A growing community of belly dancers from the Northeast and beyond will come together on May 12 at the Charles R. Wood Theater in Glens Falls, NY for Coalescence IV, an evening of entertainment for the entire family. The fourth annual belly dance fundraiser donates 100% of proceeds to support Randy’s Patient Assistance Fund at the C.R. Wood Cancer Center, Glens Falls Hospital.
Randy’s Patient Assistance Fund supports patients in need by covering co-pays, gas cards for transportation to treatment, lodging assistance for those undergoing daily treatments, prepaid minutes for cell phones and prescription co-payments. The fund was set up in memory of Randall Favreau who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2011. He could have used all these services, but there were no resources available for him at that time. Upon his passing, his wife used some of his insurance monies to help start this much needed fund. Since then, through the generosity of the community, Glens Falls Hospital has been able to keep this fund open and help many patients.
The lobby will open at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 12 for concessions and a basket raffle, with all prizes awarded immediately following intermission. Tickets are on sale now at the Wood Theater Box Office. More event info can be found here.
After the release of their debut album No B! in 2016, the five piece punk-blues powerhouse caught much deserved attention among NYC’s club scene. Since then, Jane Lee Hooker has spread like a wildfire: one that certainly won’t be extinguished anytime soon.
Spiritus, the band’s second album, was released in November of 2017. Primarily comprised of original music, Spiritus further explores JLH’s unorthodox take on the blues. The ten-track release is riddled with undeniably catchy hooks, superb guitar licks, and just the right amount of grit.
The album goes from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds with the first track, titled “How Ya Doin’?” From there, Spiritus takes a step back with some slow/moderately paced jams (including the most popular track “Later On,” which currently has over 21,000 spins on Spotify).
But don’t be fooled; halfway through, Spiritus lifts off once again with “Black Rat.” Shortly afterward, to the listener’s unexpected surprise, the album takes a moody turn with a downtempo track titled “How Bright the Moon.” And to wrap things up, Spiritus comes full circle with the longest track on the album, “The Breeze.”
To say the least, Spiritus is bold, nostalgic, and groundbreaking. If you’re in search of a sound that steps far beyond the boundaries of modern rock music, Jane Lee Hooker’s gotcha covered. Keep up with JLH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The Dave DiPrimo Band (DDB) was back at it at Buta Pub on Saturday April 14. The band brought their upbeat attitude to warm up a crowd that was brave enough to venture through the ice and the rain, and had the place on fire all night long. The band consisting of lead singer Dave DiPrimo, saxophonist and guitarist Kares Gregory, drummer Reid Hoffmeier, and bassist Ian Benz; has been performing around New York State together for over a year.
The band has a constantly evolving sound that is electric and catchy. DDB came to Buta Pub with one goal in mind, to celebrate. DDB did so in a fantastic way with the theme of the show being a glow party. DDB brought glow sticks and glow glasses for the crowd who enjoyed every minute of it. DDB played some some fan favorites like the spicy Latin melody of “Selena” and the always catchy “Caroline”. DDB always brings an eclectic mix of fast paced songs like “End of the World” and slows it down and connects with the audience with the slower rhythms of songs like “Four Letter Word” and “Whiskey Melody”.
The smooth sounds of Kares Gregory on the sax makes the slow songs methodical and dreamy while on the faster paced songs like “Selena” the sax drives the tempo of the song pushing the pace and then reeling it in in the tense moments of the song. Gregory is also a stellar lead guitar player as he shreds solos on songs like “End of the World” and “Whiskey Melody”. Drummer Reid Hoffmeier is always great as he controls a lot of the band’s emotions and feelings throughout the show. Not only is Hoffmeier an amazing drummer who can do everything that DDB requires him to do and more, he is the underlying humor and emotion that the guys are feeling during their show. Ian Benz was spectacular as always on the bass; fulfilling that low under tone that DDB was missing back when the original band was put together years ago. The front man and the person the band is titled after is Dave DiPrimo. All the songs are written by DiPrimo and DiPrimo will lead the band to spontaneous jam sessions at some point in the show.
At Buta Pub the crowd cheered for the jam session as DDB uses this opportunity for crowd participation. Whether it’s a hula contest or simply a call and answer song, the band always brings the room to life. DiPrimo not only has a voice that can hit all the ranges of the demanding setlist; whether its screaming in “End of the World” and in parts of “Selena” or the soft gentle whisper of “Four Letter Word” and at the end of “Out in the Cold”, DiPrimo can do it all as he executes every word with passion and clarity. DiPrimo also sports three different guitars throughout the band performance. The classic electric acoustic he uses for the softer songs, the Resonator he uses for some of the folk songs and the electric for solos on songs like “Glory Days” and “Know you Best”. DiPrimo’s guitar playing has improved over the time DDB has been together as the solos he played sounded crisp. His confidence not only as a singer and guitar player can be seen improving in every show; but also his confidence speaking to the crowd on a more personal level.
The sizable crowd enjoyed every moment of DDB and was crowded around the stage dancing and having a good time. DDB will be performing on April 27 at Funk ‘n Waffles Music Hall with Corey Glover of Living Colour and The Alchemystics. The Dave DiPrimo Band has released two albums, the first being One Year with original band members and Reflections with the current band. Both CD’s are available for purchase at all DDB shows with other merchandise that the band sells. You can also find DDB’s music on all music streaming sites like: Spotify, Apple Music, I tunes, Google Play, Amazon and all of DDB’s music can be streamed and purchased on their website
Will Hanza, guitarist of Escaper has been enjoying the success of the group’s sophomore release Edge Detection and still buzzing about meeting Jon Fishman. Hanza spoke to NYS Music about the songwriting style that encompasses their new album, Escaper’s summer plans and jazz influences that create a monolithic jam fusion sound.
Pete Mason: What was it like opening for The Mallett Brothers Band and Jon Fishman?
Will Hanza: Well, we’ve sort of become regulars at Brooklyn Bowl, it’s our home venue really, and recently opened for Electric Beethoven. Working with the folks at Brooklyn Bowl is great, the sound and Vic Cornette on lights is a musician himself and he really works with you. This was our most jammiest show yet, opening the songs up in the moment in a way that keyed us into the improv we should be doing, avoiding meandering and allowing the moment to take over and launch from there. The reaction to the set was great on Thursday (April 12th). The Mallett Brothers are a really great band, and watching Fishman drum from side-stage was a treat. He was nice enough to say that he liked Escaper and that we had that Pink Floyd kind of vibe, which pretty much made my year.
PM: What musical influences came through in the production of the Edge Detection?
WH: The band comes from some diverse backgrounds, including myself who has a father who is a jazz musician, plus Zeppelin and Hendrix are in me. Lettuce and TAUK and more instrumentally oriented bands in the scene – we don’t want to sound like them, but they’re paving the way for what things fans are into, particularly instrumental music. Johnny Butler comes from Coltrane and jazz. Adam Ahuja comes from a pretty heavy jazz background, and is really into Mahavishnu Orchestra. For lack of a better word, this allows for a fusion of sounds, and that comes from combining jazz, classic psychedelic rock, funk rock, and I think it comes together cohesively in the process of what we take with these songs.
Some of the songs on Edge Detection were written out of live jams. We hear them and cultivate them from loose jams that we’ve been digging. We ran out of songs at one of our first shows in January 2016 at B.R.Y.A.C., so we played and improvised, which led to some of these songs being born, including the first two tracks on the album, “Secret Weapon” and “Rare Form.”
PM: What was Escaper’s songwriting process for Edge Detection?
WH: The well rounded sound comes out of that process where we start with a groove, like Jay will start with a bass line, then the keys will add in, then the drums … it’s a little loose at the start, and soon a whole beast is starting to get formed as we go back and listen and see what parts work best. We don’t write songs and then ask everyone to learn it – Escaper builds on the idea that this is everybody’s band, and everyone gets equal credit on the songwriting. I want everyone to feel that this is their band and their music. I am honored to play with the cats I get to play with, not the least because they are invested in the music as much as I am. It’s a challenge and exciting to have a bunch of collaborators create music that you could never do on your own. We all recorded simultaneously in the studio, which gives that sense of synergy and react to each other in the moment, rather than layering things over and over.
PM: How was the reception to Edge Detection and what did you learn from the recording process and release of the album?
WH: The response has been very nice, very strong. We’ve only had a handful of reviews but they’ve all been positive and hey reflect our growth since the first album. The recording process was similar to the last album Skeleton Key and we have found recording in the Bunker Studio in Brooklyn with engineer John Davis (Lettuce, Black Keys) to be our spot and we’ve found a great relationship working with him. He’s brilliant, has a good bedside manner and while we were in there recording, we felt very at home. He’s taken time to get to know us as players to squeeze a better performance out of us while keeping the recording efficient and everything flowing. I don’t know we’d do much different on the next album, but we might add some vocals on the next one.
PM: Where are fans going to be able to see you over the next few months?
WH: We sort of kicked off the festival season playing Rock n Roll Resort, and we’ll do a couple club dates mixed in, but we’re doing a decent amount of festivals – Grateful for Spring in Mountain Sky, PA, then Elements Lakewood, Lakewood, PA on Memorial Day weekend. Disc Jam is definitely one of the highlights on our schedule coming up in early June. We’re doing Bear’s Picnic and Mazzstock in August. Being invited to play any festival is an honor and opportunity that is a great way to pollinate our music in these various places and that can only help us into a touring schedule in the fall in New York and Pennsylvania. It’s all about getting the music out there like Johnny Appleseed – the more that can enjoy, the happier we are.
The latest installment of Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight starred critically acclaimed award winning saxophonist Jimmie Highsmith Jr. In this, the eight installment of season 5 of the series, Highsmith is interviewed by host Dan Gross before playing a selection of smooth jazz songs. On the stage, Highsmith is joined by Dave Labman on keyboard, Mark Terranova on bass, and Bruce Pitts on drums.
Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight hosts live events, which are free and open to the public. Episodes are recorded at Bop Shop Records at 1460 Monroe Avenue in Rochester from 7-9pm. Jon Lewis will finish out the fifth season and mark the series’ 50th episode on April 27.
BB King’s Blues Club & Grill in NYC’s Times Square announced that it will be closing its doors, citing a rent hike as the reason for closing. The lineup for the final week includes shows by William Bell’s Memphis Soul Revue (April 22), Rick Ross (April 23), Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh (April 25), El Gran Combo (April 26), and George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic (April 28). The finale on April 29 features Buddy Guy. Tickets are on sale now.
photo: Steve Malinski, NYS Music
“Despite many sold out shows, the location’s rent escalated to an unsustainable level, leaving us no choice but to close our doors. Unfortunately this has become a growing trend in New York City, with other iconic music venues and businesses falling victim to opportunistic property owners. This venue’s legacy extends much further than the stage, playing a role in Times Square’s revitalization two decades ago. It is a shame that wasn’t taken into consideration regarding its future in the area. Nevertheless, we feel extremely grateful for the overwhelming support we have received from both fans and artists over the years to create some truly historic and incredible memories in this space. We hope that we can find a new place to call home very soon so we can continue bringing live music to you all.”
– Tsion Bensusan, chief operating officer
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill Closing Week Celebration Show Schedule:
April 17 & 18 Buddy Guy
April 22 William Bell’s Memphis Soul Revue
April 23 Rick Ross
April 25 Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh + Special Guests
April 26 El Gran Combo
April 28 George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic + Special Guests
April 29 Buddy Guy
Hailing from Buffalo NY, Intrepid Travelers combines elements of rock, funk, blues and jazz along with a powerhouse performance certain to make you move and groove. From their home studio in Buffalo, the band shares stories of influence, time on the road, and what exactly a “jam band” is anyway. Join host Andy Hogan for the second episode for Empire State Music Podcast.
One of the most integral people in planning this summer’s Curveball festival featuring Phish is the president of Watkins Glen International, Michael Printup, who took the time out of his busy schedule to give an interview to NYSMusic.
This will be the third festival the band has held at the track most famous for NASCAR racing. In 2011, there was Superball, followed by Magnaball in 2015. Like those two, Curveball is a three-day event taking place August 17 to 19 this year.
Printup shared some interesting tidbits about Curveball and about his history with the rock band born out of the mountains of Vermont. His first interaction was back in 1998 when he was the general manager of the Providence Civic Center while Phish was on, what has now become, the legendary Island Tour. It was the first time he saw the band live, but his biggest takeaway wasn’t the music.
“I mean, it was a small arena,” Printup said. “What I remember most was the fans. They’re just — they’re just so awesome. I noticed the respect and dedication of the fans, and I saw that the band respected the fans in a great way. It shows in what they do, all the planning they put into putting on these large-scale festivals. I’ve been in sports for my entire life — the NFL, Southern California, Miami, Boston — and you don’t see that kind of thing between the fans and what they’re coming to see like you do with Phish.”
That observation has directly led to the relationship that the Phish organization has with Watkins Glen. It was back in 2016 when the planning for Curveball began. Printup said that Richard Glasgow, a member of Phish’s management team, visited the site and began the discussion of a festival in 2018.
“Richard and I talk at least once a month,” Printup said. “I was in Las Vegas the same time Phish was there in 2016. They realized I was in town and they invited me to attend a soundcheck. So there I was, with like six other people in the empty arena, and they’re just up there jamming.”
That type of relationship bonding has made doing business with Phish a breeze, Printup said. At Magnaball, he recalled, when the band was walking off stage just before the weekend’s final encore, the band stopped by for a “quick hello” and then invited him stage side for the encore.
Printup, who is very professional and has a knack for teasing things without giving them away, touched on a variety of topics. For starters, he did confirm that the fan favorite event — in the past titled the Runaway Jim 5K road race — will happen again this year. He mentioned that the band had inquired about a parade, but would not give any more info on the subject.
One of the things fans have wondered about since Magnaball was the capacity of the venue and the ticketing situation. It was announced prior to the festival that all tickets had been sold and none would be sold at the gate. However, many ticketless fans who showed up were able to buy tickets from the venue at the gate. Printup explained that when the sellout announcement was made, the racetrack was only allowed by officials to cap the capacity at 50,000 people. A late inspection of the venue took into consideration the bathrooms and showers that are at the track year round, thus allowing an extra 10,000 to be added to the max capacity. Printup did not have the information as to whether or not all extra tickets were sold.
For Curveball, though, he insisted that fans don’t wait much longer to buy their tickets. While for a NASCAR event they’re prepared to handle 160,000 people, it’s not the same for a music festival.
“I have spoken to Red Light Management and Phish, and they highly recommend buying soon,” he said. “The max we can have is 60,000 per day, and Richard (Glasgow) has said sales are going very well.”
The discussion then flowed into how Phish puts on their well documented secret sets. At each festival since The Clifford Ball in 1996, the band has done an unannounced or special set. At Superball, they performed the Storage Jam at about 2 a.m. on Sunday morning in a storage shed they had on grounds. Magnaball featured the fan-favorite Drive-In Jam, which was a merging of visual art projected onto a large screen draped from the bleachers, while the band performed an all-improvised set behind the curtain.
When asked if he could give the fans a hint, or even speak off the record about what Phish has in store for this year, Printup was emphatic and filled with laughter. “No way!” he said.
Printup gave loads of credit to the local community for the help and support for the weekend.
“There is a big trust value between everyone,” he said. “There’s so much that comes along with something like this. Our local sheriff knows how to handle it all, the traffic and stuff like that. Our goal is not to inundate the community, but involve them.”
He said he’s only heard positive things from the locals, who genuinely enjoy when the Phish crowd comes to town. Printup said that he will sometimes check some of the band’s message boards in the week leading up to the festivals and everything has been positive.
It’s no secret that Phish fans like to party when they experience the band. Printup said that the crowd isn’t that different from other music crowds, but did warn that people trying to be nefarious might want to reconsider.
“Country fans, EDM fans, they like to have fun as well,” he noted. “But I know how many undercovers there will be out there. I wouldn’t take that kind of risk and possibly be arrested. Obviously booze isn’t going to get you arrested, so I just hope everyone is smart about having fun that weekend.”
But overall, Printup said that we are all in for a very special time, with a lot of new features to keep fans engaged.
“I’m most looking forward to the show, of course,” he said. “And I want to give the band a huge thank you, because they’ve just been awesome.”
Superfly and A.C. Entertainment have officially released the daily lineup for Bonnaroo 2018. The full schedule can be found on Bonnaroo’s website, or it can also be viewed as an image.
This year’s lineup has over 150 acts, including several artists with New York State connections:
Nile Rogers & Chic – New York City
Gryffin – New York City
Ikebe Shakedown – New York City
Westside Gunn + Conway – Buffalo
Dreamers – New York City
Michael Blume – New York City
Victory Boyd – New York City
John Splithoff – New York City
Headliners for the 2018 festival include Eminem, the Killers and Muse. Other big name acts appearing throughout the weekend are Sturgill Simpson, Future, Bassnectar, Anderson .Paak, Alt-J and Mavis Staples.
Bonnaroo takes place annually at Great Stage Park, a giant 700-acre farmland in Manchester, TN. This year, Bonnaroo will be held between June 7th-10th. Tickets are still available on the official Bonnaroo website.
Twiddle jammed through 2 nights at the State Theater of Ithaca this past weekend. An acoustic set kicked off the first set on Friday, followed by a three-song second set.
Saturday was capped with an encore of Tom Petty‘s “You Don’t Know how it Feels.” Catch Twiddle this Thursday at the 20th anniversary of Higher Ground in Winooski, VT and Friday in New Haven, CT at College Street Music Hall or this summer in Burlington at Tumbledown.
Setlist, Friday April 13
Set 1: Wildfire, Rocky Raccoon, Five, Hattibagen McRat, Glycerine Medley Set 2: Gatsby the Great, Polluted Beauty, Apples Set 3: White Light, Syncopated Healing, Beethoven and Greene, Jamflowman Encore: Orlando’s > Orlando’s
Setlist, Saturday April 14
Set 1: Peas and Carrots, Lost in the Cold, Drifter, Earth Mama, Doinkinbonk!!! Set 2: Nicodemus Portulay > Subconscious Prelude, Every Soul, Dr. Remidi’s Melodium Encore: You Don’t Know How it Feels
Jane Lee Hooker is back, and better than ever.
Pete Mason
