The Albany Capital center hosted a triple-bill of heavy metal music on Friday, Aug. 3 — Halestorm, In This Moment and New Years Day — all of which featured a female lead singer. Halestorm, the Grammy Award-winning band out of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, may have been the headlining act, but it was a special night for Maria Brink of In This Moment. For Brink, the Capital District concert was a homecoming event for the Clifton Park native. She dedicated her band’s set to her family and friends in the audience.
In a recent and unfortunate announcement, Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts suffered what doctors believe is a mild stroke and will have to postpone several New York tour dates. These upcoming shows include the August 28th Great New York State Fair in Syracuse, NY; August 30th at the Toyota Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, CT; and August 31st at the Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach, NH. This decision was made under strong advisement from his physicians and this time away will allow him to properly heal for the rest of the tour.
This tour was something of a spontaneous decision for Betts who decided to come out of retirement and jump right back into the musical spotlight. When asked about his retirement in a 2017 interview, Betts humbly responded: “I’ve had a great life and I don’t have any complaints.” This answer would soon change as the veteran guitarist reversed his retirement decision for reasons that involved public demand, devotion to his still dedicated fans, and simple boredom. He went on to say that he’s been a bit rusty playing and transitioning back into the artist mentality but more importantly is beyond enthusiastic by the energy and love he’s received from his listeners. This medical issue, although disheartening, will be met with the proper treatment and should only be a temporary challenge as Betts will continue these highly anticipated shows in due time.
Weezer and Pixies‘ co-headlining tour brought a seamless blend of 90s rock nostalgia to the St. Joseph’s Amphitheatre in Syracuse, NY on July 15.
Pixies ripped right into their set with their raw punk rock hits. Their set was much more rigid and simplified in comparison to Weezer’s. It was also so jam-packed that they left no time to interact with their fans. They undeniably showed the audience why they have been the influence to many of their other favorite artists.
Once Weezer took the stage, they wasted no time busting out their mega hits. They kicked off their set with their most notable song “Buddy Holly.” Fans had a nostalgia overload because the band re-created the “Buddy Holly” Arnold’s Drive In video set and each band member was dressed in clothing to match while performing the song.
Weezer was the complete opposite of Pixies and had numerous interactions with the crowd. The band’s front man, Rivers Cuomo even visited the cheap seats on a small stage in the back of the amphitheater and performed a few hits including “Island in the Sun” and “Feels Like Summer”. He traveled to this other stage via the S.S. Weezer which was a small boat with wheels that security operated in the absence of water.
The crowd could be heard singing along with every song with Rivers all the way to the parking lot. You could tell Rivers and the rest of Weezer were genuinely enjoying themselves and putting on the best show they knew how.
Weezer setlist: Happy Days Intro, Buddy Holly, Beverly Hills, Pork and Beans, Undone – The Sweater Song, Hash Pipe, Perfect Situation, My Name Is Jonas, El Scorcho, In the Garage, Susanne, Happy Together, (The Turtles cover) (with a snippet of Longview by Green Day), Keep Fishin’ (Brian Bell vocals), B-Stage, Island in the Sun – (Rivers solo), Take On Me – (a‐ha cover) (Rivers solo), Burndt Jamb, (Smells Like Teen Spirit lyrics, without Rivers), (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To, Feels Like Summer, Africa – (Toto cover)
Encore: The Good Life, Play Video, Say It Ain’t So (with Black Sabbath “Paranoid” outro)
Sydney Worthley opened for local country rockers Skeeter Creek on the rain date for their show earlier this summer at Troy’s Rockin’ on the River. Worthley played songs from her album Strong as well as a few covers with a mix of Alt rock and folk to a growing crowd for 75 minutes. Skeeter Creek, co-formed by guitarist/singer Joe Kulewicz and singers Dave Ahl and Renee Lussier-Ahl kept the crowd highly entertained all night into the dark. Playing country rock to the dancing crowd, Dave enjoyed going out into the crowd to sing with them and invited Sydney Worthley to join them to sing the encore “Shut up and Dance.”
In it’s 14th exciting return to the stage, the New York Gypsy Festival will once again be celebrating the stellar beauty of Gypsy music at the downtown venue DROM this fall. The event is a prideful display of universal love for music and also includes performers from Canada to Russia. Loved for its wide spectrum of genres and culturally rich showmanship, listeners will be exposed to “flamenco, southern Italian folk, turbo-punk, Indian, Balkan brass, funk, and more.”
The festival’s continued appearance in NYC can only be considered fitting as it is a place of inclusiveness and appreciation for the arts. As any real music lover would agree, listening is only one part of experiencing the music. The New York Gypsy Festival prides itself on shocking its spectators with intricate dancing, authentic outfits, and demonstrating the emotional connection each performer has with their respective culture.
See dates below:
Sept. 6 – Dobranotch (Russia)
Sept. 14 – Underground Horns (New York)
Sept. 20 – Romashka (New York)
Sept. 25 – Barbara Martinez (New York)
Sept. 26 – Lemon Bucket Orchestra (Canada)
Sept. 28 – Original Quartet by Javier Limon (Boston)
Oct. 3 – NY Gypsy All-Stars (New York)
October 5 – Newpoli (Boston)
Culture and nationalism are often based around beloved traditions, zany family, tasty food and festive music alike. For its 23rd year in operation, Albany LATIN FEST calls on the diversity and flavor of Hispanic culture in the Capital Region to come together for a family-oriented day filled with live talent, traditional recipes, arts and craft vendors, child entertainment, information booths and more.
Albany’s Washington Park acts at the event’s annual stomping grounds from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25. LATINFEST celebrates the widespread diversity and beauty of Hispanic cultural heritage and pinpoints the contributions made by Hispanic Americans on all levels from local and state to national and international. Through this non-profit organization and event, the community is given a unified voice to speak for an often under served and underrepresented group of people.
Having already created a name for themselves in the Capital Region, the annual celebration is chock-full of musical acts both local and international and provides the ability for patrons and businesses to engage with one another in an effort to address world issues and disaster relief aid.
In 2017 after hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, ALFA crafted Una Noche Espléndida where all proceeds went to the Puerto Rico Disaster Relief Fund as well as a Benefit Concert where all money would go to Puerto Rico Disaster Relief. Over $10,000 were raised in an extremely rewarding effort.
This year, attendees can look forward to letting loose to the Latin flavor from three well-known acts. Bachata Heightz began as four men in Manhattan, veering away from the streets and towards their musical passions. Climbing the ladder of success, they’re sure to bring tropical hip hop vibes while the south Bronx’s Don Sonero welcomes salsa beats to the stage paired with creative lyricism and social messages. Also making an appearance on the lineup is the seven-piece, Conjunto Cuboricua, ready to unleash the mixed musical stylings of Cuba and Puerto Rico with meringue and Caribbean nods as one of the Hudson Valley’s favorite acts.
Past festivals have displayed talents such as Tony Vega, Ray de la Paz, Jorge Blanco, Raulin Rosendo, Hector Tricoche, Alex Torres & his Latin Orchestra, Tito Rojas, Tony Swing, Anissa Gathers, Michael Stuart, Ismael Miranda, Jose Alberto ‘El Canario’, Chembo Corniel, Puerto Rican Power, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Frankie Negron, Kevin Ceballo, Luisito Carrion, Nestor Torres, Jimmy Bosch, Brenda K. Starr, Choco Orta, Larry Harlow and the Latin Legends, Joe Cuba, and many others.
Check out the Albany Latin Fest musical schedule below:
August 25 at Washington Park:
11 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. – Washington Park Rumberos
11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Triquis Sin Fronteras
12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. – SUNY Albany Great Danes Marching Band
Hot on the heels of their EP Repeater, King Buffalo has announced their sophomore full-length Longing To Be The Mountain, which drops Oct.12. The Rochester psych rock trio has returned to the states after a second summer touring Europe and entrancing audiences at some of the continent’s most renown music festivals. They’re currently on a trek across North America, ending with a stop in Toronto on Sept. 15.
Digital and vinyl preorders are being taken now for Longing To Be The Mountain. (Tip: King Buffalo’s vinyl records tend to sell out quickly. The test presses and deluxe editions are already sold out. There are only 250 Standard Editions being pressed, so if you’re contemplating a purchase, just go ahead an smash that ‘buy’ button. You can thank me later.)
King Buffalo Tour Dates:
Aug. 22 – 5 Star Bar – Los Angeles, CA
Aug. 23 – Tower Records – Fresno, CA
Aug. 24 – Thee Parkside – San Francisco, CA
Aug. 25 – Holy Diver – Sacramento, CA
Aug. 27 – The Loading Docks – Salt Lake City, UT
Aug. 28 – The Shredder – Boise, ID
Aug. 29 – The Pin – Spokane, WA
Aug. 30 – High Water Mark Lounge – Portland, OR
Aug. 31 – Highline Bar – Seattle, WA
Sept. 1 – Astoria Hastings – Vancouver, Canada
Sept. 2 -The Grind House Café – Kamloops, Canada
Sept. 4 – The Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club – Calgary, Canada
Sept. 5 – Bohemia – Edmonton, AB, Canada
Sept. 6 – Capital Music Club – Saskatoon, Canada
Sept. 7 – Cloud 9 Live – Regina, Canada
Sept. 8 – The Handsome Daughter -Winnipeg, Canada
Sept. 9 – The Aquarium – Fargo, ND
Sept. 11 – 7th St Entry – Minneapolis, MN
Sept. 12 – Cactus Club – Milwaukee, WI
Sept. 13 -The Pyramid Scheme – Grand Rapids, MI
Sept. 15 -Bovine Sex Club -Toronto, Canada
In a recent and major development from the Brooklyn-based funk band, Turkuaz, the nine member group announced they will be going on tour to promote their new album Life in the City expected to drop on Sept. 28. However, that is not all. For truly dedicated fans they have also released the massive “Lifetime in The City” giveaway which offers two album pre-order bundle options, each with its own benefit. For only one week, the options for the bundles include a limited edition colored vinyl LP, an album t-shirt, and a digital version of the album also gift wrapped in a limited edition Life in the City Nintendo Cartridge. The generosity of the giveaway does not end there as only one lucky fan will randomly receive a golden cartridge in their pre-order which guarantees free Turkuaz concert tickets for life.
This colorful and sensational group also released a music video for one of the nine tracks set to appear on this album, also named “Life in the City,” which highlights the creativity and barrier-breaking spark of city funk that each of them shines out. For the duration of October and November, New York fans especially will have several opportunities to witness these electrifying performers as they have an impressive five dates locked in for this highly anticipated tour.
See tour dates and tracklist below:
Oct. 4 – Westcott Theater – Syracuse, NY Oct. 5 – The Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY Oct. 6 – Putnam Den – Saratoga, NY
Oct. 11 – Songbirds – Chattanooga, TN
Oct. 12 – The Moonshiner’s Ball – Mt. Vernon, KY
Oct. 14 – The Blind Tiger – Greensboro, NC
Oct. 17 – Pearl Street Nightclub – Northampton, MA
Oct. 18 – Fete Music Hall – Providence, RI Oct. 19 – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY
Oct. 24 – The Firmament – Greenville, SC
Oct. 25 – Exit/In – Nashville, TN
Oct. 26 – Madison Theater – Covington, KY
Oct. 28 – Suwannee Hulaween – Live Oak, FL
Oct. 31 – Salvage Station – Asheville, NC
Nov. 1 – State Theatre – Greenville, NC
Nov. 2 – Fillmore Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA
Nov. 3 – The Anthem – Washington, DC
Nov. 8 – Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, PA
Nov. 9 – The Bluestone – Columbus, OH
Nov. 10 – Vogue Theatre – Indianapolis, IN
Nov. 11 – Elevation at The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI
Nov. 14 – The Waiting Room Lounge – Omaha, NB
Nov. 15 – High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI
Nov. 16 – Fine Line Music Cafe – Minneapolis, MN
Nov. 17 – Park West – Chicago, IL
Dec. 28 – TBA Dec. 29: Anthology – Rochester, NY
Dec. 31 – The Palladium Downstairs – Worcester, MA
Life in The City Tracks:
1.) Life in The City
2.) Superstatic
3.) Make You Famous
4.) The One and Lonely
5.) The Questions
6.) If I Ever Fall Asleep
7.) Lady Lovely
8.) Rule The World
9.) Fight The Fire
Flooding this past weekend caused a state of emergency that left Curveball organizers to make the difficult decision to cancel the music festival in Watkins Glen. The cancellation was a disappointment to music fans who were en route to the festival, but the aftermath of last week’s storm has had an ongoing impact on lives and businesses throughout the region.
Details were revealed on Phish.com about refunds for ticket holders, and also the plan to open an online store for Curveball merchandise, with proceeds going to flood relief and recovery efforts.
Those who purchased official tickets will receive a full refund of ticket prices, service fees and shipping automatically to the credit card used for the purchase. It will be a laborious process, and the festival organizers are asking for patience during this process. Those who purchased from a secondary market will need to contact the resale agent.
Ticket holders will still be able to redeem the code on their wristbands to view the Dick’s Webcast of all three shows in Colorado over Labor Day Weekend via livephish.com/redeem.
Curveball merchandise including T-shirts, posters, and Nalgene water bottles will be available for purchase online. All profits will go to flood relief and recovery. Curveball ticket holders will be given early access to the online store once it is up and running.
Check in at Phish.com or follow Phish on social media for updates.
This early August, world-renowned musician Bob Dylan announced the continuation of his “Never Ending Tour” taking place in the U.S. this fall. With destinations such as North Carolina, West Virginia, Florida, and many other southern states, it came as a surprise when the Stanley Theatre in Utica announced they would also be hosting a Bob Dylan performance. This one night special act will take place Thursday, November 15th at 8 p.m. He will also perform in Rochester the night before at the Auditorium Theater.
Since this tour was originally devised in 1988, Bob Dylan and his group have played all over the world and even hit the tremendous milestone of 2,000 performances all the way back in 2007 at a show in Dayton, Ohio. Dylan is currently completing his last set of shows in Australia before beginning the U.S. portion of his quite literal never ending tour with the first being in Phoenix, Arizona on Oct. 4 at the Coamerica Theater.
Fall 2018 Never Ending Tour dates
Oct. 4 – Coamerica Theatre – Phoenix, Arizona
Oct. 5 – Tuscon Music Hall – Tucson, Arizona
Oct. 7 – Kiva Auditorium – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Oct. 9 – Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center – Midland, Texas
Oct. 10 – The Pavilion at the Toyota Music Factory – Irving, Texas
Oct. 12 – River Spirit Casino Resort – Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oct. 13 – WinStar World Casino and Resort – Thackerville, Oklahoma
Oct.14 – Smart Financial Centre – Sugar Land, Texas
Oct. 16 – Heymann Center – Lafayette, Los Angeles
Oct. 17 – Mobile Saenger Theatre – Mobile, Alabama
Oct. 19 – St. Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, Florida
Oct. 20 – Ruth Eckerd Hall – Clearwater, Florida
Oct. 21 – Van Wezel Performing Art Hall – Sarasota, Florida
Oct. 23 – Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall – Fort Myers, Florida
October 24: Broward Center for the Performing Arts – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
October 26: Walt Disney Theater/ Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts – Orlando, Florida
October 27: Macon City Auditorium – Macon, Georgia
October 28: Tivoli Theatre – Chattanooga, Tennessee
October 30: Mark C. Smith Concert Hall – Von Braun Center – Huntsville, Alabama
October 31: Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, Tennessee
November 2: Thomas Wolfe Auditorium – Asheville, North Carolina
November 3: Durham Performing Arts Center – Durham, North Carolina
November 4: North Charleston Performing Arts Center – North Charleston, South Carolina
November 6: Johnny Mercer Theatre – Savannah, Georgia
November 7: The Bell Auditorium – Augustus, Georgia
November 9: Ovens Auditorium – Charlotte, North Carolina
November 10: Berglund Performing Arts Theatre – Roanoke, Virginia
November 11: EKU Center for the Arts – Richmond, Kentucky
November 13: Covelli Theatre – Youngstown, Ohio November 14: Auditorium Theatre – Rochester, New York November 15: Stanley Center for the Arts – Utica, New York
November 17: Hard Rock Hotel – Atlantic City, New Jersey
November 18: Symphony Hall – Springfield, Massachusetts
November 20: Palace Theatre – Waterbury, Connecticut
