NYS Music 20​18

Category: Finger Lakes

  • 5 Shows to See in Rochester in February

    We’re back with another great slate of shows for you to see in Rochester in February. The typical winter slowdown doesn’t seem to be happening this year. These suggestions just scratch the surface, so time to break out of your cabin fever and go see some live music!

    Saturday, February 3
    Huntertones @ Abilene Bar and Lounge

    During the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, Rochester gets to experience some of the best music the world has to offer. The artists, in turn, get to experience the best Rochester has to offer as a music town. Lucky for us, this gets many of the acts to return, even in the off season. The Huntertones were a hit with their sets at this past year’s festival and they’re back for an encore at the intimate Abilene Bar and Lounge. The old juke joint will be jumping with their big brass sound. They’re not afraid to throw in some uniquely surprising covers in the mix; their version of “God Only Knows” was a highlight this summer.

    Monday, February 5
    Honeysuckle @ Funk ‘n Waffles Music Hall

    Boston’s Honeysuckle bring their acoustic trio to Funk ‘n Waffles Music Hall. It’s traditional in nature, with guitar, banjo and mandolin. But throw in a kick drum and some non-traditional song structures and it becomes something unexpected and exciting. Three-part harmonies and wonderful songwriting bring this young group to the next level. Fans of Americana looking for something fresh but familiar will find lots to warm to here.

    Wednesday, February 14
    The Ballroom Thieves @ Arbor Loft

    Another folk-trio from Boston, The Ballroom Thieves have been a band on the rise the past couple of years. We caught their show here a few years ago and had this to say: “It begins with Earley’s guitar work. Then sprinkle on the unique rhythms from Mauch and engaging cello work from Peters. Layer upon that what might be this bands strongest attribute, their soaring 3-part harmonies. Working all together to perform the music they’ve written, a varied collection of rockers, ballads, hymnals, barroom blues and on.” Can you think of a more perfect way to spend your Valentine’s Day?!

    Saturday, February 17
    Critt’s Juke Joint @ Anthology

    Buffalo’s multi-instrumentalist Eric “Critt” Crittenden plays a fun mix of jazz, funk and soul he has dubbed “Soulprovisational.” His band, Juke Joint, is actually an ever-evolving, rotating cast of musicians. For this iteration he’s employed DJ Logic, Turkuaz’s Michael Carruba (drums) and Craig Broadhead (guitar), and Harry Graser on keys. Put your dancing shoes on and head down to Anthology for a funky good time.

    Thursday, February 22
    Oval Sandwich @ Flour City Station

    Lastly this month we have Oval Sandwich. You’re forgiven if you’ve never heard of them. This will be their first show and there might not be many to follow. Dopapod is taking 2018 off from touring. Rob Compa, the guitarist, is keeping busy with other musical endeavors. He put together this Rochester supergroup of sorts (Paul McCardle: guitar – Doja, English Project, Will O’Riley: keys- The Niche, Swooners, Tristan Greene: drums – Doja, Ocular Panther and Justin Rister: bass – Moho Collective) and right now the only two shows will be this one and one in Syracuse the next night. To find out more about how he put the band together and other things he’ll be up to on the break check out an interview he did with our own Pete Mason. As to how this will sound, your guess is as good as ours. But we definitely recommend being there to find out!

  • Hearing Aide: Luke Cornwell ‘Wallop Dollop’

    Luke Cornwell’s Wallop Dollop catches your attention from the get-go. When you’re honing your songs in café’s like Cornwell has been doing, you have to find a way to be noticed above the din of cappuccino machines and the drone of conversation. This debut EP showcases Cornwell’s flair for theatrics, pairing playful storytelling with inventive acoustic arrangements.

    Wallop Dollop begins with the spunky ditty “Good Morning Sunshine.” It’s an invitation to spend the day on a rollicking romp: taking a spin on the mall carousel, hanging at the park, and eating breakfast foods all day long. It’s a little earworm that I catch myself humming when I’m making coffee. I could almost imagine it in a film or television show, like when Bowling for Soup did the theme song for Disney’s Phineas and Ferb. It would even hold up next to a Moldy Peaches song on the soundtrack to the movie Juno.

    Cornwell combines upbeat guitar melodies with punchy percussion from Noah Boss to create a sound that is a cross between art rock and punk folk. The lyrics are refreshingly whimsical, but also contain subtle tongue-in-cheek commentaries. Cornwell could have used almost any object to finish the line “Where is my…” A Google search I conducted suggested finishing the sentence with the words tax refund, mind, phone, or super suit. Instead, Cornwell chose the words oxygen mask, making the song a story about anxiety and a frantic, panicked search for his breathing apparatus. The anti-love ballad “Paint Thinner” recounts a laundry list of things Cornwell would rather do than be with the subject of the song.

    Overall, Wallop Dollop is a study in contrasts. It’s punk and it’s folk. It’s sincere and it’s ironic. But one thing is for sure, it’s never boring!

    Wallop Dollop was recorded in Rochester by Alexander Eschbach at Light 40 Studios. It features Cornwell on vocals and guitar, Noah Boss on drums and background vocals, and Amanda Kuzar on kazoo. Kuzar is also the one throwing blue goo at Cornwell on the album cover, which was photographed by Jason Ackerman. It’s available to stream on Spotify and purchase on Bandcamp. True to the DIY art aesthetic, a limited run of hand painted CD’s are also on sale via Bandcamp. Visit Luke Cornwell’s website for more information and updates.

    Key Tracks: Good Morning Sunshine, Oxygen Mask, Paint Thinner

  • Jack White 2018 Tour Hitting Three Upstate NY Venues

    Jack White is building enthusiasm for his 2018 tour by releasing a track from his upcoming third solo album Boarding House Reach, which comes out in March.

    “Corporation” will be available for fans to download digitally worldwide on Friday, Jan. 26 at midnight. Tour tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.

    White is giving away a physical CD copy of the new album with every ticket purchased online for the North American shows. Fans will have the option to upgrade the CD to the standard black vinyl LP.

    Jack White’s Facebook page released a 25 second preview of the track, check it out below.

    https://www.facebook.com/jackwhite/videos/1828260743873817/

    Boarding House Reach is the first all-new album in nearly four years, according to a press release. The album will be released Friday, March 23. Fans can pre-order the standard vinyl LP, CD and digital format beginning Friday, Jan. 26. Fans who purchase the digital album pre-order will also receive downloads of three songs – “Corporation,” “Connected by Love” and “Respect Commander.”

    White’s tour travels across North America and Europe for 42 shows from April 19 to Aug. 23.

    The tour includes several music festivals that Jack White will headline. North American festivals include: Atlanta’s Shaky Knees; Boston Calling 2018; New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; and The Governors Ball in New York City. Jack White will also headline some festivals in Europe: Rock Werchter in Belgium; Mad Cool Festival in Spain; NOS Alive in Portugal; and the Ilosaarirock Festival in Finland.

    White released the third single “Corporation” from Boarding House Reach via YouTube Friday morning. You can view that here.

    Check out Jack White’s website for more information.

    Jack White 2018 Tour

    April 19 – Little Caesars Arena – Detroit, MI
    April 20 – Eagles Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
    April 21 – 20 Monroe – Grand Rapids, MI
    April 23 – Baxter Arena – Omaha, NE
    April 24 – Providence Medical Center Amphitheater – Bonner Springs, KS
    April 25 – Chaifetz Arena – St. Louis, MO
    April 27 – Bomb Factory – Dallas, TX
    April 29 – Bomb Factory – Dallas, TX
    April 30 – Revention Music Center – Houston, TX
    May 1 – Revention Music Center – Houston, TX
    May 2 – Austin360 Amphitheater – Austin, TX
    May 4 – 6 – Shaky Knees Music Festival – Atlanta, GA *
    May 6 – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival – New Orleans, LA *
    May 26 – Boston Calling Music Festival – Boston, MA *
    May 27 – Brewery Ommegang – Cooperstown, NY
    May 29 – The Anthem – Washington, DC
    June 1 – Governors Ball Music Festival – New York, NY *
    June 4 – Express Live! Outdoor Amphitheater – Columbus, OH
    June 6 – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica – Cleveland, OH
    June 7 – Dome Arena – Rochester, NY
    June 8 – Artpark Mainstage Theater – Lewiston, NY
    June 9 – Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON
    June 27 – Hammersmith Apollo – London, UK
    June 28 – Hammersmith Apollo – London, UK
    July 2 – AFAS Live – Amsterdam, Netherlands
    July 3 – L’Olympia – Paris, France
    July 4 – L’Olympia – Paris, France
    July 7 – Rock Werchter – Werchter, Belgium *
    July 12 – 13 – Mad Cool – Madrid, Spain *
    July 14 – NOS Alive – Lisbon, Portugal *
    July 15 – Ilosaaririock Festival – Joensuu, Finland *
    Aug. 6 – The Armory – Minneapolis, MN
    Aug. 8 – 1st Bank Center – Broomfield, CO
    Aug. 9 – SaltAir – Salt Lake City, UT
    Aug. 11 – Veterans Memorial Coliseum – Portland, OR
    Aug. 12 – Rogers Arena – Vancouver, BC
    Aug. 13 – WAMU Theatre – Seattle, WA
    Aug. 15 – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco, CA
    Aug. 19 – Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA
    Aug. 21 – Viejas Arena – San Diego, CA
    Aug. 22 – Comerica Theatre – Phoenix, AZ
    Aug. 23 – The Chelsea @ The Cosmopolitan – Las Vegas, NV

    * Denotes festival

  • Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight Upcoming Performances Announced

    The Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight returns this month for its fifth season. The exciting lineup of talented independent musicians slated to appear include The Honey Smugglers, Hanna PK, Juicy Connotation, and Jimmy Highsmith, Jr. The season makes debut on Jan. 27 with a performance by jazz pianist Laura Dubin.

    rochester indie musician spotlight
    Laura Dubin

    On Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight, producer/host Dan Gross conducts interviews with musical guests, then invites them to perform. All shows are filmed at Bop Shop Records at 1460 Monroe Avenue, and are free and open to the public.

    While the show is free to enjoy, it does cost money to produce. Among the sponsors making this season possible are Bop Shop Records, Rowe Photographic Video and Audio, Bernunzio Uptown Music, Sound Source, Joe Bean Coffee Roasters, Three Heads Brewing, and viewers (through an indiegogo campaign).

    The lineup through the end of March has been announced, with April updates to be unveiled soon. Follow Dan Gross: Music & Journalism on Facebook to view dozens of episodes from seasons one through four and get updates on season five. Check out the NYS Music profile on Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight for more about the series.

    Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight Schedule of Upcoming Events:

    Saturday, January 27th – Laura Dubin
    – Laura Dubin is an excellent jazz pianist and superb composer, and she recently released a two-disc album from her performance at the 2016 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. She will be joined by her husband on drums, Antonio H. Guerrero.Friday, February 2nd – Small Signals
    – Stephen Roessner is an incredibly talented and well-respected musician and recording engineer in the Rochester area. He’s doing this solo project releasing music that set to the words of “Missed Connections” post on Craigslist.Wednesday, February 7th – Juicy Connotation
    – Juicy Connotation is a smart, fun, fusion band that’s on the rise in the growing contemporary instrumental scene in Rochester. They’re gigging a lot, but you’ll never see them in this intimate setting again!Sunday, February 18th – The Honey Smugglers
    – We’re already counting down the days to this one. The Honey Smugglers are beloved, respected, and one the best bands – folk or otherwise – around. Come celebrate this with us with beer tastings from Three Heads Brewing!

    Wednesday, February 28th – Hanna PK
    – Hanna PK is a growing part of Rochester’s blues scene. Her authenticity and personality shine through in every song. She is often joined by a number of great #blues musicians. Come watch our first #blues episode ever!

    Friday, March 9th – Vanishing Sun
    – Vanishing Sun is one of grooviest and most polished #contemporarysoul bands in Rochester right now. Perfectly balanced, exceptionally exciting. Led by Zahyia Rolle with an all-star cast, this is one you can’t miss.

    Saturday, March 20th – Grand Canyon Rescue Episode
    – GRCE is a mainstay in the folk rock WNY echelon. With a sound that’s equally at home at ROC’s many festivals, or tasteful enough for a small record store, you’ll dance your socks off for these cats.

    Friday, March 16th – Seth Faergolzia
    – Seth is a revered member of the psychedelic anti-folk movement with Dufus. Now he’s in Rochester, performing with Seth Faergolzia’s Multibird, Seth Faergolzia & the 23 Psaegz, and his loop painting projects. Don’t miss what he has in store for us!

    Saturday, March 31st – Jimmie Highsmith Jr. 
    – #Smoothjazz legend. Grammy-nominated #saxophonist. Supporter of the arts and the community. Don’t miss Jimmie Highsmith Jr. take over the Spotlight in an incredible show.
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