Marco Benevento who hails from New Jersey and now calls Woodstock home, could be described as a jack-of-all-trades, playing in jazz groups, the premier Grateful Dead cover band and touring with members of Phish and numerous other projects. With Let It Slide we get a true taste of the genius of Benevento’s tastes, influences and abilities with tight arrangements and gorgeous songwriting.
Photos: Matt Long
After his first album Invisibile Baby was nominated for the prestigious Independent Music Awards’ Best Jazz Album, it is interesting to see how far this Berklee School Of Music has delved into the indie and jam band scene, covering artists such as My Morning Jacket and The Knife on his second record. Much of this was self-produced, so now with Let It Slide, Benevento has an incredible treasure trove of experience and influences. Combined with the incredible producer Leon Michels, also from Upstate NY, this record flows together impeccably. Benevento claims, “This record has a really nice mix of what Leon does at his Diamond Mine Studio and what I do at Fred Short Studios. The final call on everything was always Leon’s though, because I trusted him completely. I’d never put my music in someone else’s hands before. I’d been hesitant to work with outside producers in the past, but the experience of making this record ended up being so freeing and exciting! I loved every single minute.”
The new record showcases Benevento’s ability to slide in and out of genres. At one moment he can catch you with the seemingly endless hooks and beautiful layers of the title track and then move to an atmospheric love song like “Solid Gold,” celebrating the joys of living in the moment, a notion often lost in this day of technology and dating services.
One of the most beautiful tunes on the record is the John Lennon-esque “Lorraine,” co-written by Simone Felice. Benevento says of his songwriting, “I started as an instrumentalist so I tend to write the music first and come to the words after. Often I don’t know what the song is about at first and then I see my own personal philosophies subconsciously bubbling up throughout.”
Another favorite of this reviewer is the very catchy and groovy “Send It On A Rocket” that almost sounds like a Beck tune from Mutations. Fans both new and old can be thankful that this new record really hits an incredible stride and works as an entire piece of art. The maturity of the songwriting showcases Benevento’s more than 20 years long career of creativity. Upstate, NY is truly lucky to have such a talent, so be sure to catch him on the road with his own band, JRAD or “The Duo” with Joe Russo. Let It Slide is another incredible installment on the continuous journey of an amazing player and poet.
Let It Slide comes out September 20 and can be pre-ordered on vinyl, cassette and CDs currently HERE. The record is under Beneveto’s own label, Royal Potato Family. The official album release party is October 12 with support from Mikaela Davis at The Cohoes Music Hall.
TRACK LIST:
1. Let It Slide 2. Solid Gold 3. Baby Don’t Make Me Wait 4. Gaffiano #1 5. Say It’s All The Same 6. Humanz 7. Gaffiano #2 8. Send It On A Rocket 9. Lorraine 10. Nature’s Change 11. Oh Baby Can’t You See 12. You Got Away 13. Gaffiano #3
A full 48-piece orchestra filled the Fenway Park stage on September 13 to back up and showcase a long list of Who tunes, many of which were from the band’s two great blockbuster albums – Quadrophenia and Tommy. The latter helped coin the term “rock opera.” The Who celebrated its 50th anniversary in May of this year. This evening, they paid tribute to Eddie Money who died that day at age 70 after he had been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. The show was dedicated to Eddie
One can only imagine this show must be the vision that Townshend had for these albums over four decades ago as the pieces that would push The Who beyond its previous pop-rock limitations and into an area far more radical, which features the 74-year-old artist windmill-strumming his six-string surrounded by violins, french horns, bassoon, and timpani.
This huge 31-date tour has been labeled the “Moving On!” tour and promotes the band’s eponymous new album that has a release date in November of this year simply titled Who, its first since 2006. But this two-hour set was a celebration of the band’s past penchant for an over the top performance, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for enduring fans to witness the songs performed as they were meant to be showcased. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey deserve much respect for constantly finding new ways to extend this final tour, allowing fans to continue to want to see them and not see the same old show.
The thought of a full symphony orchestra and a rock band duking it out to be heard would be tough at even the most acoustically perfect venues. And Fenway Park is not known for the best acoustics, however, congratulations to the sound team on this one. The rock band was sharp and crystal clear, and conductor Keith Levenson’s orchestra cut through with precision rarely heard in situations like this.
Jon Button, Zak Starkey, Roger Daltrey, and Pete Townshend of the Who performs at Fenway Park in Boston on Friday, September 13, 2019
As with a standard symphonic piece, the concert was sectioned into three movements: first, a Tommy-centered medley with the orchestra at full strength; then a cluster of early-career odds and ends without the symphonic outfit; and finally a Quadrophenia-focused segment that concluded as most Who shows have in recent memory, with the grandiose “Baba O’Riley.”TheTommy block ran through seven of the albums 24 tracks, from the elaborate “Overture” to “Sparks,” which allowed Townshend to shred with a blur of arms and fingers, proving at 74 that he is still one of rock’s most virtuosic guitar men. The favorites “Who Are You” and “Eminence Front” were also placed in this section and boomed raucously.
Pete Townshend
The orchestra left the stage after almost an hour of music and the core band — now merely a seven-piece — ran through a handful of “golden oldies, just like we are,” as Daltrey put it. Here fans heard an animated “I Can See For Miles” —the band’s only Top 10 single in the U.S. — and a folksy rendition of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” featuring only the duo of Daltrey and Townshend.
A cellist and a violinist soon returned to the stage to add background to “Behind Blue Eyes,” a song whose exceeding vocal demands Daltrey continues to manage. At 75, Daltrey is among the most seasoned singers left performing at the arena level, and considering he underwent throat surgery earlier this decade his vocal abilities have held up amazingly well. He was unbeatable during the third act’s larger-than-life rendition of “Love, Reign O’er Me,” which began with a piano interlude and reached its peak during Daltrey’s wails. While the rest of the performance was exciting and bright, these moments brought on the emotions and made the fans feel goosebumps.
Daltrey has suggested this tour could feasibly be the band’s last. “I’m just being realistic about going through the 75th year of my life,” he told Rolling Stone in January. If that were to happen, and The Who never get to showcase whatever new material is coming, this would be a fantastic send-off: tracks from its most respected projects, revamped by a magnificent orchestra and unleashed in a way that showcases one of the greatest bands to ever rock.September 13, 2019, Fenway Park, MassachusettsWith orchestra: “Overture”, “1921”, “Amazing Journey”, “Sparks”, “Pinball Wizard”, “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, “Who Are You”, “Eminence Front”, “Imagine a Man”, “Hero Ground Zero” Without Orchestra: “Substitute”, “I Can See For Miles”, “You Better You Bet”, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”(acoustic), “Behind Blue Eyes” (with orchestra string section accompaniment) With orchestra: “Ball and Chain”, “The Real Me”, “I’m One”, “5:15”, “The Rock”, “Love, Reign O’er Me”, Baba O’Riley
Over Father’s Day weekend next summer, Fins Up LG will bring the sounds and flavors of Key West to Charles R. Wood Festival Commons in Lake George. Parrotheads and Mardi Gras lovers will be drawn to this weekend long festival on the shores of Lake George, with music, margaritas, daiquiris and more in store.
This three day music festival will feature more than 20 musical acts on two main stages for a continuous musical adventure. Featuring a who’s who of Trop Rock Award winners, the lineup also features Jimmy Buffett tribute acts, and some incredible Zydeco, Cajun, and Country acts.
Featured artists include Jimmy and the Parrots (2 days), Mike Nash & Southern Drawl, Donny Brewer and the Dock Rockers, The Boatdrunks, ZBTB (acclaimed Zac Brown Band Tribute), Jesse Rice, John Patti, John Frinzi, Cory Young, Buckwheat Zydeco, Jerry Diaz and Hanna’s Reef, The Detentions, Caribbean Chillers, Rich Ortiz, Big Fez and the Surfmatics, Tropical Beat and more. Craft and food vendors will be on hand, as well as a huge margarita and daiquiri bar. VIP options are available for the weekend as well, and the event will be held rain or shine.
The Stone Temple Pilots have been playing since the late 80’s, and even with a new face on the mic, they don’t seem to be slowing down. Droves of fans packed the wide room of Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY on Tuesday September 10th. The crowd was a sea of late 40’s dads and also a young crowd that will keep these memories alive.
The quartet came out to a massive roar as they took the stage. They started off strong, working through “Coma,” “Wicked Garden” and “Vasoline.” After a few classics they moved into their newer songs. They did an incredible job weaving through their repertoire, at one point playing two of their most memorable songs sandwiching their newest singles.
You can catch STP on the last leg of their tour coming up on September 19 and 22 in Philadelphia and New York City. Check out the setlist and photos from Zatchmo Lives Media below.
Setlist: Coma, Wicked Garden, Vasoline, Crackerman, Lounge Fly, Big Bang Baby, Glide, Big Empty, Plush, Meadow, Interstate Love Song, Roll Me Under, Dead and Bloated, Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart.
This Fall, Goose flies West after a run of shows along the east coast, starting with a show at Parish Public House in Albany on Friday, October 18. The eight week run finds the band in New York City on Halloween and also makes return visits to familiar haunts in Buffalo and Boston, and will be supporting The Disco Biscuits in Pittsburgh and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong in New Haven, CT.
Goose’s fall will culminate with their sixth annual holiday celebration, Goosemas VI, on December 21. For the first time, Goosemas will be held at the historic Wall Street Theater in South Norwalk, CT. Surprises are always in store for Goosemas attendees, as the band regularly surprises attendees with a theme, special guests, and a healthy mix of new covers and well-known songs.
The quartet, based in Norwalk, CT, is comprised of Rick Mitarotonda (vocals, guitar), Peter Anspach (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Trevor Bass (bass), and Ben Atkind (drums).
The band returned to the studio in 2019 for the first time since the 2016 debut LP, Moon Cabin, releasing two singles, “All I Need” and “Time to Flee.” Mastered by Grammy Award winner, Emily Lazar, the singles exhibit a developed live band showcasing their studio voice.
In August, Goose played two nights at an intimate music festival in Kentucky, Birds of a Feather Music Festival. Goose premiered just this week the entire multi-cam 80 minute set from night two. Watch here, and check out their buzzworthy set from Peach Fest in July below.
Goose Fall 2019 Tour Dates
OCT 18 – Albany, NY, Parish Public House
OCT 19 – Cambridge, MA, Middle East Upstairs
OCT 25 – Wilkes-Barre, PA, River Street Jazz Cafe
OCT 31 – New York, NY, Mercury Lounge
NOV 02 – New Haven, CT, College Street (supporting Pigeons Playing Ping Pong)
NOV 07 – Harrisburg, PA, Club XL
NOV 08 – Washington, DC, 9:30 Club (supporting Sunsqabi)
NOV 10 – Richmond, VA, The Camel
NOV 14 – Pittsburgh, PA, The Roxian (supporting The Disco Biscuits)
NOV 15 – Columbus, OH, The Summit
NOV 16 – Buffalo, NY, Nietzche’s
DEC 05 – Fort Collins, CO, Aggie Theatre
DEC 06 – Denver, CO, Cervantes Other Side
DEC 07 – Steamboat Springs, CO, Old Town Pub
DEC 08 – Steamboat Springs, CO, Old Town Pub
DEC 11 – St. Louis, MO, The Bootleg
DEC 12 – Chicago, IL, Schubas
DEC 13 – Cincinnati, OH, Top Cats
DEC 14 – Indianapolis, IN, The Mousetrap
DEC 21 – Goosemas VI – South Norwalk, CT, Wall Street Theatre
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe ‘Thick As Thieves Fall Tour 2019’ will roll through Saratoga Springs on October 18 for a hot night of funk at Putnam Place. On the heels of touring the U.S. this summer as the saxophonist in The Rolling Stones, Denson reconvenes KDTU for 22 dates this fall, mixing headline performances alongside several dates supporting Thievery Corporation.
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe is supporting its latest studio album, Gnomes & Badgers, out now on Seven Spheres Records. Distilling the sweeping stylistic range of KDTU’s concert performances into their own authentic sound, the inimitable Denson and his long-standing seven piece unit that includes guitarist DJ Williams, drummer Zak Najor, bassist Chris Stillwell, keyboardist David Veith, trumpeter Chris Littlefield and slide/lap steel guitarist Seth Freeman have delivered what is undoubtedly their strongest work yet.
The album’s first video and single, “Change My Way,” makes a poignant statement about the current crisis at the U.S. border. The clip was directed by award-winning director, writer and producer TG Herrington, whose work includes ‘The Free State of Jones,’ a series of music videos for Paul McCartney and the new feature-length documentary ‘A Tuba To Cuba.’ Denson co-wrote “Change My Way” with New Orleans singer-songwriter Anders Osborne and co-produced the track with Adrian Quesada (Brownout, Spanish Gold).
KARL DENSON’S TINY UNIVERSE Thick As Thieves Fall Tour 2019
10/3 – Charleston, SC – The Pour House 10/4 – Macon, GA – Big House Museum 10/5 – Asheville, NC – Orange Peel 10/6 – Virginia Beach, VA – Elevation 27 10/8 – Washington, DC – The Hamilton Live 10/9 – Charlotte, NC – The Neighborhood Theatre 10/10 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry 10/11 – Pittsburgh, PA – Rex Theater 10/12 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore * 10/13 – Boston, MA – House of Blues * 10/15 – Portland, ME – Aura 10/16 – Quebec City, Canada – Le Capitole * 10/17 – Montreal, Canada – Mtelus * 10/18 – Saratoga, NY – Putnam Place 10/24 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore * 10/25 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue * 10/27 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater * 10/28 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues * 11/6 – Miami, FL – The Fillmore * 11/7 – Tampa, FL – The Ritz * 11/8 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle * 11/9 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues *
There is a subtle science behind making a good mixtape, and I’m not talking about a musician’s collection of work captured on a flimsy metal strip of magnetized particles of rust. Mixtapes were once ubiquitous to the teenaged way of life. If you survived puberty, it was because you made a mixtape. If Charles Shultz was a kid of the 80s, Linus would have had a Walkman. No doubt. So how does one go about creating a playist?
So, yes. Ask a kid of the 80s the importance of a good mixtape and you’ll start an hour’s conversation on his or her collection, or best yet, shared insight on the process involved on how to compose an intimate audio experience.
It takes more than compiling a group of songs. The fictional Rob Gordon warned us of this. It’s a delicate thing. There are a lot of rules. What rules may apply depends on what your intentions may be for the final product. Is this tape for your own consumption, or are you going to be sharing this masterpiece with someone else? If the latter, then who is your audience and what is your message?
Yeah. There are a lot of questions you need to ask yourself. But, perhaps the best way to understand the complexities behind a good mixtape is to speak to people who mix music professionally.
Kim Neaton knows this all too well.
“I’ve made playlists for everything from a baby shower to a six-hour cider festival,” said Neaton. Not to mention, she spent four years programming radio shows at WEQX. “I’ve made playlists for all sorts of occasions and love the topic of making the right playlist depending on what type of event or crowd.”
Auditory chaos
Neaton stands between the bar and the shuffleboards at Franklin Alley Social Club with a beer in hand. The arcade was an off-the-wall idea conceptualized by Frank and Heidi Sicari, owners of Takk House. The front door is in a Troy alleyway. It’s the basement of the old Knights of Columbus from nearly a century ago; a “retro boutique gathering space.” The bar features craft beers and there’s a few classic coin-operated games in the back.
It’s a Thursday night and Neaton is there to takeover the jukebox. It’s an event the Sicaris throw on occasion, allowing a guest to come in and arrange the night’s music. She downplays her responsibility. “We picked a music theme for the night, made a four-hour playlist … plug in and it plays. No real DJ skills required.”
WEQX has been the local authority on alternative music. Its radio signal has washed over the Capital District for more than 30 years. In four of those years, Neaton grew the reputation of throwing an occasional Beastie Boys track onto a show. Before leaving two years ago to join Guthrie/Bell Productions, she was one part of the station’s triumvirate who decided which bands received airtime and which bands did not.
The conversation within Neaton’s circle of friends stops as one song transitions to another. As Neaton said, she’s not chained to a booth. The music is playing straight off a digital playlist she pieced together on Spotify. A four-hour playlist on the popular streaming service can be haplessly curated within minutes, but not the order.
Neaton puts careful thought into what song follows another. Once, she said, a friend asked her to compile a list for a gathering. Neaton couldn’t attend, but gifted her friend a link to the playlist. The following day, she asked how it all worked out. She was met with a hesitant okay. Neaton asked if she had kept to the order. Her friend had not. Instead, she had hit shuffle.
“It’s about understanding the vibe of the audience,” said Neaton. When her friend strayed from her order of songs, she tossed away the segue from one song to another; it introduced an auditory chaos.
Sounds are important
Music is the manipulation of sound. Listen to Adrian Lewis, John Drabik or Chris Arndt play guitar, and you’re fascinated by the dancing of chords. Stripped down, it’s sound produced by vibrating strings. Since the first instrument was created, time has nurtured an appreciation of such sounds orchestrated into composition.
“I’ve learned this from teaching music production and engineering — I’m trying to teach them ear training,” said Josh Mirsky. On top of fronting Mirk, he owns Foster House Studios and teaches Hip Hop Academy. “We work tirelessly on ear training.
For me, that’s one of the most important skills to have when they leave: to be able to hear what’s happening in the song.”
Mirsky has a critical ear for sound. He has produced for Jay-Z. He’s also worked for major record labels and licensed tracks for national television networks, including NBC, VH1 and ESPN.
“I’ll hear something and I’ll get so flabbergasted,” Mirsky said. The producer is able to pinpoint when the marriage of sounds fail. In the studio, the bridgework to a song is laid out into separate tracks. Open GarageBand on a Mac. Each instrument has a unique track. When mixing sounds, he’s listening for how each track complements the others. “Sounds are the most important thing… I spend an hour per sound.
“Either I know the sound I’m going to —because I’ve used it and it’s a favorite of mine — and I know the depth that it’s going to add to the piece, or if I don’t know the sound, but hearing the sound in my head and finding one that sounds similar and manipulate that. It might take me an hour to find that sound.”
The Vibe
Moonshine Records earned meteoric popularity with the emergence of the rave scene in the mid to late 90s. The Los Angeles-based record label owned a stable of popular DJs that included DJ Keoki, Ferry Corsten and Carol Cox. Paul Oakenfold, twice-voted as DJ Magazine’s Best DJ in the World, had his first release in the U.S. under the Moonshine label. In 1997, Moonshine ran its first electronic-music tour through the United States. In each of its four tours, Denver was a stop.
Tim Pittz left the Capital District and stumbled into Colorado’s drum and bass scene. He was spinning records as DJ Canon. It was the height of rave’s popularity, and Denver was the right place to be. But, there was a lot of competition.
“A hundred DJs will have the same f–king records,” said Pittz. “But those are usually the anthems and bangers that get played to death. I would scour record shops looking for something different.”
Europe drove the market. Oakenfold, Tiësto, Corsten, Armin Van Burren were all household names by 2000; all of them developed their names in Europe. Pittz landed a connection that supplied him promotional tunes weeks before the official release stateside.
“So when everyone else was playing record xyz, I had moved on to something else,” he said.
Pittz ran with a crew that consisted of stage names like Fury, Ecco and MC Dino. At their height, they shared the stage with De La Soul, and played the Moonshine Over America Tour when it rolled through Denver in 2000. They played in front of several thousand ravers going “bonkers” insider the Denver Colosseum. He’s now retired and living with his wife in Philadelphia.
Preparing for your audience is key to recognizing the vibe of the room. Each venue was unique. Your time slot, and who you were playing before or afterwards, offered a particular responsibility to how the night was to flow.
“DJ Hype, for instance — I know he’s going to be blowing the speakers out of the room and killing the dance floor with people losing their minds,” said Pittz, “so I viewed it as my job to get heads bobbing by laying the groundwork for that.” That involved playing groovy, catchy tunes, he said. His MC helped engage the crowd. Avoiding the popular anthems was important in order for his crew to stand out, he said. He helped the MC by feeding into his flow with the right tunes. “You just know when something is going to kill, but you can’t just go straight for that,” he said.
“It’s a build-up.”
Understand the vibe.
Sounds are important.
It’s a build up.
Think about all of this when you next compose a playlist.
Since their inception back in 2004, The Wood Brothers have been creating their own flavor of American traditional music on their own terms. The trio is comprised of brothers Chris (bass & vocals) and Oliver (guitar & vocals) Wood , as well as Jano Rix (percussion & shuitar). Together they have been successful in creating a unique musical gumbo which includes the combination musical styles including Blues, Folk, Country, and Rock.
The Wood Brothers also recently received critical acclaim for their latest studio release, 2018’s One Drop Of Truth, which included a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album. If that weren’t enough to keep the band busy, The Wood Brothers have just released Live At The Fillmore a new live album, their fifth, that was recorded over a two night stint at San Francisco’s famed musical landmark. The trio is famous for their live performances and the band shines on the stage. The opening track on Live At The Fillmore is “Blue and Green,” which is a stripped down, intimate number off of 2011’s Smoke Ring Halo LP. The deft vocals that Oliver and Chris deliver, as well as the ambient noise of the crowd, easily transports the listener to the gig at the historic Fillmore.
The boys tear it up on the third track “Snake Eyes” with a great percussion intro by Rix, which leads into a nicely executed guitar accompaniment by Oliver, featuring some heavy feedback. The Wood Brothers infectious performance, along with the a little on stage prompting from Oliver persuaded the audience to join the band in the chorus of the upbeat number, creating a vivid picture in the mind’s eye of the listener. The trio’s harmonies were spot on and the track wrapped up with another nice guitar fill by Oliver.
The Wood Brothers keeps the energy flowing with “Raindrop,” the fifth track from Live At The Filmore LP. Oliver and Jano constructed an intro featuring guitar and percussion which effortlessly leads into the jamming number. With the catchy opening vocal “Broke a heart for a cheap thrill. Seemed worth it at the time. There’s a hundred of ’em out there still. You can hear ’em all cryin’,” Oliver is able to evoke the frustration that anyone can feel while trying to get over a painful breakup.
The sixth tune, “Chocolate On My Tongue,” has an infectious groove that will get your foot tapping along with The Wood Brothers as they expertly ply their trade. Catchy riffs and smooth harmonies make this tune a true gem of a performance and a highlight on the LP.
Overall the fourteen tracks on Live at The Filmore are successful in proving The Wood Brothers are at their comfort zone on stage, playing for a live audience. It also illustrates how proficient the trio, who have had extensive time on the road performing, are able to anticipate and coordinate their playing together as a road tested unit. Oliver Wood once said while talking about selecting songs for a set list: “Sometimes it is like choosing between your children, you don’t want to have to do that but sometimes you have to.” Luckily for fans of The Wood Brothers, the band chose extremely well on Live At The Filmore, creating a voyeuristic experience where the listener gets to experience the best of two nights in the life of a great live band playing at a historic musical venue.
The two-day music and arts event, Adirondack Music Festival, returned to Lake George this past weekend for its fifth year in a row. Held once again on the serene LG section that is Charles R. Park, this year’s ADK Fest felt like the most well-received and celebrated yet, as many attendees seemed to vocally attest. If you were in attendance this weekend, you most likely at some point overheard someone discovering the festival for its special charm. Something along the lines of: “I can’t believe how nice this festival this is” and “Well, I am definitely coming back next year.”
As with every year since its start, ADK Fest opted for a classic setup with two main stages of music, set side by side—the style adopted by big-time events like Gathering of the Vibes and the first few years of LOCKN’. This format, which has bands perform back to back without delays, kept the energy on the field, and white hot, from early morning through sunset, as well as kept collective excitement packed into one shifting, intimate crowd.
A number of recently highly popular musical acts made their debut at ADK Fest. Midnight North, for starters, features members of The Terrapin Family Band and have been a hot ticket over the last year or so. Dead-relation aisde, Midnight North is its own beautiful creation, an americana powerhouse of band that displays a strong breadth of songwriting through dynamic, soulful musicianship. Members of this band were well connected within this music scene from the west coast and sat-in with many other artists as well.
Other buzz-generating artists performing at ADK for the first time ever were artists like The People’s Blues of Richmond, Marco Benevento, and G. Love and Special Sauce. People’s Blues, PBR for short, surely must have unexpectedly knocked a number of ADK patrons out of their musical comfort zone with their fearlessly-intense style of garage-punk blues. But the trio’s ceaseless, air-tight musicianship won many fans over as well. Marco Benevento’s own power-trio took the main stage just a few hours after them and wielded their own no-holds-barred mash of indie-pop, funk, and glam rock.
It felt strange to see G. Love perform a midday set at three in the afternoon -here was an artist, after all, that surfed high through the 2000’s on a number of big hits, but he was a highly received set nonetheless. In addition to a solo acoustic intro, the guitarist and hip-hop-inspired vocalist careened the edge of the stage above a swath of outward hands and starry-eyed expressions. G. Love’s collaboration with Twiddle frontman, Mihali Savoulidis, saw the two trading vocals for guitar riffs on a version of Hall and Oates’ “I Can’t Go For That,” which was much better than the “What I Got” that happened between the two in Twiddle’s headlining show later.
ADK Fest Day 1: G. Love and Mihali cover Hall and Oates. Photo: James Sullivan
Yet the four man dance-ready jamband, Twiddle, still performed a huge couple of sets to close out Saturday evening, to an elated audience that swamped the park’s concert area all the way to the vendors in the back. Highlights of their two closing sets were a guitar-shredding collaboration with Midnight North frontman, Graham Lesh, on their original “Subconcious Prelude” and then the foursome’s searing finish on “The Box.”
Another artist who met the crowd with a freewheeling sense of stage presence was the northeast jam scene’s golden girl, Hayley Jane. Fronting her band, The Primates, for a midday Sunday set, Jane sang face-to-face with a rail-climbing mass of highly excited young women. Hayley and The Primates as a unit announced their decision earlier this year to go on hiatus. This set at ADK Fest was undoubtedly an emotional one for many, despite the fact that Hayley, in her true style, beamed with smiles and soul through her own set. The joy transcended others that she guested on stage such as with polyrhythmic dub-rock band, Bartika, and then Jane sat in with Everyone Orchestra’s set a bit, after her own.
In a very special move, Adirondack Music Festival booked an Everyone Orchestra set for its day two second-to-headlining spot. EO shows are, of course, completely improvisational from start to finish and are always performed by a mix of artists from different bands. Lake George’s set was pretty substantially stacked for its members. Solo artists Haley Jane and Ryan Montbleau handled lead vocals (with the latter also offering some nice guitar solos here and there), while Deep Banana Blackout’s, Fuzz Giovanni, handled lead guitar work.
Saxaphone legend Sam Kinninger was a secret weapon here, shining up the band’s various types of funk and rock jams with amazing melodic work. Kinniger and the rest played beside a hefty rhythm section that included moe.’s Vinnie Amico on drums, TAB’s Tony Markelis on bass and Steve Moltiz on keys. Highlights here were a belly-laugh inducing, reggae-tinged sing-along about golf pirates. Super creative vocals led by Ryan Montbleau followed with an extremely moving, soul inspired jam which Everyone Orchestra impresario, Matt Butler, built a vocal tribute to the recently passed Neal Casal.
ADK Fest Day 2: Everyone Orchestra Pays Tribute to the late Neal Casal. PC: Miles Hurley
While some roll their eyes at cover bands, Pink Talking Fish works extra hard and thinks creatively to stand out from the ever-growing pack. The quartet began their set with a great surprise in The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” which Phish has covered on rare occasion. In a climax to their set, PTF reprised a bit of the magic from their Junta album extravaganza at The Capitol Theatre earlier this year, which had Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s Greg Ormont act as Master of Ceremonies. Here at ADK Fest, PTF began with a beautiful segue-sandwich from “You Enjoy Myself” to Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” and back. Upon returning to the Phish hit, Ormont joined the band mid-song, to first engage in some trampoline-style jumping with bassist, Eric Gould, and new guitarist Cal Kehoe. They finished with a very kooky vocal jam.
It was another strong move to have Pigeons Playing Ping Pong return to close the festival Sunday evening, just as they did last year. These four jam-funk players having seen a truly meteoric rise recently (they will be headlining Explore Asheville this coming December). A few highlights for their near-explosive set included an electronically charged collaboration with Steve Moltiz on their own tune, “Live it Up,” and a very colorful jam on Deee-Lite’s “Groove Is In The Heart.”
Major music events in Lake George, NY like Adirondack Music Fest often share in a little community-favorited crown jewel—a post festivities top-off at local music hub, King Neptune’s Pub. Being a time-tested spot for upstate bands to play, King Neptune’s always sees great crowds, but then really turns out when late night performances go down.
For Saturday night’s musical extend, nearby favorites, Funktional Flow from Buffalo, and New Haven, CT’s, Eggy, offered a proper finish to a full first day of music. Eggy, coming from the fertile music scene in New Haven, made a grand introduction for themselves in this venue, and they rocked the opportunity big time. The groove rock four-piece blasted their way through intense versions of originals like “Shadow” and “One More Dance,” along with improvisationally-heavy takes on covers like Traffic’s “Low-Spark of High-Heeled Boys.” For a set-topper, Eggy invited Midnight North keyboardist, Alex Jordan, for a blissful and high-powered take on the band’s “Buying Time.”
ADK Fest Day 1: Eggy rocks late night w/ Special Guest Alex Jordan. PC: Miles Hurley
While night one’s crowd was impressive, festival buzz Sunday afternoon must have spread like wildfire to make late night two’s crowd even more massive and energetic, for Neptune’s at the tail end of the weekend was nearly flooding out the door. After Sunday night’s originally scheduled openers, psychedelic funk outfit The New Motif, had to cancel their slot and the evening switched around to second act, Annie In The Water, opening before a festival-family superjam close out.
Annie in The Water thus kicked off with a very uplifting display of original music, with some cover hits thrown in for good measure. A presentation of styles ranging all the way from folk rock to reggae to even some hip-hop was connected via strong, confident solos and endearing vocals. Members of Lucid, Magic Beans, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong coalesced into one family-type super jam set, for a final set at Adirondack Music Festival, that seemed to represent everything this dynamic music scene is about. At one point in this performance free-for-all, three keyboardists—Magic Beans’ Scott Hatchey, former Formula 5’s Matt Richards, and PTF’s Richard James—hammered away on one rig at the same time, for a spectacle that was also technically impressive.
As with any festival, there’s more musical experiences than can be reported on. From piano wizard Marco Benevento and his trio debuting material from their new record (Let it Slide), to upstate jam favorites Lucid commanding the main stage mid-Saturday as they do with fervor every year, ADK Fest’s fifth year was artistically overflowing. All of this top-notch live music was met resolutely throughout the weekend with a positive and welcoming vibe, upheld via a sense of strong community and creativity. For mid-size festivals Adirondack Music Festival is one of the best you can experience in the ever-musically-fertile land of upstate NY—yet here’s to a steady growth from mid-size to who knows how big.
Check out a gallery of images of Adirondack Music Festival 2019 below, courtesy of photographer James Sullivan.
Rochester based multi-instrumentalist Alex Northrup and his band The Backup released their six-song album in March titled Long Story Short. The band is made up of Alex Northrup (keyboard, vocals), Andrew Carter (bass guitar, backup vocals), and Jake Walsh (drums, backup vocals). The trio has a sound that ranges from really small to huge, making use of each member’s prowess on their instrument and their abilities to hold a strong harmony. One thing that pops out in any of Northrup’s recordings is Alex’s ability to take a song out of the pocket with his strong keyboard performances. Evinced by the six tracks on this release, Alex Northrup and The Backup are beginning to carve out a sound all their own.
The opening track “Put on the Break-Up” ultimately sets the overall pace for the album. The sweet vocal melody is hashed out by wonderfully performed harmonies. Nothing here is too pristine; that is to say, the vibe is similar to the old Weezer Pinkerton days. The listener will be able to tell that the process of recording that the band took was organic, leaving the bulk of the work to the musicians to make the songs sound good.
“Sinning on a Saturday” offers a better look at how dynamic the band can be in their orchestration. The bass takes on a life of its own and the texture of the keyboard flexes a bit more as well, as Alex navigates his chord progression to make meaningful and interesting solos. The mood shift that takes place between the verse and chorus is subtle, but noticeable enough to invoke the feelings reflected in the lyrics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXOWdRFEhr8
One thing that should be taken note of is how Alex writes his lyrics. He talks casually, and even comically at times, about serious issues while never sacrificing the weight of the song’s topic. “Girl of My Dreams” is one such song. The ballad is a nice throwback to older ballads from the 50’s and the band does the style justice. While most of the songs are written by Northrup himself, he does collaborate with other members of the Rochester music scene. Specifically in “There We Go Again”, where some new creative elements and bass lines are added in by Dave Drago.
The album’s cap is an ethereal instrumental that comes out of almost nowhere to great effect. Each song flows into the next really well, and the entire album felt like it should end much like it does in “Blinded by Delight.” The band’s harmonies are sitting tight in the background behind a beautiful soundscape of textures. Overall, the album’s flow offers a whole new dimension worth analysis of its own. Definitely take a chance on this release, and be sure to find Alex Northrup and The Backup on Spotify, Bandcamp and social media!
Key Tracks: Sinning on Sunday, Put on the Break-Up, Girl of My Dreams
