NYS Music 20​18

Tag: twiddle

  • Mihali Sells Out Putnam Place, Discusses Creative Process, Inspiration and Gratitude

    Mihali Savoulidis, the lead singer and guitarist from Vermont jam-band Twiddle made a stop on his solo tour at Putnam Place earlier this month.  Playing to a sold out crowd, the energy in the room was abuzz with excitement and positivity.  Playing a combination of covers, solo originals and Twiddle songs, Mihali shared his usual charisma with the audience and this spirit and animation carried over into our conversation after the show.   We discussed collaboration, inspiration and gratitude.

    Emily VanderWiel:  A new song with Nahko and Trevor Hall just released, “Fading State.”   Can you tell me about what the creative process is like when working with them?

    Mihali:   I wrote the tune and I had them in mind, so when I recorded I literally left those places blank and hoped that they would say yes, they are both some of my very good friends.   I met Nahko first, feels like many years ago, probably 6 or 7 years ago and I met Trevor a few summers ago and it was one of those things where both times we jammed, hung out and played.  We are all born in 86, we are kind of cut from the same cloth.  A blessing for me, truly though mainly because I was a huge fan of their music before I met both.  I knew their catalogue and their writing style, and I felt connected before I knew them, and it just flowed from there.

    EV:  You are a role model for so many of your fans, both musically and personally.  How do you feel about the idea of role models, and do you have someone that you look up to?

    MS:  I don’t think so, I’ve realized that all the people I have looked up to over the years, and just in general human beings are flawed, sensitive people and no one is really, truly a role model.  Nobody is perfect, no one is the end all, be all the best person there is.

    EV: How about musically?

    MS: Well, both questions go hand in hand because I have to say when I met Trey at LOCK’n two summers ago or something, I walked up to him and said, “Hey I’m Mihali from Twiddle, and thank you for showing me that recovery is possible and that music after recovery is possible.”  Trey is just always busy, trying new things, making music and I love that about him.

    MS:   You know, the least favorite question I ever get asked is “what’s this song about.” It’s never what its “supposed to be about.”  It could be totally different than what the singer wrote it about but if it means something to that fan in their world,  I’m not going to bust their bubble and tell them that’s not what the song is about.  It’s all totally subjective.   My question is to the fan, what do you think it’s about?  Then I agree.

    EV:   I have a fan question for you.  What was the inspiration for the song Juggernaut when you wrote it and how do you feel about the fan reaction to it?

    MS:  At this time in age, and where we are right now I know the political climate is gnarly and we (Twiddle) have always stepped away from that because nobody wants to get involved with politics in music.   But when I think about my wife and my daughter and all the females in my life and the people around me that I love, and respect aren’t getting their dues, and they are not getting respected then it feels like I have to say something.  For the first time ever, well, I have always been the one in the band that’s been like No, no, no, let’s not get involved in politics.   So, I wrote it as a joke. In the studio I said “Let’s do a grunge song, Nirvana or something.  I’ll just write some chords and we will go record it.”  And Kyle, our guitar tech, he had told me a story about when he was in third grade, some kid came up while they were playing king of the kill on a sandcastle and kicked him in the face and said, “You’ll never be king of the hill!”  It was a big deal to him in third grade, and so when I was recording that first vocal “You want to kick me in the face cuz I’m different, yeah you think you’re king of the hill.”  I had recorded that verse as a joke, and we sat home for months with the demos for the album and as the political climate started changing and we started seeing what was going on, I thought that hey now that really fits.  The verses then came after that.  What can I talk about that is going on in the world?  What is bothering me, so that’s where that song came from.

    Mihali’s solo tour has been very successful and is wrapping up Dec 15 at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, MA.  Also just announced, Mihali will be joining Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Saturday January 26 at The Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY.

  • Twiddle’s Mihali makes solo debut with ‘Fading State’

    Twiddle frontman Mihali recently released politically charged single “Fading State” for his upcoming album. The album is yet to be titled and fans are eagerly anticipating a release date. The new single features vocals from Nahko (Nahko and Medicine for the People) and Trevor Hall who support Mihali in this advocacy-driven single. Produced by Johnny Cosmic of Stick Figure, Mihali’s reggae single focuses on protecting the environment and putting aside political agendas for the greater good.

    The issue is continuously met with opposition motivated by greed. It’s up to all of us as individuals to do what we can…to do our part to make a positive change in the world. With our current political climate, I think now is the perfect time for this single to be released.

    Mihali refers to “Fading State” as the spark that influenced most of his newest musical creations. While the debut album is yet to be announced, glimpses of the anticipated album will show up throughout the course of Mihali’s solo December tour of the Northeast. There are four New York shows lined up in the rapid fire schedule below.

    Mihali Tour Schedule:

    Dec. 5 – Mercury Lounge –  New York, NY 
    Dec. 6 – Spcae Ballroom – Hamden, CT
    Dec. 7 – Putnam Place – Saratoga Springs, NY
    Dec. 8 – Funk ‘n Waffles – Syracuse, NY
    Dec. 9 – Portland House of Music – Portland, ME
    Dec. 11 – Wonder Bar – Asbury Park, NJ
    Dec. 12 – 8 x 10 – Baltimore, MD
    Dec. 13 – BSP-3 – Kingston, NY
    Dec. 14 – Jewel – Manchester, NH
    Dec. 15 – Gateway City Arts – Holyoke, MA

    Watch Mihali’s “Fading State” music video down below and get a feel for what to expect on his premier solo album.

    Editor’s Note: This article was edited to correct the title of the song. 

  • Twiddle and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong to Share the Stage at Red Rocks Amphitheater

    Tickets are on sale now via AXS and Eventbrite for the long awaited headliners’ May 2, 2019 concert in Morrison, CO. Anyone who knows the iconic stage can tell this is a summer event people will talk about long after the two Northeast-based bands bow out. Kitchen Dwellers are set to make a special appearance along with co-headliners Twiddle and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at Red Rocks.

    Twiddle

    While Twiddle has headlined Red Rocks once before, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong are eagerly anticipating this May as their first Red Rocks performance as headliners. Sharing this experience with Twiddle in particular, makes it extra special for the quartet of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. They have a unique bond with Twiddle, based on previous venues they’ve shared together in the last five years.

    Pigeons Playing Ping Pong High Voltage by Justin Mierzejewski of Miz Changes Photography

    Here’s some perspective from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong frontman Greg Ormont:

    “Words cannot express our excitement to play Red Rocks again… Not only do we get to rock out at one the best venues in the world, but we get to do it alongside our longtime friends Twiddle. We’ve played some shows in Colorado together before, but co-headlining at Red Rocks is the next level. We’re super grateful for the opportunity”

    The two groups really developed alongside each other — from their initial smaller pull of about 200 audience members to now headlining a major venue like Red Rocks together. Ormont described the upcoming Red Rocks concert as being like a, “dream to come true.” Fans can expect a collaborative rock-funk sound that the two bands are able to produce due their familiarity with one another.

  • Adirondack Independence Music Festival Closes Out Summer in Lake George

    Just in time to close out the summer, Adirondack Independence Music Festival snuck in a final taste of carefree living and beaming sunshine with a two-day jam in Lake George. Tucked away in upstate New York, the cozy site with two alternating stages backdropped the Labor Day Weekend everybody needed with familiar faces and top-notch talent across the early September lineup.

    Ready to launch festival goers into two straight days of live music, The Melting Nomads took the stage as the opening act. Featuring members from Annie In the Water’s last lineup, the fresh-on-the-scene artists played about an hour set. Next up was Jen Durkin & the Business on the Improv Stage. Steal your Peach band entertained in classic fashion with covers of The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers over two sets. Keller Williams brought a real blue grass, jazz vibe to the entire grounds while Twiddle’s Mihali brought out his guitar to jam alongside Keller. Following Keller Williams was the renowned Sublime cover band Badfish. Twiddle closed out the night for the second year in a row, with an outstanding performance that had everyone on their feet. The band brought out special guests such as Joshua West of The Melting Nomads and Lowell Wurster. Attendance was nearly double of what the festival brought in the year prior, reaching nearly 3,5000 attendees.

    Ready to follow the kinetic atmosphere of day one with high energy, Let’s Be Leonard jump started Sunday funday and got the crowd moving in the early afternoon. Their laid back personalities and welcoming sound are the first to reel you in but their individual talents bring an extra flair to their live performance as a whole. The quintet played a few tunes from their sophomore release, Static, among the zany crowd favorite, “Brad Paisley.”

    Back to School Special followed punctually on the adjoining stage of the 25-acre Charles R. Wood Park. The first-time super group crafted by Turkuaz drummer Mikey Carubba, laid down the funk as they offered up impressively tight playing and fun splashes of covers throughout the hour set. With a highly skilled lineup consisting of Carubba, Beau Sasser (Kung Fu keys), Craig Brodhead (Turkuaz guitarist) and Sam Kininger (former Lettuce Sax), the experienced quartet instantly blended together to create quality tunes and a professional sound you’d think they’ve been crafting for years.The first double set at AIM Fest was taken on by Lucid, who draws a familiar and devoted crowd from Plattsburgh NY.

    Bringing Woods Rock to the forefront of the ADK stage, the North country musicians tapped into an eclectic selection of genres including harmonica solos throughout their two-hour gig. Previously introduced to Lucid or brand new to their sound, their catalogue and live performance is equipped with something for everyone. Right in the middle of a Lucid sandwich, Swift Technique came as a fresh pop of flavor delivering Philly funk with charisma, booming voices and a horns section demanding to be heard. Stellar crowd engagement from all band members and light-hearted messages to take care of one other truly reaffirmed what the upstate festival setting was all about. The entertaining outfit ended their set with Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” and passed the mic back to Lucid for their final set, which found a performance of “Backwoods,” featuring Lowell Wurster’s father and Scott Hannay (Mister F, Wild Adriatic).

    Stepping on stage as if they were walking in the front door of their childhood homes, Pink Talking Fish comfortably let loose and connected with the vibrance of their musical predecessors. Momentum kept rolling through a seemingly sped up version of Phish’s “Cities,” giving phans who missed out on Curveball a reason to groove and shake about. A dive into Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” surely found bodies swaying in unison, with the song’s lyrics acting as a reminder to cherish the final moments of festival season. The Allman Brother’s Band “Whipping Post” made a surprise set-list appearance, acting as a bookend to a drum heavy “What’s the Use?” with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong drummer Alex Petropulos dropping by for a tasty breakdown.

    Lespecial hit the stage at dusk, taking the setting sun as an opportunity to bring the hard hitting funk metal and entrancing beats. The multi-talented trio has a way of mesmerizing festival goers with their gritty, unique sound. They loop their live performances and indulge in genres from electronica and house to progressive rock and dark metal. Known for their musical parallels and tendency to cover Primus, Lespecial took on “Jerry Was A Racecar Driver” to begin closing out their set in style with drummer Rory Dolan nailing the Les Claypool vocals.If there was any comfortable space around you, it was instantly absorbed by the time 8 o’clock rolled around. Bodies quickly assembled and flocked towards the front of the stage as Saturday night headliners Pigeons Playing Ping Pong closed out the fest with high spirits and optimal animation. With two sets of straight funk, the unstoppable touring machines pulled out all the stops, including a “Funk E. Zekiel” opener, a number of hits from their latest album, Pizazz, and two sit-ins from the Swift Technique horns on “F.U.N.K.” and Pink Talking Fish keyboardist Richard James on “Cliffs”> “Once In A Lifetime”> “Cliffs.” Always at the top of their craft with wacky facial expressions, in sync jamming and polished dance moves, the quartet have perfected their stage presence. With a tune self explanatory of the entire weekend, PPPP appropriately shut down AIM Fest with fan-favorite, “Fun in Funk.”

    Mirroring a similar feel that the tight-knit Disc Jam community gives off and what has been missing since Catskill Chill shut down, AIM Fest continues to emerge on the scene at the right place and time. It’s fourth year in operation proved to be the best yet and a fitting, colorful sunset to a noteworthy summer of live music.

  • Eighth Annual Levitate Music Festival Goes Green

    The eighth annual Levitate Music Festival took place July 7 and 8, hosted by the Levitate Surf Shop at the Marshfield Fairgrounds. The two day event featured three stages, the Soul Stage (smallest), Style Stage (mid-sized), and Stoke Stage (main); each stage featured killer musicians, both local and national touring acts. The weather remained hot and sunny all weekend, which the festival aided with free sunscreen dispensers all across the grounds.

    levitate music festival

    One of the coolest parts of this year’s Levitate was their move towards an eco-friendly festival experience. Attendees could purchase metal cups to use at the Reverb water-filling stations, or at the many beer tents around the grounds, receiving a $1 discount for purchasing the cups. There were also several compost tents, and some food vendors even served their food on biodegradable plates. Spread across the grounds were numerous local food trucks, one of the most popular being the Sweet Tomatoes pizza truck, which constantly had a line longer than the bathrooms.

    Samantha Fish was one of the more surprising sets of the first day, bringing her soulful blues playing and outstanding voice to the Soul Stage, surprising many festivalgoers that were passing by. Immediately following her and her band’s performance was Vermont-native jam band Twiddle, who seemed to have drawn their fans from all over New England. The quartet played the recently dusted off “Frankenfoote,” much to the crowd’s bemusement, and clearly seemed to enjoy being back in their home field after their recent cross-country tour with Stick Figure. Robert Randolph & The Family Band brought their gospel-blues fusion sound to the Soul Stage following Twiddle’s performance, and among their many covers, brought out Samantha Fish for a fiery rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s famous “Voodoo Child,” which had the crowd dancing and singing along all the way back to the soundboard.

    Slightly Stoopid and Stick Figure brought their reggae stylings and roots music to the Style and Stoke stages before the main event of the fest, Trey Anastasio Trio, took to the main stage. Trey’s trio actually became a quartet for the set, featuring Ray Paczkowski on the keyboards for his second show back since the recent removal of a brain tumor. The quartet played a mixture of Trey Anastasio Band and Phish songs, opening with the uplifting summer jam “Blaze On,” a song about being carefree and keeping on, which fit the atmosphere of the fest well. Trey was visibly excited to be onstage, probably due to having just played in Central Park the previous night, and the forthcoming start of Phish’s annual summer tour. After a unique rendition of TAB’s “Cayman Review,” the group broke into even more Phish classics, such as the jam vehicles “Gotta Jibboo” and “Sand,” as well as the fan-favorite  “Farmhouse.” The highlight of the set was the segment of “Bug > Undermind > First Tube” at the end of the set, featuring the deepest jams of the night. After the usual climactic ending of “First Tube,” Trey came out with an acoustic to perform solo versions of the bittersweet love song “Waste” and the joyful “More,” and asked the crowd to cheer as loud as they could for Ray when the rest of the band came out. The deafening roar of the attendees seemed to embarrass Ray—-though they made Trey smile and laugh—and the group broke into their final song of the evening, “Push On Til’ The Day.”

    On the second day of the fest, the Style Stage featured a lot of the best acts. The day was kicked off by Spafford, a first timer at Levitate, who have been on fire all summer long. The group played a near-20-minute version of their heavy hitter “Blackfoot Funk,” and a stellar version of one of their newest tunes “Broken Wing,” the fast paced rocker that heavily showcases the rhythmic abilities of bassist Jordan Fairless and drummer Cameron Laforest. The group closed out the set with “Space Gadget,” a more progressive song that features the famous main melody of Inspector Gadget theme, a request made by a fan who recently released an Inspector Gadget pin. Following Spafford were Brooklyn’s favorite funk group, the 9-piece Turkuaz, who got everyone up and dancing in the warm summer heat. Their set featured the always-entertaining “Percy Thrills, The Moon Dog,” as well as the Sami Garrett-led “Tiptoe Through the Crypto,” a song that really exemplifies her impressive vocal range. After Turkuaz came the popular bluegrass group Greensky Bluegrass, whose set featured a couple sit ins from some big names. The first sit in had singer-songwriter Ryan Montbleau sitting in on Coolio’s magnum opus, “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which had a bit of a Greensky flair on it. The whole crowd was singing along with the rap anthem, really enjoying the group’s interesting take on the song. The second sit in featured guitarist Brian Moss of Spafford on their original “Kerosene,” which was taken over by Moss towards the end with an impressive solo on his beloved guitar “The Raven.”

    Of all the big names that were featured on the main stage, Lake Street Dive stoke the show as always with their upbeat, soulful swing sound. The set showcased many of the group’s popular originals, including “I Don’t Care About You,” “Good Kisser,” and “Baby Don’t Leave Me Alone With My Thoughts,” as well as an impressive cover of Shania Twain’s “You’re Still The One.” Over on the Soul Stage, Mihali Savoulidis of Twiddle hosted a “Mihali and Frends Community Jam” set to close out the festival, which featured a hefty lineup, including Eli Winderman and Rob Compa of Dopapod, Zdenek Gubb of Twiddle, Russ Lawton of Trey Anastasio Band, and many, many more. The set consisted mainly of covers, most impressively John Lennon’s “Stand By Me,” led by a guy named Hitch on acoustic guitar, and Alanis Morrissette’s classic “You Oughta Know,” led by Rob Compa, whose vocals were eerily similar to Morrissette’s.

    The eighth annual Levitate Music and Arts Festival was a major success, especially in the way of their green initiative. The festival will return next year and years to come, most likely with an even more impressive lineup and even better food. Check out the photo gallery below for a taste of what the weekend was like.

  • Photo Gallery: Twiddle’s Tumbledown

    Bernie Sanders, Kat Wright, Grahame Lesh and a few rainstorms were on hand for Twiddle at their third annual Tumbledown, held at the Lake Champlain Maritime Festival in Burlington, VT over Friday July 27 and Saturday the 28. Thunderstorms on Friday meant that Twiddle’s second set was shelved until the next day, and even with some bad weather showing up Saturday, they still managed to get all three sets in.

    Twiddle welcomed special guests Kat Wright for a breathtaking performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and Mihali’s GEM counterparts Grahame Lesh and Elliot Peck (Midnight North) joined Twiddle for the final set’s “Lost in the Cold,” “Hatti’s Jam” and “When it Rains it Pours.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bly6T1gntlf/

    However it was the second set on Saturday that was the most unique of the weekend. Known by fans now as ‘Orlando’s Set,’ the 7 song set featured “Orlando’s” appearing four times in the set with 6 other songs intertwining. The song “Orlando’s” talks about a bar, and each of the three verses discusses a couple of characters who come into the bar. In this case, “Jamflowman” and “Hattibagen McRat” were mentioned, and both songs were then played in the first break of “Orlando’s.” Following “McRat,” the band returned to “Orlando’s,” introducing “Frankenfoote” and “Tiberius” before performing those two and returning to “Orlando’s” once again. The last characters introduced were “Carter Candlestick” and “Cabbage Face” which were performed before the ending of “Orlando’s” closed the set. A spark of genius flowed through this character laden set, something unique not just to Twiddle, but indeed they did it first.

    July 27 setlist via Phantasytour
    Set 1: White Light1, Drifter, Doinkinbonk!!!, Syncopated Healing

    1 Bernie Sanders introduction

    July 28 setlist via Phantasytour
    Set 1: Blunderbuss, Second Wind, Dr. Remidi’s Melodium, Polluted Beauty1, Hallelujah2
    Set 2: Orlando’s> Jamflowman> Hattibagen McRat> Orlando’s> Frankenfoote> Tiberius> Orlando’s> Carter Candlestick> Cabbage Face> Orlando’s
    Set 3: Lost In The Cold3, Apples4, Hatti’s Jam5,3> When It Rains It Pours5,3

    1 w Taz
    2 w Kat Wright
    3 w Grahame Lesh
    4 Smooth Criminal tease
    5 w Elliot Peck

  • 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)

  • Disc Jam Music Fest 2018 Announces Daily Schedules

    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:

  • Photo Gallery: Twiddle at State Theater of Ithaca

    Twiddle jammed through 2 nights at the State Theater of Ithaca this past weekend. An acoustic set kicked off the first set on Friday, followed by a three-song second set.

    Saturday was capped with an encore of Tom Petty‘s “You Don’t Know how it Feels.” Catch Twiddle this Thursday at the 20th anniversary of Higher Ground in Winooski, VT and Friday in New Haven, CT at College Street Music Hall or this summer in Burlington at Tumbledown.

    Setlist, Friday April 13

    Set 1: Wildfire, Rocky Raccoon, Five, Hattibagen McRat, Glycerine Medley
    Set 2: Gatsby the Great, Polluted Beauty, Apples
    Set 3: White Light, Syncopated Healing, Beethoven and Greene, Jamflowman
    Encore: Orlando’s > Orlando’s

    Setlist, Saturday April 14

    Set 1: Peas and Carrots, Lost in the Cold, Drifter, Earth Mama, Doinkinbonk!!!
    Set 2: Nicodemus Portulay > Subconscious Prelude, Every Soul, Dr. Remidi’s Melodium
    Encore: You Don’t Know How it Feels

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