Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival runs July 19 through July 22 and is located on the Walsh Farm in Oak Hill, New York. New this year is the addition of Billy Strings as the festival’s first Artist-in-Residence.
Billy Strings courtesy of the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival press release.
Grey Fox is a welcomed mix of Grammy, AMA, and IBMA award winners, long-time fan favorites, exciting rising stars, and unique collaborations. Grey Fox is known for presenting the genre’s top artists, producer Mary Tyler Doub feels it’s as important to bring exciting up-and-coming young bands. These bands are from around the country and come to the festival as part of it’s emerging artist showcase where discerning bluegrass fans get to hear them for the first time. Festival organizers have put together an extensive Spotify playlist of this year’s Grey Fox performers. Check that out here.
Billy Strings is known for being a blazing young singer and multi-instrumentalist. He has been building a huge fanbase with his bluegrass in overdrive whenever he appears. Not only will he be performing with his red hot band he will also be sitting in with various artists, hosting hot jams, and meeting fans all weekend. He’s listed by Rolling Stone as one of the top ten new country artists you need to know, and have dubbed him the “Bluegrass Prodigy.”
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival is known for its outstanding lineup, relaxed camping, friendly atmosphere, stellar jam sessions, flawless organization, and warm hospitality. It has six stages, hands-on workshops, demonstrations, beginner slow jams, dancing and dance lessons, tented and open-air venues, fresh ethnic and festive foods, top notch vendors, a very popular family stage, and a four-day Bluegrass Academy for Kids. Grey Fox is a haven for all ages from toddlers to teens; young singles and couples to older adults. Four-day passes (including camping) and day tickets are now on sale on their website.
For more information and updates as they happen, visit the Grey Fox website.
On July 6, 2018 the Trey Anastasio Trio (with Ray Paczkowski) made their 2018 New York debut at the Central Park Summerstage to a small gathering of fans that felt more like a friendly summer barbecue than a major concert in the middle of Manhattan. If Madison Square Garden is Phish’s house, then that makes Central Park Trey’s backyard, and the pre-show vibe in the park was reflective of that as the intimate vibe of the venue gave the feeling that people were visiting their old friend, Trey, for his annual Fourth of July bash. Originally billed as Trey Anastasio Trio show, the lineup was changed at the last minute to feature to the Classic TAB roster with the return of keyboardist Ray Paczkowski following the removal of a brain tumor earlier this year.
The show got started with an airy ‘Blaze On’ opener which featured a loose jam and more open space then Phish’s version of the song. The band took their time developing the groove, and established a light, summer vibe early on which they would carry with them throughout the first set. TAB’s ‘Cayman Review’ followed and kept the breezy vibe going as the crowd began to fill in and people began to loosen up. Paczkowski’s first solo of the night was received with a warm cheer from the crowd, who was clearly overjoyed with his presence that evening, as was the rest of the band based on the smiles exchanged on stage. The ‘Everything’s Right’ that followed featured Trey’s first taste of darkness of the evening as the band developed a spinning groove around his sludgy, building jam. The mysteriousness nature of the jam gave the feeling of early cave paintings; dark, yet stripped down art that draws the mind in and keeps it wondering.
‘Heavy Things’ brought back the summer vibe as the band delivered a standard, bouncing version of the song before the band started their second big extended jam of the first set, ‘Gotta Jibboo.’ The Jibboo featured a patient, yet playful jam which featured bassist Tony Markellis finding his way deep into the pocket as Trey and Ray went back and fourth on fills. They eventually built the solo to a relatively aggressive Jibboo peak before flawlessly synchronizing the ending of the jam to the final verse. The ‘Party Time’ that followed was high energy and appropriate, as the entire set felt like a big summer party. Following the song, Trey joked with the crowd stating that ‘Party Time’ was written by his favorite songwriter of all time, a man who also wrote the great ‘Ass Handed’, the one and only Jon Fishman.
‘Miss You’ came next and gave the band a chance to catch their breath as Trey delivered an incredibly passionate rendition of the song. The band did a great job of capturing the vibe of the song while Trey delivered a heartfelt solo, which had the crowd hanging on his every note. They brought the energy back up for the set closer, ‘Sand,’ as Trey had a mission to close the set out with a bang. The jam resembled fractals as Trey expanded outward on multiple ideas and drummer Russ Lawton laid down tribal beats. The rising energy of the song built the jam to the strongest peak of the first set just before smoothly slipping into the final refrain as if nothing happened when the band exited for set break.
While the first set was all about breezy summer vibes, the second set showed the band exploding through space. They returned to the stage with a strong rendition of ‘No Men In No Man’s Land’ to start the second set, which seemed like a much more stripped down version of the song as compared to Phish’s. The loose structure lead to a spacy jam featuring Trey messing around with his pedals to create a wormhole effect over the crowd. Paczkowski’s slippery solo alongside Trey’s spacy tone gave the song a buttery vibe, with just enough darkness mixed in to make you forget what they were playing. Once the band reached an appropriate peak, they kept the ambient vibe going with delay-heavy ‘Ghost.’ The ‘Ghost’ creeped along with all four members adding their own flavor, taking their time it as if they were providing ominous music for a midnight riverboat ride through the jungle. They eventually built the energy up to a high point, and ended the song on a strong, guitar-oriented peak.
The ‘Camel Walk’ that followed may have been the biggest surprise of the evening, as Trey reworked the song to make it more upbeat and funky than Phish’s version. Trey was clearly having fun throughout the entire song as he delivered playful fills, an increased tempo, and a swinging jam. Played with the energy of a 1992 ‘Poor Heart,’ Trey showed us that his fingers are still just as nimble than ever. They brought the set back into the shadows with a rendition of ‘Dark and Down’ that can only be described as euphoric. As the band peaked on a delicate, soaring jam, the sun dropped perfectly between two buildings to the west of the park. It felt like Trey was waiting to play the song until he was ready to bid the day goodbye, and the cotton candy sky above the trees in the park was exactly what he was waiting for.
Continuing with the spacy theme of the set, they dropped into the fun-loving ‘Soul Planet’ once the night settled in. The crowd truly was “spinning through space” as Trey played around with his pedals to create a funky, spaced out energy that breathed positivity. The song reached a lively peak with Trey shooting laser beams around the park, before dropping back into the darkness with a very strong ‘Steam.’ Like other songs this evening, TAB left much more open space in the song structure of ‘Steam’ which gave the song a very different feel than that of a Phish show. While Trey did show off a bit with his fills, the verses were more interesting not for the notes that were played, but for those that weren’t. They eventually built the jam into an almost disturbing, alien spaceship peak with the crowd hanging on for their lives as they cannonballed through an asteroid field of light and sound before coming together for a clean ending of the song, which acted as the band’s final visit to deep space.
The ‘Undermind’ that followed brought funky energy back up, and the fun-loving, breezy jam was reminiscent of the first set. The final, and arguably strongest, peak of the second set came in it’s closer, ‘Push On ‘Til The Day.’ The dark funk kept the crowd enticed, as Trey played like a madman ripping through the final solo. There were multiple times where the band could have finished, and everyone would have been happy, but the band was obviously having the times of their lives and had no plans to stop as they built an almost uncomfortable amount of tension out of the jam. The euphoric release of the jam had the crowd yelling for more as they band took their bows and exited the stage.
Trey came out by himself for the first part of the encore, as he worked through beautiful renditions of ‘Waste,’ ‘Strange Design,’ and ‘More.’ The crowd was absolutely silent and respectful for Trey’s playing, to the point that you could hear lightning bugs zip by your ears in between notes. The ‘Waste’ was particularly magical as you could hear Trey’s voice get raspy while he teared up singing it. The crowd sang along quietly enough to hear Trey, but loud enough for the park to hum its melody. After ‘Waste’ he told a story of how he could see the building where he took his first guitar lessons and thanked his parents for the opportunity to make his dreams come true. It was truly an intimate moment between Trey and the crowd, one that anyone in attendance will not soon forget.
Following the trio of acoustic songs, the rest of the band came back out to properly close out the night in the park. They shuffled through a sludgy ‘Alaska’ with Trey creating muddy effect with his pedals before closing out the night with the TAB classic ‘First Tube.’ The blissful instrumental featured a high energy solo and gorgeous peak which left the crowd wanting more. Overall you couldn’t ask for a more perfect evening in the park, and with how rehearsed and confident Trey seemed, there is much to look forward to for the rest of the summer.
Trey Anastasio Trio 7/6/2018 Setlist via Phish.net:
Set 1: Blaze On, Cayman Review, Everything’s Right, Heavy Things, Gotta Jibboo, Party Time, Miss You, Sand
Set 2: No Men In No Man’s Land, Ghost, Camel Walk, Dark and Down, Soul Planet, Steam, Undermind, Push On ‘Til the Day
Encore: Waste [1], Strange Design[1], More[1], Alaska, First Tube
Southern rockers Drive By Truckers took a free night amid their Summer tour with Tedeschi Trucks Band and The Wheels of Soul tour to play a rocking show in Woodstock, NY. The Colony, a beautifully restored building in the heart of Woodstock, hosted a full house of excited fans, braving the heat, to hear the five piece group play some of their time-tested favorites along with some new songs that will appear on their next album.
Facing these turbulent times the only way they know how, The Drive By Truckers tackle today’s issues with straight forward and honest lyrics. Showing that they’re in the same boat as many of us, trying to make sense of a world that is making less and less sense.
Southern rock and roll rose up in Saratoga Springs at SPAC on July 3rd, with special guests led by Greenville, South Carolina’s Marcus King Band, Tuscaloosa, Alabama’s Drive-By Truckers and Jacksonville, Florida’s Tedeschi Trucks Band. If that lineup of musicians doesn’t conjure images of extended soulful guitar solos and rock n roll in the vein of The Allman Brothers Band, you may need to eat a peach. Over three hours of combined music, these three bands combined for one of the most rockin’ shows this year, and a treat for anyone able to see the Wheels of Soul tour and is treks across New York State and the country this month, headed west for a two-night run at Red Rocks in Colorado.
Opening with “Tell the Truth,” TTB’s love for Clapton shone on both ends of the set, with “Key to the Highway” appearing later in the set. “Don’t Know What it Means” with its blaring horn intro and Tedeschi’s pipes never fails to get bodies moving, and a giant sax bridge from Kebbi Williams segued perfectly into “The Letter.” A smooth jam in “Little Martha/Midnight in Harlem” preceded covers of Dylan’s “Down in the Flood,” and the Stevie Wonder written/The Band performed “Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever,” then punctuated by “I Want More,” an original that crescendoed like a rock orchestra, ending with thunderous drums from the duo of J.J. Johnson and Tyler Greenwell.
The earlier performers of the evening were welcomed to the stage eagerly by both band and audience. Drive by Trucker’s Patterson Hood joined in on “Let me roll with it,” a sing along featuring double driving guitar via Hood and Trucks. Marcus King joined on guitar and vocals for Clapton/B.B. King’s “Key to the Highway” where Mike Mattison showed monster presence with his powerful vocals. To close the night, the band welcomed Eric Krasno of Lettuce and Soulive fame and Tash Neal from London Souls for an enthusiastic “Statesboro Blues.”
There is as mantle for the wider Allman Brothers Band family, including Gov’t Mule, Les Brers, Great Southern, Derek Trucks Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and many more yet to come. To see any is to experience the full southern rock band sound, the real deal, every time.
Setlist (via setlist.fm): Tell the Truth, Part of Me, Don’t Know What It Means, The Letter, Little Martha/Midnight in Harlem, Down in the Flood, Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever, I Want More, Let Me Roll It*, Laugh About It, Key to the Highway^, Shame, Bound for Glory Encore: Statesboro Blues+
* w/ Patterson Hood
^ w/ Marcus King
+ w/ Eric Krasno, Tash Neal (London Souls)
The first ‘Bite’ sinks raw into your gums, perking your ears with sound. Harsh Armadillo and their latest four-track EP release is uninviting to the easy-listener. Regardless, you delve in for seconds and it becomes clear- there is no turning back. It’s “quick, punchy and powerful,” said vocalist Andrea Belaidi.
Bite hooks your lip and reels you deep into the 24-minute storyline of Harsh Armadillo on the rise.
Since their inception in 2013, the New Hampshire based ensemble is out for blood. Harsh Armadillo debuted their first full-length album Thayer It Is in 2014 and quickly began to draw crowds of 700 or more. Harsh Armadillo was named New England Music Awards’ Best Band in NH (2017) and has shared the stage with bands like The Nth Power, Kung Fu, Twiddle, After Funk and Kat Wright.
The seven-piece is equipped with keyboards, synth and organs, saxophone, trumpet, guitars and drums making their soundscape endless. R&B, funk and soul roots create a whirlwind of driving dance grooves that are paired with slow feel-good vocals and melodic leads throughout the EP.
Bite was recorded at Iron Wax Studio in Erving, MA with Alan Evans of Soulive. “Working in Alan’s studio was like getting catapulted through a black hole and emerging with no pants or conception of time,” siad Max Harris (saxophone, vocals). Harsh Armadillo looks up to artists like Evans which made the four day recording endeavor energetic and natural for the band. “It was just wild seeing how Alan did his thing,” said bassist Thomas Forbes.
“The EP all works together in sequence. These songs are comprised of bits and pieces that make it different,” said Max. The band recorded the album together – all in one room, whereas it is typical for bands to record each part layered independently. “The intention was for it to be a cohesive unit. There’s something about proximity,” that makes it all flow, said Max. “We learned that it was okay to have bleed into the drum parts.”
“Gravy” starts the EP off smooth, building in volume, before the drums and horns crash in unison. The groove is sharp and interrupts with syncopated off-the-beat phrases. Male and female vocals, funky guitar licks and changing drum and bass grooves drag your head from left to right with your feet. The feel livens up in the bridge with syncopated snare, contrasting horn pads and rolling bass fills. Soon you timehop, fired-up for the hot saxophone solo in “Two Wishes and a Truth.” When playing these songs “we want someone like ‘Sput’ from Ghost Note (one of our idols) to turn around and say: What was that?,”added Forbes.
The new songs are all about pushing the envelope. Spoken-word rap in “Animal” contrasted by Dmitrys’ synth leads expand your mind. When the band digs through the bridge they become unstoppable, in full break dancing force. Songs like “Live Action” are amped up and refreshing from the laid back push-and-pull of the rhythm section. It drives hard, so you better hang on.
Guitarist Camden Riley felt that the EP is “one tiny seed planted; It is a landmark of how we are as a unit [at this moment in time].” According to the band’s press release, “The EP is about biting hard into life and being the most unapologetic version of yourself possible. A lot of the songs have this swaggy feel that everyone’s frothing over these days. I think Questlove calls it drunk drums. Either way it’s an addiction. It takes a team to get this feel.”
Harsh Armadillo is cueing up for the second EP release of the series within the next few weeks. Evolving with the changing times of the music industry Max Harris felt “You can’t put an album out every two years and still be relevant.” Harsh Armadillo’s second release “Blame Bad Habits” was exactly that – two years in the making, which became boring by the time it was ready to drop. Thus, the ensemble is ‘keeping it loose’ as they move forward not only as a band, but moreover as a tight-knit collaboration of friends.
For those wondering about the ‘moldy basement’ – it’s Dmitrys’, the bands keyboard player. “It [actually] is moldy,” added Dan [the band laughs]. To this day, Harsh Armadillo continues to practice in the same stinky rehearsal space where they were founded. “That’s where the fun comes in.” It allows Harsh Armadillo to sound raw, capturing a live feel effortlessly on Bite. “An idea sparks the song…and then we start arguing in the most exciting sense of the word. The idea is growth – to push the bar one-hundred percent.”
“Stay Harsh, Dan.”
Key Tracks:
“Gravy” is one thick serving of horns, backed by ‘2’ and ‘4’ on the snare. It cuts right to the groove and sucks you into the song. Tight melodic hits occur when you least expect it and the drums continue to push and pull you in time. Andrea’s smooth vocals, add the right amount of soul, half way through the track.
The EP would not be complete without “Live Action.” As their press release describes, “It tracks the speed of the missile and shoots just enough in front of it to hit it.” With lightning speed it is too energetic to soak up the funk from each instrument. Guitars take the spotlight early on with hot, up-beat rhythm and a blazing guitar solo within the first minute of listening. It is ever-changing. “Live Action,” is all Harsh’s best ideas morphed into one; from funk to a jam band with heavy synth-lead, to soulful vocals and back around again.
Most days of the year, Gibbs Street in Rochester’s East End is a quiet side street you’d drive by without taking much notice. Though for 9 days in late June, it gets renamed Jazz Street and the surrounding area becomes a vast musical hullabaloo. Big tents are erected, rock clubs become jazz clubs, and churches morph into ornate high-ceilinged music venues. Food vendors come by truck, tent and cart. Police blockade traffic while happily allowing open alcohol containers in the streets. A tale of such excitement would hardly be believed, had it not occurred every year for the past eighteen years. This was the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival’s 18th season, and this is what we saw.
We saw over 40 different artists in 16 different venues. The music was inescapable. Whether blasting from the Jazz Street Stage, the Chestnut Street Stage, the Fusion Stage, the outdoor speakers at the Big Tent, or from the multitude of quality musicians busking on every corner of every street, even passing between Club Pass venues was filled with sweet sounds.
True to the Fest’s mantra, we saw artists we knew and we saw artists we didn’t.
We saw familiar festival alumni return in a not-so familiar way.
Norwegian piano trio, In the Country, made their third visit to the festival this year. Though this time they backed singer Solveig Slettahjell and guitarist Knut Reiersrud in a group called Trail of Souls. They opened and closed with Norwegian folk songs and in between sandwiched an invigorating set of American gospel, folk, blues and rock. Reiersrud’s guitar was angular, jarring, beautiful and fluid while Slettahjell’s voice fell somewhere between Cesaria Evora and Nina Simone. Her hands extended out, fingers hitting invisible keys in the air, playing her vocal chords like a piano. Highlights include a piano and voice duet on the traditional “Motherless Child,” a flourishing spacey take on Peter Gabriel’s “Mercy Street,” and a stunning slow building “Nobody’s Fault But Mine.”
Cuba’s Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez have both played the festival as leaders of their own bands. This year they returned together as a duo, a mini-Cuban supergroup. The two played from an album they just recorded and will be out early next year. Rodriguez’s head rolled on a swivel as he engaged in entrancing and hypnotic piano solos. Martinez had a full palette of congas to make his percussion sing. Both also sang, eventually involving the audience in singing the chorus to a traditional Cuban song.
Adventurous piano trio The Bad Plus returned to the festival after a ten year absence. This year the band experienced their first lineup change, replacing founding pianist Ethan Iverson with Orrin Evans. The Bad Plus has always been the sum total of the musician’s personalities. Iverson was fairly rigid and controlled with a heavy classical influence. Evans brings in a looser more free-wheeling attitude. The music then was more fluid, the band took more improvisational risks, and even delved into a more traditional swinging jazz sound at times. The band hit on a few classics like “Big Eater” and “Anthem for the Earnest” but really focused most of their attention on their new material like the manic “Safe Passage” and the aired out beauty of “People Like You.”
We saw yet another church turn into a temple of jazz worship. Joining the Christ Church and Lutheran Church, the newly renovated Temple Theater, or Grace Road Church, became the latest venue on the Club Pass series. Plentiful comfortable seats, great sight lines, beautiful stained glass and pristine sound made it one of the best venues and just another reason to praise jazz-us!
We saw a trumpet player sing and a singer play trumpet. Nicholas Payton returned to the festival for the third time. On his last visit in 2016 he played trumpet and keys simultaneously, but the set was cut short by a fire alarm. This year he added a keys player to make a quartet. It would be too easy for him to stick to just the trumpet, so he added singing to his repertoire, taking the vocals on his ‘derangement’ of “How Deep is the Ocean” and for a piece based on an essay by Max Roach called “Jazz is a Four Letter Word.” He even had the Kilbourn Hall audience rapping along by the end of that one.
The aptly named vocalist, Jazzmeia Horn, on the other hand, turned her voice into an instrument. Her classic interpretation of jazz standards got turned on their head once she started scatting. Impossible sounds emerged from her mouth as she pushed the human voice to exciting new realms. It’s possible the best trumpet player we saw at the festival didn’t even play the trumpet!
We saw younger jazzmen turn the acoustic, electric.
It isn’t so much that Moon Hooch is a trio consisting of two saxophones and a drummer. It’s how each is played. Saxophones of all kinds, bass, electronic and everything in between, were run through ample effects to create sounds previously alien to jazz and the world in general. With a ruleless and ruthless onslaught of massive noise the band had the crowd shaking their bones voluntarily or otherwise. The band didn’t so much as stop to breath for their full hour set in the Big Tent, leaving absolutely no room for woulds or coulds. Shirtless ten minutes in, drummer James Muschler held the dance party together with EDM-ready beats and his own bout with a soprano sax and even some off-kilter bangs on a baby grand.
U.K.’s Gogo Penguin are a more traditional trio, with piano, bass and drums. Though more subtle with the electronics, they still packed a punch. Chris Illingworth had the piano wired in such a way that he could play acoustic and electric sounds simultaneously. Nick Blacka had his double-bass running through an array of pedals befitting a rock band. Drummer Rob Turner appeared to be fully acoustic though his beats veered into electronic music territory. The energy driving the music ebbed and flowed, with more swells than breaks and an incredibly big sound from three men.
We saw artists from islands to the west, and islands to the east.
Hawaii’s Ron Artis II, shaped guitar sounds from his axe like molding putty in his hands, effortlessly throwing short bits of brilliance this way and that. His trio, The Truth, rode with him every step of the way as he conquered blues, funk and soul, sometimes all at once, in a set that wowed an ever-growing crowd inside the Big Tent venue.
Through the Made in the U.K. series held at the Christ Church there was plenty of great music from across the pond. One of our favorites were Beats n’ Pieces Big Band, who sported a 9-piece horn section as part of a 14-man ensemble that made them the largest band to ever play the venue. It’s songs often ended in explosions of chaos, sounds bouncing every which way around the cavernous hall.
We also loved young vocalist Zara McFarlane, who injected more traditional jazz with 70s soul grooves and reggae, reaching into her Jamaican heritage. Though she was the leader, the band wasn’t reserved for backing duties, the music was much more of an equal parts affair, giving everyone plenty of space to shine.
We saw some pretty unusual jazz instruments.
Brooklyn trio House of Waters shined a spotlight on the nearly-forgotten hammered dulcimer. In a stunning set at Max of Eastman Place, Max ZT played a hammered dulcimer that he built himself, in pieces ranging from funky to rocking to hypnotic. Moto Fukushima played the bass as a lead instrument, eliciting a sound reminiscent of Victor Wooten keeping the music in constant movement.
Mwenso and the Shakes brought a completely unique twist to vocal jazz, breaking up normal song patterns into chunks, stretching here, punctuating there. Upping the ante on the unusual, the 8-piece band included a tap dancer. One song consisted of a mostly (or completely?) improvised tap dance and guitar duet that was simply incredible and incomparable.
We saw fed up citizens use their talent as a platform for protest. While it isn’t unprecedented for the artists at the jazz fest to get political, this year’s voices of protest were much more prominent and prevalent. Indeed there was an entire set dedicated to speaking out. Drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. presented his Songs of Freedom, featuring singers Alicia Olatuja and Theo Bleckmann interpreting the music of Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln. Songs written decades ago remain relevant today. Olatuja opened the set with a gorgeous take on “Both Sides Now” and finished it with an “Everything Must Change” that had some in the audience in tears. Bleckman put his spin on the all-too timely “Borderline” using filters and loops to stunning effect. He also had his voice sounding like an organ in a set highlight performance of “There’s a Balm in Gilead.”
Singer Deva Mahal‘s band came out dressed in white to show solidarity with those marching to protest families being ripped apart at the country’s border. In a set spanning pop, funk, rock and soul, she also exhibited some gospel influence, singing “Everyone deserves to be free / I would stand for you would you stand for me?”
Jazzmeia Horn used “Willow Weep For Me” to opine on the state of race in the country, singing about police brutality, private prisons and more.
Matt Wilson‘s Honey and Salt played from his latest project, putting music to Carl Sandberg poems. The set oozed with pure joy; musicians joking, laughing and smiling, music bouncing and bright. Fun as it was, it wasn’t without a serious note. Introducing the song “Choose” to close out the set, Wilson noted that while it was always relevant, it was even more so in the past 500 days. “The single clenched fist lifted and ready / Or the open asking hand held out and waiting / Choose: For we meet by one or the other.” The music resembled a march, and after the band’s final bows, they marched off stage chanting the words.
Honey and Salt closed out the programming at the Kilbourn Stage. As such, a line from another of the poems they played seemed quite relevant as well. “To know silence perfectly, is to know music.” After nine magical days, Jazz Street would be silent again.
For this is a festival that no one can beat! And to think that we saw it on Jazz Street!
Frends from around the globe converged on Mt. Ellen this past weekend for the Frendly Gathering 2018. The three-day event proved that the event’s foundation of music, camping, community and sustainability are viable cornerstones to a successful weekend. Music started with a Frendly Gathering pre-party on Thursday June 28. In perfect syncopation, the weekend concluded just as new laws legalizing recreational marijuana in Vermont took effect.
Despite minor rain showers as Frends arrived on Thursday afternoon, mother nature cooperated just as music started later in the evening. The beautiful blue skies continued throughout the weekend and the green mountains of Vermont served as the perfect backdrop to a weekend of thoughtful music, community and frendship.
Major highlights to the weekend included the events main headliners. Thursday night, Twiddle frontman Mihali Savoulidis joined Nakho Bear for a rare Mihali & Nahko set. The duo highlighted not only a variety of their own solo music, but also played a variety of cover tunes.
Savoulidis joined his Twiddle band mates on Friday evening where frends were treated to a two-hour set from the Vermont quartet. Most of the weekend attendees agree that while they missed multiple sets from Twiddle, the Frendly Gathering staple was still their weekend favorite. Andrew Chaney from Willsboro NY, who attended his third Frendly Gathering this year told NYS Music that Twiddle is always his favorite band to see with his frends. “The lyrics consume your mind, while the instruments consume your soul.”
For many attendees, it was Friday night’s Nahko and Medicine for the People set at the Pacificio Stage that highlighted their weekend. “There is something cleansing about Nahko’s music” said New Haven, CT native Jon Carlisle, “It’s the kind of music that makes you want to go out and put good into the world. And we need more of that in the world right now.”
On Friday evening, the Burton stage played host to both Kamasi Washington and Kat Wright, who both delighted frends with powerful and soulful sets.
On Saturday, bluegrass reigned supreme as both the Devil Makes Three and Greensky Bluegrass packed the Pacifico Main Stage. Just before midnight, Greensky Bluegrass Savoulidis joined the band for a cover of J.J. Cale’s “After Midnight” and Peter Tosh’s “Legalize It” in celebration of Vermont’s changing marijuana laws. Jamtronica fans enjoyed a powerhouse evening set from Emancipator while jam fans gathered early on Saturday evening for Spafford.
The weekend was highlighted by Frendly favorites Upstate (formerly Upstate Rubdown). The Hudson Valley based Appalachian soul powerhouse delighted fans with two sets as well as a pop-up set in the Martin Guitar dome. First year attendee Shane Smith from Manchester, New Hampshire was blow away by the band’s performance “Not just their music but their whole stage presence for both of their sets was perfect, “ he told NYS Music, “and wow can those girls sing!”
Throughout the weekend, several other artists garnered praise from those in attendance. Houston based Gulf soul outfit The Suffers weathered the heat Saturday afternoon with an even hotter set of rich, powerful tunes that pierced throughout the mountain side. “We didn’t make it to the main stage because we just wanted to stay under the shade at our camp, but we could hear The Suffers clear as day back at camp,” noted Alyssa Monarch, a first time Frendly attendee from Rochester, NY. “Their music was so powerful and the vocals so heartfelt, it didn’t matter where we heard it from because it just filled our entire crew with joy.”
Boston based electrofunk quartet Strange Machines kicked off Friday’s Burton stage with a high energy set. On Friday afternoon, Satsung drew a huge crowd, despite toasty mid-day temperatures. Other weekend notables included singer songwriter Kevin Morby and Canadian based indie folk group The Relative.
Beyond the music, the true star of the weekend was the Frendly Gathering’s volunteer team, most notably their massive sustainability crew. Upon arrival, campers were offered colored trash bags to ensure ease of sorting. Volunteers wearing bright pink shirts marked “Frendly Crew” maintained the festival grounds all weekend long as they worked in pairs not only picking up trash, but also keeping labeled trash cans properly sorted. According to Smith, these efforts help encourage him to also be a part of the clean-up process. “The volunteers I saw did an amazing job keeping the place clean,” he praised. “It made me happy and motivated to keep my site clean, too.”
The festival’s commitment to sustainability shined with Kleen Kanteen providing cold, filtered water for attendees. Food vendors provided quality food with little to no waste product. “Too many festivals offer basically only fried food,” said Smith, “but this place had a very good food selection and mostly healthy as well!” To help combat the heat, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream offered free samples throughout the weekend.
The Frendly Gathering also showcased a variety of vendors, crafts, workshops and products. Twiddle fan funded 501c3 the White LIght Foundation was on site raising money for two local charities, Vermont Family Forest and LoveYourBrain.
As the weekend concluded, many frends noted that it’s the festival’s pillars of music, community, camping and sustainability that makes Frendly Gathering more than just a typical event. “Bigger festivals can be so overwhelming, and you leave feeling like you’ve really left a footprint”, noted Monarch. “I appreciate the fact that the organizers, volunteers and frends understand that sometimes, it should just be quality over quantity. It makes you feel warm to be a part of it.”
10,000 MANIACS will be rolling into Cohoes Music Hall in Cohoes on Saturday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m.
Photo courtesy of their website.
10,000 Maniacs started in Jamestown, and were founded in 1981. They are known from the early “alternative rock” movement, having released close to 20 albums, including 2015’s Twice Told Tales and 2016’s Playing Favorites. They consistently tour not only the U.S. but abroad as well.
This year marks three significant anniversaries in the band’s history. Their first full-length recording was released 35 years ago. Secrets of the I Ching, which caught the attention of BBC radio legend John Peel, who brought the band to the attention of millions of listeners worldwide. 25 years ago and the second significant event happened; Mary Ramsey began her tenure as lead singer for the band. It was in that same year the 3rd significant thing happened, which was that 10,000 Maniacs made their iconic performance on MTV’s “Unplugged”; the released recording would go on to sell millions of copies.
In celebration of these milestones on their 2018 tour, 10,000 Maniacs will play select acoustic sets including songs from Secrets of the I Ching and MTV Unplugged as well as their hit songs. 10,000 Maniacs is comprised of Mary Ramsey, lead vocals,viola; Steven Gustafson, bass guitar; Dennis Drew, keyboard; Jeff Erickson, guitar; John Lombardo, guitar; and Jerome Augustyniak, drums.
Tickets for the all-ages event are $35.00-$55.00.
For more information call 518-953-0630 or visit Cohoes Music Hall’s website.
For more information on 10,000 Maniacs visit their website.
Berkshires resident and world-loved music legend James Taylor crooned to a sold-out crowd at Tanglewood July 3, the first night of his traditional two nights at the rural venue near his summer home. The crowd filled every inch of the manicured lawn with blankets, tables, chairs and fine dining accessories, clearly reflecting that this wasn’t the first JT concert attended by most fans. Inside seats were filled as the crowd sat in high humidity and heat, waiting with anticipation for the first set.
James Taylor was the first artist to set foot on the stage a little after 8:00, and he was met by cheering fans who quickly forgave the brief tardiness. The 70-year-old star appeared in his long pants, dress shirt and cap, and after brief waves, he slung his guitar over his shoulder as he sang “Carolina on My Mind.”
Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert
Taylor transitioned through both well-known pieces and some lesser-known songs in the first set. The light show, coordinated with the chorus and highlights of “Country Road,” seemed intent to remind the audience that they are indeed at a rock concert, not a folk concert.
It would be a bumpy first set, though, marked by amp problems, some pacing issues, and low energy from artist and crowd alike. At one point after “Frozen Man,” seasoned Taylor matched the key of the reverb from the amp and joked, “Do we have any songs in that key?” Using humor and his incredibly flexible vocals, Taylor kept the crowd engaged through some slower moments. He introduced band members throughout the first set, and indeed the band members, including 2 percussionists, a trumpet player, flute and saxophone player, three backup singers, pianist, fiddle and of course the customary guitar and bass, are an all-star band. Taylor turned to look at each artist as he or she performed, and genuinely reflected an appreciation for sharing the music with the artists.
Folksy and dancing little jigs, Taylor covered “(I’m a) Road Runner” and danced around the stage. This seemed to wake the audience back up, but there was a bit wrong with the rhythm section and the band seemed off the pace with one another. “Copperline” saved the set, though, with Taylor’s infallible voice finding its vertical pitches with beautiful ease. They rolled into “Handyman” and “Mexico,” bringing the crowd to it’s feet.
Before breaking for intermission, Taylor looked at the setlist and joked with the audience, pacing them for the twenty-minute break and promising “a lot of hits” in the second set. In between, he was on stage, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans.
The second set delivered on the hits, and more than compensated for any troubling moments from earlier in the night. Fans sang along to the most famous James Taylor tunes, swaying in the heat to “Something in the Way She Moves.” Taylor impossibly made himself even more human and relatable with a song about his dog, Sunny, and shared adorable pictures of the pug. Each song in the second set related to the human experience: loving someone, losing someone, having a dog, being a friend.
Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert
And that’s really why people go to see James Taylor – the articulation of their own very human experience. We go to be reminded that we aren’t alone in these hard emotions, and in fact everyone struggles with sadness, joy, and how to show love. “Shower the People You Love” brought the crowd to its feet, singing along and encouraging folks to do just that – show the love to those around you.
From “Sunny Skies” and “Walking Man,”the set transitioned to the faster, more intense rock feel of “Steam Roller.” Playing on a baby blue electric guitar, Taylor’s only electric guitar song featured some impressive riffs by the pianist, bassist, and sax players. Taylor waved his cap over the instruments, and jumped on one leg like an old time rock star, bringing gasps of joy and screams of love from the audience.
Filled with folks who had traveled long distances to get to Tanglewood, the crowd talked to each other with civility, gentleness, and a genuine interest in one another in the shed. Couples surrounding this reviewer came from New Haven, Rochester, and even Philadelphia. It had become an annual pilgrimage for many of them. When asked why the same smile crossed their lips, heads shook a bit in disbelief, and no one could really articulate a specific reason beyond loving the music. But with the encore of “You’ve Got a Friend,” fans were truly speaking their hearts. James Taylor is their friend, their company in easy and hard times alike.
Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert
During this time of low civility, isolation, and sad news of disparities in our country, the concert offered a quaint respite in songs lending empathy, kindness, and intelligence. As long as he’s performing at Tanglewood, clearly James Taylor has thousands of friends overjoyed to have him – and each other – on this American holiday weekend.
Setlist
Set One: Carolina in My Mind, Country Road, The Frozen Man, Never Die Young, Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, Road Runner, Nothing Like a Hundred Miles, Raised Up Family, Copperline, Handyman, Mexico
Set Two: Something in the Way She Moves, Sunny Skies, Walking Man, Up on the Roof, Steamroller, Sweet Baby James, Fire and Rain, Your Smiling Face, Shower the People, How Sweet it Is
Encore: Shed a Little Light, In the Midnight Hour, You’ve Got a Friend
Florence and the Machine released their newest album High as Hope on June 29 and it feels like a blast from the past, still holding that classic Florence and the Machine sound known and loved by fans. This fourth studio album by the them was released by Republic Records and Virgin EMI Records. Being a big Florence and the Machine fan, like many others, I waited to see what this new album would hold with a slightly skeptical eye. Not having been as impressed with their 2015 album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful as much as I would have hoped, I wasn’t sure how the new album would sound, but to my delight it didn’t disappoint in the slightest.
Florence Welch courtesy of Florence and the Machine’s Instagram.
The ten song album, which was produced by Welch herself along with Emile Haynie, had a very minimalistic feel to it that grounded it. The album started with the song, “June” which has these lines that say, “And you’re so high, you’re so high, you had to be an angel/ And I’m so high, I’m so high, I can see an angel” which immediately tells the listener what this album is about. It’s about struggle, it’s about belief or lack thereof, it’s about love, it’s about drugs. The song then moves on to one of its singles, “Hunger,” which focuses on all these points. It talks about Welch’s struggle with an eating disorder and has the lines saying, “We all have a hunger” over and over, showing that every person has some struggle in their life. For her, it was an eating disorder but it could it be something different for someone else. Her voice leaves the listener with this aching feeling of knowing that’s what pain suffered in solitude feels like. It’s a pain we all know but seldom talk about.
I could talk about each song in this much detail but then you would be left with a very long article so I’ll just talk about two more songs. The first song is “Big God” which was the other single off of the album and has the iconic lines, “You need a big god/ Big enough to hold your love/ You need a big god/ Big enough to fill you up.” This song really pulls into this minimal feeling of the album, having having the bass notes of a piano following it for half of the song before the rest of the ensemble comes in. But even this ensemble is a minimal one. This song, just like the others, has this continued theme of struggle and belief or lack thereof.
The other song which needs to given some proper attention is “No Choir” which is the last song on the album. It starts by saying, “And it’s hard to write about being happy/ ‘Cause the older I get/ I find that happiness is an extremely uneventful subject/ And there will be no grand choirs to sing/ No chorus will come in/ About two people sitting doing nothing,” which really stuck out to me as a listener. The song has this very melancholy emptiness to it which I believe is this acceptance that the whole album rounds back on. It’s an understanding that happiness doesn’t feel as great as sadness feels awful. That struggle, belief or lack thereof, love, drugs – they all make an impact on us and it’s what we do with that impact that matters.
Overall, I thought this was the best album Florence and the Machine has had since Between Two Lungs. It manages to keep an authentic Florence and the Machine sound with a more grown up set of topics. And it does this well, keeping itself well rounded between upbeat and mellow songs. The minimalist tracks throughout builds on this authenticity of the lyrics. It doesn’t need to be big and flashy to get it’s point across. In fact, being flashy would most likely only distract the listener from the main messages. You can listen to the entire album on Spotify.
For more information visit Florence and the Machine’s website.
