Category: Regions

  • Joe Satriani’s G3 Rocks the Rochester Auditorium Theater

    On February 20, world-famous guitar legend, Joe Satriani  brought internationally renowned concert tour G3 to the Auditorium Theater in Rochester. Accompanied by axe-wizards John Petrucci (Dream Theater) and Phil Collen (Def Leppard), the three shredders tore down the Auditorium Theater’s roof. Each musician played a short set and then the three came together to jam over “Highway Star” by Deep Purple, “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder, and lastly “Going Down” by The Alabama State Troopers. Check out this photo gallery courtesy of But I Was There Photography below.  You will also find below the photos the full concert set list.

    SETLIST:

    Phil Collen’s Set:
    Quadrant 4 (Billy Cobham cover), Yo 2 Joe, Bless These Blues (Delta Deep song), Burnt Sally (Delta Deep song), Mistreated (Deep Purple cover), Down in the Delta (Delta Deep song)

    John Petrucci’s Set:
    Wrath of the Amazons, Jaws of Life, The Happy Song, Damage Control, Glassy-Eyed Zombies, Glasgow Kiss

    Joe Satriani’s Set:
    Energy, Catbot, Satch Boogie, Cherry Blossoms, Thunder High on the Mountain, Super Funky Badass, Cataclysmic, Headrush, Circles, Always With Me, Always With You, Summer Song

    G3 (Collen, Petrucci, & Match) Set:
    Highway Star (Deep Purple Cover), Superstition (Stevie Wonder cover), Going Down (The Alabama State Troupers cover)

  • Gramatik and Balkan Bump team up for “Aymo” ft, Talib Kweli

    Balkan Bump, the newest project from trumpet player, producer and ethnomusicologist Will Magid, Gramatik and Brooklyn-born Talib Kweli have combined forces on the debut track “Aymo.” Balkan Bump debuted at Gramatik’s NYE show at Terminal 5 this past December and will be joining Gramatik on the road during his Spring 2018 Re:Coil tour.

    Aymo

    Musically, Balkan Bump is a fusion of live instruments, world influences and lush electronic production. The debut EP demonstrates his experience as an instrumentalist and arranger, fusing energetic Balkan brass with heavy electronic production and hip-hop/trap influences. This thrilling blend of live brass and electronic production carries over to Balkan Bump’s live show, and can be found joining Gramatik as he unveils his horn-infused live set to a North American audience in Spring 2018 for the Re:Coil Tour starting in February 2018.

    “Aymo” was a collaboration from Gramatik’s Re:Coil Part I EP, originally written by Will Magid and Talib Kweli, who met while playing alongside Pretty Lights on The Conan O’Brien show. Gramatik loved it so much he wanted to put his own spin on it and now his independent label Lowtemp will also provide a home for Will’s first EP under the Balkan Bump moniker, due out in early March. In December, Will released the first single from the upcoming EP, “Irfan.”

    Re:Coil Tour Dates
    Feb. 21 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues
    Feb. 22 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
    Feb. 24 – New Orleans, LA – Joy Theatre
    Feb. 26 – Tuscaloosa, AL – Druid City
    Feb. 27 – Chattanooga, TN – TBD
    March 1 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
    March 2 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
    March 3 – Knoxville, TN – The International
    April 12 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
    April 13 – Richmond, VA – The National
    April 14 – Asheville, NC – Orange Peel
    April 15 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm
    April 18 – Columbia, SC – Music Farm
    April 19 – Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre
    April 20 – Washington, DC – Echostage
    April 21 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
    April 22 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
    April 24 – Syracuse, NY – The Westcott Theater
    April 26 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall

  • Interview: Young Culture Takes New Release ‘Blue’ On The Road

    Vibrant pop punk outfit Young Culture made their way from their hometown of Albany to Rochester on February 17 for the first night of their coast to coast tour. They’re on the road promoting their sophomore EP, Blue, which was released in the fall. NYS Music met up with founding members Alex Magnan and Gabe Pietrafesa just before their show at Vineyard Community Space to talk about the release, tour, the importance of support from friends and family, and the game called Odds.

    Young Culture
    Photo by Danny DeRusso Photography

    Paula Cummings: You’re on tour for your new EP. Tell me about Blue.

    Gabe Pietrafesa: We recorded last January, about a year ago. We went out to Always Be Genius Studios in Indiana and recorded it with Seth Henderson and Derek Discanio from State Champs. We were there for eight days, did five songs. We had a blast. Now it’s out and it’s going good. The shows have been really great, and the songs are where we want them to be.

    Alex Magnan: It definitely felt like a good follow-up to our first EP You because that one we recorded when we were pretty young. We were 17/18 when we recorded Blue, so it’s just more mature than the last one. It felt like the next step.

    PC: You recorded with Derek from State Champs. They’re from your hometown of Albany, right?

    GP: We’re homies with the State Champs guys. Derek actually worked with us on our first record, too. He’s a friend now and he’ll come to us with ideas or we’ll come to him with ideas. He just wants to be part of what we’re creating because he’s been with Young Culture from day one. State Champs has been a big thing in the Albany scene.

    PC: Also important are supportive parents, and I’ve heard that you guys have an awesome band mom.

    AM: Both my parents, Mike and Gina, are the greatest souls ever. They just love everybody and they really are into what we’re doing. So they’re very supportive of it. Every time before we leave for tour they always make us mad food, a big breakfast and food to take.

    GP: And any time we have friends’ bands, like if Rarity was in town, they’ll have them over, let them stay and do their laundry, cook them food. They go out of their way. They’re great people.

    AM: I feel like they were never doubtful about it. When I was like “Mom, Dad, I want to do music,” they were like, “This is the right move, but if you want to do it, you better haul ass and be 100% about it.” They pushed us to keep doing what we’re doing, which is pretty unorthodox. A lot of parents don’t do that.

    Young Culture
    Photo by Danny DeRusso Photography

    PC: You spend a lot of time on the road. I hear you like to play a game called Odds.

    GP: So the rule for Odds is… I’ll use (friend and cameraman) Danny as an example. I’ll think of a crazy task. I’ll be like, Danny, what are the odds that every photo you take tonight you have to close your eyes. Danny will be like one out of ten. And Alex will count us in like 3, 2, 1. And then we both say a number between one and ten, and if we both say the same number, then he has to do it. If I said four and Danny said six and it adds up to ten, then the odds are reversed, and I have to do it, and he won’t have to. We’ve done some pretty stupid odds.

    AM: It’s like you’re on the road in a van a long time with a bunch of dudes and you’ve got to keep things interesting sometimes. So we’ve gone to some extremes.

    GP: We make an agreement that we don’t do odds for the show. We don’t do anything that’s going to mess with it. That’s a big thing. One time we were doing the drive from here to Texas, and it was insane and we were really bored, and there was a cup of Alex’s pee and someone odds me to drink a sip of it. I didn’t think it would happen.

    AM: Needless to say, we’re more than friends now. We’ve done some outlandish stuff.

    GP: One time we had our manager Joe go up to someone after their set and say, “Good set. Not great, though.”

    Young Culture
    Photo by Danny DeRusso Photography

    PC: You’re ending this tour with a hometown show. How psyched are you for that?

    GP: So stoked.

    AM: We’re going to try to sell that one out. It’s going to be at a venue called Lucky Strike Social. All the openers for it are friends of ours. The Maloy Brothers, who have never done a full show are going to be the openers. And then we have Perfect Scores. And a band called Viewpoints – they’ve been doing this as long as we have.

    GP: It’s going to be two weeks of us playing shows, and then we get to come home to a big hometown show. We haven’t done a hometown show in like six months.

    AM: That’s the best way to do it. You come home and end tour with a bang.

    GP: We’re playing so many places we’ve never even been to.

    AM: I was excited to come back to Rochester.

    GP: It’s cool because not only do we get to play music, we get to travel the world.

    AM: What better platform to travel than music.

    GP: It’s a lot of fun.

    Catch Young Culture on their remaining tour dates:

    Feb. 23 – Los Angeles, CA – The Vibe
    Feb. 24 – Lake Forrest, CA – Rushbar
    Feb. 25 – Santa Anna, CA – 4th Street Market
    Feb. 26 – Phoenix, AZ – The Rebel Lounge
    Feb. 27 – Albuquerque, NM – The Jam Spot
    March 1 – Indianapolis, IN – Hoosier Dome
    March 2 – Cleveland, OH – Euclid Tavern
    March 3 – Erie, PA – Basement Transmissions
    March 4 – Albany, NY – Lucky Strike Social

    Find Blue, and their 2016 debut EP You on iTunes. Follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on their adventures on (and off) the road.

  • Listen to the Premiere of Escaper’s sophomore album “Edge Detection”

    Space rockers Escaper, who perfectly blend funk, rock, jazz and fusion, today released their second album Edge Detection on Ropeadope Records. NYS Music is proud to premiere Edge Detection, recorded at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn with co-producer John Davis (Lettuce, Brad Mehldau, Black Keys). The opening track “Secret Weapon” is indeed that – with a slowly accelerating build infused with saxophone, the song gets grittier and nastier, and just when you think it’s fading out, Escaper storms back giving a Flying Frog Brigade level of intensity to the track. Give a listen to the album below.

    Escaper performs in Syracuse on Saturday at Funk ‘n Waffles with special guest Ryan Vendetti.

    While at The Bunker Studio, Escaper recorded over the course of two days with all five band members playing together simultaneously, while in isolated rooms. Bandleader and guitarist, Will Hanza, expresses, “This also allows for synergy to happen because instead of me playing with something that is already there and that not being able to react back to me, we can all react to each other together, alive in the moment. I think that is the most important thing. Our live show is really important to us and what we can do with that. We wanted to be able to capture that feel and that synergy in the studio as much as possible.”

    escaper edge detection

    The songs all had a set structure, but left plenty of room for improvisation right in the studio. The idea was to capture an in-the-moment feel of the musicians working off of each other. In regards to this, Will further states “The term ‘jam’ can be a loaded one, but the idea of having some concrete ideas, while still allowing the music to be open to take advantage of the moment is really important to us.”

    Escaper is featured on the lineups of Rock n Roll Resort and Disc Jam Music Festival, among others this festival season. For more dates and information, check out Escaper’s tour dates.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHYIt5rIZoE&list=PLNhsxcg6mM6vasFeA4-1NXxRenp5cerjX

  • Cold Lazarus Warms Up Western New York

    Jamestown, NY only holds a population of just over 30,000.  Yet, the small town, just a few miles from the Pennsylvania border, is most notably home to Lucille Ball and the 10, 000 Maniacs. The Jamestown music scene is on the rise, as Cold Lazarus, one of Western New York’s premier up and coming bands, has been catching eyes and ears with their unique brand of progressive/jam fusion.  As the winter weather begins to warm up this weekend, Cold Lazarus is hitting the road to showcase their first full length release, the self-titled studio album Cold Lazarus.

    Cold Lazarus will kick off the weekend on Friday in Westfield with a free show at the Tap Room.  You can also catch the band as they open in support of Rochester-based Haewa in Jamestown on Saturday at Mojo’s. Buffalo music fans can catch the band on Sunday as they open in support of Mungion at Buffalo Iron Works.

    The four- piece melds funk, psychedelic rock, reggae and soul with indie-style vocals and introspective lyrics. And it’s a formula that has quickly launched Cold Lazarus into the Western New York music scene.

    Cold Lazarus bassist Gavin Paterniti told NYS Music that the band’s musical formula comes from a place of being a musician’s band. “Our influences are quite varied, but we never set out to sound like any one artist or band that we enjoy listening to,” Paterniti noted. “We sort of pull from all those influences and combine them into an amalgam of funk, reggae, rock and jam-centric songs.”

    Cold Lazarus strikes a delicate balance between musicianship and entertainment. “We like to give our listeners and audience members something they can groove to while simultaneously challenging us as we play it, so we incorporate some progressive themes but try to keep it accessible, so we don’t lose our audience who are feeling the groove.”

    Celebrating the release of their first studio release, Cold Lazarus is also expanding their reach as artists in 2018.  The band will be debuting in Rochester this March with Buffalo’s Space Junk.  And they also landed a Buffalo support date with Aqueous side project Boss Tweed and the Carpetbaggers. Paterniti explains that although headlining dates is important for building a reputation, the support dates allow Cold Lazarus to gain new fans.

    “Right now, we’re still putting a big premium on exposure,” he said. “In comparison to many of these more established bands, we’re still kind of in our infancy stage, despite the fact that we’ve got about 2 albums’ worth of material and we’ve already managed to secure some very coveted festival spots in under a year and a half. We just want to get some recognition out there and for more people to hear us.”

    And while the exposure to new fans is the goal, Paterniti also sees the value in playing with some of the scene’s favorite touring artists. “It’s always great to be able to make contacts with some of these other bands who are blowing up the scene,” he explained, “You never know when those kinds of connections might be able to benefit you again down the road.”

    The band has already enjoyed an appearance at last summer’s Night Lights Music Festival and landed slots at this summer’s Gathering at Chaffee’s in Erie and The Great Blue Heron Music Festival. And while the band is staying tight-lipped about the rest of their summer plans, Paterniti noted that you’ll probably be seeing more of the Cold Lazarus name throughout the summer. “This summer is shaping up to be a great one for us, and I think it’s going to do wonders for us as a band moving forward,” he surmised. “We’ll also be making a couple of other area festival appearances, but those lineups have yet to be announced. We’re very excited about how things are progressing for our summer performance schedule.”

    Cold Lazarus hits various venues around Western New York throughout the spring.  Catch them at one of their upcoming Western New York shows. Also, check out the band’s album Cold Lazarus, available on Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp and other major streaming services.

    Cold Lazarus

    2/23 – Westfield, NY – The Tap Room

    2/24 – Jamestown, NY – Mojo’s#

    2/25 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Iron Works*

    3/9 – Erie, PA – Kings Rook Club $

    3/10 – Buffalo, NY – Nietzsche’s %

    5/19 – Rochester, NY – Funk n Waffles

    7/28 – Gathering at Chaffee’s

    #- support for Haewa

    *- support for Mungion

    % – support for Boss Tweed and the Carpetbaggers

    $ – support for Space Junk

  • moe. to wrap up February run at Palace Theatre in Albany

    After selling out the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester at the beginning of February, and delivering two smoking shows in bass player Rob Derhak’s hometown of Portland, Maine, moe are slated to play their first Palace Theatre shows since their 2015 New Year’s run. moe. has a storied history of playing in Albany, and were a staple of the underground jam scene while the band was in their formative years. Their presence in Albany in the mid-90’s was instrumental to their rise to success. They performed alongside other New York staples such as Moon Boot Lover and The Ominous Seapods as they steadily grew in popularity. Listen to one of their early Albany recordings at Valentine’s here.

    In 2013, 2014, and 2015, moe. played the Palace for a two-night New Year’s Run, with collaborations with ska band Conehead Buddha, full acoustic sets, and supporting acts such as Twiddle and Kung Fu. They broke with this tradition in 2016, instead opting for a destination show in Missoula, Montana and were unable to perform a New Years concert in 2017 in light of their hiatus. These upcoming Palace shows mark their fifth and sixth shows back since bassist and vocalist Rob Derhak’s return to health and to the stage.

    On February 23rd, moe. will be supported by fellow Buffalo rockers and proteges, Aqueous. After the Palace festivities, fans should migrate to The Hollow on Pearl Street in downtown Albany, for Floodwood, featuring moe.’s own Vinnie Amico, and Space Carnival. February 24th’s after party will feature Electric Beethoven and Scott Hannay Plays Video Games, a side-project from the front-man of Albany’s Mister F. Furthermore, if any moe.rons are feeling particularly thirsty Friday afternoon, The Hollow will be hosting a happy hour party from 5 to 7 before the show. There will be drink specials to enjoy and a free raffle, in which a lucky .ron can win a two-night VIP Okayalright package. Fans can purchase tickets for the Hollow aftershows here.

    If the first four shows of the tour were any indicator, Rob is happy and in good health, his voice sounds fantastic, and the boys are ready for some innovative, exploratory jams. There are still some heavy hitters on the table, and moe. has seemed to be reconstructing some of their classics and introducing several debuts this tour, so these shows are not to be missed, for fans hardcore or casual.

  • Syracuse Behavioral Healthcare to Host First Rock for Recovery Benefit

    The Black River will headline a March 9 benefit for Syracuse Behavioral Healthcare at the Palace Theater on James Street. The event features a who’s who of the burgeoning Syracuse music scene while raising funds for SBH programming for substance abuse recovery and mental health care.

    The unique showcase will feature performances from some of the best talent in the Syracuse rock scene. In addition to the Black River, performers include Atkins Riot, Late Earth, Molina and Climbing Stars. The show will be also have an infusion of stories of recovery from the effects of substance abuse, mental illness and other health issues. On-air personality, Scott Dixon (DXN) of 95X will be the event’s emcee.

    The March 9 show begins at 7 p.m. Advanced sale tickets can be purchased for $10 through the SBH website. Tickets at the door will cost $15. All proceeds from the event will go towards promoting SBH programming for recovery from the effects of substance use and mental health disorders through healthcare programs at every stage of the recovery process.

    The Black River, one of the hottest bands in the Syracuse scene, recently released its debut album Classic Universe and is currently playing shows throughout Upstate. Their album is available on all streaming services. A live video of the Black River’s “Roomful of Flies” can be seen below.

    Alt-rockers Atkins Riot features veteran members of the Syracuse music scene. Their riff-heavy eponymous debut is picking up steam around the Syracuse scene and can be purchased at their shows. You can check out a couple of their songs via SoundCloud below.

    https://soundcloud.com/user-257333986/too-much-whisky

    Late Earth has been nominated for a Syracuse Area Music Award for their album The Prevail. This young band’s album is an original sounding, genre-spanning work with influences ranging from ’90s alt-rock to blues to ska to reggae. Check out some tracks and purchase the SAMMY nominated album through their BandCamp page.

    Binghamton-area alt-rockers, Molina released their debut EP, Swing Devotion in 2015. Their single for “Wasted Years” boasts a heavy influence from The National and Interpol. Take a listen in their official video below.

    Climbing Stars recently recorded a “Live @ SubCat” session for 105.9 The Rebel’s weekly show, “Soundcheck.” The band’s bio states that they “pick up where grunge left off.” They are currently in the studio recording their debut album. In the meantime, you can hear the single “Angel From Afar” on their BandCamp page.

    Syracuse Behavioral Healthcare (SBH) promotes recovery from the effects of substance use and mental health disorders through healthcare programs at every stage of the recovery process through inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation as well as residential rehabilitation. In the past year, SBH programs have helped 6871 people in the Central New York area. For more information on Rock for Recovery and the services SBH provides, visit their website here.

  • Trampled by Turtles Return from Hiatus with ‘Life is Good on the Open Road’

    Trampled By Turtles, coming off an indefinite hiatus, have announced their first new album in four years, Life is Good on the Open Road, to be released on May 4 with two shows at The Palace Theater in St. Paul, MN. The tour swings east and arrives at Manhattan’s Playstation Theater on May 11.

    Life Is Good On The Open Road

    Trampled By Turtles’ signature blend of rock, folk, punk, country and their brand of progressive bluegrass can be heard on the album’s opening track “Kelly’s Bar”

    Life is Good on the Open Road is the welcome return that the group’s legions of passionate fans have been waiting for. Led by the songwriting of lead singer Dave Simonett, the new songs touch on key elements from the entire spectrum of Trampled By Turtles body of work, while creating something that sounds fresh and invigorated. Simonett, and bandmates Erik Berry, Ryan Young, Dave Carroll, Tim Saxhaug and Eamonn McLain reunited at a cabin in the Minnesota woods to see if the special chemistry they once shared still existed. It did not take long for the magic to reveal itself with a renewed sense of purpose and the result shines brightly on Life is Good on the Open Road.

    Trampled by Turtles Spring Tour Dates:

    May 4 – St. Paul, MN – The Palace Theatre ^^
    May 5 – St. Paul, MN – The Palace Theatre ++
    May 6 – Madison, WI – Capitol Theater $$
    May 8 – Boston, MA – House of Blues **
    May 9 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer **
    May 11 – New York, NY – Playstation Theater **
    May 12+13 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club **
    May 15 – Raleigh, NC – Ritz **
    May 17 – Asheville, NC – Highland Brewing Company **
    May 18 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium **
    May 19+20 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall ##
    June 21 – Tahoe, NV – Montbleau @@
    June 22 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theatre @@
    June 23 – San Diego, CA – Humphreys Concerts By The Bay @@
    June 27 – Seattle, WA – Woodland Park Zoo @@
    June 29 – Portland, OR – Oregon Zoo Amphitheater @@
    June 30 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom @@
    July 19 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre &&
    July 21 – Missoula, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater XX
    July 22 – Bozeman, MT – Bridger Brewing XX

    More to come

    ^^ – The Pines
    ++ – Frankie Lee
    $$ – Dead Horses
    ** – Hiss Golden Messenger
    ## – Actual Wolf
    @@ – Deer Tick
    && – The Oh Hellos + Dead Horses
    XX – The Lil Smokies

  • moe. Continues Tour in Portland for Rob Derhak at Hometown Show

    On February 16 and 17, moe returned to bassist Rob Derhak in his hometown of Portland, Maine for a blistering double-header. After selling out the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester two weeks prior, moe. fans were treated to two nights of music at the gorgeous State Theatre, with fan favorites, reworked songs, well-executed covers and some deep, exploratory jams.

    moe. opened with the aptly-chosen “Bring it Back Home,” which transitioned smoothly into the intense drum intro to “Water,” featuring teases of both “meat.” and “The Pit.” Both drummer Vinnie Amico and percussionist Jim Loughlin were seemingly possessed by some ferocious energy during both shows, adding all kinds of fills and teases to familiar songs, while inventing new patterns and improvisations. After “Water,” the band immediately dropped into “Bullet,” with guitarist Chuck Garvey belting out the lyrics, before the premier of his new song “Who You Calling Scared?” They then invited a friend of the band’s, Bill Waldron to the stage to play pedal-steel on a highly-charged rendition of the Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers.” Waldron had recently lent the use of his practice space for moe. to prepare for the Capitol Theatre run. The latin-inspired instrumental “Mar De-Ma” followed, with the newly reworked “Lazarus” in tow. They then closed the first set with a soaring version of “The Road” before taking a short break.

    Set 2 began with a one-two punch: “Big World,” which dropped into the funky and danceable “Ricky Marten.” The two are often paired, but following them with “Time Ed” was a rare treat for the moe. fans in attendance. “Time Ed” slowly and patiently built towards its intense climax, and then no huddled into “Puebla.” They followed this with one of the best versions of “Four” ever played, featuring an extended bass jam in the middle that featured strong teases of “In a Gadda da Vida” and a much subtler, blink and you’ll miss it “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” tease. “Four” clocked in at a staggering 30 minutes long and featured an incredible, progressive segueway into the punky intro to “head,” which served as the set closer. After a short encore break, the boys returned to the stage for their rendition of Blue Oyster Cult’s “Godzilla,” which featured an exploratory jam and some vocal shenanigans from Rob. Hardcore moe.rons would recognize the references to the raunchy moe. rarity “Tijuana Donkey Show” that were inserted into the “Godzilla” vocal jam.  Listen to the show here.

    Saturday night, an even bigger crowd made its way to the State for the second performance, which somehow managed to top the already phenomenal first night. They took the stage, and Rob wasted no time dropping into the bassline of “Billy Goat,” a song he penned for his late father. After a well-performed “Billy Goat,” they transitioned into Jim’s new song “Don’t Wanna Be,” that might be on the next album and features his gruff vocals and dark, pensive lyrics. The transition featured heavy “Tailspin” teases and was followed with the technical “Crab Eyes” and then “ATL,” which debuted in 2012 at Summer Camp, only to be shelved for several years before finally being resuscitated last year. “ATL” was followed by the first repeat of the tour, Rob’s new song “LL3,” which describes his harrowing victory against cancer. They transitioned into “Bearsong,” which went into a long, spacey, ambient jam reminiscent of 2001-era moe. Jim led them into “Tubing the River Styx,” the intro to the Satanic “The Pit,” and then back into “Bearsong,” to complete the sandwich. It is most certainly worthy to note that Rob was in a bear costume for the second half of “Bearsong.”

    Set 2 began with Rob’s relatively new jam vehicle, “Prestige Worldwide,” which debuted at the holiday show in 2016, followed by the erratic and playful fan favorite, “Seat of my Pants,” and the hyperactive “Sensory Deprivation Bank.” This was followed by the second repeat of the tour, Chuck’s immaculately composed “New Hope for the New Year,” an intricate tune with tons of potential for future improvisation. This and “LL3” were both played for the first time in Port Chester, at their first performances since the end of their hiatus. After, they dove into an uplifting “Bring You Down,” which featured one of the most patient, smooth, and entrancing segueways of the weekend, into “Kyle’s Song,” which flowed into its sister song “Kids” to close the second set. moe. then encored with the sing-a-long “Spine of a Dog” before bidding the crowd farewell. Both nights featured heavy improv from the rhythm section and alterations on classics, as well as deep psychedelic jams and segues that left the crowd guessing. moe. is back, and they are hungry. Listen to night 2 here.

    Friday, Feb. 16

    Set 1: Bring it Back Home > Water (nh)> Bullet, Who You Calling Scared? (FTP), Dead Flowers, Mar De-Ma (nh)> Lazazarus, The Road

    Set 2: Big World > Ricky Marten > Time Ed (nh)> Puebla, Four > head.

    Encore: Godzilla

    Saturday, Feb. 17

    Set 1: Billy Goat > Don’t Wanna Be, Crab Eyes, ATL, LL3 > Bearsong > Tubing the River Styx > The Pit > Bearsong

    Set 2: Prestige Worldwide > Seat of my Pants > Sensory Deprivation Bank, New Hope for the New Year, Bring You Down > Kyle’s Song > Kids

    Encore: Spine of a Dog

    photos by Sarah Bourque

  • Disc Jam Music Festival announces 2018 Lineup

    Disc Jam Music Festival announced today the initial lineup for the 8th installment of the annual music festival held in Stephentown, NY. Slated for June 7-10, the music-filled weekend promises over 80 artists, along with Disc Golf Tournaments, Flow Tribe dancers, craft vending, yoga workshops and much more.

    The 2018 artist lineup includes a heavy dose of national and regional funk and jam artists, in addition to collaboratives and side projects, including unique pairings only found at the festival. Headliners include Lotus, Beats Antique, Galactic, The Motet, Electron (feat. members of Lotus and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead), Disco Biscuits guitarist Jon ‘The Barber’ Gutwillig (solo acoustic set), DJ Logic and Friends (feat. members of The Disco Biscuits, Dopapod and Turkuaz), Gubbulidis (Twiddle side project), Kung Fu, Moon Hooch, Aqueous, Ghost Note (Snarky Puppy side project) Tom Marshall’s Amfibian All-Stars, Ghost Light (Tom Hamilton and Holly Bowling project), among more than 80 artists performing on 4 stages over 4 days of camping at the picturesque Gardner’s Farm.

    “I spent the entire off-season trying to come up with a festival experience that could one-up the magic we conjured up last year. I think what we have in store will set the bar high for next year. And I’m already nervous thinking how we’ll top this in 2019.” In their 4th consecutive year at Gardner’s Farm, Disc Jam has found a venue that feels like home.  “I truly believe that we have been blessed with the perfect festival grounds, surrounded by rolling hills with picturesque views and soft grass beneath our feet.”

    As the name Disc Jam would imply, this 4 day and night event features the fast growing sport of disc golf and festival grounds hold a 27-hole disc golf course on site. Disc Golf Tournaments for men and women are held throughout the weekend, with prizes from Innova and Pure Flight Disc Golf. The annual tournament is a must for Disc Golf enthusiasts and encourages the casual and first timer players to try their hand on the course all weekend long with no additional costs to play and even provide discs free of charge for those interested in trying their hand at the course.

    VIP packages include hotel and condo style rooms at the beautiful Jiminy Peak Ski resort just 5 minutes from the venue. A variety of activities and workshops are a big attraction for Disc Jam, including flow art workshops, daily yoga sessions, interactive music and art amidst the festival grounds, plus craft and art vending that help make Disc Jam create a unique and memorable experience for both new and returning fans.

    Music can be found on twin Main stages, ensuring nonstop music well into the night along with the massive Tent stage and Woods stage, the latter of which features nightly takeovers from some of the top names in bass and house music, with The Wook of Wall Street hosting a Silent Disco Party lasting until sunrise.

    Check out our review of Disc Jam 2017, Watch the 2017 Disc Jam Recap video and check out the lineup below!

    Disc Jam 2018 Music Festival Initial Lineup

    Lotus
    Beats Antique
    Galactic
    The Motet
    Electron
    Jon ‘The Barber’ Gutwillig (Acoustic Set)
    DJ Logic and Friends (feat. members of The Disco Biscuits, Dopapod and Turkuaz)
    Gubbulidis
    Kung Fu
    Moon Hooch
    Aqueous
    Tom Marshall’s Amfibian All-Stars
    Ghost Light
    Jo Jo Mayer / Nerve
    Ghost-Note
    Consider The Source
    The Nth Power
    Yes Darling
    Wolf!
    Soule Monde
    The TAZ Band
    Bella’s Bartok
    Marbin
    Compa/Gantzer
    Ryan Dempsey Solo
    Big Mean Sound Machine
    West End Blend
    Dub Apocalypse
    The Funky Dawgs Brass Band
    Strange Machines
    Space Bacon
    Escaper
    G-Nome Project
    The A Beez
    Root Shock
    Bearly Dead Formula 5
    Goose
    Shwizz
    Funktional Flow
    Mammal Dap
    Floodwood
    Blind Owl Band
    Swimmer
    Of Clocks and Clouds
    Cousin Earth
    Space Carnival Of Tomorrow
    Harsh Armadillo
    Fake Flowers Real Dirt
    The Clock Reads
    The Wiley Griffin Band
    The Mushroom Cloud
    Catullus
    Lord Electro
    Dizgo
    Dewpoint
    Let’s Be Leonard
    Cypher

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