Twiddle frontman Mihali recently released politically charged single “Fading State” for his upcoming album. The album is yet to be titled and fans are eagerly anticipating a release date. The new single features vocals from Nahko (Nahko and Medicine for the People) and Trevor Hall who support Mihali in this advocacy-driven single. Produced by Johnny Cosmic of Stick Figure, Mihali’s reggae single focuses on protecting the environment and putting aside political agendas for the greater good.
The issue is continuously met with opposition motivated by greed. It’s up to all of us as individuals to do what we can…to do our part to make a positive change in the world. With our current political climate, I think now is the perfect time for this single to be released.
Mihali refers to “Fading State” as the spark that influenced most of his newest musical creations. While the debut album is yet to be announced, glimpses of the anticipated album will show up throughout the course of Mihali’s solo December tour of the Northeast. There are four New York shows lined up in the rapid fire schedule below.
Mihali Tour Schedule:
Dec. 5 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
Dec. 6 – Spcae Ballroom – Hamden, CT Dec. 7 – Putnam Place – Saratoga Springs, NY Dec. 8 – Funk ‘n Waffles – Syracuse, NY
Dec. 9 – Portland House of Music – Portland, ME
Dec. 11 – Wonder Bar – Asbury Park, NJ
Dec. 12 – 8 x 10 – Baltimore, MD Dec. 13 – BSP-3 – Kingston, NY
Dec. 14 – Jewel – Manchester, NH
Dec. 15 – Gateway City Arts – Holyoke, MA
Watch Mihali’s “Fading State” music video down below and get a feel for what to expect on his premier solo album.
Editor’s Note: This article was edited to correct the title of the song.
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:
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.
“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.
Mike Kohli: So is the band starting to gel yet?
