played in reverse. Within this film, although it is played in reverse, I wanted to play with concepts of restoration of dreams and dreamers.”

    Rabbit Jaw will be playing two shows in Buffalo on September 29: The Tabernacle from 6-8pm and then Dinosaur Bar-B-Que from 10-midnight. To stay up to date on news and events, follow Rabbit Jaw on Facebook.

    rabbit jaw
    photo by Glenn Murray

  • David Byrne brings American Utopia Tour to the Palace Theatre

    David Byrne’s much-hyped (and rightly so) American Utopia Tour found its way to Albany’s Palace Theatre on Sunday, September 9, after six months of crisscrossing the country, with all the buzz about the set and production having preceding each performance. Byrne’s catalog of music was on display throughout the night, with 21 songs covering his solo work, as well as that with Talking Heads and with St. Vincent and Fatboy Slim, combining for a nearly two-hour performance with the psychedelic alt-rock of Tune-Yards opening the night. With a futuristic mix of electronic, new wave and indie pop, plus a lead singer dressed like a dystopian Supreme Court justice, made for an interesting prelude to Byrne. Forty minutes of pure energy and symphonic pomp was capped by “Heart Attack,” and paired nicely with the variety of Byrne’s music that would follow.
    American Utopia TourNature sounds over the PA filled the air as the stage was set for David Byrne. When the curtain opened, we found Byrne sitting at a table holding a human brain, pointing out the purpose for the brain in the lyrics of the opener ‘Here,’ an anticipatory introduction into the evening’s performance. Slowly, an 11 piece band, including six percussionists and drummers, emerged from behind the silver strand curtains that surrounded the stage on three sides, as Byrne moved into “Lazy,” which could have easily been pulled from LCD Soundsystem’s catalog. But it was the opening beats of “I Zimbra” that brought the audience to their feet in unison, like a preacher calling the congregation back from a moment of reflection.

    Following “Slippery People,” Byrne took a moment to recognize Headcount and encouraged everyone to register to vote, and then make sure they vote in elections, which was met by thunderous applause from the audience. The St. Vincent collaboration “I Should Watch TV” and “Everybody’s Coming to my House” preceded two of the most familiar songs of the night, “This Must be the Place (Naive Melody)” and “Once in a Lifetime,” the crowd singing along some of Byrne’s finest work.

    The band was introduced one by one for a slowly growing intro to “Born Under Punches” from the acclaimed Remain in the Light. Byrne’s solo work was showcased with four songs that followed, “I Dance Like This,” “Bullet,” “Every Day is a Miracle,” and “Like Humans Do.” Blind” took on an ominous feel with low stage lighting projecting a monstrous shadow of Byrne on the curtains behind the band, with a raucous “Burnin Down the House” closing the 80+ minute set.

    For an encore, Byrne introduced “Dancing Together” as a song with lyrics provided from Imelda Marcos’ own words and originally from a musical Byrne collaborated on with Fatboy Slim about the former Philippine dictator’s love of shoes and disco. A frenetic version of “The Great Curve” followed, with the woke audience moving to the enthusiastic Talking Heads original. Returning to the stage for a second encore, Bryne chose “Say Your Name” by Janelle Monae to put a coda on the evening, which shares the names of numerous individuals who have been victims of police and/or racial violence, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Amadou Diallo and others. It was a powerful statement to send the audience out on and left an exclamation point on an evening at The Palace.

    Byrne’s American Utopia tour continues with stops in Syracuse on Sept. 12, Queens on Sept. 15, and two nights in Brooklyn Sept. 16-17.

    Setlist: Here, Lazy, I Zimbra, Slippery People, Dog’s Mind, I Should Watch TV, Everybody’s Coming to my House, This Must be the Place (Naïve Melody), Once in a Lifetime, Doing the Right Thing, Toe Jam, Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), I Dance Like This, Bullet, Every Day is a Miracle, Like Humans Do, Blind, Burning Down the House

    Encore: Dancing Together, The Great Curve
    Encore 2: Hell You Talmbout*

    *Janelle Monae cover

  • Billy Joel to ring in the new year at Nassau Coliseum

    Music legend Billy Joel will be kicking off the new year with a spectacular performance set for Dec.31 at the NYCB’s Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Back in his true home of Long Island, this event is Joel’s first performance at this particular venue in precisely 25 years and his 34th show at the venue overall. His 1993 New Year’s show was a sight to see as he performed a set list of 20 songs covering all his albums. Classics performed included “Piano Man,” “Vienna,” “New York State of Mind,” and many more.

    Brett Yormark, CEO of BSE Global and operator of the venue expressed his eagerness for Joel’s return: “We are thrilled to welcome Billy back home for what will be another momentous night in his four-decade-long history playing the Coliseum.” He also went on to mention that this performance is more than just a simple concert but also a celebration for Long Islanders to honor Billy Joel for his illustrious career. General ticket sale will start Friday, Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. In addition, Citi Cardmembers will have special access to pre-sale tickets on Wednesday Sept. at 10 a.m. local time.

    For more information on Joel’s return to Nassau, visit his website here.

  • Aqueous Discuss Tour, New Album and More at Cobblestone Live Music Festival

    On day two of the second annual Cobblestone Live music festival, three-fourths of Buffalo’s own groove-rock powerhouse, Aqueous, joined me amidst the celebration of music and art. Dave Loss (guitar/vox), Evan McPhaden (Bass), and Rob Houk (Drums) sat down to discuss their incredibly busy summer thus far, coming home to Buffalo, their new studio album, Color Wheel, and their upcoming, and most extensive fall tour yet.

    aqueous cobblestone

    Andy Hogan: Cobblestone Live is obviously a homecoming for you guys, but you’ve had quite the summer away from Buffalo, so far. Between Summer Camp, Mountain Music Festival, Disc Jam, Electric Forest and Peach, what have been some major takeaways from the tour?

    DL: One of the bigger highlights I think was being able to sell out The Bluebird Theater.

    RH: That was a huge highlight of the summer. I think a good rule of thumb is never expect to sell out, and when you’re not in a hometown scenario, you never know what’s going to happen.

    AH: But in Denver, that’s kind of just the scene, right? People just get out and go to see music.

    RH: I feel like it’s become a second home to us. The response to music out there is just something you don’t see…like, every night there is just a banging show.

    AH: And you see those weird kind of pockets even locally, right? Ithaca, for example, has tons of people getting out to see music on a Friday or Saturday night. Where else do you guys see that?

    DL: Burlington, VT for sure.

    RH: Omaha!

    DL: Yeah! Omaha, Nebraska we’ve had three really good experiences. Once with Papadosio, and twice at the Reverb Lounge.

    RH: People go nuts in Omaha…they throw down.

    AH: Coming back to Buffalo for Cobblestone must be a special occasion. Particularly for you, Dave and Evan, having grown up here. To see this area transform, could you have imagined this would be happening even a few years ago?

    DL: No. Even the whole city in general from ten years ago has seen such growth in a positive way. Like you said, this whole area was not a thing, the whole Canalside area was not a thing, so it’s really nice to see all of this happening.

    aqueous cobblestone

    AH: From what I read online, your first time ever playing down here was not too long after Iron Works opened in 2014…is it safe to say Iron Works is your favorite spot around town?

    DL: It was definitely a huge place for us to continue to grow in the city. Josh [Holtzman] obviously runs it, and he’s our homie so it’s been really nice. Even more than that, it’s helped bring a lot of great music into the city…a lot of other acts that hadn’t really been coming to Buffalo prior to it being open.

    RH: It’s a good spot for a mid-level band…they treat you like a king. It’s not just a great spot to play, they also understand what it’s like to be on the road. At the end of the day, when you treat your musicians well, they’re going to play better, your patrons are going to be happier…it works all around.

    EM: It’s definitely a music venue for musicians. Josh actually used to manage us and would come on the road with us. So he’s seen all the venues we’ve been to and knows exactly what he wants for Iron Works.

    AH: Now, there’s something new in your live set that I noticed last night. I saw that both you (Dave) and Mike [Gantzer] are now using PRS (Paul Reed Smith) guitars. How does this affect you sonically?

    DL: Haha, he’s finally seen the light! I love those guitars. What’s cool about his, and mine does it too, but you can coil tap. So there are two humbuckers on the outside that can go between single and humbucker, then there is a single coil in the middle. Plus it’s a bolt on neck, all that adds that like Fender Stratocaster snap that you can get. So he can still get that single coil, fatty-strat kind of sound with that guitar, but he can still get the rippin’ leads with the humbuckers.

    Shortly after this interview, Aqueous announced both Mike and Dave are now officially endorsed by PRS guitars.

    aqueous cobblestone

    AH: Evan, while we’re on the topic of gear, what can you tell me about your bass?

    EM: It’s made by a Polish company called Mayones. Our friend Ryan has one, and I got to play it for a weekend and I fell in love with it. It’s deep, but still bright at the same time. I run it through a TC Electronic Blacksmith…I think it’s 1600 watts, which is, a lot. I also have a 6×10 Ampeg Cabinet.

    AH: Rob, I don’t know anything about drums, but I am curious what kind of kit you play; what are your preferences?

    RH: My kit is a Gretsch Renown Maple with a Pork Pie Lil’ Squealer Snare, which is also kind of weird because I play a 12” snare as my primary. Cymbals, I break them so often that I just try to find something that sounds good, usually used.

    AH: It’s funny, most drummers will tell you they prefer used cymbals. Like in the Phish documentary, Bittersweet Motel, Jon Fishman has a room just filled with old, somewhat beat up cymbals.

    DL: I randomly watched that clip the other day for some odd reason!

    RH: Yeah, some of that stuff really builds character. Like having dirt, and just the grit and oil that gets on them. Some drummers like to clean them until their just shiny all the time…I don’t know, I think that might do them a disservice — that metal is there to develop, it’s part of your sound, part of your tone

    AH: Now the new album [Color Wheel] will be your first studio album since the Best in Show EP. You guys recorded at GCR again, right?

    DL: Yep, with Justin Rose.

    AH: When I had Mike on the podcast, he had said that you guys studied a lot of musicians and artists, not only their music, but also the way they actually recorded. Who were some of those artists?

    DL: Steely Dan was always a huge influence.

    RH: I think we were also looking at some late 90s hard rock albums…some Incubus type stuff.

    EM: Even pop material, as well. I feel like in albums in the past, the way we mixed background vocals were kind of loud. I feel like on this one we had more of a lead singer kind of sound. The Beatles, for example, do a lot of very full harmonies that are always upfront.

    DL: Yes! I always love listening to The Beatles before we go into recording…there’s so many interesting mix choices, tones, ect.

    AH: Well in addition to the new album, your fall tour is coming in quick. Is this the biggest headlining tour to date?

    DL: Yes — we’re really excited. We have a lot of great support on it too; Mungion, Heavy Pets, Goose, and Elm.

    AH: Super exciting. I saw that September 7th you guys will be back at the Utica Brewery with moe. What an honor to play with them, and all these bands you get to play with.

    DL: Yeah doin’ another one with them and getting to play with Umphrey’s again in October.

    EM: I think the last couple of years, we’ve been very lucky to be put where we have been…and we’re very grateful.

    Aqueous kicks off their fall tour Friday, September 7th in Utica, NY with moe. at the Saranac Brewery. For tickets, all of Aqueous’ fall dates, and to pre-order their new upcoming studio album, Color Wheel, visit aqueousband.com.

  • The Magpie Salute occupies The Space in Westbury Sunday

    The Magpie Salute is riding a wave of popularity following a busy spring and summer touring with Gov’t Mule and the Avett Brothers along with several well-received headlining and festival gigs. Sunday night the band rolls into The Space in Westbury in support of their debut release, High Water I.

    magpie salute westbury

    The band brings together three core members of the Black Crowes – guitarists Rich Robinson and Marc Ford and bassist Sven Pipien, along with drummer Joe Magistro, keyboardist Matt Slocum, and singer John Hogg. They first began collaborating in late 2016 and spent most of 2017 on the road perfecting their sound.

    The band has a catalog of over 200 songs in its repertoire, a mix of covers, Black Crowes songs and original Magpie Salute material and has quickly gained a reputation as an explosive live act. Robinson describes the renewed relationship with his former bandmates:

    It’s the recontextualization of playing with one another. When I was putting this thing together, I was thinking about how even though we may not have played for almost a decade, it just comes back immediately. The chemistry is unexplainable. Of course, I’m the same guy who played with the Black Crowes and wrote all of those songs, but this is a different context for myself, Marc, and Sven. It’s the convergence of three different worlds and eras for me. We’re all here together in this one place. Simultaneously, it’s amazing for Marc and Sven to play with Joe and Matt and John to be in the middle of it all. For me, that was really cool to witness. This is what I wanted to do.

    Tickets are still available for the Sunday show at The Space at Westbury. General admission tickets are $25 and reserved seating is $35. Following Sunday’s show, the band heads to the Canadian Maritimes to perform at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in Fredericton, NB. For ticketing information and tour dates, visit the Magpie Salute website here.

    Listen to “For the Wind” from High Water I below:

  • 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.

  • Interview: Roan Yellowthorn is Back with New Music and to Talk about Their Growth

    Since last speaking with Jackie McLean nearly a year ago, she and her partner, Shawn Strack have grown tremendously as musicians. They are known as Roan Yellowthorn – an indie pop rock duo. Shawn, who had never been involved in musical production before, is the main engineer and instrumentalist on the upcoming album, Indigo, which is set to be released later this month.

    Roan Yellowthorn

    Their latest single, “Talk About It” is their audience’s first sneak peek as to how the album will sound. This song is a beautiful take on an unresolved relationship as it winds you through a journey both lyrically and melodically. It has a catchy chorus that will remain in your head long after listening to the song.

    My last discussion with Roan Yellowthorn touched on many of the overarching questions regarding her musical influences and the power of a song. This time around, we delved a bit deeper into her artistic development and how this is reflected in her upcoming project. Read more about Jackie and Shawn’s journey below.

    Sammy Steiner: After listening to “Talk About It,” it was clear that Roan Yellowthorn headed in a new sonic direction. Can you talk about how you have grown since “Child in Chief” and your self-titled EP?

    Jackie McLean: The songwriting process has pretty much remained the same except this time I am making a conscious decision to be more honest in my lyrics. The main difference between my last project, (which was made in 48 hours) and Indigo is not only the time we put into it but also the overall production of every song. On this album, my partner, Shawn and I worked very closely to create the entire album ourselves. Shawn used to be a video editor but had never been involved in production before working on this project. The nature of our relationship made our collaborative process extremely complimentary. He knew how to take my abstract concepts and turn them into a reality. Additionally, since we did everything ourselves we were able to go back and tweak every song until we felt it sounded perfect.

    SS: As a follow-up, what has this past year looked like for you guys in terms of the work you put into creating this album? Where did you draw most of your inspiration from?Roan Yellowthorn

    JM: I am constantly writing songs so by the time I started recording Indigo, I already had the majority of the album written. We spent about one week recording in Upstate New York during August and then the following three months were focused on intense mixing and producing. Shawn played every instrument on the album with the exception of the piano which I played. I would say that the biggest difference since our EP is that now we’re doing everything together as opposed to before when we outsourced most things.

    SS: What are some goals you have for the upcoming album and tour?

    JM: My main goal is to bring our music to more people. I really enjoy being able to interact with the audience and hear their opinions in person. We are currently working on putting together a setlist, which will most likely consist of the entire Indigo album as well as a handful of songs from past projects. We are also excited to be experimenting with the drum pad on stage to enhance our live performances by recreating some of the sounds you will hear on the album.

    SS: I had the privilege of getting a sneak listen to the album – for everyone else, can you tell them a bit about what they can expect?

    JM: This album is very personal and very emotional for me. It came together really organically as I kept writing songs to process my feelings. It is an extremely sincere album and I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever be able to write another album like this one. I dug so many emotions out of my soul but now it feels like I’ve shed a layer. I hope that everyone likes it!

    SS: What was it like for you, Shawn, to produce this album having never done this kind of work before?

    Shawn Strack: I used to work in film, media and television so I had a basic understanding of the software and the editing process. After having many conversations with Jackie, I understood her vision for the album and was confident that I could translate those ideas into the music. To give you an example – she once said to me that she wanted the title track “Indigo” to sound as if she was flying through space with stars exploding around her. I added a post rock influenced guitar under the verses while she played the piano and put drum and guitar layers during the chorus.

    SS: Finally, what does the word ‘indigo’ mean to you and to this album?

    Shawn: The color indigo is present in the colouring of the sounds on the album. It can be dark but there are moments of brightness.

    JM: The last song I wrote for the album was the title track, “Indigo.” This song really encompassed the idea behind the entire album and I had really strong instinctual feelings that the album was done once it was written. Afterwards, I came to find many more meanings behind the word as it is also a feeling, color, mood, idea, etc. I finally had a name for the feeling.