NYS Music 20​18

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  • And to Think We Saw it on Jazz Street

    Most days of the year, Gibbs Street in Rochester’s East End is a quiet side street you’d drive by without taking much notice. Though for 9 days in late June, it gets renamed Jazz Street and the surrounding area becomes a vast musical hullabaloo. Big tents are erected, rock clubs become jazz clubs, and churches morph into ornate high-ceilinged music venues. Food vendors come by truck, tent and cart. Police blockade traffic while happily allowing open alcohol containers in the streets. A tale of such excitement would hardly be believed, had it not occurred every year for the past eighteen years. This was the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival’s 18th season, and this is what we saw.

    We saw over 40 different artists in 16 different venues. The music was inescapable. Whether blasting from the Jazz Street Stage, the Chestnut Street Stage, the Fusion Stage, the outdoor speakers at the Big Tent, or from the multitude of quality musicians busking on every corner of every street, even passing between Club Pass venues was filled with sweet sounds.

    True to the Fest’s mantra, we saw artists we knew and we saw artists we didn’t.

    We saw familiar festival alumni return in a not-so familiar way.
    Norwegian piano trio, In the Country, made their third visit to the festival this year. Though this time they backed singer Solveig Slettahjell and guitarist Knut Reiersrud in a group called Trail of Souls. They opened and closed with Norwegian folk songs and in between sandwiched an invigorating set of American gospel, folk, blues and rock. Reiersrud’s guitar was angular, jarring, beautiful and fluid while Slettahjell’s voice fell somewhere between Cesaria Evora and Nina Simone. Her hands extended out, fingers hitting invisible keys in the air, playing her vocal chords like a piano. Highlights include a piano and voice duet on the traditional “Motherless Child,” a flourishing spacey take on Peter Gabriel’s “Mercy Street,” and a stunning slow building “Nobody’s Fault But Mine.”

    Cuba’s Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez have both played the festival as leaders of their own bands. This year they returned together as a duo, a mini-Cuban supergroup. The two played from an album they just recorded and will be out early next year. Rodriguez’s head rolled on a swivel as he engaged in entrancing and hypnotic piano solos. Martinez had a full palette of congas to make his percussion sing. Both also sang, eventually involving the audience in singing the chorus to a traditional Cuban song.

    Adventurous piano trio The Bad Plus returned to the festival after a ten year absence. This year the band experienced their first lineup change, replacing founding pianist Ethan Iverson with Orrin Evans. The Bad Plus has always been the sum total of the musician’s personalities. Iverson was fairly rigid and controlled with a heavy classical influence. Evans brings in a looser more free-wheeling attitude. The music then was more fluid, the band took more improvisational risks, and even delved into a more traditional swinging jazz sound at times. The band hit on a few classics like “Big Eater” and “Anthem for the Earnest” but really focused most of their attention on their new material like the manic “Safe Passage” and the aired out beauty of “People Like You.”

    We saw yet another church turn into a temple of jazz worship.
    Joining the Christ Church and Lutheran Church, the newly renovated Temple Theater, or Grace Road Church, became the latest venue on the Club Pass series. Plentiful comfortable seats, great sight lines, beautiful stained glass and pristine sound made it one of the best venues and just another reason to praise jazz-us!

    We saw a trumpet player sing and a singer play trumpet.
    Nicholas Payton returned to the festival for the third time. On his last visit in 2016 he played trumpet and keys simultaneously, but the set was cut short by a fire alarm. This year he added a keys player to make a quartet. It would be too easy for him to stick to just the trumpet, so he added singing to his repertoire, taking the vocals on his ‘derangement’ of “How Deep is the Ocean” and for a piece based on an essay by Max Roach called “Jazz is a Four Letter Word.” He even had the Kilbourn Hall audience rapping along by the end of that one.

    The aptly named vocalist, Jazzmeia Horn, on the other hand, turned her voice into an instrument. Her classic interpretation of jazz standards got turned on their head once she started scatting. Impossible sounds emerged from her mouth as she pushed the human voice to exciting new realms. It’s possible the best trumpet player we saw at the festival didn’t even play the trumpet!

    We saw younger jazzmen turn the acoustic, electric.
    It isn’t so much that Moon Hooch is a trio consisting of two saxophones and a drummer. It’s how each is played. Saxophones of all kinds, bass, electronic and everything in between, were run through ample effects to create sounds previously alien to jazz and the world in general. With a ruleless and ruthless onslaught of massive noise the band had the crowd shaking their bones voluntarily or otherwise. The band didn’t so much as stop to breath for their full hour set in the Big Tent, leaving absolutely no room for woulds or coulds. Shirtless ten minutes in, drummer James Muschler held the dance party together with EDM-ready beats and his own bout with a soprano sax and even some off-kilter bangs on a baby grand.

    U.K.’s Gogo Penguin are a more traditional trio, with piano, bass and drums. Though more subtle with the electronics, they still packed a punch. Chris Illingworth had the piano wired in such a way that he could play acoustic and electric sounds simultaneously. Nick Blacka had his double-bass running through an array of pedals befitting a rock band. Drummer Rob Turner appeared to be fully acoustic though his beats veered into electronic music territory. The energy driving the music ebbed and flowed, with more swells than breaks and an incredibly big sound from three men.

    We saw artists from islands to the west, and islands to the east.
    Hawaii’s Ron Artis II, shaped guitar sounds from his axe like molding putty in his hands, effortlessly throwing short bits of brilliance this way and that. His trio, The Truth, rode with him every step of the way as he conquered blues, funk and soul, sometimes all at once, in a set that wowed an ever-growing crowd inside the Big Tent venue.

    Through the Made in the U.K. series held at the Christ Church there was plenty of great music from across the pond. One of our favorites were Beats n’ Pieces Big Band, who sported a 9-piece horn section as part of a 14-man ensemble that made them the largest band to ever play the venue. It’s songs often ended in explosions of chaos, sounds bouncing every which way around the cavernous hall.

    We also loved young vocalist Zara McFarlane, who injected more traditional jazz with 70s soul grooves and reggae, reaching into her Jamaican heritage. Though she was the leader, the band wasn’t reserved for backing duties, the music was much more of an equal parts affair, giving everyone plenty of space to shine.

    We saw some pretty unusual jazz instruments.
    Brooklyn trio House of Waters shined a spotlight on the nearly-forgotten hammered dulcimer. In a stunning set at Max of Eastman Place, Max ZT played a hammered dulcimer that he built himself, in pieces ranging from funky to rocking to hypnotic. Moto Fukushima played the bass as a lead instrument, eliciting a sound reminiscent of Victor Wooten keeping the music in constant movement.

    Mwenso and the Shakes brought a completely unique twist to vocal jazz, breaking up normal song patterns into chunks, stretching here, punctuating there. Upping the ante on the unusual, the 8-piece band included a tap dancer. One song consisted of a mostly (or completely?) improvised tap dance and guitar duet that was simply incredible and incomparable.

    We saw fed up citizens use their talent as a platform for protest.
    While it isn’t unprecedented for the artists at the jazz fest to get political, this year’s voices of protest were much more prominent and prevalent. Indeed there was an entire set dedicated to speaking out. Drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. presented his Songs of Freedom, featuring singers Alicia Olatuja and Theo Bleckmann interpreting the music of Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln. Songs written decades ago remain relevant today. Olatuja opened the set with a gorgeous take on “Both Sides Now” and finished it with an “Everything Must Change” that had some in the audience in tears. Bleckman put his spin on the all-too timely “Borderline” using filters and loops to stunning effect. He also had his voice sounding like an organ in a set highlight performance of “There’s a Balm in Gilead.”

    Singer Deva Mahal‘s band came out dressed in white to show solidarity with those marching to protest families being ripped apart at the country’s border. In a set spanning pop, funk, rock and soul, she also exhibited some gospel influence, singing “Everyone deserves to be free / I would stand for you would you stand for me?”

    Jazzmeia Horn used “Willow Weep For Me” to opine on the state of race in the country, singing about police brutality, private prisons and more.

    Matt Wilson‘s Honey and Salt played from his latest project, putting music to Carl Sandberg poems. The set oozed with pure joy; musicians joking, laughing and smiling, music bouncing and bright. Fun as it was, it wasn’t without a serious note. Introducing the song “Choose” to close out the set, Wilson noted that while it was always relevant, it was even more so in the past 500 days. “The single clenched fist lifted and ready / Or the open asking hand held out and waiting / Choose: For we meet by one or the other.” The music resembled a march, and after the band’s final bows, they marched off stage chanting the words.

    Honey and Salt closed out the programming at the Kilbourn Stage. As such, a line from another of the poems they played seemed quite relevant as well. “To know silence perfectly, is to know music.” After nine magical days, Jazz Street would be silent again.

    For this is a festival that no one can beat!
    And to think that we saw it on Jazz Street!

  • Frendly Gathering Proves Less is More

    Frends from around the globe converged on Mt. Ellen this past weekend for the Frendly Gathering 2018.  The three-day event proved that the event’s foundation of music, camping, community and sustainability are viable cornerstones to a successful weekend.  Music started with a Frendly Gathering pre-party on Thursday June 28. In perfect syncopation, the weekend concluded just as new laws legalizing recreational marijuana in Vermont took effect.

    Despite minor rain showers as Frends arrived on Thursday afternoon, mother nature cooperated just as music started later in the evening.  The beautiful blue skies continued throughout the weekend and the green mountains of Vermont served as the perfect backdrop to a weekend of thoughtful music, community and frendship.

    Major highlights to the weekend included the events main headliners.  Thursday night, Twiddle frontman Mihali Savoulidis joined Nakho Bear for a rare Mihali & Nahko set. The duo highlighted not only a variety of their own solo music, but also played a variety of cover tunes.

    Savoulidis joined his Twiddle band mates on Friday evening where frends were treated to a two-hour set from the Vermont quartet.  Most of the weekend attendees agree that while they missed multiple sets from Twiddle, the Frendly Gathering staple was still their weekend favorite.  Andrew Chaney from Willsboro NY, who attended his third Frendly Gathering this year told NYS Music that Twiddle is always his favorite band to see with his frends. “The lyrics consume your mind, while the instruments consume your soul.”

    For many attendees, it was Friday night’s Nahko and Medicine for the People set at the Pacificio Stage that highlighted their weekend.  “There is something cleansing about Nahko’s music” said New Haven, CT native Jon Carlisle, “It’s the kind of music that makes you want to go out and put good into the world.  And we need more of that in the world right now.”

    On Friday evening, the Burton stage played host to both Kamasi Washington and Kat Wright, who both delighted frends with powerful and soulful sets.

    On Saturday, bluegrass reigned supreme as both the Devil Makes Three and Greensky Bluegrass packed the Pacifico Main Stage.  Just before midnight, Greensky Bluegrass Savoulidis joined the band for a cover of J.J. Cale’s “After Midnight” and Peter Tosh’s “Legalize It” in celebration of Vermont’s changing marijuana laws. Jamtronica fans enjoyed a powerhouse evening set from Emancipator while jam fans gathered early on Saturday evening for Spafford.  

    The weekend was highlighted by Frendly favorites Upstate (formerly Upstate Rubdown).  The Hudson Valley based Appalachian soul powerhouse delighted fans with two sets as well as a pop-up set in the Martin Guitar dome.  First year attendee Shane Smith from Manchester, New Hampshire was blow away by the band’s performance “Not just their music but their whole stage presence for both of their sets was perfect, “ he told NYS Music, “and wow can those girls sing!”

    Throughout the weekend, several other artists garnered praise from those in attendance.  Houston based Gulf soul outfit The Suffers weathered the heat Saturday afternoon with an even hotter set of rich, powerful tunes that pierced throughout the mountain side.  “We didn’t make it to the main stage because we just wanted to stay under the shade at our camp, but we could hear The Suffers clear as day back at camp,” noted Alyssa Monarch, a first time Frendly attendee from Rochester, NY. “Their music was so powerful and the vocals so heartfelt, it didn’t matter where we heard it from because it just filled our entire crew with joy.”

    Boston based electrofunk quartet Strange Machines kicked off Friday’s Burton stage with a high energy set.  On Friday afternoon, Satsung drew a huge crowd, despite toasty mid-day temperatures. Other weekend notables included singer songwriter Kevin Morby and Canadian based indie folk group The Relative.

    Beyond the music, the true star of the weekend was the Frendly Gathering’s volunteer team, most notably their massive sustainability crew.  Upon arrival, campers were offered colored trash bags to ensure ease of sorting. Volunteers wearing bright pink shirts marked “Frendly Crew” maintained the festival grounds all weekend long as they worked in pairs not only picking up trash, but also keeping labeled trash cans properly sorted.  According to Smith, these efforts help encourage him to also be a part of the clean-up process. “The volunteers I saw did an amazing job keeping the place clean,” he praised. “It made me happy and motivated to keep my site clean, too.”

    The festival’s commitment to sustainability shined with Kleen Kanteen providing cold, filtered water for attendees.  Food vendors provided quality food with little to no waste product. “Too many festivals offer basically only fried food,” said Smith, “but this place had a very good food selection and mostly healthy as well!” To help combat the heat, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream offered free samples throughout the weekend.

    The Frendly Gathering also showcased a variety of vendors, crafts, workshops and products.  Twiddle fan funded 501c3 the White LIght Foundation was on site raising money for two local charities, Vermont Family Forest and LoveYourBrain.

    As the weekend concluded, many frends noted that it’s the festival’s pillars of music, community, camping and sustainability that makes Frendly Gathering more than just a typical event.  “Bigger festivals can be so overwhelming, and you leave feeling like you’ve really left a footprint”, noted Monarch. “I appreciate the fact that the organizers, volunteers and frends understand that sometimes, it should just be quality over quantity. It makes you feel warm to be a part of it.”

    Photography by Matt Shotwell (Strawberry Island Dweller)

  • 10,000 Maniacs Performing at Cohoes Music Hall July 14

    10,000 MANIACS will be rolling into Cohoes Music Hall in Cohoes on Saturday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m.

    Photo courtesy of their website.

    10,000 Maniacs started in Jamestown, and were founded in 1981. They are known from the early “alternative rock” movement, having released close to 20 albums, including 2015’s Twice Told Tales and 2016’s Playing Favorites. They consistently tour not only the U.S. but abroad as well.

    This year marks three significant anniversaries in the band’s history. Their first full-length recording was released 35 years ago. Secrets of the I Ching, which caught the attention of BBC radio legend John Peel, who brought the band to the attention of millions of listeners worldwide. 25 years ago and the second significant event happened; Mary Ramsey began her tenure as lead singer for the band. It was in that same year the 3rd significant thing happened, which was that 10,000 Maniacs made their iconic performance on MTV’s “Unplugged”; the released recording would go on to sell millions of copies.

    In celebration of these milestones on their 2018 tour, 10,000 Maniacs will play select acoustic sets including songs from Secrets of the I Ching and MTV Unplugged as well as their hit songs. 10,000 Maniacs is comprised of Mary Ramsey, lead vocals,viola; Steven Gustafson, bass guitar; Dennis Drew, keyboard; Jeff Erickson, guitar; John Lombardo, guitar; and Jerome Augustyniak, drums.

    Tickets for the all-ages event are $35.00-$55.00.

    For more information call 518-953-0630 or visit Cohoes Music Hall’s website.

    For more information on 10,000 Maniacs visit their website.

  • A Friend in the Berkshires: James Taylor Doesn’t Disappoint Fans in Timeless Concert

    Berkshires resident and world-loved music legend James Taylor crooned to a sold-out crowd at Tanglewood July 3, the first night of his traditional two nights at the rural venue near his summer home. The crowd filled every inch of the manicured lawn with blankets, tables, chairs and fine dining accessories, clearly reflecting that this wasn’t the first JT concert attended by most fans. Inside seats were filled as the crowd sat in high humidity and heat, waiting with anticipation for the first set.

    James Taylor was the first artist to set foot on the stage a little after 8:00, and he was met by cheering fans who quickly forgave the brief tardiness. The 70-year-old star appeared in his long pants, dress shirt and cap, and after brief waves, he slung his guitar over his shoulder as he sang “Carolina on My Mind.”

    Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert

    Taylor transitioned through both well-known pieces and some lesser-known songs in the first set. The light show, coordinated with the chorus and highlights of “Country Road,” seemed intent to remind the audience that they are indeed at a rock concert, not a folk concert.

    It would be a bumpy first set, though, marked by amp problems, some pacing issues, and low energy from artist and crowd alike. At one point after “Frozen Man,” seasoned Taylor matched the key of the reverb from the amp and joked, “Do we have any songs in that key?” Using humor and his incredibly flexible vocals, Taylor kept the crowd engaged through some slower moments. He introduced band members throughout the first set, and indeed the band members, including 2 percussionists, a trumpet player, flute and saxophone player, three backup singers, pianist, fiddle and of course the customary guitar and bass, are an all-star band.  Taylor turned to look at each artist as he or she performed, and genuinely reflected an appreciation for sharing the music with the artists.

    Folksy and dancing little jigs, Taylor covered “(I’m a) Road Runner” and danced around the stage. This seemed to wake the audience back up, but there was a bit wrong with the rhythm section and the band seemed off the pace with one another. “Copperline” saved the set, though, with Taylor’s infallible voice finding its vertical pitches with beautiful ease. They rolled into “Handyman” and “Mexico,” bringing the crowd to it’s feet.

    Before breaking for intermission, Taylor looked at the setlist and joked with the audience, pacing them for the twenty-minute break and promising “a lot of hits” in the second set. In between, he was on stage, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans.

    The second set delivered on the hits, and more than compensated for any troubling moments from earlier in the night. Fans sang along to the most famous James Taylor tunes, swaying in the heat to “Something in the Way She Moves.” Taylor impossibly made himself even more human and relatable with a song about his dog, Sunny, and shared adorable pictures of the pug. Each song in the second set related to the human experience: loving someone, losing someone, having a dog, being a friend.

    Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert

    And that’s really why people go to see James Taylor – the articulation of their own very human experience. We go to be reminded that we aren’t alone in these hard emotions, and in fact everyone struggles with sadness, joy, and how to show love. “Shower the People You Love” brought the crowd to its feet, singing along and encouraging folks to do just that – show the love to those around you.

    From “Sunny Skies” and “Walking Man,”the set transitioned to the faster, more intense rock feel of “Steam Roller.” Playing on a baby blue electric guitar, Taylor’s only electric guitar song featured some impressive riffs by the pianist, bassist, and sax players. Taylor waved his cap over the instruments, and jumped on one leg like an old time rock star, bringing gasps of joy and screams of love from the audience.

    Filled with folks who had traveled long distances to get to Tanglewood, the crowd talked to each other with civility, gentleness, and a genuine interest in one another in the shed. Couples surrounding this reviewer came from New Haven, Rochester, and even Philadelphia. It had become an annual pilgrimage for many of them. When asked why the same smile crossed their lips, heads shook a bit in disbelief, and no one could really articulate a specific reason beyond loving the music. But with the encore of “You’ve Got a Friend,” fans were truly speaking their hearts. James Taylor is their friend, their company in easy and hard times alike.

    Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert

    During this time of low civility, isolation, and sad news of disparities in our country, the concert offered a quaint respite in songs lending empathy, kindness, and intelligence. As long as he’s performing at Tanglewood, clearly James Taylor has thousands of friends overjoyed to have him – and each other – on this American holiday weekend.

    Setlist

    Set One: Carolina in My Mind, Country Road, The Frozen Man, Never Die Young, Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, Road Runner, Nothing Like a Hundred Miles, Raised Up Family, Copperline, Handyman, Mexico

    Set Two: Something in the Way She Moves, Sunny Skies, Walking Man, Up on the Roof, Steamroller, Sweet Baby James, Fire and Rain, Your Smiling Face, Shower the People, How Sweet it Is

    Encore: Shed a Little Light, In the Midnight Hour, You’ve Got a Friend

  • Hearing Aide: Florence and the Machine’s ‘High as Hope’

    Florence and the Machine released their newest album High as Hope on June 29 and it feels like a blast from the past, still holding that classic Florence and the Machine sound known and loved by fans. This fourth studio album by the them was released by Republic Records and Virgin EMI Records. Being a big Florence and the Machine fan, like many others, I waited to see what this new album would hold with a slightly skeptical eye. Not having been as impressed with their 2015 album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful as much as I would have hoped, I wasn’t sure how the new album would sound, but to my delight it didn’t disappoint in the slightest.

    Florence Welch courtesy of Florence and the Machine’s Instagram.

    The ten song album, which was produced by Welch herself along with Emile Haynie, had a very minimalistic feel to it that grounded it. The album started with the song, “June” which has these lines that say, “And you’re so high, you’re so high, you had to be an angel/ And I’m so high, I’m so high, I can see an angel” which immediately tells the listener what this album is about. It’s about struggle, it’s about belief or lack thereof, it’s about love, it’s about drugs. The song then moves on to one of its singles, “Hunger,” which focuses on all these points. It talks about Welch’s struggle with an eating disorder and has the lines saying, “We all have a hunger” over and over, showing that every person has some struggle in their life. For her, it was an eating disorder but it could it be something different for someone else. Her voice leaves the listener with this aching feeling of knowing that’s what pain suffered in solitude feels like. It’s a pain we all know but seldom talk about.

    I could talk about each song in this much detail but then you would be left with a very long article so I’ll just talk about two more songs. The first song is “Big God” which was the other single off of the album and has the iconic lines, “You need a big god/ Big enough to hold your love/ You need a big god/ Big enough to fill you up.” This song really pulls into this minimal feeling of the album, having having the bass notes of a piano following it for half of the song before the rest of the ensemble comes in. But even this ensemble is a minimal one. This song, just like the others, has this continued theme of struggle and belief or lack thereof.

    The other song which needs to given some proper attention is “No Choir” which is the last song on the album. It starts by saying, “And it’s hard to write about being happy/ ‘Cause the older I get/ I find that happiness is an extremely uneventful subject/ And there will be no grand choirs to sing/ No chorus will come in/ About two people sitting doing nothing,” which really stuck out to me as a listener. The song has this very melancholy emptiness to it which I believe is this acceptance that the whole album rounds back on. It’s an understanding that happiness doesn’t feel as great as sadness feels awful. That struggle, belief or lack thereof, love, drugs – they all make an impact on us and it’s what we do with that impact that matters.

    Overall, I thought this was the best album Florence and the Machine has had since Between Two Lungs. It manages to keep an authentic Florence and the Machine sound with a more grown up set of topics. And it does this well, keeping itself well rounded between upbeat and mellow songs. The minimalist tracks throughout builds on this authenticity of the lyrics. It doesn’t need to be big and flashy to get it’s point across. In fact, being flashy would most likely only distract the listener from the main messages. You can listen to the entire album on Spotify.

    For more information visit Florence and the Machine’s website.

  • Hot Rize Celebrates 40th Anniversary with New Album, Tour

    The Hot Rize 40th Anniversary Bash album is a recording of Hot Rize’s live performance at the Boulder Theatre over the course of three sold out shows in January of this year. The album will include 19 tracks from these three sold out shows.

    Hot Rize is known for being one of the most respected and influential bands in bluegrass music. The 40th Anniversary Bash shows Hot Rize’s broad appreciation for soulfulness and their conscientious balance between traditional and experimental bluegrass which is a hallmark of Hot Rize since their inception.

    Hot Rize is made up of Nick Forster on bass, Pete Wernick on banjo, Tim O’Brien on mandolin and fiddle, and Bryan Sutton on guitar and they were joined during their Boulder three nights performance by longtime musical friends Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, and Sam Bush.

    Hot Rize’s 40th Anniversary Bash will be available on CD and vinyl (double LP) and will be released via Ten in Hand Records and distributed through The Orchard. The band will play the Ryman Auditorium on July 12th as their Nashville CD release show, as part of the Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman series.

    The celebration will also be making a stop in Oak Hill, NY for the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival as one of the Friday headliners on July 20. Their complete tour dates are listed below.

    Check out the newly released video for “Colleen Malone” below the tour dates.

    On tour:
    July 12 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
    July 20 – Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival – Oak Hill, NY
    July 29 – Rockygrass – Lyons, CO
    Aug. 31 – Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival – New Castle, DE
    Sept. 1 – Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival – Brunswick, ME
    Sept. 2 – Rhythm and Roots Festival – Charlestown, RI
    Nov. 2 – The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries – St. Louis, MO
    Nov. 9 – Peoples Bank Theatre – Marietta, OH

    For more information on Hot Rize visit their website.

  • The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan Turn the Heat up at SPAC

    The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan stopped at SPAC on a scorching Saturday on June 30 during The Summer of Living Dangerously tour.

    Steely Dan Setlist: Kid Charlemagne, Hey Nineteen, Black Friday, Aja, Bodhisattv, Peg, My Old School, Dirty Work, Time Out of Mind, Black Cow, Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, Green Flower Street, Pretzel Logic, New Frontier

  • New York Series: Irving Berlin ‘God Bless America’

    Regardless of your political views, there is a general consensus among Americans that they love and support this great country and the ideals on which it was founded. Before nearly every sporting event, each person in attendance stands in solidarity and pays their respect to the flag and what it represents. They forget about their political positions for a brief moment and are silent as they listen to anyone from a pop singer to a youth choir give it everything they’ve got to deliver their most passionate ode to America.

    Depending on the game you’re attending, you’ll either hear “The National Anthem,” “God Bless America” or both songs sang as tribute to the men and women who serve in our military. Ironically, and unbeknownst to most in attendance, Irving Berlin’s 1918 patriotic song “God Bless America” was originally written as a “peace song” opposing the first world war, and later changed to a song in support of our troops.

    For a short time in the United States, nearly all published music came from a short group of blocks in the middle of Manhattan. The early 19th century saw a boom in songwriting and music publishing companies unlike the world had ever seen, and that area of New York was referred to as Tin Pan Alley.

    Songwriters from all over would swarm to the area to have a chance to write piano sheet music sold around the country or hits for Vaudeville or Broadway shows. The cream would rise to the crop and make a name for themselves, with no one more popular than Irving Berlin, a Russian immigrant who moved to the United States at the age of five.

    Tin Pan Alley in New York City, home to songwriters and music publishing companies
    Tin Pan Alley, then and now

    In 1918, while away from his piano in Manhattan and serving in the US Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, NY, Irving wrote the first version of “God Bless America” in an attempt to write the perfect peaceful song that would help unite the world and inspire men to live in harmony, much like notable songwriters Bob Dylan and John Lennon years later. However, after a few versions, he decided that he wasn’t in love with the music and that peace songs were all that were flooding the market at the time, so he decided to put a pin in it for a while.

    Having come from Jewish descent and already living through one world war, in 1938, Irving decided take another look at “God Bless America” in response to Hitler’s unsettling rise in Europe.

    “I had to make one or two changes in the lyrics,” Irving said,” and they in turn led me to a slight change and improvement in the melody, one line in particular. The original ran: ‘Stand beside her and guide her to the right with a light from above.’ In 1918, the phrase ‘to the right’ had no political significance, as it has now. So, for obvious reasons, I changed the phrase to ‘Through the night with a light from above.’”

    Irving wrote the first version of "God Bless America" in an attempt to write the perfect peaceful song that would help unite the world and inspire men to live in harmony.
    Irving Berlin

    With the new revisions, the song took off instantly and was even hailed as the new national anthem to many. It was debuted to the public on Armistice Day in 1938 by Kate Smith on her radio show and was quickly spread around the country. In 1940, both Democrats and Republicans adopted the song as their theme, and the peaceful song was beginning to achieve exactly what Irving had intended – though it never did on a global level.

    Post-World War II, the song began to gain popularity at sporting events around the country. The trend originally started in Philadelphia at Philadelphia Flyers home games, often sung for good luck and to pay respect for the men and women who served in our country. It was also used at political rallies, schools and concerts across the country.

    Today “God Bless America” is not sang as wide spread at sporting events as it used to be, but the song is still heard on occasion to honor our troops. Some sporting teams will sing the song in place of “The National Anthem” and it is not uncommon for Canadian teams to also use the song in its place when honoring our country. The buildings in Tin Pan Alley where the song was full composed still exist today, however, they are no longer filled with clanking pianos and hopeful singers. There is currently a push to have some of the buildings on Tin Pan Alley preserved so the area is not built up like midtown, but as of recently no significant changes have been made from either side.

    ‘God Bless America’ Lyrics:

    God bless America
    Land that I love
    Stand beside her and guide her
    Thru the night with a light from above

    From the mountains, to the prairies
    To the oceans white with foam
    God bless America
    My home, sweet home
    God bless America
    My home, sweet home

  • Umphrey’s McGee: Welcome Back to Asbury Park

    For the eighth consecutive year, Umphrey’s McGee made The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park New Jersey a part of their summer plans. Located in the lot behind the iconic Jersey shore rock venue The Stone Pony, the Summer Stage sets have historically showcased the metal and prog rock side of Umphrey’s Mcgee’s vast spectrum of musical influences. The 2018 installment continued this tradition by showcasing “Remind Me” as a first set closer followed by a “Wizard Burial Ground” into a  “Sludge & Death” second set opener. They would ultimately close out the second set by going back to “Wizard Burial Ground” as well.

    In past years, Umphrey’s McGee has taken the Asbury Park encore as an opportunity to bust out a cover. They have dropped both “Mother” by Danzig and “Last Caress” by the Misfits as band debuts in 2012 and 2016, respectively. And their 2014 “Front Porch” had a “Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls” (reprise) mashed into it. “Don’t Go Chasing Front Porches” on Zonkey part 2 maybe? For 2018’s encore, Pantera’s “Walk” was played for the first time with this preamble from bassist Ryan Stasik; “What’s up, New Jersey!?!?!?!? Put your fists in the air! When we come to New Jersey, we come to kick fuckin’ ass and play rock and roll.  We lost a good one, we lost Vinnie. He’s up there with Dimebag. Pantera meant a lot to me growing up. Rest in peace, we’re gonna play some non-sissy type music. Let’s have some fun!”

    mm/

    Setlist:

    Set One: Nipple Trix, Roctopus, Pequod, Andy’s Last Beer, Seasons, It Doesn’t Matter, You and You Alone, Remind Me

    Set Two: Wizard Burial Ground, Sludge & Death, Xmas At Wartime, The Silent Type, Jessica, Cemetery Walk, Cemetery Walk II, August, Wizard Burial Ground

    Encore: Kula, Walk

  • Small City of Sherrill Packs Big Names into its Summer Series

    Sherrill may be the smallest city in New York State, but its long-running summer concert series boasts some of the biggest music acts in the Central New York scene.

    Among those slated to perform at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday from June 26 – Aug. 28 are country artist Eddie Arcuri, alt-folk band the Old Main, fan favorites and Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame inductees, Fritz’s Polka Band and Central New York’s premier party band, Showtime.

    Eddie Arcuri performs in the pavilion Tuesday, July 3. Arcuri has recently been recording in Nashville and performed at Frog Fest in June. You can check out his single for “Beer Goggles” here.

    (Photo: Anthony Owens)

    Cazenovia’s Oldfield 5 performs on July 10. The band’s name is derived from the old phone exchange for Cazenovia. Band member, Gary Powers is a Sherrill resident.

    Showtime takes the stage on July 17. This seasoned band has a proven track record of being able to perform just about anything. They’ve been on the CNY scene since the early ’90s and are one of the most high demand bands in the area.

    Fritz’s Polka Band, based in nearby Verona, has the claim of being the only Polka band to ever play at a Woodstock Festival, having performed at the ill-fated Rome version in 1999. FPB was inducted into the Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame in 2017 and have been nominated in several categories at the Cleveland awards ceremony over the years. The band has proven over the course of its career that Polka music can, in fact, rock, as exhibited in this fan-shot video of their version of “All Along the Watchtower” below.

    The Old Main brings their unique brand of Americana to Sherrill on July 31. The band has proven very popular on the upstate brewery circuit and also has a solid fan base at the ski resorts of the Adirondacks and Vermont.

    On Aug. 7, the jazz group E.S.P. This high energy group of seasoned jazz professionals is the recipient of three SAMMY Awards for Best Jazz Album (2009, 2011, 2017) and features Sherrill native, Evan Duchene on drums. Check out their video for “When Fortune Smiles” below.

    The PartyNuts perform oldies from the ’50s and ’60s at the gazebo on Aug. 14. Their performance will be followed by a movie under the starts. The movie will be announced at a later time.

    Central Winds is an all-star CNY wind ensemble comprised of more than 40 local music educators. They will be performing music spanning several genres at the park on Aug. 21. Aside from performing at such esteemed venues as the Eastman School of Music in Rochester and the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, the ensemble also conducts workshops throughout the year. Read more about this talented group of musicians here.

    The summer series concludes Aug. 28 with long-running country act, Matt Chase & Thunder Canyon.

    Sherrill Summer Series concerts are held in the gazebo of Reilly-Mumford Memorial Park, next door to Sherrill City Hall. For more information on this series, visit the City of Sherrill’s website here.

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