Jeff Austin, 45, passed away in Seattle, WA on Monday, June 24. This news comes after an announcement on Saturday that he was canceling his upcoming music sets due to a medical emergency. The cause of his death has not been released.
The news was confirmed on June 25 with an official statement, reading, “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of a beloved family member, mandolinist, singer, songwriter and founder of The Jeff Austin Band, and Yonder Mountain String Band, Jeff Austin. Austin passed away June 24, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. He was son of Eileen Austin, husband to Devlyn, and father to Lily Rose (12), Penelope (5), and Jude Patrick (2). He was a dear friend whose music touched the lives of so many, and will be sorely missed. If you would like to make a contribution to help his family, please visit Sweetrelief.org.”
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of a beloved family member, mandolinist, singer, songwriter and founder of The Jeff Austin Band, and Yonder Mountain String Band, Jeff Austin. Austin passed away June 24, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Tweet 1 of 2) pic.twitter.com/SN9izRamck
News of his death quickly traveled through the jam and bluegrass scenes, with many taking to social media to express their condolences.
We are deeply saddened that we have lost Jeff Austin. The UM organization mourns his passing, while celebrating the joy & laughter he brought to so many of us. Our thoughts are with his family & the wider community.
Austin co-founded Yonder Mountain String Band in 1998 and was with the band through some of their biggest career moments. Yonder Mountain brought the jamgrass genre to the forefront of the live music circuit. In 2014, Austin left Yonder Mountain to pursue solo projects including The Jeff Austin Band, The Here And Now, and Grateful Grass. In the last few years, the mandolinist had returned his focus to 30db, an acoustic duo with Umphrey’s McGee guitarist Brendan Bayliss. They released One Man Show in 2010, toured in support of the album intermittently and eventually began a tradition of a Chicago holiday concert. In May 2019, Jeff Austin canceled his performances with his band and 30db at the Summer Camp Music Festival, citing a family emergency.
Austin was born in 1974, raised in Illinois and studied musical theater at the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He first picked up a mandolin in 1996 with little experience, but quickly became a master at the instrument. Loved and renowned by fellow musicians and fans alike, this a huge loss for the music community.
Austin performed with moe. at the 2008 moe.down in Turin, NY.
https://youtu.be/lQ9I5-_s7gI
Yonder Mountain String Band performs Danny Barnes’ “Death Trip” at Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, on 7/15/2011 with special guests Ronnie McCoury and Jason Carter
Slick Rick the Ruler was joined by DJ T.G.I.F and Giant Gorilla Dog Thing for Albany’s Alive at 5 summer concert series at its location under I-787 on Thursday, June 20. Ricky Martin Lloyd Walters, known to the world as Slick Rick and widely regarded as “hip-hop’s greatest storyteller,” is a London-born, Grammy-nominated performer and the most successful British-American rapper in music history.
The hip-hop veteran began his career in 1983, as a member of Doug E. Fresh’s Get Fresh Crew, pioneering what is today celebrated as the “Golden Age of Hip- Hop.” Recognizing the need for positive influences, Rick has devoted his time to mentoring youth on the dangers of violence. Additionally, he has partnered with various local and national organizations to raise awareness and funds for the issues impacting underserved communities.
Saturday morning and afternoon on the farm came quickly. Festival goers were treated to the first small taste of heat that the great fields in Tennessee are known for. While temperatures did not surpass the lower eighties on this morning, they were certainly hot enough to get people out and moving early, as stagnating at campsites throughout the grounds simply is not an option for survival in the moist heat.
Photo by Rob Roane
I got up, bumped around the grounds for a little bit seeking sustenance and cold beverage, and noticed the true surrealism that had begun to set in in full force. The camps and plazas that played central host to each camp cluster oozed with creativity and expression in all forms. Incredible spray-painted graffiti covered site walls; giant spotlights had been moved in front of the Bonnaroo disco ball high atop a fire tower overlooking the grounds. The festival was seeping with life. Before I go further to recap the performances I took in, I’m going to illuminate maybe my biggest takeaway from this weekend which really did strike me as I ambled about on this fine Saturday. I am a thirty-something year old, and while of course Bonnaroo draws from every demographic of age young and old, it is largely comprised of younger folks.
Walking the grounds at this festival was like looking back through a window of time for me, looking back at a snapshot of my own past experience of falling in love with live music and the culture that surrounds it. Had I not attended this festival as a much younger person, some fifteen years ago to be exact, I don’t know where my life would be today, but I can assure you I would not be a music journalist. Back then, and as I imagined the case to be for many of those who I watched this morning, was the first time feeling the kind of freedom that lives at Bonnaroo. Simply put, as a young person especially, this is a festival that will change your life. It was so, so endearing to peek back into this reflection of my own past and observe people having their life altered, hopefully for the better. Now let’s talk tunes.
Photo by Rob Roane
I got in early for the hard psychedelic post-rock sounds of New York’s own Rubblebucket. A nice sized crowd had gathered early at Which Stage on this humid afternoon set and Rubblebucket did what they do best, deliver sound in a theatrical and enthralling manor. Adorned in a neon green top with Beetlejuice pants, Kalmia Traver moved around the stage as if she owned it, powering the band through takes off their most recent release Sun Machine. Traver is a force of nature on the stage, flanked of course by her trusty band mates, the eclectic Alex Toth and the rest, Rubblebucket threw down a very “New York” set, which was refreshing to hear the sounds of the concrete jungle all the way down at Great Stage Park. Traver’s baritone sax augmented by the rest of the horns belted wonderfully out over the masses. The crowd grew as the set continued, but I retreated to the lounge to guzzle water and collect myself. Luckily, next on my list was Hippo Campus, which was set to take place also at the Which Stage, so I rested backstage until it was time for their curtain call.
When I popped back out in front of the stage for Hippo Campus, a massive crowd was there to greet me. Although the adjacent What Stage is indeed the festival’s main permanent stage, the crowds at Which Stage all weekend were omnipresent. The crowd can run very wide at the Which Stage, and stagger all the way back into the causeways of the grounds, through patches of shade provided by the sparse trees overhead and back even further, sometimes mixing with the back of the crowds at the tents. It is truly a sight. Hippo Campus wove a web of a kind of neo pop sound, one that is a bit foreign to me as an author but certainly was not to those in attendance. I was again reminded of how far the talent buying at this festival had come, and what a mystical thing genre diversity can be. From one end of the spectrum to the other I went, moving from the Which Stage over to the main stage for what I thought was some good old fashioned new age country.
Mauren Morris came on a recommendation to me a few months prior to this outing. Being from the south myself, I am indeed a [gasp] country music fan. There is a movement going on in country music right now that is really yielding some interesting stuff, and Mauren Morris did not disappoint, though she was not what I expected. Morris has been in the news recently after being outspoken regarding issues such as the need for stricter gun legislation which, to the untrained eye, seems a bit odd of someone from her genre. Hence, why I was interested to begin with. I discovered a very well polished, mostly traditional female country vocalist, rooted in the sound of Nashville, the city from which she hails. With a classic country look, cowboy boots and hat, bleach blond hair swaying to and fro, Morris led her band through some high-energy numbers including her current Billboard hit “Girl” which was received thankfully by the large mid afternoon crowd. The set did get interesting though, as Morris inventively worked in some EDM textures into her show. I can safely say this was unexpected, intriguing, and the first of its’ kind for me. A low electro bass murmur pulsated the stage at interspersed segments during her songs, and then it clicked why she was so popular among young people. I made my way from the What Stage back to camp for a brief break, and I heard the serenading sounds of The Grateful Dead coming from tents nearby, always welcoming notes to my ears. I felt refreshed as I prepared for what was easily my favorite set of the day.
As I re-approached the Which Stage, the biggest heap of people on the grounds of the second stage that I witnessed all weekend long greeted my eyes. Kacey Musgraves had brought a colossal size party with her only fit for the Bonnaroovians that salivated in anticipation of this set. Friends, let me implore you, go see this show. Musgraves transported us all to another land with her smooth, serendipitous sound that washed me away like a warm and gentle wave. Yes, she is a country singer, but her range is remarkably dynamic. Her sound is eerie, luminescent, powerful but peaceful. I recognized “Butterflies,” which was gleefully received by the capacity crowd. Giant inflatable blue balls bounced their way from the front of the crowd to the back, color was everywhere; Musgraves was hitting home runs. As the set moved forward, completely out of left field here comes a monster Flaming Lips cover in the form of “Do You Realize??” The crowd sung in unison; beauty was everywhere.
Photo by Rob Roane
As the daylight began to retire, ushering in the much-needed coolness of the evening, I bounced between two lineup legends in their own rights. Under the forgiving cover of the tents I watched a patron saint of songwriting, the big door prize himself, John Prine take his band through some mighty fine picking and singing. I saw a nice opening suite of “Hello in There,” “Summer’s End,” and the lively “Knockin’ on Your Screen Door,” before I sprung from That Tent to This Tent for Jim James and his band of rock steady pros. While many in the crowd anticipated a set rich with My Morning Jacket materiel, James instead threw out mostly recent solo stuff, including the Sirius XM favorite “Just A Fool.” James did however have one surprise up his sleeve as the lights went dim on the backline of the band and James switched to a seated acoustic guitar before the opening chords of the My Morning Jacket anthem “I’m Amazed” began. This was a truly stunning moment as time almost stood still just long enough for the seated Kentucky rock god to belt out poignantly, “After all is said and done, where is the justice?” as the song concluded. Never one to shy away from social commentary, he let the last notes linger in order to emphasize this powerful message in the form of lyric.
Before moving onto Saturday’s headliner and late night charades, I want to give a tip of the hat to my discovery of the day: Liily. This four-piece new age indie punk rock outfit out of Los Angeles played the smaller Who Stage which resides centrally between the two tents. The stage features up and comers under much smaller production but it is a great opportunity to discover new artists, and I can safely say I won’t soon forget this power punch. Liily is here to tell you that rock is far from dead, and that the California sound is getting re-carved. This was a scorching performance from a band whose oldest member is not even 21 years of age. This was by far and beyond the most truly rocking set I saw all weekend. Expect to see a lot more from this young ferocious foursome.
Photo by Rob Roane
I migrated from the smallest stage on the property back to the largest, for the feature of the evening, the Texas tornado, Post Malone. While the actual music struck me as nothing more than his studio stuff turned up very loudly, I will say that the production was impressive. A fierce collection of pyrotechnics peppered the performance frequently, and let’s be honest here, pyrotechnics are always cool. Towers of fire two stories high backed Post Malone as he talked the giant gathering through his hits like “White Iverson,” “Sunflower,” and “Congratulations.” I wasn’t specifically disappointed with this set, because it was exactly what I imagined it would be, but at its conclusion I was more than ready for the late night bomber Joe Russo and his Almost Dead to invade the grounds.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, or “JRAD” as they are effectively known, was the only manifestation of live Grateful Dead at the farm at the 2019 installment of Bonnaroo. While I have commented on how nice it is to see how far the booking at this festival has come, I was more than happy to see JRAD sneak onto the lineup to ensure at least a small piece of Bonnaroo’s roots remained on the farm. A sparkling “Rubin and Cherise” got the party started for the notably easy to maneuver crowd gathered at “That Tent.” Russo moved his band through classic after classic, with a specifically cool “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Throwing Stones” sequence. “Throwing Stones” occupying the slot which is usually reserved for “Franklin’s Tower” was a nice touch.
As GRiZ had done the night before, Russo nodded to the late Dr. John by busting out “Such a Night” before closing things down with an extended “Samson and Delilah,” taking the clock several ticks past their allotted 3:15 a.m. stoppage time. I barely made it back to camp to embrace my pillow oh so welcomingly. Find the complete JRAD set at the bottom of this recap.
Setlist: Rubin and Cherise, St. Stephen, Mama Tried, Help on the Way, Slipknot!, Throwing Stones, He’s Gone, Playing In The Band, Terrapin Suite, I Need A Miracle, Such A Night (Dr. John), Samson and Delilah
Photo by Rob Roane
Sunday
The time had almost come to say farewell to this majestic place called Bonnaroo. Sunday was upon us all, and along with it now the true nature of the farm: sweltering heat. I knew I could not bid this extravaganza goodbye without first kissing its cruel mistress the sun at least once. Sunday brought temperatures far more familiar to most savvy Bonnaroovians. The thermometers rose towards 90 degrees. Sweat bathed us all. No matter though, because it was Sunday, a day commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Day,” and on this Sunday, by all accounts The Lord was coming in the form of a traditional proper two set Phish escapade. Praise!
Before the Vermonters completely took over, I braved the heat to make it into Centeroo for the speakers of the truth through brazen brass, one of my absolute favorite bands on the circuit today and a Bonaroo veteran taboot, The Soul Rebels. The Soul Rebels brought the funk party live and direct to the Which Stage on this baking afternoon, and, as always, I hung on every note. With renditions of “If I Ruled The World” complete with the Nas vocal parts delivered by trumpeter Julian Gosin, and their ode to their home city of New Orleans “504,” The Soul Rebels boomed on this Sunday afternoon, just enough to forget the heat for a cool 45 minutes. I spoke with the Soul Rebels’ Julian Gosin and Marcus Hubbard after their set about Bonnaroo, the importance of keeping brass in schools, and much more.
Marcus Hubbard and Julian Gosin. Photo by Rob Roane.
We’re here at Bonnaroo, which is a really diverse festival. I can tell you, just walking around the festival grounds, it’s way different then other places I’ve seen you [Soul Rebels]. There are all colors out there, there are all creeds, and it’s great. The duality of that is though that while we’re here at this great melting pot of diversity, there’s also a culture war going on. People high up in our administration right now are fighting to do things like take music out of schools, and ironically brass is kind of on the front lines of this fight.
NYS Music: Can music save a life?
Julian Gosin: Music can definitely save a life.
NYS Music: And has it?
JG: Ya man, we living proof. New Orleans… unfortunately doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to crime.
NYS Music: Sure.
JG: But… the music is one of those things that kept a lot of us off the street, kept us busy, kept us focused, kept us motivated. After school, we would get home six, seven o’clock at night coming from band practice, and we were so focused in on our craft, we would extend that at home. Probably with another two or three hours of practice. Just the mentality of really wanting to do it is just the thing. Coming from New Orleans, we were the cool kids, we were cooler than the football players. We were young and not really realizing at the time what the music was doing for our careers and our safety, and our lives, and our families. It’s so important to keep the music in the schools. Right now, I’m currently working in the schools back home and there’s just such a big gap from when we were in school to now. We just want to give back. Music can save a life, man.
For my complete interview with The Soul Rebels, keep it dialed in right here with NYS Music and we will release the whole transcript soon. Now onward we go!
Photo by Rob Roane
By about 4 p.m. it was a full on roast. I had to retreat for some time just in order to reserve the energy to stand for the evening to come. I tumbled back to camp for a breather before ultimately making my last trip into the belly of the beast. I got a bit of a second wind thanks to The Wood Brothers sparking a notably fast paced set at That Tent that included “Saturday,” “I Got Loaded,” and of course “Luckiest Man.” They also threw in a nice curveball with “Express Yourself,” a song written in the seventies by Charles Wright, but popularized mostly by N.W.A. in the ’90s. The Wood Brothers had the crowd moving, and amongst its ranks, one could clearly see that most of the Phish crowd had deemed That Tent their pre-party. It was nearly time.
Before the last hurrah, I made sure to stop by the queen Cardi B. Her set was exactly as I imagined it, very hype, with a gargantuan crowd. Cardi played the hits, and midway through suffered somewhat of a wardrobe malfunction, splitting the backside of her outfit. She took it like a complete professional though, and to the crowd’s delight she finished the entirety of her set in a bathrobe. My ears rang as her set finished up, but no ear ringing would deter me from the big show.
Photo by Rob Roane
Phish took the main stage just a few ticks after 8:30 p.m. with Trey Anastasio beckoning the crowd, “You guys got any energy left, Bonnaroo? Because we do!” The crowd was far more concentrated than Friday, as seemingly many of the folks on tour had procured wrist bands and made it in for the Bonnaroo blast off set. Big Red and the gang got right down and dirty with a quick “Set Your Soul Free” before encouraging the youngsters out there to “Blaze On.” I noticed so many first timers again at this show, and it was so encouraging dancing amongst them, knowing so many would get hooked because of this set. Music is indeed a beautiful thing. The Kasvot Växt hymn “Death Don’t Hurt Very Long” took the tertiary spot before a nice Bonnaroo “Reba” popped its head up in the first set. A triumphant and appropriate “Free” came next, perhaps a nod to what so many discover on this great farm. “Sand” proved to be the dance friendly number in the first set, the contagious guitar riff lapping out over the crowd, most of whom had dropped their jaw thanks to this early crescendo.
Photo by Rob Roane
The second set can stand up to any second set in recent memory. This was no “festival set” as I previously mentioned many feared. This was the real deal. “Mike’s Song” led us down the hallway out of the gate, before a huge 14+ minute “Fluffhead” that was followed by a hefty “Twist.” That pairing is a favorite of mine and was the high point of this set. A nice “Weekapaug Groove” sandwich that found “No Man In No Man’s Land” as the meat in the middle came next, before creating an even larger sandwich by reintroducing a brief return to “Twist.” What a set indeed.
The trifecta of “Fuego” -> “Ghost” -> “Bathtub Gin” put the bookend on the second set. Phish had dominated the farm once again. Hands met hands in high fives; the phrase “Happy Roo” was exchanged by many. Just as they had come, both the band and the 80,000 patrons would soon slink back out into the night and back to their respective lives, but not before meeting Wilson. The notes of “Wilson” came knocking back on the stage door for one last rump shake, the raucousness created by the “blat-boom” lyrics was palpable. Somehow, even on the last leg of this four-day behemoth of a festival, this may have been the highest point of energy. “First Tube” sent us all on our way and brought the show to a climactic end as Anastasio held his guitar high above his head and ran around the stage. Mission: accomplished. For the complete Phish setlist see just below this recap.
If I can leave you with anything, it would be to return to my words at the top of this recap – this festival can change your life, you simply have to let it.
Phish setlist – Set 1: Set Your Soul Free, Blaze On, Death Don’t Hurt Very Long, Reba (no whistling), Free > Sand, Wolfman’s Brother, Cavern.
Set 2: Mike’s Song > Fluffhead > Twist > Weekapaug Groove > No Man In No Man’s Land > Weekapaug Groove > Twist > Fuego > Ghost > Bathtub Gin.
Vermont’s jam loving rock band, Phish, graced the stage of the woodsy meets urban Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, as they blazed on their 2019 summer tour. The June 22, 2019 show included a debut from Trey Anastasio side project, Ghosts of the Forest. Phish consists of Trey Anastasio (guitar), Mike Gordon (bass), Page McConnell (keyboard, organ) and Jon Fishman (drums).
MPP is located in the heart of Symphony Woods, a woodland preservation designed by famous architects, Frank Gehry and N. David O’Malley in 1967. It was originally built as a summer stage for the National Symphony Orchestra. The venue has won over popular music acts because of its natural surroundings and excellent sound.
Set one kicked off with “Undermind,” from the album with that name. Two funky fan favorites followed, “Tube,” with a delicious jam from McConnell, and the Son Seals’ cover, “Funky Bitch.” The fire-and-ice jam vehicle “Steam” was up next, followed by phish classics “My Sweet One” and “NICU.”
Phish slowed the set down with the debut of “Friend,” from Anastasio’s side project Ghosts of the Forest. This band was created to play songs honoring Anastasio’s long time friend, Chris Cottrell, who lost his battle with cancer in 2018. Meaningful lyrics pierce hearts: “why do we have to wait until it’s gone to know what love is?”
The boys pressed the gas pedal for “No Men in No Man’s Land,” off their album Big Boat. Classics “The Horse” > “Silent in the Morning,” from the album Rift, had the crowd with arms in the air. Jam monster “David Bowie” was played next, and for the first time in 2019. The set closed out with “Squirming Coil,” from Lawnboy as the sun set behind the venue.
The second set was full of segues and jamming, starting with “Ghost,” from Story of the Ghost. “Ghost” transitioned to the a jam sandwich with high energy “Axilla,” then into new tune, “Set Your Soul Free.” The Pink Floyd-esque “What’s the Use?” and finally “Billy Breathes” followed suit.
“Death Don’t Hurt Very Long,” from their new album Kazvot Vox, started the second segue sequence. The next layer in the jam triffle was “Backwards Down the Numberline” from the 2009 release, Joy. The perennial Phish favorite “Harry Hood” was up next, and Anastasio’s on point guitar work had the crowd feeling good. The boys transitioned into “Rise/Come Together,” another new song. The final layer was the classic “Golgi Apparatus,” ironically last played almost one year ago at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Phish sent their fans home happy with “Bug” > “Character Zero,” including an electrified closing jam. Phish fans await what night two has in store for them. Tickets are sold out, but can be obtained through CashorTrade.
Set 1: Undermind, Tube, Funky Bitch, Steam > My Sweet One > NICU, Friend[1], No Men In No Man’s Land > The Horse > Silent in the Morning, David Bowie, The Squirming Coil.
Set 2: Ghost > Axilla > Set Your Soul Free > What’s the Use? > Billy Breathes, Death Don’t Hurt Very Long > Backwards Down the Number Line > Harry Hood > Rise/Come Together > Golgi Apparatus.
Thai-Funk trio, Khruangbin, made their debut at the historic Capitol Theatre on Wednesday June 19, where curious music fans were treated to something special. For the first time the Texas trio played their 2018 album, Con Todo El Mundo, in its entirety, followed with a complete performance of their 2015 debut album, The Universe Smiles Upon You.
Bassist Lara Lee, guitarist Mark Speer, and drummer Donald “Dj” Johnson have come up with this amazing sound that blends many global musical influences working towards never being pigeonholed into one label. As the band played the final note of “Zionsville” to close out the show, an extremely diverse group of music fans erupted in ovation, showing why this is one of the must see acts in music right now, and hopfully cementing many returns to the The Cap.
Setlist – Khruangbin at The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
Set 1: Como Me Quieres, Lady and Man, Maria Tambien, Aug 10, Comom Te Quiero, Shades of Men, Evan, A Hyman, Rules, Friday.
Set 2: Mr. White, Two Fish, Dern Kala, Little Joe & Mary, White Gloves, People, The Man Who Took My Sunglasses, August 12, Ball and Pins, Zionsville.
After the untimely death of lead singer Mark Fletcher, the surviving members of Brooklyn, NY indie rock band Stringer completed a posthumous music video for “Through the Walls.” In a joint statement, Stringer band members said, “Mark Fletcher, our brother and bandmate passed on Feb. 19th, 2019. For six years we made music. We lived our lives together with a bond that can only be forged by the most intense and ecstatic experiences, we spoke in our own language. Mark and filmmaker Chris Elia made this video featuring a collection of strangers and his best friends singing his words. We think this is fitting because Mark made friends so easily and it didn’t take long for a stranger to become a best friend.”
Elia, a longtime friend of the band and frequent collaborator adds, “When Mark was in the Bay Area this past winter, he used his camera phone (as well as his outgoing & charming personality) to start filming the 1st verse in my old neighborhood. We spent literal hours talking on the phone during his trip, part of which involved his vision for a lyric video. He was so ecstatic about the initial rough cut I had sent him, so I can only imagine the happiness it would have brought him to see the completed video full of familiar faces singing his song.”
Members of Stringer, along with family and friends of Mark’s have also banded together to launch The Mark Fletcher Studio, a non-profit that has been set up in his memory. Stringer’s practice room in Bushwick, Brooklyn has been refitted to host analog recorded sessions that are free for artists.
The band adds, “We are running this studio solely on community donations so any help is greatly appreciated! Even $5 or $10 will go a long way. You can donate here.
Produced by Adam Reich (So So Glos, ex-Titus Andronicus), Stringer’s critically-acclaimed album My Bad was released in July on Wiretap Records.
Joywave dropped the first single off their highly-anticipated third album, Like a Kennedy. In conjunction with the release, they announced “The Possession Sessions,” a handful of show dates including intimate shows in Rochester on June 29 and Brooklyn on July 11. The hometown show in Rochester at The Bug Jar sold out in a few hours, and a second-late night set has just been added. Tickets are on sale here. See the complete list of upcoming shows below.
In a commentary that is available to stream now, Armbruster explains:
“I think a lot of people will probably try to fit this song into some type of political narrative, but that’s really not the point. It’s a song about complete exhaustion and media burnout. It’s an anti-chaos song. Every screen you walk by DEMANDS your attention. Everything is BREAKING NEWS in all caps. It’s a really difficult time to think about the mundane small-scale things that have been the focus of human existence until very recently. I don’t think people should check out, but I think it’s beneficial to at least zoom out and not take the bait every time. It feels like everything is designed to keep us enraged 24 hours a day. We deserve a little sanity.”
– Daniel Armbruster
The Possession Sessions:
June 29 – Rochester, NY – The Bug Jar
JULY 9 – Los Angeles, CA – The Moroccan Lounge
July 11 – Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere (Zone One)
July 13 – Chicago, IL – Taste of Chicago
July 18 – Fayetteville, AR – Free Summer Concert Series at JBGB *
July 19 – Kansas City, MO – Coors Light Block Party *
August 10 – Redmond, WA – 107.7 The End Presents Summer Camp *
Last weekend the annual Clearwater Music Festival, continued its amazing and rich tradition as a premier event celebrating great music and environmental awareness in our community. With a lineup that included Mavis Staples, The Wailers, Ani DiFranco and Railroad Earth, Clearwater alumni came out despite bad weather predictions to celebrate a great weekend of music and revival in Westchester county.
Day one of the festival brought amazing weather complimenting the beautiful setting of Croton Point Park. Highlights of the afternoon included intimate sets from James Maddock, and The Lone Below, as well as a Deadgrass set that filled the Dance Stage with singing and moving deadheads. Ani DiFranco welcomed in the evening with one of the top sets of the weekend, treating fans to her powerful, poetic performance – the perfect appetizer. The evenings’ main act, legendary Mavis Staples showed her audience why she is a national treasure and one of the great soul singers of our time.
Day two plagued by rain and mud did not deter fans from another fun day of music on the Hudson, and their faith paid off because in the end the weather held out. The Fatherâs Day Sunday included amazing sets from Scott Sherrard, The Del McCoury Band, and Leslie Mendleson. The weekend favorite, Railroad Earth, kept the bluegrass roots alive, treating fans to unique songs from the bands amazing catalog. Closing out the 2019 edition of the Clearwater Music Festival was The Wailers; a relaxed group of fans were treated to all the hits of the famous reggae band, closing out an amazing weekend of music and community.
Inspired by Pete Seegerâs desire to clean up the river over forty years ago, The Great Hudson River Revival initially helped raise the funds to build the sloop Clearwater, which has since become a world-renowned floating classroom and a symbol of effective grassroots action.
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. is a non-profit organization that sails at the forefront of the nationâs environmental challenges. The revenue raised by the festival goes to support Clearwaterâs numerous educational programs and its work toward environmental and social justice.
Today, seeing the success of the Clearwater organization, one cannot imagine these achievements being possible without the Clearwater Festival. The Great Hudson River Revival has helped raise funds and served as a beacon toward raising awareness in support of Americaâs First River. And it all started more than 35 years ago, when it was but the dream of a banjo-picking folksinger.
Albany based duo, Ignis, released their sophomore LP Mirrorless on June 10. The unique styling of the record, comprised of brothers Colby and Tristan Beach. A background in piano from a very early age led both brothers to take on other instruments, and as a result, formed Ignis back in 2017. The brothers have released two self-recorded EP’s to date: Walking, and Cover. In January 2018 they released their first full length album, The Face of Mars. Even though there are issues with the actual production value and execution of Mirrorless, the band is young, with time and perhaps a deft hand in the studio to assist in the production of new material, they will surely be able to overcome these technical deficiencies.
Unfortunately there are some tracks like “Go With Me” where the guitar is noticeably out of tune. If that was the intention of the duo, it made it an unpleasant experience for the listener. The vocals by lead singer Colby also seem to be inconsistently in tune throughout the LP. Nowhere is this issue more apparent than on both the third song “Fade Away” and the final track “Wombat Master”. There also seems to be some audible timing issues on “Fade Away” as well, which points to potential inexperience at the mixing board.
There are some positive aspects of Mirrorless that are pleasing. The majority of the musical arrangements show intelligent musicianship. They are able to evoke feelings that Ignis wants to convey to its audience. The duo definitely seem to be working with an extensive musical pallet that includes numerous style elements including keys, percussion and a variety of interesting guitar styles.
Additionally Mirrorless shows promise with songwriting by the Beach brothers that includes lyrics and rhythms that are both eccentric, introspective and interesting to listen to. Since this is the band’s sophomore effort, there is no doubt that there is still more in store for the future of this group. If the duo continues to evolve and are attentive to the details required of recording, they will be on track towards developing a bigger following and popularity in the Capital District. This of course takes time and experience. That experience comes from playing live and continued time in the studio. If Ignis performs regularly and commits to improving their knowledge of the mechanics of musical recording, they will be able to develop a more mature sound that will elevate their art to the next level.
On Friday night, June 14, Albany’s Jupiter Hall closed their stage for the last time; but before the darkness, the venue was alive with flashing lights, fans, great music – and snow!
Another great show by Chaos Collective and Joe Von Schnizel, The Jupiter Hall venue went out with a bang! The feeling at the show was not one of despair, but rather a celebration. Four bands played, but they seemed to have the hearts of all the prior bands within them, and they gave it all to the appreciative fans.
Frank Palangi, an indie rock songwriter, opened the show with his band. His deep, full voice is reminiscent of Dave Gahan, the lead singer of Depeche Mode. His range was amazing, ccompanied by Greg Auffreduo on drums. You can catch some of his upcoming shows at Abrews in Dracut, MA on June 23 or The Schenectady Armory Center, June 29. For a list of other events, see his website.
Setlist: Set Me Free, Live It Up, Intro, It’s All Right, Break These Chains, Metallica Mix, Turn It All Around, Purple Haze.
Chris Itani
Next up were The Hard Luck Souls, an original blues-influenced hard rock band from the Capital District. Chris’ cool bluesy rock voice, led the tight, well-rehearsed group featuring Chris Itani on vocals, Brian Gentile on guitar, Mark Schmidt on drums and Dave Smassanow on bass. The setlist was from their 2017 CD, Closer to the Flame, and included: “You’re Not a Saint,” “In My Head,” “Izzy’s Thunder,” “Believer,” “Fly Away,” “Get Back,” “Better Keep On Running,” and “I’m Not Ashamed.”
You can catch The Hard Luck Souls at the Troy Farmers Market on June 29, 2019, Check their Facebook page for more times and locations. Check their Facebook page and sample the CD here.
Bob Messick, Bassist for Wasteland Junction
The show kept moving along with Wasteland Junction, a hard rock band from Schenectady, NY. The sounds of Wasteland Junction kept fans on their feet. Bob Messick held it down on Bass, R.J. Fowler on drums, Chris Fowler on rhythm guitar and Cy Romleski venturing on lead guitar completed the group. You can see them on August 2, at Chrome in Waterford, NY with Revenge (Kiss tribute band).
Setlist: I Profit, Tooth in Nail, Ride the Lightning, Cold Sweat, Iron Fist, What Your Doin’, Stone Cold Crazy, Kill the King, Priest Medley.
David Smith
The night closed after Revenge, the Kiss Tribute band swept up the stage with a wild performance. The music was loud and rocking. How fitting to have “Rock and Roll All Night” as the last song. The venue has died, but the memories of the music and the bands will rock, and roll all night. Thank you to all the entertainers, the event coordinators, promoters, staff and especially, the fans. Let’s keep local music alive.
Setlist: Detroit Rock City, Psycho Circus, Rise to It, Deuce, Lick it Up, A Million to One, War Machine, Hide Your Heart, Shock me, Love Gun, I was Made for Loving You, Black Diamond, and The last song of the set, the last song of the show, the last song played at Jupiter Hall, was Rock and Roll All Night!
