Pearl Street Pub in downtown Albany is generally a home to college students, Albany natives, and ‘out of towners’ alike. On Friday, however, the patrons all had something in common. They all shared a love of funk, and they all loved Ripe.
The night began with a set from the Australian-based group Castlecomer. The quartet got the collective blood flowing just as the packed room began to cut loose. A roar came over the crowd when the headliners later took the stage. Lead singer Robbie Wulfsohn welcomed the band and belted out the beginning to “Pretty Dirty.” “A Little Lighter” followed and the band went into a night-long serenade to the vibrant fans.
The group is taking their tour south later this month as they head to Hulaween, and then head out to the midwest. They will return to the Northeast with shows in Burlington, VT; Syracuse, NY; Northampton, MA; and Norwalk CT in mid-November.
Ripe Setlist: Pretty Dirty, Little Lighter, Talk to the Moon, Passerby, Cease Fire, Lola, Ladies Night, Caralee, Pedro, Young Tom Rose, Text You First, Goon Squad, Flipside, Downward.
Ukrainian metal band JINJER brought their tour to The Montage Music Hall in Rochester for yet another sold out show. With support from The Browning and Rochester natives Poison The Prophet, this was an excellent night of metal music.
Opening the show, Poison The Prophet launched into an aggressive, in-your-face, heavy set that you would expect on this kind of bill. While they didn’t have much room to move around the stage due to the other band’s kits, they made up for it with a pure metal performance.
Poison The Prophet moved quickly through their 6-song set and left the crowd wanting more with loud cheers and applause after every song. Featuring two vocalists, Jason Acevedo and Justin Clay, the duo constantly leaned into the crowd with great interaction and stage presence.
Being a “local” band on a national tour can seem intimidating and often one can tell which bands are the “local” ones of the night. However, Poison The Prophet fit right in, and performed a fantastic set that was the perfect introduction to the show.
Next up were The Browning, the four-piece electronic metal band from Kansas City. Wasting no time opening with “Beyond Stone”, The Browning had the crowd going nuts with their unique fusion of rap, EDM, and heavy metal.
Their 10-song set also went rather quickly as the band flowed through their setlist, with highlights being “Carnage,” “Pure Evil” and “Skybreaker.”
Guitarist Brian Moore was the most notable part of the band’s stage presence as he spun around relentlessly covered in paint while wearing a hoodie that resembled a cross between a zombie and a clown.
Closing out their set with “Geist,” the crowd responded with loud cheers and thundering applause. The Browning was a solid support act to be touring with JINJER and certainly gave it their all on stage. Finally, it was time for JINJER. The lights went dark and fog machines slowly began to fill the venue as the crowd screamed in anticipation. The moment Tatiana took to the stage, the band jumped right into the heavy number “Teacher, Teacher.”
When you think of metal bands with female vocals you probably think of In This Moment, Otep, Butcher Babies, or Arch Enemy. JINJER is very quickly making huge waves in the metal world and, in my opinion, Tatiana has the best voice in metal. The way she can transition from her cleans to the guttural screams is incredible to see live.
JINJER’s set was just pure raw energy. Playing fan favorites such as “Judgement (& Punishment),” “I Speak Astronomy,” “Perennial” and “Outlander,” the band commanded the audience’s attention and left them almost in a trance.
Closing out the night with the encore performance of “Pisces,” JINJER showed exactly why they’re selling out many of their tour dates. Expect this band to be performing at much larger venues very soon. Being able to see them at a club-type venue is something all of these fans will certainly remember.
Be sure to check out any of the remaining dates of this tour:
Oct. 15 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ Black Circle Oct. 16 – Angola, Ind. @ The Eclectic Room Oct. 18 – Columbus, Ohio @ Al Rosa Villa Oct. 19 – Flint, Mich. @ Machine Shop Oct. 20 – Grand Rapids, Mich. @ The Stache @ Interection Oct. 22 – Chicago, Ill. @ Bottom Lounge Oct. 23 – Belvedere, Ill. @ Apollo Theater Oct. 24 – Waterloo, Iowa @ Spicoli’s Oct. 25 – Iowa City, Iowa @ Wildwood Smokehouse Oct. 26 – Racine, Wis. @ Route 20 Oct. 29 – Calgary, Alberta @ Dickens Oct. 30 – Edmonton, Alberta @ Starlite Oct. 31 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Rickshaw Theater Nov. 01 – Seattle, Wash. @ El Corazon Nov. 02 – Portland, Ore. @ Hawthorne Theater
Marco Benevento threw a party in Cohoes and the audience came prepared to get down and dance. As he always does, the Mad Hatter of the jam scene brings a show full of non stop fun to the Capital Region, and for the first time, at historic Cohoes Music Hall. Energy was in no short supply with bassist Karina Rykman jumping for joy and happily bouncing around the stage throughout the groovy, disco-tinted set.
Opener Mikaela Davis was equally impressive, playing harp with a full band, and driving the songs home collectively. The pairing of Davis and Benevento is wonderful and one we hope to see more in the future.
Setlist: Say it’s all the Same, Let it Slide, Solid Gold, Dropkick, Greenpoint, Heartbeats, Baby don’t make me Wait, Live a Certain life, Stay in line, I can’t see the Light, You got Away, Coyote Hearing, Story of Fred Short, Tyrone Encore: At the Show
World music and electronic act Thievery Corporation closed out the Summer Concert Series at the Pier 17 Rooftop on Friday night to a sold out crowd, despite temperatures in the 50’s and high winds. The show featured a number of talented musicians who rotated in and out during the set, as well as two acoustic songs. They were joined by Brooklyn-based nu-disco band Escourt.
Nikki B and Escourt
Escourt opened the evening and got the crowd’s blood flowing with their signature disco dance-hall style beats plus synthesizer-driven harmonies. The band was led by singer Nikki B, sporting a long white tiered train, as well as founders Eugene Cho (synthesizer) and JKriv (guitar). The lineup also included Jim Orso on drums and singers Daniela Bauer and Layla Dionne. Their set had plenty of banter from Nikki B, and closed up with “Cocaine Blues” from their 2011 album Funkytown.
Thievery Corporation co-founder Rob Garza
Led by co-founder Rob Garza, Thievery Corporation was up next. They cycled through a number of musicians throughout the night, and delivered their eclectic mix of electronica, dub, hip-hop, Indian, Brazillian and other genres. The core band included Garza (synthesizer, producer), Jeff Franca (drums), Rob Myers (sitar, guitar), Frank Orrall (percussion, drums, vocals), Ashish “Hash” Vyas (bass) and two unknown trumpeters. Additionally, the following musicians were on stage providing vocals for various songs: Racquel Jones, Puma Ptah, Natalia Clavier, Mr. Lif, and Loulou Ghelichkhani.
Racquel Jones on stage with Thievery Corporation
The set began at 8:20 p.m. with “Marching the Hate Machines (Into the Sun)” from the 2005 release, Cosmic Games and featured Orrall wearing a contraption of lights radiating from his back and hand. Racquel Jones joined the party for “Letter to the Editor” from the 2017 release The Temple of I & I. Puma Ptah stepped in for the next tune, also from The Temple of I & I, “Babylon Falling.” Natalia Clavier then lended her vocals for the classic downtempo tune “All That We Perceive” from The Richest Man in Babylon. Orrall stepped away from the percussion kit to sing “The Heart’s A Lonely Hunter,” also from Cosmic Games. At one point, Orrall was standing above a speaker, swinging an illuminated poy above his head. Next, Mr. Lif made an appearance in the hip-hop meets downtempo “History,” from their most recent release, Treasures from the Temple.
Natalia Clavier
“The Forgotten People” from Radio Retaliation preceded a delightful acoustic sequence with two songs from Saudade. Loulou Ghelichkhani contributed vocals for “Le Coeur” and Clavier rejoined the band for “Claridad.”
Loulou Ghelichkhani
Thievery Corporation returned to their electronic instruments for “Sweet Tides,” also from Radio Retaliation. Puma Ptah was back in the mix, providing vocals for the Cosmic Games classic reggae tune, “Amerimaka.” Ghelichkhani took over vocals for the next song, “Voyage Libre” from Treasures from the Temple. The band next played their classic downtempo tune from The Richest Man in Babylon, “Omid (Hope),” followed by another Cosmic Games tune, “Warning Shots.” Mr. Lif then rejoined the band and announced that the next song is for those in dark places, which caused the crowd to erupt with emotion. He then provided vocals for hip hop based “Fight to Survive” from The Temple of I & I. The show closed out with the Indian music-inspired and rarely played original “Lebanese Blonde” from 2000’s Mirror Conspiracy.
Rob Garza and Rob Myers
Thievery Corporation’s tasty electronic and world mix of original tunes kept the crowd warm on a chilly night in New York City’s Financial District, atop the Rooftop at Pier 17, closing out the Summer Concert Series at the venue. NYC eagerly awaits the return of this talented electronica outfit.
Pier 17 lights always delight
Setlist: Marching the Hate Machines (Into the Sun), Letter to the Editor*, Babylon Falling**, All That We Perceive***, The Heart’s A Lonely Hunter, History%, The Forgotten People, Le Coeur****^, Claridad***^, Sweet Tides, Amerimacka**, Voyage Libre****, Omid (Hope), Warning Shots, Fight to Survive%, Lebanese Blonde
As Live From Here continues its fall run from their new home at The Town Hall in New York City, fans were treated to another glorious episode (with slightly more than the usual phanfare) due to one particular name on the guest list. Being a live air show with a strictly dicatated schedule, 6:00:00 PM sharp brought on the opening notes of “Fugue State,” a Vulfpeck tune in its second year as the LFH theme song. After a mulit-faceted and highly layered “C Q,” this week’s song of the week (yes, Chris Thile writes a song every week!), which sounded somewhat like a venue appropriate mini Broadway musical, Thile announced this week’s first guest.
Photo courtesy of Live From Here
Trey Anastasio entered to thunderous applause as there were many Phish fans in attendance who probably saw their first and only episode of LFH last night. “Theme From the Bottom” was Trey’s first offering, rearranged to play alongside the house band of Chris Thile (mandolin), Mike Elizondo (musical director/bassist), Chris “Critter” Eldridge (guitar), Kush Abadey (drums), Brett Williams (keys), Brittany Haas (fiddle) and guest Sarah Jarosz (vocals, banjo, mandolin, guitar). “If I Could” was Trey’s next choice, and if you didn’t know better you might think it was a duet written specifically for he and Sarah Jarosz. Trey really opened up a beautifully composed solo for this one, his tone so clean as he played out of a very stripped down set up and not his usual Phish rig.
Photo courtesy of Live From Here
Tom Papa left the audience in stitches with his Out in America segment, followed by a jazzy house band number and then Sarah Jarosz covering Joanna Newsom’s “Book of Right-On.” Edward Norton was next up, explaining how he got hooked up with Thom Yorke and guest Wynton Marsalis for music for his new movie premiering November 1, Motherless Brooklyn, a 1999 book by Jonanthan Lethem from which he read like the world class actor that he is.
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis quietly assembled on stage during Ed Norton’s segment and wowed the crowd with two numbers, the second of which saw them joined by Chris Thile. Fifteen members strong with twelve horns, an upright bass, baby grand piano and drums, Wynton immediately distinguished himself from the rest of the similarly clad ensemble, treating the room full of Phish phans to a heavy dose of culture from one of New York’s finest professional jazz outfits. The birthday segment was next, where Thile recognizes musician’s birthdays and plays their songs. Sarah Jarosz shined bright again and showed off her range during a cover of Natalie Maines “Cowboy Take Me Away,” followed by Fela Kuti’s resounding protest song “Zombie” and Sweeney Todd’s “A Little Priest,” a nod to Miss Lovett and Angela Lansbury’s birthday. One more birthday for this segment and another opportunity to introduce Trey Anastasio, who quipped, “Everyone who’s ever strapped on a guitar owes a little to Chuck Berry,” before covering “Back in the USA,” again sounding so clean on his minimalist rig.
Photo courtesy of Live From Here
Before Trey’s next selection, Thile asked him just how he chooses only four songs from the mighty catalog at his disposal, “You know, I play in a band that goes on stage without a setlist so a lot of it is just feel and the vibe from…you people {pointing to the audience}. This is just a song I like a lot right now,” as he launched into a chilling “Life Beyond a Dream,” which was a perfect song choice for the setting.
Photo courtesy of Live From Here
Dulce Sloan was next with an outstanding set of stand up comedy as she opened with, “I can’t believe I’m gonna do stand up after the chillest song I’ve ever heard,” and, “did you notice the only black people here are me and the drummer?” A trio of fiddle songs featuring Britanny Haas was next before Tom Papa had a belly-laughing, eyes-tearing reading about parenting. “I used to listen to Phish,” he quipped, “now I do it quietly…in the bathroom.”
Photo courtesy of Live From Here
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra played another mind-boggling number (best music city in the world, anyone?), again highlighted by Mr. Marsalis though his company of professional musicians was almost equally impressive, and was soon joined by phan favorite Trey Anastasio, now set up stage left in front of the orchestra, for what would be the On-Air finale of “Blaze On.” Watching these musicians watch and marvel at each other, Thile and Trey at Wynton, Wynton at Trey, along with Thile’s endearing and wild gesticulations, just drove home the fact that the Live From Here faithful (and a roomful of LFH first timers) were treated to something special last night. A final off-air performance of Lester Flatts’ “I’m gonna sleep with one eye open,” with the audience on their feet sent everyone home reeling.
Photo courtesy of Live From Here
The crowd was grateful for the intimate performance, and that New York City is the new home of LFH, along with Trey, Winton, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Just another ho-hum night in New York of world class music and collaborations.
Brooklyn Bowl was treated to a double bill on Friday, October 11 as George Porter Jr. and his trio opened for Melvin Seals and JGB featuring John Kadlecik. Along with Michael Lemmler on keyboards and Terrence Houston on drums, the ageless and eponymous GPJ’s bass and vocals led the way for a 75-minute opening set of NOLA funk.
The Meter’s “Cissy Strut,” something of a New Orleans anthem, was an authentic offering with signature bass lines and what sounded like a beautiful jazz bar piano interlude thanks to Lemmler’s keyboards. Terrence Houston is an eye catching drummer, delicate when necessary but constantly energetic, somewhere at the nexus of jazz and funk. And for a band that improvises to the point of not even writing setlists, “They Love Each Other,” led by Porter’s bass solos and deep gravelly voice, was the perfect choice to get the crowd ready for Melvin, a perfect funk salad of Jerry tunes whetting our collective palate for the main course.
Photo by Zach Belfer
Taking the stage promptly at 9:30pm, Melvin Seals and JGB feat. John Kadlecik opened with a gorgeous “How Sweet It Is.” John-Paul McLean is a worthy bassist with the chops to take impressive solos and the rhythm section of he and Pete Lavezzoli that impressed all night. Vocalists Mary eL and Lady Chi lit up the stage and their playful back and forth with Melvin is fun to watch. But there’s a reason the big man on the keys and organ gets his name on the marquee, lighting up the Brooklyn Bowl with joy every time he took a solo on the Hammond B3. Largely due to the 18 years he spent playing with the Jerry Garcia Band, his playing just feels so familiar and authentic, bringing joy in spades, spread in a wide arc from the huge smile he always wears.
A tasty “After Midnight” > “Eleanor Rigby” > “After Midnight” sandwich, made famous by the JGB release of the Kean College show from 2/28/80, highlighted why John Kadlecik’s name now shares said marquee with Melvin. To think that earlier in the night someone was overheard saying Kadlecik’s voice is okay but he can’t play guitar… “Wonderful World” ensued and the love fest was on, at least until “Get Out Of My Life Woman” conflicted the love story woven through the early part of the setlist. Melvin really shone on that one, not to be outdone by a gorgeous bass solo from McLean. “I’ll Take A Melody” again gave the spotlight back to Kadlecik before a rollicking “Cumberland Blues.”
Photo by Zach Belfer
Melvin took lead vocals for the only time of the night on Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” followed by “Lonesome and a Long Way From Home,” the second Eric Clapton song of the evening (if you count “After Midnight,” a song popularized by Clapton but written by JJ Cale). “Lucky Old Sun” provided a nice bathroom break, an idea apparently shared by most of the sold-out but comfortably crowded venue, and gave others a chance to relocate, particularly stage right to enjoy the show from right under Melvin’s Hammond and soak in his joy from up close. “Sisters and Brothers” dutifully brought the dance party back before the set closing sequence of “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Terrapin Jam” > “Midnight Moonlight” which inspired some hair raising goosebumps and left the crowd feeling jubilant.
All these cats can really play. What a pleasure it was to join them and dance it up (16,854 steps) as they took JGB’s catalog out for a two-hour stroll through the Brooklyn Bowl.
Setlist: How Sweet It Is, After Midnight, Wonderful World, Get Out Of My Life Woman, I’ll Take A Melody, Cumberland Blues, Knocking On Heaven’s Door, Lonesome And A Long Way From Home, That Lucky Old Sun, Sisters & Brothers, Help On The Way > Slipknot! >Terrapin Jam > Midnight Moonlight
Sarah Perry of Kero Kero Bonito at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
Fresh off their new EP, Civilisation I, London-based band Kero Kero Bonito brought their edgy electro-pop to Brooklyn Steel this past Thursday night. Negative Gemini opened the show, delivering a dance friendly set to a highly energetic crowd, eager to get the night started.
Originally a trio, Kero Kero Bonito have expanded their live band to include two more members; adding a whole new layer of noise and groove to their live sound. Sarah Perry fronts the band and continuously engages the crowd while adding quirky theatrical elements, like waving an oversized white flag during the opening song “Battle Lines.”
Sarah Perry of Kero Kero Bonito at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
New band members James Rowland and Jennifer Walton were on percussion and keyboard duties, and throughout the show they kept switching instruments for various solos and jams. They each brought their own style to the instruments and the band remained just as sharp regardless of who was playing what.
Jennifer Walton of Kero Kero Bonito at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
Kero Kero Bonito have a dedicated and highly engaged fanbase. The audience sung along to every track and did not let up the energy one bit. The lengthy 21 song main set never felt dull, even when Sarah announced a “break” to perform one of the groups slower songs. Break time quickly ended and the high energy performance continued. During the encore, there was an unlikely cover of U2’s “Vertigo,” which sent the crowd into a frenzy.
A unique mix of punk and electro-pop with a traditional J-pop influence really set Kero Kero Bonito apart from other indie pop blends. They present a vibrant performance and their discography continues to evolve. The band continues on their North American tour through November.
White Denim blew the proverbial roof off of the new White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, bringing their sweet Austin, Texas rock sound to the East Coast and fans throughout the tri-state area. The two-hour headlining set from the high powered rock outfit never skipped a beat and was virtually non-stop. Night after night, this band displays communal showmanship and a loud lesson for how to make rock and roll work very well in 2019. White Denim presented a two hour clinic is proof that a diversified rock sound played by very talented musicians still deserves a spot in the debate of today’s best contemporary music.
London-based trio The Comet is Coming present a dark and earthshaking sound with their blend of jazz, electronica and psychedelia. Shabaka Hutchings (also of Sons of Kemet and Shabaka and the Ancestors) plays a frenetic and chaotic saxophone over haunting and pulsing percussion from drummer Max Hallett. Swirling, psychedelic synths by Dan Leavers drown the mix, making the listener feel as if they are trapped in a jazz apocalypse dream.
Fresh off their new LP, The Afterlife, released in September on Impulse! Records, the band began a short October tour on Tuesday night at Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. A simple stage set-up, with a lone, dim red light illuminating the drum kit center-stage awaited fans as the doors opened. With no opener, Comet quietly took the stage and began playing some lighter jazz progressions as the band was seemingly just loosening up. Then, with a loud crescendo, the band dove right into their heavy jazz rock.
The sound of The Comet is Coming stands distinctly apart from Shabaka’s other projects, and most of the modern jazz scene. The Afterlife can easily be the soundtrack for any number of cosmic apocalypse movies. It’s a raw mix of Sun Ra’s spacey sound with dance-floor ready techno percussions.
For roughly an hour and a half, the band flew in and out of tracks from all of their releases, but relying heavily on The Afterlife. There was no lull to speak of – as one song was coming to an end, one of the musicians was already looping the next track to keep a continuous flow. Each band member took their turn with a solo, which seamlessly integrated into the setlist. A simple back-lit stage cast the band in silhouette – giving the music that extra bit of ominous mystery.
Shabaka Hutchings of The Comet is Coming. Photo by Buscar Photo
The Comet is Coming have cemented their status as one of the more exciting and intriguing modern jazz bands out there. Their live show is a visceral, cathartic experience and each new release sees the band pushing their music further down the rabbit hole of underground jazz. They continue on a short run of dates in early October, ending with a stop at Austin City Limits on October 11 before heading over to Europe.
Ace Frehley and his band once again returned to the Hudson Valley on September 28 at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie. Ace and his bandmates Ryan Cook, Jeremy Asbrock, Phillip Shouse and Matt Starr performed to a full house and the energy was electric.
The Rocket Man was consistently in top form and still blew the audience away. The night was a good mix of Ace’s originals from the opening song “Rip it Out” to a great cover of Eddie Money’s “I Wanna Go Back” along with many KISS classics like “Rocket Man,” “Cold Gin,” “Detroit Rock City,” a few sizzling guitar solos and, of course, the crowd favorite, “Back in the NY Groove.” The venue was packed and the band was on fire, combining with excellent sound and lighting from the historic Chance Theater. It was a show to remember.
Ace’s tour continues with dates in Stuart, Orlando and Kruisefest in Florida in October; then Dallas and Houston in TX; Bakersfield, Big Bear Lake, Agoura Hills, Ramona, Santa Clarita and Pasadena in CA in November; and Rosemont, IL and Westland, MI in December.
A 3-D photo from the front row which is only viewable on Facebook as 3-D
Setlist: Rip It Out, Parasite, Hard Times, Watchin’ You, Rocket Ride, I Wanna Go Back, Mission to Mars, Strange Ways, 2000 Man, Rock Soldiers, New York Groove, Shock Me, Cold Gin, Detroit Rock City, Deuce
