On Thursday April 4, 2019, the Atlanta, Georgia southern rock band Blackberry Smoke pulled into the historic State Theatre in the beautiful downtown Ithaca Commons area as a stop on their 2019 “Break It Down” spring acoustic tour.
Blackberry Smoke is currently on tour promoting their newly released EP, The Southern Ground Sessions, during this spring 2019 tour. This is the band’s first ever acoustic run. Blackberry Smoke has been a staple in the rock and southern rock genre since the early 2000s, however, it has been quite difficult to accurately define their sound which has most definitely become their own, combining an eclectic mix of rock, blues, country and folk.
Blackberry Smoke’s line up consists of Charlie Starr (lead vocals, guitar), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Brandon Still (keyboards, piano). Joining the band on stage was first call touring guitarist, session player and producer Benji Shanks.
Benji Shanks and Charlie Starr
With six studio albums under their belt, including Bad Luck Ainât No Crime (2004), Little Piece of Dixie (2009), The Whippoorwill (2012), Holding All the Roses (2015), Like an Arrow (2016) and Find a Light (2018), Blackberry Smoke has two Billboard chart-topping country albums and an enormous catalog of songs to choose from. Hailing from Atlanta, these Southern boys are no stranger to the road, touring and performing throughout the United States. Blackberry Smoke have headlined as well as opened for major artists such as Zac Brown Band, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Church and more. For nearly two decades they continue to tear up the charts and the road with mega hits and touring, playing on average, 250 shows a year. They have developed quite the eclectic fan base as well, ranging from the classic Southern rock, country, rock and roll, grassroots and jam band fans. They have been known to frequently break into long jams, throwing covers into the mix of their music and play all night long.
After a mesmerizing opening set from Ida Mae, a talented husband and wife duo from the UK, Blackberry Smoke casually strolled onto the stage around 9 p.m. and played a two hour set, featuring nineteen songs which included three encores. The stage was intimately set with four stools in the front along with the small acoustic drum set stage right and the vintage looking keyboard stand stage left surrounded by table lamps set atop draped curtains and throws most likely covering amps. There were dozens of dimly lit amber electric candles throughout the stage as well making for a relaxing and comforting atmosphere. As lead singer/guitarist Charlie Starr was taking his seat before kicking off the set, he greeted the State Theatre audience by saying “welcome to our living room”
From L-R – Richard Turner, Benji Shanks, Charlie Starr
Blackberry Smoke kicked off their set with the 1927 Thomas Darby and Jimmie Tarlton classic “Columbia Stockade Blues,” followed by “Believe You Me” from their 2016 album Like an Arrow and “Too High” from the 2015 album Holding all the Roses. The band continued to play many of their well known hits as well as some lesser know songs from their immense catalog throughout the two hour performance. Nevertheless, all the songs lended favorably to the acoustic arrangements that these seasoned musicians performed for the exhilarated crowd at the State Theatre. The band kept their performance light and fun, interacting with the crowd and telling some interesting stories behind many of the songs or from their road escapades. At one point Charlie talked about touring the city of Ithaca, from visiting a vintage music store, yet forgoing a purchase during this trip, to visiting Cornell University’s Barton Hall and commenting about the diverse musical history at this famed field house. He commented that he learned that the Grateful Dead’s performance here in 1977 is considered one of the best shows of their career and that they were indeed in good company as fellow Georgian rap artist Ludacris too roamed the Big Red Campus at one point. Charlie and the rest of the band seemed to connect well with the crowd in Ithaca during this stripped down, personal feeling “Break It Down” acoustic show.
Benji Shanks and Charlie Starr
Blackberry Smoke Setlist – State Theatre Ithaca, NY 4/4/2019.
1.Columbia Stockade Blues 2. Believe You Me 3. Too High 4. Sure Was Good 5. Crimson Moon 6. Old Shoes 7. Best Seat In The House 8. Medicate My Mind 9. Lay It All On Me 10. Ain’t Wastin’ Time 11. Run Away 12. Like An Arrow 13. Ain’t Gonna Wait 14. Free On The Wing 15. Ain’t Got The Blues 16. Up The Road . ENCORE: 17. Loser 18. One Horse Town 19. Ain’t Much Left
Blackberry Smoke perform at the State Theatre in Ithaca, NY
The Allman Betts Band took to the Strand Center, for their fourth ever show, in Plattsburgh last Saturday. The newly grouped is fronted by Devon Allman and Duane Betts, the sons of Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band.
The night was kicked off by Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root who showed off his impressive vocal range before ending with the Rusted Root classic “Send Me On My Way”.
The Allman Betts Band began their show with “Gonna Fly Now” (the Theme from Rocky) playing, and just as the song hit itsclimax, the band kicked in and transitioned into “All Night,” a song off their upcoming debut album. The talent in the room was never hidden, both Allman and Betts showcased their pure skill that can only be compared to that of their parents throughout the night. The band covered some Allman Brothers Band songs during their set and they also played an astonishing rendition of Prince’s “Purple Rain.”
The influence that Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts had on Devon and Duane was shown the whole night, while they certainly have their own sound (especially with their originals), they were both able to play their guitars as only their fathers could.
Lotus unleashed high energy into the Brooklyn Bowl on Friday night, with two sets of their eclectic, instrumental, dance multi-genre sound. The band members include Mike Rempel (guitar), Jesse Miller (bass/sampler), Mike Greenfield (drums), Luke Miller (guitar/keyboards) and Chuck Morris (percussion). Originally from Goshen College in Indiana, the band is now based out of Philadelphia and Denver.
Jaw Gems opened for Lotus, and successfully warmed up the crowd. They are an electronic band from Maine that is creating beat music in a more organic live setting. Friday’s lineup included bass, drums and synthesizer, and delivered dark grooves that flowed into one another.
Lotus took the stage in front of the packed crowd, and picked up where they left off on Thursday night, which included a rare Talking Heads Deconstructed set with Gabe Otto at the Brooklyn Bowl. The flawless transitions combined with powerful electro-pop beats of “Intro into a Cell” > “E” > “Trip” > “Stranger Danger” had the floor dancing and excited almost instantly. Other notable songs include the hip-hop based “Golden Ghost” > “Intro” and the electronic groove “Anti-Gravity” > “B” > “Comptroller”. Throughout the set, Rempel delivered intense guitar riffs, and had excellent synergy with both Jesse and Luke Miller.
Lotus emerged after the break with “Nematode,” a fan favorite from their Gemination album. The dark “Bellwether,” another classic Lotus tune from their Hammerstrike album, and the newer hip hop tune “Gunk,” from their recent Frames Per Second album, both showcased Greenfield’s drumming versatility and skills. The jam of the night was undoubtedly “Arupa” > “½” > “Bubonic” > “B” > “Flower Sermon” and included elements of Lotus old and new. “Arupa”’s organic feel was great contrast to the edgy “Flower Sermon.” The band closed out the night with the cohesive, funky dance tune “Sift.”
Lotus brought their signature jamming to the sold out Brooklyn Bowl on Friday night, and sent their fans home exhilarated after a night of intense dancing.
Jaw Gems Setlist: Parch, Graymalkin, Ohio, Sap Flow, Young Pulp, Sweet Egg, Liquid Purchase, (INTERLUDE//MPC SWITCH), Rvil, Sleep arena, Peace Pipe, Narrows, Party Slave
Lotus Setlist:
Set 1: Intro into a cell > E > Trip > Stranger Danger, Golden Ghost > Intro, Turquoise, Anti-Gravity > B > Comptroller, 72 Hours
Set 2: Nematode, Invincibility, Bellwether, Gunk, Arupa > ½ > Bubonic > B > Flower Sermon
Talking Heads! The band that inspired dozens of artists from Vampire Weekend to Phish take the crown as the winner of this year’s NYS Music March Madness! The band of RISD graduates who moved to New York City and got their start at CBGB in Manhattan’s East Village have had a profound impact on generations of musicians who have followed.
via Rockhall.com
It does however seem likely that the group will never reunite, and Byrne made it clear to Rolling Stone a year ago that a reunion would overshadow his own personal accomplishments:
“There’s a lot to that. I see what happens with other people when they do their reunions – and then it turns into a second reunion and a third reunion. With someone like the Pixies, it’s different – they’re getting the audience now that they deserved ages ago. But with a lot of them, it just seems like you don’t have anything new to say, and you go, “OK, this is just some kind of nostalgia exercise.” And I’m not interested in that.”
Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz defer to Bryne, and seem to be on board with a reunion. As Tina told Rolling Stone in 2013:
“You’ll have to ask David Byrne about that. We never ended Talking Heads ourselves. That’s entirely in his court. We never had a fight. I don’t see why there shouldn’t be a reunion. On the other hand, I’m not going to hold my breath because life goes on. Life is too short to sit around moaning about what could have been or what was. We are in touch with the band and we all would love to do it, but we can’t do it without David.”
Frantz referred to the situation as ‘hopeless’ in a 2009 interview with SPIN:
“The rest of the band would love to do something but our singer doesn’t see it that way. He prefers to play “Burning Down the House” with a Talking Heads cover band while wearing a tutu and then tell us that to go out would make us a parody of ourselves.”
So there’s that. In the meantime, there’s always Start Making Sense, if you’re looking for an ‘as close as you’ll ever come’ to a Talking Heads experience.
We would like to thank our sponsors Buffalo Iron Works, Anthology, TIP the Band and Funk n Waffles for being a part of this year’s March Madness. Support your local bands and venues so that they can be a part of New York State’s continued legacy of music for decades to come!
The second annual Rock for Recovery fundraiser for Helio Health took place on March 29 at The Palace Theatre in Syracuse with Modafferi, Periodic Table of Elephants, Late Earth and The Lightkeepers performing. The event was one of three regional shows to raise awareness of mental health and substance abuse issues. Shows in Binghamton and Rochester preceded this culminating show. The Lightkeepers headlined this year. Late Earth played all three shows as well as last year’s event. Director, Ashley Forshee decided to expand the event to three cities. Helio Health https://www.helio.health/ has services in Syracuse, Utica, Binghamton, and Rochester. It’s where “hope meets healing.”
One in twelve people will be impacted by a substance abuse disorder sometime in their life. Only 10% of those who need treatment will receive it.
On Wednesday April 3 The Brooklyn Bowl played host to a Benefit for Creative Music Studio. An amazing lineup of musicians including Billy Martin, Oteil Burbridge, Joe Russo, Marshall Allen, Dave Harrington, Cyro Baptista, Jonathan Goldberg and many more paid tribute to an amazing cause with two hours of jamming – blending of many different styles of music in true fashion of the foundation. The culmination of the performance came when founder Karl Berger conducted this amazing group of musicians, just as he’s done since he began this foundation.
Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso and Ornette Coleman founded the Creative Music Studio in 1971. Their Goal was to establish a nonprofit organization focused on improvisation and musical cross-pollination that complemented musician’s academic studies. It’s a place where music as a universal language can be explored and expanded. The organizations main program was a place where over 500 hundred performances were recorded. Hundreds of guiding artists lived, played, and shared musical wisdom with thousands of participants many who went on to become well know musicians.
Remain in Light, the Talking Heads’ fourth studio album, peaked at number 19 on the U.S. Billboard 200 in 1980. Even more impressively, Rolling Stone named it the fourth best album of the decade in 1989. On April 11, Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo will perform her interpretation of the iconic album at Kingston’s Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC).
Angélique Kidjo, (Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo) is a native of the West African nation Benin. No stranger to creating astounding albums, Kidjo won three Grammys for her contemporary world music and was nominated on multiple other occasions. Kidjo premiered Remain in Light at Carnegie Hall in 2017 and she claims that West African influence on the original Talking Heads’ album made her interpretation an organic fit. While Kidjo’s musical interpretation will be a unique twist, the Talking Heads’ lyrics are sure to be familiar to all.
Collaborators for this Angelique Kidjo project include producer Jeff Bhasker, who has worked with The Rolling Stones and Beyonce among others, Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend and songwriter Dev Hynes, also known as Blood Orange. Bhasker states the lofty goal of the collaboration was “to rip out [Remain in Lights’] guts and turn it on its head.” He explains that he and Kidjo hope the project brings the worlds of rock and African music closer together. The event takes place on Thursday, April 11 at 7:30. UPAC, located on Kingston’s historic Broadway, hosts the event. Tickets can be purchased here.
Music transcends all. The staff (more like family) at Modern Day Music School, snugly located in an unassuming plaza on Route 9, understand this. All family members use this knowledge to make a difference in the lives of those they touch. The school, known for its powerhouse students Moriah Formica and Madison VanDenburg, has more behind the door, and in its heart, than the voices it trains and musicians it tunes.
“I once had a student who had a friend pass away and for whatever reason, she couldn’t go to the wake,” said vocal coach and musical instructor, Laura Beth Johnson. “The student came in here and said, ‘I want to write a song about this.’ So, we put pen to paper and she was able to write through the grief and use her music as a way to channel that grief into something positive and productive.
“I was so grateful and honored to be a part of that process and help her find her voice,” said Johnson.
Johnson (one of fourJohnson family members who work at the studio) was amazed at how her student has grown since that day.
“She’s writing all the time,” said Johnson. “It has given her the confidence she needs and she has blossomed since that day into even more of an artist.”
This is just one example of the way that Modern Day Music School is able to be there for its students. In music, you’re vulnerable. You’re open. You’re bearing your soul. For some, it’s incredibly intimidating at first. For others, it’s a relief right away. For all, the studio is a sanctuary; a place where they can be free, vulnerable and most importantly, themselves.
“The students develop these incredible bonds with their coaches and teachers that makes them want to work even harder,” owner Paul Benedetti said. “They come in for this 30-minute session. Sometimes, they only sing for about five minutes of that. They’re working through something tough in their personal life and they feel safe enough to come in here and talk to us. We want them to feel safe.”
These bonds were evident as our staff visited the studio on a rainy Friday afternoon. As pictures were being taken, Formica and VanDenburg were belting into a mic. Their vocal coach, Lesley O’Donnell, was standing outside the sound-proof booth. The doors were open, the vibe was good. As the girls tried to find their pitch, O’Donnell was offering encouraging words even though the girls were just goofing around.
“There it is!,” O’Donnell exclaimed as the teen stars belted out an impressive harmony. “There we go! Awesome!” A smile spread across her face. “It’s amazing,” she said.
Benedetti started Modern Day Music School in 2011 with a partner, who he bought out in 2013. The need for the school was a response to his own son’s musical talent. When his oldest son was a teenager, he was playing drums and decided he wanted to start a band. The problem was, there was nowhere in the area that made it easy to coordinate young musicians who wanted to get together with peers. Benedetti said it was a “nightmare” because there was always curve balls thrown; some kids really wanted to play, while others weren’t ready for the commitment it held. On top of that, where the bands would eventually play weren’t kid-friendly. The teens would play at house parties, where Benedetti didn’t feel was a good place for these young musicians.
“I come from the studio business and I’ve been playing, teaching and singing forever,” he said. “My partner and I had a thought during this time period; wouldn’t it be awesome to create a space where these kids could find like-minded students, and even better, have a safe space to play?”
The school opened with its well-known band program. Essentially, students signed up and are paired into a band with three to four other students with the same essential goal. Benedetti said these kids usually don’t know one another at first, and even more, they don’t always want to play the same thing or even like the same music.
“It’s not only a music session, it’s team-building,” he said. “These kids learn that you sometimes have to work with people you wouldn’t pick at first for whatever reason. That’s something you’ll run into regardless of where you end up in life.”
It sometimes takes a bit for the band to adapt. The band program is offered in three-month sessions. Despite the initial uncertainty, the kids not only learn to work well together, but they become friends and will often ask to play together again at the beginning of the new session.
“They’ll want to do more, work harder and see where they could potentially go as a cohesive unit,” said Benedetti. “If we feel it works as a whole, we will happily try to accommodate those requests.”
The band program eventually was joined by music lessons when Benedetti realized how needed it was. Now, the studio employs at least a dozen coaches with all different abilities and talents. While those like Formica and VanDenburg are jumping into the mainstream, 7-year-old Ella Dane Morgan is a student with a different passion — performing on stage. At 5 years old, she was starring with pop sensation Sara Bareilles in the singer’s smash hit “Waitress.”
“I have reverse stage fright,” Morgan explained. “I don’t really like performing in front of friends and family, but I love performing on stage.”
Morgan’s mother Laura agreed, explaining she’s had to physically carry a crying Morgan as she pleaded to get back on stage, long after the curtains closed.
“We were bitten by the Broadway bug at a young age,”said Laura Morgan. “Once she got the taste for it, she wanted in. We sometimes commute between here and the city three to four days a week for whatever she has going on.”
The young Broadway star has learned so much from her three years of instruction. Laura Morgan said they picked Modern Day Music School because of the school’s command of music — they know what they’re doing. There are not a lot of roles for children on Broadway, but the Morgans have made it work and the young star has been consistently in her element, doing what she loves most.
“I’ve learned to belt by opening up my mouth like a cave,” Ella said. “I pretend I’m stuffing all of these marshmallows in my mouth. It’s helped.”
Another belter, 11-year-old Ashlynn Boyce, has been working on the same techniques. The two-time winner of Clifton Park American Idol has always known she could sing, surprising even her parents.
“I was shocked when I first heard her,” Boyce’s father, Jesse, said. “None of our family has this skill and she can command it so well.”
Boyce has been attending Modern Day Music School for two years. Having just relocated from Pittstown, Boyce and her dad were passing through one day and she saw the sign for the school.
“I just knew I wanted to go here,” she said. As shy as she is, she knows what she wants. “I had a feeling about it.”
Jesse Boyce put all his trust in Benedetti. Soon Boyce, who was sent home early from Clifton Park American Idol the first year she tried out, was in command of her talent like never before.
“She can be so successful at this,” he said. “You just want the best for your kid. No place is perfect, but this is pretty close.”
Boyce said her warmups have completely changed her. They help her get ready for the big notes she loves to hit, ones she hopes to sing with Demi Lovato someday. Two years later, she still wants to go here. It’s become as much of a sanctuary for her as anyone.
Students like Boyce are how the teachers summarized what they feel the school does for students. The initial intimidation of coming in and bearing a part of your soul that many are self-conscious about — even those who know they have talent — is overridden when they step into that studio and feel validation about something they’ve worked on for so long.
“It’s music. That’s what we know,” said O’Donnell. “It makes sense for us to teach it. We are simply the vehicles for these kids to hone in on the thing they love so much.”
Tony Garza, the jack of all trades of the school, agrees. Garza teaches guitar, bass and ukelele. He is the head of the school’s Little Rockers program and is the rock school director. For him, it comes down to helping the students learn important life lessons, like they have to be ok with not being perfect.
“I always tell my students they are good, they are special and they are worthy,” Garza explained. “I want to help them find their voice.”
Katie Johnson, another vocal coach and the song writing teacher, agreed. “Music has changed the lives of these kids, and they’ve changed all of us,” she said. “They come in not believing in themselves and they find who they are through the music.”
The teachers are assisted by the helpful Benedetti and Cailin Burke, the studio manager. Burke explained students are not just randomly assigned — rather, the studio takes the talents of each individual into consideration and pairs them with the coach that can address those specific needs.
“No curriculum here,” was echoed by every single employee of the studio. Benedetti added, “We use music that the students want to learn about to construct our lessons. If they love Taylor Swift, we will visit her music and learn notes, harmonies and how the song is constructed. We want to make learning fun for these students. Curriculum is great, but we want to take an individualized approach to each student. This is not one size fits all.”
Eighteen-year-old Formica, 17-year-old VanDenburg and 15-year-old Cassie Cenzano are on their way to superstardom. All three said they owe so much to their coaches; while it’s taught them how to sing, it’s also taught them how not to.
“I hate it when people come up to me and tell me how they’ve never taken lessons,” said Formica. “We take pride in our lessons because they’ve taught us how to maintain our voices. Not taking lessons is great, but when you accidentally blow out your voice because you didn’t maintain it, that’s definitely not fun.”
Formica and Cenzano landed at Modern Day Music School around the same time, right after the school opened. Formica is a rock powerhouse, effortlessly having both the voice and stage presence to make audiences question why rock went away. Cenzano is influenced by the sultry vocals of Adele and Stevie Nicks, a stark contrast to Formica. VanDenburg finds her influence in singers like Celine Dion and once said she prides herself in the ability to sing ballads “decently well.” As her recent appearance on “American Idol” has shown, she was maintaining the level-headed kindness and humility all three girls embody.
“Moriah was actually the one who encouraged me to come here,” said VanDenburg. “I think that’s what sets this place apart from everywhere else. It’s welcoming, it’s chill and our coaches genuinely want to get involved in our lives and provide the support we need outside of this.”
Cenzano agreed. Her low, soothing voice articulates her gratefulness to the studio for its ability to reach out to her. She’s in the studio too, working as hard as her peers.
“The key to these lessons is listening and taking it all in,” she said. “We all practice a lot. We’re open to what we’re being told. We want to learn.
“Being a musician is always in you,” Formica concluded. “True artists, like the three of us and those who are here with us, love music in all of its forms, and we love that we can make our own music.”
Benedetti chalks up his impressive staff and students to the “vibe” he puts out. While they frequently get applications for new employees, Benedetti said it’s so much more than having the ability to sing or play.
“If you can come in here and you have the talent, great,” he said. “But the vibe is so important. We want to create a modern, safe, welcoming space. We want to give our students an experience, not just a lesson.”
Modern Day Music School is actually looking to expand its team, with Benedetti promising new staff members will have the qualifications, vibe and personality its customers have come to know and love.
“When we are told by parents that their child is excited about that 30-minute lesson, I know we are doing something right,” he said. “It’s 30 minutes, once a week. Yet, the students long for the time here. They have siblings come and hang out while they practice, and we provide a space for them to grow too with whatever they need.
“I know we are doing something right when we see these kids so happy,” he concluded. “We want things to make sense for each individual student, and we think we’re achieving that.”
This article was originally published by The Spot 518, is property of Spotlight Newspapers in Albany, N.Y., and appears as a special to NYSMusic. TheSpot518 and NYSMusic work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene in the Capital District and New York state, respectively. For more, visit TheSpot518.com
Experience Hendrix is a collection of famous guitarists covering some of Jimi Hendrix’s most well-known tunes. From classics like “Foxy Lady” and “Purple Haze” to Hendrix influenced versions of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” and Howling Wolf’s “Killing Floor”.
Featuring Billy Cox (from Jimi Hendrix Experience / Band Of Gypsys), Joe Satriani, Dave Mustaine (from Megadeth), Jonny Lang, Dweezil Zappa, Eric Johnson, Doug “dUg” Pinnick (from King’s X), Chris Layton (from Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble), Mato Nanji (from Indigenous), Kenny Aronoff, The Slide Brothers, Henri Brown, Kevin McCormick, and Taj Mahal.
Setlist with Artists
Set 1: Freedom – Billy Cox, Dweezil Zappa, Chris Layton Foxy Lady – Billy Cox, Chuck Campbell, Mato , Chris Layton Power of Soul – Eric Johnson, Kevin Mccormick , Chris Layton Love or Confusion – Eric Johnson, Dweezil Zappa, Chris Layton Bold As Love – Eric Johnson, Dweezil Zappa, Chris Layton Are You Experienced? – Eric Johnson, Chris Layton The Sky Is Crying – Mayo Nanji, Chuck Campbell, Calvin Cook, Chris Layton All Along the Watchtower – Jonny Lang, Eric Johnson, Chris Layton The Wind Cries Mary – Jonny Lang, Eric Johnson, Chris Layton Spanish Castle Magic – Jonny Lang, Mato Nanji , Chris Layton Fire – Jonny Lang, Dave Mustaine, Chris Layton Purple Haze – Jonny Lang, Dave Mustaine , Chris Layton Stone Free – Billy Cox, Dave Mustaine, Mato Nanji , Chris Layton Set 2: Killing Floor – Taj Mahal, Mato Nanji, Chuck Campbell, Slide Brothers, Chris Layton Catfish Blues – Taj Mahal, Mato Nanji, Chuck Campbell, Slide Brothers, Chris Layton Hey Joe – Billy Cox, Taj Mahal, Mato Nanji, Slide Brothers, Chris Layton Red House – Billy Cox, Calvin Cook, Mato Nanji, Slide Brothers, Chris Layton You Got Me Floating – Billy Cox, Jonny Lang, Mato Nanji, Slide Brothers, Chris Layton Crosstown Traffic – Joe Satriani, Doug Pinnick, Kenny Aronoff Voodoo Child – Joe Satriani, Doug Pinnick, Kenny Aronoff If 6 Was 9 – Joe Satriani, Doug Pinnick, Kenny Aronoff 3rd Stone From the Sun – Joe Satriani, Doug Pinnick, Kenny Aronoff Voodoo Child – Joe Satriani, Doug Pinnick, Kenny Aronoff
Two groups who got their start in New York City, who both have been inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and who are both immensely influential round out the finals of this year’s NYS March Madness. Vote below to decide who the greatest artist is to come out of New York State.
Growing out of the 1970s punk scene in New York City, Talking Heads became an immensely popular band by the early 80s, influencing the likes of Vampire Weekend, Phish and many more. The new wave genre can be traced back to Talking Heads and their songs have become an irrevocable part of classic rock n roll from the 80s. “Once in a Lifetime,” “This Must be the Place (Naive Melody),” “Burning Down the House,” “Girlfriend is Better,” “Slippery People,” “Cities,” and “Road to Nowhere” are the tip of the iceberg of the hits that defined their career.
Talking Heads only had a brief tenure as a band (1977-1991), but their impact has lasted more than twice the length of their career. While their tenure was shorter than fans new and old would have liked, the intense period from 1977-1983 is remarkable for their albums and touring history, a spawn of the CBGB scene. Collaborations with producer Brian Eno netted More Songs about Buildings and Food, Fear of Music, and arguably their greatest album, Remain in the Light. 1984’s Stop Making Sense continues to be heralded as one of the greatest concert films ever, and the Jonathan Demme film won a National Society of Film Critics Award for best non-fiction film that year. Although David Bryne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison may never perform together again, their music is timeless and the legacy continues to grow.
So listen up, ‘cause you can’t say no to the Beastie Boys. One of the biggest names in hip-hop can be summed up into one hyphenated word: influential-chaos. It’s impossible to capture all of the audio-idiocracies in tracks like “Girls” or “Triple Trouble,” that mimic the chaos of New York City streets. As pre-teens growing up in 80’s pop-culture, the ‘Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Inner Excellence’ collapsed a mass of influence, and basically every musical genre, into one acronym. From the whitful inception of “Cookie Puss,” about a Carvel cake recorded overnight in a friends home studio, to their collaboration with Rick Rubin and rocking entirety of Woodstock ‘99 in a 200,000 person titlewave, the Beastie Boys dominate.
Seven of the nine albums went platinum, in addition to selling over 50 million records across the globe makes them more influential than the five boroughs would have ever imagined. When they weren’t fusing jazz and metal loops with their punk roots, the group popularised the appeal of rap music beyond black culture with anthems like “Fight For Your Right.” Moreover, Beastie Boys influenced well beyond music speaking out on culture, politics and human rights issues in such a potent time in America. Issues we are still battling, thirty years later. Licensed to Ill is the most influential album of all time. It broke into Billboard’s top 100 as the first rap album. It was number one. Their music was potent, so potent riots broke out mid-set. They were influenced and then influenced the world. Beastie boys, and their music, stand toe-to-toe with relevant artists today, despite their disband in 2014.
Vote now for who you think is the greatest artist to come out of New York State. You can vote on Twitter too! The winner will be announced on Monday, April 8.
Angélique Kidjo, (Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo) is a native of the West African nation Benin. No stranger to creating astounding albums, Kidjo won three Grammys for her contemporary world music and was nominated on multiple other occasions. Kidjo premiered 
