NYS Music 20​19

Category: Capital Region

  • Empire State Youth Orchestra Celebrates 40 Years At Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

    Members of the Empire State Youth Orchestra shut down the house with a robust symphony performance of four classical pieces at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Saturday night. As the musicians took to the stage, excitement rose in the room as everyone got ready to celebrate ESYO’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. The crowded room had a diverse audience of young and old, supporting family members and fans of classical music alike. Renowned for its amazing acoustics, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall served as a perfect venue.

    With as much animation as the small box on which he stood would allow, conductor Carlos Agreda drew exactly what was needed out of the 100 Capital Region middle and high school students sitting on stage. 

    Opening the concert was Dmitri Shostakovich’s ‘Festive Overture OP.96.’ This celebrative piece, while the shortest of the night, was the perfect set up for what was to come. ESYO Alumni Kenneth Olsen took the stage to perform the solo of the four movement ‘Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra’ by Edward Elgar. Hailing from the Albany area and a graduate of Colonie High School, Olsen feverishly tore through the piece all from memory which brought the crowd to their feet in applause.

    After a brief intermission the audience returned to their seats for the final two pieces. First up was the wildly popular Overture to ‘Die Fledermaus’ by Johann Strauss Jr., bringing another witty and playful piece to the set before the musicians settled in for their most complex piece of the night. The grandeur sounds of composer Ottorino Respighi filled the venue as the students undertook the ‘Pines of Rome’ with near perfection. Through four movements, using various melodies and rhythms including a recording of a nightingale, the audience was transported to another time and place.   

    Agreda asked at the beginning of the concert, “Why ESYO? Why should one support the arts?” The smiling faces and teary eyes from nearly every person in the room was answer enough. ESYO provides students a chance at pursuing musical excellence and reminding us all that music speaks where words fail.

    Be sure to check out ESYO’s website for the upcoming 2019-2020 season including their annual Melodies of Christmas at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady.

    ESYO Upcoming Concert Dates

    Nov. 24 – TBA

    Dec. 6 – Fransworth Middle School – Guilderland, NY

    Dec. 15 – Massry Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY

    Dec. 19-22 – Proctors Theatre – Schenectady, NY (Melodies of Christmas)

    Feb. 1 – Crossgates Mall – Albany, NY

    Feb. 12 – Clayton B. Bouton High School – Voorheesville, NY

    Feb. 13 – TBA

    Feb. 27 – Massry Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY

    Mar. 9 – UAlbany Performing Arts Center – Albany, NY

    Mar. 29 – UAlbany Performing Arts Center – Albany, NY

    Apr. 1 – Proctor’s Theatre – Schenectady, NY

    Apr. 26 – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

    May 1 – TBA

    May 2 – Arthur Zankel Music Center, Skidmore College – Saratoga Springs, NY

    May 3 – Brown School – Schenectady, NY

    May 10 – Massry Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY

    May 17 – Massry Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY

    May 31 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY

    June 20 – GE Theatre at Proctors – Schenectady, NY

  • 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

  • The Joy Formidable Celebrates 10 Years Since Debut EP

    In celebration of the 10 year anniversary since the band’s debut EP A Balloon Called Moaning, Welsh alternative rock group The Joy Formidable have announced ‘The Ten Years Floating Tour’ in North America for the upcoming winter. This comes just after the end of a fall acoustic tour with Devotchka, a four-piece instrumental and vocal ensemble from Denver, CO.

    During the tour, the band will make three stops in New York. First performing back to back nights Dec. 5 and 6 at the Rough Trade in Brooklyn. They will then make their way to Albany for a show at The Hollow on Dec. 7.

    Additionally, The Joy Formidable has released a special double album edition of their debut album. In keeping with the band’s desire to pay homage to their Welsh heritage, they will also release an acoustic Welsh language version called ‘Y Falwn Drom’. Already available through Hassle Records, there will be a double CD and double colored vinyl. It is a limited edition with only 1000 copies and can be purchased here. Featuring the single “Whirring,” A Balloon Called Moaning was originally written and recorded in a bedroom by Ritzy Bryan (lead singer and guitarist) and Rhydian Davies (vocalist and bass) over 10 years ago in North Wales.

    On the new release, Ritzy explains; “We’ve been through such a lot as a band over the years, it’s been a really reflective studio session, returning to the old recordings and transforming them into these beautiful stripped back, intimate versions. It’s exciting hearing them in the Welsh language because now they have new life too and can be a celebration of language as well as memory.”

    The Joy Formidable – Tour Dates
    Nov. 29 – Rock & Roll Hotel – Washington, DC
    Nov. 30 & Dec.1 – Boot & Saddle – Philadelphia, PA
    Dec. 3 – Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA
    Dec. 5 & 6 – Rough Trade – Brooklyn, NY
    Dec. 7 – The Hollow – Albany, NY
    Dec. 10 – Velvet Underground – Toronto, ON
    Dec. 12 – Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
    Dec. 13 – Colectivo – Milwaukee, WI
    Dec. 14 – Fine Line Music Cafe – Minneapolis, MN
    Dec. 17 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
    Dec. 18 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
    Dec. 20 – The Chapel – San Francisco, CA
    Dec. 21 – The Teragram – Los Angeles, CA

  • Hearing Aide: Glass Pony ‘Glass Pony’

    Albany, NY based band Glass Pony is dropping their debut self titled album today, November 2, on all streaming platforms. The seven-track album has head-bopping beats that make you want to get up and move. The four piece band made up of guitar, bass, and drums gets inspiration from everything in between the 60s and 90s, with influence from rock, punk, indie, and jam band genres, according to their bio.

    The album starts with “Grover’s Mill 1938,” which is a groovy opener. With a runtime dropping in just under 9-minutes, it’s a long listen, but one worth listening to. Its usage of multi layered vocals has a somewhat ‘Pixies meets jam band’ feel to it, that keeps you entertained throughout. 

    Glass Pony

    If you aren’t into songs long songs, Glass Pony might not be the band for you; about half of their songs hit in the 8-10 minute mark and take their time to get in the groove with long intros and outros. Their second song on the album, “Swing That Maximus” has a full two-minute instrumental intro. With tempo changes up the wazoo throwing the listener from dance-y beats that make you want to get up and boogie, to slow sections you would barely move your body, they are definitely the type of band you can let loose to live or shamelessly-groove-to on your daily commute. Glass Pony brings you out of the mundane with some chaotic, yet systematic rhythms and beats that make Glass Pony one of a kind. 

    Shorter songs like, “Too Close To The Sun” (under 5 minutes), follow suit with their routine guitar riffs, solid beats and smooth tempo changes. Glass Pony is a band to keep an eye on, with this solid album in their arsenal.

    Key Tracks: Stardust, Grover’s Mill 1983, Too Close To The Sun.

    Listen to Glass Pony on CD Baby or Apple Music.

    Their album release party is on November 2nd at the Parish Public House 388 Broadway Albany, NY 12207.

    Doors are at 7 PM with the show starting at 8 PM.

    For more information visit Glass Pony’s website.

  • In Focus: The Breakfast celebrate the 80’s during Halloween return to Albany

    Billed as a ‘Fonghoulish Freakout at The Hollow,’ The Breakfast reunited for a rare show in their 20th anniversary year to celebrate Halloween with a variety of 80’s songs in tow. If you ever wanted to hear The Breakfast play “Don’t You Forget About Me” from The Breakfast Club, then you were in for a treat. “Let’s Dance,” “White Wedding” and Toto’s “Africa” were standouts among fan favorites, including originals “Hard Luck Harry” and “Honey Butter,” as well as jams on “Thriller” and “Axel F.”

    An encore of “Synergy” had Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” lyrics modified slightly as Tim Palmiere sang ‘You Can Call Me Albany,‘ to the delight of the crowd.

    Opening the night was Albany’s Wurliday, with frontman Justin Henricks dressed as John Lennon c. 1974, and aptly played “Come Together” as part of the band’s musical costume.

    The Breakfast is in Colorado this weekend for two shows at Be On Key Psychedelic Ripple, then play in late November in New Hampshire and Connecticut.

    Wurliday setlist: Mill House, Action Love, Come Together, Getting There, Clyde*, Kissin’ My Love, Float On, Give it Up, Who R U?, You’re on my mind, Take me There.

    *with Adrian Tramontano on drums

    The Breakfast setlist: The Power of Love > Drunk Monk Bar, Honey Butter > White Wedding, Phaddy Boom Baddy, Don’t You Forget About Me > Shotgun Butterfly, Hard Luck Harry > Take On Me > Hard Luck Harry, Beef Barley > Head Over Heels, Let’s Dance > Rufus > Frankly, Africa > The Chase, Buquebus.

    Encore: Synergy > You Can Call me Al(bany) > Synergy

    Check out photos from Zatchmo Lives Media below.

  • Holographic Roy Orbison & Buddy Holly Come to New York

    The ‘Roy Orbison & Buddy Holly: The Rock ‘N’ Roll Dream Tour’ will be coming to New York in November. This once in a lifetime tour began in September and has made several stops along the way throughout North America. Now fans from New York will have a turn to see this duo in concert. First up will be at  The Egg in Albany on Nov. 15 before moving to Rochester’s Auditorium Theatre on Nov. 17.

    Developed and produced by BASE Hologram, the audience will be treated to a high tech holographic performance with the accompaniment of a live band and back-up singers, all coming together to bring to life many of Orbison and Holly’s best hits. Eric Shaeffer (Million Dollar Quartet) will return as the director. In 2018 Shaeffer led the extremely successful ‘In Dreams: Roy Orbison in Concert’ tour across the world breaking many records.

    “When you look at the architects of the Rock and Roll era, the names that come to mind are Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly,” said Brian Becker, Chairman and CEO of BASE Hologram, the leading content developer, producer and distributor of concerts, theatricals and spectacles that combine holographic cinema and mixed reality with live entertainment. “Both of these men weren’t just gifted musicians, but skillful innovators who helped influence others in game-changing ways.”

    “These men weren’t just one thing – they were artists in every sense of the word,” said BASE Hologram CEO of Production Marty Tudor.  “Like Roy, Buddy has a truly impressive songbook and in many cases, audiences may not have realized he was the one behind so many hits. Part of the beauty of these productions is we get to share the legacy of these performers and remind people of the full range of their talent.”

    Despite several jam and recording sessions, these two rock and roll trailblazers have never toured together. Combined they have earned 16 platinum and 19 gold records, dozens of hits and 10 GRAMMY Awards combined. Being of a different era has not stopped these two from having three million Facebook followers and five million streams monthly on Spotify. To this day their musical capabilities captivate millions.

    Information is available here for the tour that continues throughout the month of November.
     
    North America Tour Dates

    Nov.1 – Au-Rene at Broward Center  – Fort Lauderdale, FL
    Nov.2 – Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts – Melbourne, FL
    Nov.3 – Ruth Eckerd Hall – Clearwater, FL
    Nov.4 – Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall – Sarasota, FL
    Nov.6 – Florida Theatre – Jacksonville, FL
    Nov.8 – Atlanta Symphony Hall – Atlanta, GA
    Nov.9 – Memorial Auditorium – Raleigh, NC
    Nov.10 – Scottish Rite Auditorium – Collingswood, NJ
    Nov.12 – State Theatre – New Brunswick, NJ
    Nov.13 – AMP by Strathmore – North Bethesda, MD
    Nov.15 – The Egg – Albany, NY
    Nov.16 – Boch Center Shubert Theatre – Boston, MA
    Nov.17 – Auditorium Theatre – Rochester, NY
    Nov.19 – FirstOntario Concert Hall – Hamilton, ON
    Nov.20 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ON

  • Sweet Honey in the Rock celebrates 45 years, will stop in Albany this December

    Celebrating their 45th anniversary in 2019, Sweet Honey In The Rock remains among the most vibrant, versatile and ever relevant musical collectives around today. Together, they perform an inspiring signature mix of soul, gospel, folk and world music, with elements of hip-hop and jazz. 

    While founding member Bernice Johnson Reagon has since retired, the torch continues to be carried by longtime members Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson, Nitanju Bolade Casel, Aisha Kahlil, and featured musician Romeir Mendez. This powerful and unique female a cappella vocal quartet is best known for their uplifting concerts. 

    Sweet Honey in the Rock

    Sweet Honey in the Rock will “Celebrate the Holydays” with a selection of traditional American holiday spirituals and hymns, as well as songs from other cultures.

  • Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman and Drew Emmitt announce Acoustic Duo Tour

    Vince Herman and Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon will hit the road as an acoustic duo tour this winter, with dates stretching across the Midwest and East Coast.

    The two long-time collaborators are hitting the road for a rare run of acoustic duo shows performed in intimate settings that will celebrate over thirty years of musical friendship.  Each night will be a journey through the pair’s long history and touch on all realms of their vast musical catalog including everything from well known favorites to long-forgotten gems, and everything in between.

    Vince Herman Drew Emmitt

    They first came together on a late October evening when Vince Herman wandered into the Walrus Saloon in Boulder, Colorado, after being enticed by a sign reading “Bluegrass Music Here Tonight,. He met Drew Emmitt, whose band was playing that night, and the pair have been reshaping the musical landscape ever since.  First at house parties and in the campgrounds at festivals, then in Emmitt’s bluegrass outfit the Left Hand String Band, before forming the legendary roots band Leftover Salmon on New Year’s Eve thirty years ago.

    Since then, these two have been blazing new musical paths with Leftover Salmon, taking the music at their core: rock ‘n’ roll, folk, bluegrass, Cajun, soul, zydeco, jazz and blues, and crafting it into something new that has spawned a legion of bands in their wake.  With their unpredictable approach in a live setting, their willingness to take chances by fusing disparate musical styles together and their incorporation of non-traditional bluegrass covers into their repertoire, Leftover Salmon has pushed that progressive bluegrass sound they were originally influenced by to the next level.  Instead they are firmly settled in the long lineage of bands that defy simple categorization, always setting their own musical agenda.

    Vince Herman and Drew Emmitt Acoustic Duo Tour
    Dec. 19 – Barley’s – Knoxville, TN
    Dec. 20 – Asheville Music Hall – Asheville, NC
    Feb. 6 – City Winery – Atlanta, GA
    Feb. 7 – City Winery – Nashville, TN
    Feb. 8 – 185 King Street – Brevard, NC
    Feb. 9 – Richmond Music Hall – Richmond, VA
    Feb. 11 – City Winery – Washington, DC
    Feb. 12 – City Winery – Philadelphia, PA
    Feb. 13 – City Winery (2 shows) – New York, NY
    Feb. 14 – The Egg – Albany, NY
    Feb. 15 – Stage One – Fairfield, CT
    Feb. 16 – City Winery – Boston, MA
    Feb. 27 – Kenny’s Westside Pub – Peoria, IL
    Feb. 28 – Redstone Room – Davenport, IA
    Feb. 29 – City Winery (2 shows) – Chicago, IL

  • In Focus: Aqueous and Lespecial storm Putnam Place

    One of the fall’s best tours made their way to Putnam Place on Saturday, October 26 for a night of PR&J (prog-rock and jams) with Aqueous and Lespecial, two bands that highlight the fantastic Northeast music scene, who are just starting out their 13 shows together, which run through November 10 in Louisville, KY.

    For Lespecial’s opening set, the Massachusetts power trio performed an industrial set of standards “Donut Ghost House I” and “Gallows Hill.” They dipped into their Primus playbook for “Too Many Puppies” and invited up Jaq from Burning Monk, a Rage Against the Machine tribute band out of Burlington, for “Know Your Enemy,” which had the crowd jumping up and down as if Morello and De La Rocha were on stage.

    For Aqueous, their two sets were a build over the night from prog-inspired tunes “20/20” and fan favorite “Warren in the Window” in the first set towards more dance-filled numbers including “Strange Times” and “Half In, Half Out” in the second set. A cover of the Raconteurs “Steady as She Goes” and a debut of Tame Impala’s “The Less I Know the Better” gave fans a taste of familiar and new tunes inspiring Aqueous. An encore of “Uncle Phil’s Parachute” found drummer Rob Houk working the drum pad for a venue filled get down.

    The bands next perform at The Rex Theatre in Pittsburgh on October 31, then The 8×10 in Baltimore on November 1, and Richmond Music Hall in Richmond, VA on November 2. Find more tour dates here and download the show from Nugs.net.

    Lespecial photos by Sean Bemand, Aqueous photos by Jim Gilbert.

    Lespecial Setlist: Improv > Donut Ghost House I , Gallows Hill , Fruit Wolf Dance, Too Many Puppies > Hello Skinny > Too Many Puppies+, New Fish, Know Your Enemy*, The Vessel, Tonberry^

    *Rage Against the Machine, with Jaq from Burning Monk 

    + Primus

    ^bad guy, Billie Eilish tease

    Aqueous Setlist:

    Set 1: 20/20, Warren in the Window (1), Realize Your Light, Steady As She Goes (2) > Weight of the Word, Going Nowhere

    Set 2: Strange Times (3), Mosquito Valley, Pt II, The Less I Know the Better (4), Half In, Half Out, They’re Calling For Ya > Kitty Chaser (Explosions) (5)

    Encore: Uncle Phil’s Parachute (6,7)

    1- Closer to the Heart (Rush) tease
    2- The Raconteurs
    3- Gordon’s Mule tease
    4- Tame Impala cover, debut
    5- Crepes the Sloth Jam
    6- Schism (Tool) tease
    7- Falling Away From Me (KoRn) tease

  • The Slaughterhouse Chorus will bid farewell at The Hollow on November 1

    After a decade of trucking their twangy rock ‘n’ roll from New York to New Orleans, Albany punk rock Americana quartet The Slaughterhouse Chorus will ride off into the sunset with a farewell show at The Hollow Bar + Kitchen on Friday, November 1. The Day of the Dead goodbye party will also feature performances from longtime friends and collaborators Henry’s Rifle and Charmboy (both emerging from semi-retirement for the festivities), and Boston’s Coffin Salesman.

    The Slaughterhouse Chorus

    The Slaughterhouse Chorus formed in 2009 from the ashes of long-running punk/ska band Public Access, reconnecting over old country records to work up a fast and loud sound somewhere between Sun, Stax, and SST. From the outset, the band took the DIY approach they’d honed over their years of touring with Public Access to its logical extreme; they recorded, mixed, burned, pressed, spraypainted and screenprinted their own albums and merchandise, booked their own shows and tours, and co-founded the local recording collective Built4BBQ as a means to help produce and distribute music by like-minded local artists like Henry’s Rifle, Kimono Dragons, Charmboy, and the Savage Randys.

    Over the course of the last decade, The Slaughterhouse Chorus embarked on weekenders and tours that stretched from Boston to Kansas City, released a full-length,a vinyl EP, and a handful of singles, landed on a couple of widely distributed compilation albums, and even racked up a few “best-of” nods in now-defunct local papers.

    In commemoration of their last round of shows, The Slaughterhouse Chorus released both their new EP … In the Name of Progress and their 2012 self-titled full-length album on limited edition 12″ vinyl earlier this year. The band will hold a “going out of business sale” at the November 1 show, with both records and all leftover merchandise out on the table for cheap.

    Doors open for 18+ show at 8:00 PM, with music starting at 8:30. Cover is $10

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