Jason Aldean played Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Thursday, September 5th to a solid crowd of country lovers of all ages. His return to upstate NY was greeted enthusiastically by fans who loved his top pop-country song of the summer “Rearview Town.”
Openers Carly Pearce and Kane Brown set the scene for a fun and energized night of popular country music. Kane’s opening was stylistically a mix that was unique for country, complete with a visual set that replicates more pop and rap music than the traditional country look. Pearce sounded amazing and is a major up-and-comer in the country scene. Watch for her to be one of the new top female artists in the industry.
Photo by Claude Sawyer
Aldean entered the stage in jeans, a black Motley Crue T-shirt, and a cowboy hat with his guitar slung over his shoulder. The words “Ride All Night Tour” shone in bright letters as Aldean’s shadow crossed behind the stage when he arrived, welcoming fans with a giant “What’s Up, New York!”
Aldean gave the fans what they wanted: his most popular hits. While some country stars use concerts to promote new music, Aldean played familiar and loved hits from throughout his career, not just his recent releases.
Every year, Aldean plays “Dirt Road Anthem,” a different song from his others in that it includes some rap elements. The crowd sang along to the song that emphasized the importance of enjoying your friends and being a good person.
Aldean bucked the tradition of waiting for fans to cheer for an encore. Instead, announcing he would stay on the stage and give more music to fans. He then sang a longer than usual end of the concert with upbeat fan favorites that became sing-alongs. Aldean truly can ride all night. Here’s to wishing he performed at SPAC more than once a year.
Hot off their summer tour, Collective Soul is finishing out the year with a series of fall headlining shows. Over the next couple months, they’ll be up and down the coast, from Niagara Falls, Canada and Portland, Maine all the way down through Florida. New York dates include Syracuse on September 28 and Huntington on October 2. Tickets are on sale now.
The setlist for their shows is sure to include songs that span their quarter-century-long catalog, from early works like “Shine,” “December” and “The World I Know,” as well as songs from their recently released tenth studio album, Blood.
“For us, we want to play the hits as we always do, but I think we also want to share the new record with our fans. At 25 years later, we want to say, ‘Hey, we’re still making the best that we can do.’ Right now, I’ve got seven of the new songs in the setlist, and hopefully, on some nights, we can play the whole thing from start to finish. I mean, it’s our 25th anniversary. We’re going at it hard, everyone! We’re going hard.”
– E Roland
Collective Soul Fall 2019 Tour Dates
Sept. 21 – The Wellmont Theater – Montclair, NJ
Sept. 22 – Shippensburg University – Shippensburg, PA
Sept. 24 – Capitol Center for the Arts – Concord, NH
Sept. 25 – Aura – Portland, ME
Sept. 27 – Eastern States Exposition – West Springfield, MA
Sept. 28 – Crouse-Hinds Theater – Syracuse, NY
Sept. 29 – Cabot Theater Beverly – Beverly, MA
Oct. 1 – Ridgefield Playhouse – Ridgefield, CT
Oct. 2 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY
Oct. 3 – Parx Casino – Bensalem, PA
Oct. 5 – Hops and Hogs Festival – Huntersville, NC
Nov. 7 – Niagara Fallsview Casino – Niagara Falls, Canada
Nov. 8 – Niagara Fallsview Casino – Niagara Falls, Canada
Nov. 22 – Hard Rock Live – Orlando, FL
Nov. 23 – Coral Springs Center for the Arts – Coral Springs, FL
Nov. 25 – Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts – Melbourne, FL
Nov. 26 – Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall – Sarasota, FL
“Strange where the muse can take you. I followed obediently, but I never would have guessed I’d find inspiration in old Chris Farley skits,” explained Saintseneca lead singer and songwriter Zac Little of the band’s newest track “In A Van.”
Little was revisiting ‘The Best of Chris Farley’ with some friends for the first time in over a decade, which led to the inspiration for the song. “This collection was a fixture of goofy-ness growing up, but it felt like a revelation that night. It was a strangely emotional experience. The gauzy 90’s TV sheen, the feathery haircuts, a couple cringe-y jokes that didn’t age well. But I saw his talent and craft shine through, in a way I had never quite noticed before. It was amazing, funny, and a little sad – knowing the end while witnessing the best all at once. What a weird nostalgia trip to fall into some 25 years later- all tangled up with life and memory – the same old thing, accumulating new meaning with time. I felt old. I felt like a kid.”
Saintseneca released their latest album, Pillar of Na, in the summer of 2018. Pillar of Na is Saintseneca’s most ambitious album to date, with Little aiming to incorporate genre elements he’d rarely heard in folk. “I wanted to use the idiom of folk-rock, or whatever you want to call it and to try to do something that had never been done before,” he said. “To reach way back, echoing ancient folk melodies, tie that into punk rock, and then push it into the future. I told [the album’s producer] Mike Mogis I wanted Violent Femmes meets the new Blade Runner soundtrack. I’m looking for the intersection between Kendrick Lamar and The Fairport Convention.”
Saintseneca Tour Dates 9/17 – Washington DC – Comet Ping Pong 9/18 – Philadelphia, PA – Boot & Saddle 9/19 – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right 9/20 – Portsmouth, NH – 3S Artspace 9/21 – Allston, MA – Great Scott 9/28 – Columbus, OH – Land Grant Brewing 10/11 – Lexington, KY – The Burl 10/13 – Lawrence, KS – White School House 10/15 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall 10/17 – Boise, ID – Neurolux 10/18 – Pendleton, OR – Great Pacific 10/19 – Yakima, WA – Single Hill Brewing 10/21 – Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern 10/22 – Portland, OR – Polaris Hall 10/24 – Sacramento, CA – Momo Sacramento 10/25 – San Francisco, CA – Café Du Nord 10/26 – Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Bar 10/28 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe reconnects for a ‘Thick As Thieves’ fall tour. This 22 show tour in October and November comes just after Denson’s summer stretch as a saxophonist with The Rolling Stones. After shows in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, KDTU will be joined for the remainder of the tour by Thievery Corporation.
The tour will feature KDTU’s first album in the past five years, Gnomes and Badgers, which was released earlier this year by Seven Spheres Records. Blending rock, soul and classic funk, the album takes a dive into the many controversial topics of today. This includes the album’s first single ‘Change My Way’ which gives a moving statement about the issues going on at the US border.
KDTU will kick off their tour on Thursday, Oct. 3. Tickets are available now and can be purchased here on KDTU’s website. See the full list of dates below.
Oct.3 – The Pour House – Charleston, SC Oct.4 – Big House Museum – Macon, GA Oct.5 – Orange Peel – Asheville, NC Oct.6 – Elevation 27 – Virginia Beach, VA Oct.8 – The Hamilton Live – Washington, DC Oct.9 – The Neighborhood Theatre – Charlotte, NC Oct.10 – The Broadberry – Richmond, VA Oct.11 – Rex Theater – Pittsburg, PA Oct.12 – The Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA * Oct.13 – House of Blues – Boston, MA* Oct.15 – Aura – Portland, ME Oct.16 – Le Capitole – Quebec City, Canada* Oct.17 – Mtelus – Montreal, Canada * Oct.18 – Putnam Place – Saratoga, NY Oct.24 – The Fillmore – Detroit, MI * Oct.25 – The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN * Oct.27 – Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN * Oct.28 – House of Blues – Chicago, IL* Nov.6 – The Fillmore – Miami, FL * Nov.7 – The Ritz – Tampa, FL* Nov.8 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA * Nov.9 – House of Blues – Orlando, FL *
With three of the most prolific rock guitarists in the world, GE Smith (Hall & Oates, Bob Dylan & SNL band), Jim Weider (The Band & Levon Helm Band), and Duke Levine (Peter Wolf, Rosanne Cash), this is sure to be a historic night of roots rock n’ roll. Playing tunes from Roy Buchanan, Little Richard, Neil Young, Jimmy Reed, Steve Winwood, Sam Cooke and more, the Masters of the Telecaster promises to be a full night of quality music. Opening for the show will be Nate Gross Band followed by Sly Fox.
Jim Weider, a master of classic telecaster guitar, is renowned for his rock and a blues-based signature sound. He is among a select group of musicians with an endorsement from Fender, and for the past three decades, he’s earned enormous respect from fellow musicians and music fans throughout the world.
Born and raised in the famed arts colony of Woodstock, NY, Jim received great acclaim during his long tenure (1985-2000) as lead guitarist (replacing Robbie Robertson) for Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame inductees, The Band. During 15 years of international touring with original members Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, and Rick Danko, Jim was featured on numerous albums, films, videos, and television appearances. Highlights included a 1990 performance with The Band and Ronnie Hawkins at The Berlin Wall concert, produced by Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, and several cable TV specials including “The Bob Dylan Tribute” at Madison Square Garden, “The Road,” and “This Country’s Rocking.” Jim performed and recorded at the “Unofficial Blue Jean Bash” for President Clinton’s 1993 Inaugural Ball, with special guests Bob Dylan, Steven Stills and Dr. John, was on a 1994 pay-per-view concert telecast from the Woodstock ’94 Festival, and a 1995 appearance on the A&E Biography documentary “The Authorized Video Biography The Band” for cable TV and video, released by ABC Video.
Jim furthered his reputation as a versatile and talented guitarist in performances and recordings with Scotty Moore, Keith Richards, Los Lobos, Graham Parker, Taj Mahal, Mavis Staples, Hot Tuna, Bob Weir/Rat Dog, Johnny Paycheck, James Talley, Kim Wilson, Paul Butterfield and Robbie Dupree, among many others.
G.E. Smith was Music Director and led the Saturday Night Live (SNL) band for 10 years. During this time he also toured with Bob Dylan for four years. He also helped Mike Myers write a song for Aerosmith for when they performed on SNL. G.E. Smith was sought out by major recording artists like Jagger, who, shortly after Live Aid, called Smith to work with him on his first solo album, She’s the Boss. During this period Smith also did a few one-off recordings and concerts with David Bowie and Peter Wolfe. He just finished a three year run with Roger Water’s WALL LIVE worldwide tour.
Guitarist Robert “Duke” Levine was born and raised in Worcester, MA. He moved to Boston to study music and graduated from the New England Conservatory. In addition to releasing five records of instrumental guitar music, Duke Levine divides his time between the studio and the road. He has recorded and/or performed live with Peter Wolf, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rosanne Cash, Lee Ann Womack, The J. Geils Band, Robbie Fulks, Slaid Cleaves, Aimee Mann, Jonathan Brooke, The Del Fuegos, Otis Rush, and many others.
TV appearances include The Late Show w/ David Letterman, The Tonight Show, Late Show w/Conan O’Brien, Late Night w/ Jimmy Fallon, Austin City Limits, and Soundstage. You can hear his playing on film scores such as “Lone Star,” “The Opposite Of Sex,” “Passion Fish,” “Honeydripper” and “Music Of The Heart.” Duke’s work has been recognized by the Boston Music Awards (“Unsung Hero” of 2006, “Outstanding Instrumentalist” of 1995). He is featured in the book: The Fender Telecaster: The Life And Times Of The Electric Guitar That Changed The World, by Dave Hunter.
Wallis Bird‘s upcoming album, Woman, is both a rebellious act of self-advocacy and a call to action. Wallis Bird is an accomplished musician from Ireland with a unique sound. When she was young, Wallis was involved in an accident where she lost all of the fingers on her left hand. Fortunately, all but one were able to be reattached. This has impacted the way she plays her guitar. She performs with it flipped, lending to her distinct musical quality.
Womancomes twelve years after her first album, and it is a reflection on the things Wallis has learned, both about herself and humanity. It serves as a way to impart what she has discovered and to rouse her audience into wanting change. To change the world around them; to be a kinder place.
In “Life Is Long,” Wallis reminds us that while a lifetime may seem like a long period, time itself is very brief. Each moment needs to be savored, which is something that is easy to forget in a world of instant gratification and constant distractions.
In “Salve,” a previously released track from the album, Wallis sings, “I’m practicing what I’m preaching, no else is going to save me,” a lyric which shows she has learned responsibility for her own self-growth. It’s easy to be sold on a version of yourself when you’re constantly fed images via social media. The desire to model yourself after someone else, who appears to be living an ideal lifestyle is tempting, but Wallis seems to ask you to step back from all of that, to evaluate yourself based on your own standards and decide what it is that you truly value. Create your own rubric to measure yourself by and define your own happiness.
Wallis invites introspection in her track “Brutal Honesty,” where she is, as the title suggest, with herself and shows awareness about how her own words impact others. She invites the listener to step inside her thoughts, where an act of intimacy becomes a shared experience with many. In “Repeal” she advocates for the right to decide what is best. In the current political climate, as a woman, others in power feel that it is up to them to make decisions for you. Wallis Bird speaks out against this, fighting to take ownership of her own choices in life.
Wallis Bird presents you with singable tunes that are joyous in sound yet carry deep messages that comes from introspection and reflecting on the changing world at large. It is a blend of soul roots and her love of the various genres that have influenced her. It stands as a testament to who she is and who she has built herself to be.
“Woman” will be released on September 27th. To catch her on tour, you can find her upcoming shows here.
Key Tracks: Salve, Brutal Honesty, As the River Flows.
The celebration they wanted – a weekend of music on the site of the 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair – continued following Arlo Guthrie’s opening performance to commemorate 50 years since the festival occurred.
Many alumni from the 1969 festival returned to Bethel Woods over the course of the four days to breathe life into their memories, joined by younger generations looking to enjoy music and learn about a piece of 1960’s history.
Each of the three nights brought back performers from the 1969 festival. The Beatles never played Woodstock as they were busy working on their album, Abbey Road. However, Ringo Starr and his All Star Band brought Santana’s keyboardist back to the stage to jam on a couple of Santana’s early works and paid tribute to other performances from 1969, with a medley of tunes later in the set. Saturday brought Carlos Santana back to the stage, with a little help from The Doobie Brothers. Closing out the weekend was a powerful set by Creedance Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty who, at age 74, rocked with the stage presence and humor of someone 30 years younger. Other 1969 performers to hit the stage included Blood, Sweat & Tears (new lineup) and Edgar Winter, who sat in with his brother Johnny for part of his Woodstock set.
John Fogerty (photo by Kevin Ferguson/Bethel Woods)
Scenes from the 1970 Woodstock documentary immortalized the weather that mired parts of the festival. Somewhat true to that form, some threats of weather and a short but heavy rain hindered the festivities a little bit. Spirits were kept up; some recreating the “no rain!” chants and others taking the opportunity to chat and share stories while activities were on hold.
The weekend was a perfect pace to celebrate the history, and anniversary, of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. Although the 50th anniversary weekend is behind us, the conversation will keep going. The Museum at Bethel Woods has done an excellent job at preserving and documenting the history of Woodstock with their permanent exhibit and their special exhibit, “We Are Golden: Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of the Woodstock Festival and Aspirations for a Peaceful Future” which remains open through October.
Stay tuned to NYS Music as we bring you parts three and four of our coverage, featuring stories from people who were there, including Nick & Bobbie Ercoline, Duke Devlin, and photographer/Hog Farm member, Lisa Law.
Photos by Steve Malinski.
Main stage photos below by Kevin Ferugson/Bethel Woods:
Eddie Money (née Edward Joseph Mahoney), the Brooklyn-born, Long Island-raised rocker famous for the hits “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Think I’m In Love,” and “Shakin’” died peacefully early Friday morning according to a statement released by his family.
Late last month, the singer revealed he had been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer, which is what ultimately took his life.
Photo: Steve Malinski, Monument Square – Troy, NY
The statement provided by his family said:
The Money Family regrets to announce that Eddie passed away peacefully early this morning. It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to our loving husband and father. We cannot imagine our world without him. We are grateful that he will live on forever through his music.
Money moved to Berkley, CA in 1968 and signed a recording contract with Columbia Records. He eventually charted in the late ’70s with the hits “Baby Hold On” and “Two Tickets to Paradise” and became a fixture during the early days of MTV with hits such as “Shakin’” and the duet with Ronnie Spector, “Take Me Home Tonight.”
He is survived by his wife Laurie and five children, Zachary, Jessica, Joseph, Julian, and Desmond.
Chameleonize, a six-piece acid-jazz / funk-fusion band based in New York City have recently released their latest single Day Job, and have been tapped to perform at Brooklyn Bowl for the first time on Monday, September 16 with Funk You and Bencoolen.
Chameleonize draw influences from Erykah Badu, Snarky Puppy, and Hiatus Kaiyote. They combine complex musical sequences with attractive pop melodies and hip-hop grooves, and exhibit a unique twist on contemporary music.
For their Brooklyn Bowl premiere on Monday, September 16th, Chameleonize will open the night with Funk You and Bencoolen following. Listen to Chameleonize “Day Job” below.
Hailing from the East Side Georgia town of Augusta, Funk You is an outgoing burst of energy that is continually climbing their way to the top of the music scene. This “funk” oriented outfit projects multiple musical styles focusing mainly on dance driven grooves with powerful clean vocals. Incorporating intriguing musical composition, tasteful lyrics, and crowd captivating live performances, Funk You is surely to make an imprint on your musical taste.
Bencoolen, a maximalist rock band that includes blues, funk, and soul influences in their sound. The band features soaring vocals, swift sax lines, and huge guitar tones. Bencoolen grabbed a hometown sell out show in Washington DC in September 2018. They have also supported Marcus King, Mihali of Twiddle, Spafford, Mungion, Atlas Road Crew, Mondo Cozmo, and Big Something. The band landed major festival slots 2017-2019 around the East Coast, including at Firefly, Musikfest, the Big What, and Savannah Stopover.
On Wednesday, September 25, The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY will host “There’s A Reward,” a musical tribute to Neal Casal, who tragically passed away on August 26. Casal’s former bandmates and musical friends will join together to remember his friendship and music in a career-spanning musical biography.
Artists scheduled to appear include:
Beachwood Sparks, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Circles Around the Sun, Joe Russo, Dave Dreiwitz, Tom Hamilton & Scott Metzger, Hazeldine, Mapache, Dave Schools, Citizen Cope, Jeff Hill, Bob Glaub, Dan Fadel, Davis Jaynes, Don Heffington, Dori Freeman, Jesse Aycock, John Ginty, Jon Graboff, John Lee Shannon, Kenny Roby, Leslie Mendelson, Rickey Medlocke, Robbi Robb, and Zephaniah Ohora. Additional special guests to be announced soon.
Tickets for There’s A Reward: A Celebration Of The Life & Music Of Neal Casal go on-sale this Friday, September 13 at Noon ET with all net proceeds to be donated to MusiCares®. A special pre-sale begins today from 1pm to 10pm ET with passcode: moonlight.
Circles Around The Sun had completed recording a new studio album the week prior to his passing. The album’s producer Jim Scott will see the recording through to its completion with plans being made for its release in early 2020. CATS had also collaborated with drummer Joe Russo on an EP entitled ‘Circles Around The Sun Meets Joe Russo’ that was already set to be released October 18 on limited edition vinyl and digital formats.
CATS had previously announced tour dates in October and December, while plans were in the works for the band’s busiest year yet in 2020. Casal left behind specific wishes for Circles Around The Sun to continue in his absence. The surviving members, keyboardist Adam MacDougall, bassist Dan Horne and drummer Mark Levy, have decided to honor that request and move forward together. A new guitar player will be announced shortly and all 2019 tour dates will go on as scheduled.
Circles Around the Sun Tour Dates
October 16 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile October 17 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom October 18 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel October 19 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s October 20 – Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon October 24 – Live Oak, FL – Hulaween December 27 – Denver, CO – The Gothic Theatre December 29 – Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theater December 31 – Buena Vista, CO – Ivy Ballroom January 7-12 – Miami, FL – Jam Cruise
