The legendary Low Beat in Albany will be hosting a benefit rock show on Saturday January 27th for the Rosie’s Love Foundation. The charity, which was established in 2000, supports families who are affected by the scourge of childhood cancer. The benefit, which kicks off at 7:00PM, was organized by Albany’s own preeminent hard rock band, The Crimson Tips.
The bill additionally features homegrown hard rocking act, The Hard Luck Souls and Lake George based power trio Iudica wraps up the night’s festivities. The event is free but the organizers request that attendees offer a simple donation of a children’s toy or provide a financial donation to the foundation.
Rosie’s Love Foundation was formed after the death of it’s namesake, two-year-old Rosemary Frances Johnson, who passed away after a valiant battle with neuroblastoma. Her family wanted to give something back for all the love Rosie received while being treated for her illness at Albany Medical Center. The foundation provides fun activities and toys for children receiving in-patient cancer treatment and offers various types of assistance to those children’s family members.
The Lizards they have….. arrived! Toronto-based Phish tribute band The Lizards will tour throughout New York and New England this winter, with the first show taking place on January 26 at The Westcott Theater in Syracuse, followed by February stops in Ithaca, Rochester and The Hollow in early March. Phish fans in need of a winter fix can catch one of Canada’s finest exports and let their 20+ minute jams warm you up as you await Phish to announce Summer 2018 dates.
Known for recreating the authentic Phish experience for dedicated phans, and even featuring their own light show directed by the infamous TG5, The Lizards put on a must-attend show. For their first foray throughout the Northeast, The Lizards guitarist Rich Grossman talked to NYS Music to chat Baker’s Dozen, the origins of The Lizards and what the scene is like north of the border.
Pete Mason: Let’s get the backstory on The Lizards – you’ve played the states a bit already, but when did the band first get together and start playing?
Rich Grossman: We started up in 2013 right after Phish had come to Toronto. It was the first time they had been here since 2000 and I was stoked to get to see them in my hometown. After a cancelled and rescheduled show, it got me thinking about the “state of affairs” of the jam scene in Toronto. There used to be a number of clubs that serviced the scene in TO, but they had long closed and we eventually found ourselves having to travel stateside to see this music often. Not that we don’t love making the pilgrimage, but the real heart of the jam world has always been the community. By Canadians being nomadic, and not rebuilding at home, we weren’t strengthening our side of the community. I thought starting a Phish tribute would be an amazing way to bring new life into the scene.
I had known Ben (drums) for years and we had played together in a number of bands, jam and not, so I contacted him first. Neither of us had real candidates for piano or bass so I went to Facebook. I posted something like “does anyone know a piano player who wants to jam some Phish tunes?” and a buddy tagged Joel, our keys player. We’d never met, but I got his number and asked him if he was into it. Not only did he say yes, but when I mentioned we couldn’t find a bass player, he brought Phill to the table. The first time we jammed was the first time a lot of us met each other. We charted out a lot of material, rehearsed it even more and booked a show at The Comfort Zone. Back in the day, this was the hub for jam music in TO. Growing up I would see Charlie Hunter, Ominous Seapods, Merl Saunders and other jam acts there, but management changed over the years and it became a late night rave scene. For whatever reason, they let us put on a show there for next to nothing and we must’ve had 250 people show up the first time. A lot of friends for sure, but a lot of people that just caught word of it showed up. Since then, we’ve done countless more shows in Toronto and in the past year, have started to take it down to you guys. The response is always the same. No matter what country we’re in, people are so grateful that they get to hear this treasured music. It’s very endearing to me, and I know that if I had seen a Phish tribute band and not started one, I would react the same way.
PM: What aspects of Trey’s guitar playing and tone drew you into honing his sound?
RG: Once we started the band, the game was on to get the sound. On the first gig, I played a PRS Santana III.The guitar has a very different sound than Trey’s Languedoc, but I could mask the differences with some of the other gear Trey would use like specific pedals. He’s famous for using 2 tubescreamers going into a compressor, so I started there. Over the year or two I amassed almost all pieces to recreate his mid 1.0 sound (93-97) including the Mesa Mark III red stripe, the ross compressor, the whammy II and more. I then started using a Languedoc clone that was built by a luthier in Toronto. It was based off of the Koa 98 model. Once I got that, the tone was really happening. After that, I would add pieces here and there that came later in his career like the boomerang, super tremolo, supa-puss, black cat vibe, etc. I haven’t really “updated” my rig in a few years, because I feel like I have enough pieces of the puzzle to make the gig happen. Trey changes his rig so often these days, to keep up would put me in debt.
PM: How much of Baker’s Dozen did you get to see?
RG: I was one of the lucky ones this summer 🙂 Bought my tickets well in advance and lucked out pretty good. I’m a full time musician and to take weekends off in the summertime can prove to be challenging, so I bought tickets to the first Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday show. Red Velvet, Jam Filled and Powdered night. Thank you Phish!
PM: For those of us down south, what’s the scene like in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario and Quebec for Phish and jam fans?
RG: To be honest, it’s the best I’ve seen it in years. Since The Lizards started, there have been a few Dead and Allman Brothers tributes that have started to perform as well. The other American “Phishy” tributes like Pink Talking Fish and Jazz is Phish have started to come up as well. Toronto has over 2 million people in it, but the jam band community is pretty niche, so we usually see a lot of the same happy faces at shows. Outside of Toronto, I’d say the scene is pretty small. There’s a dedicated group of heads out in Southwest Ontario like Hamilton and St. Catherines but not much else in our province or in Quebec. We have a huge country, but only 35 million people live here so an already small community gets smaller up here and more sprawled out.
PM: How do The Lizards stand out among phish tribute bands?
RG: I think what sets us apart from the other bands is that we really try to recreate the live experience aurally and visually. We have a dedicated lighting director (Toby) and sound engineer (Kory) that tour with us, bring, set up and tear down their own gear and work just as hard as us to make the show as much of a spectacle that it can be. Musically, everything is subjective. Some people will like us and some people won’t, but the show looks and sounds amazing, so that’s where I think we stand out.
It’s been six years since the last Ominous Seapods show, but after two sell out shows in Cohoes and a first time performance at Brooklyn Bowl, you’d be remiss not to wonder why they don’t reunite more often. With fans flying in from as far as the Carolinas, Germany, and the west coasts of America and Australia (where gitarist/vocalist Dana Monteith has made his home in Perth), three impressive reunion shows found audiences reuniting and excited for all that was in store. As Mike Wren mentioned in passing that night “Every so often, it’s a bookmark you come back to,” and perhaps that best describes the audience support and reverence for the Seapods.
The Ominous Seapods have a lasting legacy of influence on musicians in the jam scene. They are held with reverence by fans and music journalists who are still enamored (and rightly so) by the jam scene of the ’90s, and continue to inspire awe and musicians today. Promoter Greg Bell of Guthrie/Bell Productions spoke on January 12 about his history with the band dating back to 1992, and was all smiles throughout the night, having brought back to Albany the elder statesman of the jam scene. Despite it being a warm night outside, it was far from a warm up night inside, as the band hit the ground running and hit all the marks, right off the bat.
Cohoes Music Hall was the perfect venue for this show, as it has been for Max Creek, Garcia Project, and soon Turkuaz and Melvin Seals with JGB. The fourth oldest music venue in New York, the 1871 hall has undergone a transformation in the past two years and become an excellent show location that fits perfectly between clubs like The Hollow and Putnam Den, and larger rooms such as The Egg. So with two sold out shows, bassist Tom Pirozzi’s 50th birthday and a reunion of Plattsburgh Mutants on tap, the Music Hall was abuzz early thanks to Stone Brewing’s DidgeriDoom IPA, a nod to Monteith, who moved to Perth, Australia following the last Seapods show in 2011 at Valentines. Monteith also sported an AC/DC shirt, perhaps a subtle reference to their then-final show where they performed “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll).”
Opening up with “I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon,” the first big jam of the night came from “Theme for Another Enlightened Rogue” and the segue into “The Guide to Roadside Ecology” with Dana getting down to business early, and often. A few acoustic numbers came next, notably “Branch’s House” which grew smoothly into “The Pull from Adirondack Blue” and “Waiting 4 the Bomb to Drop” and Pirozzi and guitarist/vocalist Max Verna driving the set ending sandwich of “Sally” > “Cali” > “Sally.”
The energy continued to flow out of the setbreak with “Leaving the Monopole” getting checked off everyone’s ‘must hear’ list. The Seapods’ signature song still finds fans today who visit the ‘Single Stick’ in Plattsburgh and explore the lore that influenced the band’s writing. A debut of “Cumberland Blues” caught a few off guard, but it was pleasantly surprising that the band chose to throw a new cover into the mix this weekend. The jam of the set was around “Schizophrenic Rain,” which bookended “Oberon and Titania” and “Passengers En Route” and served as the most fluid and dialed in portions of the night, with a keys/bass/drums jam in the midst of the medley. A rockin “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley” kept the flow of the night going, with “Hey Donnie Osmond” closing the set out. An encore of “That’s How they Got Along” and “Michael Murphy 3” left a great deal of tunes in the tank for Saturday night.
Setlist, January 12, 2018 Set 1: I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon, 1/4 lb. Hot Dog, Theme For Another Enlightened Rogue ->
The Guide To Roadside Ecology, Millworker’s Lament*, Long Black Veil**, Guardian Angels*** -> Candy Cane Flame***, Branch’s House**** -> Jam -> The Pull From Adirondack Blue, Waiting 4 The Bomb To Drop, Sally Simpson -> First Day In California ->. Sally Simpson,
Set 2: Econobrain intro^ -> Old GP, Leaving The Monopole -> Counting Time -> Cumberland Blues^^, Schizophrenic Rain -> Oberon And Titania -> Passengers En Route -> Schizophrenic Rain -> Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley, Hey Donnie Osmond
Encore: That’s How They Got Along, Michael Murphy 3
*Max solo acoustic
**Lefty Frizzell cover, first time played, without Mangini, Verna on acoustic guitar and Pirozzi on upright bass
***Verna on acoustic guitar
****Monteith on acoustic guitar
^with Doug Burns
^^Grateful Dead cover, first time played
Entering night two with much colder weather at their back, fans returned to Cohoes Music Hall sporting a variety of flannel on par with an L.L. Bean outlet. “Jet Smooth Ride” lifted the crowd up and into the night. “Cary Suite” and “Final Destination” had the band finding the pocket and staying there, jamming without the drawback (or benefit, if you will) of ADD. The jams were even more on point and didn’t let up or evaporate before their time. The set ending pair of “Anything is Possible” with Monteith on egg beater and “Blackberry Brandy”
A second set that flowed freely was on tap, starting with a more than 15 minute “Jump for Joy” opener. Monteith took some time to mention how hard it was for him to leave Perth to get to New York for these shows, but expressed casual gratitude for the response from fans. A string of segues led to a 12 minute “John Henry’s Hammer” and a second “Pull from Adirondack Blue” in as many nights. “Bong Hits and Porn,” one of the best song titles ever, was slid into a sweet groove and held on for nearly 15 minutes and found Monteith back on eggbeater.
For the final song of the night, Pirozzi took over on guitar for “Ship,” and led the crowd in the sing-along. With fans cheering for one more, my friend David leaned over and said “You can’t finish the weekend without “Leaving the Monopole,” and lo and behold, they would not. Once again, we got the Seapods tune, and the fans who were only there that night revelled, danced and sang the words as easily as they did in 1995.
Setlist: January 13, 2018 Set 1: Jet Smooth Ride, Cary Suite, Final Destination > She Makes the Journey, Serpents in the Sand, Railyard Scene > Somedays > Stephen O’Rourke > The Fiesta, Anything Is Possible (w double Eggbeater jam) > Blackberry Brandy
Set 2: Jump For Joy, Sad Corner > What’s the Buzz, Keep in Mind > Waiting Room > Gunshot Static > John Henry’s Hammer > The Pull from Adirondack Blue, Bong Hits & Porn*
Encore: Ship, Leaving the Monopole
* with Monteith on eggbeater
For the final set of the reunion, a performance at Brooklyn Bowl was the perfect closing to the weekend. Owned by former Wetlands owner Pete Shapiro, having Ominous Seapods perform at Brooklyn Bowl brings them full circle and to a stage built on the shoulders of former Wetlands staples like themselves. The performance was an opening slot for the Zen Tricksters, and would be a distilled, “best of” set compared to the previous two shows. Fan Gabe Sasso noted that the crowd ate up how tight the band sounded, with one standout highlight “Josephine’s Grand Motion” which was not played the previous two nights. And with the final note of “Bong Hits and Porn,” Mutants are back to waiting for the next reunion shows to be announced, and based on response from these shows, one would hope it will be less than six years between shows.
Setlist, January 14, 2018 Set 1: Blackberry Brandy, Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley, The Guide To Roadside Ecology, Michael Murphy 3, Josephine’s Grand Motion, Sally Simpson > First Day In California > Sally Simpson, The Pull From Adirondack Blue, Leaving The Monopole, Bong Hits And Porn
Behind the Gear, a new website from Jared Lindquist, covers the fine details of the gear that helps to create a musician’s sound. Each week, NYS Music will bring you Jared’s latest in depth coverage of various musician’s gear.
Joe Davis is the guitarist of Albany-based band Formula 5. Joe is one of the most precise players on the scene, shredding with a tone so wonderful that you can’t help but smile. He brings the heat every time he takes a solo, and can settle into any groove the band throws at him. Check out his playing on Formula 5’s recent live release from November 24th.
Guitar
2012 Gibson SG ’61 Reissue
Joe’s SG has some serious meaning to him, saying, “It was gifted to me by my Father and has accrued some serious road rashes, including having its headstock snapped off after a show in Canadaigua, NY. It was repaired by Dan Neafsey who built Mihali’s (Twiddle) guitars and speaker cabinets amongst other things in his rig and Zdenek’s (Twiddle).”
Joe runs a pretty impressive head and cab, saying, “My amp setup hasn’t changed much over the last few years. I use a Traynor YBA-1 Bass Master head, which based on the serial number I can date to roughly 1972-75. It’s an old amp and it’s using the original tubes that were in it when it was gifted to James (bassist of Formula 5) from a friend’s dad. Not sure on the model but they are old and sound GOOOD! The head actually needed to have the original ungrounded power cable removed and replaced with a grounded one after it got wrapped around a tube during a show at Mojo’s in Jamestown, NY. Ryan Nogle, gear wizard and former drummer of AQ fixed it for us and we had a good time trying to get the head out of the enclosure chasis. Let’s just say the things a tank and they don’t make em like they use to. My Cabinet ironically is also owned by James Woods and was formerly owned by Andrew Chamberlaine the original guitarist of Mister F and Timbre Coup. Andrew hooked it up with the road case too. That cabinet is a huge part of my tone, loaded up with two Jensen Jet speakers rated for 100 watts each. The thing can SCREAM whilst being buttery smooth.”
Pedalboard
Quick note from Joe, “Missing from my chain currently is my Fulltone Deja Vibe, which is on the mend, and my Electro Harmonix Switchblade + A/B Switch that switched between just my amp and the Motion Sound Pro 3 Rotary Speaker.”
Signal Chain
Dunlop 535Q Wah > Digitech Whammy II > Ibanez CP-835 Compressor II > Ibanez TS-9 (no mod) > J Rocket Audio Archer Ikon > Xotic Effects EP Booster > Pigtronix Echolution 2 Deluxe (with Preset Controllor) > Mad Professor Silver Spring Reverb
He says that a huge part of his tone is the vintage gear he uses, especially his Ibanez CP-835, “The Ibanez Compressor I received as a gift from my sister, Shannon, for Christmas the year I joined Formula 5. Being a huge Trey fan my entire life, I was searching for a set and forget, always on, comp that would smooth out my clean tone and give a lil more transparency to my fully saturated TS-9 tone whilst adding sustain. Another thing I was looking for was a comp that was very quiet during operation. Most comps I tried had a lot of noise and hiss when engaged. A lot of that is to do with requiring 9V power; this old beast, which dates to roughly 1981 and is an original model, runs on an 18 V 1/8 inch power supply and is eerily quiet, even with the sustain rolled to 5. I don’t use it to squash as my sustain knob rests at 9 o’clock, but I use it to boost the signal from my guitar to my amp just a tad to really brighten the attack. That pedal is never off and is a huge staple of my tone.”
Pumpkin Patch Presents, the newest event promotion company to launching out of Rochester, NY, catapulted into the scene by hosting regional favorite Folkfaces, with very special guest The Big Jazz Small Band for this adult-themed prom. As attendees, NYS Music saw matching outfits, vintage ties, prom dresses, shined shoes, high heels, dancing, drinks, and even a prom photo booth. To document the soiree, check out this photo gallery, courtesy of Meg Borruso Photography.
Strangefolk’s Reid Genauer has announced a new album via a Kickstarter campaign. The album, entitled Conspire to Smile, will contain cover songs, a new Assembly of Dust song, “Amplified Messiah,” and the first recording from the original members of Strangefolk since 1998’s A Great Long While, called “Conspire to Smile.”
Kevin Bedford & Reid Genauer
The new album is credited to Reid Genauer & Folks and includes appearances from a who’s who of the jamband scene, including Aaron Maxwell, Adam Terrell, Andy Herrick, Dave Diamond, Elliot Peck, Erik Glockler, Jason Crosby, John Leccese, Jon Trafton LEBO, Luke Smith, Marc Friedman, Nate Wilson, Ryan Montbleau, Scott Law, Scott Metzger and others to be announced.
The official Kickstarter campaign to fund the album begins Feb. 1. In the meantime, you can catch Strangefolk in a series of performances this weekend. Friday Jan. 19, the band performs at the Waterville Opera House in Waterville, ME. Saturday Jan. 20 they perform at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston and Sunday, Jan. 21 at the Warehouse at FTC in Fairfield, CT.
Genauer describes the project as follows:
It’s a celebration of the power that each of us has in the telling of our shared story, a reminder that we all have way more in common than not. Our little community is geographically distributed throughout the country and amounts to some 30,000 people or so. If each of us were to gain five minutes a week of peace of mind from this project we would create approximately 150,000 minutes or2,500 hours/week of personal energy that can be used towards addressing our challenges rather than wallowing in them. I think about it as a social version of the Doppler effect. Like the ripple from a single drop of water if each of us touches even two people and they too Conspire To Smile, the impact and outcome will be profound. My hope is that that each of us can use this project, the songs and the broad intent, as a way of being that drop of water. Let’s take care of ourselves so we can in turn take care of others.
A working version of the Strangefolk track, “Conspire to Smile” was posted on Genauer’s Facebook page. You can view that below. The preliminary track list for the new album is as follows:
1. “Conspire To Smile”
2. “Amplified Messiah”
3. “Let Love Rule”
4. “All You Need Is Love”
5. “People Get Ready…”
The Crooked North presents the latest in a series of music videos recorded live in studio. This one features the title track from their 2017 EP Unquiet Grave. The song is a reinterpretation of a traditional folk ballad. They use lyrics recorded in a songbook by Appalachian folk singer Jean Ritchie. Jon Itkin, guitarist and vocalist for the band and nationally known songwriter, told NYS Music about the differences between the classic and their adaptation:
(Richie’s) version of the song is an a cappella ballad, in three quarter time. It’s ghostly and very beautiful. Ours takes the mournful sadness of the lyric and channels it into a throbbing beat, with a lot of energy and a much more detailed musical arrangement.”
The Crooked North at Temperamental Studios Photo: Stephen S. Reardon
The video was recorded in the quaint and picturesque space at Temperamental Recordings. Located in Geneseo, this former church was converted into a recording studio by Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Mike Brown. Unquiet Grave was produced and mixed by Brown, and mastered by Grammy-winning musician/sound engineer Stephen Roessner. The recording sessions were captured on film by Clay O’Dell and his team at 33U Productions;Stephen S. Reardon shot the still photography. Costume and styling credits go to Beth Roberts, owner of Jane Vintage, a shop in Rochester’s South Wedge which specializes in period pieces. The resulting music video gives fans an intimate behind-the-scenes look at The Crooked North’s time in the studio.
The Crooked North carries on the traditions of bluegrass and folk music, refashioning them with progressive elements while retaining their fundamental roots. Pairing lush harmonies with toe-tapping melodies, they’ve been winning over the hearts of music lovers in their hometown of Rochester and beyond. The band features Ben Proctor (banjo, dobro, vocals), Jon Itkin (guitar, vocals), Rita Proctor (vocals, rhythm mandolin), and Jordan Kleiman (bass). Tahlia Cott plays fiddle for the band.
Albany two-piece Ignis released their first full-length album The Face of Mars on January 9, premiering their blend of folk, rock, and Americana. The album evokes a feeling of timelessness, seeming to borrow from many iterations and generations of rock music, from a Bowie-esque 70’s quality to a post-punk 90’s Seattle sound. The singing is memorable, somewhat reminiscent of Mark Sandman of Morphine and Ian Curtis of Joy Division, with an impressive vocal range and a very moody quality. Ignis manages to shift deftly between slow build-ups and high-energy releases.
The album opens with a slow ballad titled “AS,” that showcases the emotional side of their songwriting, and then follows it with the faster paced, grungy “Not Yet.” The third song out, “Don’t Go” starts with atmospheric guitar and then allows the drums to slowly build up to a satisfying crescendo.
“Chloe Dancer” features singing that reminds the listener of singers like Morrissey, while allowing the pianist to show his talents. “Paper” presents a change of pace, with the guitarist adopting a different, sultry style as the song takes on a jazzy feel. Each song of this album is short and to the point, with a definitive style and tone that encompasses much of the record.
“273” is a huge departure from the general tone of the album, beginning with a danceable funk riff then dropping back into a Smiths-inspired vocal melody and some sludgy guitar work. The following song, “Sink,” takes a mellower approach, while still boasting their signature guitar tone.
“Tunnel Vision” features a memorable riff set to sad lyrics, while “Could it Be” ventures into power ballad territory. The album then closes out with “Follower,” which hearkens back to the 80’s. Ignis presents a promising first effort, successfully melding a variety of styles into an atmospheric, original record. Available on Bandcamp, Itunes and Spotify.
Following a recent announcement that he would be going on his first solo tour since 2009, former Talking Heads front man David Byrne has announced that he will be expanding his travels this year and embarking on a massive world tour. The tour will be supporting his new solo album American Utopia, his first solo album since 2004’s Grown Backwards, and working its way through North and South America, as well as Europe. Byrne’s sole New York state stop on the tour will be at Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua.
The tour will be based around new songs, as well as songs that many listeners are already familiar with. Byrne is excited as it will be, “The most ambitious show I’ve done since the shows that were filmed for ‘Stop Making Sense,’ so fingers crossed.”
He also tweeted, “The show concept is simple, much like the concept for Stop Making Sense. There, it was ‘bit by bit show what goes into making a show, and then activate it.’ Here, it is ‘allow everyone to be mobile on an empty stage’ and imagine what that allows.”
According to his website, every headline show ticket purchased for a U.S. show online will include a CD of the new album, which is set to be released March 9. Tickets will go on sale Jan. 19, and can be purchased directly from his website. You can check out the full list of dates below:
David Byrne 2018 World Tour:
March 16 – Santiago, Chile – Lollapalooza Chile
March 18 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Lollapalooza Argentina
March 19 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Teatro Gran Rex
March 20 – Montevideo, Uruguay – Teatro de Verano
March 24 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – Lollapalooza
April 3 – Mexico City, Mexico – Metropolitan Theater
April 5 – Monterrey, Mexico – Auditorio Pabellón
April 7 – Guadalajara, Mexico – Corona Capital Guadalajara
April 14 – Indio, CA – Coachella
April 15 – Tucson, AZ – Centennial Hall
April 17 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Civic Theater
April 18 – Las Vegas, NV – Smith Center for the Arts
April 19 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Arts Center-Ikeda Theater
April 21 – Indio, CA – Coachella
April 24 – Dallas, TX – Winspear Opera House
April 25 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
April 27 – San Antonio, TX – Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
April 28 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall Outside Lawn
May 4-6 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees
May 6 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
May 8 – Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe Civic Auditorium
May 9 – Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium
May 10 – Durham, NC- Durham PAC
May 12 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
May 13 – Pittsburgh, PA – Benedum Center for the Arts
May 15 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater
May 16 – Madison, WI – Orpheum Theater
May 17 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theater
May 19 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – TCU Place
May 20 – Edmonton, Alberta – Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
May 21 – Calgary, Alberta – Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
May 23 – Vancouver, British Columbia – Queen Elizabeth Theater
May 24 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theater
May 27 Portland, OR – Keller Audiorium
May 28 Eugene, OR – Hult Center
May 30 – Salt Lake City, UT – Capitol Theatre
June 2 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theater
June 5 – Des Moines, IA – Des Moines Civic Center
June 7 – Kansas City, MO – Kauffman Center for the Arts
June 8 – St. Louis, MO – Peabody Opera House
June 9 – Indianapolis, IN – Farmers Bureau Lawn Amphitheater
June 14 – Oxford, England – New Theatre
June 15 – Glasgow, Scotland – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
June 17 – Birmingham, England – Birmingham Symphony Hall
June 18 – Manchester, England – Manchester Apollo
June 19 – London, England Eventim Apollo
June 22 – Prague, Czech Republic – Metronome Festival
June 23 – Prague, Czech Republic – Metronome Festival
June 25 – Zagreb, Croatia – IN music Festival
June 26 – Wien, Austria – Museumsquartier
June 30 – Ewijk, Netherlands – Down The Rabbit Hole
July 31 – Ewijk, Netherlands – Down The Rabbit Hole
July 1 – Ewijk, Netherlands – Down The Rabbit Hole
July 5-8 – Werchter, Belgium – Rock Werchter
July 6 – Roskilde, Denmark – Roskilde Festival
July 5 – Gdynia, Poland – Open’er Festival
July 11 – Oeiras, Portugal – Cool Jazz Festival
July 13 – Bilbao, Spain Bilbao – BBK Live Festival
July 13 – Barcelona, Spain – Cruilla Barcelona
July 14 – Barcelona, Spain – Cruilla Barcelona
July 17 – Zürich, Switzerland – Theater 11
July 19 – Ravenna, Italy – Ravenna Festival
July 20 – Perugia, Italy – Umbria Jazz Festival
July 21 – Trieste, Italy – Piazza UNita
July 27 – Camden, NJ – XPoNential Music Festival
July 31 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
Aug. 1 – Shelburne, VT Shelburne Museum – The Green
Aug. 3 – Toronto, ONT – Sony Center for the Performing Arts Aug. 5 – Canandaigua, NY – Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center
Aug. 8 – Grand Rapids, MI – Devos Performance Hall
Aug. 10 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theater
Aug. 11 – Huber Heightes, OH – Rose Music Center
Aug. 12 – Cincinnati, OH – PNC Pavilion at Riverbend
Aug. 16 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
Aug. 18 – San Jose, CA – City National Civic Auditorium
Aug. 21 – Sacramento CA – Community Theater
Aug. 24 – Santa Barbara, CA -Santa Barbara Bowl
Aug. 28 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheater
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead started off 2018 with a string of sold out shows at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY this past weekend. The band debuted six new songs during the run and teased countless more throughout the weekend.
Friday’s show kicked things off with an intro Jam that made its way into “Brown Eyed Woman” and an extended “Jack Straw.” “Shakedown Street” with a “Here Comes Sunshine” Jam to close the first set is a must-hear if you weren’t at the show. The second set opened with “Rosa Lee McFall,” a Charlie Monroe cover that the Grateful Dead played 18 times throughout their career and last on 10/27/80. This set also featured JRAD’s first “Atlantic City” since 4/28/17.
The boys came out swinging on Saturday with a debut each time they came on stage. “Pride of Cucamonga” was well-received in between “They Love Each Other” and “Playing In The Band” in the first set and Led Zeppelin’s “Your Time Is Going To Come” flowed from a fantastic “I Need A Miracle.” They saved the best for last with an encore starting with a Marco Benevento solo into Chuck Berry’s “The Festival.” Marco took the lead on this song about a music festival featuring The Band, The Who, CCR, The Beatles, Hendrix, Joplin and of course, The Grateful Dead.
Sunday closed the weekend with two more debuts and the return of Stuart Bogie for a number of songs. He last joined up with the band during their October Brooklyn Bowl run and he especially shined during the debuts of “Chinatown Shuffle” and Dr. Feelgood’s “She Does It Right” during the encore. However, the highlight of the night was the “Dancing In The Streets” that ended the second set. It was spacey 27 minutes of bliss as the band teased Dire Straits as well as others to end the last full set of the weekend.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead returns to New York on March 15 in Syracuse and March 16 in Albany.
The bill additionally features homegrown hard rocking act, The Hard Luck Souls and Lake George based power trio Iudica wraps up the night’s festivities. The event is free but the organizers request that attendees offer a simple donation of a children’s toy or provide a financial donation to the foundation.
Rosie’s Love Foundation was formed after the death of it’s namesake, two-year-old Rosemary Frances Johnson, who passed away after a valiant battle with neuroblastoma. Her family wanted to give something back for all the love Rosie received while being treated for her illness at Albany Medical Center. The foundation provides fun activities and toys for children receiving in-patient cancer treatment and offers various types of assistance to those children’s family members. 
Pete Mason: Let’s get the backstory on 
The Ominous Seapods have a lasting legacy of influence on musicians in the jam scene. They are held with reverence by fans and music journalists who are still enamored (and rightly so) by the jam scene of the ’90s, and continue to inspire awe and musicians today. Promoter Greg Bell of Guthrie/Bell Productions spoke on January 12 about his history with the band dating back to 1992, and was all smiles throughout the night, having brought back to Albany the elder statesman of the jam scene. Despite it being a warm night outside, it was far from a warm up night inside, as the band hit the ground running and hit all the marks, right off the bat.
Cohoes Music Hall was the perfect venue for this show, as it has been for Max Creek, Garcia Project, and soon Turkuaz and Melvin Seals with JGB. The fourth oldest music venue in New York, the 1871 hall has undergone a transformation in the past two years and become an excellent show location that fits perfectly between clubs like The Hollow and Putnam Den, and larger rooms such as The Egg. So with two sold out shows, bassist Tom Pirozzi’s 50th birthday and a reunion of Plattsburgh Mutants on tap, the Music Hall was abuzz early thanks to Stone Brewing’s DidgeriDoom IPA, a nod to Monteith, who moved to Perth, Australia following the last Seapods show in 
The tour will be based around new songs, as well as songs that many listeners are already familiar with. Byrne is excited as it will be, “The most ambitious show I’ve done since the shows that were filmed for ‘Stop Making Sense,’ so fingers crossed.”