Dan Lilker is something of a metal legend having been in bands that are household names such as Anthrax and S.O.D while also staying in touch with the local metal scene with bands including Blurring and Nokturnal Hellstorm. When he’s not shredding he’s working at Record Archive. Now he has joined the ranks of Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Randy Blythe (Lamb of God) and Johan Hegg (Amon Amarth) as a DJ for Gimme Radio, an online 24 hour radio station dedicated to metal, with his show Braindeath.
Jacob Krug: How did you get the job at Gimme Radio?
Dan Lilker: I met the Gimme Radio staff at the second edition of the Decibel [magazine] Metal and Beer Fest back in March in Philadelphia which is Decibel’s home base. I was there with a brewery from Virginia called Adroit Theory with whom I helped brew a nice, hazy New England Double IPA called Personal Coma. At first I did a video interview with the Gimme radio crew, and then they asked me if I’d be interested in being one of their DJs. It sounded like a really cool thing to do since although I’d spent over 30 years playing metal, I’d never done anything like this.
JK: What do you hope to do with your position at Gimme Radio?
DL: I just want to play a bunch of cool stuff that I enjoy personally as well as songs from bands that have been inspirational to my work. Without hopefully sounding too big-headed here, I do realize that there’s a lot of people out there who respect me and the music I’ve made, and I’d like to think that listeners would find my choice of bands/songs interesting in that respect. If I can get people to check out a band they might not be previously familiar with, then that’s the more direct answer to your question I suppose.
JK: With on demand streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music becoming the primary way people consume music what do you think Gimme Radio will accomplish?
DL: These services usually have you search for what you want to hear or provide bland suggestions, while Gimme Radio serves up killer underground metal (as well as more palatable choices depending on the DJ) without requiring input from the listener. You basically sit back and enjoy the ride, and hopefully get turned on to some new bands. We do all the work!
JK: Do you think the concept of Gimme Radio could be applied to other music genres?
DL: Possibly, but I think it would work better with more underground genres like industrial or goth music. Two reasons for this- people who like less-known music are more passionate about following it, and also, mainstream pop music (Dave Matthews, etc.) is already all over “regular” radio, and having a Gimme Radio format for it is almost unnecessary.
JK: Do you think Gimme Radio will be a direct competitor with on demand streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify?
DL: It’s indeed possible- for one thing it’s free! Also, as I mentioned above, there’s the advantage of the listener not having to search for what they want to hear, which is a great way of being exposed to new bands. But it’s a slightly different format because of that, so it’s almost apples and oranges anyway.
JK: What part of metal’s future do you think Gimme Radio will play?
DL: As more people slowly but surely transition from listening to “hard copies” (vinyl, CDs) of the music they enjoy to online streaming services, Gimme Radio will be there to ensure that the radical underbelly of metal is still strongly represented in this format, so in that respect, they’re just as important as the bands themselves in keeping the flame burning.
JK: You mentioned people moving away from physical media to digital media. What’s your opinion on the revival of cassettes and vinyl? And how underground sub genres like black metal has strong ties to cassettes.
DL: Good point…
Well, perhaps I should have phrased that “as most people transition etc.”. As an employee at a killer record store [Record Archive] I know that vinyl in general is doing really well now, both new and used. Cassettes are also still doing well due to their underground nature, that explains their thriving in black metal, where (like punk) there’s an aversion to corporate industry shit.
Personally, when we have a metal party over at our place we use my wife’s Spotify subscription with our smart TV, maybe just out of laziness, which is probably what a lot of people do. Not to mention that you can hear whatever you want without owning it or digging it out. And using Gimme Radio with “travel speakers” will definitely be happening at the next bash.
This summer’s concerts have been heating up for sure. Friday July 27 was no different when four time Grammy winner, Pat Benatar and her long time husband/guitarist Neil Giraldo co-headlined the Vine at Del Lago along with another 80’s icon, Rick Springfield.
Pat and Neil have been performing together since 1979 and have been an unstoppable husband and wife team since 1983. Together they have written and produced many gold and platinum and multi-platinum hits including “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”, “Love is a Battlefield”, “We Belong”, and “Invincible”.
At just about 9 p.m., the seasoned musical veteran performers hit the stage with their band and kicked right off into “All Fired Up”, “We Live For Love”, and “Invincible”. The dynamic duo of Pat and Neil had the sold out audience at Del Lago fired up for sure, as no one was quite sure who would be performing first on the bill, Rick or Pat and Neil.
Their sound was like pure vinyl. If you closed your eyes, it was as good as a recording. Flawless. Pat’s vocals were simply powerfully amazing as she hit all the high notes effortlessly, especially on “We Live For Love. Neil’s guitar work is just plain brilliant. His technique and playing style that has defined the Benatar sound for nearly 40 years remains perfect never missing a lick, bend or nuance.
Their set included a stripped down, acoustic side as well when they performed powerful “Shine” intimately for the audience. “Shine”, released in 2017, was written in support of the women’s rights movement, and the record reflects the Shine Together Movement, which is her voice to hopefully affect positive change in the world and government. This was a beautifully performed acoustic number.
Finishing out the twelve song set, was a very cool rendition of “Heartbreaker” with a few twists thrown in including a medley of Cash’s “Ring of Fire”, Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”, The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army”, and a cool little “Godfather Theme” instrumental.
After nearly forty years of making hit after hit, Pat and Neil have pretty much proved that they are in fact invincible.
Setlist: All Fired Up, We Live for Love, Invincible, Promises in the Dark, We Belong, Disconnected, Hell is for Children, You Better Run, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Love is a Battlefield (Encore: Shine, Heartbreaker
Prior to being Magnified and well before it Curved, it was Super. Phish’s third major festival in New York State, formally known as Superball IX, took place in July of 2011 at the esteemed Watkins Glen International located in Schuyler County. The move to “The Glen” served as a departure from the band’s previous festival locations at abandoned Air Force Bases which hosted the likes of The Clifford Ball and The Great Went and exchanged it for a world class motor speedway that may be most remembered for an event held almost 40 years beforehand.
The Grateful Dead, The Band and The Allman Brothers Band all combined forces in 1973 for an event that drew over 600,000 people to the racetrack for a concert known as Summer Jam, creating traffic and a scene that dwarfed Woodstock in size. That would be the last major concert at Watkins Glen until Phish was able to secure permission to hold Superball IX there and reopen the racetrack grounds for music. Let’s take a look back at some of the things that made Phish’s ninth festival so special. And make sure to also check out our retrospectives on the prior two that also called New York home, The Clifford Ball and Camp Oswego,
To say there was a (beautiful) buzz about Phish in the summer of 2011 is an understatement. Any and all rust in terms of the band’s cohesiveness and ability to communicate instrumentally had been wiped away since their return to the stage in 2009 after a near five-year “break up.” And while 2010’s Festival 8 at Coachella’s home in Indio, CA would technically be their first festival since the reunion, this was their first East Coast festival since coming back, where all the others had been. The buzz only grew louder after the summer tour was kickstarted with 4 notable shows at another legendary New York venue for music in New York – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which happens to reside on the grounds of that aforementioned Woodstock festival.
By the beginning of July, with another 15 shows under their belt since Bethel, Phish was ready to end the first leg of their summer tour in style. The village of Watkins Glen rolled out the red carpet for phans and then some with signs welcoming them and deals catered to the Phish crowd as the locals seemed to embrace what was sure to be a brief but powerful economic boon.
Cars and RVs slowly began to line up and soon fill up the festival grounds early Thursday morning in preparation for a full weekend of music. And it was clear Phish management had done their homework and learned from festivals of the past as the entry process was devoid of any of the nightmare-ish traffic jam tales associated with IT (2003) and Coventry (2004). With more vehicle entrances that allowed for a better traffic setup, getting in was a breeze for many. Having great weather all week and a venue that’s capable holding 100,000 NASCAR fans certainly helped as well.
Those that were set up early enough got to hear a pre-festival soundcheck, either within earshot from the stage or via broadcast on The Bunny, Phish’s traditional festival radio station that usually takes over a local FM radio transmission for the weekend. A light, whimsical sound check featuring songs like “Sleep Again” and “Ginseng Sullivan” displayed the band’s looseness and featured of plenty of improvisation to help whet the collective appetite for the weekend.
DAY 1
By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, everyone had gotten a good chance to stroll about the festival grounds and see all the art exhibits and other general weirdness displayed everywhere. Various sculptures and small buildings greeted patrons as they made their way closer to the stage and the plethora of food and beer vendors lined up aside it.
The first set of the weekend was fairly straightforward albeit with a powerful “Possum” that began the festivities, followed by a unique “Peaches en Regalia” > “Moma Dance” combination. Towards the end of the set, “Wolfman’s Brother” delivered a slow but funky groove that steadily grew in intensity and served as the first signs of heavy jamming. But the highlight of the set, for many, was the unexpected bustout of “Life on Mars?,” a David Bowie cover that hadn’t been played since 2003, or 175 shows to be exact. Lots of fans were finally able to take this one off of their respective “unseen” lists as the band played it before a gorgeous New York summer sunset.
7/1/11 Set 1: Possum, Peaches en Regalia > Moma Dance, Torn and Frayed > NICU > Bathtub Gin, Life on Mars?, My Friend,My Friend, Wolfman’s Brother, Roses are Free > Funky Bitch, Quinn the Eskimo
Friday’s second set opener was a harbinger of things to come as the band opened up with a dark, foreboding ambient second jam for several minutes before bursting into the Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless” which later gave way to the anthemic “Chalkdust Torture.” Later on, another precursor of future events unfolded in the form of an extended spacey jam emanating from “Simple” that oozed eerie and ominous tones.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. Here’s pro shot footage of Superball’s “Simple” and the ensuing “Bug” that features a powerful jam on the back end.
https://vimeo.com/25908783
7/1/11 Set 2: Jam > Crosseyed and Painless > Chalkdust Torture, Sand > The Wedge, Mike’s Song > Simple > Bug > The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Weekapaug Groove, Joy > Character Zero
Encore: Show of Life
DAY 2
Saturday brought with it three sets of music and and a sweltering heat to deal with for the opening one in the afternoon. Water and shade were at a premium as the sun beat down on a crowd estimated to be close to 30,000 – a far cry from the population of Summer Jam. This also meant Superball IX would be one of the lighter attended Phish festivals when compared to ones from the past that drew 60,000 or more. But all this did was make for a pleasant experience all weekend as lines for vendors were more than manageable and everyone was able to move around (and dance) freely.
Those that did get up to get down that Saturday afternoon did so under a scorching sun and to another first set with some unique song selections. The show officially started with a rip roaring “Tube” that immediately prompted an all out beach ball frenzy in the crowd. Seemingly thousands of beach balls of various colors and sizes bounced around happily while Phish while began the day’s festivities and gazed at a sea of super balls.
Here’s some great fan shot footage of the opener and the ensuing “Kill Devil Falls” that puts you right in the middle of the maddness.
The rest of the first set was business as usual with staples like “Lawn Boy ” and “Divided Sky” being delivered in addition to “Cities,” another commonly played Talking Heads cover. But this set strayed off the beaten path a little in the form of two songs the band had never played before. The first of which was “Susskind Hotel” which came on the heels of the reverb ending of “46 Days.” Devoted fans recognized this as a song concocted and played by bassist Mike Gordon with his side project, but this was a debut for Phish. Then, after what appeared to be the fairly standard “Suzy Greenberg” set closer replete with a finishing flurry on piano from Page McConnell, the band stayed on stage for one last song, a completely unexpected cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Monkey Man,” as seen on the album Sticky Fingers and immortalized by the move Goodfellas.
7/2/11 Set 1: Tube, Kill Devil Falls > Ocelot, Lawn Boy, Divided Sky, Boogie On Reggae Woman > Camel Walk, Cities > Poor Heart > 46 Days > Susskind Hotel , When the Circus Comes, Timber Ho! > Back on the Train > Suzy Greenberg, Monkey Man
Those looking for an added challenge in the hazy, humid Saturday heat had their chance to do so courtesy of the second ever Runaway Jim 5K Road Race that took place right on the race track. It was quite a scene to behold as small groups of quasi-serious runners bobbed and weaved around others decked out in costumes and clearly there just for the experience. Fittingly, the second set of the day opened with “Runaway Jim” and the band took the opportunity to bring the winners of the race up on stage for a brief trophy presentation. Immediately after that, it was back to business and the band finished up the song and plowed through another set of fan favorites that included numbers like “Axilla,” “Stash” and “The Mango Song.” One of the more poignant moments of the set was the performance of “Scents and Subtle Sounds,” still a fairly new song at that time and only played once before since the band’s reunification in 2009. An emotionally charged jam lifted the crowd up before another appropriately titled song “Run Like an Antelope” closed out the set.
7//2/11 Set 2: Runaway Jim > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, Axilla > Birds of a Feather, Stash, Sample in a Jar, Heavy Things > Horn > It’s Ice > The Mango Song > Rift > Scents and Subtle Sounds, Run Like an Antelope
art by John Warner
Phish had one more (announced) set scheduled for the evening and rolled out a doozy. With another cover to open, this time TV on the Radio’s “Golden Age,” it soon began a chain of progression that delivered both classic originals and other covers that the band has made their own over time. And it didn’t stop until the set was completed. From traditional behemoths like “Piper” and “Tweezer” that showcased Trey Anastasio’s inspiring guitar work to a rousing cover of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” to close it, this set offered up a little bit of everything as each song flowed effortlessly into the next.
7/2/11 Set 3: Golden Age > Prince Caspian > Piper > Tweezer > Julius > Backwards Down the Number Line > Twist > Also Sprach Zarathurstra > Harry Hood > Cavern > Golgi Apparatus > A Day in the Life
Encore: Loving Cup > Tweezer Reprise
Afterwards, most folks headed back to their respective campsites both with the glow of having experiences three great sets of music and wonderment as to whether there would be another “secret” set like in previous East Coast festivals. Harkening back to the unannounced performance on a flatbed truck rolling through The Clifford Ball grounds, Phish has typically pulled out some sort of surprise during the course of a festival. One of the defining moments of IT in 2003 was an unannounced “Tower Jam” that saw the band play at the top of an abandoned control tower in the control room while lights and acrobatic dancers graced the outside of the tower.
That performance was solely advertised by word of mouth and rumors that began to slowly spread and there was a large portion of the festival that never heard about it until the next day, sadly.. This was also 2003, well before the power of social media could be harnessed in a mobile setting like it is today. 2011 offered more help in this aspect as Twitter and other social media platforms spread hearsay much more efficiently. And by the end of night most people were sure Phish was going to do something, just not what it was.
The Vermont foursome did not disappoint as randomly, around 1 in the morning, strange sounds started to emanate from one of the buildings that had been erected in the “square” area to resemble a self-storage facility, near all the other art installations. As weird tones and noises grew in frequency, it quickly became evident that everyone’s suspiciions were being confirmed and this was the “secret set.” What followed for the next hour or so was a giant, spacey jam that most people jenjoyed either sitting or laying on the ground. Opaque windows and heavy backlighting meant you could only see the sillhouettes of each band member, adding to the mystique. Heavy theremin playing from McConnell and strange ambient collective jamming soon gave way to the oddest “Sleeping Monkey” ever performed by the group and just like that another Phish legend had been created – The Storage Jam.
DAY 3
By Sunday, even though it was only the third performance day of the festival, Superballers had been treated to essentially three shows already with 6 sets of music in the last two days. But with everyone off for the 4th of July the following day, the party vibe was still strong as everyone geared up for the last two sets of the weekend. This general;mood was affirmed with a show opening “Soul Shakedown Party,” a classic Bob Marley song. There was also another longtime fan favorite brought back from the abyss with “The Curtain” and its first performance since September of 2000.
A “Col. Forbin’s Ascent” > “Fly Famous Mockingbird” satisfied the Gamehendge crowd and referenced yesterday’s late night audio exploration. Shockingly, one of the true highlights of the set and that day’s music overall was a song that usually doesn’t generate such shockwaves. But a truly unique performance of the song “Mound” blew the doors off of all its previous versions thanks to a ferocious Anastasio guitar solo towards the end of song that had never appeared in that spot before, and hasn’t been seen again since.
Arguably, the greatest “Mound” ever:
7/3/12 Set 1: Soul Shakedown Party > AC/DC Bag > The Curtain > Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird > Destiny Unbound > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, Wilson > Mound, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Time Loves a Hero, Reba > David Bowie
With one last set to play with, Phish let it all hang out with yet another set featuring some memorable cover selections. In a nod to the name of the festival, the last set of the weekend started with a rendition of AC/DC’s “Big Balls,” another first timer in the now expansive Phish catalog of songs. The quirky cover quickly gave way to much more customary second set jam vehicles, the first of which was “Down with Disease” which produced a soaring, rhythmic jam spearheaded by tenacious work on the drums by Jon Fishman and corresponding bass from Gordon. As the jam began to slow in intensity and increase in ambience, familiar notes played on the electric piano signaled another fantastic cover choice – the second ever performance of Led Zepellin’s “No Quarter.”
More traditional second set jam vehicles followed in the likes of “Ghost” and an impressively extended “Light.” And perhaps no sequence summed up the weekend better than a driving and powerful “Waves” jam that soared high before dissolving into spaciness and turning into the instrumental “What’s the Use?” At the end of the final set of the weekend, Phish paid tribute to America with an a capella rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner. The band collectively expressed their sincere thanks to all those who helped produce and set up Superball IX before a “First Tube” encore laden with fireworks put a bow on everything.
7/3/12 Set 2: Big Balls > Down with Disease > No Quarter > Party Time, Ghost > Gotta Jibboo > Light, Waves > What’s the Use? > Meatstick > Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, The Star Spangled Banner
Encore: First Tube
We hope you enjoyed this look back at some of the pictures, videos and moments that made Superball so special. Stay tuned to NYSMusic.com for more NY Phish festival retrospectives as we tackle Magnaball next, the sequel to Superball that was held at the same venue four years later. This is all in preparation for Curveball, the upcoming third Phish festival, also being held at Watkins Glen International, taking place August 17-19,
And here’s one last video, taken and posted by contributing photographer Jacob Silco, that shows a little bit of everything from the fun that was Superball IX.
As with every year, the beautiful summer months have flown by so far and here at New York State Music, we are determined to make sure you make the most out of the sunshine left. If you are looking to pack the whole month of August with unforgettable live music performance at great venues throughout New York, look no further than this cheat-sheet of all the upcoming action.
Buffalo – Nietzche’s
Nietzche’s has been beating those Monday blues all summer long by making Happy Hour a lot more jazzy for Buffalo. If you have not made your way to Jazz Happy Hour this summer, be sure to get there before August is over.
August 6th – Well-rounded vocalist Kristen Smigielski will be treating the crowd at the first Happy Hour of the month to her true forte: jazz. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see one of Buffalo’s best. Event link.
August 13th – No strangers to the New York State jazz scene, Dejesus and Warne Trio will be bringing their bluesy jazz style on the second Monday of the month. Event link.
August 20th – Buffalo-based songwriter and musician, Adam Bronstein, will be making his way back to Nietzche’s and taking over Jazz Happy Hour on the 20th. Event link.
August 27th – To end a summer full of the happiest of Mondays ,The Duo+ will be providing food for the soul in the form of their powerful performances of classics and new takes on old jazz standards. Event link.
Syracuse – Funk ‘N Waffles
August 2nd – All the way from Portland, Oregon, do not miss your opportunity to spend the night listening to the rock and roll stylings of singer/songwriter, Jerry Joseph, as he performs with special guest Charley Orlando. Event link.
August 3rd – Brooklyn-based Americana and alternative country band, Yarn, has brought crowds from far and wide to their shows and will be treating Syracuse to experience their music with special guest Old Dear Ensemble. Event link.
August 8th – For a night full of smiles and good vibes, Kendall Street Company will be stopping by on their Summer Tour at Funk ‘N Waffles along with Vintage Pretty. For fans of psychedelic, alternative and jam rock music and beyond, this show is sure to be a can’t miss event. Event link.
August 9th – Handmade Moments will be bringing their rich, musical flavor of alternative folk music, paired with the diversely beautiful, “no rules,” sounds of the up and coming duo, Dizzy Heart. Event link.
August 10th – There is nothing quite like a good night full of good ole Americana music, especially when it is delivered from Upstate New York favorite group, The Old Main. Did we mention it’s free? Event link.
August 11th – Brutal By Design presents a night full of hot hip hop featuring Diabolic, Reef The Lost Gauze, as well as Syracuse-based musician, Timothy J. Event link.
August 14th – The New Daze is reuniting for one night and one night only to revive their “organic psychedelic rage,’ for all those who have missed it so much. Make sure to make it out for this electrified performance as they are joined by Kansas Wine. Event link.
August 16th – Delivering the sounds of the South right to your friendly neighborhood Upstate New York venue is just what The Prestage Brothers Band will be doing on the 16th of August. Event link.
August 23rd – It is bound to be a packed night of out of this world music as alternative blues group, Late Earth, performs accompanied by the experimental sounds of The U.S. Americans, as well as Cosmonaut Radio.Event link.
August 25th – Brownskin Band and Joe Driscoll will be taking over Syracuse’s Funk ‘N Waffles for a night that honors American folk in the funkiest way possible. Event link.
August 29th – Mungo’s List covers it all and is sure to have a sound that will please fans of every genre from jam, to jazz, to soul, to maybe more niche interests such as “spacey,” music as well as, “spooky,” music. 6-piece funk band, Butter, will also be coming along to ensure that the funk is spread as much as possible to attendees of this sure to be memorable show. Event link.
August 30th – Pop-driven, but diversely inspired group Major Player will be returning to their roots in Syracuse to perform in the place where their stellar sounds were born. Event link.
August 31st – To end out an incredible month at Funk ‘N Waffles, Danielle Ponder & The Tomorrow People will be performing music that is sure to make you think, feel, and most importantly, dance. They will be joined by Candian funk, rock and soul group, After Funk. End your month with a bang and come enjoy the sounds of these two powerhouse groups! Event link.
Rochester – Funk ‘N Waffles
August 1st – Starting off month of August at Rochester’s Funk ‘N Waffles on a funky note will be groups Stig and Fakaui on the 1st. Event link.
August 2nd – If you just cannot wait until Yarn and Old Deer Ensemble play Syracuse’s Funk ‘N Waffles on the 3rd or, better yet, just want to see them twice, come on out for their performance in Rochester the night before! Event link.
August 3rd – Sonic Garden, Buffalo’s own authentic Grateful Dead tribute band, will be playing the DSO After Party. Come out to celebrate the music of an incredible band as this talented group of musicians revive all your favorites. Event link.
August 8th – Kris Lager Band will be bringing revivalist rock and heavy soul to Rochester with special guest and Rochester-native group Stationary Escape Pod, who will be performing their blend of Americana, progressive rock, blues and more. Event link.
August 9th – After the Kendall Street Company shows off their psychedelic funk with special guest Vintage Pretty in Syracuse, the next stop of their tour will be Rochester on the 9th. Don’t miss out on another opportunity to catch these two incredible acts! Event link.
August 11th – Rochester Black Pride is proud to be bringing you Summer Nights: Starring Trina at the Music Hall. Trina is one of the most consistent and praised female rappers and will be performing her music that not only has been enjoyed by so many, but has done so much to change the world of hip hop. Don’t miss this opportunity to see her live! Event link.
August 23rd – Nth Power will be bringing a spiritual, powerful, soulful and goose bump worthy performance with Quintuple and it is sure to be an uplifting experience you do not want to miss. Event link.
August 14th – She is Detroit’s Queen of the Blues and she is coming to Rochester to show Upstate New York just why. Make sure to come experience Thornetta Davis live for an unforgettable and funky performance. Event link.
August 18th – It is never a bad time for a Chicago Blues kind of night, and that is just what Frank Bang and The Cook County Kings will be providing on the 18th. Event link.
August 22nd – Joe Marcinek All Star Super Jam is every last bit of fun that it sounds like it will be. As every one of their performances features different artists, this Rochester show will include Alan Evans of Soulive, Steve Molitz of Particle and members Freekbass. Event link.
August 28th – To bring a healthy dose of reggae and blues for the month, Aaron Kamm and the One Drops will be performing with special guest Delilah Jones. Event link.
August 29th – Continuing the reggae into the following night with a mix of R&B will be Mutlu, who will be coming through on his The Almost Famous Tour, with special guest and pop artist, Wes Williams. Event link.
August 31st – The grand finale to such a grand month full of great performances will be brought to you by Kevin Kinsella. Come out for the last night of August and enjoy his acoustic soul and reggae sounds. Event link.
Turkuaz drummer and Buffalo native, Michelangelo Carubba joins host Andy Hogan at Cobblestone Live to discuss growing up in Buffalo, time spent at Berklee School of Music, life on the road with Turkuaz, and the experiences that shaped his career in music. Tune in on Simplecast.
Warped Tour made its last stop at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, July 25. Despite the heat and humidity, fans came out in droves from all over Central and Western New York for one last Warped Tour experience.
Ice Nine Kills
NYS Music Photographer Meredith Snow and I started the day off catching Warped alums Ice Nine Kills. Even in 79 degree heat, the horror-core band from Boston played the entire set dressed as horror movie icons like Freddy and Jason, with full costume and makeup. The highlight of the set was hearing their new song “The American Nightmare,” from their upcoming album The Silver Scream.
Ice Nine Kills
The next stage over featured As It Is. The British band doesn’t make it stateside often. I first heard band leader Patty Walters when he was a teenager doing solo cover songs on YouTube. Now he’s backed by a full band and performing original songs. Gone is the wholesome “boy next door” persona. In its place is an edgier look and sound. After singing “Hey Rachel,” from last year’s debut album, Walters introduced the band as My Chemical Romance and welcomed everyone to 2005 Warped Tour. They launched into a couple new songs, “The Stigma” and “The Wounded World,” off their new album The Great Depression which comes out in a couple weeks.
As It Is
It’s impossible to catch everything at a festival with eight stages, and sometimes we just caught snippets as we raced from stage to stage. We saw the tail end of Tonight Alive’s set, as front woman Jenna McDougall told us in her Australian accent, “You have the right to lose your minds,” before launching into one of their new songs. I took a much needed break from the heat at the Reverse Daycare tent while my photographer snapped a few pics of Buffalo’s Every Time I Die.
Every Time I Die
Then we were off to see The Maine. A whooshing sound filled the air as they filed on stage in their signature matching outfits. They started with a cover of Blur’s “Song 2” which got the crowd singing along. The rest of their set was all originals from their eleven years as a band. On “Girls Do What They Want,” they called a random audience member up on stage to help sing the song. This guy Brian came up in his tank top and shorts and made the most of his five minutes of fame, nailing the lyrics and vocals.
The Maine
It wouldn’t be Warped Tour without ska bands. Reel Big Fish was crushing it on the main stage with their signature sound and antics, and the sun had dried out the muddy ground enough to make it possible for fans to dance in the fields. Over on the Korner Stage which featured regional acts, Buffalo band The Toy Box Brigade was putting on a fantastic performance. Their set included a ska rendition of The Bloodhound Gang’s “The Bad Touch.”
One of the bands on my must-see list is Las Vegas’ Palaye Royale. These darlings of the Vegas art rock scene are originally from Toronto. The three brothers named the band after the dance hall where their grandparents met. Their last album payed homage to the bands who played The Boom Boom Room and they are set to release a Part B soon. They played the song they just released this week called “You’ll Be Fine” as well as a gritty cover of My Chemical Romance’s “Teenagers.” The high-energy set included singer Remington Leith climbing up to hang upside down from the stage rafters during the song “Get Higher” and crowd surfing on a coffin-shaped raft.
Palaye Royale
Asking Alexandria was a band I’d never seen before, but the consensus from the faithful fans around me was that this was not their best performance. We then headed over to catch Simple Plan’s set. It was late afternoon and attendance had peaked; I could barely see the stage as the audience sprawled around behind tents and trailers. Despite the poor visibility, the sound was cranked to full volume and people young and old were singing along to hits like “Addicted.”
Asking Alexandria
I popped back over to catch some more locals. On The Cinder made their return for a second year at the Korner Stage. The three-piece punk rock outfit drew a lively crowd which danced and moshed throughout the entire set. Some locals were on the Full Sail Stage, too. Lucky33 from Syracuse was upgraded to the larger stage for the day. They put on an energetic set that included a version of CCR’s “Bad Moon Rising.” Between songs, bass player Red talked about attending his first Warped Tour in ’96 and being inspired to start playing music himself.
Following Lucky33 was Rochester’s Kaiser Solzie. Rochester native James Jackson has been performing under the moniker Kaiser Solzie for years, and has recently built a full band. Jackson was the driving force behind the creation of the local Korner Stage last year. And all local band members and their fans had migrated to Full Sail to rock out to Kaiser Solzie’s set. Donning his pink guitar, Jackson belted out song after song, from one about actor Bill Murray to “Punk Pop Hip Hop” and “Ordinary Average Day,” the songs paired a raw punk energy with catchy feel-good messages.
Kaiser Solzie
On the way to see 3OH!3, I ran across With Confidence. The Australian pop punk band was finishing their set with hits from their last album, “Voldemort” and “Keeper.” They signed off with a promise to return to the states by the end of the year. Over the hill, 3OH!3 was in full swing. The massive dance party spilled out from under the amphitheater tent and into the expansive lawn. For their grand finale, they brought the members of Simple Plan onto stage to join in on their hit song “Don’t Trust Me.”
We ended the day at the amphitheater tent with a performance by Waterparks, a Texas trio who are more on the pop side of the pop/punk spectrum. When I saw them at Warped Tour a couple years ago, they were playing songs from their EP Cluster. They’ve since released two full-length albums.Their set list included songs from both, including the acoustic “Lucky People.” They ended with the the catchy little love song “Stupid For You.”
Waterparks
Photographer Meredith Snow caught a few sets that I didn’t, including Motionless In White, Digital Afterlife, Doll Skin, Great American Ghost, Of Night and Light, Pros & Icons, and Every Time I Die. See the full photo gallery below for these pics and more.
All in all it was a memorable day, although tinged with sadness about the end of the Warped Tour era. Throughout the day, I spent time with friends from as far flung as Syracuse and Buffalo. I saw people I met at Warped Tour in previous years,and I met some new people. We swapped stories while making new memories. This touring festival successfully brought together some of the greatest alternative musicians from around the world and made them accessible to millions. But it also brought people together and built communal experiences that defined an entire generation.
Kung Fu recently announced their 2018 fall tour that will kick off on Aug. 3 in Candia, NH and comes to a close in November in Denver, CO.
Photo courtesy of Kung Fu’s website.
The band is known for their ’70s funk-fusion meets a modern dance party sound and have existed since 2012. They get some of their influences from early Headhunters and Weather Report, and merge those ideas with contemporary EDM.
The 2018 fall tour includes not only a series of co-headlining concerts with Perpetual Groove but also a handful of Steely Dan tributes. The band will make two stops in NY, the first being in Utica as the official after party for moe. on Sept. 8 and the second in Rochester on Sept. 20.
Their west coast shows will reprise last year’s “Fez Tour” as “Fez West,” where the band mixes the music of Steely Dan with original Kung Fu music.
The band is made up of Tim Palmieri on guitar & vocals, Robert Somerville on tenor sax & vocals, Beau Sasser on keyboards & vocals, Chris DeAngelis on bass guitar & vocals, and Adrian Tramontano on drums/percussion.
One of the acts playing the entire run of Warped Tour this year was Rochester’s Kaiser Solzie. At the heart of this band is James Jackson, who took on the moniker Kaiser Solzie when he was a solo performer. He has since been joined by Lenny Palmieri on drums, Brian Lorenzo on guitar, and Jamie McMann on bass. NYS Music caught up with the band’s frontman at the Western NY Warped Tour date to talk about his music and involvement with Warped Tour over the years.
PHOTO BY RUBY STETTNER – James Jackson (second from right) recently rounded out his band, Kaiser Solzie, with (from left to right) Lenny Palmieri, Brian Lorenzo, and Jamie McMann.
Paula Cummings: How does this Warped Tour differ from your first time going?
Kaiser Solzie: We get to play. And I get to bring a lot of friends along, which is awesome. And I’m sober on this tour. I’m learning a lot, meeting a lot of new people. It’s been a full circle for me.
PC: How long have you been involved with Warped Tour?
KS: 2001 was my first. I was supposed to work with Phoenix TX and that fell through. I just went anyways. I ended up meeting Kevin and a bunch of the bands like Pennywise and Newfound Glory. Lots of people were like “Oh, there’s this kid on the greyhound bus just traveling around helping us out when he could.”
PC: You’ve come a long way. This is the second year organizing the local Korner stage?
KS: It just felt like the local scenes need to come together a bit more and Warped Tour was a good platform to teach that. I could have been like, “Oh, I’ll just pick a couple bands and get them on Warped Tour,” but I was like, “No, we gotta do a little bit more, show community and how we roll.” That’s been pretty cool. We have a lot of rad bands this year. Last year we had a lot of rad bands. And they built the stage. They worked together as a community and a scene, which you don’t see a lot of in other cities, you know.
PC: You have a song “Punk Pop Hip Hop” that speaks to bringing scenes together.
KS: We do. We wrote it in Washington Square Park. It was about playing music with everybody else no matter which genre you are. Just everything coming together. I try to bring that out here. We’re going to be playing that today. We’re going to be getting a bunch of people on stage. On the tour we’ve had the rapper Kosha Dillz come up and do a verse, which has been really rad. Other times we’ve had our friend Josh Kramer do a bunch of stuff. It’s been a really exciting experience.
PC: What’s next after Warped Tour?
KS: We’re going home. The rest of my band is going to rest. I’m scheming all these other different things. We’ve got a couple tour offers we’re working on. And we were only able to record seven songs for this record. We were rushed to get everything done. So we’re going to record another record when we get back.
PC: Want to put in a plug for the latest album?
KS: The new record is called Back Again. It’s an awesome record. It’s got “Bill Murray” on it. It’s got a song called “ADHD.” Lots of gnarly songs. It’s an up and down record, not just a punk rock record.
Color Me Badd lead singer Bryan Abrams allegedly pushed longtime bandmate Mark Calderon during a performance at Del Lago Casino on July 22. According to Seneca County Sheriff’s Office, the call came in at 9:15 and responding officers arrested Abrams for attempted assault in the third degree. Footage caught by fans show Calderon on stage with two dancers, singing the ’90s hit “I Wanna Sex You Up.” In the video, Calderon was thanking the crowd when Abrams entered from offstage and made contact with Calderon, who then fell to the floor of the stage. The Sheriff’s Office said that Calderon was transported to the local hospital for neck and back pain, where he was treated and released. Abrams is due to reappear in court on August 28 on this charge.
This weekend, the second annual Cobblestone Live will be taking place in Buffalo. Cobblestone is a fairly small festival, taking place in a single neighborhood and making use of the bars, restaurants, and venues that call it home. The festival’s stages are set up on the famous Illinois and Columbia Streets, as well as inside Lockhouse Distillery Buffalo Iron Works.
The lineup features some big names, such as the soulful Andy Frasco & the U.N., known for Frasco’s wild stage antics and soulful blues music, Brooklyn-based funk band Turkuaz, Broken Social Scene, and Buffalo natives Aqueous, the groove rock quartet that has spent the last two years touring the country relentlessly. Some smaller, more local bands are also featured, namely Space Junk, Cold Lazarus, First Ward, and Grateful Dead tribute band, Workingman’s Dead. Michelangelo Carubba of Turkuaz will be hosting a “Super Jam” on Saturday, July 28, which should be interesting to see, as they’ve yet to mention who will be included in the jam.
Cobblestone offers a wide variety of activities and vendors, including an alpaca farm on Saturday you should be sure to check out. Food vendors include Grateful Grind Coffee, Lloyd, Mazurek’s Bakery, Lugia’s, and Totally Edible. Lockhouse Distillery & Buffalo Iron Works will be providing festival drink menus. There will be several different vendors at the fest, including a tent for the Child Advocacy Center, an organization that provides treatment and support for kids in Erie County that have been physically or sexually abused. A portion of Cobblestone Live’s profits will be donated to the CAC.
Cobblestone Live is looking like a grand time, full of delicious food, drinks, and good music! Take a look at the daily lineup above to better plan out your Cobblestone experience. Check back with NYS Music for photos and coverage of the fest.
Jacob Krug: How did you get the job at Gimme Radio?
Cars and RVs slowly began to line up and soon fill up the festival grounds early Thursday morning in preparation for a full weekend of music. And it was clear Phish management had done their homework and learned from festivals of the past as the entry process was devoid of any of the nightmare-ish traffic jam tales associated with IT (2003) and Coventry (2004). With more vehicle entrances that allowed for a better traffic setup, getting in was a breeze for many. Having great weather all week and a venue that’s capable holding 100,000 NASCAR fans certainly helped as well.
Those that did get up to get down that Saturday afternoon did so under a scorching sun and to another first set with some unique song selections. The show officially started with a rip roaring “Tube” that immediately prompted an all out beach ball frenzy in the crowd. Seemingly thousands of beach balls of various colors and sizes bounced around happily while Phish while began the day’s festivities and gazed at a sea of super balls.
Those looking for an added challenge in the hazy, humid Saturday heat had their chance to do so courtesy of the second ever Runaway Jim 5K Road Race that took place right on the race track. It was quite a scene to behold as small groups of quasi-serious runners bobbed and weaved around others decked out in costumes and clearly there just for the experience. Fittingly, the second set of the day opened with “Runaway Jim” and the band took the opportunity to bring the winners of the race up on stage for a brief trophy presentation. Immediately after that, it was back to business and the band finished up the song and plowed through another set of fan favorites that included numbers like “Axilla,” “Stash” and “The Mango Song.” One of the more poignant moments of the set was the performance of “Scents and Subtle Sounds,” still a fairly new song at that time and only played once before since the band’s reunification in 2009. An emotionally charged jam lifted the crowd up before another appropriately titled song “Run Like an Antelope” closed out the set.
That performance was solely advertised by word of mouth and rumors that began to slowly spread and there was a large portion of the festival that never heard about it until the next day, sadly.. This was also 2003, well before the power of social media could be harnessed in a mobile setting like it is today. 2011 offered more help in this aspect as Twitter and other social media platforms spread hearsay much more efficiently. And by the end of night most people were sure Phish was going to do something, just not what it was.
August 2nd – All the way from Portland, Oregon, do not miss your opportunity to spend the night listening to the rock and roll stylings of singer/songwriter, Jerry Joseph, as he performs with special guest Charley Orlando. 
