Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the movie “Alice’s Restaurant,” based on the song by Arlo Guthrie and to commemorate the occasion, Guthrie is arranging an extensive tour which will stretch from the fall of 2018 through 2020. The majority of shows just announced for this fall will take place in New York and surrounding states. They include a hometown show in Great Barrington, Massachusetts on Nov, 17 and a return to Carnegie Hall on Nov. 24. See the full list of dates below.
Guthrie wrote a folk song about a series of incredulous events that began on Thanksgiving in 1965. “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” struck a chord with the anti-war counterculture. By 1967 Guthrie had gone from playing small clubs to playing festivals and stadiums.
“Arthur Penn (who had just finished filming Bonnie & Clyde) heard the record when it came out in 1967,” recalled Guthrie in an interview with NYS Music. “He also happened to live in Stockbridge, where the events took place. He thought it would be a great idea to make it into a movie. And he did.”
For this tour, Guthrie will be joined on stage by longtime collaborators Terry “A La Berry” Hall (drums), Steve Ide (guitar, vocals), and Carol Ide (vocals, percussion). His daughter, singer/songwriter Sarah Lee Guthrie, will be opening each performance.
“I didn’t think I was gonna live long enough to have to learn ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ again,” Arlo Guthrie says with a smile. “It was a quirky kinda thing to begin with. Nobody writes an 18-minute monologue expecting fame and fortune. The initial success of the song really took me by surprise more than anyone else… I’m surely looking forward to it again being a centerpiece of my live repertoire.”
Arlo Guthrie Presents The Alice’s Restaurant – Back By Popular Demand Tour
Oct. 4 – Count Basie Theatre – Red Bank, NJ
Oct. 6 – Gordon Center for the Performing Arts – Owings Mills, MD
Oct. 7 – Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PA
Oct. 10 – Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center – Stowe, VT
Oct. 12 – Palace Theatre – Manchester, NH
Oct. 13 – Durgin Hall – Lowell, MA
Oct. 14 – Memorial Hall – Plymouth, MA Oct. 19 – NYCB Theatre – Westbury, NY
Oct. 20 – College Street Music Hall – New Haven, CT Oct. 21 – Paramount Center – Peekskill, NY
Oct. 24 – The Greenwich Odeum – East Greenwich, RI Oct. 26 – The EGG – Albany, NY Oct. 27 – State Theatre – Ithaca, NY
Nov. 1 – EJ Thomas Hall – Akron, OH
Nov. 2 – State Theatre – Kalamazoo, MI
Nov. 7 – Ron Robinson Theater – Little Rock, AR
Nov. 9 – Wildey Theatre – Edwardsville, IL
Nov. 10 – Wildey Theatre – Edwardsville, IL
Nov. 11 – Buskirk-Chumley Theater – Bloomington, IN
Nov. 16 – Infinity Hall – Hartford, CT
Nov. 17 – Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center – Gt. Barrington, MA Nov. 24 – Carnegie Hall – New York, NY
More dates will be announced. Stay up to date on ArloGuthrie.com.
While most people typically have fond memories of their college years, there are always incidents you look back on that left a bad taste in your mouth. Maybe it was that horrible breakup with your first “true” love, the time you had to repeat a class because a professor wouldn’t give you that .05 bump in your GPA, or the night you got arrested for what you thought was legally swimming in the pool of your friend’s apartment complex at 5 a.m. For Steely Dan founding members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, the black stain left on their memories of Bard College occurred on a night in May when a swarm of sheriff’s deputies swept through the campus and arrested the two, as well as 50 other students, for marijuana possession. The incident was immortalized in the 1973 single “My Old School.”
Becker and Fagen met at Bard College in the Hudson Valley hamlet of Annandale, NY in 1967, and bonded over their shared love of jazz, dark comedy, science fiction, and Kurt Vonnegut. Their songwriting collaborations began as somewhat of a gag; writing silly little tunes on an upright piano in a small room of the lobby of Ward Manor, an old mansion on the Hudson River that the college converted to a dorm. As they played together more, they became more serious about their craft and eventually evolved into the perfectionist jazz rock powerhouse they have since been known for.
In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s Bard College was a very hip place to be with stars like the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Bobby Neuwirth showing up at random. If you were lucky enough to be around the area during the late 1960’s you might have even caught Becker and Fagen playing with drummer and fellow Bard Student Chevy Chase at a local house party. Although the college was known for its free spirited student body, the police in the area did not see eye to eye on many of their habits. On a Thursday at 5 a.m. they devised a raid of one of the dorms in an attempt to catch the students off guard, and went on a drug bust spree.
“These were the days when there was a ‘war on longhairs,’ as they used to call it,” Fagen said, “and Bard’s in this kind of rural district. They picked up about 50 kids just at random. There were a few warrants, and one was for me, which was based totally on false testimony. They handcuffed our hands behind our backs and put us in a paddy wagon and took us off to the Dutchess County Jail. They took all of the boys, about 35 of us, most with really long hair, and shaved our heads. I remember some of them were crying. I don’t think any of them had seen their head for three or four years. It didn’t make that much difference to me. But it was scary, you know? To hear the cell-block door slam shut, the whole business with the handcuffs and the paddy wagon. I’d never been arrested or put in jail before.”
Becker and Fagen express their point of view of the incident and their reflection years later in the song “My Old School,” where they lash out at the school for the way they were treated. They say they’ll only return to the school if “California tumbles into the sea,” and end the song with a very direct “I’m never going back to my old school.” While that lasted a prolonged sixteen years, Fagen returned 16 years later in 1985 to accept an honorary doctorate from the school. Becker also stated that the song shouldn’t be taken literally and insisted that he never viewed it as an angry-sounding song, but rather a funny song.
Today Bard College is still an incredibly liberal college, and it’s campus overlooking the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains makes it an ideal place to go to school. The college also hosts two acclaimed annual arts festivals, Bard SummerScape, and the Bard Music Festival, and you would not be remiss to, somewhat ironically, hear “My Old School” while taking a leisurely stroll across the campus.
I remember the thirty-five sweet goodbyes
When you put me on the Wolverine up to Annandale
It was still September
When your daddy was quite surprised
To find you with the working girls in the county jail
I was smoking with the boys upstairs when I
Heard about the whole affair, I said oh no
William and Mary won’t do
Well, I did not think the girl
Could be so cruel
And I’m never going back
To my old school
Oleanders growing outside her door
Soon they’re gonna be in bloom up in Annandale
I can’t stand her
Doing what she did before
Living like a gypsy queen in a fairy tale
Well, I hear the whistle but I can’t go, I’m gonna
Take her down to Mexico, she said oh no
Guadalajara won’t do
Well, I did not think the girl
Could be so cruel
And I’m never going back
To my old school
California tumbles into the sea
That’ll be the day I go back to Annandale
Tried to warn you
About Chino and Daddy Gee
But I can’t seem to get to you through the U.S. Mail
Well I hear the whistle but I can’t go, I’m gonna
Take her down to Mexico, she said oh no
Guadalajara won’t do
Well, I did not think the girl
Could be so cruel
And I’m never going back
To my old school
“I’m not trying to find a new sound,” Jules Taylor says, “I’m just trying to find myself.”
It took Taylor two years of introspective soul searching and relentless experimentation with sound to achieve this ambitious goal, but what’s two years in mountain time? Life in the mountains moves at its own pace, measured by seasons of the year and counted in generations. It also offers a vantage point for gaining perspective. Mountain Time transcends space and time to map the terrain of Taylor’s meandering journey from his roots in the Southwest all the way up to the Catskills.
Mountain Time starts with “Pining,” a song steeped in the rhythms and imagery of nature. “As long as the willow’s been weeping, as long as the sky’s been blue,” Taylor drawls, “As long as the sun’s been rising, you know I’ve been pining for you.” His vocals are as weathered as an old highway sign and as inviting as your favorite mom and pop diner. Taylor’s genre, like his accent, is hard to pin down because it’s as unique as a thumbprint. The best way I can come up with to describe it is eclectic Americana, with some songs leaning towards southern rock and others towards alt-country.
Jules Taylor spent two years thoughtfully arranging the music on this album. His search for authentic expression led to the use of roots instruments including lap steel, dobro and mandolin, in addition to piano and guitar. The music sets a backdrop for adept storytelling. “Long Way to Abilene” takes one meandering through the back roads of the Southwest. Taylor contemplates his life in “Cradle to Grave,” and searches for faith in “True Religion.” The album ends with the bittersweet ballad “Carolina King.” Overall, the collection is the musical equivalent of the Great American Novel: a work that captures what it means to be human – the shortcomings and the triumphs, the heartaches and the joys.
Taylor has dedicated this, his third album, to his mother Lamar Ortiz. It was released on May 14, her birthday, and also the day following Mother’s Day this year. More information about Taylor and his work can be found on his website.
Mountain Time was produced, recorded, engineered, and mixed by Taylor alongside Tod Levine at Magnetic North Studios in Saugerties, NY. Session musicians included Dan Cartwright and Matt Bover on drums, and Colin Almquist and Alison Damrath on bass.
Key Tracks: Pining, Long Way To Abilene, Mountain Time
Surmiser’s latest EP, Hold The Static, will be available on June 8. The grungy garage punk band will celebrate the release with a show on June 9 at The People’s Cauldron in Rosendale. The band issued a music video for “Trains,” from the upcoming release, which debuted at New Noise Magazine.
‘Trains’ is about dead-end life in a small city and an analogy to the way that people in this place, and indeed these types of places, allow themselves to be derailed by anger, addiction and the patterns created of the previous generations mistakes.
The video was shot by shot by Mike Parish of 424recording.com. Jay Andersen at Bohemesphere in Saugerties recorded and mixed Hold The Static. It was mastered by Oliver Ackermann at Death By Audio, Brooklyn, NY.
Woodstock. If you’re not from the Hudson Valley, chances are when you hear that name, you have a similar thought as everyone else: a monumental music festival that took place over three days with a bunch of hippies on some farm in upstate New York that changed the world as we know it. Everyone has a story about their dad’s friend who stayed around for Hendrix’s famous Monday morning set, or their uncle who abandoned their car on Route 17B and walked six miles through Bethel to make it to the free-love oasis. Ironically, the most popular song written about the festival, “Woodstock,” was also written via hearsay and stories from friends by folk singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, who spent the weekend watching the festival unfold on television as just another fan in a New York apartment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRjQCvfcXn0
Despite being scheduled to appear at Woodstock, Mitchell cancelled her performance last minute on the advice of her agent, David Geffen, out of fear that she would not make it back to New York in time for her television appearance on The Dick Cavett Show. Watching the television coverage and hearing stories from her then boyfriend, Graham Nash, had such a profound impact on Mitchell that she wrote the ‘60s anthem within a few weeks of the festival and debuted it live at the Celebration of Big Sur festival the following September. Since then, it has been covered by countless artists, including her ex-boyfriend in his folk-rock supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
“Woodstock” tells the story of a narrator who encounters a boy on his way to the festival at Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel (not Woodstock as originally intended) who explains to her that he is going not only for the music, but also to live off the land and cleanse his soul. She joins him on his journey because she too feels the need for a spiritual awakening and wants to get away from the rigid life she is living. By the time they arrive at the festival, it is in full swing, and even better than what they had hoped. They find a fantastic celebration, and the idea of hope in a time when the world was so unstable.
What inspired Mitchell the most about the event was the fact that people could be so good to each other and coexist without any issues, even if just for a few days. In a 1995 interview, Mitchell said:
“The deprivation of not being able to go provided me with an intense angle on Woodstock. I was one of the fans. I was put in the position of being a kid who couldn’t make it. So I was glued to the media. And, at the time, I was going through a kind of born again Christian trip – not that I went to any church, I’d given up Christianity at an early age in Sunday school. But suddenly, as performers, we were in the position of having so many people look to us for leadership, and for some unknown reason, I took it seriously and decided I needed a guide and leaned on God. …So I was a little ‘God mad’ at the time, for lack of a better term, and I had been saying to myself, ‘Where are the modern miracles? Where are the modern miracles?’ Woodstock, for some reason, impressed me as being a modern miracle, like a modern day fishes-and-loaves story. For a herd of people that large to cooperate so well, it was pretty remarkable and there was tremendous optimism. So I wrote the song ‘Woodstock’ out of these feelings…”
Joni Mitchell
The giving nature and comradery of Woodstock began before the festivities even started, however, when the original site of the festival in Woodstock, NY fell through. Just weeks before it was planned to take place, dairy farmer Max Yasgur offered up his farm in Bethel, NY as site of the festival, anticipating around 40,000 attendants. When it was all said and done, more than 400,000 people attended the festival, making Yasgur a counterculture hero to all those in attendance and countless others.
The 1969 Woodstock festival put the town Bethel on the map, although many locals were not too excited about the new exposure at the time. Many of his neighbors were against the festival from the get-go and pushed to boycott Yasgur’s milk for years afterwards. However, nearly 50 years later, the site of the festival has only become more famous. Today the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, a cultural non-profit that hosts concerts and events, exists on the site of Yasgur’s farm and has become a major stop for nationally touring artists. It was added to the National Registry of Historic Places by Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2017 who called the festival “a pivotal moment in both New York and American history.” There have even been talks about a Woodstock 50th anniversary festival being held at the site in the summer of 2019, but only time will tell if if it can summon the same magic that made the 1969 Woodstock festival so historic.
‘Woodstock’ Lyrics:
I came upon a child of God He was walking along the road And I asked him where are you going And this he told me I’m going on down to Yasgur’s farm * I’m going to join in a rock ‘n’ roll band I’m going to camp out on the land I’m going to try an’ get my soul free
We are stardust We are golden And we’ve got to get ourselves Back to the garden
Then can I walk beside you I have come here to lose the smog And I feel to be a cog in something turning Well maybe it is just the time of year Or maybe it’s the time of man I don’t know who I am But you know life is for learning
We are stardust We are golden And we’ve got to get ourselves Back to the garden
By the time we got to Woodstock We were half a million strong And everywhere there was song and celebration And I dreamed I saw the bombers Riding shotgun in the sky And they were turning into butterflies Above our nation
We are stardust Billion year old carbon We are golden Caught in the devil’s bargain And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden
After placing the focus on his own work over the last 18 years, former Soul Coughing frontman and solo wordsmith, Mike Doughty is making a quick trip around the Northeast to turn back the clocks and perform the alternative rock group’s ‘Irresistible Bliss’ for a total of seven dates.
You’d figure by the time he notched The Heart Watches While the Brain Burns, his ninth solo album since 2000, Doughty would settle into his ways and follow a musical pattern. Simply, that’s just not the way he operates. Always diving into and exploring new sounds, the ever-growing artist and former front man is constantly taking chances on new styles and setting personal deadlines of crafting and recording original music as often as possible.
From country crooning to hard hitting beats and even a 2015 rock opera by the name Revelation, it’s clear Doughty doesn’t rely on one-track mind of creativity. Instead, he chooses from a bank of ideas in his head and decides how he wants it to translate to the public. Appealing to his roots, An Evening with Mike Doughty performing Soul Coughing’s Irresistible Bliss with Andrew “Scrap” Livingston launched on March 22 in Portland, ME before heading to a sold out gig in Boston. Having just made his way through NJ and MD, Doughty finds himself in NY from March 28 to 30, playing for crowds each night in Pawling’s Daryl’s House, Homer Center for the Arts and Albany’s the Linda, respectively.
Any good St. Patrick’s Day celebration includes music. Music and the Irish are inseparable. According to the latest U.S. Census, nearly 12 percent of the U.S. population claim some Irish ancestry, a total of 35 million people. A very high percentage of this population is centered in the Northeast U.S., particularly right here in New York State. So, it is only fitting that the day to celebrate the Irish would be rife with music across the state. Naturally, a state with such deep Irish roots celebrates the day with parades following the parade activities, much live music can be found around New York. NYS Music provides you with a listing of some St. Patrick’s Day festivities from the North Country to Long Island, Albany to Buffalo. Whether you crave traditional Irish music, reggae, punk, reggae, rock or blues, we have you covered.
Saratoga singer-songwriter Katie Louise will perform a set at Main Street in Saugerties beginning at 9:30.
Plattsburgh’s seminal venue, the Monopole hosts Burlington’s Jiggawaltz for the funkster’s first appearance at in quite some time at the venue.
Capital District
If you’re in Albany for the St. Patrick’s Day parade, start your day off with a brunch at the Savoy Taproom on Lark. From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. you can enjoy traditional Irish music from Toss the Feathers while enjoying traditional Irish food.
All day long, the Pearl Street Pub offers live music with DJs at night. Larry Ross gets things rolling followed by an appearance from the City of Albany Pipe Band.
Following the parade, head on down to Paulys Hotel on Central for an after-party with the sometimes punk, sometimes ska, sometimes rap act Smittix with special guest Feral Meryl from 2-6 p.m.
Celtic Hall, located on New Karner Road, hosts its own post-parade party beginning at 5 p.m. The City of Albany Pipe Band continues its busy day with an appearance at Celtic Hall, along with the An Clar Irish Dancers and the popular Celtic-rock band Hair of the Dog. Hair of the Dog has been performing since 1993 and is a regular act at Irish festivals throughout the northeast.
Also in Saratoga, a special night celebrating female voices in Irish music featuring the Grady Girls and Kara Doyle is going down at the legendary Caffe Lena. The kid-friendly event begins at 8 p.m.
Central NY
Funk ‘n Waffles in Syracuse gives St. Patrick’s Day a little zydeco flair with the soulful, funky, blues of hometown boys, Los Blancos, starting at 3:00. Dubbed “The Hardest Working Band in Syracuse,” Los Blancos has a proven track record of packing venues and laying down the funk.
Syracuse’s symphony, Symphoria, will perform a pops concert celebrating the Music of the Emerald Isle at the Onondaga County Civic Center beginning at 7:30. Tickets for this special event, which features violinist Maria Kaneko Millar a performer with Riverdance productions on Broadway as well as the touring version, are still available through the Symphoria website. Prices range from free for 18 and under to $38.
Maria Kaneko Millar
EDM jamband, Phasers Engage puts an interesting twist on the day’s festivities, throwing a house party on Tennyson Ave. with free beer for anyone 21 and over. They’ll perform from 1-3 p.m.
If you’re looking for more traditional Irish fare along the lines of the Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem or the Dubliners, head out to Jake Hafner’s Restaurant & Tavern in North Syracuse for Quigsy and the Bird from 5-9 p.m.
The Syracuse Polish Home hosts its annual parade day corned beef and cabbage dinner with entertainment from 4-9 p.m. Jo Duz provides Irish and folk music from 4-6 p.m. followed by Just Joe from 6-9 p.m.
If you’re out Utica way, Nick Piccininni and Jay Barady of Floodwood are performing at the recently re-vamped John Devereux’s Tavern from noon until 4 p.m.
Piggy Pat’s Smoke and Ale House in Washington Mills, just outside of Utica, is now under new ownership, but that hasn’t changed the music offerings they’ve presented over the years. The Blarney Rebel Band will take the floor from 1-4 p.m. This veteran Celtic band from Utica performs traditional Irish music from pub tunes to sea shanties to moving ballads and rousing rebel songs.
Woodland Farm Brewery in Marcy, just north of Utica, gets the day off to an early start. The local farm brewery opens at 8 a.m. for liquid breakfast and keeps the party going all day, highlighted by bluegrass from Remsen Social Club starting at 1 p.m.
The Continental Kit Band will perform at the 16 Stone Brewpub in Holland Patent. Doors open at noon with Irish stew, Reubens and an almost Irish Red ready for sampling.
If you’re in Rome, Copper City Brewing Company is offering traditional Irish music by Mighty Craic from 1-3 p.m. Mighty Craic is a trio with deep roots in the Central New York Irish scene. This farm brewery will also have a taco truck on hand as well as two Irish beers freshly tapped for the day.
Western NY
Out west, Rochester, as always, has several musical offerings for St. Patrick’s Day. The Crooked North brings its brand of Rust Belt bluegrass to the Little Theatre on East Ave. from 8-10 p.m.
Three Heads Brewing hosts the reggae vibe of Personal Blend from 8-11 p.m. There is a $5 cover charge for one of Rochester’s favorite reggae bands.
The Montage Music Hall has a ’90s night on tap for St. Patrick’s Day. The 8 p.m. show features Pearl Jam tribute act, Given to Fly, R.E.M. tribute act, Dead Letter Office and Flannel Millennium, who covers music from such ’90s alt-rock staples as Stone Temple Pilots, Weezer, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alice in Chains. Tickets for the show are $20 in advance and available at the Montage website.
Cathie Ryan, the original lead of Irish-American sensation, Cherish the Ladies, joins the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre for a Celtic Celebration both Friday March 16 and Saturday March 17. The shows begin at 8 p.m. The combination of Ryan’s beautiful voice and sarcastic wit, accompanied by the RPO, promises to be a unique night of music in the Flower City.
The Buffalo Iron Works welcomes Vancouver Celtic rockers, The Town Pants and Whitesboro native Tim Britt with his Tim Britt Band. Syracuse native and Pale Green Stars drummer, Jeff Tripoli, plays drums for the Pants, who also perform at the Smith Opera House in Geneva on March 16. The 9 p.m. Buffalo Iron Works show has a ticket price of $17-22.
NYS Music 87/90 artists, the Intrepid Travelers, return to their home base, the Sportsmens Tavern on Amherst for St. Paddy’s Day for a psychedelic jam session. Doors for the two set show open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.
Downstate
Larry Kirwan of Black 47 brings his St. Patrick’s Day show to YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts in Bay Shore. Aside from fronting the politically reactive New York-based band Black 47, Irish expatriate Kirwan hosts the show Celtic Crush for Sirius XM. He’ll be joined by Deni Bonet (violin), Coty Cockrell (keyboards), Thomas Hamlin (drums), Rene Hart (double bass), Andrew Sharp (Uilleann pipes). The band will be releasing a new single for the occasion, a remake David Bowie’s “Heroes” from a Belfast perspective. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $47.
Legendary Queens punks, Murphy’s Law will perform at the Brooklyn Bazzar with Drunken Rampage, Moral Panic and Runny. The 7 p.m. show costs $17 and tickets are available through Ticketweb.
Needless to say, there is no shortage of live music available to music fans across the Empire State on St. Patrick’s Day no matter what your taste. This is but a snapshot of all that is happening across the state on one day. If your area wasn’t covered by this piece, leave us a message, comment or tweet us @NYStateMusic. NYS Music’s mission is to expose ALL of New York’s musicians, venues and scenes and with your help, we can do just that. Now take this list and get out and enjoy some music!
David Byrne brought his American Utopia Tour to Kingston at the Ulster Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 10. This was the 6th show on his new tour, which he claimed would be “the most ambitious show I’ve done since the shows that were filmed for Stop Making Sense.” David hired 11 other musicians to create this performance which would “allow everyone to be mobile on an empty stage”. The lack of wires (and lack of shoes) enabled David to create a performance unlike anything he has attempted before.
Audience members entered the venue to see a single table on stage with a model of the human brain atop it. The borders of the stage area were lined with a lightweight, semi-opaque chain which allowed the performers to move through it with ease while also perfectly casting shadows onto it. While not yet apparent, the stage design and lack of wires would allow the performers to move freely about the stage in a way not seen in traditional concerts.
The show started with “Here,” the final track on David’s new album, American Utopia. This was followed by the 2002 track “Lazy,” which he co-wrote with the English House duo X-Press 2. This upbeat change from the first song got the crowd excited as he went into his first Talking Heads cover of the night. The audience all stood at once as the opening beats of “I Zimbra” began to take hold. All six of the percussionists picked by Byrne brought this song to life as they moved back and forth on stage with the tempo and dazzled the crowd with their syncopated melody.
The Talking Heads songs continued as David led the band into “Slippery People,” which features an interesting vocal breakdown towards the end of the song. The covers continued with “I Should Watch TV,” a song featured on the collaboration between David and St Vincent from 2012. As the lights turned red and the performers got into a single line on stage, “Dogs Mind” changed the mood of the show. Three of the drummers moved their instruments up and down to the tempo as the performers slowly moved closer to the stage during this moving piece.
Continuing with tracks from his new release, David took his performers into “Everybody’s Coming to My House” before bringing the crowd to their feet with “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody).” He continued to delight the audience with his classic gyrations as he brought the band into “Once In A Lifetime”. David kept one drummer on stage to perform with him during “Doing The Right Thing.” While performing this new track, the other percussionists were almost hidden behind the edges of the stage, as their instruments were the only thing visible to the crowd.
Before continuing, David told the crowd that they were going to play a song by a “man who goes by the name of Fatboy Slim, who made a wonderful video for this song.” The crowd was delighted as he went into “Toe Jam” before introducing the band to everyone. The Talking Heads classics continued with “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On).” This upbeat gem ended with the stage lights turning off, and when they turned on, each member of the band was lying on stage except for the keyboardist. David stood up as the song began and the rest of the band slowly followed him one-by-one. The highlight of this track was the band dancing silently before the final chorus ended the song.
“Bullet” was one of the most intriguing tracks of the evening. A single lamp containing a naked bulb was brought on stage. This prop contained the only wire to grace the stage all evening and David used this single light source to play with the shadows forming on the back of the stage. The band walked in a clockwise circle around Byrne as he described a bullet slowly entering a body in detail. By the end of the song, he was the only remaining person on stage as the band had been slowly exiting. The circular theme continued with “Everyday is a Miracle” as the band stood in a circle. David faced the audience as the band faced inward until halfway through the song when he moved into the circle, starting a mini conga-line on stage. This silly but upbeat track ended with a patiently executed trust fall before going into the 2001 crowd favorite “Like Humans Do”.
David continued to play with the lights during the hit song “Blind.” This song featured a single light at the front of the stage which cast an enormous shadow of David. The band proceeded to move around in such a way as to exaggerate their shadows on the backdrop and this continued until an incredibly funky drum solo ended the song. The set concluded with the Talking Heads highest-charting single “Burning Down The House.” The energy of the entire show culminated in this performance and the applause was deafening as the band left the stage.
Another Fatboy Slim collaboration started the first encore as David Byrne came out to “Dancing Together” from their musical Here Lies Love. The Talking Heads classic “The Great Curve” finished up the encore with a scorching guitar solo from Angie Swan at the end. To everyone’s surprise, David and the band came out without their grey suit jackets to perform Janelle Monoe’s “Hell You Talmbout.” David and company put all of their might into this rousing encore and there was an apparent sense of satisfaction in performing this for the Kingston audience. David ended the show in his usual fashion by saying, “thank you” in a way that only he can.
“Weird Al” Yankovic opened “The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour” in Poughkeepsie, NY on Tuesday, February 27. While past tours have featured giant video screens, costumes changes and parody-heavy setlists, Al included a disclaimer on his website stating that this tour is “a scaled-down tour in smaller, more intimate theaters, with limited production (no costumes, props, or video screens) and Al’s set list will be comprised almost entirely of his original (non-parody) songs.” The sold-out crowd of 950 was treated to the comic stylings of Emo Philips, featured in the movie UHFas Joe Earley. Al hand-picked him to open for the entire tour and his absurd 30 minute set had the audience roaring with laughter.
Yankovic’s band took the stage at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House and laid down an instrumental version of “Dare to be Stupid” before the man himself arrived to a massive fanfare. His first song of the tour was the White Stripes pastiche, ‘CNR.’ Al took it down for a minute to warn the crowd that tonight was in fact, their “soundcheck” and that “if you came to see me screw up, you will not be disappointed!”. He did not disappoint as he dove into the Bob Dylan’esque ‘Bob’ and the 2003 favorite, ‘Why Does This Always Happen To Me?”
After fooling the audience into thinking that this tour would not feature costumes, parodies or accordions, Al finally brought out his new MIDI-accordion as the band started into “Generic Blues.” This classic track from the UHF soundtrack was followed up by the Hawaiian Reggae tune, “Buy Me a Condo.” The 9-minute epic “Jackson Park Express” was played for the first time live as the weirdness continued. Next up was the 2011 hit “Stop Forwarding That Crap To Me” before Al channeled the Lizard King with his Doors homage, “Craigslist.”
Al continued the set with one of his darker songs, “Good Old Days,” an example of what would happen if James Taylor collaborated with Charlie Manson. The band lightened the mood with the song “Happy Birthday” from his debut album before taking it down a notch with the anti-love ballad, “You Don’t Love Me Anymore.” “Party At The Leper Colony,” one of the bands “Top 3 Immature Songs” preceded the 2006 hit, “Don’t Download This Song” and the Don Henley inspired “When I Was Your Age.” Weird Al continued the 80’s hits with “Melanie” and “One More Minute” before changing the pace of the concert.
Despite announcing a lack of parody songs prior to the tour, Al dove into a medley of his comedy hits as the band played differing music underneath. The band started playing a wonderful rendition of “Layla” as Al sang the lyrics to his hit “Eat It.” This led into “I Lost On Jeopardy” with a walking baseline before switching over to chimes and acoustic guitar for “Amish Paradise.” “Smells Like Nirvana,” “White and Nerdy” And “Rocky Road” had a mix of bouncy pop and doo wop behind it before a piano heavy rendition of “Like A Surgeon” ended the set.
Weird Al and his bandmates came back out to “play a song they usually end each show with.” The audience was dumbstruck as the band started playing the guitar riff to Deep Purple’s, “Smoke On The Water.” This was no parody as Al wow’d the crowd with a spectacular, normal, regular version of this track. Not to disappoint, Al ended the show with fan-favorite, “The Saga Begins” before thanking the crowd for a wonderful show.
Weird Al will continue his tour March 13th in Buffalo, March 14th in Ithaca, March 17th in Huntington and March 22nd and 23rd at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
The Weight Band, an assemblage of veteran musicians with connections to Woodstock, Levon Helm, and The Band, have announced the release date of their debut recording, World Gone Mad.
Throughout the storied history of the Midnight Ramble performances at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York, there have been multiple configurations of some of the same musicians for different host bands at “the barn.” The Levon Helm Band had morphed into the Midnight Ramble Band, followed by the Dirt Farmer Band, and most recently The Weight Band. Each of these ensembles has relied on a strong belief in the collaboration of all band members. The entire bands were the focus, rather than any individual being featured above the others. That spirit of collaboration is evident in the writing and recording of The Weight Band’s first full-length album, World Gone Mad, scheduled for CD and digital release on February 23.
Inclusion of two previously unreleased songs co-written by Levon Helm, “You’re Never Too Old (To Rock N Roll)” and “Common Man,” along with guest appearances by Jackie Greene and Randy Ciarlante, and a cover of the Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter song, “Deal” give some added flavors to the half dozen original songs by The Weight Band.
Central New York music fans may recall a previous incarnation of the The Weight Band, with Byron Isaacs on bass and Ciarlante on drums from their appearance at The Camden Music Festival in 2014. Eventually, Albert Rogers and Michael Bram found their way into those respective slots, joining Jim Weider (guitar), Brian Mitchell (keys/accordion), and Marty Grebbs (keys/saxophone). All five members of the band contribute vocals to their sound.
The title song was a phrase Jim Weider has said he had kicking around in his head for about a year, until a bit of a melody came along to join it, and he collaborated with the renowned Canadian singer-songwriter Colin Linden to complete the tune. Weider and Linden had previously joined forces on several songs. These include “Remedy,” a version of which is included on World Gone Mad.
https://youtu.be/aouEP5OjB-0
The Weight Band will tour in support of their pending release,including four New York State appearances.
TOUR DATES:
Feb. 9 – Bergen Performing Arts Center – Englewood NJ
Feb. 10 – The Warehouse at FTC – Fairfield CT
Feb. 16 – Infinity Music Hall – Hartford CT *Album pre-release concert Feb. 17 – Levon Helm Studios – Woodstock NY *CD release ramble March 9 – Sportsmen’s Tavern – Buffalo, NY March 10 – Anthology – Rochester, NY March 11 – Center for the Arts of Homer – Homer, NY
March 30 – Beacon Theatre – Hopewell, VA
March 31 – McGlohen Theater at Spirit Square – Charlotte, NC
April 1 – City Winery – Atlanta, GA
April 4 – Crest Theatre – Delray Beach, FL
April 5 – King Center for the Performing Arts – Melbourne, FL
April 6 – Capitol Theatre – Clearwater, FL
April 7 – Center for Performing Arts – Bonita Springs, FL
April 19 – Narrows Center – Fall River, MA
April 27 – Fox Tucson Theatre – Tucson, AZ
April 29 – Belly Up Tavern – Solana Beach, CA
June 24 – Rocks, Ribs & Ridges Festival – Augusta, NJ Aug. 20 – Camp Cripple Creek at Full Moon Resort – Big Indian, NY
Guthrie wrote a folk song about a series of incredulous events that began on Thanksgiving in 1965. “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” struck a chord with the anti-war counterculture. By 1967 Guthrie had gone from playing small clubs to playing festivals and stadiums.
Mountain Time starts with “Pining,” a song steeped in the rhythms and imagery of nature. “As long as the willow’s been weeping, as long as the sky’s been blue,” Taylor drawls, “As long as the sun’s been rising, you know I’ve been pining for you.” His vocals are as weathered as an old highway sign and as inviting as your favorite mom and pop diner. Taylor’s genre, like his accent, is hard to pin down because it’s as unique as a thumbprint. The best way I can come up with to describe it is eclectic Americana, with some songs leaning towards southern rock and others towards alt-country.
