NYS Music 20​19

Category: Show Reviews

  • In Focus: Widespread Panic Let it Rock at The Capitol Theatre

    Widespread Panic kicked off their sold out 3-night run at The Capitol Theatre with a traditional tribute to the Grateful Dead, playing “Let it Rock,” an occasional feature of setlists, off 1974’s Mars Hotel. From there the band performed a show of originals with a few choice covers thrown in late in the second set.

    Set 1 highlights included “C Brown,” a 10 minute “Shut up and Drive,” “Pleas” > “Henry Parsons Died” and “B of D” > “Conrad” to close the set out. Set 2 opened up with “You Got Yours” that segued very tightly into “Up All Night,” which has been taken out for excellent stretched out jams as of late. Fan favorite “Ribs n Whiskey” was met with huge cheers from the crowd, and Panic tour manager Steve Lopez hopped on percussion with Sunny Ortiz for War’s “Slippin into Darkness,” which paired with J.J. Cale’s “Travelin’ Light” to close the set. An encore of “Pilgrims” and Funkadelic’s “Red Hot Mama” closed out Night 1 of Widespread’s first show at The Capitol Theatre since 1991, and fans are pumped for what Saturday and Sunday night will bring. Stream last nights show courtesy of Panicstream.

    Friday, March 22

    Set 1: Let It Rock > Radio Child, C Brown, Dyin’ Man, Shut Up And Drive > Pleas > Henry Parsons Died, Sundown Betty > B Of D > Conrad The Caterpillar

    Set 2: You Got Yours > Up All Night > Blackout Blues, Party at Your Mama’s House > Ribs And Whiskey, Steven’s Cat > Fishwater > Drum Solo > Drums And Bass > Fishwater > Slippin’ Into Darkness* > Travelin’ Light

    Encore: Pilgrims > Red Hot Mama

    Saturday, March 23

    Set 1: Wondering > Mr Soul, Hope in a Hopeless world > 1×1, Christmas Katie > Good Morning Little Schoolgirl > Who do you belong to?, Though Sausage, Bowlegged Woman > Action Man > Bowlegged Woman

    Set 2: Saint Ex, Hatfield, Ride me High, Stop Breaking Down, Machine > Barstools > You Should be Glad > Contentment Blues > Goin Out West, Chilly Water

    Encore: Puppy Sleeps > Flatfoot Floozy

    Sunday March 24

    Set 1: Holden Oversoul > Makes Sense to Me, Let’s Get Down to Business, Little Lilly, Airplane, Jaded Tourist, Blue Indian, The Last Straw, Life During Wartime

    Set 2: Lawyers, Guns and Money, Little Kin, Love Tractor, I’m Not Alone, North > One Kind Favor, Bust it Big, Mercy > The Other One Jam > I’m So Glad, Postcard, Ain’t Life Grand

    Encore: This Part of Town, Low Spark of High Heeled Boys > Disco > Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature

     

  • Rubblebucket with a Bang in Rochester

    For a band, that by normal band-conventions shouldn’t even exist, Rubblebucket is stronger and as vibrant as ever. Leaders and remaining original members, Kalmia Travers and Alex Toth, have both climbed personal hurdles over the last couple of years, including the end of their romantic relationship. Instead of breaking up the band, they shuffled up the other members and put out a new album, Sun Chaser, last summer. Still in heavy support of their new release, they played through the entire record at their tour opener in Rochester, albeit in a modified order.

    A proper review of Rubblebucket’s show might be a dense word-cloud of adjectives and verbs, all punctuated with exclamation points. The stage was a constant blur of action and color. Their past antics were like a low budget Flaming Lips or Of Montreal, but here it was more reminiscent of the Talking Heads and David Byrne. Less party, more art. White fabric screens were hit with splashes of light, orange and green, red and blue, purple and magenta. Band members turned into psychedelic dancing silhouettes when they went behind the screens.

    The crowd was engaged 110% from note one, moving and grooving with every beat, singing along with every lyric. When prompted to help out with the chorus of “Annihilation Song,” they needed no instruction,  already acting as the collective backing chorus. Crowd and band merged at the inevitable march of the horns, including new trumpet player Sean Smith, down the length of the venue and again at the post-encore acoustic session in the back by the bar. Kal heaped praise on the Rochester audience frequently, even calling out a trio of front row fans with matching rainbows, who gifted her with a rainbow boa.

    The new rhythm section was a crack trio of New York City musicians (Ryan Dugre on guitar, Noga Shefi on bass, Jeremy Gustin on drums) who were more than up for the task, but mostly stayed in the background. As a bit of a palette cleanser after the set, they emerged on stage first for the encore, showing off their wares more overtly with a few minutes banging deep grooves.

    The night began with Alex Toth who mixed his live guitar and trumpet playing with effects pedals and pre-recorded material including beats, cellos, backing vocals in a preview of what is sure to be a very good album out in May.

    Mikaela Davis then showcased her harp-led pop-folk from her superb 2018 album Delivery, adding in a few new songs which mostly featured her playing keys. Her band was joined by Maybird’s Kurt Johnson on pedal steel and guitar throughout the entire hometown set. Davis, who sat in with Bob Weir in Syracuse last November, added a beautiful cover of “Brokedown Palace” to close out her night on stage. Davis will rejoin Rubblebucket midway through their tour, which will wind it’s way back to Upstate New York with a show at the Westcott Theatre on April 25.

     

     

  • Mike Gordon Brings His Funk to Jersey City

    Phish bassist Mike Gordon brought his brand to Jersey City, NJ for a rocking St. Patrick’s Day’s show. The current lineup includes Gordon, guitarist Scott Murawski, drummer John Kimock, keyboardist Robert Walter (JJ Grey, Robert Walter’s 20th Congress) and percussionist Craig Myers.

    Gordon’s band is nearing the end of a March tour that started in Atlanta, GA and moved up the East Coast. Upcoming dates include Buffalo, NY and Cambridge, Mass. The band will also play at Jazz Fest in April.

    Jersey City’s White Eagle Hall was the venue for this rocking event. Originally built as a community center, this restored historic building is in the downtown area. On this night, White Eagle Hall was sold out and at capacity.

    Set 1 began with the band entering to a roaring packed crowd. Mike showed off his matching illuminated bass with Murawski’s guitar. His funky, slappy bass playing transcended these songs, creating a rocking dance party. A cool multi-colored light show accompanied the music. The set ended with the high energy “Crazy Sometimes.”
    Set 2 picked up where set 1 left off. “Sweet Emotion” was the notable cover from the set. Elizabeth Nestlerode sat in with the band during the encore for “If You Want Me.” Nestlerode is a Broadway star in The Other Josh Cohen. The show ended on a high note with Jersey City anxious for more of the Mike Gordon Band.

    SET 1: Whirlwind, Steps, Sleep to Dream, Got To Be More Careful, Tropical Rocket, Angatta, You Strike My Main Nerve, Crazy Sometimes

    SET 2: Tiny Little World, Stealing Jamaica, Put Down The Phone, Noon to Noon, When Your Mind’s Made Up [1], My Favorite Mistake, Jones, Sweet Emotion

    ENCORE: If You Want Me [2], I Am Random

    [1] Mike Gordon debut.

    [2] Mike Gordon debut; with Elizabeth Nestlerode on vocals.

  • Aqueous Goes Big in Rochester

    It was an unremarkable day on the calendar and a fairly unremarkable day outside, but inside the doors of Anthology in Rochester big things were happening. Buffalo’s Aqueous, who’ve called Rochester their second home since near their inception, were moving on from their frequent and beloved haunt Flour City Station. Like a hermit crab, they shed that shell and crawled the short distance down East Ave and nestled into the much larger Anthology. Remarkably, the band sold the venue out on their first visit.

    Everything about the move was big, The crowd, the stage, the lights, the sound. The crab had long outgrown its shell and was just yearning for this expansion. In other words, Aqueous wasn’t overwhelmed by the shift. On the contrary, it allowed for a huge release long in the making. To celebrate the occasion, the band planned to even make the show bigger, by adding a third set. And not just any set, plopped right in the middle of two regular-sized Aqueous sets was a fully improvised second set.

    It was a risky endeavor, but at worst a ho-hum jam set had the safety of being surrounded by two strong Aqueous sets. Ho-hum it wasn’t. The band found theme upon theme upon groove in five to ten minute segments pieced together seamlessly for a full 65 minutes. During that hour all in attendance were equals. No matter if this was someone’s first show or someone’s 100th, no one knew what was to come, band included.

    The set had no lulls and little to no meandering. It was defined and refined jamming. It felt familiar, until it didn’t, until it did again, mixing and matching genres along the way. It was EDM, then, “Oh damn!” It got Dead-y, then deadly, Phishy then fizzy, went from metal to meta, Ska to “Gah!” PeAQ Aqueous. When the band revisits the recording of the set they could easily mine a few new songs from it.

    The middle set was the highlight of the night, but of course there was plenty to love about sets one and three. “The Median” opener blasted the evening open with a soaring fiery jam. “Origami” got disco funky before a slow building theme peaked and exploded. “Good Enough” contained one of the more beautiful segments of the night, with a progression reminiscent of Jerry Garcia Band’s version of “Dear Prudence.” And “All In” and Pink Floyd’s “Run Like Hell” were a fun big rock combo to close out the third set in the wee hours of the morning.

    Anthology still has that new venue smell and is ripe for the taking. Friday night, Aqueous put a stake in the ground. All that’s left to do is raise the flag. Their new Rochester home is well underway to being claimed.

    Setlist:
    I: The Median, Kitty Chaser (Explosions) > Undone – The Sweater Song (Weezer) > Kitty Chaser (Explosions), Origami > Good Enough > Complex I, Warren in the Window
    II: Improv
    III: 20/20 > Aldehyde, Underlyer > Marty, All In > Run Like Hell (Pink Floyd) > All In
    E: Jam > Triangle

  • Los Blancos Bring Feeling To Historic Earlville Opera House

    On the first truly warm day in Central NY, Los Blancos, took the stage at a Historic Theater. The Earlville Opera House was built in 1890 and has survived many changes throughout its history, with the most recent phase beginning in 1970. Los Blancos keys/harp player Max Eyle’s father was actually in attendance and was the first Director of this beautiful theater.

    Just as the day, the room was warm with an excited audience, intent on hearing Los Blancos debut show at the famed Opera House. The sound in this space was perfect for the band’s very intimate performance.  One could almost compare a show here to a classic episode of VH1 Storytellers.  Colin Aberdeen, on guitar and lead vocals, seemed to sense this and kept the crowd laughing between songs with tales of the various incarnations of his band, playing bar rooms and theaters and everything in between, as well as shenanigans over 25 years of playing regionally and touring.

    [bs-quote quote=”Man it feels like we are playing at a campfire in here and I’m setting my drink on the back of a pickup…This is an incredible and legendary place, with so many icons having played here before. You can really feel it and it’s an honor to be here.” style=”style-2″ align=”center” color=”#dd3333″ author_name=”Colin Aberdeen” author_job=”Los Blancos, Guitar”][/bs-quote]

    The Syracuse based band used this show to play many original songs. Of the few covers, Los Blanks dug deep into blues/americana with Dan Penn and Earle King. With Aberdeen’s lead and Steve Winston’s solid bass playing, Eyle was allowed room to get the blues driven tunes in full gear. Lenny Milano held a steady backbeat on the vintage house drum kit from 1965 to complete this foursome with perfect fills, choosing his moments.

    Los Blancos as a whole, played the room astonishingly well, earning ovations for solos and commanding the attention of the room. Listening in this mostly wooden space, sounded like a live album that had already been mixed down. It is no wonder both the band and The Earlville Opera House have been at it so long.

    The band was able to fuze elements of swing, down home blues, and on some of the slower tunes, a campfire feel that set the tone. Aberdeen actually mentioned this in the second set addressing the audience: “Man it feels like we are playing at a campfire in here and I’m setting my drink on the back of a pickup.” During intermission he spoke about the history of the theater, which boasts many incredible performers over the years. “This is an incredible and legendary place, with so many icons having played here before. You can really feel it and it’s an honor to be here.” Los Blancos has over 200 songs in their repertoire and asked if they made a setlist Aberdeen said, “Sometimes we have an idea, but man we just play what feels right for the room.”

    Photo contributed by Sean Nevison

    Theater Director, Michelle Connelly, noted that “We are thrilled to have Los Blancos here tonight! They are a true burst of energy with heart and soul and they blew the roof of the place tonight!” The concert tonight was a testament to the theater’s great programming and care in every detail of the show.  The audience could see it in the smiles of the players, and the mutual respect could be felt as each song was enjoyed thoroughly be this very attentive crowd.

    If you are around the Syracuse area, make sure to look out for Los Blancos. They are true masters of their crafts and very humble musicians. The audience was won over from the very beginning with the band’s playing and charm. There is certainly something special about Earlville Opera House as well, that brings the best out of its performers – creating a positive and fun atmosphere, in one of the best listening rooms in New York State. This is a must see theater and one of the few Opera Houses left. The first floor is also an art gallery and there are many special events throughout the year as well.

  • Punch Brothers Entrust Ithaca with 2019 Kickoff

    Chris Thile, taking a break from his day job as host of the radio show “Live From Here,” got the band back together for a spring tour with the Punch Brothers with a tour that started with a return to the State Theatre in Ithaca. A place that banjoist, Noam Pikelny deemed to be too trusting due to the fact that on their last visit, a stranger on their flight offered them a place to stay just a few minutes after meeting them.

    The show was mostly a get-down-to-business affair, songs flowed effortlessly into each other and chatter was held to a minimum. Though some songs required further explanation, such as when they featured two different Tiki drink-themed instrumentals in the set. First the World War II drink “Three Dots and a Dash.” Later it was “Jungle Bird,” which Thile eloquently provided the recipe for. This then devolved into an argument with Pikelny over the meaning of “cheeky bit.” It was a comedy bit reminiscent of “Live From Here” and a welcome comedy break.

    The show concluded with an encore played unplugged and front of stage. The crowd was whisper quiet and the acoustically-sound room carried “The Hops of Guldenberg” to the furthest reach without issue. Without prompt the crowd joined in for some hearty “Oh Boys” for the show closer. The trust was warranted.

    Opener, Gabriel Kahane, played a short set of solo piano and guitar pieces. After the 2016 election, Kahane spent two weeks traveling by train with no phone or other modern technology, passing the time conversing with passengers in the dining cars, trying to understand and connect with people. He wrote an album’s worth of material about the experience and played some of it in his set, beautiful and meandering piano pieces. As about as stark a contrast as one could imagine, he sandwiched in a group of mini songs based on bizarre and comical tweets he read, with subjects like killer cats, Marie Kondo and Mr. Peanut.

    Setlist: Movement and Location, My Oh My, All Ashore, Flippen, Boll Weavil, Alex, Angel of Doubt, Three Dots and a Dash, Just Look at This Mess, Jumbo, Another New World, Passepied, New York City, Julep, Jungle Bird, Skeleton Key
    Encore: The Hops of Guldenberg, Oh Boy

  • Say it Ain’t So, Albany loves Cuomo? Weezer and Pixies take on Times Union Center

    Weezer and The Pixies arrived in Albany on Thursday, March 14 with a full tank of gas and a show that will make you remember why you sang along to all these songs in college. Of course, Weezer is still cranking out new material, with The Black Album released earlier this month, and an album of covers in The Teal Album. Combine this with all the classic Weezer you could possibly ask for and impressive stage production that traces the evolution of the band, from the early days in the garage to the arena rock they unleashed tonight, and you have the makings of a fantastic performance from Rivers Cuomo and company.

    Kicking off the set with a barbershop quartet version of “Buddy Holly” in front of the draped stage, “My Name is Jonas” started the set proper with a Happy Days themed high school stage setup revealed. Pinkerton’s  “Pink Triangle” followed for a taste of early Weezer to please the eager crowd of Gen-X-ers. The first of five covers, Weezer’s take on “Africa” by Toto, might be the only time you sing this 80s hit with thousands of others, without a hint of shame. During the intro for “The Sweater Song,” the stage morphed into a garage setup, which served well for the next sequence of songs:  “Pork and Beans” (featuring a VHS tape recording of early Weezer antics), The Turtles “Happy Together” with a segment of Green Day’s “Longview” seamlessly worked in, the apropos “In the Garage,” “Buddy Holly” and the debut of The Black Album’s “High as a Kite.”

    As the stage underwent its final transformation, Rivers Cuomo hopped in a boat-on-wheels that brought him to the opposite end of the arena, where he serenaded the crowd with acoustic versions of “El Scorcho” and “No Scrubs.” As he was wheeled back around the arena towards the stage, a darkened stage welcomed Cuomo back for Jane’s Addiction’s “Up the Beach” and sing-alongs of “Beverly Hills” and “Island in the Sun.” To close the set, a-ha’s “Take on Me,” “Perfect Situation” and “Hash Pipe” closed the set, the latter with flames shooting up around the stage. For the encore, Weezer gave a sampling of songs from mid 00’s ((“If You’re Wondering if I Want you to) I Want you to”), and the 90’s (“Surf Wax America” and “Say it Ain’t So”) for a career spanning performance of nearly two dozen songs over 90 minutes.

    Weezer setlist: Buddy Holly*, My Name is Jonas, Pink Triangle, Africa, You Give Your Love to me Softly, Undone – The Sweater Song, Pork and Beans, Happy Together->Longview->Happy Together, In the Garage, Buddy Holly, High as a Kite, El Scorcho^, No Scrubs^, Up the Beach, Beverly Hills, Island in the Sun, Take on Me, Perfect Situation, Hash Pipe

    Encore: (If You’re Wondering if I want you to) I want you to, Surf Wax America, Say it Ain’t So

    *Barbershop quartet version ^Rivers solo acoustic

    UK rockers Basement kicked off the night with a short set of generic rock anthems with a stark 90s influence. The band, particularly animated lead singer Andrew Fisher, all had great energy to start the night but the sound fell flat on a limited crowd, still making their way into the Times Union Center.

    Pixies followed with Paz Lenchantin subbing for Kim Deal and her voice and presence were well suited for a band well into their fourth decade. Guitarist Joey Santiago nailed riffs throughout the 22 song set with Black Francis leading the way. The Pixies brought out deep cuts as well as familiar songs (thanks in part to ad placements) including “Gigantic,” “Monkey Gone to Heaven” and the classic “Where is my Mind?” At times it felt like Pixies would be better suited to a setting like The Palace, or even The Egg. They made a great pairing with Weezer, but an intimate evening with Pixies would be a true treat for fans who grew up on this incredibly influential group.

    Pixies setlist: Gouge Away, Vamos, Crackity Jones, Gigantic, Wave of Mutilation, Death Horizon, Here Comes Your Man, Tame, Rock Music, Monkey Gone to Heaven, Classic Masher, No. 13 Baby, Caribou, Planet of Sound, Hey, Broken Face, Bone Machine, Cactus, Debaser, In the Witching Hour, Something Against You, Where is My Mind?

  • Dead Horses and Honeysuckle Play One for the Folks at Good Luck

    Dead Horses, a duo from Wisconsin, and Honeysuckle, a trio from Boston, met somewhere in the middle Tuesday night – geographically in the middle via Rochester, NY to be exact – as a part of the latest show put on by Honest Folk. The show itself also met in the middle musically, landing squarely within folk traditions both new and old.

    Honeysuckle opened the night. Guitar, mandolin, banjo and a kick drum blended into a joyful swirl of acoustic strings and beats. They played some new, as-yet-recorded songs to keep them “on their toes.” Though early in the set, “Catacombs,” off their 2017 release of the same name, kept the audience on their toes as well. An airy and floating psychedelic segment broke into a full-fledged mandolin-led jam before slinking back into the main song.

    They weren’t afraid to break free from folk and bluegrass expectations, mixing the two and then splashing in some more modern elements from pop, rock and jazz. Most noticeably, Chris Bloniarz’s mandolin was being fed into a rather large bank of effects pedals. He used them subtly, allowing his playing to shine through and it never overwhelmed the acoustic three-piece sound.

    On a new song, “Windstorm,” lead singer and guitarist Holly McGarry explained that it was written as a reaction to someone who once wrote a mean poem about her, saying she dressed like an old woman. She wore it like a badge of honor though; old women are great dressers! Appropriately enough, their music also had a timeless quality to it, but in a youthful and new body.

    The band exhibited wonderful three-part harmonies throughout the set, but truly flexed their vocal chords with, as they deemed it mandatory, a cover of Crosby Stills and Nash’s “Helplessly Hoping.” They nailed it, silencing all doubters, if there were any remaining at that point in the set.

    Dead Horses, comprised of Sarah Vos on guitar and Daniel Wolff on double bass, played a set of sparse, sometimes dark, folk songs with their Midwestern charm shining through. They met and matched their openers in vocal prowess with Vos carrying the bulk of the load. As lyrically excellent as their songs were, some of the most captivating vocals were ooh’s and mmm’s or the chills-inducing extended and repeated “sweeeet”s during the song “Brothers.” In “Turntable” Vos sang, “If my heart was a turntable, and my belly was the speaker and my soul the needle,” which just about sums up their songwriting as well as one could.

    Wolff’s bass carried the heft of the instrumental melodies, plucking out the bottom, bowing higher registers and banging out rhythms off the body, at times all in the same song.

    The band has been writing songs and releasing them as singles when they’re ready, not waiting for a full album to emerge. New tunes like “Birds Can Write the Chorus,” “A Mighty Storm,” and the “Family Tapes” show how the band is still developing their sound. On the latter, in a short span, the song moved through at least three distinct sections, stepping away from a more traditional structure.

    Generally a taboo question for a band, Dead Horses were forthcoming about the origin of their band name. Named after a friend who died of a heroin overdose, they feel a need to be open about it since it is such a prevalent issue that needs even more exposure than it currently is receiving.

  • Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Deliver Emotional Return Performance to Palace Theatre

    On a cold Friday night, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead returned to Albany’s Palace Theatre for its seemingly annual performance at the venue. The show sold out months in advance and the theatre filled quickly as Grateful Dead fans across the northeast flocked to New York’s capital for a tribute to their favorite live act.

    joe russo's almost dead palace

    To open up the first set, the group started into a jam that slowly but surely built itself into “Cassidy.” During the intro jam, guitarist Tom Hamilton made good use of his recently acquired De Pinto guitar, manipulating its onboard overdrive effect and an octave pedal, creating a sort of fuzzy overtone, and bassist Dave Dreiwitz took the helm for a bit before the group finally dropped into the main composition. The group jammed in and out of the verses and choruses of the song before leading it into a very spacey jam that employed the use of patience as the group started into the traditional tune “Jack a Roe.” Keyboardist Marco Benevento teased the theme to Pink Panther heavily during the intro jam, adding a mysterious vibe to the music as the group worked its way into the main composition. After weaving in and out of the lyrics of “Jack a Roe,” the group wasted no time transitioning into “Box of Rain,” dropping into the Phil Lesh staple with nearly the entire audience singing along with its somber lyrics. At some point amidst the segue from “Jack a Roe” into “Box of Rain,” Hamilton broke one of his guitar’s strings and was forced to change it mid-transition to “The Other One” which led to an interesting musical conversation between Benevento and guitarist Scott Metzger.

    The intro to “The Other One” was super spacious and ambient and primal feeling, and once Hamilton gave the “all clear” on his string, the group worked as a unit to build up an interesting jazzy groove, keeping that groove going under the first verse before a breathtaking drop into the chorus. Following the chorus, the group got back into the jazzy insanity that was happening during the intro, until drummer Joe Russo quickly brought the groove into “Drums,” keeping the general feeling of “The Other One” going, but adding some really impressive polyrhythms over the top of it. “Drums” was short-lived as Russo signaled to Benevento to start playing, leading to a rare Benevento/Russo reunion in the middle of the jam. The duo did their thing and quickly brought the jam back into “The Other One,” bringing the band back in for a drop into another verse/chorus just as intense and astounding as the initial drop that began the song. “The Other One” ended fairly abruptly, and the group drop-segued into the Dead’s disco classic “Shakedown Street,” much to the approval of the crowd. This version of “Shakedown” had a swagger to it, with Russo putting a bit of a swing to the groove and the rest of the band putting a little more oomph into the funk aspect of the tune. The jam following leading out of Shakedown took all the energy the band had built up during first set and transformed it into one glorious peak led by the whole band to close out the set.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eRqJlt00jU

    To kick off the second set, the group started into Bob Weir’s “Black Throated Wind,” a slower tune that was somewhat of a rarity in the Dead’s concert repertoire for the better part of their career. The group played through the song’s many verses with a rather somber feeling as Metzger belted out the lyrics and brought the song into a very rewarding peak that acted as a burst of the emotional energy the song had built. Suddenly, the jam dropped into the familiar chord progression of “Bertha,” only to be jammed on for a brief minute before faking out the crowd and dropping into the whimsical “Dupree’s Diamond Blues.” Hamilton lead the group through a fairly standard version of the song and closed it out with a soaring solo that began the transition into “Playin’ in the Band.” The intro jam was very patient and spacey, featuring Benevento experimenting on his Rhodes piano a bit before the group steadily rose the groove into the main tempo of “Playin’,” extending the intro of the song before Metzger broke into the lyrics. The jam immediately got spacey and dissonant with Hamilton and Benevento heavily making use of their delay pedals before Russo started bringing the “Playin’” groove back into his drumming. The group worked its way into a mini peak before dropping into one last round of choruses to finish out the song and begin the transition into “So Many Roads,” the first and only repeat from last year’s Palace show.

    Benevento swiveled over to his Hammond organ to lead the band into the emotional Robert Hunter-penned tale, and Hamilton jumped back on the vocals, delivering an impressive performance of the song’s heartfelt lyrics. Following another big emotional peak, the group brought the song into a laidback reggae-ish groove that acted as the launching off point for the live staple “Estimated Prophet,” but not before heavily teasing the opening chord melody of “Crazy Fingers.” “Estimated” brought the energy up immensely after the emotional ride of “So Many Roads” and Metzger really tapped into his grittier side of his voice for the verses, which added a really cool element to the sound of this version. The jam sort of teetered its way around another spacey groove before dropping into the energetic “St. Stephen” which made the crowd roar. The group ripped through most of the lyrics and started building a super uptempo groove that burst back into “Bertha,” resolving the fakeout from the beginning of the set and leaving “St. Stephen” unfinished. “Bertha” was very fast paced, continuing the energy from “St. Stephen” and amidst the jam on the song’s main progression, the band’s tech replaced Russo’s snare drum, much to the amusement of Hamilton and Russo. Before the famous “test me, test me” section, the group got super quiet and let the tension build up before finally hitting on the chord when Hamilton sang the lyric out. The group closed out the set after one last chorus before leaving for encore break.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqhsFjsJsBk

    Before the band came out for the encore, Benevento walked onstage and sat down at his grand piano to take a solo that eventually worked its way to the main melody of Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London.” The full band walked out as he started into the chord progression and he took the lead on vocals for the only time that night for a very spirited version of the famous Dead cover.

    Joe Russo’s Almost Dead delivered yet another stellar performance at the palace theatre, filled with some really impressive versions of Grateful Dead classics, namely “The Other One” and “So Many Roads.” Hopefully the group continues this tradition and returns to the venue in March of 2020. Check out the photo gallery below for a taste of the evening.

    Setlist: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Palace Theatre, Albany, NY – March 1, 2019

    Set One: Cassidy > Jack A Roe! > Box Of Rain+ > The Other One -> Drums -> The Other One Reprise @ > Shakedown St #

    Set Two: Jam -> Black Throated Wind -> Bertha Jam ## -> Dupree’s Diamond Blues $-> Playing In The Band -> So Many Roads % -> Estimated Prophet > St Stephen ^ -> Bertha &

    Encore: Marco Solo -> Werewolves Of London *

    ! – Not Played by Almost Dead Since 2018-02-15 War Memorial Auditorium, Nashville, TN, a gap of 43 shows
    + – Not Played by Almost Dead Since 2018-02-17 The Pageant, St Louis, MO, a gap of 42 shows
    @ – With a Duo Jam, first Almost Dead version of “Other One Reprise”
    # – With a “Love Supreme” (John Coletrane) Tease (TH) and a Jam that included elements of “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” (Michael Jackson) and “Serpintine Fire” (Earth Wind & Fire)
    ## – First Time Played in this manner by Almost Dead
    $ – Not Played by Almost Dead Since 2018–03-08 Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY, a gap of 39  shows
    % – With a “Knocking On Heaven’s Door” (Bob Dylan) Tease (TH) Tommy actually quoted the Guns N Roses version. Not Played by Almost Dead Since 2018-03-16 The Palace Theatre, a gap of 35 shows Albany, NY
    ^ – Unfinished
    & – With a “Reveille” (Traditional) Tease (SM) and a “Rock And Roll” (Led Zeppelin) Tease (JR)
    * – With a “Sweet Home Alabama” (Lynyrd Skynyrd) Tease (MB)

    • joe russo's almost dead palace
    • joe russo's almost dead palace
    • joe russo's almost dead palace

  • David Bowie Legacy Continues In Buffalo

    There is something to be said about David Bowie. He was a man once you heard of, you were entranced by him. He has a legacy following that still holds strong. David was a musician of his time, and unfortunately passed away much too young due to his secret battle with cancer.

    His longtime pianist Mike Garson and other members of Bowie’s band decided to create a tour to fill the void his passing left. They brought the show to Buffalo, Tuesday February 26, to Town Ballroom. The lineup includes other Bowie alumni musicians Carmine Rojas and Earl Slick, as well as Bernard Fowler, Corey Glover, Naia Kete, Imani Elijah, and Stevie Salas. The special surprise of the evening was Slick’s son, Lee John Madeloni on drums.

     Walking into the venue was an intimate experience. The top part of the venue, where the bar is, was blocked off by large black curtains. Giving the room an intimate feel. While the majority of the room was filled with middle-aged people, it was refreshing to see young 20-somethings there singing their hearts out to almost every song played. Others swayed their arms in the air, while some just swayed back and forth.

    Towards the end of the set Bernard said in a playful voice, “Buffalo, Buffalo, Buffalo,” only to then giggle and start telling a story. When pianist Garson and he went to the casino, which is currently one of the most safe Canadian Bitcoin casinos, they would play a slot machine that yelled buffalo three times when you win.

    They played classics such as “Aladdin Sane” and “Sweet Thing/Candidate.” The huge hit of the night was “Under Pressure,” Bernard Fowler and Corey Glover did a sensational job performing this together. Glover’s pipes had such range that during the song they hit window shattering levels. Fowler stood out predominantly during softer pieces such as “Win,” and one of their encores “Heroes.” Glover’s commanding pipes lit up “Suffragette City” and “Young Americans.” Naia Kete came center-stage to sing “Quicksand” with the band. Her versatile voice gave grittiness and smooth jazz throughout the song. Slick stole the show with his guitar playing by far though. His solos during “Time” and “Fame” were ones the left your mouth hanging open just a bit.

    The show was intimate and breathtaking. Everyone left that night with a little less void in the heart. Realizing even though David is gone. People will still carry on his legacy.