The second annual Rock for Recovery fundraiser for Helio Health took place on March 29 at The Palace Theatre in Syracuse with Modafferi, Periodic Table of Elephants, Late Earth and The Lightkeepers performing. The event was one of three regional shows to raise awareness of mental health and substance abuse issues. Shows in Binghamton and Rochester preceded this culminating show. The Lightkeepers headlined this year. Late Earth played all three shows as well as last year’s event. Director, Ashley Forshee decided to expand the event to three cities. Helio Health https://www.helio.health/ has services in Syracuse, Utica, Binghamton, and Rochester. It’s where “hope meets healing.”
One in twelve people will be impacted by a substance abuse disorder sometime in their life. Only 10% of those who need treatment will receive it.
On Wednesday April 3 The Brooklyn Bowl played host to a Benefit for Creative Music Studio. An amazing lineup of musicians including Billy Martin, Oteil Burbridge, Joe Russo, Marshall Allen, Dave Harrington, Cyro Baptista, Jonathan Goldberg and many more paid tribute to an amazing cause with two hours of jamming – blending of many different styles of music in true fashion of the foundation. The culmination of the performance came when founder Karl Berger conducted this amazing group of musicians, just as he’s done since he began this foundation.
Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso and Ornette Coleman founded the Creative Music Studio in 1971. Their Goal was to establish a nonprofit organization focused on improvisation and musical cross-pollination that complemented musician’s academic studies. It’s a place where music as a universal language can be explored and expanded. The organizations main program was a place where over 500 hundred performances were recorded. Hundreds of guiding artists lived, played, and shared musical wisdom with thousands of participants many who went on to become well know musicians.
Remain in Light, the Talking Heads’ fourth studio album, peaked at number 19 on the U.S. Billboard 200 in 1980. Even more impressively, Rolling Stone named it the fourth best album of the decade in 1989. On April 11, Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo will perform her interpretation of the iconic album at Kingston’s Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC).
Angélique Kidjo, (Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo) is a native of the West African nation Benin. No stranger to creating astounding albums, Kidjo won three Grammys for her contemporary world music and was nominated on multiple other occasions. Kidjo premiered Remain in Light at Carnegie Hall in 2017 and she claims that West African influence on the original Talking Heads’ album made her interpretation an organic fit. While Kidjo’s musical interpretation will be a unique twist, the Talking Heads’ lyrics are sure to be familiar to all.
Collaborators for this Angelique Kidjo project include producer Jeff Bhasker, who has worked with The Rolling Stones and Beyonce among others, Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend and songwriter Dev Hynes, also known as Blood Orange. Bhasker states the lofty goal of the collaboration was “to rip out [Remain in Lights’] guts and turn it on its head.” He explains that he and Kidjo hope the project brings the worlds of rock and African music closer together. The event takes place on Thursday, April 11 at 7:30. UPAC, located on Kingston’s historic Broadway, hosts the event. Tickets can be purchased here.
Music transcends all. The staff (more like family) at Modern Day Music School, snugly located in an unassuming plaza on Route 9, understand this. All family members use this knowledge to make a difference in the lives of those they touch. The school, known for its powerhouse students Moriah Formica and Madison VanDenburg, has more behind the door, and in its heart, than the voices it trains and musicians it tunes.
“I once had a student who had a friend pass away and for whatever reason, she couldn’t go to the wake,” said vocal coach and musical instructor, Laura Beth Johnson. “The student came in here and said, ‘I want to write a song about this.’ So, we put pen to paper and she was able to write through the grief and use her music as a way to channel that grief into something positive and productive.
“I was so grateful and honored to be a part of that process and help her find her voice,” said Johnson.
Johnson (one of fourJohnson family members who work at the studio) was amazed at how her student has grown since that day.
“She’s writing all the time,” said Johnson. “It has given her the confidence she needs and she has blossomed since that day into even more of an artist.”
This is just one example of the way that Modern Day Music School is able to be there for its students. In music, you’re vulnerable. You’re open. You’re bearing your soul. For some, it’s incredibly intimidating at first. For others, it’s a relief right away. For all, the studio is a sanctuary; a place where they can be free, vulnerable and most importantly, themselves.
“The students develop these incredible bonds with their coaches and teachers that makes them want to work even harder,” owner Paul Benedetti said. “They come in for this 30-minute session. Sometimes, they only sing for about five minutes of that. They’re working through something tough in their personal life and they feel safe enough to come in here and talk to us. We want them to feel safe.”
These bonds were evident as our staff visited the studio on a rainy Friday afternoon. As pictures were being taken, Formica and VanDenburg were belting into a mic. Their vocal coach, Lesley O’Donnell, was standing outside the sound-proof booth. The doors were open, the vibe was good. As the girls tried to find their pitch, O’Donnell was offering encouraging words even though the girls were just goofing around.
“There it is!,” O’Donnell exclaimed as the teen stars belted out an impressive harmony. “There we go! Awesome!” A smile spread across her face. “It’s amazing,” she said.
Benedetti started Modern Day Music School in 2011 with a partner, who he bought out in 2013. The need for the school was a response to his own son’s musical talent. When his oldest son was a teenager, he was playing drums and decided he wanted to start a band. The problem was, there was nowhere in the area that made it easy to coordinate young musicians who wanted to get together with peers. Benedetti said it was a “nightmare” because there was always curve balls thrown; some kids really wanted to play, while others weren’t ready for the commitment it held. On top of that, where the bands would eventually play weren’t kid-friendly. The teens would play at house parties, where Benedetti didn’t feel was a good place for these young musicians.
“I come from the studio business and I’ve been playing, teaching and singing forever,” he said. “My partner and I had a thought during this time period; wouldn’t it be awesome to create a space where these kids could find like-minded students, and even better, have a safe space to play?”
The school opened with its well-known band program. Essentially, students signed up and are paired into a band with three to four other students with the same essential goal. Benedetti said these kids usually don’t know one another at first, and even more, they don’t always want to play the same thing or even like the same music.
“It’s not only a music session, it’s team-building,” he said. “These kids learn that you sometimes have to work with people you wouldn’t pick at first for whatever reason. That’s something you’ll run into regardless of where you end up in life.”
It sometimes takes a bit for the band to adapt. The band program is offered in three-month sessions. Despite the initial uncertainty, the kids not only learn to work well together, but they become friends and will often ask to play together again at the beginning of the new session.
“They’ll want to do more, work harder and see where they could potentially go as a cohesive unit,” said Benedetti. “If we feel it works as a whole, we will happily try to accommodate those requests.”
The band program eventually was joined by music lessons when Benedetti realized how needed it was. Now, the studio employs at least a dozen coaches with all different abilities and talents. While those like Formica and VanDenburg are jumping into the mainstream, 7-year-old Ella Dane Morgan is a student with a different passion — performing on stage. At 5 years old, she was starring with pop sensation Sara Bareilles in the singer’s smash hit “Waitress.”
“I have reverse stage fright,” Morgan explained. “I don’t really like performing in front of friends and family, but I love performing on stage.”
Morgan’s mother Laura agreed, explaining she’s had to physically carry a crying Morgan as she pleaded to get back on stage, long after the curtains closed.
“We were bitten by the Broadway bug at a young age,”said Laura Morgan. “Once she got the taste for it, she wanted in. We sometimes commute between here and the city three to four days a week for whatever she has going on.”
The young Broadway star has learned so much from her three years of instruction. Laura Morgan said they picked Modern Day Music School because of the school’s command of music — they know what they’re doing. There are not a lot of roles for children on Broadway, but the Morgans have made it work and the young star has been consistently in her element, doing what she loves most.
“I’ve learned to belt by opening up my mouth like a cave,” Ella said. “I pretend I’m stuffing all of these marshmallows in my mouth. It’s helped.”
Another belter, 11-year-old Ashlynn Boyce, has been working on the same techniques. The two-time winner of Clifton Park American Idol has always known she could sing, surprising even her parents.
“I was shocked when I first heard her,” Boyce’s father, Jesse, said. “None of our family has this skill and she can command it so well.”
Boyce has been attending Modern Day Music School for two years. Having just relocated from Pittstown, Boyce and her dad were passing through one day and she saw the sign for the school.
“I just knew I wanted to go here,” she said. As shy as she is, she knows what she wants. “I had a feeling about it.”
Jesse Boyce put all his trust in Benedetti. Soon Boyce, who was sent home early from Clifton Park American Idol the first year she tried out, was in command of her talent like never before.
“She can be so successful at this,” he said. “You just want the best for your kid. No place is perfect, but this is pretty close.”
Boyce said her warmups have completely changed her. They help her get ready for the big notes she loves to hit, ones she hopes to sing with Demi Lovato someday. Two years later, she still wants to go here. It’s become as much of a sanctuary for her as anyone.
Students like Boyce are how the teachers summarized what they feel the school does for students. The initial intimidation of coming in and bearing a part of your soul that many are self-conscious about — even those who know they have talent — is overridden when they step into that studio and feel validation about something they’ve worked on for so long.
“It’s music. That’s what we know,” said O’Donnell. “It makes sense for us to teach it. We are simply the vehicles for these kids to hone in on the thing they love so much.”
Tony Garza, the jack of all trades of the school, agrees. Garza teaches guitar, bass and ukelele. He is the head of the school’s Little Rockers program and is the rock school director. For him, it comes down to helping the students learn important life lessons, like they have to be ok with not being perfect.
“I always tell my students they are good, they are special and they are worthy,” Garza explained. “I want to help them find their voice.”
Katie Johnson, another vocal coach and the song writing teacher, agreed. “Music has changed the lives of these kids, and they’ve changed all of us,” she said. “They come in not believing in themselves and they find who they are through the music.”
The teachers are assisted by the helpful Benedetti and Cailin Burke, the studio manager. Burke explained students are not just randomly assigned — rather, the studio takes the talents of each individual into consideration and pairs them with the coach that can address those specific needs.
“No curriculum here,” was echoed by every single employee of the studio. Benedetti added, “We use music that the students want to learn about to construct our lessons. If they love Taylor Swift, we will visit her music and learn notes, harmonies and how the song is constructed. We want to make learning fun for these students. Curriculum is great, but we want to take an individualized approach to each student. This is not one size fits all.”
Eighteen-year-old Formica, 17-year-old VanDenburg and 15-year-old Cassie Cenzano are on their way to superstardom. All three said they owe so much to their coaches; while it’s taught them how to sing, it’s also taught them how not to.
“I hate it when people come up to me and tell me how they’ve never taken lessons,” said Formica. “We take pride in our lessons because they’ve taught us how to maintain our voices. Not taking lessons is great, but when you accidentally blow out your voice because you didn’t maintain it, that’s definitely not fun.”
Formica and Cenzano landed at Modern Day Music School around the same time, right after the school opened. Formica is a rock powerhouse, effortlessly having both the voice and stage presence to make audiences question why rock went away. Cenzano is influenced by the sultry vocals of Adele and Stevie Nicks, a stark contrast to Formica. VanDenburg finds her influence in singers like Celine Dion and once said she prides herself in the ability to sing ballads “decently well.” As her recent appearance on “American Idol” has shown, she was maintaining the level-headed kindness and humility all three girls embody.
“Moriah was actually the one who encouraged me to come here,” said VanDenburg. “I think that’s what sets this place apart from everywhere else. It’s welcoming, it’s chill and our coaches genuinely want to get involved in our lives and provide the support we need outside of this.”
Cenzano agreed. Her low, soothing voice articulates her gratefulness to the studio for its ability to reach out to her. She’s in the studio too, working as hard as her peers.
“The key to these lessons is listening and taking it all in,” she said. “We all practice a lot. We’re open to what we’re being told. We want to learn.
“Being a musician is always in you,” Formica concluded. “True artists, like the three of us and those who are here with us, love music in all of its forms, and we love that we can make our own music.”
Benedetti chalks up his impressive staff and students to the “vibe” he puts out. While they frequently get applications for new employees, Benedetti said it’s so much more than having the ability to sing or play.
“If you can come in here and you have the talent, great,” he said. “But the vibe is so important. We want to create a modern, safe, welcoming space. We want to give our students an experience, not just a lesson.”
Modern Day Music School is actually looking to expand its team, with Benedetti promising new staff members will have the qualifications, vibe and personality its customers have come to know and love.
“When we are told by parents that their child is excited about that 30-minute lesson, I know we are doing something right,” he said. “It’s 30 minutes, once a week. Yet, the students long for the time here. They have siblings come and hang out while they practice, and we provide a space for them to grow too with whatever they need.
“I know we are doing something right when we see these kids so happy,” he concluded. “We want things to make sense for each individual student, and we think we’re achieving that.”
This article was originally published by The Spot 518, is property of Spotlight Newspapers in Albany, N.Y., and appears as a special to NYSMusic. TheSpot518 and NYSMusic work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene in the Capital District and New York state, respectively. For more, visit TheSpot518.com
Experience Hendrix is a collection of famous guitarists covering some of Jimi Hendrix’s most well-known tunes. From classics like “Foxy Lady” and “Purple Haze” to Hendrix influenced versions of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” and Howling Wolf’s “Killing Floor”.
Featuring Billy Cox (from Jimi Hendrix Experience / Band Of Gypsys), Joe Satriani, Dave Mustaine (from Megadeth), Jonny Lang, Dweezil Zappa, Eric Johnson, Doug “dUg” Pinnick (from King’s X), Chris Layton (from Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble), Mato Nanji (from Indigenous), Kenny Aronoff, The Slide Brothers, Henri Brown, Kevin McCormick, and Taj Mahal.
Setlist with Artists
Set 1: Freedom – Billy Cox, Dweezil Zappa, Chris Layton Foxy Lady – Billy Cox, Chuck Campbell, Mato , Chris Layton Power of Soul – Eric Johnson, Kevin Mccormick , Chris Layton Love or Confusion – Eric Johnson, Dweezil Zappa, Chris Layton Bold As Love – Eric Johnson, Dweezil Zappa, Chris Layton Are You Experienced? – Eric Johnson, Chris Layton The Sky Is Crying – Mayo Nanji, Chuck Campbell, Calvin Cook, Chris Layton All Along the Watchtower – Jonny Lang, Eric Johnson, Chris Layton The Wind Cries Mary – Jonny Lang, Eric Johnson, Chris Layton Spanish Castle Magic – Jonny Lang, Mato Nanji , Chris Layton Fire – Jonny Lang, Dave Mustaine, Chris Layton Purple Haze – Jonny Lang, Dave Mustaine , Chris Layton Stone Free – Billy Cox, Dave Mustaine, Mato Nanji , Chris Layton Set 2: Killing Floor – Taj Mahal, Mato Nanji, Chuck Campbell, Slide Brothers, Chris Layton Catfish Blues – Taj Mahal, Mato Nanji, Chuck Campbell, Slide Brothers, Chris Layton Hey Joe – Billy Cox, Taj Mahal, Mato Nanji, Slide Brothers, Chris Layton Red House – Billy Cox, Calvin Cook, Mato Nanji, Slide Brothers, Chris Layton You Got Me Floating – Billy Cox, Jonny Lang, Mato Nanji, Slide Brothers, Chris Layton Crosstown Traffic – Joe Satriani, Doug Pinnick, Kenny Aronoff Voodoo Child – Joe Satriani, Doug Pinnick, Kenny Aronoff If 6 Was 9 – Joe Satriani, Doug Pinnick, Kenny Aronoff 3rd Stone From the Sun – Joe Satriani, Doug Pinnick, Kenny Aronoff Voodoo Child – Joe Satriani, Doug Pinnick, Kenny Aronoff
It was Funk Night at the Rustic Barn Pub. Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan, featuring Albany’s Justin Henricks, brought out the funk, as they welcomed spring in their return to the venue.
The Northampton, Massachusetts-based band features: vocalist Beau Sasser double-timing on Hammond Organ, guitarist Dan Thomas, drummer Jimmy “The Italian Stallion” Robitaille, vocalist Ali McGuirk and Justin Henricks on guitar and vocals. Together, this border-crossed band got fans to dance and enjoy an evening of funk, blues and soul, on a snow-covered spring night.
“We’re keeping Aretha Franklin in our hearts,” called out McGuirk after covering her own unique spin on Bad Company’s “Rock Steady.” McGuirk and company throughout their two sets, paid homage to the late soul singer in their beautiful renditions of “Baby I Love You,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” and “Save Me!!” Franklin’s music, especially in the genres of funk, blues, and soul, had made an impact on Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan. Through Sasser’s tasty piano solos and McGuirk’s sassy vocals, they were able to breathe new life into these iconic songs.
Being in their lineup for six months, the group decided to stick with playing cover songs for the show. Hearing the musical tightness of each cover being performed, you wouldn’t realize that they’ve been an ensemble for such a short period of time. Their sets were tight and entertaining and each song performed was covered with its own musical twist, that was unique and captivating to their audience.
From their up-tempo disco version of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed Sealed Delivered,” to playing a Frank Zappa tune that was inspired by both “Sticky Feet” and Sasser’s “Feeling Alright” (Joe Cocker) piano rhythm and a shortened, jazzy Allman Brothers Band “Whipping Post,” it was interesting to watch and hear these iconic tunes being covered well. Their cover of James’ Brown’s “Cold Sweat,” allowed you to observe the band’s chemistry, topped with outstanding soloing among Sasser, Thomas, Henricks and Robitaille, who played the drums with assistance of a tambourine to make additional noise in the jam-based song.
McGuirk returned to the stage for their final set to sing, “Can’t Hide Love,” “Taxman” (The Beatles), “Love the One You’re With” (Crosby, Sills, and Nash), “Save Me” (Aretha Franklin) which included Thomas using his lighter as a slide to perform his solo since leaving his slide upstairs, among other 60s-70s inspired songs that were enticing! McGuirk, apart from her work in Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan, will be performing in Woodstock on April 11, although little details are known about the time and venue of where her solo gig will take place. She announced her upcoming show towards the later part of the gig after performing a great rendition of “Taxman.”
Their musicality and the talent that each member expressed through guitar riffs, piano soloing and vocals left you impressed. The audience and venue were moved by their music. They wanted to hear two encore songs that the band had never performed live. One of which was “Uncle Remus” (Frank Zappa) sung by Sesser and another featuring McGuirk on lead vocals, to close out the evening.
Spring fever sprung at the Rustic Barn Pub as Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan came into town shaking those winter blues away, and to welcome spring with some good funk, blues and soul.
This article was originally published by The Spot 518.
It was 10 years ago this month that Saratoga Winners, one of the Capital District’s favorite live music venues, burned down in an early morning fire. This Saturday, a reunion is to be held to remember it and the people who made it special at Chrome Food and Spirits.
From the outside, Saratoga Winners wasn’t much to look at. It was a two-story roadhouse nestled between the Mohawk River and the Town of Colonie Landfill. There was no pretense surrounding the place, other than having Saratoga in its name, which was technically across the river. Nonetheless, in the years before it closed its doors in 2006, it hosted an A-list of musical acts that rivaled the more polished and refined Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
And, that’s where the comparisons end.
“I went to a ‘hardcore’ show there at the very end when they weren’t even selling alcohol anymore,” said Ali Hibbs, former Spotlight News and Metroland reporter. “The lead singer in the last band broke his ACL on stage and no one even knew he was hurt for a moment because he was already screaming!” Someone then realized the situation; the singer’s mother. Hibbs said she stopped the show and called for an ambulance, “but the kid refused to let them take him until he finished his set.”
From the inside, Winners was structured like a barn. Vaulted ceiling, and an exposed wooden frame, including pillars and support beams, reminded one radio personality of a “wagon wheel.” With an open floor layout, patrons had a good view of the band regardless of where they stood.
David Byrne, the Ramones, Melissa Etheridge, Ben Folds, the Black Crowes, Wilco and Paul Westerberg were just a few of the names of established stars and up-and-coming artists who drew crowds through the doors.
“It changed personality considerably act to act,” said Ivan Rodat, a former reporter for Metroland. A stereotypical rock venue that wasn’t pigeon-holed into an exclusive genre. He recalled seeing R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe in attendance once as Fugazi performed on stage. “Great, weird place.”
Towards the end of its lifespan, Winners became a home for punk and heavy metal music.
Jason Keller was an on-air personality for 103.5/103.9 FM The Edge. He’d take over the Albany airwaves to play classic rock and alternative music once Howard Stern was done with his syndicated broadcasts. He recalled hosting several shows at Saratoga Winners on behalf of that radio station.
The on-air host remembered Winners looking like a wooden “wagon wheel.” Despite that observation, it didn’t stop bands from using pyrotechnics onstage. Keller remembered feeling the heat of a “jet engine” ignited from the stage, as he stood across the room next to the soundboard.
“This can’t be safe,” he said, with an uneasy chuckle. Regardless, no one was hurt.
Keller is now Commercial Production and Station Imaging Director at 102.7 WEQX. You can still hear him on the air, too.
Fire
In the early morning of April 30, 2009, firefighters responded to a call at Saratoga Winners. By the time they arrived, it was engulfed in flames. The original call came in shortly after 3 a.m. The Cresent Bridge was closed for about seven hours as eight fire departments battled the blaze.
At the time of the fire, Saratoga Winners had been closed for three years. Ownership had changed hands and a new owner reportedly showed interest in returning the venue to its former glory. Authorities later determined that the fire was caused by arson. Just over a month later, the owner was indicted for arson, insurance fraud and reckless endangerment.
Reunion
Holly Stah’s memories of Saratoga Winners are more vivid than others. She worked there for eight years. First in the office, then behind the bar. It holds a special place in her heart. It’s where she met her husband, Scott.
“You could see the bands. You could dance if you wanted to,” said Stah. “All of our friends were there.”
A big music fan, Stah has collected pictures of herself standing next to Alice Cooper and Billy Sheehan, among others. She likes hard rock enough to recognize characteristics from just the band name, alone. For example, rock bands with an acronym as a name play especially loud. That was proven one night while such a band performed a sound check. Stah was standing near the stage. As the bass player started, she heard a sound from across the room.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EscxBucHIwQ
“Glasses were falling off my trays and shattering on the floor,” she said. “I couldn’t get down to the bar fast enough to stop them from falling off and shattering on the floor.
She later shared her observation of bands with acronyms to the owner. One day, the owner thanked her for the advice by sharing a decision he made. He turned down a request to have “D.I.O.” perform.
It wasn’t an acronym. The owner was referring to Ronnie James Dio and the band he formed after leaving Black Sabbath in 1982, producing rock anthems like “Holy Diver” and “Rainbow in the Dark.”
Stah was not happy.
“I thought I was going to cry,” she said, with a laugh.
Stah has spent the past year organizing a reunion for people to remember Saratoga Winners and the music that once played there. Saratoga Winners Reunion #3: The Final Chapter will feature music from Untaymed, Divine Right, Maxx Thrust, Bone Box and Enertia at Chrome Food and Spirits on Saturday, April 6, at 4 p.m.
The lineup includes bands that had played Saratoga Winners, Stah said. It will capture the spirit of the old place. Something she said she is looking forward to.
“I’m going to see people I haven’t seen in a very long time.”
This article was originally published by The Spot 518, is property of Spotlight Newspapers in Albany, N.Y., and appears as a special to NYSMusic. TheSpot518 and NYSMusic work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene in the Capital District and New York state, respectively. For more, visit TheSpot518.com
A beautiful thin layer of fresh snow covered the quaint and “Rockwellian” village of Homer, NY on an early Spring evening. That did not keep anyone away from the sold out Los Lobos show at the Center for The Arts of Homer on Sunday.
Many traveled from Syracuse, Ithaca, Cortland and many other villages and towns throughout Central New York to enjoy this remarkable venue. The night began with an acoustic trio; members of the band sang traditional Mexican folk songs. Their energy could barely be contained and their joy was palpable throughout the entire room. As the set progressed saxophone, keys and finally drums were added. After another traditional number dedicated to “our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico,” the band sizzled up through the set break, closing with the first and only English language song of set one. The sound was swelling through the renovated church and many in the audience took to the aisles to dance.
After a brief intermission, Los Lobos continued to rock the stage, covering tunes from their catalog that spans 46 years. The instrumentation was driven by the percussion and very strong back line which allowed for other members to take turns on smoking hot guitar leads, swinging accordion melodies, runs on the keys and saxophone solos that often times reminded the audience of the driving rock of the band Morphine. One could almost taste the history and blend of blues, rock, Mexican rhythms and feel the looseness and ease in how the band crafted each song together.
It was a masterclass, played in an incredible room. It is such a rarity in this day and age to find an audience in the moment. Center for The Arts of Homer can thank their fans for creating a listening room experience, so important for the enjoyment of the fans and players alike. The great volunteer staff made everyone feel at home and the venue experience as a whole was warm and welcoming. No matter if you were on the ground floor or balcony, there is truly not a bad seat. The sound was mixed very well and captured the richness and quality of the band that can best be described as a heartwarming experience.
Los Lobos played an excellent show and after playing mostly originals and traditionals, they ripped through the final few songs, getting the audience on their feet, clapping and stomping along. “Bertha” was followed by “I Got Loaded” and the standing ovation lasted for the entire 5 minutes until the boys came back out for the encore and closed the show with a stellar cover of “Cinnamon Girl.”
The people at Center For The Arts of Homer have struck music gold. Their upcoming program continues to showcase many great regional and national artists. This is a “must visit” venue with an intimate feel and an audience that appreciates the performers’ integrity. After the show multi-instrumentalist Louie Perez had this to say, “Having this much fun should be illegal! There is certainly something special about this place and these people and you could see that tonight!”
Following Phish’s cow-funk laden 1997 Fall Tour, Phish embarked on a 4-night ‘Island Tour‘ with two shows each on Long Island and in Providence, Rhode Island. The result was four historic shows that continued the free flowing jams from 1997 and a new era of exploratory Phish. Unexpected jams arose from “Roses are Free,” “Cavern” and “Weekapaug Groove,” and debuts of “Shafty,” “Twist” and “Birds of a Feather” were peppered throughout the run.
As mentioned by Trey after the debut of “Birds of a Feather,” Phish was about to record Story of the Ghost shortly after the tour, before heading to Europe to test out even more new tunes before heading back for Summer Tour. Watch videos from the two Nassau Coliseum shows and relive the glory of Island Tour as it turns 21.
Colorado-based, three-piece stringband Head For The Hills released their newest studio work this past Friday, an EP: the politically minded and emotionally vibrant, four-song collection called Say Your Mind. Featuring a heady mix of special guest artists, like Pimps of Joytime’s Kim Dawson, Elephant Revival’s Darren Garvey and others, the record is some of the band’s most creatively satisfying work yet.
Born out of the Colorado music scene, Head For The Hills have been pushing boundaries in the studio and on stage for over fifteen years now, and that decade and a half has earned them regular performances at mega festivals like Telluride, SXSW, and High Sierra, along with recognitions from the likes of NPR and others.
Ahead of an East Coast tour this week that, starting in Virginia, will hit NYC, Burlington, Connecticut, Lima, NY and Mt Holly, NJ, the band’s bassist Matt Loewen talked with NYS Music about the new EP Say Your Mind, the title track’s new music video, and more.
Miles Hurley: So, your new release. How did you guys go about deciding to make an EP of four new songs rather than a full album or something else?
Matt Loewen: So, we’ve been in a little bit of a transitional period, in terms of being a band that had a mandolin player in it, to being a band that plays with percussion in it. We’ve been an acoustic four-piece band for a long time, so we’ve been in the process of evolving a little bit, I guess. And we went into the studio and recorded those four songs, and I really thought it was a strong statement. But in terms of the EP thing…the way the music industry goes, to make it work you kind of have to put stuff out all the time. And I think we’ve shifted from everybody just put out a record, and then twelve to eighteen months later you put out another record, and then twelve to eighteen months later you put out another record. But that’s just not the way it goes anymore. I mean, I love albums, I have thousands of records, I love the long play album format.
But I also think it’s cool how things have opened up, and how you have the full myriad of ways of going about releasing music, whether its a record, or an EP, or just a single, or just a video, etcetera. So we’re starting to look at doing all of that different stuff, and we’ve got some other interesting things later this year that are, again, not in the full album format, but just making music and getting it out there.
MH: That’s cool. So then, would you say the band is in a writing period? Or do you have material that you’re currently sitting on?
ML: I wouldn’t say we’re sitting on things, but writing, it’s just always happening. We all write a little bit, but there’s two primary writers, Adam and Joe, and they are always writing. So we’ve got some songs that we haven’t recorded. But we don’t do the thing where you hole up for a month and write a bunch of songs. We’re always writing and coming up with stuff.
MH: I’ve heard a similar sentiment from other artists I’ve spoken with recently, that it’s more common to be touring and working, and living life and all that, and songwriting is worked into the lifestyle.
ML: Yeah. Which is cool and not cool, sometimes. But overall I think its cool.
MH: So, for Head For The Hills, bringing guests into the studio process is not something new. But can you tell me about some of the artists you invited this time around? I see Kim Dawson, Todd Livingston, even a horn section. Are these old or new friends to the band?
ML: Everybody that’s on the EP are people that we’ve known for awhile. The drummer, Darren, was with Elephant Revival, their percussion guy, although they aren’t playing right now. That’s how we know him. The rest of the people we’ve known for awhile, and it was fun to have that kind of family atmosphere. Sometimes you do bring in people that you’ve never met before, and the first time you meet them is when you’re trying to be creative, which can in and of itself be really awesome. But yeah, this time it was bunch of friends, and we got them in there and it was cool. We’d been bringing in some of those people into the live show, locally, because they’re all our Colorado friends. We’ve had the horn section up at some concerts, we’ve had Kim come and sing…so there was a familiarity thing, and it was really rewarding.
MH: That’s always an interesting thing, hearing what artists create in the studio and then they sometimes have to choose what of that makes its way into the live show. For the EP, did you have to make decisions about trying to recreate some of it’s different sounds live, or maybe just playing them in a stripped down way?
ML: Well, that’s all part of the process, exactly what you’re talking about. Because inevitably, in the recording we do, there’s typically going to be overdubs. There’s always little things that you add, like Joe will double the violin part, and no matter what you just can’t be two people at once, right? (laughs) So we can’t do that live, and we have to figure out how to approach that. And, with this new stuff, these four new songs, we play pretty much everything. Like “Can’t Stay This Way For Long,” which has a pretty significant horn section on the album, we still play that live. What’s cool about it is, Joe and Todd Livingston, who is playing dobro on the road with us, they’ve learned those horn parts, right? So they’ll come in and replicate some of those parts. And, inevitably, the songs become their own thing live, because that’s just kind of what happens, which is cool. But that’s how I’d say we’ve kind of approached that, on this new stuff. Picking some of those new pieces up, and playing them in the tunes. It’s been fun.
MH: “Say Your Mind,” the title track, has a great music video along with it, which you directed. Can you tell me a bit about what’s going on in this video?
ML: The guy that plays the main character is Boots, the one with all the jewelry and that drives the car. He’s been a friend of the band for a long time, and he’s a local. He lives up in the canyon, outside of town. I just think he’s so f***ing interesting. You know, he was born in Queens, had famous parents, moved to the Bay and knew The Grateful Dead and Bill Graham, he was a technical guy that went on tour, was an animal person that was on the Jack Parr show. He’s just a fascinating dude. And I always wanted to make a music video with him, and the original concept was that he was going to be driving around town in this convertible. That was an idea in my head for a really long time.
Then it came time to do a video for this “Say Your Mind” song, and I started kicking that idea around again, with Boots, and it evolved into this story about a father and his relationship with his kid. There’s some heartache there, and so the story is about reconciliation, about coming together, and love and family can really bring things together. So that’s the story of the video, which to me is a parallel narrative to the song, because the song is really a message from a father to their child. Adam wrote it, he was inspired by this experience to write a song as a sort of letter to your child, and about doing your thing and being happy, living life to the fullest.
When I think about music videos, I’m most interested in parallel narratives if it’s going to be a narrative-based thing. So instead of something that’s directly following the words of the song, I’m into doing something that’s similar but not exactly the same thing, and telling a related story that can maybe highlight some elements of the lyrics but not be directly tied to it. So that’s what we did with “Say Your Mind.” The party at the end of the video is shot at Joe’s house, with a bunch of our friends and family, it’s Adam’s family that’s in the video, like his daughters.
MH: You’ve done a bunch of videos for your band in the past as well. Has video production been in your background for a long time?
ML: You know, I actually started doing it for the band. And yeah, I’ve been doing it for a little while at this point. My background with it is really all centered around making content for us. I’ve expanded and worked with other people. I’ll eventually be doing a video for another group, when we get back from tour. But yeah it began, well, years ago, before video became as ubiquitous and necessary as it is now. But I rented a camera when we recorded our self-titled record in the studio. And I thought, we should video this, why not? Let’s just rent a camera. So we took a bunch of video footage and then I was like, “Well shit, I guess I’ve gotta edit this, or do something with it.” (Laughs) So I got my software and did up the whole thing. That was pretty much the beginning of it, for me, and I’ve had a bit of a network from it, other bands and creative people that need stuff. It’s allowed me to grow and do different stuff, and I’m always looking for more work.
MH: The last track on the EP, “I Am The Problem.” Honestly, I don’t think I’ve heard anything quite like that, the mix of hip-hop and Americana songwriting.
ML: Good! Well thanks, I’ll take that as a compliment, whether you mean it that way or not (laughs).
MH: Definitely a compliment!
ML: Sweet! Yeah, that’s definitely a product of Joe’s personal background as a writer and as a musician. Separately, he has had different hip-hop groups, one in particular called Whiskey Blanket that still makes records. He’s done that for as long as he’s been with our band. I think, over time, those things get closer to each other, more and more hip-hop worked into his writing for Head For The Hills. Another example is from a few records ago, a song called “Never Does.” It’s very rapid-fire, and if you were to look at the words on a page and the way that the rhymes actually make out, and the way the end line rhymes, all that stuff, it’s pretty similar to the way someone would concept a hip-hop verse. So, flash forward to now, on “I Am The Problem.” The concept for the song was alway that there would be this part in the middle where he raps, essentially. And the decision was made to just go for that. And he goes on and on and on, which is progressive. It’s cool to hear it live, it’s a lot of words, and he just goes for it (laughs). I hope that people are ready for it!
MH: So, you have a little tour coming up soon, which will start on the East Coast and then head back out west. So I’m curious – over the years, as you’ve toured more and more with Head For The Hills, have there been certain scenes or places around the country that you’ve really taken a liking to, or looked forward to returning to?
ML: Yeah, I’d say so! You know, being based in Colorado, it’s a lot easier for us to get to the West Coast and the Midwest, so over the years that’s where we’ve spent a lot of time. Especially the Northwest, love going there, love Portland and Seattle and that whole area, it’s been good to the band. I would say the same for Chicago, it’s been a favorite for the group. But over the past couple of years, we’ve just started to expand a little bit more eastward, and have actually really enjoyed getting out there. And I say that because…my initial answer is always the Pacific Northwest, but part of that is bred in familiarity, like we go there all the time. I haven’t been to Burlington, VT ten times, I’ve only been twice, and I love that area. It’s a big-ass country, and there are just so many different people and places. And I find myself enjoying a lot of them where people are open minded, proudly respecting people for who they are, stuff like that. As long those elements are in place, I’m down. (Laughs) If people are close minded and weird, and there’s a bunch of bigotry going on, that makes it harder to really enjoy a place. I’m also really looking forward to getting back to New York, always such a crazy, vibrant place.
MH: Nice! Well I am personally planning to catch you guys on April 4 when you perform at Rockwood Music Hall. Have you played there before?
ML: We have been there before. The last time we played somewhere else, but the first time we played at Rockwood, and yeah, that’s a cool spot. The first night we played there, the music that was presented before us was a singer-songwriter with a pianist and bassist, and the bassist ended up being Leland Sklar, who’s like one of the most recorded, most famous studio bassists of all time. Which is just random, but that’s the way that place definitely is, and I got to meet him which was f***ing awesome. And then after him was this band from, like, South America. I’m not even sure what you would call it, definitely not a salsa band but like a modern dance, but it was so good. So yeah, such a cool place. I’m a big fan and definitely looking forward to getting back there.
Angélique Kidjo, (Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo) is a native of the West African nation Benin. No stranger to creating astounding albums, Kidjo won three Grammys for her contemporary world music and was nominated on multiple other occasions. Kidjo premiered 
