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)
On The Cinder hits the road again this fall with stops as far as Canada. The run starts off Sept. 5 in Buffalo, where the trio formed the band in 2012. They head west to Detroit on Sept. 6, then have a run of five shows north of the border, including Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal before circling back to the states for a Sept.13.
The fun-loving crew recently released a music video for their song “Soap Box,” in which drummer Tyler Rzemek gets fed up with being in the background and kidnaps bandmates Jason Wright and Mike Jacobs. Hilarity ensues as the antics and props grow more and more incredulous.
On The Cinder Great Lakes, Eh? Tour
Sept. 5 – Hotel Dalmatia – Buffalo, NY
Sept. 6 – The Sanctuary – Detroit, MI
Sept. 7 – Probably House – London, ON
Sept. 9 – Doors Pub – Hamilton, ON
Sept. 10 – Bovine Sex Club – Toronto, ON
Sept. 11 – Black Squirrel Books – Ottawa, ON
Sept. 12 – L’Esco – Montreal, QC Sept. 13 – The Town Shop – Syracuse, NY
News of a Slayer farewell tour hit many in the metal community hard, but in a year of farewell tours, it’s not surprising that this Huntington Park, CA band, created in 1981, would call it a day.
Joining Slayer on this final trek across North America were fellow thrash metal veterans Anthrax and Testament, current thrash flag-bearers Lamb of God, and British grindcore pioneers Napalm Death.
Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway of Napalm Death
It would be easy to say that this lineup of veteran thrash legends is a cash grab nostalgia tour, but nothing could be further from the truth. All five bands are touring on current releases. Critics have proclaimed the latest Anthrax and Testament releases among the best of their respective careers. This was a lineup of bands still fresh, despite several decades of headbanging that left fans of each band wanting more.
New York-based Anthrax had an especially strong contingent of fans in attendance, as lead vocalist Joey Belladonna is a native of Oswego, a short drive from the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater. Anthrax, always the historians, opened and closed their set with a tribute to the recently deceased Pantera drummer, Vinnie Paul. The band opened with the riff from the Pantera classic, “Cowboys From Hell” and closed with the same, sending those in attendance into a headbanging frenzy. Anthrax, particularly bassist Frankie Bello, is one fun band to watch perform.
While most of the show was an exercise in headbanging for the largely 40-something crowd, Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe added some acrobatics to his band’s set, invariably leaping from the riser at the front of the stage.
Napalm Death performed a career-spanning set, including a slightly extended version of their song, “You Suffer.” This track, from Napalm Death’s debut album Scum, has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the World’s Shortest Recorded Song at 1.316 seconds long. Make some time to hear that below:
Slayer bid a fond farewell to a standing ovation following a raucous “Angel of Death” from the band’s classic Reign in Blood album. Their setlist was dotted with songs covering their entire career, including the opener, the title song from their latest album, Repentless.
Setlists
Slayer: Repentless, Blood Red, Disciple, Mandatory Suicide, Hate Worldwide, War Ensemble, Jihad, When the Stillness Comes, Postmortem, Black Magic, Payback, Seasons in the Abyss, Dittohead, Dead Skin Mask, Hell Awaits, South of Heaven, Raining Blood, Chemical Warfare, Angel of Death
Lamb of God: Omerta, Ruin, Walk With Me in Hell, Now You’ve Got Something to Die For, 512, Engage the Fear Machine, Blacken the Cursed Sun, Laid to Rest, Redneck
Anthrax: Cowboys From Hell (Pantera cover) (Jam), Caught in a Mosh, Got the Time (Joe Jackson cover), Madhouse, Be All, End All, Evil Twin, Antisocial (Trust cover), Indians
Testament: Brotherhood of the Snake, Rise Up, Dog Faced Gods, The Preacher, Practice What You Preach, The New Order, Into the Pit, Over the Wall
Napalm Death: Multinational Corporations, Instinct of Survival, When All Is Said and Done, Smash a Single Digit, Standardization, Suffer the Children, Silence Is Deafening, How the Years Condemn, Scum, You Suffer, Dead, Nazi Punks Fuck Off (Dead Kennedys cover)
Syracuse’s Palace Theater is presenting a day of summer jazz at the storied Eastwood playhouse Aug. 19. The CNY Young Lions of Jazz will feature the William Gorman 4tet with guest vocalist Gabrielle Gorman.
Tickets for the all ages show are $12 and available at the Palace Commons Cafe, Sound Garden and Ish Guitars in Syracuse. They can also be purchased online through Brown Paper Ticket.
Three acts will open the show. The Lawless Jazz Collective, feature trombonist Jake Lawless, guitarist David Millen, drummer P.K. White, bassist Sean Peters, and tenor saxophonist Jacob Penner.
The Nick Fields Trio, led by Fields on jazz trumpet and vocals also features Dave Solazzo on piano and Josh Dekaney on drums.
Drew Serafini & Friends rounds off the lineup. Guitarist Serafini will be joined by Dunham Hall on saxophone, Sean Peters, pulling double duty on bass, and drummer Keenan LeBlanc. Vocalist Aaron Ruiz will join the band for two songs during their set.
William Gorman is a Syracuse native an a senior at William Paterson University pursuing a degree in Jazz Piano under the tutelage of pianists Bill Charlap and Harold Mabern. He’s an active member of the New York City jazz and blues scenes and has an impressive array of credits to his name.
Gorman was recently in blues legend Joe Louis Walker’s touring band, where he performed throughout the United States and abroad, including a performance at Syracuse’s Funk ‘n Waffles in January 2017.
Gabrielle Gorman is also a Syracuse native, now living in New York City. She possesses a unique voice and can manuever among several genres with ease. She has a B.S. in Musical Theater and a M.S. ABT in Theater and Performance Studies from the University of Buffalo.
Joining the Gormans in the 4tet are saxophonist Sarah Hanahan. Hailing from Hartford, CT via Marlborough, MA, she has performed with Dave Pietro and Tom Palance and recently appeared at the Caramoor Jazz Festival.
Drummer Eric Dupont was born and raised in New Hampshire and has studied under Winard Harper, Horacee Arnold, Bill Goodwin, and Billy Hart.
Bassist Vincent Dupont recently enrolled in the Jazz Studies program at William Paterson University. He was a participant in Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center in Washington as well as the Ravinia Steans Music Institute in Chicago.
This summer’s concerts have been heating up for sure. Friday July 27 was no different when four time Grammy winner, Pat Benatar and her long time husband/guitarist Neil Giraldo co-headlined the Vine at Del Lago along with another 80’s icon, Rick Springfield.
Pat and Neil have been performing together since 1979 and have been an unstoppable husband and wife team since 1983. Together they have written and produced many gold and platinum and multi-platinum hits including “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”, “Love is a Battlefield”, “We Belong”, and “Invincible”.
At just about 9 p.m., the seasoned musical veteran performers hit the stage with their band and kicked right off into “All Fired Up”, “We Live For Love”, and “Invincible”. The dynamic duo of Pat and Neil had the sold out audience at Del Lago fired up for sure, as no one was quite sure who would be performing first on the bill, Rick or Pat and Neil.
Their sound was like pure vinyl. If you closed your eyes, it was as good as a recording. Flawless. Pat’s vocals were simply powerfully amazing as she hit all the high notes effortlessly, especially on “We Live For Love. Neil’s guitar work is just plain brilliant. His technique and playing style that has defined the Benatar sound for nearly 40 years remains perfect never missing a lick, bend or nuance.
Their set included a stripped down, acoustic side as well when they performed powerful “Shine” intimately for the audience. “Shine”, released in 2017, was written in support of the women’s rights movement, and the record reflects the Shine Together Movement, which is her voice to hopefully affect positive change in the world and government. This was a beautifully performed acoustic number.
Finishing out the twelve song set, was a very cool rendition of “Heartbreaker” with a few twists thrown in including a medley of Cash’s “Ring of Fire”, Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”, The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army”, and a cool little “Godfather Theme” instrumental.
After nearly forty years of making hit after hit, Pat and Neil have pretty much proved that they are in fact invincible.
Setlist: All Fired Up, We Live for Love, Invincible, Promises in the Dark, We Belong, Disconnected, Hell is for Children, You Better Run, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Love is a Battlefield (Encore: Shine, Heartbreaker
As with every year, the beautiful summer months have flown by so far and here at New York State Music, we are determined to make sure you make the most out of the sunshine left. If you are looking to pack the whole month of August with unforgettable live music performance at great venues throughout New York, look no further than this cheat-sheet of all the upcoming action.
Buffalo – Nietzche’s
Nietzche’s has been beating those Monday blues all summer long by making Happy Hour a lot more jazzy for Buffalo. If you have not made your way to Jazz Happy Hour this summer, be sure to get there before August is over.
August 6th – Well-rounded vocalist Kristen Smigielski will be treating the crowd at the first Happy Hour of the month to her true forte: jazz. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see one of Buffalo’s best. Event link.
August 13th – No strangers to the New York State jazz scene, Dejesus and Warne Trio will be bringing their bluesy jazz style on the second Monday of the month. Event link.
August 20th – Buffalo-based songwriter and musician, Adam Bronstein, will be making his way back to Nietzche’s and taking over Jazz Happy Hour on the 20th. Event link.
August 27th – To end a summer full of the happiest of Mondays ,The Duo+ will be providing food for the soul in the form of their powerful performances of classics and new takes on old jazz standards. Event link.
Syracuse – Funk ‘N Waffles
August 2nd – All the way from Portland, Oregon, do not miss your opportunity to spend the night listening to the rock and roll stylings of singer/songwriter, Jerry Joseph, as he performs with special guest Charley Orlando. Event link.
August 3rd – Brooklyn-based Americana and alternative country band, Yarn, has brought crowds from far and wide to their shows and will be treating Syracuse to experience their music with special guest Old Dear Ensemble. Event link.
August 8th – For a night full of smiles and good vibes, Kendall Street Company will be stopping by on their Summer Tour at Funk ‘N Waffles along with Vintage Pretty. For fans of psychedelic, alternative and jam rock music and beyond, this show is sure to be a can’t miss event. Event link.
August 9th – Handmade Moments will be bringing their rich, musical flavor of alternative folk music, paired with the diversely beautiful, “no rules,” sounds of the up and coming duo, Dizzy Heart. Event link.
August 10th – There is nothing quite like a good night full of good ole Americana music, especially when it is delivered from Upstate New York favorite group, The Old Main. Did we mention it’s free? Event link.
August 11th – Brutal By Design presents a night full of hot hip hop featuring Diabolic, Reef The Lost Gauze, as well as Syracuse-based musician, Timothy J. Event link.
August 14th – The New Daze is reuniting for one night and one night only to revive their “organic psychedelic rage,’ for all those who have missed it so much. Make sure to make it out for this electrified performance as they are joined by Kansas Wine. Event link.
August 16th – Delivering the sounds of the South right to your friendly neighborhood Upstate New York venue is just what The Prestage Brothers Band will be doing on the 16th of August. Event link.
August 23rd – It is bound to be a packed night of out of this world music as alternative blues group, Late Earth, performs accompanied by the experimental sounds of The U.S. Americans, as well as Cosmonaut Radio.Event link.
August 25th – Brownskin Band and Joe Driscoll will be taking over Syracuse’s Funk ‘N Waffles for a night that honors American folk in the funkiest way possible. Event link.
August 29th – Mungo’s List covers it all and is sure to have a sound that will please fans of every genre from jam, to jazz, to soul, to maybe more niche interests such as “spacey,” music as well as, “spooky,” music. 6-piece funk band, Butter, will also be coming along to ensure that the funk is spread as much as possible to attendees of this sure to be memorable show. Event link.
August 30th – Pop-driven, but diversely inspired group Major Player will be returning to their roots in Syracuse to perform in the place where their stellar sounds were born. Event link.
August 31st – To end out an incredible month at Funk ‘N Waffles, Danielle Ponder & The Tomorrow People will be performing music that is sure to make you think, feel, and most importantly, dance. They will be joined by Candian funk, rock and soul group, After Funk. End your month with a bang and come enjoy the sounds of these two powerhouse groups! Event link.
Rochester – Funk ‘N Waffles
August 1st – Starting off month of August at Rochester’s Funk ‘N Waffles on a funky note will be groups Stig and Fakaui on the 1st. Event link.
August 2nd – If you just cannot wait until Yarn and Old Deer Ensemble play Syracuse’s Funk ‘N Waffles on the 3rd or, better yet, just want to see them twice, come on out for their performance in Rochester the night before! Event link.
August 3rd – Sonic Garden, Buffalo’s own authentic Grateful Dead tribute band, will be playing the DSO After Party. Come out to celebrate the music of an incredible band as this talented group of musicians revive all your favorites. Event link.
August 8th – Kris Lager Band will be bringing revivalist rock and heavy soul to Rochester with special guest and Rochester-native group Stationary Escape Pod, who will be performing their blend of Americana, progressive rock, blues and more. Event link.
August 9th – After the Kendall Street Company shows off their psychedelic funk with special guest Vintage Pretty in Syracuse, the next stop of their tour will be Rochester on the 9th. Don’t miss out on another opportunity to catch these two incredible acts! Event link.
August 11th – Rochester Black Pride is proud to be bringing you Summer Nights: Starring Trina at the Music Hall. Trina is one of the most consistent and praised female rappers and will be performing her music that not only has been enjoyed by so many, but has done so much to change the world of hip hop. Don’t miss this opportunity to see her live! Event link.
August 23rd – Nth Power will be bringing a spiritual, powerful, soulful and goose bump worthy performance with Quintuple and it is sure to be an uplifting experience you do not want to miss. Event link.
August 14th – She is Detroit’s Queen of the Blues and she is coming to Rochester to show Upstate New York just why. Make sure to come experience Thornetta Davis live for an unforgettable and funky performance. Event link.
August 18th – It is never a bad time for a Chicago Blues kind of night, and that is just what Frank Bang and The Cook County Kings will be providing on the 18th. Event link.
August 22nd – Joe Marcinek All Star Super Jam is every last bit of fun that it sounds like it will be. As every one of their performances features different artists, this Rochester show will include Alan Evans of Soulive, Steve Molitz of Particle and members Freekbass. Event link.
August 28th – To bring a healthy dose of reggae and blues for the month, Aaron Kamm and the One Drops will be performing with special guest Delilah Jones. Event link.
August 29th – Continuing the reggae into the following night with a mix of R&B will be Mutlu, who will be coming through on his The Almost Famous Tour, with special guest and pop artist, Wes Williams. Event link.
August 31st – The grand finale to such a grand month full of great performances will be brought to you by Kevin Kinsella. Come out for the last night of August and enjoy his acoustic soul and reggae sounds. Event link.
The Devon Allman Project begins a swing through New York Tuesday, July 24, with a stop at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock. This is followed by dates in Rochester, Albany, Baldwinsville, and Pawling. The man with the legendary Allman Brothers bloodline has teamed up with another Allmans progeny, Duane Betts on a tour that has both men joining forces to display their own projects as well as pay tribute to their fathers’ legacies. NYS Music recently sat down with Allman to discuss the tour, being a father and the state of music today.
Mike Kohli: So is the band starting to gel yet?
Devon Allman: Oh yeah, we rehearsed really hard six months prior. We were doing three to five days a week rehearsal for six months. I wanted us to come out already primed.
MK: You’re working with Duane as well on this tour.
DA: Yeah, he’s got a new EP out. He was in his dad’s band for years and a band called Dawes for maybe a year or two. So this is like the first time he’s come out and done his own stuff, fronted his own band. It’s exciting. He’s great.
MK: You’re sharing a rhythm section?
DA: Yeah, it’s an eight-piece band at the end of it. It’s a brilliant thing.
MK: Doing the tour with Duane Betts, a guy you kind of grew up with. This is something you guys, in a way, dreamed of doing, correct?
DA: We were hanging out with our dads. Their band was experiencing a pretty big renaissance. But that’s where we made our first bond just from being on that tour. I don’t think when we were kids we really had dreams of playing together, but as we grew into adults and started touring and making records, we talked about it. We knew it would be special. And that’s really what it’s all about. We don’t want to go out there and be a tribute band. There’s only one Allman Brothers. But we can certainly do our part to help keep some of their music alive.
MK: What was the trigger that made you guys decide, “We need to do this together?”
DA: It was just timing. I lost both parents inside of five months. I took a year off. I didn’t have the heart to go and perform. So I kind of rallied around my family. I spent a lot of time around my siblings and my son. Duane was wrapping up with Dawes. I knew I was going back out there. And I wanted to go back out there in a bigger fashion. So it made sense to team up. Timing is everything.
MK: So you’re going to be in Syracuse soon. You make your home in St. Louis, right? That’s a big BBQ town. (Laughs). Are you a partaker of the BBQ?
DA: So they say (laughs) I mean, I go back and forth with being a carnivore and not being a carnivore. St. Louis is really a big baseball town and a good blues town. And we have our own pizza. A lot of people don’t realize there is a St. Louis-style pizza and it’s amazing.
MK: Well, if you’re in a carnivorous stage while you’re up here, be sure to check out some of our BBQ.
DA: Is that where Dinosaur is? Oh yeah, I’ve partaken.
MK: Did you always feel that pull to become a musician? You were obviously exposed to music at a young age. Did you want to become a musician right off the bat?
DA: I fell in love with music when I was four years old. My mom used to spin a lot of vinyl. I was infatuated from then on. I saw my first concert at nine. I saw Cheap Trick. When Rick Neilsen pulled out that five-neck guitar, I mean that was it. The epitome of cool. I have to get in on this immediately. I started playing guitar at 13. I had dreams of it but I really never thought I’d get to do what I do. I just thought it was an untouchable magic act to tour and make records. I got lucky and I got to do it. And I put a lot of work into it too.
MK: You’re producing too, right? Also started your own record label?
DA: Yeah, it’s gonna launch this fall. I’m excited about it. I want to give some younger artists a chance to develop a following, become bonafide recording artists. I haven’t put a record out since Ride or Die. That one came out in, I think, late ’16. I’m definitely due. I’m going in the studio this fall so I’ll have a new record out in probably January.
MK: Is that going to come out on your label or are you going to shop it around?
DA: I’ll shop it around. We’ll see.
MK: I have a son the same age as yours. Does he have any interest in music? Are you persuading, dissuading him in regards to music?
DA: I’m really letting him feel his way. He played piano for years and years and he played some guitar. I don’t know. He starts college in the fall and he may end up playing music, he may not. I’m not really sure. But I would never persuade him and I would never try to steer him away from it either. I think his love affair, his passion, his career, that’s gonna be up to him.
MK: Absolutely. This is a bit of a scary time for me. This is my first kid going to college. You just hope you did things right along the way, ya know?
DA: I mean, I’ve spent 45 years either being somebody’s son or being a father to a son. That’s all over, it’s scary new territory. It’s exciting, but it’s also sad. I’m gonna miss having my kiddo around every night.
MK: What do you listen to?
DA: I spin vinyl at home, keeping my mom’s tradition alive. I probably have 500 records. It’s everything, man. There’s Nigerian jazz to thrash metal to Miles and Coltrane. I like to listen to jazz when I’m cooking. I cook a lot. Man, there’s everything.
MK: Any new artists that have been catching your ear lately?
DA: Yeah, man, Caroline Rose. She’s a badass. She really is. She’s a gifted songwriter and storyteller and singer. She’s great. I love the new Lucero record. Always loved Lucero. They’re from Memphis, friends of mine. I love just about everything from Jason Isbell lately. I love his records. He’s a friend. There’s good new music out there. You just have to dig for it.
MK: Do you recognize a renaissance of outlaw country happening, in artists like Isbell and Sturgill?
DA: I think it’s more a renaissance of organic music in general. Doesn’t matter the flavor. I think people that really get into music are looking for something that is real. There’s so much crap out there.
MK: Do you think a lot of it has to do with the environment the country is in now?
DA: No, I think it has to do with the fact that somewhere along the way, it might have started with MTV, ya know, as soon as you could become a TV star by way of music video, I think people started wanting to get into music to become a star, not to make good music. And that’s where it really started getting shitty. If somebody grabs a guitar and wants to tell you a deep story about something they’ve been through, that’s gonna hit you a lot harder than someone who grabs a guitar because they want to be on TV. I guess, since time immemorial in music we’ve had that. There was bubblegum music in the ’50s and ’60s. So it is what it is.
MK: So you have a good stretch of Upstate NY shows coming up, hitting up Woodstock’s Bearsville Theater. Have you been to Levon Helm Studio?
DA: No, I haven’t.
MK: Well, if you ever get the chance, that’s like a church.
DA: Yeah, I know. I’m a huge freak of The Band. I just got their whole vinyl collection, every album. Amazing.
MK: Speaking of Woodstock and taking in sites, do you ever get a chance to take in the towns that you’re touring through or is it more a load in, play your show, head on to the next?
DA: I’m able to a little bit more now because we finally graduated up to a tour bus so we’re arriving to the towns, waking up around 10:00 – 11:00 on the bus, ya know have the whole day until you get called for soundcheck. I went and did a little guitar shopping in New Orleans, vinyl shopping, got to take my men out for sushi in NYC, try to make the most of it.
MK: It’s good to finally have a bit of that luxury, if you will.
MK: We’ll see you on your upcoming Upstate dates. Thanks for your time.
DA: Thanks for your time today, I appreciate you. We’ll see you up north soon.
The Devon Allman Project is currently on tour with Duane Betts. New Yorkers have several opportunities to catch this unique show. Betts opens the show, performing music from his recent EP using Allman’s rhythm section. Allman follows with a set of his own material and for the encore, all the musicians take the stage to pay tribute to the Allman Brothers.
The tour hits Baldwinsville’s Bud Light Amphitheater at Paper Mill Island on Saturday, July 28. Tickets are still available for the show through Ticketfly.
Devon Allman Project/Duane Betts Tour Dates:
July 24 – Bearsville Theater – Woodstock, NY July 26 – Party in the Park – Rochester, NY July 28 – Bud Light Amphitheater – Baldwinsville, NY July 29 – Darryl’s House – Pawling, NY
Aug. 3 – Flood City Music Fest – Johnstown, PA
Aug. 4 – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille – Warrendale, PA
Aug. 5 – Music by the Bay – Ajax, ON, Canada
Aug. 7 – Music by the Bay – Ajax, ON, Canada
Aug. 8 – Kent Stage – Kent, OH
Aug. 9 – Arcada Theater – Saint Anne Woods, IL
Aug. 11 – Riverside Park – Rushville, IN
Aug. 12 – Prairie Magic Music Festival – Valparaiso, IN
Christian Lopez, will once again return to Syracuse for a spectacular outdoor show at the home of Ed and Ellen Griffin Friday July 27 at 7:00 p.m.
Currently touring in support of his second album, Red Arrow, Lopez is quickly making a name for himself with his high energy soulful sound. Red Arrow features rock, pop and country vibes, featuring guest appearances by the legendary Vice Gill and Kenneth Pattengale of the Milk Carton Kids.
Last year over 100 people attended Christian Lopez’s first outdoor house show where he and his band rocked at a fast pace featuring songs from his first album, Onward, a preview of a few songs from Red Arrow, and great covers from Bill Withers and Levon Helm. This young man has been featured as one of Rolling Stone’s “Best Newcomers” and continues to collect fans as he makes his way across the nation.
For only $20, attendees are welcomed into a comfortable and beautiful home setting with food, drinks, and evening of amazing music in this private showing. For more information on how you can attend this year’s must-see performance, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/EastSyracuse/ChristianLopezBandConcert.
Buffalo native and current New Orleans resident, Ani DiFranco will perform at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater on Sept. 16 on her fall tour, Creative Concerts announced Tuesday.
Ani DiFranco
The folk singer-songwriter, activist, poet and entrepreneur released her 20th album, Binary, last year and is touring with a renewed vigor. DiFranco described a breakthrough moment that hit during the writing of the pro-choice anthem “Play God” from her latest album:
When I wrote the line ‘You don’t get to play God, man/I do,’ I paused and thought, ‘Can I say that?’ It’s not the first time I’ve thought that, but it’s been a while. And in that moment, I thought, ‘I’m back, mothafuckas!
Tickets for the all ages show are $35 in advance and $40 the day of the show. They go on sale Friday, July 20 at 10:00 through the Westcott’s website.
Peter Mulvey is the support act for this show. Mulvey wrote the song “Take Down Your Flag” following the shooting at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC in June 2015. After his first performance of the song opening for DiFranco in Northampton, MA, Mulvey put out an invitation to other artists to add verses. Mulvey’s introduction video is below, followed by DiFranco’s version, where she is accompanied by Ivan Neville and Terrance Higgins.
Ani DiFranco Fall Tour:
Sept. 15 – Grand Point North Festival – Burlington, VT Sept. 16 – Westcott Theater – Syracuse, NY
Sept. 28 – Lyric Theatre – Birmingham, AL
Sept. 29 – Center Stage Theater – Atlanta, GA
Sept. 30 – The NorVa – Norfolk, VA
Oct. 1 – The Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PA Oct. 3 – Le Poisson Rouge – New York, NY
Oct. 5 – Somerville Theatre – Somerville, MA Oct. 6 – Bardavon 1869 Opera House – Poughkeepsie, NY
Nov. 4 – Delta Hall at Eccles Theater – Salt Lake City, UT
Nov. 6 – Vancouver Playhouse – Vancouver, BC
Nov. 8 – The Neptune – Seattle, WA
Nov. 9 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
Nov. 10 – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR
Nov. 12 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
Nov. 14 – Palace Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 15 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ
Nov. 17 – Granada Theater – Dallas, TX
Nov. 18 – Emo’s Austin – Austin, TX
Nov. 19 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
Check out DiFranco’s Tiny Desk Concert from last year below:
August 2nd – All the way from Portland, Oregon, do not miss your opportunity to spend the night listening to the rock and roll stylings of singer/songwriter, Jerry Joseph, as he performs with special guest Charley Orlando. 
Mike Kohli: So is the band starting to gel yet?
