Category: Western NY

  • Hearing Aide: Mud Head ‘Black Blood, Black Tongue’

    We live in a world of singles and streaming, and it’s amazing to see bands boast over a series of releases they’ve contributed in a year’s time. For Rochester rock duo Mud Head, the work doesn’t stop after album one. Formalizing their group in January of this year, this industrial alternative outfit has delivered a self-titled album, exclusive single and follow-up EP, all by the end of September, growing their following with every release, rocking 2019 for sure. The group’s latest EP Black Blood, Black Tongue is by no means a wrench in this roaring machine.

    This EP is loaded with ruminating lyrical confessions to echo over wet drum slaps and rattling chimes, rising and falling in a progressive rock nebulous. The opening track “Sunshine Boy” has a Floyd-like overture, mimicking clocks with cymbal strikes as a brooding energy builds to the opening down beat.

    Considering their lack of bandmates, this duo makes a loud bang when they emphasize their most vulnerable moments. The lyrics are relatable and expressive, without pushing towards a particular source. They know the capacities of studio recording and how to alter them, suiting the EP in an industrial armor.

    Stripped clean is the final track of the EP “Hiding Beneath Ladders,” where we see the softest side of Mud Head. The meter is deceptively mixed, and the somber chord progressions lead us into an uneasy waltz. Bands with this versatility only come around once in a while, and performing their discography live would not only bring their music to new heights, but welcome them to develop their image, message and in due time, a massive following.

    Key Tracks: Sunshine Boy, Hiding Beneath Ladders.

  • Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band announces Blues Revolution Tour featuring special guests

    The Big Damn Blues Revolution Tour will bring together three artists who are both master musicians and amazing showmen. With five stops across New York in November, The Reverend Peyton, Dom Flemons and J.D. Wilkes will take the blues-roots-folk music that they love and live on a unique tour. Each night will culminate with a special jam session featuring all three artists. 

    Blues Revolution Tour

    The tour begins November 6 in Asheville, N.C., then heads north for a date in Brooklyn at Knitting Factory on November 13. From there, shows in Saratoga Springs (Nov 16), Syracuse (Nov. 19), Buffalo (Nov. 20) and Corning (Nov. 21) will bring blues-driven folk across the Empire State.

    The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, a 2019 Blues Music Award nominee, includes the Reverend’s wife, “Washboard” Breezy Peyton, drummer Max Senteney and is led by the Reverend Peyton, considered to be the premier fingerpickers playing today. A singularly compelling performer and persuasive evangelist, the rootsy, country-blues styles that captured his imagination early in life led him to Clarksdale, Mississippi to study under such blues masters as T-Model Ford, Robert Belfour, and David “Honeyboy” Edwards. The recently released album Poor Until Payday debuted at #1 on the iTunes Blues Chart and #4 on the Billboard Blues Chart.

    Joining Reverend Peyton is Don Flemons, who draws from a repertoire of more than 100 years of American folklore, ballads, and tunes. A Grammy Award winner and two-time Emmy nominee, Dom Flemons is known as “The American Songster” and is a music scholar, historian, and multi-instrumentalist – an expert player on the banjo, fife, guitar, harmonica, jug, percussion, quills, and rhythm bones. His 2018 Smithsonian Folkways release Dom Flemons Presents Black Cowboys received a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album. Flemons co-founded the Carolina Chocolate Drops, who won a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album in 2010 and were nominated for Best Folk Album in 2012.

    J.D. Wilkes is a true Renaissance man — musician, visual artist, author, filmmaker, and self-proclaimed “Southern surrealist.”  Also an accomplished multi-instrumentalist (notably on harmonica and banjo), Wilkes has recorded with Merle Haggard, John Carter Cash, Mike Patton, and Hank Williams III. Wilkes is perhaps best known as the founder of the Legendary Shack Shakers, a Southern Gothic rock and blues band whose fans include Stephen King, Robert Plant, and former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra. Rolling Stone named Wilkes “best frontman” at the 2015 Americana Music Association Festival for his performance with the band.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wItG_D3Vuvc

    Big Damn Blues Revolution Tour Dates:

    Wed., Nov. 6  ASHEVILLE, NC  The Grey Eagle

    Thurs., Nov. 7 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. The Ramkat

    Fri., Nov. 8  RALEIGH, NC The Pour House Music Hall

    Sat., Nov. 9   LEESBURG, VA  Third Annual Chad Dukes Veterans Day Jamboree @ Tally Ho Theater; without Dom Flemons

    Sun., Nov. 10  ANNAPOLIS, MD  Rams Head On Stage

    Tues., Nov. 12 BOSTON, MA  City Winery  

    Wed., Nov. 13  BROOKLYN, NY  Knitting Factory

    Thurs., Nov. 14  SELLERSVILLE, PA   Sellersville Theater 1894; without Dom Flemons

    Fri., Nov. 15  TUCKERTON, NJ   Lizzie Rose Music Room; without Dom Flemons

    Sat., Nov. 16  SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY   Cafe Lena; without Dom Flemons

    Sun., Nov. 17  HAMDEN, CT Space Ballroom

    Tues., Nov. 19  SYRACUSE, NY   Westcott Theatre; without Dom Flemons

    Wed., Nov. 20  BUFFALO, NY The Tralf

    Thurs., Nov. 21  CORNING, NY Corning Museum of Glass

    Fri., Nov. 22  MORGANTOWN, WV 123 Pleasant Street

    Sat., Nov. 23  COLUMBUS, OH Woodlands Tavern

    Fri., Nov 29  INDIANAPOLIS, IN  The Vogue; without Dom Flemons

    Sat., Nov 30  NEWPORT, KY  The Southgate House Revival; without Dom Flemons

  • Trey Tour Kicks Off in Geneva

    Trey Anastasio began his solo acoustic tour last night at the historic Smith Opera House in Geneva, NY with an evening of songs encapsulating not only the entire Phish musical catalog, but its various side projects as well. In addition to acoustic takes on songs that span the prolific songwriter’s career, these smaller, intimate shows gives the Phish front man more of an opportunity to engage the audience with stories and anecdotes that makes the evening feel more like a performance in a friend’s living room.

    After a couple of Phish staples, “Back on the Train” and “Sample in a Jar,” Trey couldn’t help but mention the festival that never was, Curveball, which was to be held just down the road in Watkins Glen. He talked about how there were to be two ways into the concert field, one being a “mime” field you’d have to cross. And don’t be surprised if the next festival is called Momball and your mom is invited.

    Trey Anastasio, Smith Opera House, Geneva, NY, October 15, 2019

    Setlist: Back on the Train, Sample in a Jar, Snowflakes in the Sand, About to Run*, Heavy Things, Turtle in the Clouds, Wolfman’s Brother, Mountains in the Mist, Strange Design, Driver, Sleep, Water in the Sky, Brian and Robert, Theme From the Bottom, Shade, We Are Come to Outlive Our Brains, Sand > The Inlaw Josie Wales, Limb by Limb > Chalk Dust Torture > Harry Hood > Chalk Dust Torture > The Wedge > Bathtub Gin

    Encore: Waste, Lifeboy, Ghosts of the Forest*, Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S 

    * – debut acoustic performance

  • JINJER, The Browning and Poison The Prophet Slay Montage Music Hall

    Ukrainian metal band JINJER brought their tour to The Montage Music Hall in Rochester for yet another sold out show. With support from The Browning and Rochester natives Poison The Prophet, this was an excellent night of metal music.

    Opening the show, Poison The Prophet launched into an aggressive, in-your-face, heavy set that you would expect on this kind of bill. While they didn’t have much room to move around the stage due to the other band’s kits, they made up for it with a pure metal performance.

    Poison The Prophet moved quickly through their 6-song set and left the crowd wanting more with loud cheers and applause after every song. Featuring two vocalists, Jason Acevedo and Justin Clay, the duo constantly leaned into the crowd with great interaction and stage presence.

    Being a “local” band on a national tour can seem intimidating and often one can tell which bands are the “local” ones of the night. However, Poison The Prophet fit right in, and performed a fantastic set that was the perfect introduction to the show.

    JINJER

    Next up were The Browning, the four-piece electronic metal band from Kansas City. Wasting no time opening with “Beyond Stone”, The Browning had the crowd going nuts with their unique fusion of rap, EDM, and heavy metal.

    Their 10-song set also went rather quickly as the band flowed through their setlist, with highlights being “Carnage,” “Pure Evil” and “Skybreaker.”

    JINJER

    Guitarist Brian Moore was the most notable part of the band’s stage presence as he spun around relentlessly covered in paint while wearing a hoodie that resembled a cross between a zombie and a clown.

    JINJER

    Closing out their set with “Geist,” the crowd responded with loud cheers and thundering applause. The Browning was a solid support act to be touring with JINJER and certainly gave it their all on stage. Finally, it was time for JINJER. The lights went dark and fog machines slowly began to fill the venue as the crowd screamed in anticipation. The moment Tatiana took to the stage, the band jumped right into the heavy number “Teacher, Teacher.”

    JINJER

    When you think of metal bands with female vocals you probably think of In This Moment, Otep, Butcher Babies, or Arch Enemy. JINJER is very quickly making huge waves in the metal world and, in my opinion, Tatiana has the best voice in metal. The way she can transition from her cleans to the guttural screams is incredible to see live.

    JINJER’s set was just pure raw energy. Playing fan favorites such as “Judgement (& Punishment),” “I Speak Astronomy,” “Perennial” and “Outlander,” the band commanded the audience’s attention and left them almost in a trance.

    Closing out the night with the encore performance of “Pisces,” JINJER showed exactly why they’re selling out many of their tour dates. Expect this band to be performing at much larger venues very soon. Being able to see them at a club-type venue is something all of these fans will certainly remember.

    Be sure to check out any of the remaining dates of this tour:

    Oct. 15 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ Black Circle
    Oct. 16 – Angola, Ind. @ The Eclectic Room
    Oct. 18 – Columbus, Ohio @ Al Rosa Villa
    Oct. 19 – Flint, Mich. @ Machine Shop
    Oct. 20 – Grand Rapids, Mich. @ The Stache @ Interection
    Oct. 22 – Chicago, Ill. @ Bottom Lounge
    Oct. 23 – Belvedere, Ill. @ Apollo Theater
    Oct. 24 – Waterloo, Iowa @ Spicoli’s
    Oct. 25 – Iowa City, Iowa @ Wildwood Smokehouse
    Oct. 26 – Racine, Wis. @ Route 20
    Oct. 29 – Calgary, Alberta @ Dickens
    Oct. 30 – Edmonton, Alberta @ Starlite
    Oct. 31 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Rickshaw Theater
    Nov. 01 – Seattle, Wash. @ El Corazon
    Nov. 02 – Portland, Ore. @ Hawthorne Theater

    JINJER

    The Browning

    Poison The Prophet

  • Hearing Aide: The Drunken Hearts ‘Wheels of the City’

    I can imagine it is sometimes difficult to be called an Americana band. I’ve heard a number of music fans hear that description and respond, “You mean they sound like Mumford and Sons, or The Avett Brothers?” That response is not only limiting, it’s unfair. Listening to The Drunken Hearts pending release, Wheels of the City, dispels the notion that they are a one dimensional entity. There is country, with pedal steel and banjo, as well as elements of soul, some of the classic Laurel Canyon sound, touches of rock comparable to Drive-By Truckers, and alt-country stylings reminiscent of Son Volt.

    The Drunken Hearts

    The album, recorded at Denver’s Silo Sound Studios, starts out with “Fire in a House,” slowly building an intro, leading to a verse, a piano melody, and continuing with layers of other instrumentation and backing vocals. The tune eventually deconstructs to some degree toward the end, sonically arriving back where it began. “Alive ‘n Free” reflects the overall upbeat feel of Wheels of the City, as evidenced by the lyrics

    “Sometimes in life, you get to where you want to / Sometimes in love, you fall just where you’re meant to / Sometimes this world shows you how to be free / Alive ‘n free.”

    The addition of strings and a female accompanying vocal on “Passchendaele” lend a sense of sad elegance to a song about one of the most prolonged battles of World War I, and a soldier discovering lost love after returning home from war. “In the Middle” is an uptempo tune that can easily have the listener singing along, tapping their toes and swaying to the music.

    “Two Hearts (On a Limb)” perhaps best fits the “Americana” genre, although The Drunken Hearts display a much broader range than any one single style. That range is displayed on “Wheels of the City.” The title tune begins with a country music feel, and as horns come in midway through the song, it morphs a bit into a soul sound. That subtle transition reflects the chameleon-like qualities of the songs, and the band as a whole. By virtue of the way the songs take advantage of multiple band members’ instrumental skills, this may well be a group that hits its stride in live performances more so than in a recording studio. That’s not to say Wheels of the City is lacking in any way, it’s simply that some bands build their chops over the course of hundreds of live gigs, and the band took a decidedly different approach to this release – writing and recording eleven new songs in eleven days, rather than recording familiar pieces that had been road tested.

    The album closes with “The Cave,” which begins with a spoken word intro and leads into an instrumental section which is markedly different than the rest of the album. As noted, the band’s novel approach to this recording was a rather daring roll of the dice, with unknown possibilities.

    Wheels of the City will be released on multiple platforms as well as the band’s website on Friday, October 18. For more about the band, click here.

    Key Tracks: Alive ‘n Free, Two Hearts (On a Limb), Wheels of the City

    The Drunken Hearts current tour will provide opportunities to see them throughout New York State. All five of those shows are in support of Yonder Mountain String Band. The Saturday, October 19 show will be a homecoming of sorts for bassist and vocalist Jon Macartan, a native of nearby Guilderland, New York, in the capital region. The New York State days are listed below.

    Wednesday, October 16, at Buffalo’s Tralf Music Hall Tickets here.

    Thursday, October 17, at Center for the Arts of Homer Tickets here.

    Saturday, October 19, at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs Tickets here.

    Thursday, November 11 at Brooklyn Bowl Tickets here.

    Sunday, November 17 at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock Tickets here.

  • Guest Contributor Exclusive: Mike Powell and Chris Merkley Explore Abandon Brewing Co. in Penn Yan

    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 mini-tour of microbreweries across the state searching for the connection between songwriting and brewing. This stop brings us to Abandon Brewing Co. in Penn Yan.

    This is the second of a four-part NYS Music series contributed by Powell. The first installment of Powell’s tour diary can be found here.


    “I am my own captain

    On this ship I sail to sea”

    I don’t have a manager. I don’t have a booking agent. I don’t have a publicist. I’m completely independent in every way but I’m certainly not alone. There are thousands of artist just like me that are making lives in music while handling their own booking, designing their own show posters, running their websites, printing their own shirts and funding their own records. There’s a real freedom that lives inside this type of self-reliant approach to making art. It’s certainly a major challenge and it definitely forces you to become a Swiss army knife in many ways. But I love everything about it…well, everything except the booking component.

    I hate booking myself. It’s the absolute worst.  It’s an incredibly time-consuming process that just really frustrates the hell out of me. But worst of all is I just can not stand “selling” myself to venues. It goes against everything that my parents taught me about being humble.  Telling someone that you’re good is just about the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. 

    I have a public confession to make. When I first started booking tours for myself back in 2008 I created a separate Gmail account to send my press kit from because the whole self-promotion thing weirds me out so much. I even used a fake name, Theo. It seemed to work out okay and made me feel a little less guilty about self-promotion until I would be loading in for a show and the talent buyer would ask if Theo was going to be around. 

    “Theo”

    Through my years of traveling and having countless green room conversations with fellow artists, I was happy to find out that I’m certainly not the first or the last to try the old fake name trick. In fact, I’ve laughed with dozens of songwriters about the fake name that they used and some even continue to use. 

    Theo was getting gigs for me but it just didn’t feel right so I made a conscious decision to stop forcing it and just try to focus on playing rooms that feel right and fit my music. It was this simple decision that freed me up to focus more on what I needed to, writing better songs and honing my performance. Soon I realized that the opportunities started to reveal themselves. I started to find fun in the word of mouth search for venues around my region that are true gems. I realized quickly that you can Google search all you want but you won’t organically find the right rooms that way. 

    I began asking questions. I started to talk to music lovers about their favorite places to see live music. I would ask touring songwriters that I opened for where their favorite places to play were. This approach has worked out for me and taken the pressure off of the awkward cold email approach. 

    Three years ago I started to notice a tall shadowy figure in a trench coat, cowboy boots and a ponytail was attending many of my shows. I like to personally thank everyone that comes out to see me play with a handshake. So after about the third time I saw this man at one of my shows I decided I needed to go introduce myself to him. His name is Patrick O’Malley and from that day forth we have maintained a wonderful relationship. He’s just a great dude that loves music, has experience booking acts at various venues around the state and has a great understanding of how to create a cool experience for the artist and the audience. 

    Three months ago I got a text from Patrick and he said, “You’ve gotta see this room.” He attached a picture of a big stage in an old barn surrounded by rustic beams and elegant string lighting. He knew it, it was my kind of place. I immediately fired back and said, “WHERE IS THIS?” and he replied “Abandon Brewing in Penn Yan.” 

    Yesterday was in my opinion, the perfect New York day. The leaves were turning, the sun was shining and the air was clean.  I hopped in my truck and headed west from my home in Cazenovia bound for stop number two on the Original Gravity MicroTour at Abandon Brewing. I love driving and there are few drives more magical than the one that threads through the Finger Lakes on a classic fall day. 

    I arrived at about four o’clock while the sun was high but dropping fast and my first glimpse from the parking lot revealed an incredible old barn that sat overlooking beautiful Keuka Lake. What an expansive and magical view. I passed through the giant doors and found a perfect sized bar and a solo performer on that familiar stage I recognized from Patrick’s photo. Patrick’s picture just did not do the place justice.  

    Chris arrived and we shared a tasty session Saison created by the talented and prolific brewmaster Jeff. Our eyes drifted all around this geothermal powered farmstead brewery and we talked about how amazing the acoustics were in this old barn. We met one of the owners, AJ, who happens to also be in a Rochester-based bluegrass band, thus reinforcing that connection we’ve set out to explore on this tour between beer and music. So needless to say we felt right at home. 

    The sun went down and they fired up the heaters inside the old barn and we played our sets for a playful and respectful crowd.  The beer options were plentiful and flat out fantastic and again, the sound was top notch. I can see this venue really becoming a place that traveling acts of various genres will seek out for years to come because of the vibe, location, sound, the aesthetic and overall experience at Abandon.

    Thank you to Patrick for sending that text message and everyone who came out to see Chris and me. Such a killer night. Its nights like last night that make me say to myself, “Man, I am so lucky to be doing this”. 

    Sincerely,

    Theo


    The video below gives a view of the second stop of the Original Gravity Tour at Abandon Brewing Company in Penn Yan with interview footage of tourmate Chris Merkley.

    Powell and Merkley continue their Original Gravity tour on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 3:00 p.m. at Heritage Hill Brewhouse in Pompey and Local 315 Brewing Company in Warners on Sunday, Oct. 13, also at 3:00 p.m.

  • Head North Announces Headlining Buffalo and NYC Shows, New Album in the Works

    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.

  • Guest Contributor Exclusive: Mike Powell and Chris Merkley Kick-Off Original Gravity Tour at Copper City Brewing in Rome

    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.

  • Injury Postpones Gordon Lightfoot Tour

    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.

    Gordon Lightfoot

    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.

  • November 17 dont’ miss the next MFDF Funk Night at Nietzsche’s

    Buffalo’s MFDF Funk Night returns to Nietzsche’s on Thursday, November 21, with special guests Sam Pavlovich (Intrepid Travelers) on bass and Matt Felski (Scarlet Begonias) on drums. They’ll be joined by hosts Matt Fantini of Space Junk and Donny Frauenhofer of Intrepid Travelers, DF3 and The Truth.

    Presented by NYS Music, MFDF Funk Night is only $5 for two sets of fun(k) starting at 9pm at Nietzsche’s. Hosts Fantini and Frauenhofer bring a rotating cast of local, regional, and national artists each month for a night of improvised heavy funk.

    The final funk night of 2019 is set for Thursday, December 21. Save the date!

Built in Breakdance