Say hey to the first live album from Connecticut funk group West End Blend, whose eight-track recording includes a blend of songs from their three previous albums, invigorated with the energy captured during their two-night run at The Waterhole in Saranac Lake.
Captured on a studio-style soundboard engineered by the GRAMMY award winning Brendan Morawski, the recording is bright and full, bringing fans closer to the band without even setting foot in the venue.
Overall the live tracks match the recorded versions in quality, but play out a littler longer and showcase the band’s live flair. Purposeful guitar on “Get By” leaves space for a more intense build, intensifying the plea in the song’s lyrics to make a relationship right. The track is cleverly bookended with emotive guitar instead of the layered vocals and sound effects they used on the studio version, adding weight to the song.
Most of the songs they chose for this album deal with the uncertainties of love (“Day Dreamer” and “The Scene”) and determination and finding inner power (“All You Got” and “I’m Time”). The lyrical content relays compelling and relatable themes backed by powerful dance grooves that emphasize the message.
There are a couple of dates to catch West End Blend before the end of the year including December 21 at Anthology, and December 22 at The Haunt. Check out their Facebook page for event details.
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.
The Hollow was home to Connecticut’s own West End Blend on Friday, October 12. The jam-friendly funk group brought The Age to open and then put on a funk clinic for a packed room. Erica T. Bryan‘s soul flowed through the band as their jams crashed onto the dance floor again and again.
West End Blend has quickly worked their way up through the ranks to become one of the best live acts touring the northeast. You can catch them this weekend at Disc Jam Presents Holloween Horror Camp. And, if you can’t make it to one of their shows coming up, you really ought to pick up their new live album, Live at the Waterhole, because there’s nothing like listening to a jam band jam.
The soulful funk group, West End Blend, shared this week that their impressive Fall 2018 tour will be expanding across cities in the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest. In what Sam Horan, the band’s drummer, has described as “one of our most exciting tours to date,” eager fans can expect performances including surprises such as a Secret Location TBA for Halloweekend.
This tour will mark the band’s next step to spread their unique sound as they claimed: “We’re visiting some brand new cities and we look forward to expanding that WEB family!” Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased via the band’s website.
This announcement is only the first of many plans for this upcoming fall. West End Blend prides themselves on their own vibe and flair and what better way to do that than with a live album release. Horan mentioned that they have been getting so many requests for this project because “Everyone can agree that while our studio albums sound great, they just don’t quite capture the raw energy and vibe that you see from us live.” It’s the ultimate way to provide the most authentic content possible and Live at the Waterhole will be released Oct. 5.
Recorded during a two-night long session at the Waterhole in Saranac Lake, the album sees technical contributions from GRAMMY Award-winning engineer Brendan Morawski. By building a studio-style soundboard side stage, Morawski was able to capture studio quality recordings of both evenings. This was also taken into consideration for which songs would be included on the album since the objective was to pick those which have taken on new arrangements and morphed significantly from the studio album versions. This direction the band is taking will demonstrate how they want the utmost interactive experience for the fans and how they are constantly rearranging their songs during live performances to showcase their progression as a group.
See Tour Dates and Tracklist below:
Live at the Waterhole Tracklist:
1. Attitude
2. Say Hey
3. Get By
4. I’m Time
5. Too Heavy
6. Day Dreamer
7. Is that All you got
8. The Scene
West End Blend Tour Dates:
Sept. 18 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY * Sept. 19 – Buffalo Iron Works – Buffalo, NY * Sept. 20 – Funk n Waffles – Syracuse, NY *
Sept. 29 – Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA ^
Oct. 5 – Toad’s Place – New Haven, CT #
Oct. 6 – H.O.M.E. – Portland, ME Oct. 12 – The Hollow – Albany, NY
Oct. 18 – Woodlands Tavern – Columbus, OH
Oct. 19 – Emporium – Chicago, IL
Oct. 20 – Founder’s Brewery – Grand Rapids, MI
Oct. 27 – Halloween Horror Camp – Secret Location TBA
Nov. 7 – Hofgarden – Richmond, VA
Nov. 8 – The One Stop – Asheville, NC
Nov. 16 – Pour House Music Hall – Raleigh, NC
Nov. 17 – Heist Brewing – Charlotte, NC
Nov. 24 – Riverwalk – Nashua, NH
Nov. 30 – Tropicalia – Washington DC
Dec. 7 – King’s Rook Club – Erie, PA Dec. 22 – The Haunt – Ithaca, NY @
NYS Music jumped at the punch to sit down with vocalist Erica Bryan, drummer Sam Horan, and bassist Tom Sullivan of West End Blend for an interview and live podcast. West End Blend of Hartford, Connecticut has quickly made noise as one of the top funk/soul acts of the region. They are on the up-and-up and in this raw podcast, WEB’s growth is just one topic of casual conversation. Hit the play button below to listen to the 48th episode of the Rochester Groovecast Podcast. Also find a timestamp at the bottom of the page.
Timestamp:
00:00: Smile by West End Blend
04:25: Episode Introduction
06:45: Conversation with Erica, Sam, and Tom of West End Blend.
41:20: Episode Conclusion
43:00: Attitude by West End Blend
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:
Ray Brothers BBQ, located on State Route 20 in Bouckville, announced its summer 2018 concert schedule for The Yard Amphitheater, located on the grounds of the popular BBQ joint. The season kicks off on Memorial Day with the 3rd Annual Backyard BBQ & SPCA Benefit featuring the Lightkeepers and Mike Powell & the Black River. Tickets for the Memorial Day show are $10 with proceeds benefiting the SPCA.
Other acts making their way to New York’s antique capital include Zach Deputy, Big Mean Sound Machine, Chris Eves & the New Normal, Hayley Jane & the Primates, Wild Adriatic, Sophistafunk, the Talking Heads tribute band, Start Making Sense and the 2017 NYS Music March Madness winner, Root Shock.
The penultimate event on the calendar is the 4th Annual Hop Harvest Festival featuring Keller Williams. This takes place Labor Day weekend. Williams also performed at the Yard last year.
Tickets for the shows will be available at Ray Brothers and through Ticketfly. For more information about the summer concerts, visit their website here.
The Yard at Ray Brothers BBQ Summer Concert Schedule:
May 28 – The Lightkeepers w/the Black River
June 1 – Zach Deputy
June 6 – Big Mean Sound Machine w/Joe Driscoll
June 16 – Adam Ezra Group w/Mike D & the Laughing Buddha Episodes
June 23 – Root Shock w/the Buddha Council
June 30 – Wild Adriatic w/Barroom Philosophers and the Spring Street Family Band
July 6 – Chris Eves & the New Normal w/the J.J. Murphy Trio
July 14 – TBA
July 21 – The Magic Beans w/special guest TBA
July 28 – A Controlled Incident Presents: To Be Announced!
Aug. 4 – Danielle Ponder & the Tomorrow People w/special guest TBA
Aug. 10 – TBA
Aug. 11 – Sophistafunk and Kris Lager w/West End Blend
Aug. 18 – TBA
Aug. 25 – Hayley Jane & the Primates w/Nina’s Brew
Sept. 2 – 4th Annual Hop Harvest Smoke Out with Keller Williams (special guest TBA)
Sept. 8 – TBA
Sept. 15 – Start Making Sense: Talking Heads Tribute Band
The 121st Saranac Lake Winter Carnival starts February 2, 2018 and features 17 acts over eight days. Among the list of local and national bands slated to perform are regional favorites Donna The Buffalo, Sophistafunk, and Lucid. All performances take place at The Waterhole Music Lounge in Saranac Lake. For the first time ever, VIP passes are available, which entitle the purchaser to all shows during the carnival as well as special cocktail hours. Tickets are available at the Waterhole or online. The folks at The Waterhole also put together a Spotify playlist of all the featured artists:
Saranac Lake Winter Carnival 2018
February 2– O’Death with Tigerman Woah & Arthur Buezo – 9pm $13 Adv $15 Door February 3 – Kung Fu with The English Project – 9pm $17 Adv $20 Door February 6 – Swampcandy – FREE SHOW 9pm Downstairs February 7 – Sophistafunk with Jiggawaltz – 9pm $10 Adv $12 Door February 8 – Donna the Buffalo with The Old Main – 8:30 pm $18 Adv $22 Door February 9 – Lucid with Bella’s Bartok – 9pm $20 February 10 – Post Parade Party with Raisinhead – 2pm “After the Parade” FREE SHOW February 10 – West End Blend with The Big Takeover – 9pm – $10 February 11– The Plate Scrapers at Bloody Mary Sunday – FREE SHOW – 2pm Downstairs
