“Strange where the muse can take you. I followed obediently, but I never would have guessed I’d find inspiration in old Chris Farley skits,” explained Saintseneca lead singer and songwriter Zac Little of the band’s newest track “In A Van.”
Little was revisiting ‘The Best of Chris Farley’ with some friends for the first time in over a decade, which led to the inspiration for the song. “This collection was a fixture of goofy-ness growing up, but it felt like a revelation that night. It was a strangely emotional experience. The gauzy 90’s TV sheen, the feathery haircuts, a couple cringe-y jokes that didn’t age well. But I saw his talent and craft shine through, in a way I had never quite noticed before. It was amazing, funny, and a little sad – knowing the end while witnessing the best all at once. What a weird nostalgia trip to fall into some 25 years later- all tangled up with life and memory – the same old thing, accumulating new meaning with time. I felt old. I felt like a kid.”
Saintseneca released their latest album, Pillar of Na, in the summer of 2018. Pillar of Na is Saintseneca’s most ambitious album to date, with Little aiming to incorporate genre elements he’d rarely heard in folk. “I wanted to use the idiom of folk-rock, or whatever you want to call it and to try to do something that had never been done before,” he said. “To reach way back, echoing ancient folk melodies, tie that into punk rock, and then push it into the future. I told [the album’s producer] Mike Mogis I wanted Violent Femmes meets the new Blade Runner soundtrack. I’m looking for the intersection between Kendrick Lamar and The Fairport Convention.”
Saintseneca Tour Dates 9/17 – Washington DC – Comet Ping Pong 9/18 – Philadelphia, PA – Boot & Saddle 9/19 – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right 9/20 – Portsmouth, NH – 3S Artspace 9/21 – Allston, MA – Great Scott 9/28 – Columbus, OH – Land Grant Brewing 10/11 – Lexington, KY – The Burl 10/13 – Lawrence, KS – White School House 10/15 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall 10/17 – Boise, ID – Neurolux 10/18 – Pendleton, OR – Great Pacific 10/19 – Yakima, WA – Single Hill Brewing 10/21 – Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern 10/22 – Portland, OR – Polaris Hall 10/24 – Sacramento, CA – Momo Sacramento 10/25 – San Francisco, CA – Café Du Nord 10/26 – Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Bar 10/28 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
Marco Benevento has released “Send It On A Rocket,” his self-proclaimed “end of summer anthem” and third single ahead of new album Let It Slide, due out September 20th on Royal Potato Family. In between references to reefer and Topo Chico, deep pockets of bass and spaced-out synths, the cascading composition reveals that behind Marco the bandleader – who covers his piano strings in gaffers tape and enjoys walking his pet goats and peacocks through the Catskill woods – there are patches of sorrow he’s now ready to contemplate more seriously than ever.
The sounds of “Send It On A Rocket” preview the new territory charted between Benevento and Let It Slide producer Leon Michels, a partnership marking the first time Benevento relinquished studio control of his own music. As evident on the new single, that surrender led to his deepest inward exploration, and spontaneous impulses like taping those piano strings. Read Benevento’s introduction to the song via Talkhouse.
Introduced via dear friend Richard Swift (who was set to mix the LP before passing), Marco made Let It Slide with Michels (Sharon Jones, Adele, Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga) and an unexpected, Upstate NY bromance ensued, and Marco’s trust in Leon ultimately informed the album’s core: free yourself to be yourself. Citing influence in Can, ESG, Childish Gambino, and Mulatu Astatke, he dug deep into his lyrics, exploring acceptance, desire, and regret, while embracing the moment – an impulse to cover piano strings in gaffers tape created the LP’s main muted sound (along with the Binson Echorec, the tape machine behind 1970s Pink Floyd).
This fall, Marco Benevento and his band – including Karina Rykman (bass) and Andy Borger (drums) will make 30 stops from coast to coast, with 5 shows in New York over two weeks in October.
MARCO BENVENTO Tour Dates
10/10 – Buffalo, NY – Iron Works 10/11 – Ithaca, NY – The Haunt 10/12 – Albany, NY – Cohoes Music Hall ** 10/13 – Woodstock, NY – The Colony * 10/17 – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall ^ 10/19 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground ^ 10/20 – Holyoke, MA – Gateway City Arts ^ 10/23 – Fairfield, CT – FTC StageOne ^ 10/24 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg ^ 10/25 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts ^ 10/26 – Washington, DC – Pearl Street Warehouse ^ 11/2 – Shizuoka, Japan – Frue Festival 11/6 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe ^ 11/7 – Grand Rapids, MI – Founders Brewing ^ 11/8 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall ^ 11/9 – St. Paul, MN – Turf Club ^ 11/10 – Milwaukee, WI – The Back Room @ Colectivo ^ 11/11 – Davenport, IA – Raccoon Motel ^ 11/12 – Indianapolis, IN – HiFi ^ 11/13 – St. Louis, MO – Old Rock House ^ 11/14 – Nashville, TN – Basement East ^ 11/15 – Louisville, KY – Zanzabar ^ 11/16 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern ^ 12/5 – San Diego, CA – Casbah San Diego 12/6 – Los Angeles, CA – The Teragram Ballroom ^ 12/7 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent ^ 12/8 – Felton, CA – Felton Music Hall 12/9 – Mill Valley, CA – Sweetwater Music Hall ^ 12/10 – Arcata, CA – Humbrews / Humboldt Brews ^ 12/11 – Eugene, OR – WildCraft Cider Works ^ 12/12 – Bend, OR – Volcanic Theatre Pub ^ 12/13 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge ^ 12/14 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile ^
On Sunday, August 25, Beau Fleuve Music & Arts Festival hosted their third annual festival at Silo City in Buffalo. The one day event, an “Ultimate Sunday Funday,” lived up to its name and featured more than 30 performances of all genres of music, as well as art installations, a silent disco, vendors village, beer and wine garden and much more.
The big takeaway from the festival was the diversity of the event. Artists and performers included Curtis Lovell, Miller & the Other Sinners, DJ Magic, The Sofa Kingz, Heather Russell and many more. From the music to the art, those that attended were of all ages, walks of life, backgrounds and nationalities and enjoyed a care free day with the historic Buffalo Backdrop of the Silos.
Check out the festival recap video below, and a photo gallery from the festival here.
The two-day music and arts event, Adirondack Music Festival, returned to Lake George this past weekend for its fifth year in a row. Held once again on the serene LG section that is Charles R. Park, this year’s ADK Fest felt like the most well-received and celebrated yet, as many attendees seemed to vocally attest. If you were in attendance this weekend, you most likely at some point overheard someone discovering the festival for its special charm. Something along the lines of: “I can’t believe how nice this festival this is” and “Well, I am definitely coming back next year.”
As with every year since its start, ADK Fest opted for a classic setup with two main stages of music, set side by side—the style adopted by big-time events like Gathering of the Vibes and the first few years of LOCKN’. This format, which has bands perform back to back without delays, kept the energy on the field, and white hot, from early morning through sunset, as well as kept collective excitement packed into one shifting, intimate crowd.
A number of recently highly popular musical acts made their debut at ADK Fest. Midnight North, for starters, features members of The Terrapin Family Band and have been a hot ticket over the last year or so. Dead-relation aisde, Midnight North is its own beautiful creation, an americana powerhouse of band that displays a strong breadth of songwriting through dynamic, soulful musicianship. Members of this band were well connected within this music scene from the west coast and sat-in with many other artists as well.
Other buzz-generating artists performing at ADK for the first time ever were artists like The People’s Blues of Richmond, Marco Benevento, and G. Love and Special Sauce. People’s Blues, PBR for short, surely must have unexpectedly knocked a number of ADK patrons out of their musical comfort zone with their fearlessly-intense style of garage-punk blues. But the trio’s ceaseless, air-tight musicianship won many fans over as well. Marco Benevento’s own power-trio took the main stage just a few hours after them and wielded their own no-holds-barred mash of indie-pop, funk, and glam rock.
It felt strange to see G. Love perform a midday set at three in the afternoon -here was an artist, after all, that surfed high through the 2000’s on a number of big hits, but he was a highly received set nonetheless. In addition to a solo acoustic intro, the guitarist and hip-hop-inspired vocalist careened the edge of the stage above a swath of outward hands and starry-eyed expressions. G. Love’s collaboration with Twiddle frontman, Mihali Savoulidis, saw the two trading vocals for guitar riffs on a version of Hall and Oates’ “I Can’t Go For That,” which was much better than the “What I Got” that happened between the two in Twiddle’s headlining show later.
ADK Fest Day 1: G. Love and Mihali cover Hall and Oates. Photo: James Sullivan
Yet the four man dance-ready jamband, Twiddle, still performed a huge couple of sets to close out Saturday evening, to an elated audience that swamped the park’s concert area all the way to the vendors in the back. Highlights of their two closing sets were a guitar-shredding collaboration with Midnight North frontman, Graham Lesh, on their original “Subconcious Prelude” and then the foursome’s searing finish on “The Box.”
Another artist who met the crowd with a freewheeling sense of stage presence was the northeast jam scene’s golden girl, Hayley Jane. Fronting her band, The Primates, for a midday Sunday set, Jane sang face-to-face with a rail-climbing mass of highly excited young women. Hayley and The Primates as a unit announced their decision earlier this year to go on hiatus. This set at ADK Fest was undoubtedly an emotional one for many, despite the fact that Hayley, in her true style, beamed with smiles and soul through her own set. The joy transcended others that she guested on stage such as with polyrhythmic dub-rock band, Bartika, and then Jane sat in with Everyone Orchestra’s set a bit, after her own.
In a very special move, Adirondack Music Festival booked an Everyone Orchestra set for its day two second-to-headlining spot. EO shows are, of course, completely improvisational from start to finish and are always performed by a mix of artists from different bands. Lake George’s set was pretty substantially stacked for its members. Solo artists Haley Jane and Ryan Montbleau handled lead vocals (with the latter also offering some nice guitar solos here and there), while Deep Banana Blackout’s, Fuzz Giovanni, handled lead guitar work.
Saxaphone legend Sam Kinninger was a secret weapon here, shining up the band’s various types of funk and rock jams with amazing melodic work. Kinniger and the rest played beside a hefty rhythm section that included moe.’s Vinnie Amico on drums, TAB’s Tony Markelis on bass and Steve Moltiz on keys. Highlights here were a belly-laugh inducing, reggae-tinged sing-along about golf pirates. Super creative vocals led by Ryan Montbleau followed with an extremely moving, soul inspired jam which Everyone Orchestra impresario, Matt Butler, built a vocal tribute to the recently passed Neal Casal.
ADK Fest Day 2: Everyone Orchestra Pays Tribute to the late Neal Casal. PC: Miles Hurley
While some roll their eyes at cover bands, Pink Talking Fish works extra hard and thinks creatively to stand out from the ever-growing pack. The quartet began their set with a great surprise in The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” which Phish has covered on rare occasion. In a climax to their set, PTF reprised a bit of the magic from their Junta album extravaganza at The Capitol Theatre earlier this year, which had Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s Greg Ormont act as Master of Ceremonies. Here at ADK Fest, PTF began with a beautiful segue-sandwich from “You Enjoy Myself” to Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” and back. Upon returning to the Phish hit, Ormont joined the band mid-song, to first engage in some trampoline-style jumping with bassist, Eric Gould, and new guitarist Cal Kehoe. They finished with a very kooky vocal jam.
It was another strong move to have Pigeons Playing Ping Pong return to close the festival Sunday evening, just as they did last year. These four jam-funk players having seen a truly meteoric rise recently (they will be headlining Explore Asheville this coming December). A few highlights for their near-explosive set included an electronically charged collaboration with Steve Moltiz on their own tune, “Live it Up,” and a very colorful jam on Deee-Lite’s “Groove Is In The Heart.”
Major music events in Lake George, NY like Adirondack Music Fest often share in a little community-favorited crown jewel—a post festivities top-off at local music hub, King Neptune’s Pub. Being a time-tested spot for upstate bands to play, King Neptune’s always sees great crowds, but then really turns out when late night performances go down.
For Saturday night’s musical extend, nearby favorites, Funktional Flow from Buffalo, and New Haven, CT’s, Eggy, offered a proper finish to a full first day of music. Eggy, coming from the fertile music scene in New Haven, made a grand introduction for themselves in this venue, and they rocked the opportunity big time. The groove rock four-piece blasted their way through intense versions of originals like “Shadow” and “One More Dance,” along with improvisationally-heavy takes on covers like Traffic’s “Low-Spark of High-Heeled Boys.” For a set-topper, Eggy invited Midnight North keyboardist, Alex Jordan, for a blissful and high-powered take on the band’s “Buying Time.”
ADK Fest Day 1: Eggy rocks late night w/ Special Guest Alex Jordan. PC: Miles Hurley
While night one’s crowd was impressive, festival buzz Sunday afternoon must have spread like wildfire to make late night two’s crowd even more massive and energetic, for Neptune’s at the tail end of the weekend was nearly flooding out the door. After Sunday night’s originally scheduled openers, psychedelic funk outfit The New Motif, had to cancel their slot and the evening switched around to second act, Annie In The Water, opening before a festival-family superjam close out.
Annie in The Water thus kicked off with a very uplifting display of original music, with some cover hits thrown in for good measure. A presentation of styles ranging all the way from folk rock to reggae to even some hip-hop was connected via strong, confident solos and endearing vocals. Members of Lucid, Magic Beans, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong coalesced into one family-type super jam set, for a final set at Adirondack Music Festival, that seemed to represent everything this dynamic music scene is about. At one point in this performance free-for-all, three keyboardists—Magic Beans’ Scott Hatchey, former Formula 5’s Matt Richards, and PTF’s Richard James—hammered away on one rig at the same time, for a spectacle that was also technically impressive.
As with any festival, there’s more musical experiences than can be reported on. From piano wizard Marco Benevento and his trio debuting material from their new record (Let it Slide), to upstate jam favorites Lucid commanding the main stage mid-Saturday as they do with fervor every year, ADK Fest’s fifth year was artistically overflowing. All of this top-notch live music was met resolutely throughout the weekend with a positive and welcoming vibe, upheld via a sense of strong community and creativity. For mid-size festivals Adirondack Music Festival is one of the best you can experience in the ever-musically-fertile land of upstate NY—yet here’s to a steady growth from mid-size to who knows how big.
Check out a gallery of images of Adirondack Music Festival 2019 below, courtesy of photographer James Sullivan.
It really takes a special talent to bring a performance to life, like the way Lindsey Stirling does. Her show at the great New York State Fair on Friday, August 23 was inspiring. Lindsey can play the violin flawlessly while dancing choreographed parts of her songs with dancers, and alone. It was a beautiful mix of dance, ballet and music. Lindsey performed many of her hits including “The Upside,” “Crystallize” and “Shatter Me.”
20,000 fans showed up to party with Ice Cube to see the legendary rap icon, movie star and Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer packed Chevy Court at theNew York State Fair. Decked out in his trademark black bandana, tucked under a ball cap and dark sunglasses, Ice Cube got the party kicked off with the body moving track, “The New Funkadelic.”
Ice Cube and hype man Dub C “WC” delivered a slew of bass heavy, pumping dance songs spanning Ice Cube’s 30-year career from his beginnings in NWA to his most current release Everythang’s Corrupt.
Ice Cube paused and addressed the crowd shouting, “There ain’t nothing like rockin’ a house on Friday night.” He was quickly corrected by Dub C who pointed out that it was still only the middle of the week. “Whenever you see Ice Cube, it’s a goddamn Friday,” the rapper said as he gave Dub C the stare down.
Ice Cube kept the crowd bumping with notables such as “Check Yo Self,” “Straight Outta Compton” (tease) bridging into “Gansta Gansta,” followed by “No Vaseline.” The set felt short, 60-minutes, but no one in the crowd could complain about the closing number, “It was a Good Day,” one of his greatest tracks ever. So, for all of you who had their doubts, who didn’t think Cube could get on stage and still rock the mic, I say, “You better check yo’ Self before you wreck yo’ self.”
Setlist: That New Funkadelic, Now I Gotta Wet’cha, You Know How We Do It, Bop Gun (One Nation), Check Yo’ Self, Friday, Roll All Day, We Be Clubbin’, Straight Outta Compton (N.W.A.), No Vaseline, Natural Born Killaz, $100 Dollar Bill Y’all, I Ain’t Got No Haters, You Can Do It, Go to Church, It Was a Good Day.
As the skies opened up on day eight of the Great New York State Fair, it didn’t deter anyone from taking a seat at Chevy Court awaiting the two-o’clock show that would feature one of the areas favorite bands, The Mavericks. People put on their ponchos, opened their umbrellas and patiently awaited the sunshine they knew was on its way from Miami. It had been three years since they last played the Syracuse Jazz Festival, and the impression it had left on the crowd was evident; they could care less that it was pouring rain. In fact, nor did I. With an umbrella in one hand, and my camera tucked neatly underneath protected from the elements, I too awaited this charismatic band to take the stage.
Celebrating 30 years together, the two original members Raul Malo and Paul Deakin, and long time members Jerry Dale McFadden and Eddie Perez were joined on stage by a full ensemble immediately kicking it into gear with favorite, “Back In Your Arms Again.” From the moment they took the stage, their eclectic mix of country, latin and rock and roll produced a signature sound that stops you in your tracks and demands your attention.
You’re locked in a trance. Your feet begin to move, your shoulders sway and your head begins to bob along with the beat Paul is laying down. Before you know it, Raul Malo’s sultry sound has you in his spell and you can’t help but dance along with Jerry as he plays his keyboards, or Eddie as he sways with his guitar. It’s inevitable. You can’t fight it.
Playing favorites such as “All Night Long” and “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” The Mavericks mixed up the set with covers of Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart” and their newest release of John Anderson’s “Swingin.” Before you knew it, the set was over and all the rain had been chased away by these southern gentlemen. Perhaps it was the mash-up of “All Night Long” and “Let the Sun Shine In” that chased away the clouds. Or perhaps it’s just the sunshine they bring to Syracuse each time they play. Whatever their magic is, Syracuse couldn’t get enough and they once again brightened our day.
Setlist: Back In Your Arms Again, All Night Long / Let the Sun Shine In, Summertime (When I’m With You), Pretend, Easy As It Seems, Dance In The Moonlight, Loving You, Hungry Heart (Bruce Springsteen), As Long As There’s Loving Tonight.
Encore: Swingin’ (John Anderson), Come Unto Me, All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down.
For the past seven years, LOCKN’ has been a true musical haven for improvisation, acting as a base for some of the most famous and remarkable collaborations. This year was no exception as some of this music scene’s most influential artists came together to share moments with festival patrons that won’t be forgotten any time soon.
The atmosphere at LOCKN’ this year was unique in that the festival felt smaller in scale compared to some of the past years when the grounds were overflowing with festivalgoers by virtue of acts like Phish, Disco Biscuits, The String Cheese Incident and Widespread Panic. In a way, the experience was more intimate and special as a result, with the performing artists’ music sweeping out into the crowd to bring their audience on a journey that was curated for their experience and their memories only.
It is always interesting to see the year-to-year tweaks that the festival implements to change the mood or improve the experience for patrons. This year, the thing that stood out was the late night shows in Garcia’s Forest, which included Circles Around the Sun, Soulive and Galactic.
Never miss a LOCKN’ sunset. Oteil & Friends
For those of us that have been six-to-seven year patrons of the festival, it is nostalgic to remember back to a widely favored and heralded set at LOCKN’ by the Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2014 in the Garcia Forest. What a trip, so many years later, to experience the powerhouse group headlining the festival, joined by superstar Trey Anastasio as the key acts of the weekend.
R.I.P Neal Casal, pictured at his last performance with Oteil & Friends.
Festivalgoers of this year’s LOCKN’ will forever evoke the memories of Neal Casal’s final performances, before our music community tragically lost him the Monday following the festival. This past weekend, Neal Casal performed late night on Thursday night with his outfit, Circles Around the Sun, which was orginially formed back in 2015 to record the interlude music for The Grateful Dead’s 50th Anniversary Fare Thee Well shows. Joe Russo performed a surprise sit-in with the group Thursday evening, in light of a collaborative EP that is due to release later this fall. Neal was seen again on stage with powerhouse group Oteil Burbridge & Friends, which also included Bob Weir and Duane Betts. Here is a clip of his solo on Thursday night with Circles Around the Sun:
“Interlocking” sets was the theme of the weekend, as always, at LOCKN’. Bob Weir graced a number of sets as a guest, as usual, including Oteil & Friends’ set where he sat in for “Cassidy” and a “Happy Birthday” song to Oteil; he joined Twiddle with Eric Krasno and John Popper for “Eyes of the World;” Old Crow Medicine; and Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians for “Deep Elem Blues.” Bob Weir was also “sitting in” during Joe Russo’s Almost Dead set when the camera spanned to him sitting side stage on a couch listening to JRAD’s set that included cuts like “Ruben and Cherise,” “Peggy-O,” “The Other One,” “Casey Jones” and “Uncle John’s Band,” to name a few.
Other notable moments of the weekend include one of the early sets of the weekend, when Trey played with the Thai-funk improv outfit Khruangbin, adding his legendary guitar licks to songs like, “Lady & Man” and “People Everywhere (Still Alive).” Moon Alice performed with the T Sisters and Lester Chambers and his son Dylan Chambers on Friday on classics such as “Uncle Johns Band” and “Attics Of My Life,” in addition to a few Moon Alice classics. Melvin Seals & JGB played a set together with John Kadlecik and the Pigeons Playing Ping Pong set had a sit-in from the Revivalist horns, to name a few more “Lockn’ Moments.” Honorable mentions should go to Fruition, who brought a sizable crowd to an 11 a.m. Garcia’s Forest set, finishing their performance with a crowd-requested “The Meaning.” Free Union started off the main stage performances on Saturday by inviting members of the Audacity Brass Band to play with them after their set was cancelled due to the storm on Friday.
Bob Weir and John Popper of Blues Traveler sit in with Twiddle.
But the weekend recap wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the extraordinary delicacy of seeing Trey and Derek performing together. Trey and Derek, certainly not strangers to each other’s guitar licks as the first time they played together was 20 years ago, had no trouble showing their respect for each other’s craft by adding the perfect additions to their respective sets. Starting with Friday night, Derek sat in for the entire second set with Trey Anastasio Band for songs like “Set Your Soul Free,” “Ghost,” and “Blaze On” with an additional sit-in from Susan on “A Life Beyond a Dream” and “Rise/Come Together.” On Saturday, Trey sat in with TTB for covers from the Derek and the Dominos’ classic album Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs while TTB proper followed with “Keep On Growing,” “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” and “I Am Yours.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaJ4auxoI0E
Derek Derek Derek Trey Trey Trey
Once again, the spirit at LOCKN’ was alive and well this year, and is rooted deeply now for the tradition to continue next year all over again.
To paraphrase the Downchild Blues Band, the 2019 Chenango Blues Festival had everything you need, almost. The lone exception was a few bouts of rain and lightning. Even then, the staff anticipated the weather, advised festival-goers, revised the schedule, kept things rolling with minimal interruptions, and were rewarded with a spectacular rainbow once the rain subsided.
Norwich’s native son, Brian Golden, kicked things off on the main stage. Golden has a long history of playing in Syracuse-area bands before eventually moving to Nashville, where he met his wife and band mate, Aletha. The Brian Golden Blues Experiment encompasses his interest in blues, but also makes room for Aletha Golden’s powerful voice on soul/R&B/gospel-styled songs, which included a powerful cover of “I Shall Be Released.” More information is available here.
Up
next on the main stage was a returning crowd favorite, Johnny
Sansone. A multi-instrumentalist, Sansone had fans up and dancing
with his energetic accordion playing on zydeco tunes, adding Delta
blues and swamp rock numbers throughout the set.
Johnny Sansone
The tent stage is traditionally where CBF presents emerging solo/duo acts, or artists that might cover different ground than traditional blues. There were a couple of highly anticipated performers there, beginning with Jontavious Willis. At just 23 years old, he has caught the attention of venerable blues men Keb’ Mo’ and Taj Mahal, who combined as Producer and Executive Producer on Willis’ Spectacular Class, released in April of this year and available for purchase here. Willis proved to exceed expectations, showing prowess, showmanship, an easy rapport with the audience, and surprising covers of a roof-raising version of Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say?” and a crowd sing-along on Prince’s “Kiss.” This is an artist not to be missed.
Jontavious Willis
“When I heard him play I said to myself: this is how the blues, as I know it, is going to stay alive. Jontavious Willis is the first blues musician I’ve seen in over 30 years that I would pay to see – and he’s only 20 years old! I’ve seen the best. Jontavious is the real deal.” [Paul Oscher, noted blues musician, and former harmonica player in the Muddy Waters Band]
Multiple Blues Music Award winner and Grammy nominee Danielle Nicole took the stage for an abbreviated set cut short by the first rainfall of the day, which made it impossible for her to continue on the main stage. Still, she displayed the powerful vocals and driving bass guitar that were staples of her debut album Wolf Den and last year’s Grammy nominated Cry No More. Hear her music and check out her tour schedule here.
With rain falling, the infield crowd shoehorned into the tent stage area to see Pokey LaFarge. A performer with a distinct vintage fashion style, LaFarge’s set had elements of ragtime, swing, country, and certainly blues. He was often hilarious and seemed joyous to receive such an enthusiastic response. A highlight was his very recently penned tune, “There’s Always Something to Drink About.” LaFarge commented that he wrote the song a few days prior to the festival, after contemplating his decision to “try” to quit drinking last month.
“…those…storms that rip up the world as you know it, and leave, like a sacrifice, a rainbow to make you forget what has come before.” ― Jodi Picoult, Picture Perfect
While festival staff scrambled to protect equipment and clean up the main stage, it was decided not to wait, but to switch the Downchild Blues Band from the main stage to the tent stage. Frankly, it was a stroke of genius as the legendary band, celebrating their 50th anniversary, was able to replicate the feel of pulsating, crowded Canadian venues they had played for upwards of 250 to 300 shows a year for many of those years. Led by top-notch harmonica player and guitarist Donnie “Mr. Downchild” Walsh, with award-winning vocalist Chuck Jackson, the group played songs from throughout their history, including their famous “Shotgun Blues” and “I’ve Got Everything I Need (Almost),” as well as the high-energy “Mississippi Woman, Mississauga Man” from their 2017 release, Something I’ve Done, which features songs written by five different band members. The band’s impressive history and music can be found here.
Joe Louis Walker had a couple of surprises for fans during his set. Piano player extraordinaire Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, easily the best-dressed person in attendance, joined what had initially been billed as a trio. Walker is a familiar face to Central New York blues fans, having played in Utica years ago and more recently at Funk N Waffles in Syracuse. He shared stories of the elder blues men that gave him a chance when he was just starting out and paid tribute by playing a song by Earl Zebedee Hooker. The second surprise was when Walker paid it forward by inviting Jontavious Willis to join him. Willis looked elated as he grabbed Walker’s red and black Greco guitar and smiled all throughout his time onstage.
Once
the rain ended and the
rainbow appeared, perennial
blues festival circuit favorite Tab Benoit took to the main stage. A
dynamic guitar player with a distinct vocal style that mixes his
Cajun roots with a whiskey-soaked sound more often heard in country
music, Benoit is an original in a genre that often relies on familiar
forms. A power trio with just Benoit and a rhythm section, the band
had fans crowding up front and singing and dancing along.
Tab Benoit
Closing out the day was Mississippi Heat band leader Pierre Lacocque, an impressive harmonic player and singer in his own right, directing a slightly stripped down touring version of the band, which sometimes features a horn section and multiple guitarists. The band still packed a punch and Lacocque was perfectly willing to share the stage and shine a light on the other performers, including the magnetic Carla Stinson on vocals for several songs and very special guest, Chicago legend Lurrie Bell on guitar and vocals.
Now in its 27th year, the Chenango Blues Festival is revered by fans far and wide. They have a fantastic knack of identifying and presenting emerging artists that create thousands of brand new fans. Valerie June, Ghost Town Blues Band, Davina and the Vagabonds, Southern Avenue, Nikki Hill, and Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton come to mind in just the last few years. They also showcase known crowd pleasers and veteran acts that deserve an appreciative, responsive audience. They treat fans and artists with respect, pay attention to details, and just do things right. It’s a simple formula, but that doesn’t mean it’s simple to do. However, those are exactly the reasons why it is many fans’ favorite festival each and every year.
There is a festival where volunteer staff wear t-shirts that read “La Famiglia” and what better way to encapsulate a feeling of family. Many festivals claim to provide a feeling of family, but none better provides a sense of true community than the intimate Mazzstock Music Festival, where founder Lee Mazzola has graciously opened his back yard for music lovers like himself.
On August 8-11, 2019 the uber-affordable Mazzstock Music Festival took place at Mazzstock Fieldin Marlboro, NY, within the picturesque and bucolic Hudson Valley Region. Conveniently located 1.5 hours from New York City, 2 hours from Hartford, 3 hours from Philadelphia and 4 hours from Boston, Mazzstock celebrated its 12th year (5th year as a 3-day fest) and drew soaring crowds with another very strong lineup.
Photo by Mickey Deneher
With the motto “3 days, 2 stages, 1 love, no worries,” Mazzstock Music Festival is something special. It is so intimate and friendly, one feels that they will meet and get along with any one of the smiling faces on the dance floor, in tent city or at concessions. This year included a variety of strong ascending artists. Festival favorite and Mazzstock veteran Zach Deputy returned as a headliner; while Flux Capacitor, Dark Side of the Hudson, Gratefully Yours, Escaper, Cousin Earth and Hayley Jane are just a few offerings from the festival’s varied lineup – which also featured a number of stylized and talented DJs for a very popular late-night silent disco.An impressive set from Kingston DJ, Joey Hernandez, who brought up-tempo house musings.
The weather was perfect throughout and there was no cell service so patrons were connected without any distractions. Another bonus was that one could clearly hear each set clearly from their campsite! Lee, Vinny and the rest of the organizing team provided a seamless experience with impeccable amenities including clean porto-potties with stocked toilet paper, always – all weekend.
Dave Reiss and I Anbassa proved they are a fun band to watch; Flux Capacitor showed why they are invited to play so many festivals, Tom Clancy and Dave Heinzinger led a feisty Sky Daddy set that ignited a tight “Fire on the Mountain.” Will Hanza guided his ascending band, Escaper, to some monster jams while festival mainstay, Alpha Male Gorillas, brought a heavier but contagious groove.
Photo By Mickey Deneher
Tigerman brought the funky rhythms, and stellar guitar work was showcased by ShwizZ Himsef while he adorned a tiger onesie. Dark Side of the Hudson demonstrated they are a premiere Pink Floyd experience with a professional cover rendition of the album Dark Side of the Moon and an exquisite vocal solo on “Great Gig in the Sky.” There were six artists at large, but those from Nyack (ShwizZ Himsef, Natasha May DiMarco, Dan Rappaport, Danielle Sheri Wasserman) shined brightest throughout their plethora of appearances; the bonfire jams were comforting with many bringing voices and instruments of choice for the familiar festivities.
Highlights of the festival included Cousin Earth, Cosmal and Zach Deputy!
Cousin Earth were a pleasant welcoming committee to the many fans that arrived late Friday evening during the set. Formerly Ukelelian, the quintet has been touring hard over the past year, even doing a vast Southern run, spreading their energetic and innovative sound. The NY based band, (a member of the Jam Band Syndicate), consists of Terry Brennan (vocals/keys/percussion), Melissa Raye (vocals/percussion), Corey J. Feldman (bass/vocals), Joey Calfa (ukulele/vocals) and Nate Searing (drums). The band was a breath of fresh air with their eclectic songwriting and hard to predict delivery. They are a band to watch as they ascend the ranks of our scene with more visibility.
The Mazzstock set was electric – fuelled by soaring harmonies and moments of beautiful jam improvisation. “Can You Get to That” was buoyed by the virtuoso guitar work provided by guest ShwizZ Himsef (Ryan Liatis) and his presence on stage with Calfa, who possesses monster chops, was a music lovers delight. “Super Laser Beams” remains a show staple and for good reason– it really showcases the band at its full power with intricate time signatures, blended melodies and trippy surreal solos as part of a musical package that lures attendees in like a laser beam. A recent release, “Don’t Kill Us” is the song that could be a hit as a released and promoted single. Raye’s vocals lead a pleasurable auditory attack with a seriously addictive chorus on a fantastical lyrical romp.
Set List: Pancakes, Burning Up, Window Video Game, Super Fun Laser Beams, Can You Get to That, Please Don’t Kill Us, Fleshy Car/Spain, Capricorn on the Cob
Hailing from New Paltz with over a decade of experience, Cosmal is well known to music aficionados in the Hudson Valley and beyond. Ryan Coyle (guitar/vocals) and his wife, Ali Laz (vocals/live painter), have partnered to unleash a musical experience like no other. A surreal and trippy exploration to the unknown, the dynamic duo has truly mastered the sharing of downtempo moods. Laz is relatively new to sharing her vocals on stage, but performs like a seasoned pro. She has become the consummate frontwomen – sexy, prolific and with a smooth vocal delivery.
Laz is also an accomplished live painter who creates one of a kind masterpieces on canvas that fans share much adulation for. The Wizard of Cosmal though is Coyle, who harnesses his brilliance to compose a myriad of uniquely contagious and infectious original sounds. The new song, “Snake Charmer” is meticulously crafted with solid guitar fills. However, it is “Caliente” that takes down the house as the highlight of the gig. Laz sultry sings, “I love the way you touch me” with relentless beats supporting the groove and it really delivers a euphoric vibe ala Gilberto in “Girl From Ipanema.” The song isn’t about sexual lust, but rather the yearning to feel someone’s entire soul. Cosmal are a quickly ascending band that I expect many more pleasant surprises from in the immediate future.
Set List: Sumatra, Caliente, Ancient Future, Drishti, Realize, Snake Charmer, Final Gear, Way Down, Encore: Blossom, Moment
Zach Deputy :: West Stage :: Saturday 11:10pm-12:40am
Zach Deputy returned to Mazzstock Music Festival as the headliner and had the prime Saturday night slot at the Main Stage. There is only one thing you need to learn about ‘Zachy Dee’ – he is a Master Looper. If you didn’t know that, his fiery and upbeat set soon would convince you. Hailing from Savannah, GA Deputy honed his chops at Riders Lounge on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. His unique approach delivered a bevy of bombastic acoustic numbers that inspired the crowd to shake their booty in delight. He shared crowd favorites like the party anthem “Put it in the Boogie,” the infectious “Twisty Twisty” and the rhythmic “Home.” He had the longest set of the weekend and patrons still were boogying at the end and salivating for more. A down to earth, generous, jovial giant of a man gifted fans with an assortment of benevolent ditties and in doing so proved that Santa Claus still delivers.
