Category: Show Reviews

Dopapod End Hiatus with Spectacular Capitol Theatre Show

This past Saturday, Dopapod returned from their hiatus at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. Fans flocked from all over the country for the show, which should say something about how anticipated this day has been over the last year. The weather was perfect, spirits inside the Cap were high, and fans were ready to rage. Dopapod was nearly back.

The show started just as any Dopapod show starts: lighting designer, Luke Stratton, playing mysterious-sounding keys from the front of house to set the mood. As the lights came up and the band walked out onstage, the entire crowd erupted in applause. Keyboardist, Eli Winderman, sat down and got right into it, starting into the opening riff of the quintessential “Vol 3 #86,” which had the entire crowd freaking-out from the first note. Right off the bat, the band was very visibly happy to be back onstage playing this music together and they were absolutely locked in with each other. (Stream Matt Moricle’s recording below or download here)

After playing through the main composition of “Vol. 3 #86,” Winderman took the helm with his Moog and the band was off into uncharted territory. The jam in “Vol 3” was very patient and allowed for Winderman and guitarist, Rob Compa, to explore different melodic ideas before locking in on a driving, synth groove that led the group into a mini peak, before dropping back into the “Vol 3” ending, hard. Bassist, Chuck Jones, immediately started into the heavy intro riff of “Nuggy Jawson,” an instrumental that’s very riff-centric and progressive. Following “Nuggy Jawson” came “Mucho,” the mysterious funky jam that provides an optimistic outlook on life. The crowd was getting down and singing along to every word, including the chorus, which is completely in Spanish. Winderman led the group on his Moog. The jam was fairly short and the band sang the last round of lyrics before having some fun with the clapping part, as the song ended.

Compa finally broke the silence and addressed the crowd with a “Welcome back!,” before starting the opening notes of “French Bowling,” a jazzy tune that features a lot of intense melodic lines. “Bowling” would fit perfectly in a spy movie, the vibe is almost Pink Panther-esque in the way it slinks around and leaves the listener wondering where it’s going next. At this point in the show, the entire theater was grooving and cheering at nearly every section change.

The jam in “Bowling” was dark and mystifying, led by Compa with a remarkable solo weaving through each chord change expertly. The group crushed the dubby outro of the song and used the energy to transition into the heavy rocker, “Braindead.” It didn’t feature a jam, but “Braindead” allowed room to breathe, making for an experimental, but tight version of the song. The slower “My Elephant vs. Your Elephant,” was a testament to Winderman’s ability to draw the sweetest melodies out of his synth. The composed section was tight and led the band into a groovy, bouncy jam led by Winderman on his Moog and organ. The jam never reached a peak.

To close out the set, the band dusted off fan-favorite “Trapper Keeper,” with Jones introducing the song as such. “Trapper Keeper” was one of the highlights, featuring the most exploratory jam that tapped into the use of space and ambience to create a wonderfully mystical atmosphere. Towards the end of the jam, Compa took an absolutely beautiful slide solo that seemed to be him pouring out emotions built up over the hiatus. After a powerful ending, the band left the stage and the fans were speechless. In-house set-break entertainment was provided as Stratton projected the movie Shrek the Third onto the walls of the theater.

To kick off the second set, the group broke into their recently released “Numbers Need Humans,” a funkier tune that’s never been played live before. The song translated to the live setting easily and the band was obviously enjoying it. Following “Numbers” came “FABA,” which is arguably the group’s greatest song. The crowd was ecstatic from the opening melody. “FABA” was another one of the night’s highlights; it was absolutely perfect front to back and by the looks on the members’ faces, they thought so as well. The jam explored a bit different territory, with the band locking in on a funk groove before getting into this rising, atmospheric groove that built up perfectly into the crescendo of the jam.

Winderman wasted no time post-“FABA” and started right into “Onionhead,” which was an excellent follow up to the 17 minutes of goodness that preceded it. The intro was extended and stripped down, before the band dropped heavily into the recorded intro and started into the song’s driving, bass groove. Winderman led the jam on piano, working around the grooves that Jones and Evans were laying down. Before starting the next song, Jones addressed the crowd saying: “Luke gets paid way more to light this song,” as the band broke into “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” by the Smashing Pumpkins, who Stratton has been working for during the hiatus. Apparently the group tricked him by putting a Dopapod song in this spot on the setlist, so Stratton had to light the song on the fly.

Winderman started the opening of “Superbowl,” laying down heavy synth bass notes that literally shook the venue. The jam in “Superbowl” was sweet and succinct, not going far outside the realms of the song. The upbeat “Roid Rage” came next, a fusion-esque tune that quickly got into a jam, which featured an incredibly impressive metal section before Compa took the helm and soloed masterfully through the quick changes. Up next was “Plaese Haalp,” off of the group’s 2017 release Megagem, played uptempo which gave it a funkier feel. “Haalp” didn’t feature a jam section, but featured yet another impressive guitar solo from Compa. Evans started into the groove of “Cloud World.” The song’s jazzy sound served as a nice follow up to “Haalp”’s harder rock sound. The jam section in “Cloud World” was very spacey and had elements of reggae, before the band started rising the groove back into the ending of the song.

Winderman thanked the crowd and introduced his and Compa’s parents, telling the crowd that they decided to play a song they were going to save for the VIP set: “Never Odd or Even,” the secret track off of the 2014 album of the same name. This was the live debut of the song, and it was a very emotional moment for a lot of lifelong fans. There were some heavy emotions flowing out of this performance, and it was the most beautiful part of the show. To close out the second set, the group kicked off “Bubble Brain,” another fan favorite and one of the band’s best compositions. The jam section of “Bubble Brain” carried some of the emotion from the previous song “NOOE,” as Winderman led the charge with an emotional organ solo that was a shining example of why he’s one of the best organ users on the scene right now.

The band took a very quick encore break before returning to the stage, and Jones started introducing the members of the band, asking if “you wanna hear ‘Trapper Keeper’ again? Absolutely not! Shame on you!” Winderman opened with the synth notes of “Freight Train Filled With Dynamite,” a powerhouse of a song that sounds like a freight train barreling down the tracks. Freight Train’s jam section had an overall jamtronica sound, with collaborative electronic grooves. The band masterfully transitioned back into the head of the tune.

This show was incredible. Dopapod was locked in with one another, the jams were fresh and explored really interesting territory and the setlist was phenomenal front to back. Luke Stratton also put on one of the most astounding light shows the crowd had ever seen, seemingly never repeating a single move. It’s hard to put into words the emotions the band conveyed musically, but one thing is very clear: all four of them really enjoyed performing that show and are happy to be back.

Dopapod, April 27, 2019 – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY

Set 1: Vol. 3 #86 > Nuggy Jawson, Mucho, French Bowling (1) > Braindead, My Elephant vs. Your Elephant, Trapper Keeper

Set 2: Numbers Need Humans, FABA, Onionhead, Bullet With Butterfly Wings (2,3), Super Bowl, Roid Rage, Plaese Haalp, Cloud World, Never Odd Or Even (2) > Bubble Brain

Encore: Freight Train Filled With Dynamite

1: Nana nana boo-boo teases
2: Debut
3: Smashing Pumpkins cover

Check out the photo gallery below and check back with NYS Music for coverage of the special VIP Storyteller set at Garcia’s.

Photos by Amanda Siedner

April 29, 2019
Girlpool Goes from Chaos To Calm at Bowery Ballroom

Girlpool played to a devoted audience at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on April 25, rounding out a tour supported by Australian rising star, Hatchie with show opener, Gemma. Supporting the release of 2019’s What Chaos is Imaginary, the show displayed the dynamic range of genre across Girlpool’s records, along with the duo’s knack to look at home on any stage, and make it their own.

Waiving an introduction, the duo, supported by a second guitar, drums and keyboard, dove into “Lucy’s” from What Chaos is Imaginary. The slow, pounding pace driven by full, distorted guitar and an alternating kick and snare quickly enveloped the room, bringing people closer to the stage.

Girlpool began as two teenagers funneling their vulnerabilities and existential quandaries into a piece of pure, self-expression, which became 2015’s Before the World Was Big. Since then, the duo has blossomed with expanding musical sophistication as Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad have gotten a little older, and a little more grounded in perspective. Changes and self-realization are included in that journey, including Tucker’s coming out as trans in 2017.

Photograph By Jazmin Beltran

For a band which started as two people playing instruments together with an ambiguous, co-lead syntax and relying on harmonies shouted over each other or shared in a whisper, Tucker’s now-deeper voice has found a new space to sit among the vocal mix. Rocking into “Hire,” Tucker shouts into the mic, their voice unbounded, cracking and passionate.

The set traversed the different styles across Girlpool’s albums. Returning to 2017’s Powerplant, the band teetered on a punk-inspired shoegaze, in the space where The Cranberries and The Breeders dwell. “It Gets More Blue” featured grunge-y bass lines and monotone vocals sang in unison, breaking out of the self-imposed trance during the louder, punchier moments.

Photograph By Jazmin Beltran

Tucker and Tividad’s energy ebbed and flowed with the tone of song. Balancing Tividad’s often cooing, softly delivered lines, Tucker was often moving about the stage, always looking to be on the verge of vocally exploding with angst or excitement. Often checking in with one another on stage via smiles during songs or stage banter, the deep friendship the two have with each other enriched the experience. Even in front of an audience, the two looked as if they were just messing around with each other in their living room, experiencing the joy of musical connection for the first time.

Touring with Girlpool and developing a large fanbase of her own, Australian-based Hatchie supported the show with her signature blend of dream-pop and shoegaze. She’s drawn from genre-definers like the Cocteau Twins and has since joined a talented pool of female-led indie groups including Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy, and of course, Girlpool. Deserving a mention is show opener and Brooklyn-based electro-soul group, Gemma. Helmed by Ava Luna’s Felicia Douglass along with guitarist Erik Gundel, the group delivered genre-bending dance energy reminiscent of The Talking Heads.

Ending with an encore including a couple of crowd favorites, fans left the venue repeating a favorite line from Before the World Was Big’s “Chinatown”: “Do you feel restless when you realize you’re alive?” As they play stages of all sizes, Girlpool is always able to make it seem as if you’re a guest in their home, listening to music and laughing at their stories. This tour will continue in New Jersey as it moves southwest and ends in Europe. See them at a venue near you.

*All photographs taken by Jazmin Beltran

April 28, 2019
Set Your Controls: Nick Mason Revives Pink Floyd Roots

Though Pink Floyd has been retired since their 1995 “Pulse” tour (with the exception of the 2014 release of The Endless River) all three surviving members of the band have treated New York City to different flavors of the live Pink Floyd experience. Roger Waters made a statement with his present-day adaptation of The Wall at Yankee Stadium in 2013. David Glimour mesmerized Manhattan with three nights between Radio City and The Garden. This past weekend, Nick Mason propelled the Syd Barret era back into the limelight, presenting works from the band’s earliest recordings.

In comparison to large venue shows, The Beacon Theatre provided a much more intimate experience and prompted many to share stories about their first experiences seeing the band in smaller venues before the show even began – a reminiscence which become even more real later in the show.

Nick Mason and Guy Pratt performing at the Beacon Theatre

The intro riffs of “Interstellar Overdrive,” from Pink Floyd’s first album, were quick to establish the theme of the show, something to which Mason remarked upon after a couple of songs. He dismissed considering his band some sort of Pink Floyd tribute-act or a nostalgia machine. His band wasn’t a random assemblage of musicians either. Joining him on bass was Guy Pratt, who toured with Mason, Gilmour and the late Richard Wright, on the post-Waters Pink Floyd tours; on guitar, Gary Kemp, a longtime friend of Mason’s. Kemp’s familiarity and Pratt’s Floyd touring experience were evident in many aspects of the night from performance style to the band’s chemistry and character, just to name a few. It all created the genuine Pink Floyd-esque show Mason intended. Also joining Mason was Lee Harris (former guitarist for The Blockheads) who effortlessly flowed along with Kemp to re-create Syd Barrett’s sound, and Dom Beken on keys, dialing in Richard Wright’s style.

The setlist included several favorites from the early Floyd catalogue, which haven’t been played live in many years by either Gilmour or Waters, and dug into some rarer songs off those albums. Some box-sets and re-releases brought some of these songs back into the light, but other songs in the set like “Green is the Colour” and “Vegetable Man” were a treat from the realm of obscurity for dedicated fans in the audience. Pratt got his wish to pick a song to play on this tour. For Gilmour’s mid/late 2000’s tour, Pratt was given the chance to choose a song for the setlist, to which he suggested “The Nile Song.” He joked that the idea clearly wouldn’t fly as it wasn’t popular, “[that] album was half the cost of all the other Pink Floyd albums and everyone had it.” However, the heavier/louder psychedelic sound was welcomed at the Beacon Theatre and didn’t disappoint the crowd.

Nick Mason performing at the Beacon Theatre

With New York a major crossroads and hub in the music world, the unexpected can happen. Mason was telling a story about not being able to play the shiny gong behind him in the early years for “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” because of a certain bandmate that always took that job from him. During which, Roger Waters emerged from the shadows of stage right to the gasps of the audience. Without a bass in hand, Waters performed the lyrics of the song, capturing an original recording and early performances of it.

The two former Pink Floyd members had been on stage together during Waters’ The Wall tour and previously during the band’s 2005 Live 8 reunion set. But, this is the first time in many years members of Pink Floyd have collaborated on stage for one of that band’s early songs. The surviving members have reunited to a limited degree in the years since the full 2005 reunion, (the three appeared briefly on stage in 2011 with a special appearance by Gilmour) and the experience NYC got with Waters and Mason will probably be the closest thing to a Pink Floyd reunion at this point, but these moments will certainly be welcomed.

Setlist: Interstellar Overdrive, Astronomy Domine, Lucifer Sam, Fearless, Obscured By Clouds, When You’re In, Remember a Day, Arnold Layne, Vegetable Man, If -> Atom Heart Mother -> If (reprise), The Nile Song, Green Is The Colour, Let There Be More Light, Childhood’s End, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, See Emily Play, Bike, One of These Days

Encore: A Saucerful of Secrets, Point Me at the Sky

April 27, 2019
Lettuce Jazz Up The Cap with Scofield on 4/20
Lettuce was joined by John Scofield in lighting up The Capitol Theatre with their masterful funk grooves, mixed in with some jazz fusion. John Scofield sat in for most of the show, cutting through the funky grooves with incendiary guitar playing.
April 23, 2019
Papadosio Content Coma in Buffalo

Papadosio‘s Content Coma spring tour was comprised of several stops in New York, including a show in Buffalo on April 19 to a packed house at the Town Ballroom. Opening up the evening was Colorado’s Cycles. Then, after a quick changeover, the Asheville, NC-based rockers took to the stage for the one set main event. Playing tracks from throughout their catalog including a few cuts from last fall’s Content Coma release, Papadosio enthralled the crowd with their unique blend of analog-rooted electronica.

April 23, 2019
Top Ten Things Learned At Whose Live Anyway?

Whose Live Anyway?, which took place at Kingston’s Ulster Performing Arts Center on April 12, 2019, is an atypical event for NYS Music to cover. Hell, the skit comedy show is an atypical event, period.

In lieu of a traditional review of the night’s proceedings, we have compiled the “Top Ten Things Learned At Whose Live?

1) Drew Carey has a dirty mouth. When he’s not giving away cars on national midday broadcast television, Carey loves saying “fuck.” He dropped more f-bombs than the Bad News Bears dropped pop-ups. The curses were perhaps gratuitous, but never malicious. He seemed like a genuinely jovial guy who loves and appreciates his enviable job.

2) Greg Proops likes audience participation– when it’s asked for. Sure, the event called for audience participation. Sometimes, people chimed in and he apparently didn’t hear, like when a zealous Oliver Twist fan called out his favorite book several times. Other times, unsolicited engagement came and Proops had no problem demanding people to “Shut up!” (perhaps slightly maliciously), while mocking them in the process.

3) Any action can be made sexual. In the evening’s first skit, Carey and Jeff B. Davis came out with a bang… or a blow. Audience members were asked to provide them with non-sexual actions to perform on stage while telling a story. Carey was tasked with sit-ups while Davis was given jumping jacks. It turns out, if you’re doing sit-ups and your friend starts doing jumping jacks while straddling your midsection, the amalgamation looks quite sexual. Who knew?

4) Kids say the darndest things. Twelve-year-old Skylar, who already witnessed his grandmother being wooed (we’ll get to Hester), was called onto stage during the encore to create a fairy tale called “Shmoogley Poogley” (or something) on the spot with Carey and the crew. Skylar– rightfully so– questioned “What parent names their kid Shmoogley? Or Poogley?!” Later in the story, when Poogley was being chased by Shmoogley, Skylar exclaimed, “…and Poogley ran to a bridge and jumped off!” That’s one way to end a story abruptly.

5) Kids make the most monophonic sound effects. During another sketch, Proops and Joel Murray played construction workers filling in Kingston’s infamous potholes, while a couple of young volunteers were called up to make sound effects. As it were, wings flapping, beers cracking, steamrollers starting and ice swishing all sounded incredibly alike.

6) “Bucharest, Bitch!” The cast played Jeopardy and, when the answer was “Bucharest,” Carey’s– I mean space skydiver Felix Bumgartner’s– question was, “What do I say after a killer dunk? Bucharest, bitch!” That’s right, Bucharest is not the nap one takes after chowing down at Buca di Beppo. And definitely not the capital of Romania.

7) Comedians acting drunk are much funnier than actual drunk people. We’ve all been out and seen (or been) people whose motor skills look like they’re being controlled by someone else. During a skit, Carey and Davis impersonated Kingstonians over-imbibing at the annual St. Patrick’s Day festival. The funny part? Their movements were controlled by random participants who pushed or pulled their arms, legs, hands and feet as they saw fit. They moved like robots and slurred like…apparently, Kingstonians.

8) Juuling ain’t allowed in school. A Kingston high-schooler was asked to provide a title for a fake soap opera. The crew would narrate based on the biggest drama going on at her school. The title she provided? “Juuling In the Bathroom.” The skit was funny, the prevalence of kids huffing USBs in school is distressing.

9) Grandmas make great babysitters. The reason Skylar was on stage telling stories with famous comedians who love dropping F-bombs and telling people to shut up; His parents were out and Grandma Hester was babysitting. She was the first audience participant called on stage and was serenaded by Davis. Davis concluded the ballad by bragging he would give Grandma her own “scarlet A” and Skylar must have seen her blush from his seat, halfway back in the crowd. In about five years, he may be the first high-schooler to enjoy Hawthorne when he realizes “that’s what that guy meant!”

10) Ariana Grande and Jim Belushi love library songs. Or, at least when being portrayed by Carey and Murray, respectively, and attempting to sell “greatest library-song hits.” This is a two-for-one point– Greg Proops just may do Elvis Costello better than Elvis Costello does Elvis Costello.

Here’s a bonus takeaway from the evening: laughter is damn good medicine. Go see a comedy show. Your side might hurt from all the laughter, but your soul will feel refreshed.

April 19, 2019
A Night with the Stars of the Capital Region: The Thomas Edison Music Awards at Proctors

The night of Sunday, April 14 was a special night for all of the Capital Region’s music and entertainment scene at Proctors Theatre. It was the first ever Eddie’s – the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards. The Eddie’s were formed this year by Jim Murphy (marketing and corporate development director at Proctors Collaborative) and Salvatore Prizio (program director at Proctors). It provided an opportunity to amplify, empower, and celebrate all creative professionals that are vital to the Capital Region’s growing music scene. Thirty-three categories, ranging from best photographer, soloist, music venue, and others, and three people’s choice categories, were voted on by the public. Two 2019 Inductees, songwriter, Kevin McKrell, and Music Mobile founder, Ruth Pelham, were inducted into the N.Y. Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame.

As a creative professional in the visual arts, photography, and journalism scene, it was an honor to attend and be a part of this show at Proctors. It was a blast being a part of this show with other creative musicians, photographers, publications, and music patrons. The awards show gave patrons an opportunity to learn more about the musicians, bands, publications, music promoters, photographers, venues, radio hosts, and other creatives that make up our music scene in the Capital Region. It was a great event to support all the nominees and winners that make up our growing scene.

This year’s 2019 Inductees for the NY Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame included songwriter and visual artist, Kevin McKrell and Music Mobile Founder, Ruth Pelham. The video presentations and the speeches that both McKrell and Pelham gave to the audience were both interesting and inspiring, particularly Pelham’s. It was interesting to see how McKrell’s Celtic music and his portrait art of musicians that he created inspired him to become a visual artist and a successful musician who previously performed at the esteemed Carnegie Hall.

Girl Blue with Jamie from Chromoscope Video Productions, accepting the award for “Best Music Video” for “Dreams”

Sara Ayers and Paul Jossman accepting the award for “Best Arts Publication” for Nippertown.com

A photo video montage shown on the screen held in memory of Caroline MotherJudge.

Kevin McKrell,songwriter and recipient of The Eddie’s Artistic Lifetime Achievement Award.

Music Mobile Founder, Ruth Pelham, the recipient of The Eddies Lifetime Achievement Award for Music Education or Community Impact.

April 18, 2019
Angelique Kidjo Covers Talking Heads Classics For Kingston Crowd

One of UPAC’s bartenders skipped down an abandoned hall, hands aloft, waving side to side, an unadulterated grin glued to his face. An usher, with no one requiring assistance, leaned against a post, nodding appreciatively and smiling approvingly. It was the encore, but the exit hall was empty and there was nobody to usher; no one left this show early. Meanwhile, Angelique Kidjo and her backing band took a victory lap, wading into the crowd from stage right, dancing, hugging and high-fiving their way to the back of the room. They shifted to the adjacent corner and shimmied back up onto stage left, all the while covering Talking Heads “Burning Down the House.”

Kidjo and her band brought down the house from the opening djembe drum solo to the Talking Heads finale. When she took the stage, Kidjo’s presence instantly demanded full attention; her attire rivaled the vibrancy of her voice and she and her band held onlookers riveted all evening.

Originals and Talking Heads covers alternated throughout the evening, with anecdotes sprinkled in. After the opening drum solo kicked things off, a cover of “Born Under Punches” flowed into a bass and synth-heavy “Crosseyed and Painless.” Kidjo followed these covers by informing the Ulster Performing Arts Center, “We love doing Remain In Light—with the blessing of the Talking Heads of course!” Kidjo and her cohorts played a few California concerts with David Byrne, she explained.

For most of the evening, the aisles were filled with a wave of grooving bodies and seats were left abandoned. Kidjo is undeniably a star: her presence is vast and her voice is a wide-ranging instrument unto itself. She formed a symbiotic relationship with the Kingston crowd that blossomed all evening. Her dancing was like jujitsu that warded off bad energy as she bounced from American funk to African beats.

Midway into the show, Kidjo disappeared into the crowd and would occasionally pop up in a sea of fans in the heart of UPAC. She finally reemerged onstage for the remainder of her nearly two-hour set to energetically cover “Once In a Lifetime” to fans’ delight.

As the show neared its end, Kidjo exclaimed, “I want at least thirty people up on stage– first come, first serve, ladies, men, I don’t care who– get up here! Let’s go!” The stage quickly filled with eager attendees looking to bask in Kidjo’s presence. The djembe drummer lumbered to center-stage and began serenading dancers with beats, which they, in turn, interpreted with their shaking bodies. Anyone who wanted the limelight was given their shot at it. Those who preferred watching were treated to a show.

The evening was more an interactive musical experience than a concert. When Kidjo said, “Clap,” the Kingston crowd clapped; when she said stand, they stood. “Dance!” Kidjo demanded, and dance they did. No one left early, and no one left without a look that said they yearned to remain in Kidjo’s bright light.

April 15, 2019
Trey Anastasio’s Ghosts of the Forest Bestows Intimate Precision On NYC

Last night Trey Anastasio brought his newest project, the emotionally charged Ghosts of the Forest, to New York City for the first of a two night run at the United Palace Theatre. A departure from the improvisational jam routine, GOTF provided a set of incredible honesty and vulnerability. Apart from the music, this project stands-out as beautifully intimate and something uniquely special.

Six shows into their one-off tour, the group of frequent collaborators (members of Phish, TAB and the fresh voice of Celisse Henderson) have played the same setlist every night. Opting for one single set, the sextet unrelentingly weaved through all the highs and lows with precision.

As the crowd funneled in, the ambient house music set the mood, giving everyone time to settle into the wonderfully-detailed 3,000 capacity room. If you’ve been paying attention, by now you know that the music of GOTF has all been derived from the passing of Trey’s childhood friend Chris Cottrell. The 90-year-old opera house provided a perfect setting for this music. The poignant to-the-point lyrics, gorgeous layers of soothing vocal melodies and soaring guitar solos filled air with sentimental, and sublime energy.

The title track “Ghosts of the Forest,” which served as the opening song, is an ethereal walk through an odd-time signature – a reflection of what it’s like trying to understand permanent loss. Going on themes of confusion and searching, there is no nonsense here; “I’m drowning in my own mind, I’m drowning in thoughts, I’m drowning in memories.” These personal revelations continue through “Drift While You’re Sleeping” and “Friend,” a touching gospel ballad expressing the difficulties of making, and losing, friendship.

When new music is released, fans love and look forward to hearing how studio music will translate into the live setting. As the album had not yet been released before the first 5 dates, nobody knew what to expect. Yesterday however, the studio material was revealed and finally gave a taste to the masses. Still, two-plus hours gave plenty of time for extras. The first non-album song, “Sightless Escape,” was fourth up, but the first to feel like a potential jam-vehicle. Featuring a surf-rock tinged riff and a loose mid-section groove, you know things are picking up when Trey lets loose with the whammy pedal. A short, but soulful vocal solo from Celisse was an amazing touch.

Trey and his team, including Stop Making Sense production designer, Abigail Holmes, have done an excellent job of blending various elements of this production to evoke and portray the feelings one might experience when losing someone they love. The stage was fascinating, featuring constantly changing graphics displayed on 10′ vertical LED screens situated between three large panels of swirling three-dimensional triangles. At some points, the backdrop really looked like ghosts in a forest.

The setlist was up-and-down, light and dark, upset yet glad. At times the crowd would sit, during “In Long Lines,” a heartfelt acoustic passage where Trey is clearly singing about real memories he had with his friend. “I lit your cigarette, your hand was touching mine.” As Trey mentioned in a recent Rolling Stone interview, Chris smoked up until the day he passed. In another song, the crowd was bouncing, laughing with the band as they smiled and danced through “The Green Truth,” an uptempo classic rock number featuring vast interplay between guitar and vocals, on the refrain “take it as it comes.”

In a dare-worded curveball moment, Trey sat down his guitar completely for “Mint Siren Dream” and sang over a soft shuffle from Fishman, on top of descending leads from the milkman on keys, Ray Paczkowski. Another obviously special moment, as last year Ray had a brain tumor scare, right around the same time Chris Cottrell was in his final months. Allowing Ray to shine felt like a reminder that these unpredictable episodes in life can be celebrated as much as they are to be mourned in.

Recently Trey commented on Sirius XM that Chris loved it when he ripped on guitar. This was undeniable through the entire set, but spoke most loudly on the racer “Ruby Waves” and “About To Run,” which featured a colorful silhouette on the LED’s during its peaking solo.

It was not painfully obvious, that a man in mourning wrote this music. Though, songs like the all acoustic “Brief Time” point out the inevitable, most of it is uplifting. These songs are an expression of an infinite and all-encompassing love. They are an honor to friendship and experience. The set ended the same way it began, with the piano melody of “Ghosts Of The Forest” as each member walked off stage one by one. It was a surreal call back to the beginning, perfectly encapsulating the circle of life. In his final words, Trey thanked the crowd on behalf of the entire band. It was so heartfelt and really showed that they were there for him as much as he was there for them “dancing beneath a sea of stars.”

Stay tuned with NYS as GOTF is back at United Palace tonight for round two. Download audio of tonights set via LivePhish.

SETLIST: Ghosts of the Forest, Drift While You’re Sleeping, Friend, Sightless Escape, Halfway Home > If Again, In Long Lines, There’s a Path Above, About to Run, The Green Truth, Beneath a Sea of Stars Parts 1 & 2 > Mint Siren Dream, Stumble Into Flight, Ruby Waves,Shadows Thrown By Fire, Wider, A Life Beyond The Dream, In This Bubble > Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 3 (blue).

ENCORE: Brief Time, Pieces in the Machine

April 13, 2019
Albany welcomes Trey Anastasio and his newest project, Ghosts of the Forest, with open arms

In a 2003 interview, Jon Fishman said “Look, Trey shits music.” He would know, having played with Trey since 1983 and observed his obsessive song-writing habits. Fishman joined Trey for the first time in a side project, the brand new Ghosts of the Forest, which debuted this month in Portland, ME. When Trey spoke during the encore at The Palace Theatre in Albany on Tuesday, April 9, he said he hoped to play music for 50 more years, and given Trey’s workload – writing Kazvot Vaxt and Ghosts of the Forest nearly back to back – and his increasingly positive outlook on life, that task is not out of reach.

This is Trey who is the unofficial celebrity spokesman for Light (now, with MORE brightness!). He’s been dropping notes of light in songs for a decade now, and with Ghosts of the Forest, we may have hit a new peak with Trey’s profoundly personal and positive lyrics. Trey spoke about Albany as being his second home, and close to those he loves in Burlington and New York City, and how excited he was to bring this new project to the Palace and a sold out ‘hometown’ crowd.

With a band consisting of Fishman on the kit (sans muumuu, he looks like your neighbor who side-gigs as a session drummer), a healthy Ray Paczkowski behind the keyboards, and Jennifer Hartswick and Celisse Henderson who provided gospel hued vocals that not only backed up Trey, but added a sonic layer to the group’s psychedelic rock. Saratoga Springs’ Tony Markellis took up bass duties, as he has in every side project Trey has had since 8 Foot Fluorescent Tubes debuted in 1998 at Higher Ground. Energy in the room was palpable, as many eschewed listening to the recordings of shows from earlier this month for a first-look experience that is otherwise hard to come by. Even the album won’t be released until April 12, making this a nearly-virgin experience for the majority of fans in attendance.

The production design by Abigail Holmes, who worked on Stop Making Sense and The Wall among many other shows, created a playground for her to color, using LED screens behind thin tapestries affixed with folded white paper in sweeping patterns. The symphony of light accented the music and was choreographed to each song of the night. During “The Green Truth,” a rainbow LED projection of Trey floated behind the band across the stage, while a stratified nighttime rainforest sky filled the stage during “Mint Siren Dream,” bringing the audience to Pandora for a brief moment.

Ghosts of the Forest can be translated as deep memories in our mind, and throughout the songs, themes of loss, love and decade-long friendship were present. Trey lost close friend Chris “CCott” Cottrell to cancer recently, and the experience led to a number of the songs performed by Ghosts of the Forest. Trey spoke to Rolling Stone about playing acoustic guitar while CCott was in his final stages, and would play as he went in and out of consciousness. “Drift While You’re Sleeping” draws from that, while having a mid-1970s psychedelic rock feel – think Derek and the Dominoes with space built in for Trey to stretch.

“Beneath a Sea of Stars Parts 1 & 2” was a fun Beatles-esque rocker, with a third part to close the set. “Stumble into Flight” had direct hints of Phish – “Pigtail” meets “Cool Amber and Mercury” with a dash of Steely Dan mixed in. “Ruby Waves” jumped out as a late 70s Neil Diamond show-stopper on steroids. A highlight among the night was “A Light Beyond the Dream,” with lights cascading as if entering a stained glass window and beaming on the congregation, combined with encouraging lyrics of not giving up hope.

This is prophetic Trey: upbeat, happy, and encouraging, dad-like at times but not playing dad-rock. Ghosts of the Forest is a culmination of Trey’s last decade of writing. Trey said he wants to play for another 50 years. This is just the beginning.

Setlist via livemusicblog.com

Trey Anastasio – Ghosts of the Forest – Palace Theatre, Albany, NY – April 9, 2019

Setlist: Piano intro, Ghosts of the Forest, Drift While You’re Sleeping, Friend, Sightless Escape, Halfway Home, If Again, In Long Lines, There’s a Path Above, About to Run, The Green Truth, Beneath a Sea of Stars Parts 1 & 2, Mint Siren Dream, Stumble Into Flight, Ruby Waves, Shadows Thrown By Fire, Wider, A Light Beyond The Dream, In This Bubble, Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 3 (blue)

Encore: Brief Time, Pieces in the Machine

April 10, 2019