Billboard is reporting that Woodstock 50, scheduled to take place Aug. 16-18 at the Watkins Glen International Speedway has been cancelled.
According to a statement released by the Dentsu Aegis Network, who was funding the event, “We don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock brand name.”
TMZ reports that Michael Lang, the festival’s promoter, was surprised by Dentu’s announcement and that, “they’re not giving up on the festival yet.”
The announcement comes on the heels of a delay in ticket sales, which were supposed to have gone live on Earth Day, April 22. The full statement is below.
“It’s a dream for agencies to work with iconic brands and to be associated with meaningful movements. We have a strong history of producing experiences that bring people together around common interests and causes which is why we chose to be a part of the Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival. But despite our tremendous investment of time, effort and commitment, we don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name while also ensuring the health and safety of the artists, partners and attendees. As a result and after careful consideration, Dentsu Aegis Network’s Amplifi Live, a partner of Woodstock 50, has decided to cancel the festival. As difficult as it is, we believe this is the most prudent decision for all parties involved.”
NYS Music will provide information as it becomes available.
This week, Rochester’s Haewa embarks on a four-show run in May, taking them to Albany, Plymouth, NH and Burlington, VT, then back home to Rochester on May 10, where they will open up for Consider the Source at Flour City Station.
Originally a trio, Haewa started in 2011 with a foundation of fearless improvisation. They soon transformed into the four piece band they are today, featuring founding members Collin Jones (guitar) and Ben Chilbert (bass), as well as the newer additions of Troy Evan’s (keyboardist/synth wizard) and Marco Cirigliano (powerhouse drum master). The band’s roots allow their collaboration to create a unique sound that balances the sonic landscape between utter chaos and pure bliss.
Haewa’s matured sound encompasses unique songwriting, in depth instrumental compositions, as well as pure improvisation and vocals. Combining the spirit of rock-n-roll with trance-like, electronic influences and funk, Haewa commands their audience down the musical road less taken, into a familiar yet enlightening unknown.
Catch Haewa in Albany on May 2, Plymouth, NH on May 3, Burlington, VT on May 4, and back home in Rochester, supporting Consider the Source on May 10.
New York City’s post-punk, pop outfit, The Goodnight Darlings, are cutting edge. Bred from the William Faulkner quote ‘murder your darlings,’ nothing stands on safe ground. At any moment an explosion of creative energy, or sound, propels the band into an epic dance-rock performance on stage. With the glam of a fairytale princess, frontwoman, Kat Auster, commands the stage instantaneously while her counterpart, Wilson Jaramillo stretches the soundscapes of rock guitar.
Catch them this Thursday, May 2 at The Cutting Room in the heart of Manhattan at 9:30 pm.
Bonded by The Goodnight Darlings, and marriage, Auster and Jaramillo are one anothers’ creative spark. Auster’s style is bold, flailing on stage in a exuberant unicorn outfit earlier this year. A perfect match to the screaming notes from Jaramillo and his cutting distortion. As it turns out, the duo has been proven endlessly. Kat Auster is steeped in the likes of Madonna, Blondie and, according to The Village Voice, “Gwen Stefani’s evil twin.” Likewise, she is an esteemed Juilliard graduate and appeared as an MTV Made coach. Going toe-to-toe in his own light, Wilson toured with The Fugees, Wyclef Jean and sessioned for Mary J. Blige and DMC. The Fugees dubbed Wilson as ‘the punk’ and ‘the scientist’ because of his energy and endless effects.
“You can’t be too precious about your work, or get attached to pieces of it. The way I understood it [Faulkner] was to make sure you maintain irreverence and freedom when you write. When Wilson and I founded the band, we felt this way, having traveled around the world experimenting with different bands and genres,” said Kat. “Then we changed the band name slightly to The Goodnight Darlings; the name has a darkness or a sweetness to it, depending on perspective. This dichotomy of dark, yet sweet, is very true to us – like a cherry-bomb.”
Photo by Donna Renna
The Yin and Yang of The Goodnight Darlings is further exposed with Wilson’s influences. From The Clash and Public Enemy to Jane’s Addiction and Ice Cube, the punk has plenty to draw upon. “YYY’s and Santigold are big influences because we come from the same school. When we started GND I wanted to incorporate a city vibe which was more electronic and hip hop, but not lose that punk rock edge,” said Wilson – as if music was second nature to breathing.
“I was still learning how to walk when music hit me. My parents would listen to music from Ecuador and groups like The Platters. I would get lost in their perfect harmonies and felt a physical lump in my throat from the emotions coming out of the speakers,” added Wilson. “I also would get hyper while listening to Little Richard and early Elvis…I have always immersed myself in music of all types.”
The Goodnight Darlings continue to test their musical bounds in a collaboration with Oklahoma City rapper, Jabee on “Start Up,” a single released earlier this year. What spawned from hip hop photographer, Robert Mayer, turned into a lifelong relationship between Jabee and the darlings.
“From the beginning, Jabee asked for my lyrics and wanted to really understand what my message was in the song. The way he approached it made me feel really at home. He’s a kindred spirit. His energy is so special, and different from mine. We play off each other and I think it makes for captivating moments,” said Kat.
“Jabee is another pro, very conscious lyricist and easy to work with. When we finally met him in person we knew he was family for life,” added Wilson.
The bands musical sense is also inspired by their bond which is nothing short of family-for-life. Bassist Joey D’Alessio has been sucked into this familiar world. “When we jam over new material, it really is like playing with my siblings. It’s very free and unassuming, but rocks hard. GND is extremely collaborative and there are smiles for days in the rehearsal room. We are constantly surprising each other and playfully one-up each other to bring out the best. GND shows are exactly that, a show! The crowd gets involved, we command the stage and by the first hit it’s a frenetic ball of fun.”
All that The Goodnight Darlings are, transcend from their music and persona to visually breathtaking music videos. Their 2017 release of “Carousel” is as colorful as it sounds. Driving palm-muted guitar rushes in with the changing backdrop-rooms in rotation. “Empire Vampire” contrast in a darker sheen, featuring members of Cirque du Soleil.
Aside from The Goodnight Darlings, Kat and Wilson create musical jingles – a polar opposite of punk-rock. “I think one keeps the other fresh. What’s cool about writing jingles, is that you’re like an actor. You take on whatever the client or product needs. We always aim to do it super well, so it has to become a part of you,” said Kat. “ You can learn a new vibe or approach. One time I had to sing a Kesha cover, and I never really listened hard to her inflections. There’s always something cool to learn and throw in the cosmic stew of our music.”
The Goodnight Darlings are more entity than sound could bare. More edge and less genre, always pushing new musical territory. Their excitement is evident and as the band continues on their DIY path, creative doors are held wide open. Push your limits Thursday at The Cutting Room and become apart of the honorary Darling family. Get your tickets in advance HERE. Follow The Goodnight Darlings on Instagram and Spotify.
Josh and Adam Netsky have been mainstays on the Rochester music scene for the past decade at least. Older brother Josh was writing songs beyond his years, while Adam brought the songs to life both on stage, playing drums, and on screen, crafting accompanying videos. Their creative teamwork reached a new high in 2012 with a song-cycle and experimental documentary about the ghost town of Centralia, PA.
Part of being a great bandleader is crafting the songs. The other part is putting together the right parts to bring your visions to life. The Netsky’s pulled off a bit of a coup, scoring arguably the two best and most versatile guitarists in Rochester: Sam Snyder (Overhand Sam, Anamon) and Kurt Johnson (Moho Collective, Wallboards). Together they became Maybird, providing a more consistent outlet for their output. The band flourished on the Rochester scene and in 2016 they signed to Danger Mouse’s 30th Century Records, on which they’ve released two EPs, Turning Into Water and Unravelling.
On Things I Remember From Earth, their debut LP for 30th Century, releasing Friday, the band’s sound takes a huge leap forward. With major label backing and national tours with acts like Portugal. The Man under their belt, the Netsky’s creative visions are finally reaching their full potential.
The title, “Things I Remember From Earth,” was taken from Kurt Vonnegut’s “The Sirens of Titan,” as were the themes of many of the songs. “Human purpose, holding on to memories, and losing control of your mind/memory are all themes in the book that found a place on the album.” Josh Netsky explains.
No longer encumbered by the what-ifs of a shoestring budget, colorful sounds explode from the record like tubes of paint being smashed with a hammer. The opening track “In Technicolor (for the first time),” sets it all up perfectly: “If you mix the colors in your eyes / darkened tears will fall / into vivid seas and multiply.”
From the driving march of “To You,” to the slinky grooving “Gonna Lose Your Mind,” to the 80’s style bright pop of “Montreal,” track after track, colors are added and the vision becomes more complete and more impressive.
The band might consist three guitarists and a drummer, but they pushed the studio to the limit, layering sounds upon sounds for a complete sonic scrub that leaves no stone unturned: A perfectly placed horn track, catchy backing vocals, an eerie whistle, a burst of piano, a humming organ, alien bubbles and wails from outer space, not to mention, all of that glorious guitar. A bevy of beautiful and unique choices color the edges of the psychedelic pop songs throughout. Don’t fret about the how’s and who’s, close your eyes and let the grooves wash over you.
“When you feel it / for the first time / in spectacular color.”
How will it sound from the stage? Find out at their record release show this Friday, May 3 at Radio Social where they’ll be playing the album front to back. It’s a free show and Maybird will share the stage with Mikaela Davis, Cammy Enaharo and August West.
Key tracks: Gonna Lose Your Mind, Don’t Keep Me Around, When I Find My Out of the Circle
Girlpool played to a devoted audience at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on April 25, rounding out a tour supported by Australian rising star, Hatchie with show opener, Gemma. Supporting the release of 2019’s What Chaos is Imaginary, the show displayed the dynamic range of genre across Girlpool’s records, along with the duo’s knack to look at home on any stage, and make it their own.
Waiving an introduction, the duo, supported by a second guitar, drums and keyboard, dove into “Lucy’s” from What Chaos is Imaginary. The slow, pounding pace driven by full, distorted guitar and an alternating kick and snare quickly enveloped the room, bringing people closer to the stage.
Girlpool began as two teenagers funneling their vulnerabilities and existential quandaries into a piece of pure, self-expression, which became 2015’s Before the World Was Big. Since then, the duo has blossomed with expanding musical sophistication as Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad have gotten a little older, and a little more grounded in perspective. Changes and self-realization are included in that journey, including Tucker’s coming out as trans in 2017.
Photograph By Jazmin Beltran
For a band which started as two people playing instruments together with an ambiguous, co-lead syntax and relying on harmonies shouted over each other or shared in a whisper, Tucker’s now-deeper voice has found a new space to sit among the vocal mix. Rocking into “Hire,” Tucker shouts into the mic, their voice unbounded, cracking and passionate.
The set traversed the different styles across Girlpool’s albums. Returning to 2017’s Powerplant, the band teetered on a punk-inspired shoegaze, in the space where The Cranberries and The Breeders dwell. “It Gets More Blue” featured grunge-y bass lines and monotone vocals sang in unison, breaking out of the self-imposed trance during the louder, punchier moments.
Photograph By Jazmin Beltran
Tucker and Tividad’s energy ebbed and flowed with the tone of song. Balancing Tividad’s often cooing, softly delivered lines, Tucker was often moving about the stage, always looking to be on the verge of vocally exploding with angst or excitement. Often checking in with one another on stage via smiles during songs or stage banter, the deep friendship the two have with each other enriched the experience. Even in front of an audience, the two looked as if they were just messing around with each other in their living room, experiencing the joy of musical connection for the first time.
Touring with Girlpool and developing a large fanbase of her own, Australian-based Hatchie supported the show with her signature blend of dream-pop and shoegaze. She’s drawn from genre-definers like the Cocteau Twins and has since joined a talented pool of female-led indie groups including Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy, and of course, Girlpool. Deserving a mention is show opener and Brooklyn-based electro-soul group, Gemma. Helmed by Ava Luna’s Felicia Douglass along with guitarist Erik Gundel, the group delivered genre-bending dance energy reminiscent of The Talking Heads.
Ending with an encore including a couple of crowd favorites, fans left the venue repeating a favorite line from Before the World Was Big’s “Chinatown”: “Do you feel restless when you realize you’re alive?” As they play stages of all sizes, Girlpool is always able to make it seem as if you’re a guest in their home, listening to music and laughing at their stories. This tour will continue in New Jersey as it moves southwest and ends in Europe. See them at a venue near you.
Once upon a time in Rochester, some teenagers started a ska band. Then they evolved into a rock band. Their third iteration was the pop punk band, Lighters. Two years ago, they went on hiatus. Fans have held their breath, waiting to for their next project. That day has finally come.
Chromaticam is not ska. It’s not rock n roll. It’s not punk. Band members Matthias Galley and Will Westveer have veered off the beaten path. They’ve thrown out the idea of fitting their sound into the confines of a single genre. They also threw out the idea of adding lyrics.
In an age when we are barraged with verbal clutter, instrumental music has become the calm inside the storm, a refuge for the weary listener. “Aqueduct” is a perfect example of this. In this opening track off the eponymous EP, rhythm and melody intertwine languidly over a backdrop of droning synth, giving it an ambient feeling. It has a transcendent quality which teeters on the verge of psychedelia.
The sense of harmony in “Aqueduct” is contrasted by one of discordance in “Withering.” Instead of spacious expanses of sound, the notes follow a dissonant chord progression. The song is made even more anxiety-inducing by the addition of sound clips of an ominous tenor voice.
While there are no lyrics, speech samples are abundant in the remaining tracks. “Sore” is an edgy tune that contains lines ripped from the financial crisis of 2008. “Snow Flurries” is a funky jam that features clips from a winter weather forecast. In “Yellow Tent” a rat-a-tat drum and trombone set a ceremonial tone, heralding in snippets of a political speech.
Chromaticam draws influence from alternative, synthwave, and indie rock, giving them broad appeal. But don’t try to box them into any one category. Throw away those preconceived notions about genre. Chromaticam defies definition.
Calling all aspiring chefs, taste-testers and food lovers; Vinnie’s Kitchen is making a return to Summer Camp 2019! This year, moe.’s Vinnie Amico will be hosting his cooking show during the Thursday Pre-Party. Summer Camp is giving fans a chance to participate in the recording of the episode!
All you need to do to cook with Vinnie is share a description of your favorite festival food and attach a photo/video in a post on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In order to enter you must include the hashtag #VinniesKitchenSCamp19 by Friday, May 3. Then, fans will vote to see who wins the grand prize – a 4-day pass to Summer Camp, and you get to pick the recipe you and Vinnie cook together! For more info, visit Vinnie’s Kitchen.
Though Pink Floyd has been retired since their 1995 “Pulse” tour (with the exception of the 2014 release of The Endless River) all three surviving members of the band have treated New York City to different flavors of the live Pink Floyd experience. Roger Waters made a statement with his present-day adaptation of The Wall at Yankee Stadium in 2013. David Glimour mesmerized Manhattan with three nights between Radio City and The Garden. This past weekend, Nick Mason propelled the Syd Barret era back into the limelight, presenting works from the band’s earliest recordings.
In comparison to large venue shows, The Beacon Theatre provided a much more intimate experience and prompted many to share stories about their first experiences seeing the band in smaller venues before the show even began – a reminiscence which become even more real later in the show.
Nick Mason and Guy Pratt performing at the Beacon Theatre
The intro riffs of “Interstellar Overdrive,” from Pink Floyd’s first album, were quick to establish the theme of the show, something to which Mason remarked upon after a couple of songs. He dismissed considering his band some sort of Pink Floyd tribute-act or a nostalgia machine. His band wasn’t a random assemblage of musicians either. Joining him on bass was Guy Pratt, who toured with Mason, Gilmour and the late Richard Wright, on the post-Waters Pink Floyd tours; on guitar, Gary Kemp, a longtime friend of Mason’s. Kemp’s familiarity and Pratt’s Floyd touring experience were evident in many aspects of the night from performance style to the band’s chemistry and character, just to name a few. It all created the genuine Pink Floyd-esque show Mason intended. Also joining Mason was Lee Harris (former guitarist for The Blockheads) who effortlessly flowed along with Kemp to re-create Syd Barrett’s sound, and Dom Beken on keys, dialing in Richard Wright’s style.
The setlist included several favorites from the early Floyd catalogue, which haven’t been played live in many years by either Gilmour or Waters, and dug into some rarer songs off those albums. Some box-sets and re-releases brought some of these songs back into the light, but other songs in the set like “Green is the Colour” and “Vegetable Man” were a treat from the realm of obscurity for dedicated fans in the audience. Pratt got his wish to pick a song to play on this tour. For Gilmour’s mid/late 2000’s tour, Pratt was given the chance to choose a song for the setlist, to which he suggested “The Nile Song.” He joked that the idea clearly wouldn’t fly as it wasn’t popular, “[that] album was half the cost of all the other Pink Floyd albums and everyone had it.” However, the heavier/louder psychedelic sound was welcomed at the Beacon Theatre and didn’t disappoint the crowd.
Nick Mason performing at the Beacon Theatre
With New York a major crossroads and hub in the music world, the unexpected can happen. Mason was telling a story about not being able to play the shiny gong behind him in the early years for “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” because of a certain bandmate that always took that job from him. During which, Roger Waters emerged from the shadows of stage right to the gasps of the audience. Without a bass in hand, Waters performed the lyrics of the song, capturing an original recording and early performances of it.
The two former Pink Floyd members had been on stage together during Waters’ The Wall tour and previously during the band’s 2005 Live 8 reunion set. But, this is the first time in many years members of Pink Floyd have collaborated on stage for one of that band’s early songs. The surviving members have reunited to a limited degree in the years since the full 2005 reunion, (the three appeared briefly on stage in 2011 with a special appearance by Gilmour) and the experience NYC got with Waters and Mason will probably be the closest thing to a Pink Floyd reunion at this point, but these moments will certainly be welcomed.
Setlist: Interstellar Overdrive, Astronomy Domine, Lucifer Sam, Fearless, Obscured By Clouds, When You’re In, Remember a Day, Arnold Layne, Vegetable Man, If -> Atom Heart Mother -> If (reprise), The Nile Song, Green Is The Colour, Let There Be More Light, Childhood’s End, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, See Emily Play, Bike, One of These Days
Encore: A Saucerful of Secrets, Point Me at the Sky
Only Yesterday, the new EP from Izzy Heltai, dropped April 19 on all streaming platforms. It feels nostalgic to his old work with more adult gut-punching overtones that make Only Yesterday something any indie-folk lover should check out.
Izzy Heltai captured by Emma Kate Rothenberg-Ware.
The four song EP starts with Helai’s single, “Marching Song,” which Heltai says was very much about being in a low point of his depression and not having much self worth in himself. The songs starts with some slow strumming acoustic guitar and slowly, he starts to sing. A piano joins, just slightly, and then completely adds itself as the chorus starts. Heltai sings: “On and on a marching song gets sung inside my head. I’m walking out the door now. It feels like only yesterday I learned I could be here. Now here I go leaving.”
Then, just after the chorus ends, a trumpet adds itself to the mix. “Marching Song” sits in the stomach of the listener and they can’t help, but empathise with Heltai feeling like “He’s drowning and dragging you down and if he says nothing you’ll stay on dry land.” It’s the feeling that someone will be better off without you – a hard thing to admit to oneself let alone sing out to the rest of the world.
The second song on the EP is called, “Common Sense,” and it starts with acoustic guitar and violin. It’s about thinking someone was the love of your life, but realizing, maybe you didn’t know them the way you thought. It’s a fabricated idea in your head. This is an emotion many have felt, but few are able to express in a way that’ll get across to the listener, the way Heltai does. It’s a feeling of nostalgia for someone that you realize, might not even really be for them, but for the idea of them.
“Stuck in Stone” follows the classic Heltai format starting with an acoustic guitar intro. Accompanied with an array of different instruments, percussive guitar works as a satisfying pause to the song. The song revolves around having your mind made up, but your body being “Stuck in Stone,” physically not being able to make yourself do what you’ve decided. As most of Heltai’s songs, it is a relatable feeling. Heltai puts his remarkable twists to make a familiar story one-of-a-kind with his unique word choices.
Izzy Heltai captured by Emma Kate Rothenberg-Ware.
Only Yesterday ends with “Mountain,” which switches up Heltai’s normal format. The song flows from present to past with Heltai’s current feelings on himself and love to things he’s experienced. His mother told him he couldn’t have candles in his room. He would burn the house down. Trumpet returns, adding a layer to the instrumental parts of the song, that resolve with an “ah” feeling for the listener.
The 16-minute long EP feels so much longer than that with its catchy choruses to its insightful words. Heltai is definitely someone too look out for in the indie-folk scene. Heltai is currently on tour and has dates across the United States from now until August. For more information visit his website.
Vocalist Nick Reese, guitarist Blake Allard, bassist Greg Braccio, and drummer Robert Sodaro comprise Joyous Wolf; a rock and roll four-piece from Southern California who are hitting on all cylinders. After only four years together they have signed with Roadrunner Records, releasing their debut EP (out this month) and currently on a two-month tour opening for Buckcherry. Not too shabby.
I spoke with Nick Reese and Greg Braccio before their set at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The show marked the midway point of the current tour with Buckcherry. We were led by the band’s tour manager, Stripes, to an upstairs back corner lounge to conduct our interview. Nick and Greg sat down in padded bar chairs that had no legs attached, which puts them close to floor level. I’m now towering over the guys (being 6’2”) so I grab a “legless” chair too and join the guys on the floor. They let out a “yeah,” as we are now all eye to eye. “You should make a new show called “Tiny Chair Talk”” Nick says. We start laughing and get down to rock and roll.
Greg Braccio – Bass, Nick Reese – Vocals
Mickey Deneher: You’re a SoCal band. When I listen to your songs, you’re not the Beach Boys. You’re not the Eagles. Who is Joyous Wolf? Why did you put the band together?
Nick Reese: There wasn’t a reason, other than boredom.
Greg Braccio: That’s the interesting thing.
NR: It kind of happened.
GB: None of us went into this like we are going to be this kind of band, or that kind of band. Everyone had their set of influences and it just melded into what it is.
NR: It found it’s own way.
MD: Creatively isn’t that the way you want it?
GB: Absolutely.
NR: That is what we set out for. I could play you our original demos and stuff and it’s a totally different band.
MD: If you take yourself from the beginning to now, where’s the band gone?
NR: Everywhere (said with a very big grin, laughing).
MD: Not only physically, but creatively.
NR: I think we’ve always set out to be creative. I think we just figured it out ourselves. We really didn’t know what we were. We were pretty much a bunch of guys jamming together, putting out ideas. A lot of evolution has happened since then. That’s all I can say. It’s just evolving. Yeah, a lot of evolution.
Blake Allard, guitar
MD: The writing process. Where does that (direction) come from? Who’s the driver?
NR: We all write together. Sometimes, someone will go and write something by themselves and bring it, and we all make it happen. That’s pretty much the main thing, or else we just get together and feel out the room, and what ever happens. Sometimes a song happens right there.
MD: You hear it? You hear it as your playing?
NR: Yeah.
MD: And all of a sudden, it’s like “go over here.”
NR/GB: Yeah.
MD: That’s a cool thing.
Robert Sodara, Drums
MD: In your promo (bio) it says you go from heavy metal to delta blues. That’s a huge swash.
NR: When we did that thing (promo) it was,what do we listen to? What’s the range? We’ll listen to heavier bands and to Muddy Waters. Between the four of us there’s a pretty big collection of music. That’s really what I think makes this band fun, for me anyway.
GB: Yeah.
NR: We get to apply all of it together. There is no one direction. I think people are going to see that on the record. I think they are going to have a lot of different feelings to our music.
MD: Is it always a personal thing when you write? Or is it, I saw something that impacted me?
GB: Honestly I don’t really think of it that way. It’s just kind of what ever we are feeling at that moment, or what ever we are playing, or what ever we are doing.
I think we try really hard try to just venture outside of the parameter of what’s the normal average rock band.
– Nick Reese
NR: As far as myself, that happened to me lyrically. I bring in little bits and pieces, now and then. But the majority of my job is to translate the mass that they create.
MD: Is it you, or is everyone dropping little snippets of sound?
GB: It’s either that or we’re all kind of jamming together and it will come up.
NR: Sometimes it will be at a sound check. Sometimes it’ll be when we are completely far apart. No one’s near each other and someone wakes up in the middle of the night. It’s nothing new as far as how songs are written.
MD: Your right. It’s nothing new, but it is new.
NR: Yeah, it’s a new creation.
MD: You are looking for something new.
GB: It’s almost inevitable to create something entirely new, especially with rock music. But, it’s really just the four of us having our own set of influences and hoping to create something like a weird blend of genres, what ever you want to call it.
MD: That synergy sort of groove thing and follow along.
GB: Yeah.
MD: And bring people with you.
GB: Absolutely.
Nick Reese, Blake Allard
NR: I think for us, it’s all about the energy of our music. I think that’s what makes it sound fresh. That, and I think we also try really hard try to just venture outside of the parameter of what’s the normal average rock band. I think we are going to do even more and more of that as we continue on.
MD: Setting yourself apart. In time, you want people to just say immediately “Joyous Wolf” as compared to “umm, sounds like umm,”
NR: “Whoever else.”
MD: That’s the individuality of it.
NR: We are fully prepared for things like that. Every band that has ever come around has been compared to somebody else.
GB: It is inevitable.
NR: Even when Led Zeppelin came around they said they sounded like Jeff Beck’s band. There is never going to be a brand new band that’s not going to get pegged for somebody else.
Opening for Buckcherry at The Chance Theater
MD: You played at a festival in Sacramento, under a freeway, and got a record deal.
GB: It sounds that simple, but that’s is pretty much how it happened.
NR: And it just happened to be next to the 5 Freeway. I still think to this day that that is the most California thing that could have possibly have happened. We’re playing in Sacramento, in the capital; we’re from California, lived their our whole lives; and we’re playing under the f#cking 5 Freeway.
That performance lead to signing with Atlantic Records’s Roadrunner label and the recording of their debut EP, “Place in Time,” in late 2018.
MD: Had you guys ever been in a recording environment like that? Putting together an album with any other bands or anyone else?
NR: Not quite like that no. Everything else that we had done was very independent.
GB: That was like the first professional setting to be doing that in.
MD: I hear bands talk about the daunting task of going in, getting it right. The producer is such a critical cog in that wheel to make something happen.
NR: He helped educate us in a couple of ways, as far as our ability to write songs. It’s not like we ever had trouble, he just showed us little bits and pieces to help us do that. Honestly, I think in that perspective, it came out pretty great. As far as it being daunting, I think the only thing that we were worried about was having the material. We went and took a couple of weeks after our fall tour last year and we worked until (looking to George) when did we go in?
GB: Late November early December.
NR: We did pretty much the entire the record in around 2 weeks.
GB: So it was very new material still.
Nick Reese, Blake Allard
MD: The sounds you had in your head for those songs, I take it, all the songs where written prior to going into the studio.
NR/GB: Yeah.
MD: Was that sound, the actual sound that came out? Or did it go to someplace else?
NR: I don’t think there was ever an expectation really. You don’t know what you are going to get, you know, until it is done.
GB: Yeah, I mean it was close. I would briefly say it was not quite what we were expecting. But overall it’s us. We shine through as much as we could.
MD: And you can stand up and say, “we are proud of it.”
NR: Yeah, I’m proud of the songs. I am proud of the songs.
Greg Braccio, Robert Sodaro, Blake Allard
MD: I’ve seen a couple of acoustic things that you have done. It’s you (Nick) and Blake (guitar.) Is that something that you may lean more towards going forward? Or is it that just that we need to be acoustic because of where we are and that’s what we do?
GB: I think when it comes to a full-length album or whatever; we’ll defiantly want to incorporate acoustic or anything really. We are not stuck to one thing.
NR: Even on the EP already we are going to have some stuff that a lot of our peers I don’t think would do. I think we’ve already included some elements, things that are not exactly everyone’s idea of rock and roll. We’re really not afraid to go anywhere. We don’t have any machismo. It could be literally anything. I feel like that’s how rock’s going to go forward, just let it fly.
GB: Yeah, it’s not supposed to be still the Sunset Strip all leather kind of thing. It’s got to evolve from that.
MD: No walls. No constraints. You just take if where it goes. Who knows where it’s going to end up, but you are not stopping yourselves.
The guys nod their agreement. As we get closer to show time, we talk about what is ahead for the year
Nick Reese
MD: Two months with Buckcherry.
NR: It’s a lot longer than that. We’re doing their second leg in the summer and even more, later in the year. We are also supporting Slash in July. We are also going to go to Europe for the first time this fall.
MD: This (current) tour you went to Canada and now you are doing a whole leg going back to California.
NR: Yeah and then we go back to Canada with Slash for six shows. We opened for him at the Paramount in New York last fall. He had picked us to come and open the shows. We were going to play Rock Fest, but when Slash calls, you don’t say no to Slash.
We’re really not afraid to go anywhere. We don’t have any machismo. It could be literally anything.
– Nick Reese
There is a reason why Buckcherry, Slash and other top-level acts are booking Joyous Wolf to open for them. As the band hit the stage this night, they took charge. Nick gyrated across the stage as if he had conjured up the spirit of fellow Californian Jim Morrison. All the time drawing in the audience with every word sung. Supporting their vocal extrovert, Blake, Greg, and Robert cranked out some heavy, in your face, rock and roll power playing. By the end of the set, hands were pumping high in the air and Joyous Wolf had left their mark. With an impressive, well-produced debut EP and ever increasing exposure opening for some of rock’s best, it won’t be long till these guys are headlining themselves.
