On Friday, March 16, Dumpsta phunk made a stop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for a night of New Orleans funk at the Brooklyn Bowl. They gave fans everything expected in a show from the Nola-funk gurus with a couple of surprises mixed in, including a cover of The Eagles’ hit “Life in the Fast Lane” and a two-song cameo from guitarist Tash Neal. The Dumpstaphunk tour goes through Philly and Richmond before it hits the West Coast.
Setlist: Make it After All, Let’s Get At It, I Wish You Would, Do You, Street Parade, Life In The Fastlane, Sounds*, United Nation Stomp*, Dumpstamental, Maze, Justice, Up From The Downstroke, Dancin’ To The Truth
With the first weekend of the Big Dance in the books (and Syracuse busting brackets left and right), we are now at the Final Four of NYS Music’s 2018 March Madness! Two weeks ago, we started with 64 up and coming artists from across the Empire State, and now there are four vying to take it all in our friendly tournament-style competition.
These artists who hail from the Empire State are a sampling of the next generation of artists and come from all corners of the state, from Buffalo to Binghamton, Plattsburgh to Patchogue and all points in between. Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!
Winner of the Putnam Place division, Black Mountain Symphony showcases an eclectic range of influences, blended together to create their own special sound. From baroque classical violin and haunting folk-tinged ballads to funk-rock drums and hard-hitting dance numbers, the six-piece band sprinkles their live sets with hints of everything from classical music to bits of Motown, blues and jazz. Black Mountain Symphony performs both intimate acoustic shows as well as intense, full-band rock shows. Upcoming shows include April 6 The Colony in Woodstock, and on May 18 Flyday Music Festival in East Durham, NY.
Candy Ambulance is the winner of the Anthology division. Formed in the summer of 2014, grunge-influenced Candy Ambulance of Upstate NY are Caitlin Barker, Jesse Bolduc & Jon Cantiello. Lifelong friends and musical mates Bolduc & Cantiello rescued Barker from a wealthy engagement prospect and whisked her away to the land of DIY punk. Poppy melodies, dynamic vocal changes and half-naked live shows have solidified this rock trio as always entertaining, unabashed fun. Boasting a healthy and frequent tour schedule the band has played with notable acts such as Screaming Females, Speedy Ortiz, Daddy Issues, and Dorothy. Their next show is on March 30 during Troy Night Out at River Street Pub with The Death Vacation and Sun Natives.
CEG Presents’ division winner is ShwizZ, a unique cast of characters reigning from downstate New York. Best described as a melting pot of funk and progressive rock, this giant original sound will be sure to put a smile on your face. The band’s variety and depth allows for lovely twists of improvisation and spontaneity spiked with technical prowess and musical complexity. Over the years the group has shared bills with many notables including Jeff Beck, Primus, Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Kung Fu, Dopapod, Consider The Source and more. ShwizZ can be found gigging all over the northeast and you won’t be surprised to find them playing at your favorite festival or club for years to come. Their next show is on April 11 with The Mushroom Cloud & Stubbs at Wonder Bar in Allston, MA.
Final Four voting begins at 10AM EST on Monday, March 19, and closes at midnight on Wednesday, March 21. The Championship round begins at 10AM EST on Thursday, March 22. Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!
New York City alt-rockers The Flux Machine just released a groovy, psychedelic music video for “Hurricane.” The song is the title track of their sophomore album. Directed by John Jinks of FTC Studio, the video captures the band’s flair for a retro aesthetic and classic rock and roll influences.
“The song puts into music the concept of one or a series of events that take over our life, like a Hurricane does, but we withstand this with our own fury.”
– vocalist Luis Accorsi.
Hurricanes is available on iTunes. Follow The Flux Machine on social media to stay up to date on news and upcoming events: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter.
Progger has put together a masterful ensemble to release an album that consists of layers of different music to stimulate all your senses. Progressive jazz-rock-funk fusion Progger released their fourth album Dystopia recently. Twelve musicians make up the credits for the album — from New York City, Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles.
This album puts some of the best work right in the beginning to show listeners how explosive this band can be. “Oba-bow” sets the tone for the album with a dramatic build-up that teases the expectation of a musical journey that takes you high and low.
The bass must be played at an appropriate level when listening to Dystopia. Without proper speakers, the listener will not get the full effect of the tremendousness of the sound Progger creates.
Progger does a great job of mixing energy and taking it away to a peaceful melody. On “Housewives” the soothing, soft sounds go from an R&B feeling to something grittier when the guitarist shows off his skills.
The brass and keys really give Progger their impressive sound. The album title track, “Dystopia,” brings out a progressive melody from the saxophone, while delivering some pretty sounds from the piano and going off the other end with the keyboards. Some of it is reminiscent of classical music.
“Adryllanin” is a crescendo that has a very soft beginning and progresses into a loud collaboration of all the instruments to pull together a beautiful song. “Adrenal Interlude” brings out some different sounds from Progger. The funky dance beat is fun. It’s just a short song, but perfect for the middle of the album to keep the energy flowing. The energy stays consistent through “Morning Star.” The end of the album transitions to softer, soulful sounds. “Choom” keeps the same level throughout and is an easy-listening song for relaxation.
“Sinister decisions” features a mellow, energetic tone. The harmony between all the instruments takes on a different journey. “Haunt” comes in soft like a lullaby. The album’s structure flows well to end with softer songs. Beautifully written, “Haunt” feels like a proper conclusion to a good time. One last song, “Sinister Prelude,” is a short outro to conclude the album with just a few more fun noises from the band before they go.
Progger’s Dystopia is a quality album that deserves recognition and accolade. The music is a soundtrack to a good time. Whether you are relaxing by yourself or hosting a party with a few friends, Dystopia is an album to keep in your collection for the right moment.
Performing on this album are Daniel Watson (drums), Devin Collins (drums and electronic percussion), Steve Anthony Belvilus (drums on “Morning Star”), Nicholas Clark (electric bass and synth bass), Bryan Ladd (electric bass), Isamu McGregor (keyboards), Carter Arrington (guitar), Daniel Muniz (guitar), Akira Ishiguro (guitar), Matthew Muehling (guitar), Paul Deemer (trombone), and Brian Donohoe (saxophone, keyboard, drum loops, and additional guitar).
Brooklyn-based trio, Modern Whale, are too pop for indie, yet too indie for pop, and have a released their latest single, “The Dirt,” cultivating a sound rooted in pop-rock. The driving rock of “The Dirt” brings to mind the post-grunge 90’s of Three Days Grace and My Chemical Romance with driving guitar rhythms and symphonic vocals that combine for an instant, and pleasant earworm.
Helmed by Bushwick-based record producer and songwriter Rob Guariglia, Modern Whale is not a specimen of the sea but rather a musical crossing. The group formed in Brooklyn at the infamous rock refuge Meserole Sound Studio, with a name that reflects the animalistic tendency of music and is encapsulated through Rob’s dog Stella, his assistant and muse. “The Dirt” was written by Robert J. Guariglia & Stephen Ericson and produced by Robert J. Guariglia.
Legendary musician Paul Simon is calling it quits as it pertains to full scale touring in his career and has released dates for his Homeward Bound – The Farewell tour. Appropriately named after a classic Simon & Garfunkel song, this final tour will see Simon play a swath of venues throughout North America and Europe beginning in May and ending in late September. The Jersey-born and Queens-raised icon will fittingly return home for a set of shows at Madison Square Garden at the end of the tour.
“I’ve often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I’d consider bringing my performing career to a natural end,” said Simon in his official statement. “Now I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating, and something of a relief.” Simon did also include that he has no intentions of quitting music altogether and will still play the occasional show here and there.
Friends and fellow musical luminaries James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt will accompany Simon for two shows overseas and one would think (and hope) that Art Garfunkel, the other half of one of the greatest folk duos of all time, will make at least one appearance. The full tour schedule is listed below. Tickets are being sold for this once in a lifetime event via Ticketmaster with a public on sale date and time of March 16, 9:00 am.
Paul Simon Tour Dates
May 16 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
May 18 – Seattle, WA – Key Arena
May 19 – Portland, OR – MODA Center
May 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
May 23 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
My 25 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
May 27 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
May 28 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
May 30 – Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green
June 1 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Arena
June 2 – Houston, TX -Toyota Center
June 4 – Austin, TX – Frank Erwin Center
June 6 – Chicago, IL – United Center
June 8 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
June 10 – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Center
June 12 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
June 13 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
June 15 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
June 16 – Philadelphia, PA—Wells Fargo Center
June 19 – Greensboro, NC—Greensboro Coliseum
June 20 – Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena
June 30 – Stockholm, Sweden—Ericsson Globe
July 1 – Oslo, Norway—Spektrum
July 3 – Copenhagen, Denmark—Royal Arena
July 5 – Antwerp, Belgium—Sportpaleis
July 7 – Amsterdam, Holland—Ziggo Dome
July 10 – Manchester, UK—Manchester Arena
July 11 – Glasgow, UK—SSE Hydro
July 13 – Dublin, Ireland—RDS Arena*
July 15 – London UK—Hyde Park, BST Festival*
Sept. 5 – New Orleans, LA—Smoothie King Center
Sept. 7 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Sept. 8 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL—BB&T Center
Sept.11 – Orlando, FL—Amway Center
Sept. 12 – Atlanta, GA—Cellairis Amphitheatre
Sept. 14 – Washington, DC—Capital One Arena
Sept. 15 – Newark NJ—Prudential Center Sept. 20 – New York, NY—Madison Square Garden
Sept. 21 – New York, NY—Madison Square Garden
Sept. 22 – New York, NY—TBA
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!
New York based dance rock band Echo Black recently released the official music video for their single, “DAWN,” an evocative and visceral song with an arena sound and dark imagery.
“DAWN” was directed by Chris Newhard and appears on the October 2017 debut album of the same name. Echo Black says of the single, “DAWN is introspective. It is theatrical, it is angry, it is mournful, it is joyous, and it is rebellious. We do our best to take into account all of our musical tastes when we write; DAWN is our coming of age story and is, justifiably, chock full of emotions, varied genres, and passion.”
The Turn It To Eleven Tour, with City of the Weak
4/07 @ The Drunk Horse Pub – Fayetteville, NC
4/19 @ The Blue Note – Tampa, FL
4/10 @ The Haven Lounge – Winter Park, FL
4/11 @ Rack’Em Spirits & Times – Cape Coral, FL
4/13 @ Carts, Bikers, & Babes Rally – Houston, TX
4/14 @ The Zone – Abilene, TX
4/15 @ Boozers Rockbar – Corpus Christie, TX
4/16 @ The Rail Club – Fort Worth, TX
4/17 @ Red Brick Bar – Norman, OK
4/18 @ Hero’s – Fort Smith, AR
4/19 @ Aftershock Live – Merriam, KS
4/20 @ The Phoenix Lounge – Sioux Falls, SD
4/21 @ Lifers – Algona, IA
4/24 @ Bayso’s – Grayson, KY
4/26 @ Hijynx – Fort Atkinson, WI
4/27 @ The Music Factory w/ Super Bob – Battle Creek, MI
4/28 @ Ground Floor 2.0 – Williamsport, PA
4/29 @ Therapy Cafe – Dayton, OH 4/30 @ Mohawk Place – Buffalo, NY
5/2 @ Asbury Park Music Foundation – Asbury Park, New Jersey
5/3 @ Voltage Lounge – Philadelphia, PA 5/4 @ The Knitting Factory – New York, NY
5/5 @ 37th and Zen – Norfolk, VA
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) brought their three-night run at Brooklyn Bowl to an end on March 10. JRAD filled the Williamsburg venue with deep jams and surprises from start to finish, from opening with a JRAD debut cover of The Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time,” to finishing the second set with a “Throwing Stones” that went into two other debut covers, Led Zepplin’s “Good Times Bad Times” and The Band’s “Chest Fever,” before coming to an end.
They mixed in some fun teases of songs like Radiohead’s “Myxomatosis,” WOLF!’s “Fastso’s Last Stand” and there may have been a few “Terrapin Station” riffs tossed around at points as well. Topping the whole Brooklyn run off was a “One More Saturday Night” encore that left a capacity crowd calling for more. It’s official, Brooklyn Bowl no longer has a roof. Marco Benevento, Tom Hamilton, Scott Metzger, Dave Dreiwitz and Joe Russo have blown it clean off. Again.
Set List
Set 1: The Last Time> Shakedown Street> The Other One> Mission in the Rain> Crazy Fingers> Truckin’
Set 2: Slipknot!> Foolish Heart> Help on the Way> Slipknot!> I Need A Miracle> Franklin’s Tower> Throwing Stones> Good Times, Bad Times> Throwing Stones> Chest Fever> Throwing Stones Reprise
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead hit Brooklyn Bowl March 9 for the second of a three-night run. The sold-out crowd was treated to three JRAD debuts: The Grateful Dead’s “Peggy-O,” Junior Parker’s “The Next Time You See Me,” and The Rolling Stone’s “It’s All Over Now.” The show was full of teases as well. JRAD found ways to slip in “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye, “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel, “Borderline” by Madonna, and “Becky” by The Benevento Russo Duo just to name a few. The band has one more night in Brooklyn before heading upstate to play two more sold-out shows in Syracuse and Albany.
Setlist
Set 1: Eyes of the World, Dancin’ in the Streets, The Music Never Stopped, Tennessee Jed, Next Time You See Me
Set 2: Iko Iko, Black-Throated Wind, Bertha, Feel Like a Stranger, Peggy-O, Playing in the Band
Space Bacon
Progger has put together a masterful ensemble to release an album that consists of layers of different music to stimulate all your senses. 
Helmed by 
