NYS Music 20​18

Tag: albany

  • Greensky Bluegrass Takes Flight at the Egg

    Greensky Bluegrass returned to The Egg in Albany, NY on January 24 for their first East Coast show of 2018. The Michigan band was joined by Billy Strings, who opened the show with a selection from his 2017 album, Turmoil & Tinfoil. This sold-out crowd was treated to two sets of fantastic bluegrass on this “Casual Wednesday” with a number of egg jokes thrown in for good measure.

    greensky bluegrass egg

    The Quintet from Kalamazoo opened their first set with “Past My Prime,” which was greeted with a thunderous applause from the crowd. They followed that up with “Bringing In The Georgia Mail” and “Jaywalking.” Each featured a flurry of impressive solos with an eerie Dobro solo from Anders Beck. Both the band and the audience threw out egg jokes before and after launching into “Gumboots,” “Against the Days” and “Into the Rafters.” The bird jokes continued before starting “Reverend” and then following that with “Clinch Mountain Backstep.” The boys ended the set with “Nine Days” and fan-favorite, “Worried About The Weather.” This was the longest song of the set and received the loudest response from the fawning crowd.

    The beer line quickly faded as the lights dimmed, signaling the start of a magnificent second set. “Cryin’ Holy Unto The Lord” was the uplifting opener everyone needed to start dancing again. The highlight of the night was “All Four,” an 18 minute gem which featured a rousing jam that dazzled and amazed everyone in attendance. “What’s Left of the Night” was next and Michael Arlen Bont’s incredible banjo solo was spectacular. The band brought the jam down to an ephemeral lullaby before bringing it back up to finish the song and move into “Miss September.” This was the catchiest song of the night and Paul Hoffman really shined on Mandolin during this track.

    Greensky slowed things down with a spacey intro into “Bottle Dry,’ whose roaring peak was followed by the frenetic “Radio Blues.” The band’s fingers were a blur as they played each verse of this toe-tapping hit. The Egg received even more compliments during an appropriate “Casual Wednesday.” Anders came out and said this was an “Eggs-quisite room that was really Grade-A” and the crowd couldn’t agree more. Without missing a beat, they were off like a shot with “Broke Mountain Breakdown.” After some bombastic back-and-forth playing, they broke into a wavy, ambient jam before they brought it all back together with an effect-laden scorcher of a solo on the pedal steel.

    Things weren’t over yet as the band ended the second set with the Michael Jackson hit, “Beat It.” Mike Devol’s bass playing had everyone moving as this song got everyone out of their seats to end the set. As the crowd gave a standing ovation, Dave Bruzza welcomed Billy Strings out on stage to help with their encore. The audience went silent as all 8 players played an unplugged encore featuring the solemn “Tear Down The Grand Ole Opry” and the upbeat “Sunny Side Of The Mountain.”

    Setlist via PhantasyTour

    Set 1: Past My Prime, Bringing in the Georgia Mail, Jaywalking> Gumboots, Against the Days, Into the Rafters, Reverend> Clinch Mountain Backstep, Nine Days, Worried About the Weather

    Set 2    : Cryin’ Holy Unto The Lord (Rock Where Moses Stood), All Four, What’s Left of the Night> Miss September> Bottle Dry, The Radio Blues, Casual Wednesday, Broke Mountain Breakdown> Funk Jam> Beat It

    Encore: Tear Down The Grand Ole Opry* Sunny Side of the Mountain*

    * w/ Billy Strings Band, acoustic at the lip of the stage

  • Hearing Aide: Ignis “The Face of Mars”

    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.

    Key Tracks: Tunnel Vision, Could It Be

Built in Breakdance