NYS Music 20​19

Category: Rock

  • Michael Franti and Spearhead Deliver Positive Vibes to the Wellmont Theater

    The audience was told to hug a neighbor at least five times. Lyrics such as “They say that miracles are never ceasing / And every single soul needs a little release” were heard. This positive vibe radiated from Michael Franti and Spearhead, a hip hop-reggae-funk fusion band from California, as they performed at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ last week. The band also brought awareness to social issues and sparked authentic human interactions in the Garden State.

    Carl Young and Michael Franti

    The band members include Michael Franti (guitar, vocals), Carl Young (bass), Manas Itiene (Drums), J. Bowman (guitar), Mike Blankenship (keyboards), and an unidentified female vocalist.

    Gun violence statistics of every mass shooting in the USA scroll behind Michael Franti and Spearhead.

    The positive message and awareness to social issues stood out in a meaningful way. Franti’s recent song “The Flower,” a tribute to victims of gun violence, featured a video with survivors and scrolling gun violence statistics. Songs like “Just Work Hard And Be Nice To People” and “Good To Be Alive Today” brought a positive message mixed with short jams.

    Franti and an unidentified vocalist sing “Life Is Better With You”

    Strong musical skills were displayed during a flawless switch from Lionel Ritchie’s “All Night Long” to “Life Is Better With You.” The band was joined by an unidentified guest vocalist for this sequence, which included the original video of “All Night Long” by Lionel Richie on an LED screen behind the band.

    Franti was engaged with the entire audience, not just those in the front row. He sang two songs while on the floor, in the middle of the crowd. He also took a quick adventure to the balcony for a few verses. A myriad number of fans were brought on stage, including a couple who got engaged, and all the children on the floor during “Say Hey (I Love You).”

    The band has a couple of tour dates left in 2019 and will be on tour with Kenny Chesney in 2020. Head over to their tour page for more details.

  • Black Crowes Tour Official – Several NY Sheds on Itinerary for 2020

    The Black Crowes announced tour dates on Monday to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band’s debut album Shake Your Money Maker. The tour will see the Robinson brothers visiting amphitheaters across the country beginning June 17 in Austin performing their debut album in its entirety along with select hits.

    Chris and Rich Robinson appeared on Monday’s Howard Stern show to make the tour announcement. The extensive tour makes stops at Bethel Woods, Jones Beach, Saratoga and Darien Lake in New York and wraps at the Forum in Los Angeles on Sept. 19.

    The Black Crowes

    While this is being billed as a Black Crowes reunion, the brothers Robinson will not be performing with any of their former bandmates on this tour. Joining the Robinsons in the band are Isiah Mitchell (guitars), Tim LeFebvre (bass), Joel Robinow (keyboards) and Ojha (drums). The band last performed in 2013 with each of the brothers forming their own bands in the meantime.

    Tickets are on sale now. For information, visit the Black Crowes website here.

    June 17 – Austin360 Amphitheater – Austin, TX
    June 19 – Dos Equis Pavilion – Dallas, TX
    June 20 – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – Houston, TX
    June 23 – BOK Center Tulsa, OK

    June 24 – Walmart AMP – Rogers, AR
    June 26 – Oak Mountain Amphitheater – Birmingham, AL
    June 27 – Cellairis Amphitheater at Lakewood – Atlanta, GA
    June 30 – Coral Sky Amphitheatre – West Palm Beach, FL
    July 1 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
    July 3 – PNC Music Pavilion – Charlotte, NC
    July 4 – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek – Raleigh, NC
    July 7 – Ascend Amphitheatre – Nashville, TN
    July 8 – Ascend Amphitheatre – Nashville, TN
    July 10 – Veteran United Home Loans Amphitheater – Virginia Beach, VA
    July 11 – Jiffy Lube Live – Washington, DC
    July 14 – BB&T Pavilion – Camden, NJ
    July 15 – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts – Bethel, NY
    July 17 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ
    July 18 – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY
    July 21 – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NH
    July 22 – Xfinity Center – Boston, MA
    July 24 – Xfinity Theatre – Hartford, CT
    July 25 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY
    July 28 – Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON
    July 29 – DTE Energy Music Theatre – Detroit, MI
    July 31 – Darien Lake Amphitheatre – Buffalo, NY
    Aug. 1 – KeyBank Pavilion – Pittsburgh, PA
    Aug. 13 – Xcel Energy Center – Minneapolis, MN
    Aug. 15 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago, IL
    Aug. 16 – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center – Indianapolis, IN
    Aug. 18 – Blossom Music Center – Cleveland, OH
    Aug. 20 – Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH
    Aug. 23 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St Louis, MO
    Aug. 26 – Providence Medical Center Amphitheater – Kansas City, MO
    Aug. 28 – CHI Health Center – Omaha, NE
    Aug. 30 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Denver, CO
    Sept, 1 – USANA Amphitheatre Salt Lake City, UT
    Sept. 4 – White River Amphitheatre – Seattle, WA
    Sept. 5 – Sunlight Supply Amphitheater – Portland, OR
    Sept. 8 – Concord Pavilion – Concord, CA
    Sept. 9 – Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA
    Sept. 11 – MGM Grand Garden Arena Las Vegas, NV
    Sept. 12 – Ak-Chin Pavilion Phoenix, AZ
    Sept. 18 – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre – San Diego, CA
    Sept. 19 – The Forum – Los Angeles, CA

  • The Black Crowes Reunite for ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ 30th Anniversary

    It has been six years since The Black Crowes played their final show on December 14, 2013, but over the last few months, rumors have been running rampant about a reunion. Last month, the Wall Street Journal published an article stating many industry sources have hinted something was in the works for a Black Crowes reunion. Last week the band’s social media accounts and website were updated with new art, and earlier this week there were reports of digital billboards with the same artwork in Wisconsin from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

    The initial dates of the anniversary tour were announced the early hours of November 9, when the poster showed up on an electronic billboard in New York City’s Penn Station. On July 17, 2020 at PNC Bank Arts Center and July 18 at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, The Black Crowes will reunite for the 30th anniversary of their debut album ‘Shake Your Money Maker,’ by playing the album in its entirety along with “all the hits.”

    The reunion is rumored to be led by founding brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, whose often strained relationship was what caused the band to break up not just in 2015 but also back in 2002. When former drummer and founding member of Black Crowes, Steve Gorman, was approached about the reunion he said the band will not likely be bringing in members from the past.

    I think they’re in a place where, I would imagine, they’re not interested in having anybody from the past work with them. It just makes it cleaner and easier, because to bring people back to do it right, you have a lot of explaining to do, you have a lot of apologizing to do, and you’ve gotta make up for a lot of damage you’ve caused.

    Steve Gorman – Former drummer and founding member of The Balck Crowes

    The band broke up in 2015 over what seemed to be one of the many arguments between the Robinson brothers. In January of 2015, Rich Robinson released a statement announcing the band’s break-up, going into some detail about discrepancies over band ownership and money.

  • Hearing Aide: Jess Novak and Ben Wayne ‘Rise’

    The Syracuse based duo, Jess Novak & Ben Wayne, are dropping their four track EP Rise today, November 10, across all streaming platforms. This alternative Indie-folk rock-duo fused their previous individual works with their environmental inspiration while recording in Nashville, Tennessee to breed Rise. The EP builds on both their individual strengths from Wayne’s Southern California rock and reggae roots, and Novak’s distinct violin, songwriting and vocal skills, which are well recognized with her winning Best Female Vocalist by the Syracuse New Times back in 2018.

    Ben Wayne (left) and Jess Novak (right) promotional picture for Rise.

    The EP opens with the song, “After All” which has a distinctly doo-wop rhythm to it. In conjunction with Novak’s vocals it differs from every other song coming up on your favorite streaming service. It’s a refreshingly unique combination of doo-wop and alt-rock that we don’t hear nearly enough. With the rhythm section being layered with lead guitar, carrying an almost country feel, the song is hard to categorize into one singular genre. A trend of Rise in general. It’s not one singular sound. It’s not one singular genre. It is a little bit of its own thing – which is one reason it’s so enjoyable and a well rounded.

    The second track “Carousel” is a known Ben Wayne song. While Jess Novak writes and takes the lead vocals on the other three tracks, Wayne leads on this hauntingly beautiful and painful song. It starts with a little walking bass line on the acoustic guitar played by Wayne and a violin smoothly dropping in, with Wayne’s drawl starting shortly after. The song revolves around accepting that things are coming to an end and letting the other person go even though you could still be happy with them. It’s the kind of song you listen to on repeat with your headphones stuck in your ears, escaping the world, or maybe more correctly escaping your own carousel that you are stuck on. 

    Ben Wayne (front) and Jess Novak (back) promotional picture for Rise.

    “Here to Stay,” an abrupt change from “Carousel,” fits Rise‘s diverse musical and artistic showcase of both Novak and Wayne’s talents. They don’t have to stick to one particular sound or genre or tempo. The song is heavy on Novak’s vocals without Wayne backing on it much if at all. This track really stars Novak’s accompanying band which is made up of Jeff King on guitar, Steve Brewster on drums, Mark Hill on bass, Tim McDonald on keyboards, and of course Jess Novak on Violin. Between the tempo changes, build ups and guitar riffs it’s definitely a track that is beyond vocally focussed and gives credit to all the great musicians involved. 

    “Ripper” swings. It has and upbeat, dance-tempo, making it hard for you to sit still. You will find yourself bobbing your head without meaning to. The song has a similar sound as “Here to Stay,” with more punch to it. With the topic of having your heart ripped out and being excited about it, it’s not the most common motif.

    The EP had help from producer Bill Warner and songwriter Kirsti Manna, who is best known for her work with Blake Shelton. Rise is a powerful piece of work made by Jess Novak & Ben Wayne. It’s something worth listening to if you’re looking for new music to add to your arsenal. The EP release party is at The Ridge located at 1281 Salt Springs Rd, Chittenango, NY 13037 on November 10th at 3PM. For more information check out Jess Novak’s website and Ben Wayne’s website.

    Key Tracks: Carousel, Here to Stay.

  • In Focus: Marshall Tucker Band Keeps Southern Rock Alive At The Skyloft

    The Marshall Tucker Band was ‘born’ in Spartanburg, S.C. when Doug Gray teamed up with Tommy and Toy Caldwell, Paul T. Riddle, George McCorkle, and Jerry Eubanks. The name “Marshall Tucker” came from a piano tuner whose name was found on a key ring in their old rehearsal space. In 1973 Marshall Tucker Band opened for The Allman Brothers Band, and the following year, they began to headline their own shows.

    Marcus James Henderson – Multi-instrumentalist

    The SkyLoft in Albany, NY Crossgates Mall, was almost at full capacity on Saturday night, November 2, 2019. The crowd cheered as Doug Gray, the only original member of The Marshall Tucker Band, took center stage.
    At 71, and fronting the band since 1972, he still held his own.

    Gray almost took on the part of an orchestra conductor, when he wasn’t belting out a crowd favorite. He would share the moments with the highly talented band members, who proved their musical chops, which included a 13-minute version of the bands’ well-received hit, “Can’t You See.”

    “This is one song that’s played eight million times on the radio,” Gray told the crowd. “I want you to sing it with us.” And they did. Gray handed the microphone to two fans in the front row, and they sang a few bars. He then tossed his tambourine into the audience, and the crowd cheered again. You can see the appreciation in Gray’s eyes. The moment, it seemed, to say thank you for all the support over so many years. Truly, this must be what it is all about.

    With many southern rock bands, such as The Allman Brothers not performing any longer, and Lynyrd Skynyrd on their last tour, The Marshall Tucker Band kept the genre going. Today, the band members have all changed, with the exception of Gray. B.B. Borden is on drums, Tony Black, bass and vocals, Marcus James Henderson, commands keyboard, saxophone, flute, and vocals. Chris Hicks and Rick Willis shred the guitar and vocals.

    Fans become part of the show as Gray hands over the mic

    Similar to many of the crooners still touring of his generation, Gray did not sing on every song, he stuck to the classics and let the younger crew take charge, and take charge they did. Each band member had at least one showcase of their talent, with Henderson and his multi-instrumentals taking much of the spotlight. Chris Hicks wailed on guitar and vocals, sounding strong. After “Take The Highway,” Borden did an amazingly-energetic drum solo, which caused standing fans to inch closer into the magic. Recent American Idol finalist, Madison VanDenburg, made a brief visit to take the stage, and tambourine. The generation gap was evident, as she didn’t know the song as Gray tried to prompt her.

    If you are able to see this show, you owe it to yourself to do so. One can only hope the hard work and extended tour will help keep this genre alive for many more generations.

    Chris Hicks

    One of the few bands of this generation still doing an extended tour. You can find many upcoming shows on the band’s website

    Setlist: “Running like the Wind”, This Old Cowboy”, “Hillbilly Band”, “Take the Highway”, “Blue Ridge”, “Fire on the Mountain”, “24 Hours”, “Midnight Promises”, ” I’ll Be Loving You”, “Can’t you See”.

  • LOCKN’ Changes Dates, Moves to Three Days – 8th Annual Event to Celebrate Phil Lesh’s 80th

    LOCKN’ returns for its eighth year at Infinity Downs and Oak Ridge Farm in Arrington, VA on June 19-21, a shift from it’s usual dates in late August. This year’s festival will be extra special as LOCKN’ has put together a star-studded celebration of Phil Lesh’s 80th birthday. Lesh is best known as a founding member and bass player for the Grateful Dead.

    “I am honored that Peter and the LOCKN’ family are throwing me the most special kind of birthday bash this year!” says Lesh. “It’s perfect because I’ve had so much fun there over the years — not just playing, but also getting to hang out and spend time with good friends and collaborators, some of whom I have just met and others whom I have been playing with since this all began. We are going to have a lot of fun.”

    Lesh at 2016’s LOCKN’

    Festival co-founder Peter Shapiro stated, “We’re going to celebrate Phil’s 80th the LOCKN’ way.” He continued, “He means so much to all of us, and we really are determined to give him the best party he’s ever had. We want to celebrate the man and his music in the best way possible. No better way than on our farm in that setting.”

    LOCKN’ 2020 has pulled out all the stops for the celebration. Attendees will be able to experience for the first time ever at the three-day event the option of adding the Thursday before. Dubbed as “Steal Your Thursday” attendees can start the party early with a “Jerry Dance Party” on June 18. Expect a psychedelic audio/visual experience that celebrates the music of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. If that is not enough LOCKN’ for you, there is an option to come on Wednesday that gives you early access to the farm.

    LOCKN’ LUMNI tickets will be available beginning Friday, Nov. 8 at 8:08 a.m. For complete ticket information and much more, please visit the LOCKN’ website here.

  • Hearing Aide: Full Body ‘Always There’

    Full Body is a Rochester-based rock band that has been making music that fits their name. The band’s deep brand of gangly rock is unique and rounded, tying in elements of shoegaze and post-rock to make something in the realm of noise rock. Their most recent release, Always There, cements their sound in a well produced record. The band is composed of Dylan Vaisey, Jack Chaffer, and Jacob Kotler. Full Body has been navigating the local scene with a sound that stands out, relentless in their writing of melancholy and bittersweet music. 

    The album has just eight songs, but is constantly engaging. Each song has a sweet melodious center, but the band fills out the rest with oblique instrumentals. “Hard Drive” is a great example of this, with its lurid opening slowly building out chorus-washed guitars into a vigorous guitar solo. The vocals carry the tune well, though they never really take the spotlight away from the mood the song is conveying. This is the case throughout the album as each song is more a product of its parts.

    The tunes are short and to the point; there’s no meandering and no ideas that feel unfinished. The third track, “Alias,” is a great look at the band’s ability to mesh together different ideas and grooves to create coherent and viable songs. Though each part compliments the others, it should be pointed out that the drumming on this album is stellar and warrants a close look on its own. The deft navigation of song structure in the rhythm section, including bass, adds a lot of thickness to each tune. “Sonic Boom” is another hard hitting song that shows this. 

    Overall, Always There is certainly worth a listen through. It is short, interesting, and very well written by a band that is making their own sound and owning it. Full Body has found a niche, but they are not afraid to break out of that to take creative risks that ultimately pay off. Be on the lookout for Full Body to come to your town, and make sure to support by streaming their music on services such as Spotify and Bandcamp.

     

  • Sleeping With Sirens Announces 2020 ‘The Medicine Tour’ with Set It Off, Belmont and Point North

    Pop – punk group Sleeping With Sirens will set off on a 21 stop North American tour in 2020 to celebrate  the release of their new album “How It Feels To Be Lost.” Joining “The Medicine Tour” starting in Lincoln, Nebraska on Jan. 8 will be alternative rockers Set It Off, Belmont and Point North. Along the way, they will make a stop at Upstate Concert Hall near Albany on Febr. 4 before ending the tour a few days later in their current residence of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

    How It Feels To Be Lost is Sleeping With Sirens’ fifth full-length studio album since emerging onto the scene in 2010. Returning to a post-hardcore sound, the  record features tracks like “Leave It All Behind,” “Break Me Down,” and “Agree To Disagree,” as well as the track appropriately titled “Medicine (Devil in My Head).” Recorded at the MDDN Studios in Los Angeles, the album was produced by Zakk Cervini and Matt Good.

    The group’s daring ability to push the envelope in rock has pumped out music infused with different genres from pop, acoustic and some R&B. A loyal fan base known as “Strays” has helped them reach over 1.5 million in record sales, millions of streams and three gold singles. Tickets for “The Medicine Tour” go on sale Friday, Nov. 8, at the group’s website.


    Sleeping With Sirens, Set It Off, Belmont + Point North 2020 Tour Dates

    Jan. 8 – Bourbon Theatre – Lincoln, NB
    Jan. 10 – The Forge – Chicago, IL
    Jan. 11 – Skyway Theatre – Minneapolis, MN
    Jan. 12 – Granada Theatre – Lawrence, KS
    Jan. 14 – Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
    Jan. 15 – The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT
    Jan. 17 – House of Blues – Las Vegas, NV
    Jan. 18  – Regency – San Francisco, CA
    Jan. 20 – Encore – Tucson, AZ
    Jan. 22 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX
    Jan. 23 – White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX
    Jan. 25 – The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
    Jan. 26 – The Cowan – Nashville, TN
    Jan. 28 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
    Jan. 30 – Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ

    Jan. 31 – Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
    Feb. 1 – Palladium – Worcester, MA
    Feb. 4 – Upstate Concert Hall – Albany, NY
    Feb. 5 – Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, Ontario
    Feb. 7 – The Crofoot – Detroit,MI
    Feb. 8 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI

  • Blues Traveler Celebrates 25 Years of ‘Four’ at the Beacon Theater

    Blues Traveler delivered a healthy dose of Four and a few covers at the Beacon Theater in New York City on Friday night. The band kicked off their Four Live Tour, celebrating the 25th anniversary of their seminal album Four. The audience was mostly full, and loving every nostalgic moment of hearing their favorite songs from the mid ’90s with the stunning architecture of the Beacon Theater serving as a backdrop.

    The current line up in Blues Traveler is John Popper (singer/harmonica), Chan Kinchla (guitar), Brendan Hill (drums), Tad Kinchla (bass), and Ben Wilson (keyboards). This fall, the band is playing Four in its entirety to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the certified platinum album. They did just that and brought back many fun memories of this album.

    The band sprinkled a few covers into the set, including a rocking “One Way Out” by the Allman Brothers and “West L.A. Fadeaway” by the Grateful Dead. They also played a memorable “Shout” by the Isley Brothers.

    Setlist: Just Wait, One Way Out*, Crash Burn, Fallible, Look Around, Stand, Run Around, The Mountains Win Again, Freedom, West L.A. Fadeaway**, Just Wait (reprise), Price to Pay, Brother John, Shout***

    Encore: 12 Swords, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Drum Solo, Hook

    * Allman Brothers Cover

    ** Grateful Dead Cover

    **Isley Brothers Cover

    Catch Blues Traveler on their Four Live tour this fall, and celebrate 25 years of Four with them.

    Upcoming Tour Dates

    Tuesday, Nov. 5 Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theatre

    Wednesday, Nov. 6 Richmond, VA The National

    Friday, Nov. 8 Louisville, KY Headliners

    Saturday, Nov. 9 St. Louis, MO The Pageant

    Sunday, Nov. 10 Cedar Rapids, IA Paramount Theatre

    Wednesday, Nov. 13 Grand Rapids, MI 20 Monroe Live

    Thursday, Nov 14 Chicago, IL The Vic Theatre

    Friday, Nov. 15 Minneapolis, MN Pantages Theatre

    Sunday, Nov. 17 Madison, WI The Sylvee

  • Chuck D to be presented with the Woody Guthrie Prize

    Legendary hip-hop artist Chuck D – born, Carlton Douglas Ridenhour – will be honored with the Woody Guthrie Prize, on November 16, at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Queens-bred emcee is known for his politically conscious lyrics, which he’s used to help spread awareness about the many injustice’s minorities face.

    Ridenhour, an Adelphi University graduate, as well as the recipient of an honorary doctorate, began his rap career as a member of iconic hip-hop group, Public Enemy. Their 1988 sophomore album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, is not only considered a rap-classic, but standout records like “Rebel Without a Pause,” and “Night of the Living Basehead,” set the standard for politically conscious music.

    Throughout his career, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has made it a point to address social-political issues facing the African American community, whether it be through his solo work, his contributions to Public Enemy and rap-rock supergroup, Prophets of Rage (alongside members of Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hill emcee, B-real).

    The Woody Guthrie Prize is awarded to artists who use their art to speak up for the less fortunate. It is presented in honor of American folk singer Woodrow Guthrie. Other recipients of the award include, gospel singer Mavis Staples, folk singer and activist Pete Seeger, and television producer, Norman Lear, who produced sitcoms such as, Sandford and Son, The Jeffersons, and Good Times.

    “We are honored to recognize Chuck’s work as he shines a light on social and cultural issues through his words and encourages us all to take action for equality and justice. We know that Woody would be rapping right alongside him as he speaks truth to power,” said Deana McCloud, director of the Woody Guthrie Center, according to the official website of the Woody Guthrie center.

    Tickets to see the presentation of the Woody Guthrie Prize and a discussion with Chuck D are available here.

Built in Breakdance