Funktional Flow has been a staple in the Western New York area for years. The band has gone through many changes, and because of this they are always evolving and growing as a group. Known for being able to make any show a dance party, they have solidified their place in the scene. The band consists of Jeff Kuebler (guitar & vocals). Ben Whelan (bass), Joey Lewis (guitar & vocals), Ryan James Acanfora (drums), and Matthew Lester (keys, sax, and vocals), all of which contribute to the show and the sound in their own, critical way. After Funk (out of Toronto) started the night off strong, loosening up the audience for the spectacle to follow.
Funktional Flow decided to try out a new formula for the show, and it was a success. They have a collection of songs usually reserved for opening sets, as they consider them not to be their “heavy hitters,” but that night they changed it up. This mix-up breathed new energy into their usual first-set staples such as “Baby Song,” Black T,” “Gone,” and “Seems to Feel.”
The highlight of the night was when After Funk’s Yanick Allwood joined Funktional Flow for “What a Fool Believes” and “Eminence Front.” Their synergy was palpable.
Funktional Flow will be returning to Buffalo Iron Works on March 24, bring your dancing shoes.
Setlist: Mulligans > Baby Song, Black T, TomTom Part 1 > China Town > TomTom Part 2 , What a Fool Believes*, Gone, Seems to Feel, Trouble, Eminence Front*
*with Yanick Allwood on After Funk
In the Arndt family collection of movies is a video of Jocelyn and Chris playing upon the consecrated stage of Caffe Lena. Their father still watches it, though Chris says it’s from a “long time ago.”
It was six years ago.
Consider that six years is nearly a quarter of a lifetime to a 21-year-old, and just yesterday to his father. Still, let’s also factor in the sister-brother duo’s professional career; contracts, albums and countrywide road trips. There’s The Whisky a Go Go, Mountain Jam and, yeah, Billboard’s Top 40 that have since followed. From that perspective, it has been a long time.
“Touring is the best job, ever,” said Chris. “Playing music, making music in general, it is the single greatest job you can have, hands down. I’m not biased or anything. Except for driving through Nebraska.” On cue, David Bourgeois holds up a thick set of tire chains.
It’s February and the band has returned after several months of touring across the country. There’s still little rest. Chris, Joceyln and Bourgeois sit at White Lake Studios to rehearse for a radio gig in Boston. Bourgeois takes a moment to slump into a comfortable chair. He’s a man of many hats. Visually, he’s the band’s drummer. Behind the scenes, he’s its music director. He owns the Albany studios along with his wife, Anna. Within the bigger picture, he’s president of Bridge Road Entertainment. About five years ago, he discovered the two while they played together at a local festival. He’s been their manager ever since.
Playing gigs and hitting radio stations like the one in Boston is all in the effort to earn more air time. It’s called chasing radio play. It involves a lot of networking, sending tapes, exchanging phone calls and logging in the miles on the road. Where U2 and Interscope have years of established success and reputation, Jocelyn and Chris need to hustle. On top of being musicians, they also have to act as their own marketers. There are about 120 radio stations across the nation that play under the adult album alternative format, and grabbing a program director’s attention can be “extremely challenging,” according to one.
“To put it simply — there is so much great music out there, and very few slots they can fit in, and that goes for every format,” said Kim Neaton, former music director for WEQX. She was among three directors responsible for deciding what songs played on the radio. Unknown bands have to win out against trusted record labels, often times against management and promotional companies, for just a few open slots. For a band chasing radio play, “Even if you have one of the best songs in the room,” said Neaton, “you have the smallest voice in the room. But if you find a station that will take a chance, and you do well there, that’s ammo you can take to the next station when you reach out. Maybe things go well there, too. A story can build and so can a song’s success.”
One of the first stations the band won over was Albany’s WEXT. Its programming has helped local artists earn air time and, “they’ve helped us out so much,” said Jocelyn. There’s also WDST in Woodstock, a good station to have behind you. It originated Mountain Jam in 2004, a three-day music festival that has featured Robert Plant and Tom Petty in recent years. Jocelyn and Chris played there three years ago and will return to play its main stage in June.
Last December, Jocelyn and Chris broke into the Top 40 on Billboard’s Adult Album Alternative chart. “Red Stops Traffic,” the band’s third single off its 2017 studio release “Go,” debuted at No. 37. Jocelyn and Chris were listed along with the names of The Killers, Big Head Todd and U2. The band topped at No. 35 before slipping back down in January.
“The next goal is Top 10,” said Jocelyn, with a smile. The volume of her statement tapers off to a near whisper, as if in fear of sounding arrogant. There is no arrogance in the room, as the two siblings are still laughing in amazement over having charted above Bono. Their story has caught the attention of television producers. Four television shows, including NBC’s “The Voice” approached Jocelyn to perform. She turned it down. “That’s not how it works,” said Jocelyn. “We’re a team. Any time it starts to tilt towards one or the other, we’re just weary of and we don’t do it.”
Jocelyn and Chris resigned a three-year contract with Bridge Road Entertainment, and head back into the studio in April to record a new album. Before retreating to the studio, the band is set to perform at Caffe Lena on Sunday, March 4, at 7 p.m. Edge TV will be following as it films a documentary. The documentary should contrast with the video their father is still fond of playing from years ago. As “Red Stops Traffic” continues to resonate with radio listeners, people can expect to hear a maturity behind their play.
“It’s definitely a more mature sound,” said Jocelyn. “We’re not kids anymore.” she laughs.
This article was originally published by The Spot 518. is property of Spotlight Newspapers in Albany, N.Y., and appears as a special to NYS Music. TheSpot518 and NYS Music work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene in the Capital District and New York state, respectively. For more, visit TheSpot518.com.
Even after all these years, members of The Grateful Dead are still finding a way to push the envelope and explore new things. Beginning tonight at Radio City Music Hall, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh will embark on their first ever set of shows as a duo. Clearly, something must have clicked when the two founding members of The Dead reunited last summer for an entire Phil & Friends set at Lockn’ Music Festival.
Thankfully, for those not able to attend any of the 6 shows on this abbreviated tour, the fine folks over at nugs.net will be making each one available via webcast and, thus, couch tour a reality. After a two night stay at Radio City, the Duo Tour rolls on to Boston for shows March 7-8 and then Chicago for a final set of two show on March 10-11. Rumors are running rampant as to possible guests and sit-ins for what’s sure to be a memorable tour for these two long time friends so go here to get all the information and order the shows.
But first, enjoy this vintage clip of a younger Bob Weir and Phil Lesh duo performing with the rest of The Grateful Dead during their legendary 1980 run at Radio City Music Hall.
“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.
I Set My Friends on Fire played at Mohawk Place last weekend. The show on February 25 marked the third sold out show in a row on the 10 Years of Slaughter tour, celebrating the anniversary of their popular debut album You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter.
Awaken I Am made the trip all the way from their hometown of Brisbane, Australia to tour the US with Kissing Candice and I Set My Friends On Fire. Although far from home, they received a warm welcome from the crowd. Their music was more in the vein of rock than the metal bands that make up the rest of the bill, but it resonated with the crowd. Awaken I Am played a selection of songs which included some off their latest album which they released last year on Victory Records, Blind Love. When I stopped by the merch table, I noticed that the t-shirts and album cover included the words ‘Blind Love’ spelled out in braille, which was a nice touch.
Awaken I Am
Long Island metal heavyweights Kissing Candice was a stark contrast to the previous act. The stage filled with the haze of smoke, as the five piece ensemble took the stage in horror-show costumes and masks. The music was as intense as the theatrics, an industrial metal rage that got the crowd moshing once they were over their initial awe. This band is not for the faint of heart. If you’re a fan of heavy hitters like Slipknot, you need to check them out. While tour with Awaken I Am and I Set My Friends On Fire ends on March 16 in Oklahoma, they are playing a show in Illinois on the 18th, followed by a hometown show when they get back to New York at Revolution in Amityville on the 21st.
Kissing Candice
Then came the act that fans had been waiting all night to see: I Set My Friends On Fire. A decade ago, two teenagers with a laptop posted a punk cover of “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” on MySpace. It’s been an incredible journey for the band since then. Worldwide tours, lineup changes, and two full length albums later, the band is still challenging the status quo. Clever insightful lyrics are paired with experimental sounds that incorporate a myriad of genres including hardcore and funk.
I Set My Friends On Fire
The band is currently comprised of founding member Matt Mehana on vocals, Nathan Blasdell on clean vocals and guitar, Connor Mitchener on bass, Chris Thompson on drums and Hector Bagnod on guitar. Out of the gate, the guys brought an energetic vibe that was contagious. Blasdell was encouraging crowd participation between and during songs, but honestly the crowd didn’t need much encouragement to get moving. A mosh pit opened up on the first song, and it didn’t let up.
The setlist was comprised of all the songs from You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter. I was expecting them to play all the songs in order, like other bands that I’ve gone to when they had 10th anniversary tours, but they mixed it up a bit, which was a pleasant surprise. The music was intense and raw, but with an overarching sense of fun. The band members just seemed so happy to be up on stage, and grateful to be celebrating the birthday of this iconic album.
I Set My Friends on Fire
There will always be a place for music that captures adolescent antics and questioning of authority and societal standards. Fans of I Set My Fire who turned out at the show included everyone from teenagers who were too young to see the band on previous tours to middle-aged folks who were seeing them for the fourth or fifth time. But the majority of the people in attendance were those who were coming of age when the album came out ten years ago, those who connect on a personal level with the disillusionment and angst of a generation that had their American dream ripped away by the great recession. For them, this concert seemed like both a validation of their experience and a communal catharsis. They purged their emotions in the mosh pit.
Future Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Sevendust returns, as the band posted on social media that they will hit the road this spring in support of the band’s upcoming twelfth studio album, All I See is War. The album will be released on May 11 through Rise Records.
The band’s “All I See is War” tour, will mix with several festival appearances Sevendust will make, including Welcome to Rockville, Fort Rock, Carolina Rebellion, Lunatic Luau, Rock on the River, Spring Fling and Rocklahoma.
Kicking things off in Tempe, AZ at UFest on April 20, the tour will see support from Rise label mates Memphis May Fire, and Fire From the Gods. Manhattan-born singer/songwriter Madame Mayhem, will open shows during the run.
New York will have one stop during the band’s 26-city run, in what seems to have become a home away from home for the band, at Clifton Park’s Upstate Concert Hall on May 9. Tickets go on sale March 2, and cost $20 in advance, and $23 at the door. VIP Packages are also available.
Sevendust formed in Atlanta in 1994. They released twelve studio albums, including their first acoustic effort Time Travelers & Bonfires in 2014. Their music has been featured in several movie soundtracks, television, and video games through several different avenues, including WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), ATV Offroad Fury, 2001 film Down to Earth, Mortal Kombat soundtrack, and Celebrity Deathmatch.
“All I See Is War” Tour Dates:
April 20 – KUPD Ufest – Tempe, AZ*
April 21 – Speaking Rock – El Paso, TX
April 22 – Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM
April 24 – Come and Take it Live – Austin, TX
April 25 – Varsity Theater – Baton Rouge, LA
April 28 – Welcome to Rockville – Jacksonville, FL*
April 29 – Fort Rock – Sunshine, FL*
May 1 – Club LA – Destin, FL
May 2 – Cannery Ballroom – Nashville, TN
May 4 – Carolina Rebellion – Concord, NC*
May 5 – Lunatic Luau – Virginia Beach, VA*
May 6 – Chameleon Club – Lancaster, PA
May 8 – Aura – Portland, ME May 9 – Upstate Concert Hall – Clifton Park, NY
May 11 – Royal Oak Music Hall – Royal Oak, MI
May 12 – Rock on the River – Ft. Wayne, IN*
May 18 – WAQX Spring Fling – Peoria, IL*
May 19 – The Forge – Joliet, IL
May 20 – The Apollo Theater – Belvidere, IL [Rockford]
May 22 – The Oriental Theater – Denver, CO
May 23 – Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO
May 25 – Rocklahoma – Pryor, OK*
May 26 – New Daisy Theater – Memphis, TN
May 27 – The International – Knoxville, TN
May 29 – Manchester Music Hall – Lexington, KY June 1 – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Sioux City,
The Squirrel Nut Zippers are back in business with their highly anticipated new album, Beasts of Burgundy is the first release in eighteen years.The twelve tracks are “inspired by the city of New Orleans, the poet Ron Cuccia, and a disregard for convention.” Pre-orders are being taken for the album, which will be available March 23 via Southern Broadcasting. They are already on tour for the album, and additional dates have been scheduled. They’ll be playing in the Northeast from late March to early April, with shows at the Center for the Arts of Homer on March 25 and City Winery in New York City on March 28. Tickets are on sale now.
Squirrel Nut Zippers – 2018 Tour Dates
March 2 – Palm Springs, CA – McCallum
March 3 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – Coach House
March 4 – Berkeley, CA – Freight & Salvage
March 5 – Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theatre
March 6 – Arcata, CA – Humboldt State
March 7 – Nevada City, CA – Miner’s Foundry
March 8 – Reno, NV – The Saint
March 9 – Grants Pass, OR – The Rogue Theatre
March 10 – Eugene, OR – Jacqua Concert Hall
March 11 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater
March 13 – Seattle, WA -Triple Door
March 14 – Seattle, WA – Triple Door
March 22 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
March 23 – Pittsburgh, PA – Jergels
March 24 – Williamsport, PA – Arts Center March 25 – Homer, NY – Homer Arts Center
March 27 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe March 28 – New York, NY – City Winery
March 29 – New Haven, CT – The Ballroom
March 30 – Fall River, MA – Narrows
March 31 – Plymouth, NH – Flying Monkey
April 1 -Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
April 2 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair
April 28 – Oxford, MS – Double Decker Festival
April 29 – New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s
May 10 – Houston, TX – The Heights Theater
May 11 – Dallas, TX – The Kessler Theater
May 12 – Tulsa, OK – The Vanguard
May 13 – Wichita, KS – Crown Uptown Theatre
May 15 – Indianapolis, IN – The Hi-Fi
May 16 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
May 17 – Columbus, OH – Skully’s Music Diner
May 18 – Newport, KY – Southgate House
May 19 – Milwaukee, WI – Wilson Center
May 20 – Chicago, IL – City Winery
Call on Music, an organization recently launched by Omni Arts Group, will hold its inaugural event, “Get Wet for Chauncey” on Friday, April 14 at Nectar’s in Burlington, VT. Omni Arts Group founder Matt Kolinski and partner Will Ralston with the help of the arts and entertainment community have launched Call On Music and intend to promote events that will raise funds and awareness on behalf of other charitable organizations through live music and other platforms.
The first event, to be held on Saturday, April 14 at Nectar’s in Burlington, is “Get Wet For Chauncey”, which will raise money for the Lake Champlain Committee and the Vermont Clean Water Network. Headlining the event will be The Get Wet All-Stars featuring Michelangelo Carubba (Turkuaz), Craig Brodhead (Turkuaz), Rob Compa (Dopapod), Josh Myers (Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds), and Josh Dobbs (Dead Set). Patrons will enjoy opening act Doctor Rick as well as a raffle that will include items from various local Burlington establishments. Tickets are $10, doors at 8, show at 9.
On February 28, 2003, Phish performed the penultimate show of their Winter Tour at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island, their first since returning from a two year hiatus. The result was one of the best Phish performances of the ‘2.0’ era that spanned from December 31, 2002 through August 15, 2004.
poster by Louis Arzonico
The first set of the show kicks off with “Birds of a Feather” and while this is a solid starter to a 2003 Phish show, the “Destiny Unbound” that followed is the song that fans skip to, for this was the first version of the song since 1991, and one that fans had been clamoring for since the mid-90s. At first, few in the crowd knew what it was, but as the lyrics started, you can hear the crowd erupt, and even more so when the refrain “We gotta get on the road, Destiny Unbound” is sung.
poster design by Troy Alexander
Shock and awe swept through the crowd and continued into “Horn,” for the biggest bust out of them all was finally here. A 20+ minute “Bathtub Gin” is full of peaks and jam sections, never letting up and only resting when followed by “Sleep.” An extended “Back on the Train” and “Walls of the Cave” sandwich “Bouncing Around the Room” to wrap up the firepowered first set, and set two would prove to be equally incredible.
One of the best versions of “Tweezer” this century kicked off a five-song second set, stretching more than 27 minutes and finding ebbs and flows throughout, never noodling or fading out, just pure improvisation start to finish. The segue into a then-rare cover of Bob Marley’s “Soul Shakedown Party” lit up the room once again, as did a dark 19 minute “David Bowie.”
The only time to catch a breath this set was “Round Room,” but being the title track off the band’s recently released album, fans were rapt with attention to the new tune. Closing the set was a slow building “Harry Hood” that capped the show with a bang.
shirt design by chris mcmurray
A three song encore starting with “Contact,” “Mexican Cousin” gave the fans a couple of sing-alongs before the energetic close of “Tweezer Reprise.” You would be hard pressed to find a Phish show in 2003 or 2004 that had as much firepower as February 28, 2003 did.
Phish, Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, Long Island, NY February 28, 2003
Computer Magic, aka producer/songwriter Danielle “Danz” Johnson, has released her official sophomore album, DANZ, this month along with a video for the track, “Amnesia.”
Nods to Alien and Logan’s Run can be found in the black and white video, which finds Danielle in her workspace surrounded by what inspires her. “The song is about going crazy during your creative process. It’s about isolating yourself from the outside world, locking yourself in your studio to try and create something, but in the midst of this, you kind of lose yourself.”
The upcoming semi-autobiographical album DANZ is even darker and more experimental than her first studio effort, Davos, and delves into themes such as losing yourself and your memory, a dystopian future and not following along with the crowd. Danielle writes and records at her Brooklyn studio while running Channel 9 Records and hosting her own radio show every other week on Newtown Radio called “Outerspace.”
Computer Magic Tour Dates: 3/03 – Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
3/15 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada (Not So Fun Weekend)
3/23 – Richmond, VA @ Gallery S
3/25 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
3/26 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
4/14 – Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
Funktional Flow decided to try out a new formula for the show, and it was a success. They have a collection of songs usually reserved for opening sets, as they consider them not to be their “heavy hitters,” but that night they changed it up. This mix-up breathed new energy into their usual first-set staples such as “Baby Song,” Black T,” “Gone,” and “Seems to Feel.”
Thankfully, for those not able to attend any of the 6 shows on this abbreviated tour, the fine folks over at 
The band’s “All I See is War” tour, will mix with several festival appearances Sevendust will make, including Welcome to Rockville, Fort Rock, Carolina Rebellion, Lunatic Luau, Rock on the River, Spring Fling and Rocklahoma.
