NYS Music 20​19

Category: Saratoga Springs

  • Santana Thrills at SPAC

    Legendary guitarist Carlos Santana and his band delighted fans at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Friday, August 23 on part of his Supernatural Now Tour.

    Coinciding with the anniversary of Santana’s 50th anniversary at Woodstock, the Supernatural Now Tour initially felt like a substitute for the long-promised (and repeatedly canceled) Woodstock concert.

    Santana SPAC

    Playing after the Doobie Brothers, who got the crowd on their feet dancing and singing along for a solid hour before the main event, Santana came out at 8:45 pm after showing a montage of Woodstock photos accompanied by some sultry, jazzy guitar, trumpet and keys. The photos started with a hand-painted sign from the 1969 concert stating “War is not healthy for children and other living things.”

    Not only did the photos serve as a reminder that the then 19-year-old Santana shocked the world with his talent on the guitar at Woodstock, but that he has spent the last 50 years impressing crowds – and is still impressing them – with his passionate commitment to using music to empower others to do right by the earth. To top it off, the montage was accompanied by the music of one of Santana’s influences, Miles Davis.

    Santana SPAC

    Opening with one of Carlos’s earliest compositions, “Soul Sacrifice,” Santana and the band began the night with a heavy emphasis on jazz fusion with elements of rock. Santana’s soulful signature sound came through immediately as he shared the stage with other incredibly inspiring musicians. His wife Cindy Blackman Santana, a creative percussionist and legend in her own right, was captured by overhead cameras demonstrating precision and strength on drums that was inspiring. Ray Green and Andy Vargas were on vocals, Benny Rietveld, perhaps best known for his touring with Miles Davis, was on bass, and David Mathews was demonstrating how keyboards can lend swing to the melody. Rounding out with Karl Perazzo and Paoli Mejias, also on percussion, and Tommy Anthony on guitar, the Supernatural Now Tour appeared unnaturally gifted with musical genius.

    While better known for a few of his popular hits in the 1990s, Santana is powerful in his intuitive fusion of rock, Latin and jazz. He’s expanded interest to African music, recently releasing Africa Speaks. The combination of styles was the right formula to get the crowd dancing, and to show off the creative aptitude of the band. Their performance of “Jin-go-bo-la,” accompanied by a video of African men and women dancing in traditional garb, intensified the high energy of the crowd. Smoothing into “Evil Ways” right afterwards, the vocalists shone while demonstrating flexibility in pitch, style and presentation.

    The diversity of music styles kept fans guessing about what would happen next. From hosting the Doobie Brothers back on stage for “Some Kind of Wonderful” to instrumentals featuring Carlos Santana’s ever-evolving but still consistent signature sound, the concert was constantly shifting, expanding musical styles and blowing through boundaries.

    Of course, the crowd went wild for “Oye Como Va,” a popular favorite. Dancing in their seats, fans were inspired by the powerful drumming and compelling vocal performances.

    Santana SPAC

    And then there was Santana on guitar, vital and creative as ever. The 69-year-old was spry as he moved across the stage, still curious about music, still passionate about sound and movement.

    The musicians used bongos, whistles, maracas, tambourines, trombones and, of course, their voices, drum sets and guitars to really shake up the sounds. It was more like attending a world music concert than a pop or rock concert, which is just what Santana wants. Honoring Coltrane and Davis, he reflected on his love of jazz but also moved to include some Latin and African roots music too.

    Carlos Santana is passionate about peace, children and saving rainforests. He was proud to have his family on stage with him, and his smile and brief words reflected a man who has found his place in the world. He’s passionate about music and expanding boundaries. And from listening to the songs from his new work, Santana’s passion is keeping him as vital and youthful as ever.

  • Beck and Cage the Elephant Stampede Saratoga

    Beck and Cage The Elephant arrived in Saratoga on Monday night, as it was the next stop in their Night Running Tour, which will conclude at the end of August. The night was kicked off with a bang, as the New York City based Sunflower Beans brought an energetic indie-rock sound, bringing the early-arriving crowd to their feet. Their set was followed up by Spoon, who kept the same pace and energy as the Sunflower Beans, despite being two decades older.

    Cage The Elephant took the stage shortly after the Spoon’s set. The lights all fell, and the Bowling Green native band was silhouetted by the surrounding pyrotechnics. Eventually Matt Shultz, the band’s lead singer, emerged wearing an outfit you’d only imagine from a Cage The Elephant frontman— a grey trench coat, a masquerade mask, a straw sunhat and an assortment of accessories on various satchels donned by the singer. This was the outermost of many (and I mean many) layers that Shultz was wearing. Throughout the set he unpeeled each layer, revealing strange outfit after strange outfit, until he was left in a nude leotard and red short-shorts. These layers of clothing didn’t impede Shultz’s mobility in the slightest however, as there wasn’t a single minute in the 19-song-set that he wasn’t running, dancing, jumping, or leaning hard into each and every lyric.

    Beck and Cage the Elephant
    Photo by Jim Gilbert

    Cage just released their fifth studio album, Social Cues, this past April, so naturally, they played many tracks from the new record, including; “Broken Boy,” “Social Cues,” “Ready To Let Go” and various others. As the set went on the energy of the band never slowed, keeping the thousands in attendance dancing right along. Playing hits such as “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked,” “Come A Little Closer” and “Cigarette Daydream,” before finally finishing their set with “Teeth.” However, just because the band was done didn’t mean Matt Shultz was. Midway through the last song the singer left the stage and began to make his way through the crowd, and didn’t stop when the song concluded and his bandmates left the stage. Shultz continued on, making his way through the amphitheatre, eventually reaching the lawn, where he crowd-surfed all the way up to the concourse and eventually made his way to the balcony, embracing and entertaining fans the whole way. It was almost 20 minutes after the set that Matt Shultz made his backstage, however, we hadn’t seen the last of him yet…

    After Cage The Elephant’s long and exhilarating set it was hard to believe we still hadn’t seen the main act. But, sure enough, there was another entire set to be seen, and it did not disappoint. Beck opened his portion of the night with an acoustic slide guitar solo, such as one you may hear in an Old Western, that solo transitioned into arguably his most recognized song, “Loser.” Beck’s set was filled with his signature indie-rock-rap music, impressive solos from him and his band, bright lasers and lights, and fans who had not stopped dancing since the night began. The night did slow down for a few minutes, when Beck gave a touching speech, talking about his mother who was in the crowd, the importance of savouring what you have and not taking anything for granted – this did not disappoint the fans though, as they continued to cheer and show their support. Beck then covered the Korgis “Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime,” then played his own “E-Pro,” before exiting the stage in preparation for the encore that was surely to follow.

    Beck began his encore with the sound of the iconic guitar intro of “Where It’s At,” leaving no one unsure of what song was being played. Once that was over Beck gave an unexpected but riveting harmonica solo, beginning his 1994 song “One Foot in the Grave.” Following this, Beck invited the Spoon singer, Britt Daniel, to come back on stage and asked him what he song he wanted to play, Britt replied, “Pump It Up” by Elvis Costello, and so that became the third song of the encore.

    Next, Beck invited yet another singer back on stage, this time Cage The Elephant frontman Matt Shultz (who came out wearing yet another exotic outfit, this time complete with a yellow rain jacket and hat). Beck and Shultz sang their recent single together, “Night Running” (of which the tour was named after), followed by a reprise of “Where It’s At,” during which confetti rained from the amphitheatre before the night finally came to an end. 

  • Marcia Ball to Flood Louisiana Swamp Blues to Caffè Lena

    Hailing from Vinton, Louisiana, Marcia Ball will be bringing her unique sound to Caffè Lena on Friday, August 30. USA Today described her music as being a combination of “Texas Stomp Rock” and “Louisiana blues-swamp,” an intriguing combination. Each performance of Marcia Ball’s becomes a musical party of joyful music and triumphant vocals, and every note comes with a twist that is all her own. 

    Marcia Ball has won many accolades over her career, including a recent induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2002, she won the Blues Music Award for “Blues Album Of The Year” for Presumed Innocent. In 2004, her album So Many Rivers was nominated for a Grammy Award and won the 2004 Blues Music Award for Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year, as well as the award for Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year . She has been awarded a total of ten Blues Music Awards, ten Living Blues Awards and has been nominated for a Grammy five times.

    Clearly, Marcia Ball is an incredibly talented musician who has cultivated a sound and style that can only be described as her’s. She will be performing two shows at Caffè Lena, an early show at 6:00, and a late show at 8:30. To get tickets to the early show, go here. To get tickets to the later performance, go here. 

  • Buskin & Buskin – A Family Affair at Caffè Lena

    The love David and Sophie Buskin have for one another was apparent on the stage at Caffe Lena Thursday night. The father-daughter duo performed together as part of Caffè Lena‘s monthly pride series.

    The dichotomy between the two generations was visually present in Sophie’s use of electric guitar and David’s acoustic. David Buskin made jokes about their age. They were obviously dad joke’s, such as “Sophie’s friends call us DNA and DNR. Not sure how I feel about that.”

    The two began with a song that thrilled the heart, Sophie’s powerful soaring voice was complimented by David’s gentler tones. They sang about chasing after life, and who can’t relate to the rush of seeking adventure, of wanting to experience more? There was also a desire to escape from trouble, to find the excitement while dodging the “demons at your back.” 

    The theme of adventure carried on with David’s comedic song he usually performs with Modern Man, “Jews Don’t Camp.” In it, he joked about the perks of living an indoorsy lifestyle. Sophie’s rejoinder was the song “Mountains.” It was written about a month-long camping and hiking trip that she took. As she told this story, she gave her father a wry look which brought out laughter from the audience. Her dad accompanied her on the piano while she played guitar and sang. 

    She followed this with another song of hers, “Sweet Creature.” On her recent album, this is featured as a live track that she performs with her father. In this performance, however, David played a different role. Sophie’s performance was incredibly touching, but nobody was more touched than David. From his seat on the piano bench, he watched his daughter with awe and admiration. He was just as spellbound by her beautiful voice as the rest of the audience. After the applause, there was a moment of silence, broken when David said, “You know, I stand up there saying to myself, ‘You played that wrong. You botched that chord.’ And then, I watch my kid do that.” All of his pride in his daughter was neatly summed up in those words and in the way he looked at her.

    In honor of the Pride Series, David chose to play a song from a musical that he is working on with Jake Holmes. The musical takes place in the summer of 1968. The song is from a scene where two men have slept together, and one is trying to convince the other to come out so he doesn’t have to go to Vietnam. It was a song about struggling for both social and self-acceptance. It is something that people struggle with across the board.

    The duo ended with a song which David used to sing to Sophie as a lullaby – James Taylor’s “You Can Close Your Eyes”. The Buskin & Buskin performance had given us an intimate snapshot into their life together, from Sophie’s childhood into the brilliant artist that she is today.

    The next performance in the Pride Series at Caffè Lena will take place on September 5th at 7:00 pm and will feature the Capital Region Pride Singers. Tickets for that performance can be found here.

  • Doc Severinsen Brings Big Band Sound to Caffè Lena Late August

    When Doc Severinsen plays, each note holds a bit of American nostalgia. Well known as the leader of the big band who played on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson for over thirty years, Doc has become a familiar face on television screens nationwide. Since Carson’s retirement in 1992, Doc has continued to hone his craft. He has played on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show with The Roots and has been touring across the country.

    Doc Severinsen

    Doc is well known for playing a game with the audience called “Stump the Band” in which the crowd would attempt to think up a song the band couldn’t play. His sense of humor also included nonsense country songs, often thrown into the mix after he would cry out “Key of E!” 

    If you’d like to conjure up memories of those late-night television antics, you can see Doc Severinsen perform in one of three shows at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs. He will be appearing on Friday, August 23 and Saturday, August 24 at 8 pm, as well as Sunday, August 25 at 7 pm. He will be joined by his band, the San Miguel 5, with Gil Gutierrez on guitar, Charlie Bisharat on violin, Kevin Thomas on bass, and Tiki Pasillas on drums.

    For tickets to this event, please go here.

  • Fela! The Concert brings the music of Afrobeat founder to SPAC

    The life of Afrobeat’s founder, Fela Kuti, was celebrated in the 2009 Broadway musical concert Fela!, and on Monday, July 29, the concert experience celebrating his music came to an enthusiastic, and curious, crowd at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Kuti used the Afrobeat sound to push back against the post-colonial government of Nigeria in the 1970s, a prime example of Kuti’s mantra “music is the weapon of the future.” As it was then and is now, new era protest music and this performance brought Kuti’s music to life for all to draw from.

    Fela The Concert
    Photo by Jim Gilbert

    With a 10-piece band on stage, including three percussionist and four horns, as well as an ensemble with five members (2 men, 3 women) who sang alongside Duain Richmond (Fela Anikulapo-Kuti), the stage was lit up through dance. One that had fervor and energy not seen at SPAC in ages. This was not dancing for the faint-of-heart, or hips, as Richmond said to the crowd throughout the show: “Everybody say Yeah Yeah.” Audience engagement that is a hallmark of Afrobeat concerts became coupled with some of the best on-stage dancing you’ll find anywhere.

    With the start of “Expensive Shit,” Richmond led the band to give the audience an introduction to Afrobeat. Starting with the drums, then guitar, then bass set the groove, and soon the horns came in. If you were not moving, you should check your pulse. The ensemble taught the crowd how to dance by moving their hips to the hours on a clock. “1 & 7,” “3-6-9” and “12 & 6” got the booties shaking and fans out of their seats. Dancing from ensemble members Oneika Phillips, Iris Wilson and Afi Bijou became more furious and fully engaging.

    “Zombie” found the crowd being invited into the covered orchestra pit, where each audience member shook what they had. From kids to parents, and grandparents, everyone was getting down to the beat of the band. As the show closed with “Colonial Mentality,” Kuti’s anti-colonial anthem, the crowd was back in the pit dancing with the ensemble, and Richmond, engaging in a form of protest that Kuti would surely look upon with a smile and hope for the future.

    Setlist: Everything Scatter, The Clock – Yellow Fever, Ikoyi Blindess, Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am, Expensive Shit, Water No Get Enemy, Zombie, Sorrow Tears and Blood, Opposite People, No Buredi.

    Encore: Colonial Mentality.

  • Mipso Double Down at Caffè Lena

     On Aug. 11, Mipso will be performing two shows at Caffè Lena. Hailing from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the quartet is known for its blend of folk and modern-alt sounds. Rolling Stone recently named them an “Artist You Need to Know,” which is fitting given their ability to create songs that are fragile in narrative but robust in sound. With gentle vocals, Mipso sings about life’s truths, softening the blows of a sometimes harsh reality. 

    mipso

    Their most recent album, Edges Run, was released on April 6 and includes notable tracks such as “People Change” and “Moonlight.” Originally pigeon-holed as a bluegrass band, this album marks a break-away from the bluegrass sound with a wide array of styles ranging from ballads to more upbeat pop songs utilizing instruments that aren’t typically associated with a bluegrass band such as the electric guitar.

    Mipso will be performing at both 6:00 and at 8:30 pm. For tickets to either show, please go the Caffè Lena website.

  • Fela! The Concert, to Electrify SPAC on July 29

    Full of energy in constant motion, Fela! The Concert will bring the award winning Broadway musical to Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Monday, July 29. The sensual, eclectic sounds and powerful lyrics of Fela Kuti, the founding father of Afrobeat, prove why he became one of the world’s most celebrated and rebellious music legends of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Set against a soaring canvas of projected images, Fela! The Concert is driven by the electrifying rhythms from a live Afrobeat band, with singers and dancers who bring to life Fela’s provocative spirit. Fela! The Concert features members of the original Broadway cast from the highly acclaimed Tony Award winning production Fela! This unique concert experience radiates joy and leaves audiences on their feet wanting more.

    Prior to Fela! The Concert, at 7 p.m. SPAC will present a high-energy, professionally choreographed final performance by 80 local children who have been participating in The Performance Project: Youth in Motion. Led by the award winning National Dance Institute and presented in partnership with the Capital District and Saratoga Regional YMCA’s, SPAC’s Performance Project is a two-week dance intensive designed to teach children dance skills while instilling in them a belief in their own abilities and capacity to achieve success.

    More information on Fela at SPAC can be found here.

  • Rob Thomas’ Message Warms Cool Night at Saratoga

    Rob Thomas’ Chip Tooth Tour rolled into Saratoga Springs on Wednesday, July 24, complete with some great opening acts, messages of gratitude and music celebrating both past and present. Although there was a smaller crowd for the venue, fans filled in to hear singer/songwriter Chris Trapper and the thunderously joyful Abby Anderson before Thomas took the stage at 9pm.

    Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty. Photo by Jim Gilbert.

    Rob Thomas is the lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, and he brought the rock star spirit in his dramatic entrance on stage. With lights flashing in time with the drum set, punctuating his presence, Thomas strode on stage, ceasing movement with generous pauses in light, sound and movement. The fierce guitar lick danced with Thomas, who ran backward high kneeing across stage. And in a moment it was clear: he’s a rock star – with or without his famous band.

    Thomas welcomed the crowd after his second song, saying hello to Saratoga with a large grin. He added, ‘Here’s the thing. We’ll do this show tomorrow night, and we played it last night. But nothing is more special than this show tonight.’ And so started the message of the evening to be present and enjoy the moment. Thomas would reiterate this both in lyrics and words, chatting with the crowd throughout the evening – celebrating life’s every day moments in song and story.

    From “Her Diamonds,” which acknowledges with brutal honesty loving someone with chronic pain, to the more folksy “The Great Unknown,” a song about death, Thomas’ desire to communicate his message resounded with authenticity. He invited Chris Trapp back up to sing Trapp’s original song about death, which was mashed up with Thomas’ “happy little song about death” in a joyful and honest moment on stage.

    During “Streetcar Symphony,” Thomas expressed gratitude to his opening acts and fellow musicians on stage with him. He was clear in using his talent and velvety voice to share his wisdom to celebrate life in all its moments. Thomas talked about a time with his dogs on tour when he wrote “Little Wonders” for a movie soundtrack that made him recognize the joy in life through his animals.

    Thomas covered David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” getting the crowd dancing in their aisles. After a full set of 17 songs, his fans called him back for an encore performance of “…Something to Be,” followed by loved Matchbox Twenty song “Unwell” and Santana’s “Smooth.” He was visibly having a great time, dancing and moving like the rock star he has become, without the rock star attitude. Instead he demonstrated generous gratitude, sharing the applause and calling his opening acts back to perform with him.

    Thomas lives his message. He was present in the moment, and loving every minute of it.

    Setlist: I Love It, Real World ’09, Lonely No More, Her Diamonds, If You’re Gone (Matchbox Twenty song), Can’t Help Me Now, The Great Unknown, Streetcorner Symphony, One Less Day (Dying Young), Little Wonders, Fire On the Mountain, Let’s Dance (David Bowie cover), 3 A.M., Ever the Same, Someday, I am an Illusion.

    Encore: …Something to Be, Unwell, Smooth (Santana Cover), This is How a Heart Breaks.

  • Buskin & Buskin: Two Generations of Talent, One Show

    Perhaps musical talent can be inherited. At least, that seems to be the case with David and Sophie Buskin, who will be performing as part of Caffè Lena’s Pride Series on Thursday, August 1, as Buskin & Buskin. David, known for his background in folk-rock, is part of the duo Buskin & Batteau, and the band Modern Man, which he refers to as a “geezer trio.” He is a talented songwriter and has written for artists such as Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie and Roberta Flack.

    Sophie is a bit more rock and roll. Her stylings influenced by alt-rock, albeit she has been a part of the NYC folk scene for many years now. While attending college at Berklee, she was part of their Gospel Choir. Her first album, Sweet Creature, was released last year. She has been slowly evolving as a musician in her journey of self-discovery, and has performed with Jewel, Alana Davis, Mason Jennings and Judy Collins. 

    This multi-generational act brings a certain playfulness to the stage that comes along with knowing one another for such a long period of time. David’s pride in his daughter and her maturation into the musical performer she is today is apparent in their interactions, and is a pleasure to witness.

    The opener that evening will be local Schenectady County Community College barbershop quartet, Out of Time. Tickets can be purchased here.