The mark of an incredible jam band performance is the groups’ ability to be relentlessly creative. When four or five members work in unison to create, explore and build, we are gifted with a sonic adventure filled with memorable moments that can last a lifetime. It’s something only a gifted few can accomplish together. But for one person to achieve this – a full bodied musical excursion with moving parts and emotion – is the mark of a true virtuoso. Holly Bowling does just this as she blesses us with one of the most exotic ideas of what a cover could be, cultivating years of music and experience into one instrument, one voice, in one night, on Live at the Old Church.
She has finally released her first ever live album, which is odd considering her track record of live performances and the genre she has based herself in, but it was absolutely worth the wait. Read our past articles about Holly and her performances to get a better idea of her impressive background and experience.
Over the course of two and a half hours, we hear her interpretation of well known Grateful Dead and Phish songs, using nothing but her imagination and a stupendously recorded grand piano which was all complimented by the crisp acoustics of The Old Church Concert Hall in Portland, OR. Her ability to explore different emotions and attitudes is astounding.
Bowling flows effortlessly through “Mountains in the Mist,” emulating Phish’s airy jam with appropriate flair, courtesy to her classical background. But counter to her upbringing, she absolutely nails energetic and experimental tracks like “Slipknot! / Franklin’s Tower” and “Let It Grow.” Her relentless builds and solos are infectious and memorable.
The album is hard to sum up. Everyone will take away something different from it, as is the case from any live show. What is arguably most impressive is her ability to catch the listeners ear from minute to minute and track to track. One instrument covering one style of music is bound to become monotonous, but Bowling does the impossible and tours audiences through her interpretation of these pivotal tracks.
In the rolling hills of Central NY The Yard Amphitheater at Ray Brothers BBQ has emerged as one of the best run outdoor amphitheaters in New York State. When they hosted Aaron Kamm and the One Drops with support from Nina’s Brew Saturday night it was very easy to see why. The huge crowd came for the amazing smoked meats and stayed for an incredible show. On a cool summer night the trees glowed with bulbs, a fire-pit roared and the outdoor bar was rocking, as was the stage.
Burlington, VT based four piece band, Nina’s Brew, kicked off the night with a set of originals and covers that drew the audience in. Giovanina Bucci has been playing professionally for many years now and since moving back east from Colorado, has exploded onto the music scene. This past year they were voted into Grace Potter’s Grand Point North Music Festival sharing the stage with Nathaniel Rateliffe and the Night Sweats and more. Nina’s Brew is a tight soul band, mixed with elements of folk, rock and the blues. Their harmonies are some of the tightest in rock history which really sets them apart.
After a quick breakdown, the stage was set for Aaron Kamm And the One Drops hailing from St. Louis. The sun had just sunk and trails of pink hung underneath the stars illuminatin the silhouettes of windmills on the surrounding hills that backdrop The Yard Amphitheater. Kamm wasted no time into showing of his chops. The sound was crystal clear and captured each note with a precise mix for this tight three piece unit. The band would be swaying with a reggae beat one moment, and the next, delving into a funk jam that could be compared to some of Stevie’s Wonder’s best material. Kamm would then surprise you with an all-out blues riff, laced with solo trades between himself and the back line that if one had their eyes closed would think Gary Clarke Jr, or The Black Keys were onstage.
The crowd immediately rushed the stage as the first notes dropped, as this was Aaron Kamm and the One drops return show after a very successful gig on the same stage in 2018. The combination of this band blowing up and this music venue selling thousands of tickets to their shows this summer made for a perfect night under the stars at Ray Brother’s BBQ. This band and this venue suited each other so well, and be sure to check out both Aaron Kamm and Nina’s Brew in your neighborhood. Swing by Ray Brothers BBQ for some tasty food and exploding summer concert series.
As the skies opened up on day eight of the Great New York State Fair, it didn’t deter anyone from taking a seat at Chevy Court awaiting the two-o’clock show that would feature one of the areas favorite bands, The Mavericks. People put on their ponchos, opened their umbrellas and patiently awaited the sunshine they knew was on its way from Miami. It had been three years since they last played the Syracuse Jazz Festival, and the impression it had left on the crowd was evident; they could care less that it was pouring rain. In fact, nor did I. With an umbrella in one hand, and my camera tucked neatly underneath protected from the elements, I too awaited this charismatic band to take the stage.
Celebrating 30 years together, the two original members Raul Malo and Paul Deakin, and long time members Jerry Dale McFadden and Eddie Perez were joined on stage by a full ensemble immediately kicking it into gear with favorite, “Back In Your Arms Again.” From the moment they took the stage, their eclectic mix of country, latin and rock and roll produced a signature sound that stops you in your tracks and demands your attention.
You’re locked in a trance. Your feet begin to move, your shoulders sway and your head begins to bob along with the beat Paul is laying down. Before you know it, Raul Malo’s sultry sound has you in his spell and you can’t help but dance along with Jerry as he plays his keyboards, or Eddie as he sways with his guitar. It’s inevitable. You can’t fight it.
Playing favorites such as “All Night Long” and “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” The Mavericks mixed up the set with covers of Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart” and their newest release of John Anderson’s “Swingin.” Before you knew it, the set was over and all the rain had been chased away by these southern gentlemen. Perhaps it was the mash-up of “All Night Long” and “Let the Sun Shine In” that chased away the clouds. Or perhaps it’s just the sunshine they bring to Syracuse each time they play. Whatever their magic is, Syracuse couldn’t get enough and they once again brightened our day.
Setlist: Back In Your Arms Again, All Night Long / Let the Sun Shine In, Summertime (When I’m With You), Pretend, Easy As It Seems, Dance In The Moonlight, Loving You, Hungry Heart (Bruce Springsteen), As Long As There’s Loving Tonight.
Encore: Swingin’ (John Anderson), Come Unto Me, All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down.
Saves the Day made an appearance at SkyLoft in Albany on Sunday August, 11. Not only did they deliver a high energy filled performance, but also took the crowd through the last two decades of their amazing musical journey.
The set list immediately caused heads to bob and feet to groove with the unforgettable guitar-riff filled song “Anywhere With You.” Saves The day continued to classics such as “Say You’ll Never Leave,” “The Last Lie I Told You” and “Freakish.”
But it was the songs that were performed from “All-Star Me” to “Suzuki” from their latest album, 9, that audience to relive the bands journey.
All in all, the set list was solid and left the crowd screaming “ENCORE” by the end. Saves the Day not only saved the summer with their performance, but they also saved many emo hearts.
Setlist: Anywhere With You, Bones, You Vandal, A Drag, Say You’ll Never Leave, The Last Lie I Told, Nightingale, Do You Know What I Love the Most?, Jukebox Breakdown; Holly Hox, Forget Me Nots; Firefly, When It Isn’t Like It Should Be, Freakish, Houses and Billboards, Suzuki, Eulogy, Kaleidoscope, Z, In Reverie, All-Star Me, Cars & Calories, Three Miles Down; Sell My Old Clothes, I’m Off to Heaven.
In This Moment brought their unique stage set and put on such an amazing performance. ITM puts on more than a show, it is truly a mesmerizing performance that leaves you wanting to see more. They ended their set strong with “Whore.” Their dancers came out dressed in Handmades Tale costumes, which was such a great nod to the series and leaves you wondering why thier song hasn’t been used in the series.
Headlining the show was Five Finger Death Punch. The tour was a mini break from their new album recording. It is amazing seeing how far this band has come. The band has had its ups and downs, but this show they gave everything they had to make it a great experience for Binghamton fans. You can tell singer Ivan Moody has found his happiness again on stage and that he loves connecting with their fans.
Five Finger Death Punch will be going out on another Headlining tour this Fall starting in November and this was a great warm up mini tour.
Till The Earth will be performing live at Chatham Brewing on Friday September 6 at 9:00PM. The five piece rock outfit has been creating and performing music around the Capital District since 2017 and is primarily comprised of former members of the now de-funk Bohemian Slacker and Conehead Buddha.
Based primarily in Columbia County, the band features: Tom Williams (bass, guitar, vocals), Seth Falon (guitar, vocals), Scott Basil (guitar, bass, vocals), Eugene Datri (percussion, vocals) and Jack Darraq (saxophone, bass clarinet, vocals). All veteran players of the music scene in Columbia and Greene County, Till The Earth bring a vast collective knowledge to the stage that only performing live can provide.
Till The Earth brings a jam band sensibility to their sets and have been featured regularly at the Chatham Brewery for past year or so, developing a contingent of loyal fans that grow every time they perform. Their performances primarily focuses on a variety of original works that the players have penned over the span of their musical careers, but also feature covers by bands such as The Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, Neil Young and more!
For the past seven years, LOCKN’ has been a true musical haven for improvisation, acting as a base for some of the most famous and remarkable collaborations. This year was no exception as some of this music scene’s most influential artists came together to share moments with festival patrons that won’t be forgotten any time soon.
The atmosphere at LOCKN’ this year was unique in that the festival felt smaller in scale compared to some of the past years when the grounds were overflowing with festivalgoers by virtue of acts like Phish, Disco Biscuits, The String Cheese Incident and Widespread Panic. In a way, the experience was more intimate and special as a result, with the performing artists’ music sweeping out into the crowd to bring their audience on a journey that was curated for their experience and their memories only.
It is always interesting to see the year-to-year tweaks that the festival implements to change the mood or improve the experience for patrons. This year, the thing that stood out was the late night shows in Garcia’s Forest, which included Circles Around the Sun, Soulive and Galactic.
Never miss a LOCKN’ sunset. Oteil & Friends
For those of us that have been six-to-seven year patrons of the festival, it is nostalgic to remember back to a widely favored and heralded set at LOCKN’ by the Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2014 in the Garcia Forest. What a trip, so many years later, to experience the powerhouse group headlining the festival, joined by superstar Trey Anastasio as the key acts of the weekend.
R.I.P Neal Casal, pictured at his last performance with Oteil & Friends.
Festivalgoers of this year’s LOCKN’ will forever evoke the memories of Neal Casal’s final performances, before our music community tragically lost him the Monday following the festival. This past weekend, Neal Casal performed late night on Thursday night with his outfit, Circles Around the Sun, which was orginially formed back in 2015 to record the interlude music for The Grateful Dead’s 50th Anniversary Fare Thee Well shows. Joe Russo performed a surprise sit-in with the group Thursday evening, in light of a collaborative EP that is due to release later this fall. Neal was seen again on stage with powerhouse group Oteil Burbridge & Friends, which also included Bob Weir and Duane Betts. Here is a clip of his solo on Thursday night with Circles Around the Sun:
“Interlocking” sets was the theme of the weekend, as always, at LOCKN’. Bob Weir graced a number of sets as a guest, as usual, including Oteil & Friends’ set where he sat in for “Cassidy” and a “Happy Birthday” song to Oteil; he joined Twiddle with Eric Krasno and John Popper for “Eyes of the World;” Old Crow Medicine; and Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians for “Deep Elem Blues.” Bob Weir was also “sitting in” during Joe Russo’s Almost Dead set when the camera spanned to him sitting side stage on a couch listening to JRAD’s set that included cuts like “Ruben and Cherise,” “Peggy-O,” “The Other One,” “Casey Jones” and “Uncle John’s Band,” to name a few.
Other notable moments of the weekend include one of the early sets of the weekend, when Trey played with the Thai-funk improv outfit Khruangbin, adding his legendary guitar licks to songs like, “Lady & Man” and “People Everywhere (Still Alive).” Moon Alice performed with the T Sisters and Lester Chambers and his son Dylan Chambers on Friday on classics such as “Uncle Johns Band” and “Attics Of My Life,” in addition to a few Moon Alice classics. Melvin Seals & JGB played a set together with John Kadlecik and the Pigeons Playing Ping Pong set had a sit-in from the Revivalist horns, to name a few more “Lockn’ Moments.” Honorable mentions should go to Fruition, who brought a sizable crowd to an 11 a.m. Garcia’s Forest set, finishing their performance with a crowd-requested “The Meaning.” Free Union started off the main stage performances on Saturday by inviting members of the Audacity Brass Band to play with them after their set was cancelled due to the storm on Friday.
Bob Weir and John Popper of Blues Traveler sit in with Twiddle.
But the weekend recap wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the extraordinary delicacy of seeing Trey and Derek performing together. Trey and Derek, certainly not strangers to each other’s guitar licks as the first time they played together was 20 years ago, had no trouble showing their respect for each other’s craft by adding the perfect additions to their respective sets. Starting with Friday night, Derek sat in for the entire second set with Trey Anastasio Band for songs like “Set Your Soul Free,” “Ghost,” and “Blaze On” with an additional sit-in from Susan on “A Life Beyond a Dream” and “Rise/Come Together.” On Saturday, Trey sat in with TTB for covers from the Derek and the Dominos’ classic album Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs while TTB proper followed with “Keep On Growing,” “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” and “I Am Yours.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaJ4auxoI0E
Derek Derek Derek Trey Trey Trey
Once again, the spirit at LOCKN’ was alive and well this year, and is rooted deeply now for the tradition to continue next year all over again.
Night Lights Music Festival 2019 once again warmed the souls of music lovers with a diverse lineup on the Heron Farm and Event Center in Sherman, NY. Patrons from Western New York and far beyond descended upon the beautiful grounds for three nights of revelry and artistic expression. Topping the bill this year was Night Lights staples Aqueous along with !!!, Big Something, and mash-up DJ extraordinaire Girl Talk. Check out some of the action at the gallery bellow by strawberry island dweller.
To fully appreciate Intelligence Is Rising one must step back from the business (and busyness) of everyday life. As the nature shot on the album cover suggests, the music draws its inspiration from singer/songwriter Chaz Hearne and their getaways to national parks.
In the title track, Chaz Hearne & The Dazzlers encourage the listener to set down their devices and go out seeking enlightenment. This jaunty tune leads us deep into a lush soundscape. Layers of sublime harmonies and a medley of stringed instruments and piano send spirits soaring as high as the treetops on the album cover. No, higher. And the mood continues to lift through the next few tracks, cresting like the lofty mountaintops referenced in the songs “Montana” and “All The Peaks Sing.” The reverb on vocals resounds like echoes in the canyons. And twinkling piano notes spill over in a rambling cascade in “Under The Falls.”
“Now We March” starts like a typical folk song, featuring Hearne’s signature banjo-playing, perhaps signifying the start of a hike with one foot in front of the other. “Match your stride to meet my own / Now we’re two never alone,” Hearne sings. About halfway through the song, the trumpet breaks out in joyous celebration, like that moment when a wooded trail opens to a breathtaking vista.
The collection takes a turn with “Holy Moly.” The heavier musical elements lend an air of gravity to this song about the damage people have inflicted upon the environment.
Well we thought it never ended so
We lived with no consequence didn’t we
And we didn’t want a drastic solution
But it was too late, isn’t it
Isn’t it
Is it?
– lyrics from “Holy Moly”
At times infused with rock and at other times pulling in psychedelic dream-pop elements, Intelligence Is Rising surpasses expectations. You’ll find Hearne’s trademark fingerpicking on the banjo and clear tenor timbre. He also recorded the guitar, piano and organ parts for these songs. For this project, he was joined in the studio by a host of “dazzling” musicians: Susanna Rose on vocals, John Delmonico on cello, Emily Dipaola on trumpet, Willa Finck and Katie Knudsvig on violin, Reilly Solomon Taylor-Cook on bass, and Hannah Weidner on drums. The album cover was photographed and designed by Jacqueline Goodman.
Intelligence Is Rising represents both a celebration of nature and a call to action to protect and preserve the environment. Chaz Hearne & The Dazzlers have created an instant classic you’ll want to add to your playlist for your next back-to-nature road trip, or for anytime you need a breath of fresh air in your life.
Sunday night in beautiful Hamilton, NY at Good Nature Farm Brewery, the Felice Brothers drove on over from the Hudson area and put on a rollicking rock show for a great crowd. It was the perfect late summer evening as The Old Main warmed up the crowd enjoying the sun in the courtyard. Diana Demuth played a beautiful short set as well before turning the stage over to The Felice Brothers.
Courtyard Opening Set – Photo: Aurora Roe
Ian (guitar) and James (organ, accordion) are the brothers that make up this rootsy Americana four-piece band. Both brothers are at the top of their game in songwriting. Each tune uncovers the beauty and horrors of modern life; James can leave you swooning with a ballad while Ian can channel The Band and touch your heart with the poetry of a laid back folk song and the next minute shred through a barnburner, trading licks with his brother.
The set started with some of the songs off their new album Undressed, “Salvation Army Girl” and “The Kid” were huge crowd pleasers. The band had a magnetic draw and the audience crept forward during the night and was fully dancing and rocking away as The Felice Brothers dove into some of their older material like “Whiskey In My Whiskey.” They closed the night with two encores: “White Limousine,” which is an absolute ripper, was followed by “Frankie’s Gun,” a fan favorite from their self-titled album. James Felice said of the night, “I feel a close connection with the people of Upstate, where we were born and raised. We play all over the world, but nothing beats home. It’s just an honor people come see us play, whether it’s for thousands or just a room of ten.”
James Felice on accordian – Photo: Aurora Roe
The Felice Brothers have 13 albums and are on numerous soundtracks. With the songwriting ability, fun stage presence, hysterical banter with the audience and ability to perform in any space, these rockers have had a great career that can only keep getting better. The sound at Good Nature Brewery was on point and the band was exceptionally tight all night. Folks enjoyed craft beer and wine and incredible food, and old fans were smiling the night away while the band made many new fans, especially with returning Colgate University students moving back to campus enjoying the show. It was a great night and the first time they had played this new venue, but hopefully they will be back again soon. Ian Felice said after the show, “We love this place, the folks treated us great and it was a fun crowd. We love finding new places!”
