Category: Show Reviews

Hootie & the Blowfish with Barenaked Ladies: Sounds Like a Party to Me

The Group Therapy Tour was just the medicine needed for more than 15,000 fans of Barenaked Ladies that packed into CMAC this past Friday night. This being the first time they’ve toured in over a decade, Hootie & the Blowfish was not only celebrating the 25th anniversary of Cracked Rear View Mirror‘s release back in 1994, but also announced their upcoming album Imperfect Circle, due for release this fall.

Opening and getting the night started was the Barenaked Ladies. With Ed Robertson on lead vocals and guitar; Jim Creeggan on bass and vocals; Tyler Stewart on percussion and vocals; and Kevin Hearn on keyboards, guitar and vocals; this quartet have perfected their harmonies and playing over the years, but it’s their stage presence that really lifts them above most bands. The one thing that hits you first (if this is the first time you’ve seen them live) is they have so much fun playing together. Racing across the stage, playing to not only the crowd but to each other, fun has to be their middle name (Barenaked Fun Ladies), just has to be.

They are known for their improvisation – their number one hit “One Week” was added to the album Stunt to demonstrate their flair of improv and the energy they exude during their live shows. Capturing it perfectly on the album and again Friday night, these fun loving guys have proven they still have what it takes to get the crowd out of their seats, dancing and singing. In fact, if the band “Had a Million Dollars,” they wouldn’t have to buy their love because it was right there in front of them as the crowd sang the lyrics word for word while the band pitched and knocked stuffed animals out of the park. Closing the set out with a mash up of some favorite rock songs, percussionist Tyler Stewart demonstrated what his and the other band members’ strongest qualities are: their versatility and talent, both vocally and musically.

With a quick changeover, it was just minutes before Hootie & the Blowfish took the stage. The moment they came out, the crowd rose to their feet. With hands in the air and phones on record, the crowd ate up every moment they played, hungry for more.

The setlist was outstanding, giving the crowd a taste of an expanse of music from their library, those that have influenced them along the way, and just favorites of both the crowd and the band. Joining them a few songs into their set, one of the best moments of the night was when Barenaked Ladies sat in for a cover of the Beatles’ “A Little Help from My Friends.” This classic song was just an epic choice to feature all these talented musicians and what they bring to the stage.

Like a storybook unfolding, Darius told a story the whole evening through music. Sharing past hits from music that influenced them, such as R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion,” and showing how music can soothe and collectively unite as he and the band dedicated “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” to the families and victims of the past week’s shootings, it once again demonstrated how music heals and is a universal language to which everyone can relate.

With a new album to be released on September 6, those in attendance got just a taste of what’s to come. This will be the first album they’ve released since 2005’s Looking for Lucky. A performance of “Rollin’“ as an appetizer left the crowd wanting more, at least it did for this photojournalist.

Despite a slow start to the evening that included the massive number of people coming in to the venue, the issues with ticketing (CMAC is a Ticketmaster venue so buying from third parties is not encouraged or honored) and a strange rain storm that occurred in the beginning of the evening, (rain on one side of the amphitheater and not the other), all in all, it was an amazing night of music that made all the gray moments shine like the rainbow that appeared right before the show began.

Barenaked Ladies Setlist: Bringing It Home, Odds Are, It’s All Been Done, Gonna Walk, The Old Apartment Matter of Time, Brian Wilson, Lookin’ Up, Pinch Me, Big Bang Theory Theme, One Week, If I Had a Million Dollars, Barenaked Rap: Shallow / Old Town Road / Sicko Mode / High Hopes / Whole Lotta Love / Another One Bites the Dust

Hootie & The Blowfish Setlist: Samuel L. Jackson Ezekiel 25:17, Hannah Jane, State Your Peace, I Go Blind (54-40 cover), Sad Caper, Not Even the Trees, With a Little Help From My Friends (Beatles cover with Barenaked Ladies), Hold My Hand, I Will Wait, Let Her Cry, Hey Hey What Can I Do (Led Zeppelin cover), Will the Circle Be Unbroken?, Desert Mountain Showdown, I Hope I Don’t Fall in Love With You (Tom Waits cover), Alright (Darius Rucker song), Running From an Angel, Losing My Religion (R.E.M. cover), Time, Rollin’, Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show cover), Old Man & Me, When I Get to Heaven / Fight the Power / Freaks of the Industry Encore: Goodbye, Go and Tell Him (Soup cover), Only Wanna Be With You / Get Down on It, Country Roads (John Denver cover)

August 12, 2019
In Focus: Guster Strikes SummerStage in Central Park like Lightning

Guster made the best of weather malfunctions at SummerStage 2019 in Central Park on Thursday, August 8. The beautiful stage and lush canopy of trees created a secluded, intimate environment in the heart of New York City. The day was filled with beautiful skies, and the weather forecast was partially cloudy without indication of showers, up until later on in the day.

Rubblebucket has delicious clouds as they perform

Indie rockers, Rubblebucket, opened for Guster, and were fortunate to have blue skies and incredible cloud mood throughout the show. The Brooklyn based bunch includes: Alex Toth (trumpet, leader), Kalmia Taver (vocals, saxophone), Adam Dotzon (trumpet, vocals, flutero), Ryan Dugre (guitar), Noga Shefi (bassa), Jeremy Gustin (drums), and Sean Smith (trumpet). Their vibrant, colorful outfits and art-pop spirit descended upon Central Park, and offered synchronized dancing on stage, as well as a high level of connectivity as they grooved together. At one point, the energetic Taver had the audience sing “Love, Love, Love, Love” while pointing with one finger in the air, transitioning into “Came Out of a Lady.” Rubblebucket made many new fans that night.

Kalmia Taver interacts with the audience

Boston, MA’s Guster took the stage at 7:46 pm, with storm clouds moving Northeasterly, towards the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. Guster consists of Ryan Miller (guitar and vocals), Adam Gardner (guitar and vocals), Brian Rosenworcel (drums and percussion), and Luke Miller (bass). They brought their signature blend of rock and roll as long as they could, starting with “What You Wish For” from Lost and Gone Forever.

Luke Reynolds of Guster is loving his job

A deep orange and pink sunset began during Ganging Up on the Sun’s “The Captain,” followed by “Don’t Go” from Look Alive. “Stay with Me” brought lightning in the west, and the orange sky transitioned into black clouds. Drops were felt during their final song, “Satellite,” another tune from Ganging Up on the Sun.

The stunning pink and orange cotton candy sunset behind Guster at SummerStage

At 8:04 pm, the rain came down, the venue cancelled the show, and the band announced that everyone needed to leave immediately. Within 10 minutes, ferocious lightning strikes rolled in, and pouring rain soaked anyone who wasn’t under cover. Mother nature took over to end the evening, but outstanding musical performances and great summer vibes were had until that point.

These Guster fans soon wished those clouds were not there!

Guster Setlist: What You Wish For, The Captain, Don’t Go, Stay With Me Jesus, Satellite…

August 11, 2019
Greensky Delivers Tasty Bluegrass to Pier 17 in NYC

Greensky Bluegrass brought their signature bluegrass with a jam twist to a sold out crowd at the elegant Pier 17 Rooftop in lower Manhattan. Residing in Michigan, the band members include Michael Bont (banjo), Dave Bruzza (guitar), Paul Hoffman (mandolin), Michael Devol (bass) and Anders Beck (dobro). The country boys felt right at home against the iconic NYC backdrop of the Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge.

Greensky Bluegrass on stage at Pier 17

“Past My Prime” from Shouted, Written Down & Quoted kicked off the first set. More originals followed with “No Idea,” “Living Over,” also from Shouted, and All for Money’s “Like Reflections” and “What You Need.” The band channeled the great Paul Simon and delivered a tasty bluegrass cover of “Gumboots” from the Graceland album. Next up was a more traditional cover of “White House Blues” by Charlie Poole. The set wrapped up with a well executed segue of Tuesday Letter’s “Broken Highways” into “It’s Not Mine Anymore.”

Anders Beck on the Dobro

Set two opened with more delicious originals like “For Sure,” “Uh Huh,” and “All for Money” from the album of the same name. Live at Bell’ s “Old Barns” preceded a nice sequence of old and new songs with “Broke Mountain Breakdown Reprise” segued into Jimi Hendrix’s “The Wind Cries Mary” before revisiting “Broke Mountain Breakdown Reprise.” Another All for Money tune, “Ashes,” was played followed by “Hit Parade of Live.” Guitarist Scott Metzger joined the band on stage, adding mind numbing depth to “I’d Probably Kill You” and “Don’t Lie.”

The crowd loves Scott Metzger on stage with Greensky Bluegrass

The band closed out the night with an encore of “Just to Lie” into Billy Joel’s “Big Shot” and had their fans yelling for more. They are one skilled team of traditional bluegrass musicians who aren’t afraid of new territory or a big city. Greensky Bluegrass will be back in New York State at the Borderland Festival in East Aurora, NY on September 22. Head over to their website for tickets and information.

Setlist

Set One: Past My Prime, No Idea, Living Over, Like Reflections, What You Need, Gumboots (Paul Simon cover), White House Blues (Charlie Poole cover), Broken Highways > It’s Not Mine Anymore

Set Two: For Sure, Uh Huh, All for Money, Old Barns, Broke Mountain Breakdown > The Wind Cries Mary (Jimi Hendrix cover) > Broke Mountain Breakdown Reprise, Ashes, Hit Parade of Love, I’d Probably Kill You*, Don’t Lie*

Encore: Just to Lie > Big Shot

Notes:

* w/ Scott Metzger

August 7, 2019
Shinedown Stops in Syracuse

There is a saying that it takes 15 years to become an overnight success and, with a lot of hustle and hard work, that statement rings true for the band Shinedown.

Back in February of 2004, Shinedown headlined at a small club in Syracuse with maybe 50 people in attendance. Flash forward to July 6, 2019 and they practically sold out the Syracuse Lakeview Amphitheatre. It was truly a sight to see all of their hard work back then paying off with a fan-filled amphitheatre.

Shinedown’s band members, lead vocalist Brent Smith, drummer Barry Kerch, guitarist Zach Myers and bassist Eric Bass, pour their energy out into the crowd as soon as they hit the stage. They keep a curtain up to build up anticipation but once that curtain drops, Shinedown hit the ground running.

Brent Smith took the time to shake hands with photographers in the photo pit.

Lead vocalist Brent Smith is a tremendous performer and front man because of his magnetic engagement with the audience, his band members and even the photographers down in the pit. Smith loves his band and his fans, which shows in how he interacts with everyone he comes in contact with at Shinedown’s shows. Smith is always very humble and thankful for Shinedown’s fans. No matter how much a fan loves a band and their music, it is always heartfelt and touching to know the band appreciates the fan in return. All relationships are a two-way street and Shinedown helps to pave both sides.

Halfway through Shinedown’s set the entire band disbursed throughout the huge audience at the amphitheatre, playing stripped down versions of “Amaryllis,” “I Dare You,” “Through The Ghost,” and “Second Chance.” It is a challenging feat to play together so well being so far apart, but they pulled it off and it was a unique way to give audience members stripped down versions of the songs.

One of the highlights of the night was when they performed one of their latest singles, “Get Up.” Smith had the crowd light up the amphitheatre with their cell phones. It was a chilling site to see and the song portrays such a positive message that it almost served as a pep talk from the band to keep going no matter what life throws at you.

Shinedown is one of those bands that simply puts on an amazing show every single time and the Syracuse, NY show was no different. When a band truly loves and appreciates their fans and truly love what they are doing it shines through in their music and performance. It may have taken the music world a little longer than Shinedown’s earlier fans from that night back in 2004 to see their amazing talent, but now the music world is aware and it’s truly apparent with the filled Lakeview Amphitheatre a few weeks ago that Shinedown has touched so many fans throughout their still growing career!

Be sure to check out one of Shinedown’s shows when they come back to NY in September. You can see Smith & Myers acoustic on September 12 and the full band with Papa Roach, Asking Alexandria, and Savage After Midnight on September 20 in Albany, NY and September 27 in Buffalo, NY.

Shinedown’s Setlist:

Devil, Diamond Eyes, Enemies, Monsters, Black Soul, I’ll Follow You, Unity, 45, Bully, Amaryllis, Through the Ghost, I dare You, Second Chance, Simple Man, Cut the Cord, Get Up, Sound of Madness, Brilliant

August 6, 2019
Karl Denson Brings Tiny Universe, Big Smiles to Jersey City

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe brought their brand of optimistic funk to White Eagle Hall in Jersey City on July 31 for an enthusiastic Wednesday night crowd. With them for an opening set of reggae and saxophone showmanship was DeLa and Steady Rock Easy. DeLa is the saxophone player for Slightly Stoopid, the San Diego reggae outfit with which Karl Denson has recorded and performed with as a sought after horn player himself. And I must say… Karl Denson is a hell of a bandleader!

Seriously, this guy is relentlessly generous. When you share the stage with some of the top-notch talent in the music business, there’s plenty of room to share in the groove.

DeLa and Steady Rock Easy

Pulling from a selection of bouyant reggae beats from his latest studio effort Opening Night, on which Denson is a guest musician, DeLa and Steady Rock Easy provided a straight up and joyful delivery. DeLa’s chops are seasoned, and tasteful, greasing the wheels for the ride Karl Denson and Co. were about to venture on. For the finale of the opening set, DeLa spoke, “If Karl Denson is in the house, we’d like to get him up here…. Oh I guess he is here!” Denson then came out for a collaborative saxophone duo to close out the Steady Rock set.

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe

The most glaringly obvious thing about Karl Denson is his humility. Tiny Universe is widely regarded as one of the most talented and lively acts on the planet and, in addition to being a founding member of Greyboy Allstars, Denson was tapped by legendary rockers The Rolling Stones in 2014 as their touring saxophone player. In fact, the Stones played Metlife Stadium just one day after this gig. That’s quite a resume’ already, not even counting his impressive list of studio sessions and sit-ins. All of this, suffice to say, is enough to fluff anyone’s ego. Despite that, it seems that Karl Denson keeps a tighter grasp on his own humbleness than he does on his instruments. He grins and dances on stage with a tambourine as much as he fires on all cylinders with his saxophone or flute.

Gnomes and Badgers (out now via Seven Spheres Records) is Karl Denson’s commentary on today’s political atmosphere. A handful of the songs from that album made their way into Wednesday nights set, like “What If You Knew,” “Gossip” and “Can We Trade.” Each track is toe-tapping, no matter the pace, and laced with positivity. It’s uplifting that there is so much music being created right now that is built on optimism as opposed to avoiding hope for the future, given the state of affairs around the world.

Karl Denson shakes the tambourine during “Under My Thumb”

There were also some throwbacks. “New Ammo,” from the album of the same name, is a racer. There’s also the Rolling Stones cover “Under my Thumb,” which abandons the lyrics in favor of harmonized horn lines of the vocal melody instead. Throughout all of it, Denson took a lot of opportunities to point, glance, and shift towards other members of the band as if to say, “You take a solo! Now you take a solo!” Again, hell of a band leader.

The closer, “Time to Pray,” was a fresh reminder that none of us are in a competition. Each member of the Tiny Universe team was shining bright and grinning in delight, reveling in each other’s stamina. The lyrics “Kneelin, kneelin, there is no other way / You think it’s time to win, I think it’s time to pray” gives weight to this idea; it’s not about being right, it’s about sharing in hope for a more positive and optimistic future. A blazing guitar solo, plenty of flute action, an up-tempo beat to drive the dancing festivities, and a huge, rising organ build up drove it all home on a high note.

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe is on tour through the end of August and takes on a Fall Tour from September through November.

Setlist via guitarist Dj Williams:

Catching Sparks, Everybody Knows That, Satisfied, Gossip, What If You Knew, Rich Man’s Welfare, I’m Your Biggest Fan, Can We Trade?, Under My Thumb, New Ammo, Time to Pray.

DeLa of Slightly Stoopid

Tiny Universe guitarist DJ Williams

August 6, 2019
Train and Goo Goo Dolls Bring Summer Fun and Positive Energy to CMAC
On Friday, August 2, Train, The Goo Goo Dolls and Allen Stone entertained a sold out crowd on a perfect summer night at CMAC. All three bands brought an amazing vibe and positive energy to the evening while The Goo Goo Dolls and Train performed all their classic hits from their respective extensive catalogs spanning from the 1990’s to the present.

Allen Stone entertains the crowd

Kicking off the evening was Allen Stone, an amazing R&B and soulful artist from Chewelah, Washington. He and his band definitely had the sold out crowd primed and energized for the night. Stone, who has been on the scene since 2010, cites his influences as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin and other legends. Stone is a very dynamic exceptionally entertaining showman, not to mention a phenomenal singer. It is apparent in his music and performance from where his musical inspiration originates. His set included his songs “Brown Eyed Lover” and “Chippin’ Away.” Pat Monahan even joined them on stage for a number.

John Rzeznik and Robby Takac perform “Slide”

Making their way to the stage at 7:45 p.m. were co-headliners The Goo Goo Dolls. The enthusiastic crowd was already on its feet in anticipation as John and Robby made their way to the stage. The Goo Goo Dolls launched their hour-plus set with “Stay With You” and immediately followed with “Big Machine” before swapping out guitars. John greeted the crowd while making a reference about being close to his home town of Buffalo, NY before the band performed their third hit in a row, “Slide.” The Goo Goo Dolls continued playing their mainstream hits that span two decades, including “Black Balloon,” which, you guessed it, included what seemed like thousands of black balloons floating down into the crowd, “Name”and “So Alive,” before closing out the night with “Iris” and “Broadway.” They also played “Miracle Pill” in support of their upcoming album of the same name which is due out on September 13.

John Rzeznik performs “Stay With You”

Robby Takac

Finally, taking the stage at 9:20, were co-headliner Train. Train seemed to pull out all the stops on this gorgeous summer night during their performance. Not only did they play an impressive hour and forty minute, 18-song setlist which included two encores, they also brought along confetti and streamer cannons as well as some pretty dazzling pyro effects. Despite the cool bells and whistles that helped make for a mesmerizing and stunning visual performance, there seemed to be something else, something uplifting and moving during Train’s performance.

Pat Monahan and Train sending love to the sold out crowd at CMAC

Train, formed in 1993 and hailing from San Francisco, CA , has been a hit-producing machine since the release of their self titled debut album Train in 1998 with “Meet Virginia.” The multi-platinum and Grammy award winning band kicked of their set with “Calling All Angels.” It was during this song when frontman Pat Monahan put his hands up towards the sky and asked the audience to follow him in sending love to all loved ones near and far as everyone sang along. Monahan’s energy seemed to flow through the audience and back, giving a sense of connection and tranquility that flowed throughout the venue. Train’s second song, “50 Ways to Say Goodbye,” incorporated blasts of colorful confetti into the audience which continued to enthrall the crowd along with their third song, “If It’s Love.”

Confetti shoots into the crowd at CMAC during Train’s set

Pat Monahan of Train

Train continued throughout the night with hit after hit including “Meet Virginia,” which featured a blazing solo by guitarist Luis Maldonado, “Hey Soul Sister”, “Play That Song,” as well as a house-rocking rendition of Queen’s “Under Pressure” and Tom Petty’s “American Girl” where John Rzeznik joined them on stage. Allen Stone also made a guest appearance on “Bruises.” Train ended the night with two encores, including a Led Zeppelin cover with “Heartbreaker” and, finally, “Drops of Jupiter,” which also included visually stunning pyrotechnics. Train rocked into the night with the energy and power of a locomotive steaming full ahead, yet the atmosphere was fun, happy and positive. I mean with balloons, beach balls, streamers, confetti and sparklers, the show was definitely a fun experience for all that attended. Despite the fun and positive hoopla, let’s not forget about all the songs that these two bands with over 50 years of combined experience deliver flawlessly night after night, while still having a blast and keeping their crowds entertained and dancing ’til the last drop.
August 5, 2019
Herbie Hancock and His All-Star Squad Shine at the Beacon

The legendary Herbie Hancock brought his current gang of talented musicians to New York City’s Beacon Theatre last week and delivered a great mix of old and new by the jazz great. Thundercat opened the evening with his unique R&B, jazz-funk flavor and vibrant energy. Hancock then put on an incredible performance to a full house and showed NYC that he has still got it.

Thundercat and Dennis Hamm

Thundercat, aka bassist Stephen Brunner, started the evening off with his band that included Dennis Hamm (keyboards) and Justin Brown (drums). His eclectic songs and talented synergy with the band was evident from the beginning. Thundercat made several dedications, including to the departed Mac Miller and Ras G, as well as to Nintendo Switch lovers (video gamers).

Thundercat and Justin Brown

NEA Jazz Master and 14-time Grammy winner Herbie Hancock’s line up included Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), James Genus (bass), Lionel Loueke (guitar), and Terrace Martin (sax/synthesizer). Hancock showed his deep appreciation for his band by introducing each member individually. Bass player James Genus was announced as the current house bass player for SNL. Drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and jazz guitarist Lionel Loueke were up next for the all-star introductions. Multi-genre instrumentalist and producer Terrace Martin, who according to Hancock has known and worked with Thundercat for years, rounded out this impressive team.

Herbie Hancock

The band began with a feeling of old by starting with a jazz improvisation, followed by the classic “Cantaloupe Island.” The band introductions were up next, followed by the Headhunter’s “Actual Proof.” Flautist and vocalist Elena Ayodele lent her services on the next two songs. Hancock went into new territory with his skills, instruments and musical style, and gave the crowd a healthy serving of his new material. He is no stranger to new directions and this material had a fresh blend of hip-hop, R&B, jazz and funk. It will be exciting to see where Hancock goes with his new vision.

James Genus on the bass.

The band returned for an encore of the fan favorite “Chameleon,” which was teased earlier in the evening. Thundercat joined the party on stage to make this a memorable rendition. All musicians came together at the end for a final bow, which had the audience on their feet cheering. NYC certainly enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with this legendary musician.

August 5, 2019
Buskin & Buskin – A Family Affair at Caffè Lena

The love David and Sophie Buskin have for one another was apparent on the stage at Caffe Lena Thursday night. The father-daughter duo performed together as part of Caffè Lena‘s monthly pride series.

The dichotomy between the two generations was visually present in Sophie’s use of electric guitar and David’s acoustic. David Buskin made jokes about their age. They were obviously dad joke’s, such as “Sophie’s friends call us DNA and DNR. Not sure how I feel about that.”

The two began with a song that thrilled the heart, Sophie’s powerful soaring voice was complimented by David’s gentler tones. They sang about chasing after life, and who can’t relate to the rush of seeking adventure, of wanting to experience more? There was also a desire to escape from trouble, to find the excitement while dodging the “demons at your back.”

The theme of adventure carried on with David’s comedic song he usually performs with Modern Man, “Jews Don’t Camp.” In it, he joked about the perks of living an indoorsy lifestyle. Sophie’s rejoinder was the song “Mountains.” It was written about a month-long camping and hiking trip that she took. As she told this story, she gave her father a wry look which brought out laughter from the audience. Her dad accompanied her on the piano while she played guitar and sang.

She followed this with another song of hers, “Sweet Creature.” On her recent album, this is featured as a live track that she performs with her father. In this performance, however, David played a different role. Sophie’s performance was incredibly touching, but nobody was more touched than David. From his seat on the piano bench, he watched his daughter with awe and admiration. He was just as spellbound by her beautiful voice as the rest of the audience. After the applause, there was a moment of silence, broken when David said, “You know, I stand up there saying to myself, ‘You played that wrong. You botched that chord.’ And then, I watch my kid do that.” All of his pride in his daughter was neatly summed up in those words and in the way he looked at her.

In honor of the Pride Series, David chose to play a song from a musical that he is working on with Jake Holmes. The musical takes place in the summer of 1968. The song is from a scene where two men have slept together, and one is trying to convince the other to come out so he doesn’t have to go to Vietnam. It was a song about struggling for both social and self-acceptance. It is something that people struggle with across the board.

The duo ended with a song which David used to sing to Sophie as a lullaby – James Taylor’s “You Can Close Your Eyes”. The Buskin & Buskin performance had given us an intimate snapshot into their life together, from Sophie’s childhood into the brilliant artist that she is today.

The next performance in the Pride Series at Caffè Lena will take place on September 5th at 7:00 pm and will feature the Capital Region Pride Singers. Tickets for that performance can be found here.

August 4, 2019
Twiddle Delights With Surprises at 4th Annual Tumble Down
Twiddle held its 4th annual Tumble Down Festival in Burlington, VT at Waterfront Park this past weekend. The beautiful park, right on Lake Champlain, hosted Twiddle for five sets along with: The Kitchen Dwellers, Stephen Marley, Turkuaz, Ghost Light, Jaden Carlson Band, Owl and Crow, The Big Sip, Nina’s Brew and The Jauntee. The festival, a family reunion for Twiddle fans, brought all ages together to celebrate music. The festival also brought fans and partners together to raise money for the White Light Foundation, a non-profit that raises money to help spread love, healing and kindness.

Twiddle kicked off the festival with a special acoustic set with fan favorites including “Hatties Jam” and “When it Rains It Pours,” and a special sit in by David Grippo. Their second and third sets closed out the first night and included a prerecorded message from “Colonel Norco,” which helped set the tone for two packed sets, and a special sit in by Todd Stoops. The second set included a new verse to “Jamflowman” that brought his tale home and an additional sit in by David Grippo on the beautiful, “Lost in the Cold.”

Acoustic Set: Glycerine Medley, Earth Mama, Five, Wildfire, Fat Country Baby, Hattiebagan Mcrat, Hattie’s Jam-> When it Rains it Pours
Set 2: Enter, Orlando’s, Amydst the Myst, Doinkinbonk, Grandpa Fox -> Apples -> Mamunes the Faun -> Every Soul
Set 3: Jamflowman -> Subconscious Prelude -> Nicodemus Portulay -> Milk, Lost in the Cold

Encore: River Drift

The second day started with a bit of deja vu as The Big Sip had their set shortened by a weather evacuation, that thankfully didn’t last too long, or turn into anything more than threatening clouds and some high winds. The Kitchen Dwellers began their set as masses of fans were still in line to re-enter the festival, music to the ears of those eager to get back to the party. They also welcomed members of Cabinet to sit in for a few songs, much to the audience’s enjoyment.

Nina’s Brew, a trio from Burlington, played with a sound influenced by blues, soul, rock and R&B. They’re currently working on their first studio album and are anticipating a fall release.

Turkuaz, the nine piece funk juggernaut from Brooklyn, NY, played as the sun was setting over the water. Their brightly colored outfits seemed to glow in the “golden hour” of light, and highlighted their energy.

Twiddle’s final two sets to close out the fantastic weekend contained many treats for fans. The origin of “Ricky Snickle” and an additional verse, another message from “Colonel Norco,” and a new verse to “Frankenfoote.” There were also many sit-ins over the final two sets. Jayden Carlson, The Kitchen Dwellers, Zach Nugent and Todd Stoops all helped Twiddle close out the festival.

Set 4: Ricky Snickle Origin, Ricky Snickle, Syncopated Healing, Machine, Visions of Mohr, Latin Tang, Beethoven and Green
Set 5: Polluted Beauty, Gatsby the Great -> Pond -> Zazu’s Flight -> Pond -> Grandpa Fox, Be There
Encore: Frankenfoote Origin -> Frankenfoote
August 3, 2019
The Claypool Lennon Delirium Party Take-over at The Cap
The Flaming Lips along with The Claypool Lennon Delirium upset The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY with an absolute party of stage props, light shows and massive balloons towering the crowd. Riding a unicorn in through the crowd, Wayne Coyne set the bar high for an amazing set to come. The fact that it was a hometown show for Sean Lennon made it an even more special event.

Claypool Setlist: There’s No Underwear in Space (Intro Tape), Astronomy Domine (Pink Floyd), South of Reality, Blood and Rockets: Movement 1 > Saga of Jack Parsons -Movement II Too the Moon, Little Fishes, The Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson), Breath of a Salesman, Boriska, Easily Charmed by Fools, Like Fleas, Tomorrow Never Knows (The Beatles). Cricket and the Genie (Movement II, Oratorio Di Cricket), Cricket and the Genie (Movement I, The Delirium).

Check out the live stream of the show here!

The Flaming Lips Setlist: Also sprach Zarathustra, OP. 30 (Richard Strauss), Race for the Prize, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Pt. 1), There Should Be Unicorns, She Don’t Use Jelly, True Love Will Find You in the End (Daniel Johnston), Feedaloodum Beedle Dot, The Star-Spangled Banner (John Stafford Smith & Francis Scott Key) [Two Takes], The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power), Are You a Hypnotist??, All We Have Is Now.

The Flaming Lips Encore: Do You Realise??

Photos By Chad Anderson
August 2, 2019