On December 13, celebrate a Funk Night Christmas with an Ugly Sweater Party at Parish Public House in Albany! Join the band and sing some Christmas songs at this special holiday rendition of NYS Music’s Albany Funk Night! Take $5 off the cover charge when you bring a toy for our Jam for Tots drive.
The Funk Night Christmas lineup includes Hayley Jane, Beau Sasser (Kung Fu), Chris DeAngelis (Kung Fu), Justin Henricks (Wurliday), and Bryan Brundige and Phil Chow (The Chronicles). Tickets and more info are available here.
After The Disco Biscuits wrap up their two-night run at The Palace Theatre in Albany, head down to Parish Public House for an after-party featuring the debut of Scumdog Millionaire$. Born out of Funk Night in Albany, the inaugural affair will focus on exploring the sounds of wild improvisation amid heavy grooves.
Scumdog Millionaire$ features Rob Compa (Dopapod), Adrian Tramontano (Kung Fu), Beau Sasser (Kung Fu) and Justin Henricks (Wurliday). The show starts at 11:30pm and goes late – $10 cover at the door. More info can be found here.
My birthday parties typically consist of pizza and ice-cream cake. For Hudson Valley resident Lee Mazzola’s birthday, there were more than twenty bands for Mazzstock with hundreds of celebrators dancing and socializing in addition, of course, to pizza and ice cream.
The (family) friendly atmosphere at Mazzstock.
The party, dubbed Mazzstock, took place from August 24-26 on a back road in Marlboro, NY. While my wife Lauren and I could only attend Saturday’s festivities, everything we overhead confirmed our own time was representative of the overall experience: an intimate hangout among friends and neighbors, where overbearing security and a daunting list of rules were unnecessary; a small patch in the Hudson Valley hills with nonstop music and carefree families.
AB/CD rocker
Before I arrived at the music, here’s an anecdote that aptly encapsulates the Mazzstock milieu: I took a brief shuttle ride from parking to the festival, driven by an apparently crotchety, ponytailed and mustachioed middle-aged man named Steve, who could’ve easily passed for a farmer, trucker, original-Woodstock-survivor, or all the above. After jolting the van to a stop at the music drop-off point, Steve overheard another older gentleman, a curious neighbor who didn’t realize paid tickets were necessary. The gentleman asked Steve to drive him back to his car, disappointed, since he couldn’t pay for the ticket. Steve replied, “Hell no, brother. You take one of my tickets. I bought a bunch because the guy running this shindig is a helluva guy and one has your name on it. You’re staying all weekend, my friend.”
Hours later, I saw the older gentleman enjoying himself plenty and hoped that Steve was somewhere nearby partying, too.
Chris Owens of The Other Brothers
When I did finally arrive at the music area, a soccer field-sized clearing with a smattering of people around two smallish stages set up on the woods line, New Paltz’s The Other Brothers were playing. Led by flamboyant frontman Chris Owens, the nearby natives entertained for forty-five minutes. His backing band churned out funk led by steady percussion while Owens pumped his legs and wrung his hands, belting out soulful vocals. Owens’ voice was pleasant and his presence was vibrant and I was nicely surprised with The Other Brothers.
The weather was unimpeachable—sunny and seventy, the humidity had finally dissipated—and Lauren and I wandered around the festival grounds before the Alpha Male Gorillas took the stage. Kids (and grownups) were running around, dancing and hooping, everyone in high spirits. A communal bonfire smoldered in the middle of the grounds and revelers played cornhole and beer pong as music wafted from the background.
The Alpha Male Gorillas bluesy beginning.
Back at the stage, the Alpha Male Gorillas began their long set with a few bluesy ballads. The vocals were gravelly and the riffs were plucky, a nice changeup from the preceding bands’ jams. To the chagrin of the crowd, they threw a curveball and welcomed a couple rappers to the stage for freestyling midway through the set. Covering a large gambit, they played everything from Nate G to Bob Marley. Festival namesake Lee Mazzola jumped on stage during the set to announce they were the only band who’s played every Mazzstock and the growing crowd vehemently approved.
While the Alpha Male Gorillas wound down, everyone scooted to the second stage for what turned out to be the highlight of the night. As the sun set, funk powerhouse Kung Fu took the stage and, from first note to last, catalyzed a phrenetic dance eruption. Early in their set, I overheard someone tell his friend, “There’ve been some good sets this weekend, but these guys are next level professionals.” I couldn’t have agreed more.
Kung Fu rocked Mazzstockers as each bandmate took his turn soloing and harmonizing, a tightknit unit firing on all cylinders. At the end of lengthy jams, a uniquely Kung Fu riff snapped the crowd back to the chorus, before they cast off into another crescendo.
Kung Fu lit up the night.
An extensive drum solo from Adrian Tramontano highlighted the set while guitarist Tim Palmieri and tenor saxophonist Robert Somerville were constantly in sync, shifting between lead and rhythm roles. As with every able funk outfit, bassist Chris DeAngelis thwapped away tirelessly on the bass and keyboardist Beau Sasser rounded out the lineup with an upbeat performance on the keys.
Two hours after they took the stage, Kung Fu left and a feeling of dazzled awe settled in the air. Late at night and with a long ride ahead of us, Lauren and I called it a night and walked back to the shuttle, bragging about the day we had just experienced.
I was a little disappointed that Steve was still on duty as he dropped us off to the car. But, he said, he would be raging tomorrow.
Funk Night becomes Phunk Night on October 16 when Wurliday and NYS Music host a Phish After-Party at Parish Public House in Albany, just one block away from the Times Union Center and right after Phish wraps up Night 1 of their Fall Tour.
Phunk Night features Natalie Cressman (Trey Anastasio Band), Chris Bullock (Snarky Puppy), Beau Sasser (Kung Fu), Adrian Tramontano (Kung Fu), Chris DeAngelis (Kung Fu), Justin Henricks (Wurliday), and Ilana Morris (Wurliday). Tickets are on sale now and this event will sell out. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 day of show. More info and tickets can be found here.
Kung Fu recently announced their 2018 fall tour that will kick off on Aug. 3 in Candia, NH and comes to a close in November in Denver, CO.
Photo courtesy of Kung Fu’s website.
The band is known for their ’70s funk-fusion meets a modern dance party sound and have existed since 2012. They get some of their influences from early Headhunters and Weather Report, and merge those ideas with contemporary EDM.
The 2018 fall tour includes not only a series of co-headlining concerts with Perpetual Groove but also a handful of Steely Dan tributes. The band will make two stops in NY, the first being in Utica as the official after party for moe. on Sept. 8 and the second in Rochester on Sept. 20.
Their west coast shows will reprise last year’s “Fez Tour” as “Fez West,” where the band mixes the music of Steely Dan with original Kung Fu music.
The band is made up of Tim Palmieri on guitar & vocals, Robert Somerville on tenor sax & vocals, Beau Sasser on keyboards & vocals, Chris DeAngelis on bass guitar & vocals, and Adrian Tramontano on drums/percussion.
Disc Jam organizers released the daily lineups for this year’s festival, being held June 7-10 in Stephentown, NY. Daily headliners include Aqueous and Moon Hooch (Thursday), The Motet and Galactic (Friday), Beats Antique and Lotus (Saturday) and Tom Marshall’s Amfibian All-Stars (Sunday). Late night acts include Gubbulidis and solo sets from Ryan Dempsey and Brook Jordan, all of Twiddle (Thursday), DJ Logic & Friends and Barber Acoustic (Friday), and Electron and Tom Hamilton & Holly Bowling (Saturday).
Tickets for the festival are available now. Attendees can purchase full weekend passes or daily passes. Information on ticketing can be found at the Disc Jam website.
Artists at Large
Once again, Disc Jam will have some of the biggest names in the jam scene performing throughout the festival, collaborating with artists and bands each day. Artists at Large for Disc Jam 2018 include Eli Winderman and Rob Compa (Dopapod), Michelangelo Carruba, Shira Elias, Craig Brodhead, Chris Brouwers, Greg Sanderson, Josh Schwartz (Turkuaz), DJ Logic, and Honeycomb. Experience the collective nature of the Disc Jam community as these incredible musicians join more than 100 artists this June 7-10 in Stephentown, NY.
Woods Stage Artists
This year, Disc Jam has four of the hottest promoters in the Northeast taking over the Woods Stage for themed electronic dance music takeovers. Thursday night will be produced by Rezinate, well known for promoting some of the sought after underground parties and events in Boston. Friday’s duties go to Minus Zero Festival co-producers, NV Concepts, who will be presenting an entire night from the top house music artists off the Dirtybird Records Label, including Christian Martin, Kill Frenzy, Golf Clap and Ardalan. On Saturday, Brooklyn-based Sermon will host a night of bass music with U.K. producer Joker topping their list of wompy artists. The Wook of Wall Street will be hosting nightly curated Silent Disco Sets that go until sunrise.
Disc Jam Flow Tribe
Disc Jam Flow Tribe performances at Disc Jam are a staple for attendees and will once again include a renowned team of well rounded performance artists who have been a major part of the Disc Jam family since 2012. The featured flow artist for 2018 is world renowned Hula Hooper Rachael Lust. Rachael will be hosting flow arts workshops for beginner to expert levels, with multiple sessions each day. A variety of workshops will be offered to broaden the mind, body and spirit. Choose from Wellness, Flow Arts, Yoga, Painting, Disc Golf, and Permaculture classes available daily.
Visual Artists
Visual artists, including live painters and artists, will create massive murals and art installations throughout the site all weekend long. Featured artists Gabriel Welch, Stephen Kruse, Andy Reed, Raf Mata and many more will be creating murals, as well as curating an art gallery tent where attendees can view and buy artwork from all of the artists.
Disc Golf Tournaments
Disc golf is a game for experts, beginners, and everyone in between. Playing at least one round is a must for Disc Jam enthusiasts and the course encourages both the avid and first timer players to try their hand, all at no additional cost to play (outside of tournaments), with discs provided free of charge for those interested in playing.
Disc Golf Tournaments for men and women are held on Saturday and Sunday mornings, with cash and prizes from Innova Disc Golf, Grassroots California, Vibram Five Fingers shoes, Native Eyewear, Suspended in the Trees Hammocks, The Earth Ship Tents and more going to the top finishers. Nationally ranked and touring Team Innova Disc Golf Pro Gregg Barsby will be hosting the tournaments as well as playing rounds, hosting workshops and clinics all weekend long.
Road to Disc Jam Tour
Having kicked off in April, more than 20 Disc Jam artists will perform at 11 venues across seven states including New York, New England and Pennsylvania, with free Disc Jam tickets given away as a door prize at each show.
April 27 – Funky Dawgz Brass Band, Congo Sanchez and Honeycomb – Jewel Music, Manchester, NH April 28 – Formula 5 and Space Carnival – The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, Albany, NY
April 28 – Congo Sanchez – Strange Brew Pub, Norwich, CT
May 4 – Strange Machines and The Clock Reads – Electric Haze, Worcester, MA May 10 – Marbin and Swimmer – Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY
May 11 – Swimmer and Goose – Nectar’s, Burlington, VT
May 11 – The Wook of Wall Street Pre-Jawn – Sprout Music Collective, West Chester, PA May 17 – Borg Party (members of Dopapod, Turkuaz, Giant Panda) – Flour City Station, Rochester, NY
May 17 – Consider the Source – River Street Jazz Cafe, Wilkes-Barre, PA
May 17 – Kung Fu – Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center, Greenfield, MA
May 18 – Harsh Armadillo – Arch Street Tavern, Hartford, CT May 18 – Funktional Flow and Swimmer – Funk n Waffles, Syracuse, NY May 19 – Bella’s Bartok and Cousin Earth – Funk n Waffles, Syracuse, NY
May 24 – West End Blend and Craig Brodhead (Turkuaz) – Fete Music Hall, Providence, RI
See the daily schedule and the 2018 Disc Jam announcement below:
One of the best parts about living in Western New York is the guarantee that on any given weeknight you can catch mesmerizing performances by world class artists who dominate their niche. One night that might mean seeing the next up and coming jam band, and the next a jazz legend you never thought you’d see live. On Thursday, March 29, Buffalo was devoted to pure funk as Kung Fu turned Buffalo Iron Works into a contemporary groove factory.
Before Kung Fu took the stage and serenaded the crowd with their jams, Maryland-based funk/psychedelic band LITZ got things going early in the night with a unique sound of their own. The four-piece opener thoroughly engaged the audience by incorporating different wind instruments, deep funk grooves and an animated front man who sang like a combination of Steve Winwood and Greg Allman. The band clearly did their homework and it showed, as the crowd went wild for their rendition of “Shout” with a full “Let’s Go, Buffalo” call and response section. By the time Kung Fu took the stage, the crowd felt a collective euphoric buzz and was eager keep dancing.
Kung Fu got things going again with a grimy funk groove which picked up right where LITZ left off. Guitar player Tim Palmieri was quick to showcase his technical ability as he laid down a swirling, meditative solo which bounced sounds around the room like a ripple in a small pond. The murky green lights behind the band gave the impression that the crowd was being brought to Oz as the band made their way through the final verse.
Without missing a beat, the band quickly teleported the audience from Oz to 42nd street in 1977 with a gripping funk instrumental led by saxophone player Rob Somerville that can only be described as “street music.” Percussionist Adrian Tramontano held down the low end and hypnotized the crowd with exotic fills while the rest of the band took turns with individual takes on the song’s main theme.
As the set went deeper it was clear the band knew exactly what tricks to pull to have the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands. The veteran funk group seemed to do everything right as they strutted along as one cohesive entity, making impressive shifts in tempo, dynamics and key. They nailed composed sections to difficult newer songs as if they had been playing them for years, and could turn on their improvisational prowess on the turn of a dime. Bassist Chris DeAngelis was clearly responsible for many improvisational peaks of the night, as he dazzled everyone in attendance, both on and off stage, with his natural feel for the groove and prodigious knowledge of the instrument.
The band only got tighter as the night continued, with keyboard player Beau Sasser keeping the rest of his bandmates on their toes by changing keys and tempos mid jam. It was clear that the band was constantly challenging both themselves and the audience throughout the show, giving the feeling that anything could happen at any point. While most of the night was rooted heavily in funk, it was obvious that the band was influenced by a wide variety of music from around the globe, creating an incredibly personal, indistinguishable sound. At one point, it felt like the band was leading an exploration of an Egyptian pyramid, and then suddenly without a warning they were in the middle of a Coltrane-esqe avant guard cyclone.
By the time Kung Fu finished up their last song and said their goodbyes to the crowd at Buffalo Iron Works, no one in crowd was ready to leave. They received a cheering ovation and came out for one more high energy ‘victory lap’ song which sent attendants home smiling and wishing they were returning for one more night of funk.
After an incredible Funk Night in February, members of Turkuaz, Kung Fu, Eric Krasno Band and Wurliday will come together for the April edition of Funk Night in Albany on April 5 at Parish Public House. Featuring Mikey Carruba (Turkuaz), Beau Sasser (Kung Fu), Mary Corso (Eric Krasno Band), Justin Henricks (Wurliday), Reed Sutherland (Wurliday) and John Drabik (Wurliday), get ready to spring into a night of funk with an incredible array of talent. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.
Watch video from the last Funk Night in Albany featuring covers of Sly and the Family Stone, Frank Zappa and Nirvana. Yes, Nirvana.
After a 7-month break due to bass player Rob Derhak’s battle with cancer, Buffalo rockers moe returned to the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York to deliver two sold out shows on February 2nd and 3rd. Their first shows with the full lineup since July featured a variety of fan favorites as well as four brand new songs from four of the five band members. The first night featured an opening act, with the high-energy funk outfit Kung Fu properly warming up the crowd for the main event.
After a brief word of thanks from a very emotional Rob, the band wasted little time diving into the flagship “Rebubula,” Rob’s anthemic ode to his wife, Rebecca. They quickly transitioned into the funky “Akimbo” which featured a slap-happy bass interlude that made the hungry crowd explode. This was followed by the twangy, energetic “32 Things” and then a brand new song titled “What Can I Say,” written by guitarist Al Schnier. “What Can I Say” was originally debuted earlier in the week during the band’s pre-show webcast, though this was the first time the song had been played in a live setting. Fans then belted out the opening lines to the fan-favorite “Spine of a Dog” which was followed immediately by “Plane Crash,” which felt particularly deserved, with Rob screaming the words “I don’t wanna die” at the end of the final chorus at the top of his lungs.
Set 2 started off with a bang with the Pink Floyd-inspired “Silver Sun” and then Rob was able to showcase his brand new tune, “LL3” which he wrote in transit to his chemotherapy treatments. “LL3” already shows great potential as a jam vehicle, and will probably appear on the new album that the band is cooking up. The rest of Set 2 was a continuous battery of rock and roll as they interweaved “Moth,” “Captain America,” the instrumental “Hector’s Pillow,” the legendary “meat.” and finally closed with the end of “Moth,” completing a sandwich that took up the majority of the second half of the show. Guitarist Chuck Garvey then led the band in an encore rendition of “Wind it Up,” that had the entire audience collectively singing the lines “Be on my side, I’ll be on your side” with the band.
A veritable army of excitable moe.rons showed back up to the scenic Capitol Theatre for Round 2 on Saturday, for a performance that was somehow even better than the previous night, this time with no supporting act. It was a night of pure moe. and once again the crowd was deafening when a happy and healthy looking Rob Derhak took the stage.
The band opened with the crowd-pleasing “Okayalright,” which segued smoothly into “Not Coming Down,” once again showcasing Rob’s bass skills. This was followed by the entrancing instrumental “Wormwood,” which then seemlessly transitioned into the slide guitar-heavy intro to “St. Augustine.” Next, percussionist and multi-instrumentalist debuted his new song, the dark and moody “I Can Never Remember,” which he sang with his signature rasp. This was followed by the short and pleasant Chuck Garvey tune “All Roads Lead to Home.” After “All Roads” came “Opium,” and Rob showed how well his voice has healed, demonstrating his impressive vocal range. The first set closed out with a monstrous version of the jam beast, “Recreational Chemistry” before they took a short set break.
Set 2 started with a powerful rendition of “Brent Black” which featured not one or two, but three bass solos from a smiling, enthusiastic Rob as well as a fearsome drum-off between Jim Loughlin and drummer Vinnie Amico. Afterwards, Al Schnier led the band in a spirited version of “Mexico,” telling the story of his tumultuous 21st birthday. This was followed by “Timmy Tucker,” once again proving that Rob still has his vocal chops. Chuck Garvey then debuted his newest song, “New Hope for the New Year,” which definitely shows great promise for future shows and the new album in the works. The rest of the set was vintage, heavy, dark, creepy, spacey moe. as they played “Yodelittle” into the high energy protest song “George,” back into “Yodelittle” and then into the sing-a-long “Buster,” every moe.ron’s favorite song about a flying pig. They encored with “Nebraska,” complete with a ripping talk-box solo from Garvey, and finally the hard-hitting “Annihilation Blues” to cap off the back-to-back performances.
moe. proved this past weekend that they are far from done, and after Rob’s recent cancer scare and recovery, he is clearly eager to please his fans and write new music. The historic Capitol Theatre projected a series of images of Rob from different stages of his career throughout the shows, and moe. brought an anxious crowd to their knees. Once again, it’s so good to have you back Rob. We hope for many, many more years of music and laughter from you.
February 2 Setlist
Set 1: Rebubula > Akimbo, 32 Things, What Can I Say (FTP), Spine of a Dog > Plane Crash.
Set 2: Silver Sun, LL3 (FTP), Moth > Captain America > Hector’s Pillow > Moth > meat. > Moth
Encore: Wind it Up
February 3 Setlist
Set 1: Okayalright > Not Coming Down > Wormwood > St. Augustine, I Can Never Remember (FTP), All Roads Lead To Home, Opium, Recreational Chemistry
Set 2: Brent Black, Mexico, Timmy Tucker, New Hope for the New Year (FTP), Yodelittle > George > Yodelittle > Buster
Buffalo jam legends moe. return to The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York for two sold-out shows after a 7-month hiatus. The band took a break from touring starting early last summer in light of bassist Rob Derhak’s cancer diagnosis, but has recently announced their triumphant return to the stage. With Rob out of commission for several months with oropharyngeal cancer, the other members pursued various side projects including performances with Mike Dillon and Everyone Orchestra, but will finally reunite to perform two nights at the historic Cap. He is now cancer-free and ready to return for a 6-show tour, Summer Camp Music Festival, and Peach Fest.
moe.’s last show at the Capitol Theatre was a special holiday performance in December of 2016, and they managed to fill the room despite only giving fans a little over a month’s notice. This show featured several cuts from their Christmas album, as well as a Kinks cover, and a whopping three debuts of new moe. songs. They also sold out a smaller acoustic performance, in the attached bar, Garcia’s. In previous years, they have performed at the Cap with Nate Wilson on keys, and played a moe. and Friends show in honor of the anniversary of the Wetlands closing. moe. has historically delivered powerhouse performances at the Capitol, and a very eager fan-base has been waiting months for Rob’s return to health, and of course, moe.’s return to the spotlight. Listen to the December 2016 show on Archive.
Fans should also be sure to check out renowned photographer Jay Blakesberg’s work at Garcia’s, where he will be exhibiting and selling his merch. Night One will also feature opening act Kung Fu, one of the world’s premier touring funk bands, which will hopefully lead to some sit-in action with moe. and a high-energy dance party, and perhaps the lucky moe.rons in attendance will get to hear some brand new moe. material. Welcome back, Rob. You have been sorely missed.
