Their identities may be under wraps but Here Come the Mummies are the high power funk band you didn’t know you needed in your life. Playing to a crowd at Albany’s Skyloft, most didn’t know what to expect but found themselves moving to the consistently energizing funk.
This 11-piece group is anonymous, supposedly cursed after deflowering a great Pharaohâs daughter, or perhaps they are reincarnated Grammy-Winning studio musicians. Either way, the performance from a Mummies show is second to none and more visits to the Empire State are in order.
Over the course of their two hour set full of originals, many with suggestive lyrics, had the audience cracking up while they’re getting down. “Pants,” “Shag Carpet” and “Freak Flag” all had their own elements of kink and double entendre, while “Bring that (Bootie) Down” and “Ra Ra Ra” filled in with big band funk that is a rare find these days.
The attentive ear could even catch riffs of Wreckx-N-Effect “Rump Shaker” that beckoned for the crowd to get down. An encore of “Dirty Minds” summed up the band’s style in both sound and lyrics, and kept the audience waiting for more. Here Come the Mummies will surely rise again in the Capital District.
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.
Because Jewish, whose mission is “to bring Judaism into the now,” will host their eighth annual “musically and spiritually driven” High Holidays services at various NYC venues, and they’ve got some cool musicians lined up to help out as usual.
All four services will be led by Rabbi Daniel Brenner and musical director Jordan McLean (of Antibalas), who will lead a house band featuring other Antibalas members as well as drummer John Bollinger (Barbez, Antony and the Johnsons, Sway Machinery) and Yula Beeri (The Hive/Hyrda). Rabbi Dan Ain and Jeremiah Lockwood (who was a live member of Balkan Beat Box) will also serve as “musical and spiritual supervisors remotely.” Sydney Faith Rose will also lead a meditation at each service. “Hopefully, we will have a few other familiar faces joining us throughout this special period, too,” the organizers say.
The services include the First Night of Rosh Hashanah at 7:30 PM on September 29 at Nublu Classic with special guest musicians Stuart Bogie (Superhuman Happiness, Arcade Fire, Craig Finn, etc), Lenny Kanye (Patti Smith Group), Dave Harrington (Darkside), and Amir Zir, with Stuart Bogie leading a jam session after the service.
On September 30, they’ll host Bowl Hashanah at Brooklyn Bowl, starting at 10 AM, with guest musician Aaron Diskin (Golem). After the service, Armo, “a spiritually driven Antibalas configuration,” will perform during the complimentary lunch.
They’ll observe Kol Nidre at Cutting Room on October 8 at 7 PM with special guest soloist Anthony Russell chanting Kol Nidre and Avinu Malkeinu, while accompanied by McLean and his band.
Finally, Yom Kippur will be celebrated at 10 AM on October 9 at Cutting Room, once again with Anthony Russell, and The National collaborator Josh Kaufman will be one of the guest musicians at this one.
The High Holidays Pass that gets you into all four events. More info here and on Facebook.
It has been eight years since Of Monsters and Men released their mega-hit song “Little Talks” from their debut album My Head is an Animal. This past July they released their third full-length project, Fever Dream, and have now embarked on a North American tour in support.
The second stop on the tour found the band playing a sold out show at New York’s famous Radio City Music Hall with support from Lower Dens. The hall quickly filled with a crowd of truly all ages and backgrounds, from teenagers to adults, with many different foreign languages represented. Of Monsters and Men have a reach that is truly worldwide and fans in NYC could not wait for their chance to see them.
Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
The show kicked off with the opening track from Fever Dream, “Alligator.” The band ended up playing nearly 3/4 of the new album throughout the show. It was not until the second to last song of the main set where OMAM finally gave in and played “Little Talks” to a crowd shouting the entire song.
Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
The band continues their run of US shows until the end of September, with one Vancouver show on September 28. They wrap up the tour with a triumphant hometown festival appearance in Reykjavik, Iceland at Iceland Airwaves 2019 on November 6-9.
This Thursday, September 19, Saratoga Springs is in for one heck of a party, when Andy Frasco and the U.N. descend upon Putnam Place for one of the best shows you’ll see all fall. The high energy performance Frasco and his band bring to the stage, coupled with local Indie rockers Wild Adriatic opening the night, means an intense night of music you won’t soon forget is on tap.
Renowned for a jubilant jambalaya of rule-breaking rock n roll his career kept rolling ahead at full steam, Andy Frasco has been busy. He has released three independent albums, chronicled a German gig in front of 15,000 screaming fans on the recent live opus Songs from the Road, made jaws drop at festivals such as Grandoozy, Firefly, Mountain Jam, Summer Camp, Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park and Electric Forest, generated millions of streams, launched Andy Frasco’s World Saving Podcast, and performed at festivals alongside icons such as Peter Frampton, Gary Clark Jr., The Revivalists, Snoop Dog, Dr. Dog, Joe Walsh and Kendrick Lamar, to name a few.
Wild Adriatic has added more depth and dimensions to the band’s expansive rock and soul filled sound over the course of 2019, including a brand new collaboration EP release and their tour in support of partners-in-crime Andy Frasco & the U.N. Get ready for an incredible night in Saratoga on Thursday, September 19! For more information visit PutnamPlace.com
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.
Banks brought her energetic live show to Brooklyn Steel on September 10 in support of her fantastic new LP, III. This was a second night added due to the first night on September 8 selling out so quickly.
Kevin Garrett opened the night with a soulful, beat-backed set of ballads. The crowd was full of Kevin Garrett fans as they willed him on by, singing and dancing along. His new album Hoax, released back in March of this year, was a nice complement to the evening, setting a warm tone but not stealing away any energy from Banks.
As the stage hands removed the opening band’s instruments, it was immediately clear that she would be dancing from one end of the stage to the other. With a keyboard set-up far stage left and a drum kit far stage right, the entire Brooklyn Steel stage was turned into Banks’ and Co. personal dance floor – and they sure used every inch.
The audience was in full-throat for every song – belting out all the lyrics and trying to mimic Banks’ dance moves on the packed GA floor. Some of the more adventurous dancers drifted to the back of the room and the balcony where there was ample space to dance.
On Wednesday September 11, the Outlaw Music Festival made its stop at the historic Forest Hills Stadium. The traveling festival treated fans to a lineup that included Lukas Nelson & The Promise of The Real, Alison Krauss, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, and the return to the stage for the legendary Willie Nelson. On a day when we remember the biggest tragedy in the history of our nation, we also remember the unity it brought, and that’s the message these amazing musicians spread to a united New York City audience.
Boris needs no introduction at this point in their career. Their upcoming studio release, LφVE & EVφL, will be their 25th(!) full length LP to date. This is not even counting the numerous live albums, EPs, demos and collaborations they have put out since their formation in 1992 in Tokyo.
The band is currently on a lengthy tour of North America and they rolled through Elsewhere, Brooklyn on Tuesday night in advance of the new album being released. Uniform provided support, delivering a very heavy and frenetic opening set, dense with noise and reverb.
Boris took to the stage with little fanfare, and quietly began setting up their loops and pedals. Then, equipped with a double neck guitar/bass combo, Takeshi Ohtani began laying down the heavy drones. The set had many peaks and valleys as the band transitioned from heavy, nearly uncomfortable drones to more melodic and vocal bits. All three band members contribute to the vocals, making for a very hypnotic sound.
During the encore, Uniform joined Boris on stage for a rendition of “Akuma no Uta,” the title track from their 2013 full length. This was quite the treat for the many Uniform fans in the crowd. The show concluded with the track “Statement,” a track from an alternate version of the album Smile.
Boris continue on their long tour with upcoming stops in the Northeast and on the West Coast before heading back to Japan. The band will end the tour, and their 2019 with a show in Athens, Greece on December 21.
Following six sold-out Caribbean cruises and a sold-out inaugural Mediterranean sailing, legendary guitarist Joe Bonamassa, along with the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, and Sixthman, have announced the second annual Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Mediterranean II cruise. The cruise sets sail August 14 to 19, 2020 on the Norwegian Jade, leaving from Barcelona, Spain with stops in Genoa, Italy and Cannes, France.
The cruise will feature blues musicians Jonny Lang, Walter Trout, Ana Popovic, The James Hunter Six, with more to be announced. They’ll be joined by just announced artists Marc Broussard, Samantha Fish, King King, Jimmy Vivino, The Suffers, Selwyn Birchwood, The Cold Stares, Daddy Long Legs, Elles Bailey, Ben Levin, and Lakota John, in addition to New Hartford, NY native Bonamassa for this second European voyage.
Music will be featured across multiple stages, as well meet and greets with artists, and one-of-a-kind collaborative sets from blues legends. In addition to non-stop music, the specially curated schedule of events offers a variety of music-centric activities including an activity with Joe Bonamassa. Beyond the onboard experience, guests will have the chance to explore two of the world’s most beautifully renowned cities. Attendees can spend the day at the waterfront town of Cannes, famous for sparkling, sandy beaches and lush attractions, and explore the historic streets of Genoa, a remarkable gem of the Italian Riviera.
Bonamassa has also announced the release of Live at the Sydney Opera House, featuring recordings from his 2016 performance at the UNESCO Heritage Monument. The album will include previously unreleased live versions of tracks from his No. 1 album Blues of Desperation.
Band members on the live release includeLate Night with David Letterman‘s Anton Fig (percussion), Nashville recording legend Michael Rhodes (bass), Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and member of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Reese Wynans (keyboards), Paulie Cerra (sax), and Lee Thornburg (trumpet), with Mahalia Barnes, Juanita Tippins, and Gary Pinto on backing vocals.
Pressed on vinyl 180 Gram and including a commemorative booklet, the Double LP features the exclusive bonus track “Livin’ Easy,” and is due out on J&R Adventures October 25. Pre-order has begun and you can listen to the first track “This Train” below.
Live at the Sydney Opera House follows the 2018 release of British Blues Explosion Live, which marked Bonamassa’s milestone 20th #1 album, and precedes his latest studio album Redemption that took the blues world by storm later that year, bringing him his 21st #1 album on the blues charts.
In addition to Live at the Sydney Opera House, Bonamassa has a new studio album on the horizon, and plans to hit the studio this winter, following his extensive international and U.S. tour dates.
Fall 2019 Tour Dates
Friday, October 18 – Oakland, CA – Paramount Theatre
Saturday, October 19 – Oakland, CA – Paramount Theatre
Tuesday, October 22 – Bakersfield, CA – Fox Theater
Wednesday, October 23 – Rancho Mirage, CA – The Show at Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage
Friday, October 25 – Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theatre
Sunday, October 27 – Las Vegas, NV – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace
Tuesday, October 29 – Oklahoma City, OK – Chesapeake Energy Arena
Wednesday, October 30 – Wichita, KS – Century II Concert Hall
Friday, November 1 – Springfield, MO – Juanita K. Hammons Hall
Saturday, November 2 – Kansas City, MO – Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
Sunday, November 3 – Springsfield, IL – University of Illinois Springfield Performing Arts Center
Tuesday, November 5 – South Bend, IN – Morris Performing Arts Center
Thursday, November 7 – Madison, WI – Orpheum Theater
Friday, November 8 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
Saturday, November 9 – Washington D.C. – The Theater at MGM National Harbor
Monday, November 11 – Burlington, VT – Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
Tuesday, November 12 – Binghamton, NY – Broome County Forum Theatre
