Amy Helm’s album This Too Shall Light comes out Friday, September 21 on Yep Roc Records. Produced by Grammy-award winning producer Joe Henry, this 10-track album delivers on illuminating a whole different side of Helm’s already unique songwriting style. Amy Helm left the comfort of her home in Woodstock, NY to record in Los Angeles at Union Recording Studios over a span of just four days. Along with a cast of stellar musicians and collaborators, Helm was able to pull together a collection of original songs and some covers to create a sonically vibrant album, guided by her rich vocal reflections, on the cyclic essence of life. While her past work was a bit more raw production wise, this album makes great use of stacked gospel harmonies while maintaining the fidelity of the instrumentals. Each song offers a steady build, but each also occupies a different level on the dynamic spectrum keeping the motion of the songs interesting.
Something that stands out when the album is looked at as a whole is the organic feel of each recording. While the production is not pristine, it effectively acts as a nod to the authentic nature of the music, as well as the authenticity of Helm herself. She and her band went into the studio for four days without having really rehearsed the songs, giving the performances a feeling similar to that of Astral Weeks by Van Morrison. This experimentation, and the overall leap out of the comfort zone, payed off big for Helm in a genre mixture where authenticity breeds emotion. One song that stuck out was her original piece, “Odetta.” It sums up a lot of what the album is about musically; the loose interplay between the guitar and piano along with a percussive sync between the bass and subtle drum line give the song a steady pulse and interesting variety of melodic lines. Stacked on this are wonderfully produced and performed gospel harmonies. Helm’s pristine transitions from full-voiced resonance to her elegant lead voice are stunning. Her dynamic range is huge, and she’s able to emote the lyrics by the difference in her tonality. From her note attack to how she slowly fades out her lines, her control is apparent.
Amy Helm was able to carve out a fresh sound on a few covers, and offered a couple tribute songs to her father, Levon Helm (The Band). One of these tributes, a cover of the hymn “Gloryland,” showcased just how well these featured vocalists (Allison Russel, JT Nero, Adam Minkoff, and Doyle Bramhall II) can lock in with Helm and each other to create bright and vivid harmonies which sound like one big voice singing together. From the album’s beginning to end, the harmonies shine through the mix of just about every song and give them a characteristic gospel taste. Whereas the instruments tend to keep it on the loose side, these harmonies are air-tight without being overproduced – they were mixed in stereo to great effect. While the album doesn’t feature too much original material, Helm is able to make the covers interesting in a manner different than the originals. Specifically, in “Freedom for the Stallion” (Allen Toussaint’), Helm’s cover is steeped in gospel influence, and her vocals give the song new character, as she breathes a different perspective into the strong set of lyrics. She and the band are able to do this effectively throughout the album. It would be great to see more original work, but this is understandable since the timeline was so short, and that shortened timeline was a gamble that ultimately paid off. Overall, both the covers and original compositions that are on this album are wonderful and show signs of things to come as Amy Helm continues to build her discography.
Key Tracks: Odetta, Gloryland, Freedom for the Stallion
My birthday parties typically consist of pizza and ice-cream cake. For Hudson Valley resident Lee Mazzola’s birthday, there were more than twenty bands for Mazzstock with hundreds of celebrators dancing and socializing in addition, of course, to pizza and ice cream.
The (family) friendly atmosphere at Mazzstock.
The party, dubbed Mazzstock, took place from August 24-26 on a back road in Marlboro, NY. While my wife Lauren and I could only attend Saturday’s festivities, everything we overhead confirmed our own time was representative of the overall experience: an intimate hangout among friends and neighbors, where overbearing security and a daunting list of rules were unnecessary; a small patch in the Hudson Valley hills with nonstop music and carefree families.
AB/CD rocker
Before I arrived at the music, here’s an anecdote that aptly encapsulates the Mazzstock milieu: I took a brief shuttle ride from parking to the festival, driven by an apparently crotchety, ponytailed and mustachioed middle-aged man named Steve, who could’ve easily passed for a farmer, trucker, original-Woodstock-survivor, or all the above. After jolting the van to a stop at the music drop-off point, Steve overheard another older gentleman, a curious neighbor who didn’t realize paid tickets were necessary. The gentleman asked Steve to drive him back to his car, disappointed, since he couldn’t pay for the ticket. Steve replied, “Hell no, brother. You take one of my tickets. I bought a bunch because the guy running this shindig is a helluva guy and one has your name on it. You’re staying all weekend, my friend.”
Hours later, I saw the older gentleman enjoying himself plenty and hoped that Steve was somewhere nearby partying, too.
Chris Owens of The Other Brothers
When I did finally arrive at the music area, a soccer field-sized clearing with a smattering of people around two smallish stages set up on the woods line, New Paltz’s The Other Brothers were playing. Led by flamboyant frontman Chris Owens, the nearby natives entertained for forty-five minutes. His backing band churned out funk led by steady percussion while Owens pumped his legs and wrung his hands, belting out soulful vocals. Owens’ voice was pleasant and his presence was vibrant and I was nicely surprised with The Other Brothers.
The weather was unimpeachable—sunny and seventy, the humidity had finally dissipated—and Lauren and I wandered around the festival grounds before the Alpha Male Gorillas took the stage. Kids (and grownups) were running around, dancing and hooping, everyone in high spirits. A communal bonfire smoldered in the middle of the grounds and revelers played cornhole and beer pong as music wafted from the background.
The Alpha Male Gorillas bluesy beginning.
Back at the stage, the Alpha Male Gorillas began their long set with a few bluesy ballads. The vocals were gravelly and the riffs were plucky, a nice changeup from the preceding bands’ jams. To the chagrin of the crowd, they threw a curveball and welcomed a couple rappers to the stage for freestyling midway through the set. Covering a large gambit, they played everything from Nate G to Bob Marley. Festival namesake Lee Mazzola jumped on stage during the set to announce they were the only band who’s played every Mazzstock and the growing crowd vehemently approved.
While the Alpha Male Gorillas wound down, everyone scooted to the second stage for what turned out to be the highlight of the night. As the sun set, funk powerhouse Kung Fu took the stage and, from first note to last, catalyzed a phrenetic dance eruption. Early in their set, I overheard someone tell his friend, “There’ve been some good sets this weekend, but these guys are next level professionals.” I couldn’t have agreed more.
Kung Fu rocked Mazzstockers as each bandmate took his turn soloing and harmonizing, a tightknit unit firing on all cylinders. At the end of lengthy jams, a uniquely Kung Fu riff snapped the crowd back to the chorus, before they cast off into another crescendo.
Kung Fu lit up the night.
An extensive drum solo from Adrian Tramontano highlighted the set while guitarist Tim Palmieri and tenor saxophonist Robert Somerville were constantly in sync, shifting between lead and rhythm roles. As with every able funk outfit, bassist Chris DeAngelis thwapped away tirelessly on the bass and keyboardist Beau Sasser rounded out the lineup with an upbeat performance on the keys.
Two hours after they took the stage, Kung Fu left and a feeling of dazzled awe settled in the air. Late at night and with a long ride ahead of us, Lauren and I called it a night and walked back to the shuttle, bragging about the day we had just experienced.
I was a little disappointed that Steve was still on duty as he dropped us off to the car. But, he said, he would be raging tomorrow.
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
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:
Brooklyn’s Sister Sparrow has announced the release of the new album GOLD. The album arrives at all music retailers and streaming services via Thirty Tigers on Friday, Oct. 12th.
Photo courtesy of Sister Sparrow’s website.
The album’s first single, “Ghost,” is set to release Friday, Aug. 3. In addition to this, Sister Sparrow will also be celebrating the new LP with a major U.S. tour, joined as always by her extraordinary brass-fueled combo, the Dirty Birds.
GOLD is produced and co-written in collaboration with Carter Matschullat (Chef’Special, Secret Weapons) at Brooklyn’s DØØM Studio. The LP takes the classic Dirty Birds sound and turns it into something altogether new, a soul-blasted contemporary pop approach supremely suited for Kincheloe’s immense voice.
“The GOLD Tour” begins August 30 in Athens, then travels the country through early December. The tour will include a performance with Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats on Sept. 15 at Thompson’s Point in Portland, Maine. Additional dates will be unveiled soon.
For more information please visit Sister Sparrow’s website.
The GOLD Tour:
Aug. 30 – Athens Summer Concert Series – Athens, NY
Aug. 31 – Levitt Pavilion Steelstacks – Bethlehem, PA
Sept. 1 – Blues, Views And BBQ – Westport, CT
Sept. 14 – Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival – Fredericton, NB
Sept. 15 – Thompson’s Point (w/ Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats) – Portland, ME
Sept. 16 – Grand Point North Festival – Burlington, VT Sept. 21 – Westcott Theater – Syracuse, NY Sept. 22 – Borderland Music and Arts Festival – East Aurora, NY
Oct. 31 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
Nov. 1 – Founders Brewing Co.Grand – Rapids, MI
Nov. 2 – Otus Supply – Parliament Room- Ferndale, MI
Nov. 3 – Mr. Small’s Theatre – Millvale, PA
Nov. 8 – Infinity Music Hall Hartford – Hartford, CT
Nov. 9 – Theatre Of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA Nov. 10 – Swyer Theatre, Empire Center At The Egg – Albany, NY
Nov. 15 – Brighton Music Hall – Allston, MA
Nov. 29 – 9:30 Club – Washington DC
Dec. 1 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY
Dec. 5 – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA
Dec. 6 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA
One of rock and roll’s steadiest drummers from Springsteen’s E Street Band and former Late Night and Tonight Show bandleader brought a unique show to the Paramount in Peekskill on June 8, with the tour being billed as Max Weinberg’s Jukebox. No quarters or record-flipping were required for this all-request live show.
With Bruce Springsteen currently active on Broadway with his residency at the Walter Kerr Theatre through December 2018, Max Weinberg made well with the down-time from the E Street Band’s touring schedule to put on a tour where the audience picks the setlist each night from a roster of 200+ songs from rock and roll history.
Given that, it might appear to be just another mediocre cover band show but after just a couple of songs that illusion was broken. The familiarity of the tunes in the setlist was a quick grab for the crowd while Weinberg’s character and reputation as an excellent drummer (and the talent of the rest of his band) brought the audience in close to the music. For those familiar with Weinberg’s time as Conan O’Brien’s late night TV musical sidekick, plenty of his on-camera humor had shown through during some dialogue between songs while being quite down to earth.
The live-request show format was definitely unique for a concert, especially for someone who’s been a major name in the business during a lengthy career. The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen seemed to be favorites of the crowd that night with a few songs from each making their way on stage from requests. In proper fashion, Weinberg closed the show with two Springsteen tunes, “Promised Land” and “Glory Days,” inviting anyone from the audience on stage for the final song to sing along.
Setlist: She Loves You, Fortunate Son, American Girl, I Wanna Be Sedated, The Weight, Honky Tonk Nights, (And Your Bird Can Sing, White Room, Friday On My Mind, Pink Cadillac, I’m A Believer, Highway To Hell, All Right Now, Rebel Rebel, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Little Elvis, I Walk The Line, I Can See For Miles, Wipeout, A Summer Song, Pretty Woman
Circles Around The Sun just announced five East Coast shows in August to support their upcoming double album, Let It Wander, available Aug. 17 on Rhino Records. The run begins in Asbury Park, NJ, followed by dates in Brooklyn, Ardmore, PA and Burlington, VT before concluding at Huichica East Festival in New York’s Hudson Valley.
Photo courtesy of Circles Around The Sun’s press release.
Circles Around the Sun (CATS) was originally only supposed to record a handful of Grateful Dead-influenced instrumentals to be played during the set breaks at the Dead’s “Fare Thee Well” concerts in 2015. But between the positive response to the tracks and the band’s enjoyment in making music together they decided to keep the band going.
Their new album, Let It Wander, is a new beginning for the band as they move beyond their original music which was trying to evoke the spirit of the Dead and allows them to fully embrace their own personality. The album’s first single is called “Immovable Object” and shows just how the band in moving away from their Dead inspired sound to music with filled with musical turns leaving the listener not knowing what to expect next.
Among the album’s highlights is “One For Chuck,” which features a surprise cameo by Chuck D himself. The leader of legendary hip-hop pioneers Public Enemy just happened to stop by the studio while the band was listening to a song they’d just recorded and ended up creating an intro for the track.
The band is comprised of guitarist Neal Casal and keyboardist Adam MacDougall (bandmates in the Chris Robinson Brotherhood) along with bassist Dan Horne (Jonathan Wilson, Grateful Shred) and drummer Mark Levy (We Dream Dawn, Bonfire Dub). Let It Wander will be released on limited edition vinyl, CD and digital formats. Pre-Order is available now.
For more information on Circles Around The Sun visit their website.
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.
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.
The Hot Rize 40th Anniversary Bash album is a recording of Hot Rize’s live performance at the Boulder Theatre over the course of three sold out shows in January of this year. The album will include 19 tracks from these three sold out shows.
Hot Rize is known for being one of the most respected and influential bands in bluegrass music. The 40th Anniversary Bash shows Hot Rize’s broad appreciation for soulfulness and their conscientious balance between traditional and experimental bluegrass which is a hallmark of Hot Rize since their inception.
Hot Rize is made up of Nick Forster on bass, Pete Wernick on banjo, Tim O’Brien on mandolin and fiddle, and Bryan Sutton on guitar and they were joined during their Boulder three nights performance by longtime musical friends Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, and Sam Bush.
Hot Rize’s 40th Anniversary Bash will be available on CD and vinyl (double LP) and will be released via Ten in Hand Records and distributed through The Orchard. The band will play the Ryman Auditorium on July 12th as their Nashville CD release show, as part of the Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman series.
The celebration will also be making a stop in Oak Hill, NY for the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival as one of the Friday headliners on July 20. Their complete tour dates are listed below.
Check out the newly released video for “Colleen Malone” below the tour dates.
On tour:
July 12 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
July 20 – Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival – Oak Hill, NY
July 29 – Rockygrass – Lyons, CO
Aug. 31 – Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival – New Castle, DE
Sept. 1 – Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival – Brunswick, ME
Sept. 2 – Rhythm and Roots Festival – Charlestown, RI
Nov. 2 – The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries – St. Louis, MO
Nov. 9 – Peoples Bank Theatre – Marietta, OH
For more information on Hot Rize visit their website.
Amy Helm’s album This Too Shall Light comes out Friday, September 21 on Yep Roc Records. Produced by Grammy-award winning producer Joe Henry, this 10-track album delivers on illuminating a whole different side of Helm’s already unique songwriting style. Amy Helm left the comfort of her home in Woodstock, NY to record in Los Angeles at Union Recording Studios over a span of just four days. Along with a cast of stellar musicians and collaborators, Helm was able to pull together a collection of original songs and some covers to create a sonically vibrant album, guided by her rich vocal reflections, on the cyclic essence of life. While her past work was a bit more raw production wise, this album makes great use of stacked gospel harmonies while maintaining the fidelity of the instrumentals. Each song offers a steady build, but each also occupies a different level on the dynamic spectrum keeping the motion of the songs interesting.
Mike Kohli: So is the band starting to gel yet?
