Ticonderoga native Marty Wendell has been a local superstar since the 1960’s, sharing the stage and touring with musical titans such as Carl Perkins, Arlo Guthrie and Johnny Cash. Drawing from a rich and storied career, nearly sixty years in the making, Wendell returns triumphantly in 2019 with Rock and Roll Days: A Celebration of Sun Records – a stalwart tribute to the early days of rock, and ultimately, a retrospective on the music that shaped his own career.
On a surface level, Rock and Roll Days stands as a straightforward rockabilly jaunt, full of groove and levity. The occasional solo troubadour, Wendell comes fully backed by his touring band this time around and delivers a clear, strong and confident performance. Subtitled “A Celebration of Sun Records,” Rock and Roll Days was crafted to pay homage to the legendary record company famously considered to have fostered the early development of Rock and Roll in the Mid to late 1950’s.
Originally founded in Memphis, TN, Sun Records was the support system that helped launch the careers of Sam Philips, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, among many others. Like young musicians of the time, it was this monumental moment in music history- the birth of rock and roll- that captured Wendell’s imagination like no other, inspiring him to pursue a career in music that would last the rest of his life. Returning to those early days with song, it is that same feeling of youthful inspiration that Wendell tries to preserve on the new album.
Combining a tasteful blend of new originals and time-honored standards, Rock and Roll Days plays like a love letter. Tracked “old school” in the recording studio (that is to say, live, with the recording musicians all together at the same time), Wendell and his tour band have seen to every detail in creating an album which would speak directly to the history from which is was inspired. The result is something of a sonic scrapbook- a photo album composed of songs in lieu of pictures which serve as aural windows to the past through the scope of one man’s experience. It is a joy to be invited down this hall of memories. Yet we are invited to look forward just as much as we look back thanks to the spattering of new tunes written specifically for the record and the refreshing sincerity of Wendell’s earnest delivery.
As a young man, Marty Wendell first got his start playing for his church congregation in the 1950’s. Cementing his desire to pursue performance, Wendell went on to continue performing all through his college years. Venturing out of upstate New York in the mid 1960’s and heading into Greenwich Village, Wendell began working with producers who brought him into the recording studio for the first time. Here he produced hits such as “Hey Hey Mama,” “An Ode to Burtis Dean,” and “Bring the Circus Back to Town.” Since that time, Wendell has toured with John Anderson, Lacy J. Dalton, The Hager Twins, Bluesman, T. Graham Brown, The Statler Brothers, and The Carter Family. He has produced more than 10 albums to date and is one of a select few artists to have recorded music in Memphis’ historically renowned Sun Studios.
Those previously familiar with his work will delight in the re-recorded rockabilly version of “Hey Hey Mama,” arguably Wendell’s biggest hit and the one that gained him a supporting role on Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison album tour. Cash had remained a tremendous influence on Wendell throughout his entire life. This sentiment is later addressed during the latter half of the album on the heart felt single “Teardrops of Gold,” which is preceded by the story of how Cash came to Marty Wendell in a dream to inspire the writing of that song. The album then closes with a recorded conversation between Cash and Wendell taken from the Folsom Prison tour in 1968.
With a life-long career to reflect upon, Wendell’s youthful enthusiasm for this music has lost none of its luster in his late adulthood. With timeless authenticity, Rock and Roll Days brings a wholesome and charming facet of one man’s life as a musician, from inspired young man to seasoned veteran, into sparking clarity.
Key Tracks: Rock and Roll Days, Blue Suede Shoes, Hey Hey Mama.
On Friday, July 12, Upstate NY celebrated a final farewell performance from one of the area’s most beloved jam acts,Formula 5. The groove-rock foursome, for their final show, were headlining the third annual Rock The Dock Music Festival in Lake George, NY. Formula 5 had announced their intention to go on an indefinite hiatus earlier this year with plans to to finish out a select handful of live performances, the last of which was their main stage set at Rock The Dock, the one-day music event which they have hosted for the past two years.
On this third time around, Rock The Dock saw a beautiful day of weather and an impressive turnout of festival patrons who flocked to a corner of Lake George to see an intimate list of popular music acts. Other acts on the festival main stage for the day were the funk dance band West End Blend, singer-songwriter Mike Powell, Saratoga Springs’ JT Maple, along with Americana rock outfit Eastbound Jesus and the Colorado-based jam quartet Magic Beans. And, of course, after all of these acts, Formula 5 closed the stage out, performing a highly lauded, headlining set of music.
Adding to its serene views and amiable atmosphere, Rock The Dock equipped itself with an impressively nice sound. Patrons could sit atop the second or third deck of the massive steamboats —three of them boxed in the concert area in grand fashion—and enjoy the music as if they were riding the front row. In between sets, patrons could meander to close by vendors and be serenaded by the music of both JT Maple and Mike Powell.
Magic Beans, one of Colorado’s most promising jamband acts in recent times, were on deck taking the stage just before Formula 5’s send off. And they played a short but strong hour-long set that really managed to warm up the energy of Rock The Dock properly. Towards the end of their set, Beans’ steady, focused approach to uplifting trance funk had hit the crowd right way and had the concert area flush with dancers and smilers. At the apex of this great set, Magic Beans delivered a uniquely slow version of Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime.”
Formula 5 then took their time that evening to put on a proper close to a more than respectable seven year career of touring and recording. Those seven years saw a few different iterations of the band (every member of which was present this evening) craft and refine a highly popular, unique improvisational sound and live experience.
That live experience came out in full force for one last time at Rock The Dock, with the band—in it’s most recent lineup of keyboardist Matt Richards, bassist James Woods, drummer Greg Marek, and guitarist Joe Davis—sounding off to hundreds of their most dedicated fans and family in true, larger-than-life style. The way they performed for this ending display, the band might as well as have been in front of thousands of people, let alone several hundred. It came with perhaps a bit of irony that this last set from Formula 5 was as musically thrilling as some of the best they had ever done. By the last of the exasperated yet tenaciously sung notes from lead Joe Davis on the night’s encore “Breaking Glass,” it didn’t seem right that such a great display was the end instead of being the beginning of a new chapter.
But here at Rock The Dock there was no crazy setlist, no stage antics or tricks. Formula 5 simply offered an extremely well-executed, instrumentally colorful and comfortable display of original jams. A mighty “In The Sand” strapped Formula fans into a familiar rocket, and catapulted them towards the psychedelic reaches of high-energy space funk that this band had always demonstrated they could navigate better than most others playing today.
By the time the band transitioned energetically into “Come Along,” the dock was rife with glee. Whether people were realizing or not that this was in fact Formula 5’s final show, for a moment, that didn’t seem to be clear. People were just happy, and they moved in colorful motion to the quartet’s shifting tempos and amazing collection of weird, wild rock sounds.
One of those sounds was the familiar and super heady keyboard intro from Matt Richards to the band’s “Sad Bed.” If anyone thought “In The Sand” would be the highlight point, they might have been subverted by this tune which was played even more ambitiously than the mega jam before it. Across the last couple of years, since the career-making release of their record All Points North, “Sad Bed” has been one of Formula 5’s most creative and transcendent vehicles for improvisation, stretching out on many live occasions past twenty-five or even thirty minutes in length. This farewell show at Rock The Dock boasted a “Sad Bed” to end all “Sad Beds,” a masterfully groovy, last improvisational exercise for the band. In this inspired performance, Formula 5 sounded like a synthesis between all of their influences, fusing together the cosmic ’70s feel of Parliament Funkadelic, the raunchy grit of Widespread Panic, and the artistic unexpectedness of The Grateful Dead.
Even “Trout Waters Pt. 1 & 2,” which the band often in past shows would split up as segue points between other songs, was kept together in one long delivery and went near ballistic. Drummer Greg Marek, who was completely in the zone in this moment, deserves credit for helping to launch this one into a fantastic, power-rocking jam.
Through the entirety of this fully loaded yet all-too-quick two hours, the band was all smiles, with all four members beaming at one another at every musical change or, at times it seemed, just because they were so into it. Here, in the last show, they were having fun, and perhaps that’s what counts most. The crowd was certainly more than appreciative, matching the band’s amazing gusto step for step through to the end. When the band had returned to a deafening encore chant, Marek took to the microphone and said a few words that must have eased at least a few minds. “I don’t see why there’s any reason we can’t do this again next year.”
Swimmer continued the party for Rock The Dock at Lake George’s King Neptune’s Pub and the beach bar’s crowd eventually swelled to a cool gathering of festival attendees and turned the local hub into a sizzling last bit of dancing fun. Formula 5’s members, when they weren’t on stage making their last sentimental statements of the evening, were among the late night crowd, having a much deserved beer and mingling with fans and friendsSwimmer, this instrumentally intense yet often very melodically pleasing quartet, ripped up the last few hours of the festival between confident guitar shreds, jamtronic-tinged bass and drum lines, and even some moments of soulful saxaphone work thrown in. At the very least, this band that hails from the still musically fecund hotspot of Burlington, VT showed that while some of our favorites now and then have to call it quits, the music is always being carried on strongly by still younger and continually impressive artists.
Formula 5 Setlist: Friday July 12, Rock The Dock Music Festival
Set 1: Earthbound Tim > Booher’s Pass, Pedro -> In the Sand > Come Along, Trout Waters Pt 1 & 2, Sad Bed > Gettin Tough Again
The BrokenHearted – Tom Petty tribute band, has a goal to produce the “vibe” of a Tom Petty show. Johnny insists he is not Tom Petty, but rather a really big fan who loves the music. I believe many will disagree when Johnny takes the stage. The best part is, the band members seem to be having a blast up there on stage. They seem to be the best of friends. As a band they want you to enjoy the performance. They are entertainers. They promise you a good time. If you’re a Petty fan, and who isn’t, you will enjoy the show.
What do you do if you are a superfan, and you have talent? Well, you start a tribute band of course, which all began in 2007 when Johnny Clifford had an idea – something he was thinking about for a while. His friend, Philip Bacon, was in a Neil Young tribute band and mentioned The Hudson River Music Hall, was hosting other tribute bands. This suggestion planted the seed. Johnny didn’t believe he could get other musicians to be onboard, since a band starting from scratch, with no immediate financial gains is not the easiest sales pitch, but it worked and a mad adventure began.
Johnny Clifford of The BrokenHearted
Johnny Clifford has been a Tom Petty fan since the early ’80s. He loved the songs and appreciated Tom Petty’s brash confidence, stage presence and overall vibe. When Clifford was asked, Why Petty?, he responded: “The Heartbreakers are my kind of band. Mike Campbell has been his lead guitarist since the beginning. Mike has such a great tone and always plays just the right part for the song. (Mike Campbell is currently on tour with Fleetwood Mac). I hung on to The Heartbreakers like I was clinging to a life raft.”
James Cappello The BrokenHearted – Bass/backing vocals
Although none of the early bands Clifford played in were Petty tributes, the bands covered much of Petty’s early material. It wasn’t long before Johnny became known for singing and performing Petty tunes. So a tribute really does make sense for him. He states he is not acting, but for the most part, he is just being Johnny. After four decades he still loves the music and Heartbreakers are still his favorite.
Frank Affinito – Drum/backing vocals
Johnny Clifford’s voice is eerily similar to Petty. His on-stage presence is spot on. The Broken Hearted- Tom Petty Tribute band, will bring you back to the days when Tom was speaking (singing) for the Average Person. Expressing things in love, relationships, and life, that most of us find difficult to communicate. He touched our inner soul, he just had an easy way of telling stories. He somehow found the words to express the feelings within every one of us.
Philip Bacon
The setting was the beautifully renovated Strand, in Hudson Falls, NY on July 12, 2019. The crowd started to enter and were treated to a wonderful performance by Kelly and Son. Father, Shawn Kelly, and Son, Josh Kelly, are an acoustic/electric duo. Their wide range of songs and comedic interaction left the crowd mesmerized, not knowing what to expect. Shawns deep-toned voice, with a hint of Kris Kristofferson, crooned songs and mixed with a quick wit and laughs, blended well with Josh’s full-toned voice as they had an eclectic mix from The Beatles and Mumford and Sons to original songs.
Kelly and Son’s Setlist: Ho Hey (Lumineers), Rocky Raccoon (The Beatles), Mad World (Tears for Fears), Breathe/Welcome to the Machine (Pink Floyd), No Vacancy (Original), Forever (Mumford and Sons), Scientist/Zombie (Coldplay/Cranberries), Dear Prudence/Awake my Soul (Mumford and Sons).
Shawn KellyShawn and Josh Kelly of Kelly and Son
Now, was time for the main event. The Show was originally going to be two full sets, however, no break was taken, and the band just forged on pounding one fantastic tune after another. At one point, Clifford reached into a trunk and pulled the famous Mad Hatter Hat out- the crowd loved it! The fans knew what to expect- They knew Clifford and the band would not disappoint. The first few strums and everyone knew the opening song, “I Need to Know,” where the upbeat selection set the stage for the remaining songs. Even though it was a long set, the crowd wanted more, and begged. The band obliged with a fantastic rendition of “Kings Highway”
Setlist: I Need To Know, Don’t Do Me Like That, Mary Janes Last Dance, You Wreck Me, Learning to Fly, You and Me, Won’t Back Down, Breakdown, Listen to Her Heart, Walls, Don’t Come Around Here No More, Here Comes My Girl, Handle Me With Care, Rock & Roll Star, Feel a Whole Lot Better, Free Fallin’, The Waiting, Face in the Crowd, Yer So Bad, You Don’t Know How it Feels, Refugee, Runnin Down a Dream, American Girl.
Encore: Kings Highway
Clifford, Cappello, Affinito and Donnelly make a great team. True fans, enjoying what they are doing. After so many years, most bands would appear to just be going through the motions, you don’t get that feeling here. There is a comradery, band of brothers so-to-speak. These guys love what they do, and it shows throughout their performance.
If you have not experienced this band yet, be sure to catch them at these upcoming shows:
Sat. July 20 – Powers Park Concert Series – Troy, NY 6:00 PM Friday July 26 – Putnam Place – Saratoga Springs, NY 9:30 PM Sat. August 10 – The Eddies – Gloversville NY 2:40 PM
During my formative years, I would look to my father for insight, knowledge and direction, trying to absorb as much as humanly possible. When I caught Devon Allman (son of Gregg Allman) and Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts) fronting the newly formed Allman Betts Band at the Wall Street Theater in Norwalk, Connecticut, I surmised that these sons of rock, had absorbed much too.
Already with established musical careers, the coalescing of their talents began in December 2017 at an event organized by Devon, honoring the music and memory of his late father. In 2018, Betts started opening for The Devon Allman project and joining Devon on stage for a few Allman tunes as part of the show. Realizing that something viable was in their midst, the two started writing together and the seeds of the Allman Betts Band were sown. Later that year, with songs penned, the pair headed to the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Their efforts resulted in the band’s debut album, Down to the River. Then, on March 27, 2019, fifty years and one day from the first time the Allman Brothers Band played together in Jacksonville Florida, the Allman Betts Band kicked off their inaugural tour at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl.
Devon Allman, Duane Betts
Walking in the intimate Wall Street Theatre, you felt the buzz, in anticipation of hearing this new band. JD Simo, (who sat in with the Allman Betts band for a song) opened the show. This three piece from Nashville cranked out a powerful set of rock and blues tunes, priming the pump for what was to come. Devon, Duane and band (Berry Duane Oakley – bass, vocals; Johnny Stachela – guitar, vocals; John Ginty – keyboards; R Scott Bryan – percussion, vocals; John Lum – drums) took the stage and did not hold back. A night filled with songs from Down to the River augmented with Allman Brothers tunes and a few covers thrown in for good measure. Throughout the night Duane and Johnny Stachela lit up the stage with blistering guitar solos. The rest of the band was right there with them flowing with every twist, turn, and bend. Mid set, Devon took center stage with his Linhof T-style electric guitar in hand, and led the band through a searing version of Prince’s “Purple Rain.” Set audibles where being called and every song was like gasoline being poured on an open fire. Yeah, the Allman Betts band are for real.
The day before the show, I spoke with Duane Betts by phone from East Hampton, N.Y where the band was playing a sold out show at the Guild Hall. We started our conversation talking about the debut album, which had been released the prior week.
Mickey Deneher: Congrats on Down to the River Debuting #1 on the iTunes Rock chart. You guys have to be feeling really good about that.
Duane Betts: Yeah we’re really jazzed up about that. We put a lot of hard work into it and everybody did their job. The people came out and showed their support and interest. It made us feel really good. It’s something we look forward to building on.
You are basically capturing a moment of a band coming together and getting a live performance from one of the first times they ever played together and played that song.
Duane Betts
MD: I know that you and Devon were working with (songwriter) Stoll Vaughn for the album. Was there an even balance in the writing process or was it ‘hey I got an idea and I throw it out to you?’ How did you guys approach that?
DB: Some of the ideas were brought in. There’d be a little spark and then we’d go from there. There were a couple of things that we started from scratch together. It just depends on the tune. But it was all very collaborative. Certain people maybe contributed more in a lyrical sense to certain songs and less in the musical sense or vice versa. A lot of the tunes were: once you come up with a feeling, an idea, then all the songs kind of have to be part of a thread and tell the same story. Not that every song is talking about the same thing, but they fit together well and live together well.
The majority of it was written by myself and Devon and Stoll together. The three of us. There’s a cover on there, Tom Petty’s “Southern Accents.” There is a song written by a dear friend of mine that passed away (who) I was in a band with in my early twenties. His name is Chris Williams. He was the son of the great song writher Jerry Lynn Williams who wrote a lot of stuff for Clapton, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt and people like that. He passed away in a car accident. But I love that song so I started playing that and we decided to use that song on the record. That’s “Autumn Breeze.” There was a song written by Cisco Adler (Down to the River), where Devon added a verse, and we worked that up. That covers the gamut.
Allman Betts Band
MD: Right out of the gate “All Night” (the first single) and “Shinin’”are straight away fun jam tunes. Then you get in to “Down to the River,” “Autumn Breeze,” “Southern Accents” and “Long Gone” – there’s a different groove to them. It’s awareness and personal insight.
DB: Yeah all those tunes just fit together. We had more tunes to choose from, but those are just the ones that ended on it and that live together. It’s always fun to write. We look forward to building on that body of work.
MD: You go into the studio, the songs were written. Did they evolve during the recording sessions or stay true to what you brought in?
DB: Some of these tunes we’d never played together. Last year as The Devon Allman Project with special guest Duane Betts, we had started playing a couple of them, maybe two or three of them. There were some that were brought in that we had never played and we worked them up in the studio. You play them a few times, start getting it good, and then you get a take, and there you have it. You’re basically listening to maybe the fifth or six time we’d ever played it. Now there are other tunes like “Autumn Breeze” we had played. “All Night” we had been playing. So some of it we had been playing and some of it we hadn’t played till we were in the studio.
“Down to the River ” Allman Betts Band album artwork
MD: Fresh stuff, experiencing it and making it happen. That’s got to be exciting – putting it together like that.
DB: Yeah. It’s a different experience. You are getting a kind of vulnerability that you wouldn’t get if you had worked it all out. You are basically capturing a moment of a band coming together and getting a live performance from one of the first times they ever played together and played that song. So that’s what unique about it. “Long Gone” is one of my personal favorites. It’s powerful and has a timeless kind of quality to it. It’s really cool and we look forward to getting it out there to more people and it’ll keep growing. Slow and steady wins the race.
MD: “Long Gone” is a great way to close out the album too.
DB: Yeah I think so. That was a good one. Good way to end.
MD: You recorded at Muscle Shoals, in one big room.
DB: Yeah that’s the way it is. The amps were isolated, the guitar amps were. Yeah we were all in a room. We could all basically see each other.
MD: What was that vibe like? It’s like the place to record.
DB: Yeah it was really cool. Really down home vibe. I really wanted it to come out good. Get good live performances. When you’re on stage and your not thinking about it and you don’t know you are being recorded it’s one thing, but when your in the studio and the drummer is around the corner, and you have head phones and all that stuff, you kind of wonder sometimes man I hope we can get a really good one. But we did really well. The vibe at the studio is everything. There’s all the records that have been recorded there. You’re in Alabama, you’re in a kind of semi-remote place in Alabama. It just kind of reeks of vibe, you know. It couldn’t be any more like down home and like real.
MD: And then you did it right after Thanksgiving, so you got to work off all that food that you ate. (Laughing)
DB: Yeah exactly. (Laughing)
There’s always jams man. We jam a ton. We are big on that. You just have to come see the show.
Duane Betts
MD: You guys are a new band. People always say about a new band they sound like this band or some name comes up. I’m sure people may have been thinking Allman Brothers 2.0 – Allman Brothers; the next generation. Influence is there, but I hear the band’s own voice coming through. Was that a conscious effort or was it a natural occurrence?
DB: We’re defiantly not trying to be the Allman Brothers, I can tell you that. There’re certain songs that require we approach it in a very musical manor. That’s just an obvious influence, because we want to approach it in a kind of elegant musical manor. Like “Autumn Breeze,” with twin guitars. Yeah there is defiantly an Allman Brothers influence there. But there are also other influences everywhere too. I think that the more stuff we do, the wider variety of influences you’ll hear. For this one, I hear Stones from the Mick Taylor era, Sticky Fingers, that style. I hear some Neil Young sounding stuff on “Long Gone.” There’s Derek and the Dominos, there’s other influences there. We have a ton of influences.
MD: And you have to draw from that. That is how you came up playing. You were influenced by those people.
DB: Yeah, that’s just what we come from. And the influence is there. There’s no doubt and we’re not trying to hide the influence.
Berry Duane Oakley, Devon Allman, John Lum, Duane Betts
MD: Lets talk about the tour. Three months in, how are those songs feeling live?
DB: We just started playing a few of them, because we didn’t want to play the whole record before the record was out. “Long Gone” has been amazing. We’ve been playing “All Night,” “Melodies are Memories,” and “Good Old Days.” We’ve been playing a few of them for quite a while and they have been feeling pretty good for a while now. We did “Southern Accents” last night. I don’t play on that, so I didn’t do it (laughing). Devon and Johnny and John Ginty did “Southern Accents” so that one was really cool. But “Long Gone” is really a stand out for all of us. We think that’s like a really poignant, serious tune that has some real credibility.
MD: And you guys have some great players talking about John and Johnny. Are you guys now indulging, some jams happening in the set these days?
DB: There’s always jams man. We jam a ton. We are big on that. You just have to come see the show.
MD: Allman Brothers songs are part of the set.
DB: A few.
MD: How do you pick them, what to play?
DB: The ones we enjoy playing, the ones that have a reaction. The combination of those two things. Just ones that aren’t obvious. We play a bunch of them. We’ll play enough. Were obviously not going to go out there and do half Allman Brothers. We’re not a tribute band. But we enjoy playing a few. We might do three or four. It just depends on the night. Sometimes we do a sit down acoustic thing and if we do that your going to hear some stuff that you won’t hear if we stand up all night. Just depends on the venue. There’s one or two you can pretty much guarantee hearing every night.
Duane Betts, Johnny Stachela
MD: I take for granted that you and Devon have known each other your entire lives. In the back of you mind do you think this band was inevitable? It was going to happen some time, some place?
DB: No. No. I don’t. I think (it was) just timing. We were doing some stuff, then that wasn’t happening. It just felt right to do it because it meant something. We didn’t agree to do the band when we agreed to go on tour together last summer (The Devon Allman Project with special guest Duane Betts). It was more for us to kind of just feel it out, put our toes in the water. It was a really good opportunity for me to promote my solo release as an opening act. Then I would sit in. At a certain point, we were like yeah. Then (thinking) maybe after we’re comfortable for a month or two, maybe we’ll sit down and write some tunes and just see what happens.
If it didn’t work out, if we weren’t really feeling it, we don’t have to do anything beyond that. But we did feel it. So that’s why there is a band. We really locked into a vision and an idea and agreed on everything. Then we built the band and we brought Stoll in to help organize and write with us. Once the ball got rolling it just felt really good. That’s why you go to the next phase, which is actually putting the band together and recording a record. But yeah, it wasn’t inevitable.
Before the show I attended, I met a man who brought his young son, five or six years old, with him to the show. This was his son’s first concert. He was so stoked that this was his first. It got me thinking of two other fathers, who I am certain, feel that same joy about their son’s rock ‘n roll dreams.
When I was very small, before I learn to talk. My father held my hand and his, And showed me how to walk. And sometimes I would cry, or sometimes I would fall, But always he was there for me, to help me thru it all
In My Father’s Footsteps – Terry Jacks
Devon Allman, Duane BettsJohn Ginty, Berry Duane Oakley, Duane Betts, John Lum, Johnny Stachela , R Scott BryonDevon AllmanJohnny Stachela , R Scott Bryan, Duane Betts, Devon Allman, John Lum, Berry Duane Oakley, John GintyDevon Allman, Johnny StachelaBerry Duane Oakley, Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Johnny Stachela, R Scott BryanDuane BettsDevon Allman, Duane BettsBerry Duane Oakley, Devon AllmanDevon Allman, JD Simo, Duane BettsBerry Duane Oakley, Devon AllmanJohn GintyBerry Duane Oakley, Devon Allman, Duane BettsDevon AllmanJohn Lum, Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Johnny Stachela, R Scott BryanDuane Betts
The Great New York State Fair is gearing up to host the biggest event of the summer in Central New York, and kicking off August 21 and running through September 2, the 174th edition of The Great New York State Fair will be host to a wide range of artists, including many local and regional acts.
Mike Powell, a Syracuse native, is a prolific writer, songwriter and storyteller. Powell has toured with many greats, and shared the stage with Martin Sexton & Shooter Jennings and is a rising star in the regional scene, with honest and heartfelt songs.
C.K. & the Rising Tide is an alternative country/folk rock band hailing from Albany. C.K. & the Rising Tide’s brand of Americana features poetic, nostalgic lyrics supported by music that is rooted in rock n’ roll and has a highly emotive baseline.
The Lightkeepers are a Syracuse-based band that provides a soul, funk, rock, jazzy blues and roots experience. As the 2016 Syracuse Area Music Award (SAMMY) winners for “Best New Artist,” The Lightkeepers are now hitting their full stride in 2019. With the previous year delivering high energy performances on “Soundcheck Live” and at the New York State Blues Festival main stage, along with the release of their SAMMY Nominated sophomore album, Talking Man’s Blues, The Lightkeepers are quickly becoming revered for their mind-blowing jams and funky grooves.
Culture is reggae’s most dominating harmony group. Born in the 70′s golden age of reggae, Culture gained acclaim for its long series of classic “roots” albums. Joseph Hill, singer and songwriter for the legendary Jamaican vocal trio, collapsed and died while on a 2006 tour of Europe. Kenyatta Hill’s career began the day his father’s ended. Kenyatta stepped onstage and delivered electrifying performances and was able to complete the tour. While pursuing an active solo career, Hill keeps the Culture legacy alive by thrilling old and new fans with the classic sounds of this legendary harmony group. Performing at Jennings Landing in Albany with reggae from Jojo Romero & NIghtshift, Thursday, July 11, which was no exception.
Culture’s rendition of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” had chill fans swaying. When Kenyatta noted he was not political, but then began the first few notes of “Policeman,” a song with lyrics of mistreatment by police officers, the crowd roared in support of the band.
It was a fantastic show, which kept a large demographic of fans happy. The tones of Kenyatta’s voice were smooth yet robust. If you are a fan of reggae or would like to hear what it’s all about, definitely look out for Culture.
Caffè Lena will continue their Pride Series with a performance by Jonatha Brooke on July 18th at 7:00 pm. Jonatha has an extensive music resume. She has released eight albums under her own label, Bad Dog Records. Her songs have appeared in Disney films and in popular television shows, most notably the theme song for the television show “Dollhouse”. Currently, she has been writing songs with Katy Perry and The Courtyard Hounds.
Jonatha Brooke also wrote and performed in “My Mother Has 4 Noses” which was based upon living with her mother while she went through the later stages of Alzheimer’s. While living with her, she would write down the entertaining bits and pieces of their day to day life. She would encourage Jonatha and was a part of the process, noting when something she had said was particularly good. The title of the play itself comes from her mother, who said, “After all, how many people do YOU know who can say they have FOUR noses?”
Many have been touched by the play, and Jonatha has included a section on the website for “My Mother Has 4 Noses” where people can submit images of their loved ones and write something to honor them.
Jonatha has performed at functions in the past to support the LGBTQ community such as the LCCP (Lesbian Community Cancer Project) and is an ally to the LGBTQ community.
When diving into the music of Vera Sola, the inevitable result is a transportation. You’re picked up and delivered into a pensive, intimate, cathartic, often moody and sonically lush environment. It’s a world that is curated, with a meticulous intentionality towards each ambient instrumental flourish, and at the same time, wild with emotional abandon.
Before delving into playing her own music, Danielle Aykroyd was a seasoned storyteller and performer. Stemming from a love of poetry and prose, Aykroyd married her story crafting with music. With the release of 2018’s Shades, her full-length debut, Aykroyd achieved a personal and public triumph. Personally, it was a powerful fist-thump to the chest, as she took her music from the “smoky city hookah bars,” or “poorly lit open mics” she describes frequenting in an interview with Ravelin, to the public stage. In music news, it was a highly praised piece of work, lauded for its virtuosity and dynamism – a bold piece of work powered by a “unique talent,” as described by The Line of Best Fit.
“Someone once told me they find my sound to be ‘frustratingly influenceless,’ but I think that comes from the fact that there are so many disparate influences that a single vein is hard to find.”
Her songs are often a wrestling act, as she seeks to come to conclusions and confront often-harsh truths. There is an intoxicating, cathartic freedom to the heart-beat rhythms and layered harmonies abundant in her work. At the same time, there’s an astute self-reflection and caution – like someone who’s gathering courage to step over the line between darkness and light. It’s a balancing act shaped by the expressive vibrato of her voice. When she repeats “I want to hurt you,” in Shades’ “Small Minds,” it belies the complicated feelings beneath the surface – the feelings of somebody who couldn’t bear the thought of hurting somebody they love, yet wishes that person could feel a semblance of the pain they’ve caused.
Faced with a bit of downtime between tours, we connected with Vera to gather her thoughts on performing, songwriting, time spent in NYC and (local) plans for the future. Before heading off for a new round of shows, Aykroyd will join Sad Songs Summer Camp, an immersive songwriting workshop where guests will learn and craft music directly with the Milk Carton Kids and guest hosts.”Nestled in a remote camp in Big Indian, NY, she’ll be a featured songwriting and lyricism coach, working directly with camp goers to help them hone in and craft their stories. The camp takes place from July 23 to July 26 and space is limited. Learn more about joining.
Rob Simakovsky: You’ve recently finished a tour, traveling nationally and internationally. What was that experience like? Any highlights or favorite moments?
Vera Sola: The whole thing is so surreal. Two years ago I was holed up in my bedroom alone with my songs, and now I’m singing them out to faces around the world… in wild places like Alpine caves, or Prince’s club from Purple Rain, or a sold-out Saturday night at Irving Plaza. It’s like a fever dream. I still don’t believe it. When people tell me they like my music I experience this brain glitch, pure cognitive dissonance—“How do you know I make music?”
My very favorite show was the last one on this U.S. leg… there was a violent thunderstorm and the electricity cut out a number of times during my set. I ploughed through unplugged and unmic’ed, and the power kept dying and coming back for certain crucial moments in the set.
RS:Now that you have some down time, is there anything in particular you’re catching up on?
VS: I have trouble winding down, especially after working for so long without meaningful time off, so I’m just trying to be easy on myself. Allowing for days where I just watch TV and read and do laundry and don’t feel guilty that I haven’t written anything or solved some intense problem. I guess I’m just catching up on being a normal person in a house with a solid foundation.
That and writing and demoing. I have a lot of songs rattling the cages right now.
Photograph by Damon Duke
RS: You’ve performed with a full stage, but also often perform in your own intimate sets, supporting artists like The Milk Carton Kids. What’s the solo experience for you like on stage?
VS: The full band can be comfortable in that there’s a cushion to fall back on—other energies to draw on if I’m tired, other noises to cover for my mistakes. It’s far less vulnerable and easier to hide my humanity.
Solo there’s nothing but the self to confront and be confronted with. It’s harder to capture and keep the attention of an audience when one’s just up there alone. But if the landing sticks, it’s more rewarding because of how stacked the odds feel. Either way, bad show or good show, I think there’s great beauty and power to getting up there alone. And I like the more difficult route, I’ve never been one to just take what’s easiest.
RS:Many artists approach songwriting in different steps. Some write either the melody or lyrics first, and some may flesh out an entire story. How do you usually formulate your songs?
VS: Sometimes they come together, lyrics and music, sometimes they’re separate. I’m constantly writing, accounting for ideas. I write a lot in the notes on my phone, both fragments and fully fleshed poems. Sometimes there’s a melody to the words and sometimes not.
It depends on the situation. There are songs I’ve written in minutes, and songs I’ve been slaving over for years. There’s one in the bank right now that has my very favorite chorus I’ve ever written, but the verses—both lyrically and melodically—are objectively terrible. Don’t know what’s going to happen with that one. Hoping for a breakthrough at some point.
RS:Are there connecting themes between your music, or recurring themes you find yourself revisiting?
VS: I think a lot of my work comes out of longing. Not just a lovelorn longing—but for a better world, for reconciliation, for understanding. Longing, to me, is best described as a searching for something not immediately attainable. In that process I make a lot of music, fill that void, whatever it might be, with song.
RS:You mentioned you have a particular love for 70’s and 80’s punk. “The Cage” could almost be rearranged into a punk song with a drum and snare 4/4 rhythm. Does the “punk” pathos, or your history of punk influences play a role in your songwriting?
VS: Absolutely, all the music I’ve ever loved finds its way into my compositions. Someone once told me they find my sound to be “frustratingly influenceless,” but I think that comes from the fact that there are so many disparate influences a single vein is hard to find.
When it comes to punk, I’m definitely hindered by the fact that I barely know how to play guitar with a pick. Down-strokes are not my strong suit…That said, I do still have a rather hard-hitting sensibility to my stuff, especially when I’ve got the band going.
But I think even more than the sound itself, I’m influenced by the raw nature of punk, a sort of purity of expression. At a certain point I discovered that same unbridled truth in the work of early folk and blues songwriters like Skip James. And that’s what moves me most. I don’t like being limited by genre, I just want to play and sing and let fly what will. I need that freedom or I lose touch with myself as a person and a performer.
Vera Spla
RS:Let’s talk about your voice, particularly your expressive vibrato. Was it there before you found your songwriting niche, or did it develop as you found your own style?
VS: I’m not sure if I’ve found my songwriting niche yet! I have trouble locating what I do and how I write in any particular place at all.
As for my voice, it sort of appeared out of nowhere. I’d been writing songs for years, but was too afraid to sing them, and that fear was a literal choke-hold. Even when I decided I was going to record something (I didn’t know yet what it would be), I had a very limited vocal range. It wasn’t until I actually opened my mouth to sing in the studio that I let go of all that tension and fear, and that’s when the vibrato arrived. What’s particularly cool (to me) about the album I made is that it truly is a ‘record’ of that moment of catharsis. You hear, on those songs, me quite literally hearing my own voice for the first time.
That was just over two years ago now. I’ve grown stronger and more self-assured. I’ve certainly developed my voice—but it’s completely true that I didn’t even really have one until February 2017.
RS:A few of your songs seem to have thematic dualities: Peace and struggle; joy and longing; betrayal and forgiveness. There’s an acceptance of balance. Would life be too boring if things were always good, or as they should be?
VS: I’ve lived a very privileged life, but it surely hasn’t been without its sorrow. I’m lucky in that even in the darkest moments I’ve been able to hold on to my sense of humor. There’s a lot of laughter and good-hearted self-deprecation in my work. That’s where I find a sort of radical acceptance.
Otherwise I’m a person who feels very deeply, and everything around me deeply too. I’m quite a pessimist, so it’s hard to even imagine a perfect world. To be completely honest, I play music as a way to process and conquer and come to terms with what’s hard about life. So I probably wouldn’t be a musician if everything was awesome all the time.
RS: You spent a good amount of time in New York growing up, and have said that the NYC environment had an impact on your work. How?
VS: The city’s got this special coexistence of cold detachment and deep empathy. Growing up in that environment I learned to observe and to listen and to draw from the diversity of the surroundings for comfort and creativity.
RS: Any particular local spots you’d visit for artistic inspiration?
VS: I like to walk long distances alone and compose in my head as I do. Doesn’t really matter where, as long as I’m moving through the streets at a clipping speed, it’s good.
RS:After going on tour with The Milk Carton Kids, you’re now going to be a guest instructor on July 23 at their Sad Songs Summer Camp, where guests can workshop their songs directly with some amazing artists. How did the opportunity come about?
VS: Kenneth has been a dear friend for a little while. He says he’s always admired the way I approach lyrics in particular. I think the kicker, though, was a discussion we had about a couple of Dylan songs. I was giving him a run-down of various critical interpretations, as well as what the words meant to me personally, and he invited me to teach a course on lyricism and poetry. I told him that I was deeply unqualified but he made a compelling case for why I should do it, and it was such a great opportunity and he’s such a doll I couldn’t say no.
RS: How does it feel to be able to have a chance to coach others in their songwriting?
VS: Totally wild. I guess I do have a few tricks up my sleeve thanks to a striking combination of personal error and schooling. I’ve been lucky enough to study under some incredible poets and it’s cool to be able to pass along what they taught me.
RS:You recently released a couple of new singles,and are going to be playing a new set of shows in July and August. What exciting news should our readers keep in mind?
VS: More music as soon as humanly possible. I’m excited about what I’m making now.
RS:Being a storyteller, how might you give guidance to somebody who might have a start and end of a story, but not a middle?
VS: Oh gosh, I have a number of those going right now. I have no idea…make a list of possibilities and roll some dice maybe?
Update (July 10, 11:15 am): Woodstock 50 promoters have issued a statement after being denied a permit by the Town of Vernon to hold the festival at Vernon Downs in August. They will be appealing the codes enforcement officer’s ruling to the Town of Vernon Planning Board. The board has 30 days to rule on the appeal. A spokesperson for Woodstock issued the following statement late Tuesday:
In response to the denial of an event permit by the Town of Vernon, Woodstock 50 believes certain political forces may be working against the resurrection of the Festival. Local reports claim Woodstock’s filing for the permit was “incomplete” but that is not the case. Woodstock 50 officials were informed by the Town of Vernon that most questions had been answered and asked only that Woodstock submit medical, safety/security and traffic plans by this past Sunday, which it did. With a venue chosen, financing assembled and many of the artist’s supporting Woodstock’s 50th Anniversary event, the organizers are hopeful that their appeal and reapplication tonight will prevail without further political interference.
Syracuse.com is reporting that the Town of Vernon has denied an event permit application to hold the Woodstock 50 year anniversary at Vernon Downs Casino Hotel. The event was scheduled to be held Aug. 16-18 at the harness racing facility in rural Central New York.
Town attorney Vincent Rossi told the site that the application was submitted late and was “dramatically incomplete,” while also adding that Woodstock or Vernon Downs can file an appeal with the town planning board within five days. The board would then have 30 days to rule on the appeal.
Town Code Enforcement Officer Jody Thieme, in the town’s denial letter, cited a provision in the town code that calls for explicit plans for an event, including sanitation, parking, traffic control, emergency first aid, and evacuation procedures. The application, which was filed on July 3, lacked supporting documents detailing these requirements.
Vernon Downs Harness Racing Track
Additionally, town code requires applications to be submitted 120 days prior to an event, which would have been in April. Woodstock filed their initial application in June, according to officials.
Town residents and local law enforcement expressed concerns over the event at a town meeting held Monday night. The standing-room-only meeting was attended by nearly 100 people, many worried about the traffic, noise, and vandalism from the expected 65,000 attendees.
Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol and Oneida County Emergency Management Director Kevin Revere have spoken against hosting the event since the possibility of the Vernon site was announced, citing the lack of time needed to properly put it together.
At Monday’s meeting Maciol went a step further, saying, “It is impossible to ensure the safety of the public at this point. If you’re asking me right now, I’m not confident in saying the public will be safe.”
Revere added, “Any emergency management director will say there isn’t enough time to do this properly. The less time you have to plan this stuff, the margin of error goes up tremendously.”
With a mere 38 days left to pull off the festival, the fate of Woodstock 50 is seemingly sealed for good. The festival’s future has been in flux since April when original investors, Dentsu Aegis Network, effectively canceled the festival, sending the matter to court. Woodstock organizers sought to recoup $18.5 million they claimed was illegally taken from a festival account by Dentsu. That claim was ultimately denied at the appellate level.
Promoter Michael Lang had previously announced 80 acts to perform on three stages. Artists originally scheduled to perform include: Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, The Killers, The Lumineers, Dead & Company, The Raconteurs, Chance the Rapper, Imagine Dragons, Halsey, Santana, Greta Van Fleet, and John Fogerty.
Woodstock officials have not yet commented on the town’s decision or whether they would file an appeal.
Beach balls were flying and raindrops were falling during CountryFest at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Hosted by 107.7 WGNA, a country radio station out of Albany, CountryFest featured A-list country acts like Eli Young Band, Big & Rich, and Old Dominion. SPAC’s Live Nation Country concerts usually have a large turnout and this was no exception. The amphitheater was filled by the time Eli Young Band took the stage at 6:30 and the fans had already been enjoying themselves tailgating in the parking lot before making their way to their seat or placing their lawn chairs in the perfect place to view the concert.
Eli Young Band kicked off the show with a roar from the crowd. The rain didn’t keep the fans from having a good time singing along to the band’s hits, such as “Crazy Girl” and “Drunk Last Night.” They were a perfect opening act. Getting the crowd pumped with some of their country classics from the 2000’s, Eli Young Band started on the right note. Lead singer Mike Eli’s voice sounded just like the recordings fans know and love. It was very refreshing to hear country music sound as real as the topics being sung about.
The show took a turn when a DJ from Schenectady, New York started playing confusing mash-ups of country hits with early 2000’s hip-hop high school dance songs. Country music has been in its teenage phase of life and experimenting with many different elements of music, some further away from the singing pedal steel and lively fiddle riffs than others. An avenue that many country artists have tried out is rap and hip hop, incorporating the use of drum machines and quick-witted rap verses.
Big & Rich displayed that they are one of those artists that decided to drive head-on into this new sub genre of country music by inviting Texas country rapper Cowboy Troy on stage with them to add clever verses to their old songs and many of the cover songs that they performed. The whole performance felt a little too far from the celebration of country music that one would expect when going to a country music festival. They definitely brought the most “Wow” factor to the show and, for better or for worse, the crowd seemed to enjoy it. There were many parts of the performance where the looks on fans’ faces said, “What is going on?” Mostly when a man in a Spiderman suit came out and they started singing the Spiderman theme song. One commendable aspect of the show that was heartwarming and made any sense was when John Rich invited a United States veteran on stage and asked him to say a few words. After the few minutes of clarity, it went right back into a medley of songs from all different genres, from “American Pie” by Don McClain to “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, before finishing with their smash hit “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy).” Overall, the whole set left fans happy but slightly confused and wondering if they were still at CountryFest.
The night ended with the high energy, lovable group of guys known as Old Dominion. Their pop-country hits had people singing along and dancing until the end of the night. Matthew Ramsey’s charming personality reached out to many fans in the front by giving out high fives and signing personal items. They played a humanizing acoustic set while sharing their stories coming up as songwriters in Nashville, Tennessee. Playing songs that other country artists such as Blake Shelton and Dierks Bentley have made famous, the frontmen of the band, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, and Brad Tursi, revealed to the crowd that fans had been listening to their music for a while before Old Dominion was even making music together. Their story was very inspiring and the short acoustic versions shed light on not just how musically gifted the group is, but what brilliant songwriters they are as well. They announced that their new album is coming soon and gave CountryFest a sneak peek at a new song on the record called “Smooth Sailing.” The tune fits perfectly into their sound with a catchy melody and clever lyrics. Country music fans should keep their eyes and ears open for Old Dominion’s next album because if the rest of the record is as good as “Smooth Sailing,” it will be a great listen that embodies the fun aspects of country music.
