On Friday, November 1, Vernon Reid and his “Band of Gypsys Revisited Band” will perform at The Egg in Albany, as part of the American Roots & Branches concert series.
In the spirit of revisiting, refreshing and further exploring the soul, funk & roll of the Jimi Hendrix album Band of Gypsys Live at The Fillmore East, guitarist extraordinaire Vernon Reid of Living Colour, guitarist André ‘Dré Glo’ Lassalle, drummer James “Biscuit” Rouse, and bassist Jared Michael Nickerson will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the recording of this iconic and influential album.
Tickets available at The Egg Box Office at the Empire State Plaza, by telephone 518-473-1845 or online.
Grammy-nominated band, The Wood Brothers, have a new full-length on the way. Honey Jar/Thirty Tigers is putting out the studio album, Kingdom In My Mind, on January 24, 2020. They’ve just debuted the first song, “Alabaster.”
Kingdom In My Mind is a follow-up to 2018’s One Drop of Truth, which hit #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart and garnered the band their first GRAMMY Award-nomination for “Best Americana Album.” The material for the forthcoming album started as they were breaking in their new Nashville studio, as they were tracking instrumental jam sessions to get a feel for the facility.
“If we had known we were making a record, we probably would have been too self-conscious to play what we played,” reflects Chris. “At the time, we just thought we were jamming to break in our new studio, so we felt free to explore all these different ways of playing together without worrying about form or structure. It was liberating.” Preorders the album here.
The Wood Brothers are currently finishing out an extensive US tour. They’ll be in NYC on January 30 and 31, Rochester on February 5, and Albany on February 8. Some of the proceeds from ticket sales go to support Thistle Farms, a Nashville-based non-profit organization which helps women to rebuild their lives.
The Wood BrothersTour Dates
11/15 – Madison, WI – Barrymore Theatre ^ (Sold Out) 11/16 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue ^ (Sold Out) 11/18 – Old Saybrook, CT – Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center 12/3 – Baton Rouge, LA – Manship Theatre ^^ (Sold Out) 12/4 – Houston, TX – The Heights Theater ^^ 12/5 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre ^^ 12/6 – Dallas, TX – The Kessler Theater ^^ (Sold Out) 12/7 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom ^^ 12/9 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown ^^ 12/11 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen ^^ (Sold Out) 12/12 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Strings Music Festival 12/13 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater ^^ 12/14 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater ^^ 12/15 – Breckenridge, CO – Riverwalk Center ^^ 1/29 – Baltimore, MD – Ram’s Head Live 1/30 – New York, NY – Webster Hall 1/31 – New York, NY – Webster Hall 2/1 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore 2/3 – Toronto, Canada – Mod Club Theatre 2/5 – Rochester, NY – Kodak Center 2/6 – Burlington, VT – Flynn Center for the Performing Arts 2/7 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall 2/8 – Albany, NY – Palace Theatre 2/9 – State College, PA – The State Theatre 2/11 – McKees Rocks, PA – Roxian Theatre 2/12 – Richmond, VA – The National 2/13 – Chattanooga, TN – Walker Theatre 2/14 – Nashville, TN – The Ryman 2/27 – 3/1 – Punta Cana, DR – Avett Brothers at the Beach (Sold Out) 3/4 – Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom 3/5 – Los Angeles, CA – The Regent 3/6 – Santa Barbara, CA – Campbell Hall 3/7 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater 3/8 – Eureka, CA – Arkley Center for the Performing Arts 3/10 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theater 3/11 – Kirkland, WA – Kirkland Performance Center 3/12 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom 3/13 – Vancouver, BC – Imperial 4/2 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre 4/3 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre 4/4 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre 4/5 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre 4/7 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre 4/8 – Columbus, OH – Southern Theatre 4/9 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel 4/10 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel 4/11 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
According to a clip from a recently shared interview, former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar tells the interviewer that a drive on I-87 North was the inspiration behind “I Can’t Drive 55.” What many New Yorkers know as ‘The Northway,‘ Hagar was inspired to write the song after he was pulled over for speeding on a drive from Albany to Lake Placid.
In the clip above, Hagar said he had returned from a family safari vacation and was headed north when a cop pulled him over. Hagar thought he was driving under the speed limit.
“You get tickets for 62 around here. I’m like wait a minute, the speed limit is 65 and he’s like, ‘No, it’s 55.’ I didn’t know they changed it and I wrote the story right on the spot. This guy’s writing the ticket and I’m writing the lyrics.”
Hagar, Pulled Over on I-87 N
Even though Hagar does not mention the Northway or Interstate 87 by name, the only road you could go 55mph, let alone 65mph in the area would be The Northway.
So, if you’re ever had to drive north between 4 and 6pm during the week, you know what it’s like to not be able to drive 55. Plus, you and Sammy Hagar now have something in common.
Following Dead and Company’s Halloween performances at Madison Square Garden on October 31 and November 1, Jerry Dance Party will take place at ZeroSpace, giving Deadheads a chance to keep the dancin late into the night.
“This is a rare opportunity to bring one of the most inspiring musicians of all-time into New York’s newest, visionary venue on the most creative holiday of year,” said event creator DJ JerrBrother. “Past will meet future when the music of Jerry Garcia plays at ZeroSpace!”
Inspired by psychedelic late-nights at the LOCKN’, The Jerry Dance Party will take place at New York’s Burning Man-inspired art-tech space ZeroSpace and include thousands of square feet of multi-sensory video mapping, projection and lasers.
Each Jerry Party room at ZeroSpace will be dedicated to a specific decade of The Dead, providing unique experiences that stretch into the early morning hours. For those Rhythm Devil fans, there will also be a 3D mapped, 30-foot geodesic dome synchronized to “Drums & Space” all night long.
ZeroSpace is located at 136 W. 33rd St, just steps away from Madison Square Garden. It features custom projections, interactive LED screens, projection mapped floors, synchronized illuminations, the largest augmented reality sandbox in the world and more, all tuned to the magical sounds of The Dead for this exclusive two-night event.
Tickets for the post-Dead & Company Halloween Jerry Dance Party are $25 and on sale now. This event is 18+. Visit Relix for more information.
Pete Townshend and Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff will bring The Who’s Tommy back to Broadway in 2021. 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of The Who’s Tommy, which tells the story of a young boy traumatized into deafness and blindness, yet has an unexpected gift for pinball that puts him on the path towards becoming the leader of a messianic movement.
Inspired by the groundbreaking 1969 LP and the 1975 film adaptation, the staged musical version of The Who’s Tommy first appeared in the summer of 1992 at San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse. It later opened on Broadway in 1993, winning a Grammy and five Tony Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Direction of a Musical.
With McAnuff and Townshend at the helm, the show won five Tonys that year. Now, with a return to the stage, McAnuff says it is more relevant that ever.
“Our new production of Tommy will be a reinvention aimed directly at today,” he said of the new production, for which he’ll act as director. “Tommy combines myth and spectacle in a way that truly soars. The key question with any musical is ‘Does the story sing?’ and this one most certainly does. Tommy is the anti-hero ground zero. He is the boy who not only rejects adulthood like Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye, but existence itself. He becomes lost in the universe as he stares endlessly and obsessively into the mirror at his own image. This gives our story a powerful resonance today as it seems like the whole world is staring into the black mirror. The story of Tommy exists all too comfortably in the 21st Century. In fact, time may finally have caught up to Tommy Walker.”
“In every producer’s career a show comes along that feels like a perfect fit,” says producer Hal Luftig. “To have Des and Pete look at Tommy again is extremely exciting and feels just right. I’m thrilled to bring Tommy back home to Broadway where it belongs!” Producer Patrick Catullo adds, “My parents took me to see Des’ original Broadway production for my 16th birthday. It completely blew my mind and is the singular reason I pursued a career in theater. The story is timeless and it’s one of the best scores ever written. I am beyond excited to present The Who’s Tommy not only for its existing fans, but to introduce it to a new audience as well.”
Marco Benevento at Music Hall of Williamsburg – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
Marco Benevento brought his trio to Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday night to showcase their new album Let It Slide. Marco has been a long time fixture in the New York music scene, and that was evident by the packed house and friends engaging with and cheering Marco on from the crowd. Earlier this month, the trio was at Cohoes Music Hall, just north of Troy, NY and the album itself was recorded in Queens.
The show began with a jam packed 45 minute set from The Mattson 2 – consisting of twin brothers Jonathon and Jared Mattson. The duo’s psychedelic jazz is so energetic and dense that if you were not looking you would think there was a four-piece band on stage. Guitarist Jared Mattson loops bass lines and other melodies through a large pedal board while playing a fast-paced, jazz-rock guitar on top of it all. The chemistry between the brothers is palatable, and the banter just as comical. Even as Jared was bouncing all over the stage, the two were able to stay locked in key the whole set.
The Mattson 2 at Music Hall of Williamsburg – Photo: Joseph BuscarelloThe Mattson 2 at Music Hall of Williamsburg – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
A hometown show is always special, and a look of pure joy could be seen on Marco and the band’s faces throughout the night. The crowd was singing and dancing along to every song of the nearly two hour set. The connection between the fans and the group was obvious. Climactic parts of songs would send bassist Karina Rykman leaping into the air with her bass and Marco took every chance he could to jump up from his piano bench.
Karina Rykman at Music Hall of Williamsburg – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
The band was electric from start to finish, even when they went on extended jams, it was always captivating. The musicianship from the trio was top-notch, so good their shows are not to be missed!
Marco Benevento at Music Hall of Williamsburg – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
The tour continues across North America through February, with a quick flyover to Japan for the Festival De Frue in early November.
Aqueous and Lespecial kicked off their Fall Tour on Thursday, October 24 in Syracuse at the Westcott Theater, playing to a full house with two sets stuffed with prog-rock and jammy goodness.
Check out a gallery of the night below, and don’t miss the Aqueous and Lespecial when they perform at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs on Saturday.
Lespecial setlist: Snell’s Fleet, Fruit Wolf Dance, Jackwise, Onlookers, The Vessel, Machine Elf, Tonberry*, T Mobil *first time played
Aqueous setlist: Set One: What’s the Connection?1, How High You Fly, Be the Same, Numbers and Facts2, Dammit, Eon Don2 > Timmy’s Blades > Pseudo Suicide3 > Eon Don
Set Two: Dave’s Song4 > Skyway5, Jealous, Complex Pt. I2 > Wandering2 6 > Complex Pt. II
Encore: Origami7
NOTES: 1 Rebel Rebel (David Bowie) teases 2 New arrangement 3 I’ll Be There For You (Rembrandt’s) tease 4 Let’s Go Buffalo quote 5 Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix) teases 6 BUSTOUT: LTP 2018/4/21 (111 shows) 7 Rastaman Chant (Bob Marley) teases
Sweden’s enigmatic hard rock band, Ghost, and Texas based, Nothing More brought The Ultimate Tour Named Death to The Oncenter War Memorial Arena in Syracuse, NY as part of their North American Tour.
Nothing More always puts on a fantastic show whether you’ve seen them once or ten times. Every performance is extremely high energy that seems like organized chaos, and this event proved no different. Frontman Jonny Hawkins took to the stage in his hoodie and began scaling up the iconic Scorpion Tale. With deep red stage lighting the remaining band members took to the stage before opening up with the explosive track “Let ’em Burn.”
While only having a nine-song set, Nothing More played some of their major heavy hitters. “Don’t Stop,” “Go To War” and “This Is The Time” were all performed with an incredible amount of energy alongside more emotive numbers like “Jenny,” which is a song about Hawkins sister and the struggle with addiction. “Fade In/Fade Out,” one of Nothing More’s most powerful songs was performed beautifully, which had many members of the audience tearing up.
Highlights from their set was a cover of the Skrillex track “Equinox,” mashed up with Queen’s “We Will Rock You” making for a pleasantly surprising and epic performance. Jonny Hawkins went absolutely nuts rocking back and forth on top of the Scorpion Tale drenched in sweat.
Ending their set with “Burn The Witch,” was the most memorable part of their performance, having all members of the band play an epic drum solo in sync together. Hawkins went absolutely nuts again on the drums, which was the perfect finish for Nothing More’s performance.
Nothing More set list: Let ’em Burn, Don’t Stop, Go To War, Jenny, Fadein/Fadeout, Ocean Floor, This Is The Time (Ballast), First Of The Year ‘Equinox (Skrillex)<We Will Rock You (Queen),’ Salem (Burn The Witch).
A Ghost show is kind of like a satanic mass. They started the set with a large black curtain draped in front of the stage while church hymns played. It made you feel like you at a traditional Sunday Mass. That was until the curtain dropped and the bands beautifully designed cathedral set was displayed. White stairs leading up to the drummer and keyboardist were positioned, with a large backdrop of stained glass cathedral style windows with pictures of different era “Papas” displayed.
As the introduction, “Ashes” began to play the Nameless Ghouls took place on-stage dressed in form fitting black outfits and silver masks as the music transitioned to the beginning of “Rats.” Cardinal Copia made his entrance dressed in his crimson suit.
Cardinal Copia is one of the most charismatic frontmen in the rock/metal genre, and this was on full display in Syracuse. Six of the 20 songs performed were from the bands latest album, Prequelle, including the singles, “Faith” and “Dance Macabre.” Seven songs were performed from the band’s 2015 album, Meliora. Among those were the hits: “From The Pinnacle To The Pit,” “Cirice,” “Devil Church,” the Grammy winning track “He Is,” and the ‘super heavy, heaviest song we have‘ according to Cardinal Copia, “Mummy Dust.”
Ghost recently released a two track EP, Seven Inches of Satanic Panic – and performed both tracks “Kiss the Go-Goat” and “Mary on a Cross.”
From a guest appearance by Papa Nihil on the Saxophone for “Miasma,” to Cardinal Copia riding out a tricycle, the show was filled with dry humor and jokes that flowed so well with the bands performance. Watching Ghost perform is almost like watching a musical.
Ending the night with “Square Hammer,” Ghost proved once again why they are one of the fastest rising hard rock bands in the world. The stage presence and interactions with the crowd connect on a personal level regardless if they’re playing in a small theater or a massive arena. Ghost is able to combine their stage lighting, fog machines, and the band’s incredible synergy for one fantastic show.
Ghost Set list: Ashes, Rats, Absolution, Faith, Mary on a Cross, Devil Church, Cirice, Miasma, Ghuleh/Zombie Queen, Helvetesfönster, Spirit, From the Pinnacle to the Pit, Ritual, Satan Prayer, Year Zero, Spöksonat, He Is, Mummy Dust, Kiss the Go-Goat, Dance Macabre, Square Hammer.
A tradition for more than half a century comes to a close this year. Arlo Guthrie announced that this will be his last time performing his traditional Thanksgiving show at Carnegie Hall. Guthrie has been touring for the anniversary of his iconic song “Alice’s Restaurant,” with daughter Sara Lee Guthrie this year. The pair, along with a host of family and friends, will celebrate one last time at Carnegie on November 30, 2019.
Tickets for Arlo Guthrie at Carnegie Hall and remaining 2019 tour are available. Tickets are selling fast, and the final Thanksgiving show is expected to sell out.
The song is based on a series of events that started with his friend’s Ray and Alice, who were renovating an unconsecrated church where they lived. Arthur Penn turned the song into a full-length movie in 1969, set at and around the church and starring Guthrie and many of the people acting as themselves on camera.
Guthrie purchased the church in 1991 and turned it into a thriving community center. There’s been plenty of work to do on the historic building, which has been standing nearly two hundred years. He’s had the church reconsecrated, and there are regular services.
Guthrie has worked to fulfill a dream of having a family band, in honor of his father Woody Guthrie. His children, grandchildren, and extended family have been joining him on stage over the years.
After 32 years Childsplay, comprised with some of the world’s best fiddle players, announced they would be going on tour for the last time. The short six-stop-tour across the Northeast starts in November and will include a performance at Symphony Space in New York City on November 22. Once again, famous fiddler and fiddle maker, Bob Childs, will lead this group as their time together comes to a close. Other members of the group range include Irish and Scottish fiddle champions to performers from the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
It is hard to believe from that first show in 1986 that this day would come, but we have arrived at the final tour of the band. We’ve performed throughout the United States and Europe showcasing different styles of fiddle music. Through all of this, we have experienced so much pleasure and joy performing in front of some of the greatest audiences. This last tour gives us one more chance to savor and enjoy the magic that happens between our audience and the band.
Bob Childs, Childsplay Frontman
Special guests Sheila Falls, National Scottish Fiddle champions Hanneke Cassel and Katie McNally, Boston Symphony Violinist Bonnie Bewick and the talented Virginia fiddler Steve Hickman will be joining the group as they play music selected from their seven albums. Along with exceptional fiddle playing, one can expect original dances by by Molly Gawler, formerly of Pilobolus, Kevin Doyle contributing step-dancing routines. Irish folk singer Karan Casey will also be on the tour, all contributing to what will a series of extra special concerts.
The group formed over 30 years ago with only one common
denominator, they all played instruments made by Childs. Thus Childsplay was
formed. A majority of the music that Childsplay performs is written and
arranged by the group with the intention to cover as many fiddle traditions as
possible, from Irish to Celtic to the classics and more modern sounds.
