NYS Music 20​18

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  • Peach Music Festival Ready for Summer Fun

    Now that we’re settling into summer, festivalgoers are looking forward to this year’s Peach Music Festival in Scranton, PA. Peach has become a favorite in the jam scene due to its always killer lineup and ability to coax incredible sets of music out of our favorite bands. The beloved festival is happening a little earlier than years past, kicking off next Thursday, July 19 rather than its typical early August dates.

    This year’s Peach features a few special sets that fans won’t want to miss, namely one of Gov’t Mule’s rare “Dark Side of the Mule” sets, honoring Pink Floyd’s great album, moe.’s tribute set to Little Feat’s beloved live album Waiting for Columbus, and Cabinet’s only 2018 performance. The usual suspects will also have headlining sets this year, such as the big hitters like Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (who have 2 sets!), Umphrey’s McGee and moe., with the addition of Phil Lesh & the Terrapin Family Band and Dickey Betts.

    The main stage features more than the sets mentioned previously, such as blues rock group The Marcus King Band, the horn-centered Funky Dawgz Brass Band, a duo set from Jackie Greene and Anders Osborne, and the Devon Allman Project, ft. Duane Betts. One of the more interesting acts on the Peach Stage are The Revivalists, an alternative rock group from New Orleans that put forth energetic live shows and astounding studio albums.

    Some of the smaller national touring acts are also featured on this year’s lineup, such as The Magic Beans, a space funk quartet based out of Denver, CO, Turkuaz, the always groovy funk band from Brooklyn, NY, and Spafford, a genre-bending band that only use two words to represent themselves: We jam. Guitar prodigy Brandon “Taz” Niederauer and his band will also have a set performing some Taz’s original music and the unconventional LA-based organ trio Organ Freeman will be bringing their funk and jazz stylings to Scranton.

    peach music

    The grounds will have lots of amenities to aid attendees in having the best possible experience, such as refillable water stations, phone charging stations, ATMs, medical stations, and more! Montage also offers a full water park, available to anyone attending the festival. Peach’s Mushroom Stage is located in this water park, where attendees can watch on from the wave pool or enjoy many of the other aquatic attractions the park has to offer. People will want to check out Buffalo’s own Aqueous, Big Something and Tom Hamilton & Holly Bowling’s new group Ghost Light’s sets here.

    Those who bought VIP passes will be treated to a couple of exclusive sets each day, namely solo sets from Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee and Mihali Savoulidis of Twiddle on Friday, Pap & Po, a duo set from Pappy & JP Biondo of Cabinet, a special 45 minute set from Ghost Light on Saturday and, finally, a duo set from Oteil Burbridge of Dead & Company and Scott Metzger of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead on Sunday. All of these sets will take place on the Grove Stage. Fans should also check out Grahame Lesh’s soulful group Midnight North and Hayley Jane and the Primates at the Grove.

    Check out the daily lineup above or create your own personalized schedule through The Peach Music Festival app, which can remind you when your favorite bands are about to start and let you know of any important updates. Keep watch for more of NYSMusic’s coverage of this year’s Peach Music Festival.

  • Circles Around the Sun Announces East Coast Tour Dates

    Circles Around The Sun just announced five East Coast shows in August to support their upcoming double album, Let It Wander, available Aug. 17 on Rhino Records. The run begins in Asbury Park, NJ, followed by dates in Brooklyn, Ardmore, PA and Burlington, VT before concluding at Huichica East Festival in New York’s Hudson Valley.

    Photo courtesy of Circles Around The Sun’s press release.

    Circles Around the Sun (CATS) was originally only supposed to record a handful of Grateful Dead-influenced instrumentals to be played during the set breaks at the Dead’s “Fare Thee Well” concerts in 2015. But between the positive response to the tracks and the band’s enjoyment in making music together they decided to keep the band going.

    Their new album, Let It Wander, is a new beginning for the band as they move beyond their original music which was trying to evoke the spirit of the Dead and allows them to fully embrace their own personality. The album’s first single is called “Immovable Object” and shows just how the band in moving away from their Dead inspired sound to music with filled with musical turns leaving the listener not knowing what to expect next.

    http://https://open.spotify.com/album/4PjynBO0yIh05aGBVVQlKc

    Among the album’s highlights is “One For Chuck,” which features a surprise cameo by Chuck D himself. The leader of legendary hip-hop pioneers Public Enemy just happened to stop by the studio while the band was listening to a song they’d just recorded and ended up creating an intro for the track.

    The band is comprised of guitarist Neal Casal and keyboardist Adam MacDougall (bandmates in the Chris Robinson Brotherhood) along with bassist Dan Horne (Jonathan Wilson, Grateful Shred) and drummer Mark Levy (We Dream Dawn, Bonfire Dub). Let It Wander will be released on limited edition vinyl, CD and digital formats. Pre-Order is available now.

    For more information on Circles Around The Sun visit their website.

  • Barrage, An Onslaught of Classic Rock

    To save you the time and trouble, the word “barrage” is officially defined as “a concentrated artillery bombardment over a wide area.” However, the band’s motto defines this quartet perfectly.

    Barrage is a Long Island, four-member classic rock band that covers the ’60s to the ’90s. The group has been together since 2009 and consists of: Mark Nygren (Bass, backing vocals) Matt Bruno (lead vocals, guitar), Dr. Paul Scarola (drums), and Barry Weiss (lead guitar, backing vocals).

    Earlier this year, with brand new lead singer Matt Bruno, Barrage played a fundraiser for the Good Samaritan Hospital Pediatric Department. Bear in mind, Matt had only been with the band for four weeks when the event took place.

    Hosted by DJ Orlando from Long Island radio station 94.3 FM The Shark, it was set up as a battle of the bands contest. The venue where this took place was 89 North in Patchogue. In order to qualify for the contest, each band had to have at least one medical doctor in the group. Moments after the final performance of the event, Orlando declared Barrage the winner!

    I asked lead guitarist Barry Weiss what it’s like to play in a battle of the bands contest. He said, “This battle of the bands, I thought, was just slightly nerve-racking. We were all well rehearsed. The rehearsals focused on just the set for this gig for over a month. We already knew the songs, so it was just a matter of getting Matt, our new lead singer, up to speed. Which he did amazingly. He memorized the lyrics so he did not need to look at any onstage. I was checking out the other bands’ Facebook pages to see what they were like prior to the event. Most of them, I saw that they played softer music like ’60s or Country. Being on last, we got to see what they were about. We were also the youngest of the bands and we knew that we would blow them away since we were doing good classic rock. Everyone that night were talented and professional and it all went very smoothly. It really was a great time and the crowd loved it. Hard to believe people got so into it on a Sunday afternoon.”

    Barry also mentioned that the buzz continuing throughout the hospital and community has sparked demand for additional performances. Furthermore, the success of this event has enabled Barrage to secure the opening slot for a major Long Island tribute act.

    To see Barrage live, their next gig is Friday July 20th at 89 North in Patchogue. They go on at 8 pm and will be doing one 90-minute set. Doors open at 7 for advanced ticket holders. To learn more about this great band, and see their videos too, visit their Facebook page.

    This article appears courtesy of Under the Radar. Visit their Facebook page and give them some love!

  • Twenty One Pilots Release Two Songs, Music Video, and Tour Dates

    Fans of Twenty One Pilots are finally privy to information about what’s on the horizon for the iconic pop duo. Two songs, a music video, and tour details have just been unveiled – “Jumpsuit” and “Nico and The Niners” are the first singles from the the long-anticipated new LP from Twenty One PIlots, Trench, which is due out on Oct. 5.

    twenty one pilots
    Twenty One Pilots, Photo by Cathy Bechle

    The ensuing Bandito Tour kicks off this fall in the U.S. Over the winter they travel to Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. Dates in New York State include NYCB Live in Uniondale on Oct. 27 and Madison Square Garden in NYC on Oct. 30. Visit twentyonepilots.com for more information.

  • Brad Paisley Heats Up Syracuse With Weekend Warrior Tour

    Blistering heat didn’t stop masses of Brad Paisley fans from coming out to his Weekend Warrior World Tour stop at the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater in Syracuse, NY.

    Flocks of ‘Weekend Warriors’ came to the venue early to tailgate by setting up tents, chairs and grills in true parking lot party form.

    Tour mates Dan Tyminski and Kane Brown performed for the crowd as the party moved from the parking lot into the venue for the show. Brown’s good looks and southern drawl left every female, young and old, screaming for more.  

    When Paisley hit the stage, he kept the party atmosphere going by having two bars set up on stage behind him with a handful of lucky fans enjoying drinks while he performed.

    Known for his support for the military and generosity, he brought out members of the military to salute them and every troop for their service. Shortly after that, he signed a guitar and gave it to a young girl in the audience saying, “This is how you make a Taylor Swift,” and instructed the young girl to learn how to play.

    Paisley performed for nearly 90 minutes and his old school guitar pickin’ country was truly refreshing to see. Carrie Underwood even made a surprise “appearance” via video chat with him as she sang their duet hit “Remind Me.”

    Brad Paisley‘s Weekend Warrior World Tour will continue to roll through the United States through September and will re-visit New York in Wantagh at the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on August 10. 

  • The New York City Ballet is Coming to SPAC

    The annual tradition of the New York City Ballet taking up their summer residency in Saratoga, NY at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) is upon us. Earlier this week seven tractor trailers began arriving carrying costumes, shoes, lights, sets, and anything else a world class ballet company would require on tour. Crews are working hard to ready the stage for the dancers including hanging the beautiful backdrops, and running over 3 miles of cable. Dancer’s have an entire truck load of costumes for this year’s one week run of performances along with over 1000 pairs of toe shoes.

    This year’s run begins on Tuesday, July 17 with a production of All Balanchine. George Balanchine was a world renown choreographer, who also had a hand in designing SPAC’s stage and acoustics. There will also be performances of Romeo + Juliet, and 21st Century Choreographers, The closing performance will be on Saturday, July 21 with the 2018 Gala featuring a celebration of Jerome Robbins and Leonard Bernstein. Details can be found at spac.org

  • Dee Snider Releases Official Music Video for “Become The Storm”

    Hard rock legend Dee Snider has released the official music video for “Become The Storm,” off his upcoming album For The Love Of Metal. The video was filmed by Douglas Quill and was originally released on Loudwire.

    The Astoria-born Snider said of “Become The Storm”: “It can be a dark world out there for people being bullied, and I know it. With “Become the Storm” I’m hoping to lift them up and help them find the power within to defeat their adversaries. Sound serious? It is.”

    dee snider become the storm

    For The Love Of Metal was produced by Hatebreed vocalist Jamey Jasta and features contributions from Howard Jones (ex-Killswitch Engage), Mark Morton (Lamb Of God), Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), Joel Grind and Nick Bellmore (Toxic Holocaust) and Charlie Bellmore (Kingdom Of Sorrow). The album will be released on July 27th via Napalm Records.

    Tour Dates:
    7/12/18 – Cadott, WI / Rock Fest Grounds
    7/13/18 – Antioch, CA / Contra Costa County Fair Grounds
    8/4/18 – Barbaroo, WI / Ho-Chunk Gaming-WI-Dells
    8/25/18 – Huber Heights, OH / The Rose Music Center
    8/26/18 – Warrendale, PA / Jergels
    12/8/18 – Oulu / Areena Oulu, Fiji
    12/8/18 – Lahti / Jahti Halli, Fiji
    More dates will be announced soon

  • Catching up with the Artists of 87/90

    The up and coming artists of NYS Music 87/90 have already had an incredible summer and are gearing up for the heat of Festival Season. The artists of 87/90 include the best up and coming bands from across New York State, and they’re coming to a town near you across the Northeast and Midwest this summer. Check out what they have coming up and catch these bands before they blow up!

    Formula 5 will host their second annual Rock the Dock Music Festival in Lake George, NY. The Lake George Steamboat Company hosts the event once again, with the three steamboats surrounding the pier to form an amphitheater for fans to enjoy the sounds of Formula 5, Soule Monde (featuring Russ Lawton and Ray Paczkowski from Trey Anastasio Band), Strange Machines and Let’s Be Leonard. The show is only $7 in advance or $10 at the gate. More info can be found here. Most recently, Formula 5 performed at Disc Jam Music Festival, welcoming the Turkuaz Horns for “The Birch Tree” and Rob Compa of Dopapod for a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Swamp Music.”

    Folkfaces will embark on the Fried Chicken Dreams Tour that includes 27 dates in July and August, spanning 14 states and 2 countries. The band will be returning to some familiar venues, as well as making their debut in a plethora of new cities and venues. Folkfaces will be joined along the way with tons of special guests, including General B and the Whiz (Montreal, ON); Swimmer and Kendall Street Company (Burlington, VT); Jared Hamilton (Lexington, KY); The Ithaca Bottom Boys (Ithaca, NY).

    artists 87/90

    Space Carnival recently performed at WoodHenge Music Festival and welcomed Ben Carrey from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong sat in for “2001” and Scott Hannay of Mister F/Wild Adriatic joined for “Regal Krad,” Jeremy Kraus of Space Carnival joined Ben for his solo set. At Disc Jam, the Oneonta jammers were joined by Rob Compa on “Regal Krad” and Smash Mouth’s “All Star”

    artists 87/90
    Let’s be Leonard will kick off Rock the Dock Music Festival at 4pm this Friday, and then head to Alexandria Bay to perform at Riverboat Bar on Saturday, July 14. On July 27 they will release their album Static and will hold a film screening of the movie that accompanies that album at the Park Theater in Glens Falls, NY. Then they’ll be at Mile of Music Festival in Appleton, WI from August 2-5 and back home September 1-2 at Adirondack Independence Music Festival in Lake George. Check out their recent video for ‘Most Days’ below.

    Cousin Earth will be playing several upcoming festivals and shows in support of their new album Human Music. Notable performances include the Great South Bay Music Festival, Down to Earth Festival, Mazzstock, Meeting of the Minds, and a show with lespecial at the 8×10 in Baltimore. Watch their van cover of “S.O.B.” by Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats.

    Intrepid Travelers will be taking some time to finish recording an album they’ve been working on since January, and have announced the second half of their summer tour dates, including:

    July 7 – Taste of Music Festival – Buffalo, NY
    July 25 – Columbus, OH
    July 26 – Holland, MI
    July 28 – Canton, OH
    August 3 – Jamestown, NY
    August 4 – Geneva, NY
    August 7 – Buffalo, NY
    August 23-25 – Night Lights Music Festival – Sherman, NY
    August 26 – Beau Fleuve Music and Arts Festival – Buffalo, NY

    artists 87/90

  • Shooter Jennings Announces New Dates in Anticipation of New Album, ‘SHOOTER’

    Shooter Jennings started his “Bound Ta Git Down Tour.” on July 4 but recently has added new dates which go all the way into November. The tour is partially in anticipation of his new album, SHOOTER, which arrives at all music retailers and streaming services via Low Country Sound and Elektra Records on Friday, August 10.

    Shooter Jennings courtesy of Shooter Jennings’ social media.

    “The Bound Ta Git Down Tour” includes not only headlining shows but also dates supporting Turnpike Troubadours. He’s also scheduled to do multiple festival performances, including Black Mountain, North Carolina’s Jam In The Trees, Tahlequah, Oklahoma’s Medicine Stone Festival, and Fort Worth, Texas’ KFWR Annual Ranch Bash.

    There is also a very special SHOOTER release day celebration at the world famous Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, CA, set for Friday, August 10. For updates and ticket information, please visit Shooter Jennings’ official tour page.

    For more information on Shooter Jennings visit his website.

    New tour dates listed below:
    July 4 – The Beaumont – Wayne, NE
    July 5 – The Royal Grove – Lincoln, NE
    July 6 – The Shrine – Tulsa, OK
    July 7 – Will Rogers Riders Rodeo – Amarillo, TX
    July 12 – Shank Hall – Milwaukee, WI
    July 13 – Cavalier Theater – La Crosse, WI
    July 14 – Vetter Stone Amphitheater – Mankato, MN*
    July 27 – Lawn at White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX*
    July 28 – Whitewater Amphitheater – New Braunfels, TX*
    Aug. 2 – Sofia Tsakopoulos Center – Sacramento, CA
    Aug. 3 – Slim’s – San Francisco, CA
    Aug. 4 – Moe’s Alley -Santa Cruz, CA
    Aug. 5 – Rebel Lounge – Phoenix, AZ
    Aug. 8 – Belly Up Tavern – Solana Beach, CA
    Aug. 10 –  Pappy & Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CA
    Aug. 11 -Troubadour – Hollywood, CA
    Aug. 22 – City Winery – Washington, DC
    Aug. 23 – Milton Performing Arts Center – Milton, WV
    Aug. 24 – The Ramkat – Winston-Salem, NC
    Aug. 25 – Jam In The Trees – Black Mountain, NC
    Aug. 31 – 9th Street Summerfest – Columbia, MO*
    Sept. 2 – Beaver Dam Amphitheater – Beaver Dam, KY*
    Sept. 6 –  The Burl – Lexington, KY
    Sept. 7 – Maddie’s Hall – Bristol, TN
    Sept. 8 – Harley Davidson of ATL – Atlanta, GA
    Sept. 9 – The Senate – Columbia, SC
    Sept. 12 – George’s Majestic Lounge – Fayetteville, AL
    Sept. 13 – The HiFi – Indianapolis, IN
    Sept. 14 – The Riff – Springfield, MO
    Sept. 15 – Legacy Park Amphitheater – Lee’s Summit, MO
    Sept. 22 – Medicine Stone Festival – Tahlequah, OK*
    Sept. 27 – Turf Club – St Paul, MN
    Sept. 28 – Kilbourn City Live – Wisconsin Dells, WI
    Sept. 29 – Magic Bag – Ferndale, MI
    Sept. 30 – Pyramid Scheme – Grand Rapids, MI
    Oct. 2 – The Aquarium – Fargo, ND
    Oct. 4 – Broadway Theatre – Saskatoon, SK
    Oct. 5 – Cadillac Hall – Cadillac, SK
    Oct. 6 – River Cree Casino – Edmonton, AB**
    Oct. 13 – Ashland River Front –  Ashland, KY
    Oct. 18 – Heights Theater – Houston, TX
    Oct. 20 – KFWR Annual Ranch Bash – Fort Worth, TX
    Nov. 6 – Shakas Live – Virginia Beach, VA
    Nov. 8 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory Brooklyn
    Nov. 9 – Rec Room – Buffalo, NY 
    Nov. 10 – Lost Horizon – Syracuse, NY
    Nov. 11 – Port City Music Hall – Portland, ME

    * w/Turnpike Troubadours
    ** w/Jessi Colter

  • Blues Night: Former Members of The B.B. King Blues Band Ft. Tito Jackson at Alive at 5

    Thursday, June 28 was the perfect evening for the blues underneath the Albany Corning Preserve Boat Launch. The passing of a thunderstorm didn’t stop blues fans from across the Capital Region and beyond, from as far as Chicago, Illinois, from coming to Albany to attend the 4th concert of the 2018 Alive at 5 Concert Series, featuring Tito Jackson of The Jackson 5 and former members of the B.B. King Blues Band, with special guests, The Age.

    tito jackson alive at 5

    Infusing their own blend of funk and soul into their original tunes, The Age set the bar high as they brought out their funk and their soothing souls into Downtown Albany. Their short set was led on by The Age’s sister, who was providing the lead vocals throughout the evening. The Age, who happened to have a cold, wasn’t able to provide the vocals to his tunes. He was only able to provide some minimal backing vocals with his sister. Despite his lack of vocals, The Age was able to entice the audience with some sizzling guitar work on his lead solos on stage. Still, their set was just as fun and entertaining and set the mood for a great evening of blues.

    The blues remained alive and strong in Greater Albany as blues night continued inside Corning Preserve. The audience, even patrons holding up The Jackson 5 signage along the front barrier of the main stage, was anticipating the wait of the B.B. King Blues Band and their featured guitarist and vocalist, Tito Jackson. Many music fans may remember Tito Jackson from another famous musical family, the Jackson 5. Paying homage to blues great, B.B. King and the Jackson 5, this band was electrifying and certainly brought on the heat to continue to ignite a spark in the love of blues through their music and through the energy of their fans, and new fans alike.

    tito jackson alive at 5
    The B.B. King Blues Band, featuring band members Tito Jackson (lead guitar/vocals), Walter King (saxophone, B.B. King’s nephew), Darrell Lavigne (piano), Raymond Harris (trombone), James Bolden (vocals, with over 35 years as an original member of B.B. King’s Band), Russell Jackson (bass/upright bass/vocals), Herman Jackson (drums), Eric Demmer (saxophone), Lamar Boulet (trumpet), and Wilbert Crosby (lead guitar/vocals), were impressive and amazing to watch, paying homage to the late B.B. King as well as the Jackson 5 through a medley of tunes.

    Ranging from B.B. King’s “Every Day I Have the Blues,” “Guess Who” and “The Thrill Is Gone” to standard blues songs such as “Big Boss Man,” “Rock Me Baby,” “A Dog Is Still a Dog” (Tito dedicated the tune to his late father Joe Jackson and brother Michael), and even the classic Jackson 5 hit tunes “I Want You Back,” “The Love You Save” and “A.B.C.” among others, the entire ensemble was on fire! The chemistry and the back to back interplay amongst the performers like Herman Jackson (drums) and Lavigne and Eric Demmer, to the guitar interplay by Wilbert Crosby, Russell Jackson (who was tip toeing towards the front of the stage playing the bass guitar as if it was a standard guitar, moving fast along the fret board), and Tito Jackson was captivating to watch! The emotion was certainly felt between the performers through their effortless performances within their song choices.

    tito jackson alive at 5

    “I love the blues!,” shouted out bassist Russell Jackson after playing one of the songs during the start of their set! The crowd was certainly giving the band and Tito Jackson some love to their blues playing all evening, waving their arms in the air and swinging album art of the Jackson 5 towards the group for them to sign at a later time.

    Upon entering the stage to perform a series of guitar solos during the middle of the B.B. King tune “Every Day I Have The Blues,” Tito Jackson took the time to thank the fans for their kind words and thoughts concerning the recent passing of his father and founder of the Jackson 5, Joe Jackson, who had passed away just two days shy of the 9 year anniversary of his son Michael’s death (June 25). Jackson had contemplated on whether or not he was going to cancel his Albany performance but had decided that the show must go on and performed in honor of both his father and brother. Jackson would also later dedicate “I Want You Back,” “The Love You Save” and “A.B.C.” to his loved ones and his fans. Concluding the evening with B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone,” Tito Jackson stood upon the large speakers and moved along the row to shake hands with his fans and sign autographs on their signage and other memorabilia while the band concluded the song to signal the end of an evening. Although the fans shouted out for an encore song from Jackson, there was no encore performance.

    To be a part of watching two established performers such as the B.B. King Blues Band and Tito Jackson on the Alive at 5 Concert Stage was truly an honor and a privilege to be a part of this special evening underneath the Albany Corning Preserve Boat Launch. Great blues from these living and non-living legends continues to remain strong as shown through the eyes of these great performers that continue to keep their band members and family members’ legacies alive through the power of blues.

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