NYS Music 20​18

Tag: aqueous

  • Aqueous Gets Tiny

    The past few years have seen Aqueous grow from a well known local act out of Buffalo to a band with some national recognition.  Constant touring and hard work will do that.  However, while the venues and acclaim may both be trending upwards, for the band’s submission in this year’s Tiny Desk Contest, Aqueous has stripped it down to the roots of being a fledgling band with a performance of “Underlyer” that was filmed in a grimy basement, helping give new meaning to the term grunge rock.

    The increasingly popular band competition, held by NPR and based on its Tiny Desk Concert series, serves as an open casting call of sorts and a chance for bands/artists to submit video entries of a stripped-down, NPR-ish performance that takes place behind a desk of some sort.  The contest winner gets a chance to really increase their exposure with follow up performances on NPR programs and a corresponding national tour that gets awarded. Phish’s Trey Anastasio helped serve as a celebrity judge in last year’s competition and Tarriona “Tank” Ball of Tank and the Bangas, last year’s winners, will serve in the same capacity this year.

    Aqueous has upcoming tour dates in Rochester on April 13 and 14 as well as Ithaca on April 21 and none are scheduled to be in a basement.  For further details and dates, check out the band’s official website here.

  • Cobblestone Live Announces 2018 Lineup including Broken Social Scene, Chicano Batman, Aqueous and more

    The Second Annual Cobblestone Live Music & Arts Festival will be held on July 27 and 28, 2018 in the heart of the historic Cobblestone district in downtown Buffalo. This year’s festival will include two outdoor main stages located on Illinois and Columbia streets, a stage inside Buffalo Iron Works, an electronic music stage/lounge inside Lockhouse Distillery & Bar, and an acoustic stage on South Park Avenue. Headlining acts include Broken Social Scene, The Sheepdogs, Turkuaz, Aqueous, Chicano Batman, Golf Clap, Andy Frasco & the U.N., Michelangelo Carruba Super Jam, Ratboys, Dynamo, Madaila, & more.Cobblestone Live 2018

    Over the last decade, the historic Cobblestone district has become a breeding ground for live music and entertainment. Cobblestone Live is a single neighborhood of bars, restaurants, and venues coming together to put on a two-day festival which will continue to grow to a national sized festival in the years to come.

    This year’s highlights will include more than 30 artists and bands across 5 stages, festival games and activities for all ages, local food trucks and vendors, beer, wine, cider, & beverage tents, VIP tickets including exclusive VIP areas and additional perks, and festival drink menu from Lockhouse Distillery & Bar and Buffalo Iron Works.

    “Cobblestone Live Music & Arts Festival is set to be an incredibly special event for Buffalo as we return for our second year,” noted Josh Holtzman, General Manager of Buffalo Iron Works and one of the planners of Cobblestone Live. “With more stages, larger acts and a greater festival experience, Cobblestone Live will certainly leave it’s mark not only on Buffalo but the music industry as a whole. In addition, our entire organization is thrilled to be working with the Child Advocacy Center of WNY as our beneficiary. Child abuse is a real problem in today’s society and we can’t think of a better cause to get behind.”

    A portion of the proceeds of this year’s festival will go to the Child Advocacy Center (CAC), a one-of-a-kind service in Erie County which brings together local law enforcement agencies, mental health services, child protection, medical services, and the District Attorney’s Office under one roof to investigate, treat and support victims of child sexual abuse and severe physical abuse.  The Child Advocacy Center ensures that these young victims and their caregivers receive immediate, effective and sensitive support. Nationally, Child Advocacy Centers and their multidisciplinary teams have improved conviction rates for perpetrators of child abuse by up to 94%.

    Festival gates will open at 4pm on Friday, July 27th and at 1pm on Saturday, July 28th. Full festival passes will be $45 presale/$60 walk up, single day pases are $25 presale/$30 walk up.  VIP packages will be available for $100. Late night only passes will be announced as the festival approaches. Tickets are available immediately at www.cobblestonelive.com.

  • moe. Returns Home to Albany for Night 1 at The Palace Theatre

    moe. returned to The Palace Theatre in Albany on Feb. 23 for the first time since New Years Eve 2015 and brought along Buffalo’s Aqueous, giving fans a look at the past, present and future of the New York State jam scene.

    Looking to the future of the scene, look no further than Aqueous, one of the success stories coming out of Western New York. The versatile foursome set a standard for touring bands who are just getting their start or waiting for their big break out of the clubs and into the national scene. They kicked off the night shortly after doors and proceeded to give the Albany audience a five-song set. Guitarist Mike Gantzer noted they only had 15 minutes left, and that meant there was time for one more song, and with that dove into the proggy “Triangle,” which had hints of Umphrey’s McGee but still the classic Aqueous tightness throughout.

    moe. stepped out with bright lights shining behind creating a silhouette during the accelerating instrumental “Jazz Wank” and instead of the usual “Buster,” “Skrunk” followed and bled into “Down Boy” with Chuck and Rob creating a vocal segue over the end of “Skrunk” with the first verse of lyrics. 15 minutes of a Chuck-led jam later, “Down Boy” moved into a high energy “Tailspin.” The new “I Can Never Remember” was the only breather in a firey first set, with “Blue Jeans Pizza” jumping the tempo back up and giving the crowd chills when Rob hit the high note. The highlight among a packed first set was Mike Gantzer of Aqueous coming out for “Waiting for the Punchline,” with Al taking the lead on the jam before turning Mike loose on the audience who greeted his moment in the spotlight with intense cheers to end the set.

    moe albany palace

    Set 2 began with the Sticks and Stones era “Deep This Time” and “New York City,” followed by a break for tuning that led to Al and Rob riffing on an ‘Albany Song’ made up on the spot. “What Can I Say” was a lighthearted break in the action but from here the jamming went deep. “Hi and Lo” built the foundation for the next hour that built with a Latin-tinged “Montego,” a marvelous “Captain America,” and a 26 minute version of “She” that was at times loose and spacey and somehow found its way into “Happy Hour Hero.” The encore of “Downward Dog” closed the night at nearly 1 in the morning, with one more night in store on Saturday. Tickets are available here.

    Aqueous setlist: Aldehyde > Skyway, Strange Times > Marty, Triangle

    moe. Setlist:
    Set One: Jazz Wank > Skrunk > Down Boy > Tailspin, I Can Never Remember > Blue Jeans Pizza > Waiting For The Punchline*
    Set Two: Deep This Time > New York City, Albany Song^, What Can I Say, Hi & Lo > Montego, Captain America > She > Happy Hour Hero
    Encore: Downward Facing Dog

    * with Mike Gantzer of Aqueous on guitar
    ^ ‘debut’, made up on spot

  • moe. to wrap up February run at Palace Theatre in Albany

    After selling out the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester at the beginning of February, and delivering two smoking shows in bass player Rob Derhak’s hometown of Portland, Maine, moe are slated to play their first Palace Theatre shows since their 2015 New Year’s run. moe. has a storied history of playing in Albany, and were a staple of the underground jam scene while the band was in their formative years. Their presence in Albany in the mid-90’s was instrumental to their rise to success. They performed alongside other New York staples such as Moon Boot Lover and The Ominous Seapods as they steadily grew in popularity. Listen to one of their early Albany recordings at Valentine’s here.

    In 2013, 2014, and 2015, moe. played the Palace for a two-night New Year’s Run, with collaborations with ska band Conehead Buddha, full acoustic sets, and supporting acts such as Twiddle and Kung Fu. They broke with this tradition in 2016, instead opting for a destination show in Missoula, Montana and were unable to perform a New Years concert in 2017 in light of their hiatus. These upcoming Palace shows mark their fifth and sixth shows back since bassist and vocalist Rob Derhak’s return to health and to the stage.

    On February 23rd, moe. will be supported by fellow Buffalo rockers and proteges, Aqueous. After the Palace festivities, fans should migrate to The Hollow on Pearl Street in downtown Albany, for Floodwood, featuring moe.’s own Vinnie Amico, and Space Carnival. February 24th’s after party will feature Electric Beethoven and Scott Hannay Plays Video Games, a side-project from the front-man of Albany’s Mister F. Furthermore, if any moe.rons are feeling particularly thirsty Friday afternoon, The Hollow will be hosting a happy hour party from 5 to 7 before the show. There will be drink specials to enjoy and a free raffle, in which a lucky .ron can win a two-night VIP Okayalright package. Fans can purchase tickets for the Hollow aftershows here.

    If the first four shows of the tour were any indicator, Rob is happy and in good health, his voice sounds fantastic, and the boys are ready for some innovative, exploratory jams. There are still some heavy hitters on the table, and moe. has seemed to be reconstructing some of their classics and introducing several debuts this tour, so these shows are not to be missed, for fans hardcore or casual.

  • Aqueous Rings in New Year to Sold Out Crowd in Buffalo

    Groove rockers Aqueous began a stellar new year with a sold-out show at the Town Ballroom in the band’s hometown of Buffalo.  The capacity crowd put a giant exclamation point on an already amazing year for the four-piece.  Aqueous treated fans to two sets of music and closed out the night with a tribute to the virtual English pop band Gorillaz.  Local Buffalo art post rock outfit Lazlo Hollyfeld opened in support.

    The evening marked an historical notch in the band’s musical belt, Aqueous’ headlining debut at the city’s famed venue. The band had opened in support of Vermont jam quartet Twiddle at the venue this past March.

    Frontman and guitarist Mike Ganzter told NYS Music that the venue holds “sacred ground” for the band. “Our musical minds were shaped and influenced in that room by watching bands we loved over the past twelve years, and it was literally a childhood dream to perform there, let alone headline a show,” he revealed.

    Fans of the band, known as AQuaintences, showed full support with the show being marked a sell out more than 24 hours prior to doors. Gantzer said that it’s the backing of the band’s fans that has been crucial to bringing the band to this milestone.

    “Really, it’s everything to us; it’s a driving force, a constant motivation to push our boundaries, and having their love and support is something we take seriously and try to bring justice to,” he noted. “Music is such a powerful, transformative thing, and we’ve witnessed some true joy and healing from our vantage point on stage over the years. Our fans are so encouraging, enthusiastic, and fun to play for. We’re here because of them, and we respect that an awful lot.”

     Fans poured into the Ballroom ready to celebrate on the heels of the Buffalo Bills’ first playoff berth since 1999, ending the longest post season drought by any team in professional sports history. In honor of the historical evening, the band took to the stage as the Isley Brother’s “Shout”, the Bills seminal theme song, incited the energy into a frenzy. Aqueous then kicked off the night with the fan favorite “Origami.”

    AQ has spent the better part of 2017 delighting crowds across the country with 20-minute plus openers, extended jams and pristine improvisation.  Their return to Buffalo showcased the last four months of Aqueous’ “on the road” antics as the band spent their first set exploring just four songs, much to the crowd’s delight.

    Set two featured a mix of Aqueous originals as well as the music of Gorillaz.  While the jams were shortened in set two, Aqueous brought high energy into the new year.  The band took to the stage shortly before midnight with Gorillaz’ “M1A1.”  The music flowed seamlessly as they segued in and out of their original tune “Warren in the Window” and then into the Gorillaz classic “Clint Eastwood” featuring Buffalo rapper and famed wordsmith Dr. Ooo.

    The band and crowd rang in the new year in traditional celebratory fashion. As the crowd counted down to midnight, two thousand gold, silver and white balloons rained down from the Town Ballroom’s ceiling while the band played “Auld Lange Syne.” Three giant blue inflated whales, a nod to the band’s logo, were released into the packed crowd just as the band cranked up the energy with another fan favorite, “Don’t Do It.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BdaxPl6n8i7/?hl=en&taken-by=aqueousband

    Aqueous continued to weave in and out of their own original music and several selections from the Gorillaz catalog for the remainder of the evening. Screens to the side of the venue’s stage showcased Gorillaz’ animated artwork throughout the night. The evening’s silent MVP was the band’s sound and light designer Ryan Bress who has continued to add to the Aqueous live show with thoughtful and seamless light displays that perfectly compliment the band’s stage show. AQ ended set two with their powerhouse classic “Kitty Chaser.”

    As Aqueous returned to the stage, the crowd erupted into a “Let’s go, Buffalo” chant while the band concluded the night with a two song Gorillaz encore of “Empire Ants” and “Feel Good Inc.”

    Aqueous will take a much needed and well deserved break for the majority of January. The year ahead is already looking to capitalize on the band’s momentum. Aqueous will launch into 2018 with their Jam Cruise debut at the end of the month. The band has recently announced dates in support of both moe. and Papadosio that have them back on the road this February and March. Gantzer also revealed that the band has a new album slated for release sometime in 2018, although no release date has yet been officiallly announced.

    Gantzer summed up the band’s outlook on the new year by noting, “There’s so much on the horizon for 2018, it’s gonna be a good one!”

    Aqueous – Town Ballroom, Buffalo NY – 12/31/2017

    Set 1: Origami, Second Sight*, Dave’s Song**> The Median^

    Set 2: M1A1+> Warren In The Window> Clint Eastwood+%> Dr. Ooo Improv I%> Auld Lang Syne> Don’t Do It> D.A.R.E+> Aldehyde, Last Living Souls+> Glitter Freeze+> Kitty Chaser (Explosions)> Tomorrow Comes Today+> Kitty Chaser (Explosions)

    Encore: Empire Ants+> Feel Good Inc.+%> Dr. Ooo Improv II%> Feel Good Inc.

    *Let’s Go Buffalo Chant
    **Little Drummer Boy teases
    ^Dirty Harry (Gorillaz) teases
    +First time played, Gorillaz
    %Featuring Dr. Ooo

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