Buffalo’s Head North has booked two shows in December. It’s been two years since the alternative band’s last live performances. They’ll be playing Brooklyn at The Knitting Factory on Dec. 19, then a show in their hometown at Mohawk Place on Dec. 21. Joining them for both dates is Tennessee-based singer/songwriter Bogues. Ticket information is available here.
Over the summer, Head North released the single “Rhodora,” the first taste of their upcoming sophomore album. This and other new material has been recorded at the band’s own space, Bigfoot! Studios, at the helm of frontman/producer Brent Martone. It’s a follow-up to 2017’s The Last Living Man Alive Ever in The History of The World. For more about that album, see the NYS Music interview.
Editor’s Note: Mike Powell is a singer-songwriter from Central New York. In addition to his work as a solo artist, he also leads the soulful rock band The Black River. Powell and fellow CNY singer-songwriter Chris Merkley are embarking on a four-show Original Gravity mini-tour of microbreweries across the state searching for the connection between songwriting and brewing.
This is the first of a four-part NYS Music series contributed by Powell. Additional photos contributed by NYS Music staff.
There are few relationships more felicitous than the one that exists between beer and music. My love for songs and storytelling began in the late ’80s when I was just a kid laying on a shag carpet underneath our Formica kitchen table. My father would regularly invite his work buddies over to our house after the whistle blew at the paper mill and they would sit around banging away on old guitars, breathing into harmonicas and drinking cases of Genny Light. I would hide quietly, listen closely and watch as their oil-stained work boots tapped along to the beat of songs like “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, “Desperados Waiting For A Train” and “On The Road Again”.
At the conclusion of just about every song, one of the men at the table would take the floor and share an often hilarious story with the others. These stories and these songs from hardworking men in greasy blue uniforms in many ways became the backbone of what I’ve spent the past ten years of my life doing. Above the sound of the human voice, the wailing tone of a harp and the thump of a dreadnought I so vividly remember the signature snap of that blue aluminum can popping open – beer was just part of the ceremony.
The genesis of the Original Gravity MicroTour was a simple phone conversation I had in August with my friend and fellow songwriter Chris Merkley. He and I became fast friends last year while doing a run that included stops at some of the best little theaters in Central New York like Nelson Odeon, Borodino Hall, Earlville Opera House and the Auburn Public Theater. His ability as a performer is undeniable but what I find most admirable is his strong sense of community and ability to inject creativity into all that he does. Take a trip out to Cortland for one of his Seedstock Music Festivals and you’ll see exactly what I am talking about.
This particular conversation centered around playing shows together again but we didn’t want it to be standard boilerplate. We both needed to do it differently and find a way to shine a light on other like-minded folks doing amazing things in their own arenas. Our talk quickly spun out of control, per usual, and our minds started collectively racing towards the topic of a small craft brewery tour.
We talked about how craft breweries have created a whole new stage for original musicians like us and how grateful we are that they exist. We started asking each other deep psychological questions like, “Do people that prefer a craft beer experience have something in their make-up that makes them more apt to digest original music?” “Are there similarities between songwriters and brewers?” “Why make your own beer when there’s plenty of great beer being made all around the world?” “Why write songs when there are millions of amazing songs already written?” The aim of the Original Gravity MicroTour is to take a four-night deep-dive exploration into the analogous union between original songwriters and craft brewers.
After I hung up with Chris I immediately put in an excited call to my dear friend Mike Kohli who happens to be one of the biggest music supporters I know, a lover of craft beer and the editor of this here media outlet. I told Mike our plans and I asked if he would perhaps allow me to be a guest content provider during the MicroTour and he graciously agreed. He told me that he has had a very similar idea kicking around in his brain for quite some time and has been waiting for the right moment to tell the story. And since I had him on the phone already I decided to push the envelope and take it one step further. I said, “How about we kick the thing off on your home turf, Copper City Brewing Company?” And he said, “HELL YEAH…I mean, let me check with the owners Dan and Lori.”
For over 80 years, the city of Rome has lacked the presence of a local microbrewery. Prohibition effectively shut down the last of them in the 1930s and the void remained until the visionary couples Dan and Lori Colasanti Frieden and Eric and Erica Sheible Daniels spoke up in 2015 and announced their ambitious plans to bring brewing back to Rome. After looking all over town for the right property they landed on a renovation project at 1111 Oneida Street on Rome’s east side.
When you push through the doors of CCBC you’ll most certainly be greeted with a big smile from behind the bar as your eyes scan around the modern industrial motif. The fresh grainy smell will hit your senses, your mouth will water and your palette will prepare. As a musician, the first thing I noticed walking in was an elegant nook off to the left with comfortable seating, board games and a guitar on a stand that is welcome to be played by any and all patrons. The room itself is an interesting juxtaposition because although it has several rigid metal touches it somehow gives off a thoughtful warmth. I’ve played shows at Copper City three or four times now and I’ve come to realize that the warmth comes from the people inside it.
Chris and I had an awesome time on night number one. Perhaps my favorite part of the night was our attempt at doing on-demand poetry. During Chris’ set, he asked the crowd to throw out a couple of words and I would be tasked with writing a poem related to them in real-time and present it by the time I took the stage. Well, the audience gave me “Camel Unicorn” and I thought I wrote a pretty good poem under pressure. But after my reading, I asked for the audience to now give me a couple of words for Chris to work with and I selected “Asbestos Shed”. I thought he was going to struggle. But in true Merkley fashion, he won the night and got the biggest eruption from the crowd with his incredible tale of smashing his face after falling not so gracefully from a shed as a kid.
Big thanks to Copper City for the incredible hospitality, wonderful beer and all that came out to hear us. This train rolls on to Abandon Brewing tonight in Penn Yan where I plan to dethrone Merkley as the top on-demand poet on this tour.
Below is a video documenting the first night of the tour. Featured are Copper City Brewing Company co-owner Dan Frieden and the brewery’s talent buyer and NYS Music Editor-in-Chief Mike Kohli.
Powell and Merkley continue their tour on Friday, Oct. 11 at Abandon Brewing Company overlooking Keuka Lake in Penn Yan. Tickets for the 8:00 p.m. show are available at the door. Additional dates on the tour include Heritage Hill Brewhouse in Pompey on Saturday, Oct. 12 and Local 315 Brewing Company in Warners on Sunday, Oct. 13.
Mike Powell & Chris Merkley perform at Copper City Brewing in RomeMike Powell interviews Chris MerkleyChris MerkleyChris MerkleyMike PowellMike Powell
Phish frontman Trey Anastasio has announced a new set of performances for the Trey Anastasio band for the 2020 calendar year. Following the traditional slate of Phish shows to begin the year, the veteran guitarist will be back on the road for a nine-city run.
The tour will start off with a two-date stint in Port Chester before heading out west for four consecutive dates, finishing off in the South with shows in Texas and Louisiana.
After the official announcement, pre-sale tickets were made available and the rest go on sale for the general public on Oct.11.
The Trey Anastasio Band’s full list of tour dates can be found below:
Jan. 10 – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY
Jan. 11 – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY
Jan. 16 – The Observatory North Park – San Diego, CA
Jan. 17 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
Jan. 18 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
Jan. 21 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ
Jan. 24 – ACL Live at Moody Theatre – Austin, TX
Jan. 25 – House of Blues – Houston, TX
Jan. 26 – Bomb Factory – Dallas, TX
Jan. 28 – The Tobin Center – San Antonio, TX
Jan. 31 – The Civic Theatre – New Orleans, LA
Feb. 1 – The Civic Theatre – New Orleans, LA
It’s the end of an era as Jann Wenner, co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine, will be stepping down from his role as chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The change will take effect on January 1, 2020, where he will be replaced by John Sykes, the current president of Entertainment Enterprises for radio giant, iHeartMedia.
As Chairman, Wenner carried the responsibility of not only being the face of the Rock Hall, but the person who was blamed for perceived shortcomings, such as the lack of colored and women inductees. That burden will now fall upon Sykes, whom Jann Wenner himself nominated. “I just felt I had done what I set out to do… That it had been built, stabilized and become well financed and managed — and, after 30-plus years of running it, time for new energy, new ideas, a new generation,” Wenner said, according to the New York Times.
In 1983, Wenner aided in the founding of the Rock Hall, along with Ahmet Ertegun, Bruce Springsteen manager Jon Landau, attorney Suzan Evans, and record executives Seymour Stein and Bob Krasnow, and has served as its chairman since 2006 following Ertegun’s passing.
The institution began inducting honorees in 1986 and a few months later, Cleveland was selected as the permanent home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Throughout its history, there have been 330 inductees, comprised of esteemed artists, producers, and music executives.
Wenner is leaving behind a strong legacy, according to the Rock Hall’s website: “the Rock Hall had a total impact of $199 million in business sales in Cuyahoga County. Visitors to the Rock Hall spent an estimated $127.4 million in 2017, averaging a daily spend of $349,000, both on-site and at other businesses in the County.”
Groovesafe, a movement within the musical community to bring awareness about unwanted touching and sexual assault at concerts, has been making in roads through the music industry since the charity was formed in 2017 by Ashley Driscoll. On Monday, October 14, members of Turkuaz, Lespecial, Escaper, Goose and many more will join together as Groovesafe Allstars, for a benefit concert supporting Groovesafe at Brooklyn Bowl.
Driscoll has been bringing together musicians from across the jam scene to spread the word about Groovesafe. A topic such as unwanted touching is one that is all too common but the issue had not been brought to light until the past few years, around the same time the #MeToo movement pushed back against sexual assault and sexual harassment in the workplace. Through music scenes that intertwine, the mission of Groovesafe can be spread and consent culture can become the norm.
The October 11 Groovesafe Allstars benefit at Brooklyn Bowl has Driscoll’s mission front and center in the jam scene. Speaking to NYS Music about the event, Driscoll says, “I’m excited about this inaugural event because it allows us to showcase what our mission is all about. The thrilling thing about the “AllStar” aspect is we can unite different GrooveSafe Artist Ambassadors from bands of all genres. Bringing everyone together to highlight the importance of our work at GrooveSafe and our main goal to rebuild consent culture in the live music realm.”
“All we want to do is spread awareness that these bad behaviors are happening and that we won’t stand for them anymore. Change in behaviors begins with this awareness. We will be out there at The Brooklyn Bowl on Monday night to remind people how important it is to respect each others dance space, and focus on why we see shows; the music.
Ashley Driscoll – founder of Groovesafe
The show features The GrooveSafe AllStars – Sammi Garett (Vocals – Turkuaz), Josh Schwartz (Sax – Turkuaz), Greg Sanderson (Sax – Turkuaz), Chris Brouwers (Trumpet – Turkuaz), Luke Bemand (Bass – lespecial), Will Hanza (Lead Guitar – Escaper), Ben Atkind (Drums – Goose), Matt Dolliver (Keys, EWI – Swimmer), Sam Lisabeth (Guitar – Guerilla Toss), Melissa Goscinski (Vocals – Cousin Earth), and Tara Lawton (Vocals – Cousin Earth), with an appearance by Tom Salgo (Guitar-Of Clocks And Clouds). More info can be found here.
This initial event will be the start of a series of benefit concerts, spreading the mission of Groovesafe.
We hope to have a rotating act and continue to put on benefit concerts with talented musicians who support the movement to stop unwanted touching at shows in cities throughout the country. Our touring bands work so hard to bring you the music, let’s work together and make the show experience better. Let’s help people love the music again and give us a voice to create safer shows. Practice consent and take care of each other.
Ashley Driscoll – founder of Groovesafe
Additionally, at the upcoming HarvestFest at Woods Valley, Groovesafe will receive a portion of ticket sales from the weekend event, which features Rob Compa of Dopapod and Hayley Jane, among others.
“The Swamp,” as Giants Stadium was affectionately known, hosted Grateful Dead shows in 1987, 1989 and 1991. In 1987, the band saw their hit “Touch of Grey” reach the Top 10 and the band’s stadium rock years hitting their peak. The latest box set from the godfather of jam bands, GIANTS STADIUM: 1987, 1989, 1991 features five previously unreleased Grateful Dead shows from Big Blue’s home in East Rutherford, NJ: July 12, 1987; July 9 and 10, 1989; and June 16 and 17, 1991.
Originally recorded by John Cutler, each show has been mixed from the multitrack master tapes by Jeffrey Norman at Bob Weir’s TRI Studios in San Rafael, CA and mastered in HDCD by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering. The first three shows are mixed from 24-track masters. The final two from 1991 are the only Grateful Dead shows ever recorded to 48-track masters.
This release is limited to 10,000 individually numbered copies and available via Dead.net. Find more details on the Giants Stadium box set here.
Grateful Dead archivist and legacy manager David Lemiuex says of the “Loose Lucy” from the June 17, 1991 show, “Gone from the repertoire for 16 years, 1974-1990, when it made its return at the Capital Center on 3/14/90, it was in its slower 1973 arrangement, and was incredibly well-received, with one of the most inadvertently self-referential choruses in the Dead’s canon. Were they thanking us for a real good time? Were we thanking them? Regardless, it was a blast to sing along with Jerry when he was clearly having fun singing this classic.”
Jazz and Microbits will occur every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. The schedule for October features world jazz trio BeBimBop (10/2), Newark-based trumpeter James Gibbs III (10/9), renowned guitarist Paul Meyers and Brazilian percussionist Nanny Assis (10/16), guitarist Bob Devos and bassist Steve LaSpina (10/23), and pianist Oscar Perez (10/30). Click here for directions.
Riverview Jazz, the producers of the Jersey City Jazz Festival, have announced a new intimate jazz series in Kearny Point, NJ. In partnership with Sprig Market Cafe and Kearny Point, each Wednesday in the month of October will bring an evening of delectable bites, bespoke cocktails, and world-class jazz music.
“We are very excited to bring some great jazz to the town of Kearny. We toured the industrial space at Kearny Point and immediately saw the potential for presenting music,” says Riverview Jazz Executive Director Bryan Beninghove. “The food and drinks at Sprig are top-notch, there’s a wealth of amazing musicians in the area, and the vibe is really hip. We’re excited!” RiverviewJazz.Org is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Admission to Kearny Jazz is free with a tasting menu offered for $25/person.
Gordon Lightfoot has postponed the October and November dates of his “80 Years Strong” due to a leg injury the Canadian balladeer sustained while working out earlier this year.
The 80 year-old Lightfoot was scheduled to perform dates at Binghamton’s Broome County Forum on Oct. 25, Buffalo’s Kleinhans Music Hall on Oct. 28, Rochester’s Kodak Center on Oct. 29 and Utica’s Stanley Theater on Nov. 3.
A statement from Lightfoot’s representatives stated, “Doctors orders have mandated that Gordon will not be sufficiently recovered, due to complications from an injury sustained while working out at his gym, and will be unable to travel in time for his upcoming tour.”
Tickets already purchased may be refunded at the point of sale and all tickets will be honored at the rescheduled dates, which are expected to be some time in June.
Steve Lacy sold out the Apollo Theater, his fifth stop on his first ever solo tour, despite touring since the age of 15 with the group The Internet.
Steve Lacy walked on stage in his pink gown and played Apollo XXI end to end. He spent a great portion of the show singing with either a guitar or bass in hand, but ran around with only the microphone for a few bangers. After finishing the album and a couple of his singles, Lacy had run out of music to play. He decided to perform “Dark Red” twice to close out his set.
Dance-punk band !!! (Chk Chk Chk) will headline the 10th annual O+ Kingston festival of art, music and wellness, held October 11-13. !!! will be joined by folk-rocker Elvis Perkins, Dirty Projectors lead singer and guitarist David Longstreth (solo), cabaret-punk band The World/Inferno Friendship Society, cumbia-meets-garage rocker Tall Juan, visionary guitarist Sam Cohen, neo-soul band Lady Moon & The Eclipse and 40 more solo artists, bands and ensembles representing a wide cross-section of musical genres and styles.
Weekend wristbands include entry to all concerts as well as film and video screenings, participatory art workshops, cycling events, Literary SALO+N, classes in yoga, dance, meditation, sound healing, and more. See the full schedule here, subject to change.
Kingston community members who would like to attend, but are deterred by financial resources will be able to pick up free 3-day wristbands from the following O+ Festival partners: Center for Creative Education, Harambee, Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center, Kingston Library, Latinxproject, My Kingston Kids, Radio Kingston, Rise Up Kingston and the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County. Free wristbands are made possible thanks to the generosity of O+ supporters.
Other O+ Kingston music highlights include BODEGA (post-punk indie), The Giraffes (heavy rock), Carrie Nation & The Speakeasy (folk rockabilly), Sound of Ceres (electro dream pop) and Chris Wells and The Silver Spaceship (epic party band from the superfreak behind The Secret City).
Elvis Perkins
In addition, O+ partner Bardavon Presents welcomes “The Mystical Arts Of Tibet” on Sunday, Oct. 13 at UPAC.
The initial music lineup (of which 60 percent is from the mid-Hudson Valley) also includes: Ami Madeleine, Chris Andersen, The Arkhams, Sandy Bell, Brandy, Camp Saint Helene, Carrtoons, Datura Road, Dronechoir, Eat The Cake Band, Greg Farley, The Four Fives, Foster Care, Glockabelle, Zeb Gould, Grover, Hen in the Foxhouse, Jalani Lion, JB!! aka Dirty Moses w/Victory Soul Orchestra and DJ Nate da Great, Julia Kent, DJ Ali’s KinderDisco, Zamy Maa, Olivier Manchon’s Orchestre de Chambre Miniature, Maiko Hata Trio, The Meditation Tapes, Mooskii G. Myyers, Peter Naddeo, The Nightblinders, NOVA ONE, 100ANDZERO, Ramona Lane, The Restless Age, Sledge Wolf, Cheval Sombre, Tiny Blue Ghost, TONUS MAXIMUS, The Wilful Boys and Tyler G. Wood.
Dirty Projectors’ David Longstreth
This year’s O+ Kingston artists have responded to the theme of “X” with cross-disciplinary projects, collaborations and interventions at the intersection of art and life. Films, installations, murals, performances, multi-site experiential projects and workshops invite the viewer to activate artwork with participation. Workshops include artXmedicine, visual artXmusic, artXsocial engagement/activism, artXenvironmental activism, and X organizing principle/pattern
Participating artists and musicians receive complimentary health and wellness care in the Artists’ Clinic and in local dentists’ offices during the festival weekend. O+ calls this exchange: “the art of medicine for the medicine of art.”
