The Empire State Youth Orchestra has announced the 2019-2020 season which includes: a 40th birthday celebration for the organization, a concert with an ESYO alumnus who is assistant principal cellist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and a tour to South America.
The organization is comprised of 13 performing ensembles and the successful CHIME (Creating Harmony Inspiring Musical Excellence) program. ESYO will also participate this season in two national music cohorts: Presto Sistema USA, and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute PlayUSA. ESYO’s Symphony Orchestra will once again be led by music director Carlos Agreda.
This year also marks the organization’s 40th birthday. In celebration, there will be a concert on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.
Hailing from the Capital Region, Kenneth Olsen, the assistant principal cellist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will also be joining Agreda. The Times Union will be sponsoring the November concert.
This upcoming season is particularly exciting. We have the celebration of our 40th Anniversary and also the appearance of an amazing soloist, who once played in ESYO. We are also going on an international tour to Argentina and Uruguay. But, on top of that, we are working on our new partnership with the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall that will bring a greater value to arts in the Capital Region.
Carlos Agreda
Since its founding in 1979, the Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO) has challenged and inspired young people to achieve excellence through music in a rigorous learning environment leading to high-level performance opportunities. Over 600 youth from the Capital Region of New York and western New England are selected by audition each year for the ESYO program. They then participate in one of the ten performing ensembles that collectively give approximately 30 performances a year. In 2015, ESYO launched ESYO CHIME (Creating Harmony, Inspiring Musical Excellence). ESYO CHIME seeks to expand access to music in underserved communities making sure that every child has access to musical excellence regardless of economic status.
ESYO concert attendees are once again able to use Access ESYO to attend the concert. Access ESYO allows ticket purchase for as little as $1.00 per seat, and will be sustained through a pay-it-forward campaign inviting donors to deposit the cost of a seat in an online ticket bank. For more information on ticketing click here.
2019 – 2020 Concert Dates
*locations and times
are subject to change
Nov. 2 – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall – Troy, NY
Nov. 4 – Shaker Junior High School – Latham, NY
Nov. 24 – TBA
Dec. 6 – TBA
Dec. 15 – Massry Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
Dec. 19-22 – Proctors Theatre – Schenectady, NY
Feb. 1 – Crossgates Mall – Albany, NY
Feb. 12 – TBA
Feb. 13 – TBA
Feb. 27 – Massry Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
Mar. 9 – UAlbany Performing Arts Center – Albany, NY
Mar. 29 – UAlbany Performing Arts Center – Albany, NY
Apr. 1 – Proctor’s Theatre – Schenectady, NY
Apr. 26 – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
May 1 – TBA
May 2 – Arthur Zankel Music Center, Skidmore College – Saratoga Springs, NY
May 3 – Brown School – Schenectady, NY
May 10 – Massry Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
May 17 – Massry Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
May 31 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY
June 20 – GE Theatre at Proctors – Schenectady, NY
Denver, Colorado psychedelic jam-trio Cycles are making their way through the northeast this week, performing a series of shows throughout New York state as part of an extensive 2019 fall tour. Last night, the band played at Buffalo Iron Works, with Colorado’s The Magic Beans and Connecticut’s Eggy, for a commemorative night celebrating the venue’s tenth anniversary. This past Wednesday, Cycles sat down for an interview with NYS Music in Brooklyn, NY, just before performing a set at famed music club The Knitting Factory.
This was a first time appearance for the trio’s drummer Collin O’Brien, not only at the venue, but in Manhattan altogether. “I haven’t been to New York in like fourteen years,” he told NYS Music. “I’ve been freaking out walking around all day.”
It was a return, however, for the band’s guitarist Patrick Harvey and bassist Tucker McClung, whom have performed as Cycles in NYC before. “We’ve played New York a few times,” said McClung. “There was Brooklyn Bowl, and then we played at American Beauty once, for a Phish after party. That was really fun.”
“There’s a really sick jam from that [Phish] show,” said Harvey.
Sick jams were definitely in full supply for their The Knitting Factory show, which saw the band deliver a full range of musical styles, from jazz to funky-metal to soulful rock, across a dizzying set of songs that were all linked together via impeccable technical abilities.
While new to the city, O’Brien is also a relatively new addition to Cycles, at least as a full time member. The Chicago-born drummer moved to the band’s home base of Denver earlier this year and jumped on board with the band just in time for huge gigs like Arise Music Festival, Peach Music Festival, and Resonance Music Festival just last weekend. “I love it,” he said. “This has been the best summer of my life.”
He certainly fits into Cycles’ live musical experiment, with constantly shifting drumbeats and tempos thrown up against barrages of shrieking guitar solos from Harvey and slap-happy bass rips from McClung. As a unit, the band navigates an amazing balance between improvisational spontaneity and technical precision, and the results fuse together unique, often even quirky, song material with a sustained sense of freewheeling whimsy. A sense that, musically, anything could happen at any moment.
In their Knitting Factory show, they showed this resolutely. Some songs bled out into super spacey, affecting moments of trippy space rock. Other moments saw battles for highest intensity between chromatic guitar picking and dramatic drums fills—sometimes while McClung was balancing his bass on one finger like a vaudeville performer. At one awesome point in the set, Harvey broke from a melodic guitar solo to incorporate audio samples of an eighties’ sounding, glam rock tune into a hard-driving metal-funk jam from bass and drums. Does that sound odd? Absolutely. It is exhilarating and actually pretty groovy.
“I think when we first started, it used to be challenging to make it sound really full,” commenting on the three-piece driving force behind such heavily improvisational shows night after night. “But now, it just feels like I get to do whatever I want all the time. We’ve been playing together so much over the past three years, I feel like we all know where to get in and fill space, or where to leave space.”
Tucker McClung, Bass.
“Yeah, there is a lot of freedom in not having a lot of people on stage,” said O’Brien. “It’s easier to communicate ideas more instantaneously.” This sense of freedom is what gives the band the inspiration to perform a live musical game show next month, at Denver’s Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom (where they will actually have many people on stage).
Tucker broke the concept down to NYS: “It’ll be one set of us performing as Cycles, but we’ll open up the night with a set of this game show. It’s going to be a super interactive experience. We might have as many as 30 to 40 people coming up intermittently and participating in the show, and we’ll be the host band for this Johnny Carson mixed with Wheel of Fortune kind of experience.”
“And,” added Harvey, “we have a game show host who is the freakin’ man! Dennis Craig. Definitely the best host any game show could ask for.”
“It’ll be a healthy amount of uncertainty,” said O’Brien. “Stuff will go wrong in the best possible way.”
Cycles Guitarist Patrick Harvey. Photo: Miles Hurley
The rest of Cycles’ schedule coming ahead has them linking up with jam scene contemporaries like The Magic Beans, Sunsquabi, and others. The trio looks forward to a huge hometown show in December: a debut at Denver’s The Fillmore Auditorium opening up for Umphrey’s McGee.
“I used to see them all over the place when I lived in Chicago,” said O’Brien. “They’re so nice. They’re just some normal guys that are like really, really freaking talented.” McClung, meanwhile, talked about seeing the six-piece staple act for the first time at this year’s Resonance Music Fest. “Yeah, they did an acoustic set which was pretty awesome. I was getting really pumped watching it.”
This week, catch Cycles as they finish their New York stretch with a show tonight at Syracuse’s The Westcott Theatre, followed by shows next week at Olive’s in Nyack and at The Hollow in Albany. While this season of touring seems to continue a road-tested sense of hardcore gigging for the band, they show no sign of slowing down, an instead an invigorated and grateful attitude for the experience.
When you’re as blessed to be doing what we’re doing, it’s foolish to be agitated at the world. Because you have this awesome opportunity to rock out. There’s nothing better than this. If there was something better than this, I’d be doing it.
Patrick Harvey, Guitar.
For more information about the band, their music, and their upcoming shows, head to their website.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Blue Engine Records celebrates the most wonderful time of the year with the release of Big Band Holidays II, a sequel to a beloved and festive album released in 2015, performed live by the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.
The Big Band Holidays concerts have been a New York City tradition among jazz lovers and families for more than a decade. Every December, the critically acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra ,Wynton Marsalis and an all-star roster of guest vocalists explore the canon of holiday standards to perform both new and traditional arrangements of Yuletide favorites. Blue Engine Records has assembled highlights from these historical performances, making them available on record for the first time.
Big Band Holidays II includes an electric, never-before-released solo piano performance of “O Tannenbaum” by Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Soul sang the holiday classic in English and German, while accompanying herself on piano, at a surprise performance at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2015 Big Band Holidays concert. “O Tannenbaum,” exclusively on Big Band Holidays II, is one of only a handful of tracks to be released since Franklin’s passing on August 16, 2018.
Additional guests on Big Band Holidays II include some of today’s commanding new voices in jazz: Catherine Russell, Veronica Swift, Denzal Sinclaire and Audrey Shakir. This newest collection of holiday classics is now available for pre-order and will be available on all digital platforms on October 25, in stores as a CD on November 8, 2019, and available on 2xLP audiophile vinyl later in the holiday season.
Big Band Holidays II tracks include holiday favorites “Silver Bells,” “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and “Silent Night.” They feature the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s signature sense of swing, New Orleans-flavored nuances, and deeply soulful, church-rooted grooves.
To celebrate this special Blue Engine Records release, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and guest vocalists Denzal Sinclaire and Alexis Morrast will embark on a 12-city Big Band Holidays U.S. Tour. Kicking off the holiday season with messages of peace and good cheer, the Big Band Holidays tour commences on November 30 in Toronto, Canada and ends with four performances December 18-22, including a special matinee at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall, located at Broadway at 60th Street in New York, New York.
TRACK LISTING 1. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year 2. Cool Yule (ft. Catherine Russell) 3. We Three Kings (ft. Denzal Sinclaire) 4. O Tannenbaum (ft. Aretha Franklin) 5. Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow 6. (Everybody’s Waitin’ for) The Man with the Bag (ft. Veronica Swift) 7. What Will Santa Claus Say? (When He Finds Everybody Swingin’) (ft. Catherine Russell) 8. Brazilian Sleigh Bells 9. Silver Bells (ft. Catherine Russell) 10. Snowfall 11. Silent Night (ft. Denzal Sinclaire)
On Saturday September 21, 2019 four veteran hard rock bands rolled into Tags Summer Stage in Big Flats, NY to close out the summer concert series with a bang. 80’s iconic rock bands RATT, Warrant, Firehouse and Kix shared the stage for a night of rock and roll, reminiscing with gritty guitars, thundering bass, pounding drums, classic hits and power ballads. The entire six hour concert was abounding with that quintessential big driving eighties sound, par can lights, iconic riffs, screaming guitar solos, and lots of hair (for those who still have it) – along with plentiful lipstick and leather and vintage concert T’s both onstage and throughout the crowd. For many, 30 years ago seemed like yesterday and we were transported back to 1989.
STEPHEN PEARCY ~ RATT
Kicking the night off were veteran rockers Kix. Hailing from Hagerstown, Maryland, Kix formed in late 1977 with Ronnie “10/10” Younkins, Brian “Damage” Forsythe on guitars and bassist Donnie Purnell, with drummer Jimmy Chalfant and frontman Steve Whiteman coming on board shortly after. Kix released their debut self titled album Kix in 1981, followed up by Cool Kids in 1983 and Midnite Dynamite in 1985. It was after their release of their platinum album, Blow My Fuse in 1988, when the band experienced major commercial success with the hits “Blow My Fuse,” “Cold Blood,” and the power ballad “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” which reached number 11 on Billboard 100.
Kix hit the stage at 5:30 pm and began figuratively blowing fuses with their jaw dropping performance. Never missing a beat, Kix hit the ground running and never slowed down a for second during their hour long set. Steve Whiteman’s vocals were as strong as ever and still hit those high notes effortlessly. Whiteman, who has been out front revving up the crowds for nearly four decades with his charismatic and highly energetic stage presence, ran out on stage wearing all blue, as the band kicked into their opening number “Midnite Dynamite.” Whiteman has avoided the fate of many rock frontmen of his generation and has withstood the test of time as he still has the pipes, stage presence and energy of performers half his age.
KIXROCKS TAGS SUMMER STAGE
Despite being the first band in this classic line-up, many fans felt that Kix stole the show with their no frills, in your face, straight up rock and roll. As stated previously, Whitemans’s vocals were spot on superb. Both guitarists Younkins and Forsythe, although not overly flashy, were highly impressive with their style of playing and musicianship. Each yielding exquisitely beautiful guitars, their tone was magnificent as they complimented each others unmistakable style. Rounding out the astounding musicians in Kix were drummer Chalfant and newest member (2003) bass player Mark Schenker. Talk about a rock and roll bottom end, these two had the air moving. I’m sure the fans in the lawn section could feel the power emanating from the subs as the bottom end exploded like thunder.
The bands dominating performance unequivocally stunned the large crowd at Tags Summer Stage with their dynamic show stopping 10-song set. Their set included the opening number “Midnite Dynamite” as well as favorites “Get It While It’s Hot,” “Cold Blood” and “Don’t Close Your Eyes.” For a veteran rock band with a career that spans over forty years, Kix is proving to generations of fans, new and old, that they are timeless and still in charge. With seven studio albums under their belt, there are an array of songs in their catalog from the classics to the lesser known that they can pull out any night leaving the crowd wanting for more.
C.J. SNARE GREETS THE CROWD AT TAGS
Next up was Firehouse led by original members vocalist C.J. Snare, guitarist Bill Leverty and drummer Michael Foster, along with newest member Allen Mckenzie who joined the band in 2004.
Firehouse wasted no time kicking things off in blazing style as they exploded into their opening powerhouse number, “Overnight Sensation,” from their 1990 double platinum self titled debut album. Next was “Crash” from their 2003 album Prime Time, followed by “Shake and Tumble” from their debut album. Although Firehouse has not released an album of new material, they are no strangers to touring as road seasoned and extremely talented musicians and showmen who continue to perform with the energy and presence they have been know for for the past thirty years.
Tonight was no different. Snare had the crowd engaged and on their feet from the minute he stepped on stage as he interacted openly, made jokes and even invited a couple onstage to celebrate a special occasion with a dance during “When I Look Into Your Eyes.” His stage presence and commanded rock and roll respect and his vocal range and power are still as strong and commanding as ever. Leverty’s guitar playing remains soulful and melodic, yet blistering and intricate as he takes his playing through the stratosphere with his custom C.R. Alsip guitar. As Leverty solos through all the iconic Firehouse songs, it is easy to hear why he still remains one of the most gifted and talented guitarists after all these years.
BILL LEVERTY ~ FIREHOUSE
Rounding out the accomplished veteran line-up are original drummer Foster and their newest member, bassist McKenzie. Together, this dynamic duo kept the pace and rhythm with booming finesse as the band continued playing hit after hit including “Oughta Be a Law,” “All She Wrote” and “Lover’s Lane.” Firehouse closed out their 11 song power packed set with “Reach For The Sky” and lastly, “Don’t Treat Me Bad.”
The crowd at Tag’s did not have any time to cool off before Warrant took control of the stage in dominating fashion. With original members guitarists Erik Turner and Joey Allen, bassist Jerry Dixon and drummer Steven Sweet along with ex-Lynch Mob vocalist Robert Mason, who joined the band in 2008, they took the stage around 8:30, ready to roll as they exploded into their opening number “32 Pennies.” This summer Warrant is hitting the road promoting their “Dirty 30” tour in celebration of the anniversary of their first album, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, which was released in 1989.
WARRANT
For the last thirty years Warrant has been tearing up the charts, recording and touring since the release of their double platinum debut album despite lineup changes on and off. Although Mason brings his unique style, energy and dynamic vocal performance to the band, he covers former original vocalist Jani Lane’s range effortlessly with tenacious vigor and rock and roll attitude.
Warrant exploded on stage with as much passion and attitude as they have for the last 30 years. It is obvious they want to give the fans what they have been coming to see after three decades of touring. Make no mistake, the performance, rock and roll attitude and energy are a big part of what makes Warrant as popular as they are with the fans, however the musicianship and dedication to their craft is what it is all about. Their powerful, unmistakable signature sound on all of their big hits such as “Down Boys,” “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and “D.R.F.S.R.,” as well as their power ballads including “Sometime’s She Cries” and “Heaven” was evident Saturday at Tag’s.
ROBERT MASON ~ WARRANT
After much excitement and anticipation, headliners RATT took command of the stage at 9:45. If the eager crowd at Tag’s had not had their fill of incredible rock and roll yet, they were in for a full out assault as RATT invaded Big Flats, New York. With only two original members of RATT in this current line-up, RATT, with frontman vocalist extraordinaire Stephen Pearcy is going strong; they look and sound as good as ever.
Along with Pearcy, bassist Juan Croucier is the only other original member of this multi-platinum commercially successful rock band. Despite the absence of three original musicians, this version of the band currently consists of guitarists Jordan Ziff (2018) and Chris Sanders (2018) formerly of Brittany Fox, along with drummer Pete Holmes formerly of the band Black and Blue. This line-up is phenomenal with Ziff easily filling the shoes of original RATT guitarist, Warren DeMartini.
JORDAN ZIFF ~ RATT
RATT kicked of their supercharged 75-minute set with “In Your Direction” from their 1984 multiplatinum album Out of the Cellar, followed by “Wanted Man,” from Cellar and “Dangerous But Worth the Risk” from their 1985 follow up album, Invasion of Your Privacy.
RATT mesmerized the audience for over an hour with 14 songs from their catalog of hits including “Way Cool Jr.,” “Lay It Down” and “You’re in Love.” Ziff and Sanders shredded through the classic RATT songs with finesse and speed making even the most intricate guitar parts appear simple. Croucier appeared to have the intensity and vitality as he had during the early days of RATT with his dynamic stage presence and performance, flipping his bass guitar around and over his head. RATT closed out the show with “Back For More” and finally their biggest hit, and probably most well known song, “Round and Round.”
Despite the cooling temperatures on the last day of summer 2019, Kix, Firehouse, Warrant, and RATT easily had the crowd at Tags heated up and not wanting the night, or summer to end. However, for all that attended this awesome rock and roll show, the summer most definitely ended on a positive, memorable note.
The Great Lakes are the biggest lake system on Earth with a total shoreline of 10,900 miles, more than the East and West US coasts combined. It should come as no surprise that Syracuse is home to a burgeoning Surf Rock scene and the birthplace of Underwater Bosses. These guys have been playing together in numerous projects for over 2 decades, but finally formed this band last September. Their debut album, Aqua La Vista, was released in April and consists of 12 original tracks that perfectly capture the spirit of the sport, that made the genre famous.
“Ride of the Surfers Ride” opens the album with everything you’d hope for in a surf rock song. Wet, arching guitar riffs, head bobbing drum beats and a bass line to boogie to. “Basshead” takes that and turns it up even higher, all while adding a salty organ to the mix. This is the kind album you play in your car on a sunny day with the windows down. In fact, it was the “Between the Black Sea and Me” that made me get into my car to take a drive in order to fully appreciate the sound and style of this album.
“Red Tide” is a prime example of how this band’s sound can make their music feel oceanic in size. This song itself is a powerhouse; large from the get-go like the algae blooms it’s named after. This band continues to encapsulate the feeling of surfing with a sound that swells in and out like the sea itself. “KGB Tsunami,” my favorite instrumental surf track on the album, has a super catchy guitar riff and Chris Stewart really lets his inner Dick Dale shine as he makes you feel like James Bond is catching waves. Bob Breen’s intense drumming can’t be highlighted by a single track but “Surfin Hand” really showcases his talent. The same can be said for Greg Bresett on bass, who obviously shines on “Basshead” but really kicks it up on “Heavy the Ride.”
This album also consists of two vocal surf tracks and the really hold their own amongst the instrumental surf tracks. “Turtle Neck Sweater Zombies” is infinitely catchy and fits nicely in the first half of the album. However, “Surfin Lullaby” is the most unique song on this album and also the most beautiful. It shines a lovely light on how great this band is and would be a lovely cap to the album, but a better one is certainly the last full track, “Surftacular”. It’s just one last all-out surf fest until the end. While this album is a must-listen for any fan of the surf rock genre, I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a fast, fun and frenetic sound.
KeyTracks: KGB Tsunami, Surfin Hand, Surfin Lullaby
Borderland Music + Arts Festival 2019 showcased some of the best roots and rock music of today on the beautiful grounds of Knox Farm State Park. In addition to the music spread out over three stages, there were art vendors, installations, ample food and beverage options, even alpacas and axe throwing. Headlining Saturday night was Warren Haynes’ Gov’t Mule. Sunday saw Greensky Bluegrass close out the festival.
NYC’s brass-funk quintet Lucky Chops are releasing their brand new, self-titled album Lucky Chops to the public tomorrow. Fans who donated to support the album’s production were treated to the full album a day early.
Lucky Chops isn’t their first recording, however, the 11-track album marks their first full-length studio effort that brings a collection of original songs to their growing fan base, marked by careful attention to detail in the compositions and production. Their first release, NYC, came out around the same time that their New York City subway performances gained viral attention on social media and is comprised mostly of covers, and subsequent single and EP releases that established a foundation of original material leading to this latest project.
Lucky Chops performing at Brooklyn Bowl (April 2019)
There is no single defining sound that the band has laid down on this latest release. By the fourth song, Lucky Chops has defined a well-crafted blend of original sounds for this multi-genre, multi-decade influenced banger of an album.
The medium paced disco groove of “Halfway to the Hudson” leads things off with interludes laced with brassy, Daft Punk-inspired licks. From this catchy attention grabber, the album quickly flaunts a diversity in sound, traveling through a lighthearted “Dancing Babies” to the heavy, steady beat of “Traveler” where their own original dance style shines through.
The album’s prominent track and first single, “Full Heart Fancy,” is the best demonstration of Lucky Chops’ writing and performing skills, with each of the five members featured throughout the song.
The album, as a brass band recording, is naturally instrumental and sans vocals. However, a unique part of their compositions is that several of the melodies beg the attentive ear to search for its own lyrics to sing in tune or harmony with those melodies. “Flyway,” as an example, is a relaxed tune where the tenor sax line resonates with the familiar feel of Paul McCartney’s singing on “Yesterday.” Naturally, or even instinctively, unspoken words form at the tip of the tongue while listening to the album.
In a broader sense, Lucky Chops brings that aspect out in many of the tracks by how well the subtlety (and sometimes the obvious) blend into their arrangements prominent elements of some of the pop music styles of 1950’s surf rock (“Dance Nights”), and 1990’s/2010’s alt/pop (“Familiar Places,” “Mo’ Mo,” “Memories”).
Lucky Chops represents a step forward for the band in the effort and craft in composing/producing/recording, and for the perseverance they have shown fans through an unavoidable delay in the release. The band’s new music continues in the band’s tradition of having a wide appeal, enjoyed at home or at one of their high energy club/concert hall shows.
Before heading out on an extensive European tour in a few weeks, Lucky Chops will be doing a special live stream performance on their social media channels today from the Times Square subway station (by the A-C-E lines/Port Authority) at 12:30 EST. The band will also host an additional special album sneak peek live stream/Q&A on their YouTube channel beforehand at noon. The album can be purchased and streamed here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D5RFEiPbOk
Key Tracks: Full Heart Fancy, Memories, Familiar Places
Track Listing
Halfway To The Hudson
The Dancing Babies
Traveler
Dance Night
Full Heart Fancy
Flyway
Pizza Day
Familiar Places
Memories
It’s Not Goodbye
Mo’ Momo
Lucky Chops will return to touring around the US this spring with several East Coast stops (listed below), including two nights at Brooklyn Bowl. Full tour dates, along with ticket information, can be found here.
March 27/28 – NYC – Brooklyn Bowl April 1 – Pawling, NY – Daryl’s House Club April 2 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom April 3 – Somerville, MA – ONCE Ballroom April 4 – Syracuse, NY – Syracuse University April 10 – Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry at The Fillmore April 11 – Washington, DC – Union Stage
Monte Vayo has reemerged with a brand new track, “Sunrise 98.” The Rochester-based electronic artist made his debut last winter with the atmospheric EP Count Me Out. While his body of work thus far has been minimalist in terms of lyrics, his latest endeavor “Sunrise 98” ventures into a purely sans-vocals soundscape.
This push to create more instrumental work comes as I’m taking time to study the emergence of abstract art from the turn of the 20th century. I see instrumental music without any direct language or lyrics as parallel to artwork created without any distinct or recognizable visual forms. There is still color, there is still texture, but in lieu of a direct, explicit representation comes an unavoidable sense of space. Much like standing in an empty theatre or cavern for the first time, there’s a natural captivation that comes with experiencing atmospheres both vast and intimate.
Gov’t Mule and Warren Haynes made a stop on their Bring On The Music fall tour on September 19 with a performance at Albany’s Palace Theatre. The name of the tour is a play on the band’s new concert film and corresponding live album, Bring On The Music – Live From The Capitol Theatre, which came out in June on CD, vinyl, DVD, and BluRay.
To see the Southern rock jam band Gov’t Mule live at this beautiful and historic Albany landmark was an amazing experience. The lighting was nothing short of perfection, which added greatly to the experience.
Photo by Stephanie J Bartik
Gov’t Mule is comprised of guitarist Warren Haynes, drummer Matt Abts, multi-instrumentalist Danny Louis, and bassist Jorgen Carlsson. Haynes took the stage and commanded the crowd’s attention with his soulful vocals and guitar chops while wowing the eager fans with the first song, “Traveling Tune.” His talent is known throughout the music world and he is the inspiration of many guitar players. He was the guitarist for The Allman Brothers Band and put together Gov’t Mule with the late Allen Woody (bass) in 1994 as a side project.
There is a connection between Haynes and bass player Carlsson and Abts on drums that can be easily observed. Each band member became completely immersed in not just their individual instruments, but the songs themselves. With Haynes’ soulful voice and virtuosic solos with expansive guitar tones, Carlsson’s expert bass playing, Abts locking it in with insane drumming, and Danny Louis dazzling the crowd on keys, each tune was performed to perfection
Jorgen Carlsson on bass
With rock at its core, Gov’t Mule integrated a full range of musical styles including blues, jazz, soul and some funky rhythms. No one left the room disappointed. If given the chance to see this band first hand, you owe it to yourself to do so.
Check out the Gov’t Mules website for a full list of the band’s upcoming tour dates, ticketing, and more information.
Set One: Traveling Tune (part 1), Mule, Pressure Under Fire, Time To Confess, Lay Your Burden Down, Inside Outside Woman Blues, Unring The Bell, Endless Parade, Revolution Come, Revolution Go
Set Two: Wandering Child, What is Hip?, (with Jerry Marotta, without Matt Abts), Freeway Jam, Child Of The Earth, Lively Up Yourself, Fool’s Moon, Thorazine Shuffle, Traveling Tune (part 2)
Sometimes, often unexpectedly, life decides to take a plate of glass and smash you right in the face. When that happens, you can either retreat and regroup or take that sharp, broken glass and smash back. That is what Adapter did with their first EP, Period. This is a band with a chip on their shoulder, and the chops to go out and make a statement about it.
First impressions as a modern mix between Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers Band are never a bad thing, but as you dig deeper you realize Adapter subtly carved a sound of their own. Their sound can loosely be described as a new aged hard rocking spin on classic blues; however, they possess the in-your-face rock and roll spirit that once dominated life for many. Even through headphones there is a sense of electricity and danger, both musically and lyrically, with explosive rocking chords that nearly beg to be vibrating wall to wall in an arena.
Lyrically, Period is a familiar peek into a songwriter who has been damaged and cannot decide what to do next. The hard-rocking opening track “The Pains” delves deep into the mental struggle of whether to go back to a lover who has hurt you. This all too human battle continues as the EP continues with “Mean Bitch Blues,” where the band transports you to that dark unknown where you don’t know what to do next now that it has all ended except express anger and sadness. While only five songs, Period gives a good snapshot of the band’s capabilities melding between hard rock, trippy blues, and a more subtle, lighter side at times. Already sounding like a refined, authoritative group, Adapter will be a fun band to watch grow as they continue making music.
