Completing a stellar two night run at the historic Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey, Bob Weir and Wolf Bros continue to shine, expanding the Grateful Dead’s legacy to new heights. Bob Weir is in top form, and is supported by two amazing musicians; Don Was on bass and Jay Lane on drums, each bringing their own style to the performance. Highlights included “Blackbird,” “Deal” and “Eyes of The World,” but it was the extremely intimate and emotional rendition of “Standing On The Moon,” that didn’t leave a dry eye in the building and rounded out an amazing two nights for the band and deadheads alike.
Set 1: Easy to Slip, Gonesville, Blackbird, K.C. Moan, Odessa, Hell in a Bucket, She Belongs to Me, Corrina, Deal
Set 2: Me and My Uncle, Cassidy, Truckin’, Fever, Ashes and Glass, Don’t Let Go, Eyes of the World, Standing on the Moon, Going Down the Road Feelin’ BadEncore: U.S. Blues
Weezer and The Pixies arrived in Albany on Thursday, March 14 with a full tank of gas and a show that will make you remember why you sang along to all these songs in college. Of course, Weezer is still cranking out new material, with The Black Album released earlier this month, and an album of covers in The Teal Album. Combine this with all the classic Weezer you could possibly ask for and impressive stage production that traces the evolution of the band, from the early days in the garage to the arena rock they unleashed tonight, and you have the makings of a fantastic performance from Rivers Cuomo and company.
Kicking off the set with a barbershop quartet version of “Buddy Holly” in front of the draped stage, “My Name is Jonas” started the set proper with a Happy Days themed high school stage setup revealed. Pinkerton’s “Pink Triangle” followed for a taste of early Weezer to please the eager crowd of Gen-X-ers. The first of five covers, Weezer’s take on “Africa” by Toto, might be the only time you sing this 80s hit with thousands of others, without a hint of shame. During the intro for “The Sweater Song,” the stage morphed into a garage setup, which served well for the next sequence of songs: “Pork and Beans” (featuring a VHS tape recording of early Weezer antics), The Turtles “Happy Together” with a segment of Green Day’s “Longview” seamlessly worked in, the apropos “In the Garage,” “Buddy Holly” and the debut of The Black Album’s “High as a Kite.”
As the stage underwent its final transformation, Rivers Cuomo hopped in a boat-on-wheels that brought him to the opposite end of the arena, where he serenaded the crowd with acoustic versions of “El Scorcho” and “No Scrubs.” As he was wheeled back around the arena towards the stage, a darkened stage welcomed Cuomo back for Jane’s Addiction’s “Up the Beach” and sing-alongs of “Beverly Hills” and “Island in the Sun.” To close the set, a-ha’s “Take on Me,” “Perfect Situation” and “Hash Pipe” closed the set, the latter with flames shooting up around the stage. For the encore, Weezer gave a sampling of songs from mid 00’s ((“If You’re Wondering if I Want you to) I Want you to”), and the 90’s (“Surf Wax America” and “Say it Ain’t So”) for a career spanning performance of nearly two dozen songs over 90 minutes.
Weezer setlist: Buddy Holly*, My Name is Jonas, Pink Triangle, Africa, You Give Your Love to me Softly, Undone – The Sweater Song, Pork and Beans, Happy Together->Longview->Happy Together, In the Garage, Buddy Holly, High as a Kite, El Scorcho^, No Scrubs^, Up the Beach, Beverly Hills, Island in the Sun, Take on Me, Perfect Situation, Hash Pipe
Encore: (If You’re Wondering if I want you to) I want you to, Surf Wax America, Say it Ain’t So
*Barbershop quartet version ^Rivers solo acoustic
UK rockers Basement kicked off the night with a short set of generic rock anthems with a stark 90s influence. The band, particularly animated lead singer Andrew Fisher, all had great energy to start the night but the sound fell flat on a limited crowd, still making their way into the Times Union Center.
Pixies followed with Paz Lenchantin subbing for Kim Deal and her voice and presence were well suited for a band well into their fourth decade. Guitarist Joey Santiago nailed riffs throughout the 22 song set with Black Francis leading the way. The Pixies brought out deep cuts as well as familiar songs (thanks in part to ad placements) including “Gigantic,” “Monkey Gone to Heaven” and the classic “Where is my Mind?” At times it felt like Pixies would be better suited to a setting like The Palace, or even The Egg. They made a great pairing with Weezer, but an intimate evening with Pixies would be a true treat for fans who grew up on this incredibly influential group.
Pixies setlist: Gouge Away, Vamos, Crackity Jones, Gigantic, Wave of Mutilation, Death Horizon, Here Comes Your Man, Tame, Rock Music, Monkey Gone to Heaven, Classic Masher, No. 13 Baby, Caribou, Planet of Sound, Hey, Broken Face, Bone Machine, Cactus, Debaser, In the Witching Hour, Something Against You, Where is My Mind?
Bass player ‘Ray’ Beatty is very straightforward when talking about his band Lullwater: “we’re a really loud rock band.” Add their love for Seattle grunge (Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden) and a “take no prisoners” rock ‘n roll stage presence – you get the DNA make up of this 4 piece band from Athens, Georgia.
Together for 10 years, Lullwater is comprised of John Strickland on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, Roy ‘Ray’ Beatty on bass and vocals, Joseph Wilson on drums and vocals; and newest member, as of two years ago, Daniel Binnie on lead guitar. I sat down with Ray and Daniel before their set at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The band was finishing up a month long, five band tour, with headliners Sevendust. It was a cold, but sunny afternoon with plenty of snow on the ground as we sat inside the band’s tour van and got down to business.
John Strickland
Mickey Deneher: You’re on month long tour with Sevendust, what’s that been feeling like?
Roy ‘Ray’ Beatty: It’s great. It’s an awesome tour to be on. It’s not just Sevendust. We have Tremonti, Cane Hill, and we got Kirra. Every band on this tour is really awesome. Not to discredit any of the bands we have been on tour with before, but as far as from start to finish, this tour lineup is just totally stacked. Almost every show has been sold out. Crowds have been really rockin’ and we get to watch the machine that is Sevendust. Not just the band, but the crew and everything. Seeing an operation on that level is inspiring. It’s like, oh; that is where we aim to be with our professionality, it’s great.
They’re like hanging out with us, allowing us to hang out with them. Sort of taking us under their wing a tiny bit. It’s a great experience all around. It’s inspiring. It’s very inspiring. You can see how bands that do this for a long time find and maintain success. Manage to do that through hard work.
Lullwater at The Chance Theatre.
With the tour winding down, the band was preparing for the release of their 3rd and most adventurous studio album, Voodoo. A recording the band calls “a bigger, more intricate and layered, digitally-recorded sound.“ Recorded in New Orleans, the band engaged Jacob Hermann (Anthrax, Machine Head, Amaranthe) to take the reigns as producer. Recorded over a year ago, the band worked hard on the required business details so it would hit the market with full impact.
2019 released ‘Voodoo’ album art.
MD: The new album is coming out, that has to be an exciting thing.
RRB: It is exciting.
MD: You’ve done a couple of studio recordings and some live stuff. Did you go in with songs written and ready, or did you just go in and feel it and make it happen?
RRB: We had the majority of the songs written. But we went in and took the first week of our studio time just looking back at all of our songs; arranging things and changing things. So it’s like we re-wrote the whole album. But we had a lot in. Like 70 to 80% kind of like rough framework were there.
But Jacob, he came in and cracked the whip a little more and made us buckle down more then we have in the past. Made us be more reflective and honest about things that we were trying to make and were the things that we wanted really suiting the song that we wanted.
Roy “Ray” Beatty – Lullwater
Joseph Wilson
MD: You say we looked back, you had them ready, but let me make sure they were there?
RRB: Well, we did maybe a month or two of just practice in our basement leading up to it. Of us, just writing all these songs and playing them. But neither of our producers were able to be there with us. So when we went down to the studio we wanted to get them in on the vibe and also get their input and just make sure everything was the best that it could be. ‘Cause we’ve done albums. Like the previous album, we really didn’t write almost anything before we went in. And that was cool too. But we just really wanted to make this one stand out.
MD: Jacob Hermann?
RRB: Jacob (reiterated with a Swedish accent)
MD: He had some great creds coming in. How was it working with him?
RRB: It was great. It was a little daunting. It was a big step up. Not to say that our other producer, Justin, isn’t also great to work with, and he is. But he kind of goes along with our vibe and we are all very collaborative. But Jacob, he came in and cracked the whip a little more and made us buckle down more then we have in the past. Made us be more reflective and honest about things that we were trying to make and were the things that we wanted really suiting the song that we wanted.
Daniel Binnie: He was extremely critical.
MD: But that’s good.
RRB: It was good.
DB: In a good way.
MD: His name is on there also. It’s a collaboration.
RRB: It is. I think people probably don’t realize, that people that don’t make music, or don’t record their music with producers; don’t realize how much of an impact that those producers have on the album; the sounds that are happening, how the sounds all fit together, a lot of the arraignments and stuff. Your always like “Hey Justin,” “Hey Jacob,” “does it sound good?” “Does it suck or not?” When I personally go into the studio I try to, you know I have all these ideas that we have and I want things to be a certain way, but unless I absolutely am worried something’s going to not turn out good, I try to just give up worrying about anything. Saying the power to veto a sound or to confirm ‘does this sound good,’ is in the producer’s control.
Roy “Ray” Beatty
MD: You (as a band) present it, you play it, you created it, but you need that extra set of ears to help you.
RRB: You defiantly do. If you don’t all do that, it gets to be a to many cooks in the kitchen kind of scenario with everyone saying, “NO, we got to do this riff,” ‘That didn’t quite work, we have to redo it.” It’s like CHAOS. In order to serve the final product, you have to remove yourself a little from it.
MD: The song “Empty Chambers” a first release. Talk a little about it.
RRB: It’s just a loud rock song. Actually, that was the first one we started writing for the album, I think. I was traveling and I had my guitar in my car and I knew that we had our studio session booked and I was kind of freak’n out because nobody had been sending in riffs. ‘Cause usually, the way our writing process works is, other people are coming up with some of the riffs and I‘ll try to arrange them and we’ll all try to arrange them and write. We write together. But for this one, I was just in my hotel drinking and I was like; man, we need songs. So I just wrote that first riff and we just kind of came together and made a song out of it.
Daniel Binnie
You can take kind of what you want from the lyrics. John (Strickland, lead vocals and rhythm guitar) doesn’t like to be super direct with explaining his lyrics in interviews, so I kind of respect that. But you listen to it; you can kind of hear what it’s all about.
Daniel Binnie: I wrote the rhythm for the chorus. Don’t for get me (laughing!)
RRB: Binnie did write the chorus of “Empty Chamber.” Totally wrote that. We took that from a song he made. So it really came together.
MD: What was it that drew you down to NOLA (to record)?
RRB: Jacob had worked in that studio and he said that was the place to go, so we said ok, we trust you.
MD: New Orleans is such a music place.
RRB: It is a music place.
MD: The vibe is a NOLA vibe. Did any of that seep in a little?
RRB: The album is called Voodoo. We where there for Halloween. (Laughing) It definitely influenced the album. It seeps through. You be able to hear it in the final product.
Lullwater
DB: Musically of course, we got some horns and strings and stuff from local musicians on the album. So you got that. As far as the vibe of the town, there is a lot of pain and suffering on that album.
RRB: There is. I feel that like that is the theme of the album overall, everything falling apart and then getting back together.
The band hit the stage at The Chance Theater to a very appreciative and packed house. With 2019 in front of them, Lullwater will be releasing an acoustic EP, containing songs from their last two albums, in late spring or summer. The band is now finalizing tour dates for the rest of the year, so look for Lullwater out on the road in support of their latest release.
Brooklyn’s Bad Luck has announced a brand new EP Drug Phase to be released on March 29 via Take This To Heart Records, and has released the infectious new single “Sheep Song.” Listen below and on all platforms here.
Bad Luck. started out as a Long Island solo project before the band came together in Florida in 2014, when they released Cold Bones and Noise in Your Head the following year. These two compact yet abrasive pop-punk releases placed nostalgia and neuroses on the same plane. “Sheep Song” showcases the dynamics that made 2014 “Cold Bones” LP from Bad Luck an underground hit. The whole song is a chorus that will have you singing ba-ba-ba in under 3 minutes.
Anchored by brothers Dominick and Joe Fox and colored in by a rotating cast of touring friends, Bad Luck.’ssecond wind offers the same great pop hooks chased with hard-hitting backdrops that originally captured crowds’ hearts. Having since returned to their home base and their homegrown mentality, Bad Luck. is looking to add to their short but sweet legacy and score a longer winning streak. They embark on a four-show tour later this month.
Capital District pop artist, Katie Louise, is releasing her first EP, celebrating with a no-holds-barred show at Jupiter Hall. Louise, 21, will release Unleash today, Friday, March 15.
The seven-song EP will show its feathers later that night. The show will start at 7:30 p.m. and feature other local artists like Justin Charles, Nick Rossi and the Broken View. Tickets range from $15 to $20 and can be purchased at ticketfly.com. Jupiter Hall is located at 1 Crossgates Mall Road, inside Lucky Strike Social Club.
For Louise, this is an album of baggage. It’s also an album of redemption, empowerment and validation. The young star started as a classically trained pianist; she was on the fast-track to professional stardom at just 14 years old.
“I always had this talent for piano and in a lot of ways, I was just pushed into following that skill until the end,” she said. “I had written ‘Imprisoned in Paradise’ and realized I had the ability to write music. However, when I wrote ‘Broken,’ I realized this was something I really needed to pursue.”
Katie Louise faced some adversity from those around her, particularly from those who were in the classical music circuit. As she transitioned into pop, she had to dig down to find the empowerment to keep going.
“This EP is so incredibly vulnerable and real for me because I really open myself up in my songwriting,” she said. “I’ve always been blessed to be able to open up relatively easy, but I’ve been through a lot of pain in my childhood and this not only helped me express it, but helped me let some of it go.”
Fans can expect a mixture of sounds. The two singles she has already released, “Imprisoned in Paradise” and “You Can’t Talk To A Woman Like That,” are drastically different — “Paradise” is more of a ballad with dreamy accompaniment, where Woman has a kick in its step. Louise said each song will be markedly different from the one before it, but they all complete the bigger picture and help answer the question of who she is — in all of her facets. All songs are written organically, with Louise finding inspiration in things she says or what she sees around her.
She hasn’t completely abandoned her roots. Louise is excited about the piano solo on “Unleash,” the namesake of the EP.
“It’s like I’ve blended my two biggest passions now and am able to draw from what inspires me in both,” she explained. “I’m confident that I can do this. I’m nervous, excited, stressed and overwhelmed.”
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.
Dead Horses, a duo from Wisconsin, and Honeysuckle, a trio from Boston, met somewhere in the middle Tuesday night – geographically in the middle via Rochester, NY to be exact – as a part of the latest show put on by Honest Folk. The show itself also met in the middle musically, landing squarely within folk traditions both new and old.
Honeysuckle opened the night. Guitar, mandolin, banjo and a kick drum blended into a joyful swirl of acoustic strings and beats. They played some new, as-yet-recorded songs to keep them “on their toes.” Though early in the set, “Catacombs,” off their 2017 release of the same name, kept the audience on their toes as well. An airy and floating psychedelic segment broke into a full-fledged mandolin-led jam before slinking back into the main song.
They weren’t afraid to break free from folk and bluegrass expectations, mixing the two and then splashing in some more modern elements from pop, rock and jazz. Most noticeably, Chris Bloniarz’s mandolin was being fed into a rather large bank of effects pedals. He used them subtly, allowing his playing to shine through and it never overwhelmed the acoustic three-piece sound.
On a new song, “Windstorm,” lead singer and guitarist Holly McGarry explained that it was written as a reaction to someone who once wrote a mean poem about her, saying she dressed like an old woman. She wore it like a badge of honor though; old women are great dressers! Appropriately enough, their music also had a timeless quality to it, but in a youthful and new body.
The band exhibited wonderful three-part harmonies throughout the set, but truly flexed their vocal chords with, as they deemed it mandatory, a cover of Crosby Stills and Nash’s “Helplessly Hoping.” They nailed it, silencing all doubters, if there were any remaining at that point in the set.
Dead Horses, comprised of Sarah Vos on guitar and Daniel Wolff on double bass, played a set of sparse, sometimes dark, folk songs with their Midwestern charm shining through. They met and matched their openers in vocal prowess with Vos carrying the bulk of the load. As lyrically excellent as their songs were, some of the most captivating vocals were ooh’s and mmm’s or the chills-inducing extended and repeated “sweeeet”s during the song “Brothers.” In “Turntable” Vos sang, “If my heart was a turntable, and my belly was the speaker and my soul the needle,” which just about sums up their songwriting as well as one could.
Wolff’s bass carried the heft of the instrumental melodies, plucking out the bottom, bowing higher registers and banging out rhythms off the body, at times all in the same song.
The band has been writing songs and releasing them as singles when they’re ready, not waiting for a full album to emerge. New tunes like “Birds Can Write the Chorus,” “A Mighty Storm,” and the “Family Tapes” show how the band is still developing their sound. On the latter, in a short span, the song moved through at least three distinct sections, stepping away from a more traditional structure.
Generally a taboo question for a band, Dead Horses were forthcoming about the origin of their band name. Named after a friend who died of a heroin overdose, they feel a need to be open about it since it is such a prevalent issue that needs even more exposure than it currently is receiving.
What better place to start NYS Music’s City Guides series, a monthly musical tour through New York State’s cities, than far West, on the shores of Lake Erie, in The Queen City of Buffalo. Home to the die-hard Buffalo Bills fans, surrounded by the sweet smell of Cheerios from the General Mills cereal plant, and comprised of stunning neoclassical architecture, this city is a little slice of snowy heaven packed full of action.
One of its longstanding claims to fame is the musical talent that seemingly is bred in Buffalo, NY. From activist singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, R&B singer and instrumentalist Brian McKnight, to drummer and co-founder of the alternative rock band Weezer, Patrick Wilson, and finally, to the masterminds behind everyone’s favorite karaoke jam, “Iris,” The Goo Goo Dolls, Buffalo has supplied music with some staple artists from a plethora of genres throughout the years. The music scene of the city now is as hot as ever and this article highlights all the can’t miss music action in Buffalo.
Theatres
Shea’s Performing Arts Center – Shea’s is not only one of the most treasured gems in Buffalo, but also a National Historic Site as the theatre was built in 1925. Extensive amounts of work and volunteering has been put into renovating and ensuring that this theatre is still up and running for Buffalo and beyond to enjoy. It now hosts a plethora of installments of Broadway shows, as well as huge musicians such as Mariah Carey and Bob Weir. This versatile venue is devoted towards sustaining a classic theatre that the youth can enjoy art in for years to come. Take a look at their upcoming schedule.
University at Buffalo Lippes Concert Hall – Every year, at the University at Buffalo’s state of the art facility, the Department of Music hosts over 150 public performances. Here anything from string quartets, to pianists, guitarists, jazz ensembles, and even computer music concerts can be experienced and heard. This is yet another somewhat hidden gem of Buffalo as locals can see the fresh faces of music that are learning and perfecting their craft in their hometown.
Arenas
Key Bank Arena – Not only is this massive entertainment home to the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, but it also houses some of the world’s biggest musicians as their tours come through Buffalo. Since the grand opening of the venue in 1996, the arena has hosted over 23 million guests at its countless events in its over 19,000 seating capacity space. In the months to come, the KeyBank Center will host huge tours such as Ariana Grande, Fleetwood Mac, Cher, Justin Timberlake, Twenty One Pilots, and Carrie Underwood, among many others. For large-scale fun and entertainment all year long, this staple of Buffalo is a go-to.
Darien Lake Amphitheater – About 40 minutes outside of Buffalo, is Western New York’s destination for summer concerts. This large amphitheater is where many Buffalo natives travel for summer concerts of all genres including country, rock, and reggae to name a few. Alternative Buffalo 107.7|104.7 hosts most of their larger shows here, including the upcoming shows for The 1975, as well as Beck and Cage The Elephant. Other shows for this upcoming summer include Chris Young, Zac Brown Band, 311 & The Dirty Heads, Heart, and KISS.
Music Festivals
Cobblestone Live Music and Arts Festival– Presented by Buffalo Iron Works & Lockhouse Distillery & Bar, this year will the third annual Cobblestone Live Music & Arts Festival. It will be held on August 2nd and 3rd in the historic Cobblestone district of downtown Buffalo, with two outdoors main stages, one inside Buffalo Iron Works, and an electronic stage and lounge inside the Distillery. Spread across these 4 stages, there will be over 25 artists featured, to be announced in the coming months, as well as festival games, local food trucks, vendors, cider, beer and a specialty beverage menu courtesy of the two producers of the festivals’s venues. The festival has been growing and will be sure to continue to grow in years to come, making it one to watch in the Buffalo area.
Beau Fleuve Music Festival – Not only is this festival a staple in the Buffalo area, but it is internationally recognized as a trendsetting, one of a kind celebration of arts and music that bridges the gaps between generations, cultures, and beyond. The festival has been a great success in the past, bringing in a diverse lineup of artists. Keep your eyes peeled for updates on this year’s events.
Notable Venues
Rec Room – Rec Room is the newcomer in Buffalo’s venue scene. Following the closing of the beloved Waiting Room, former owner Chris Ring poured his energy into opening this new venue that he hoped would have something for everyone. On top of stellar live music, the venue hosts parties and karaoke nights that keep the fun going at all times. The venue opened for “test” shows in August and fully set sail in September and has been making waves ever since. The future of this venue looks promising as their upcoming shows are pretty stacked.
Town Ballroom– Yet another historical piece of Buffalo’s musical lineage. Town Ballroom was originally called The Town Casino in the 1940s and ’60s and hosted performances from legendary musicians like Frank Sinatra, Nat “King” Cole, John Coltrane, and Les Paul. After a turbulent few years and switching ownership, the venue was restored to the former glory of the original venue in 2005 and has since been continuing its legacy of incredible shows. Upcoming shows include Action Bronson, Snarky Puppy, and Tom Morello.
Iron Works – Right next to the musical giant of Buffalo, the KeyBank Center, is the live music, full bar, and your go-to destination for chicken wings: Iron Works. Voted “Best Music Venue in Buffalo” in 2017 by the Buffalo Spree Awards, this venue hosts a variety of acts such as local bands, cover bands, and national touring acts such as the upcoming KT Tunstall show in May. Check out their upcoming events to plan a night of good music and good food.
Riverworks – Located right on the banks of the Buffalo River is another versatile venue of the city. In addition to skating, rope courses, a brewery, and river boat tours, Riverworks puts on a variety of live music shows throughout the year. Their space can produce both indoor and outdoor shows, and hosts artists from every genre from rock, country, to dance music.
Nietzche’s – They say it best themselves, “Life without music would be a mistake.” A longstanding favorite of NYS Music, Nietzche’s has been a staple venue of Buffalo for over 25 years. Notable for its welcoming reputation to national and regional touring acts alike, and for being the jump-off points for big musicians, Nietzche’s is still kicking and going strong. Currently hosting a multitude of local acts from not only Buffalo, but all across New York State, Nietzche’s is always serving up good times and great music.
Sportsman Taven – Opened in 1985, the Sportsmens Tavern has won over the hearts of Buffalo natives and quickly became one of the best venues in the county. It is another great place in Buffalo to catch local acts on one of their Emerging Artists nights, local bands, and bigger nationally touring acts. The undeniable character and longstanding charm of this venue is a “can’t miss” of Buffalo. Check out their upcoming shows.
Unique Venues
Asbury Hall – Once a Gothic Revival-style sanctuary, this eye-catching venue within Babeville, the arts space founded by Ani DiFranco and Scot Fisher, has been completely remodeled into a music hall with plenty of character. Asbury Hall can accommodate a more intimate crowd of 1,200, compared to Buffalo’s large scale event spaces, and has hosted incredible singer-songwriters such as its own Ani DiFranco, Sufjan Stevens, and Tallest Man on Earth. While Asbury Hall is regarded as one of the most intimate concert venues within Buffalo, Babeville also houses The Ninth Ward, a subterranean bar and listening room, and an art gallery, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center. Check out the events calendar to catch a show at this iconic venue.
PAUSA Art House – Honorable mention for a unique and intimate art experience in Buffalo has to be PAUSA Art House. An intentionally small audience, and ritual of pre-show and post-show receptions bring a new and refreshing atmosphere to experiencing a wide array of musicians that perform here. This art space, wine and tapas bar focuses on showcasing the artists local to Buffalo and the surrounding region, but also welcomes international and national touring acts. Check out their upcoming events and be sure to make a reservation to ensure your spot for this one of a kind atmosphere.
Wherever you turn, in any season, Buffalo will be bustling with the music that it’s been breeding since it all began. While some venues and festivals may come and go, Buffalo’s musical roots are definitely here to stay. Hopefully this guide will help you make your way through all the incredible experiences that Buffalo has to offer your ears.
Among the songs that celebrate New York City, “New York State of Mind” by Billy Joel, from his 1976 album Turnstiles, has become a fan favorite in regular rotation at his concerts, in particular at Madison Square Garden. While the song was never released as a single or a hit for that matter – Turnstiles only made it as high as 122 in the Billboard 200 – its place in Joel’s catalog and hearts of fans is firmly in place.
Rather than head down south or out west, Joel sings about preferring to take a Greyhound down the Hudson River Line. Joel discussed “New York State of Mind” in an interview with Howard Stern in 2010, saying that he wrote the song in 15 minutes on a bus headed Upstate to his then-home of Highland Falls. While there is no Hudson Line for Greyhound Buses, the route along I-87 follows the Hudson River, and along the other side of the river would be the Metro North Hudson Line, connecting Poughkeepsie to Grand Central Station. Perhaps Joel combined these two in order to preserve a oneness of New York’s mass transit and treat that journey like he was staying local, and for the 20-25 million who live within an hour of the Big Apple.
Joel longs for New York in “New York State of Mind,” having lived in California for the past three years. With a return home, Joel felt pride that can be felt in the emotion behind the lyrics.
Billy was born in the Bronx in 1969, grew up in Hicksville, and is one of the most famous products of Long Island. His father and mother emigrated to New York from Germany via Switzerland and Cuba during World War Two and settled in Brooklyn before moving to Long Island after Billy was born. Billy’s father returned to Europe, settling in Vienna, Austria where Billy has a famous half brother Alexander who is a classical conductor and most recently conducted the Staatstheater and Staatsorchester in Braunschweig, Germany from 2007-2014.
Billy got his start playing piano in high school, eventually dropping out despite being a good student due to a lack of credits his senior year. He was quoted in Hank Bordowitz’s biography Billy Joel: The Life and Times of an Angry Young Man (2006) that rather than finish his credits in summer school, he would begin a career in music. “I told them, ‘To hell with it. If I’m not going to Columbia University, I’m going to Columbia Records, and you don’t need a high school diploma over there.’ (He later graduated in 1992 after submitting papers to the school board). From there, Joel joined the Echoes, the Hassles and finally the duo Atilla with Hassles drummer Jon Small. After an affair with Small’s wife, whom Joel later married, he signed with Family Records for his 1971 debut Cold Spring Harbor.
Billy Joel most memorably performed “New York State of Mind” at The Concert for New York City, the October 2001 benefit for New York City Fire and Police Departments and first responders following the terrorist attacks on New York City on September 11. In 2012, Joel hit an emotional nerve once again, performing the song at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief, held at Madison Square Garden on December 12. During the song he changed the lyrics to include Breezy Point (Queens) and Oceanside (Nassau) to great cheers from the crowd.
The influence of New York is present throughout the lyrics of “New York State of Mind,” as the trip back to his home state moved Billy so much to pen the song in 15 minutes. His state of mind is New York-centric, as is the beginning of his career, and arguably his best years are found while living in the Empire State. Billy is a New York staple, a musician infinitely tied to New York City, Madison Square Garden, Long Island and Nassau Coliseum through many songs and albums, but none is more connected than “New York State of Mind.”
“New York State of Mind” lyrics
Some folks like to get away, Take a holiday from the neighborhood Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood But I’m takin’ a Greyhound on the Hudson River line I’m in a New York state of mind I’ve seen all the movie stars in their fancy cars and their limousines Been high in the Rockies under the evergreens I know what I’m needin’, and I don’t want to waste more time I’m in a New York state of mind It was so easy livin’ day by day Out of touch with the rhythm and blues But now I need a little give and take The New York Times, the Daily News It comes down to reality, and it’s fine with me cause I’ve let it slide I don’t care if it’s Chinatown or on Riverside I don’t have any reasons I left them all behind I’m in a New York state of mind Oh yeah
Antibalas return to their Brooklyn roots this weekend for their 20th anniversary tour’s final U.S. shows. They’ll play two nights at Brooklyn Bowl, with Innov Gnawa joining them on Friday, March 15, and Poetic Thrust starting the night off on Saturday, March 16.
The musical collective known as Antibalas (Spanish for bullet-proof or anti-bullets) was conceived of in Mexico City and formed in Brooklyn in the late ’90s. The early formation of the group was composed of the band’s founder Martín Perna and later included several other members (Gabriel Roth, Michael Wagner, Del Stribling aka Binky Griptite, Victor Axelrod, Fernando Bugaloo Velez, Anda Szilagyi) from the Soul Providers / Dap Kings band. performing their first show in May 1998 at St. Nick’s Pub in Harlem NY.
The music of Fela Kuti is well represented in the Antibalas sound, and was part of the band’s early connection with percussionist Amayo, who grew up in Lagos, Nigeria who was fluent in the music of Fela. Within months of his first show with the band at The Cooler, he began composing and performing lyrics and assuming the role of the group’s lead vocalist / frontman.
Antibalas recently released their sixth studio album on Daptone, Where the Gods are in Peace. Though recognized for their fluency in Afrobeat and funk music, the band is known to collaborate with diverse groups and artists, from Angélique Kidjo to Jovanotti to Medeski Martin & Wood to Public Enemy, and served as the house band at Carnegie Hall in 2014 (Music of Paul Simon), 2015 (Music of David Byrne & Talking Heads) and 2017’s Music of Aretha Franklin.
Join Antibalas and guests Innov Gnawa and Poetic Thrust this weekend at Brooklyn Bowl and celebrate 20 year’s of Afro-Cuban funk and rhythm.
Check out the rest of Antibalas’ 20th Anniversary Tour Dates.
March 14 – The Warehouse at FTC – Fairfield, CT March 15 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY March 16 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY
March 30 – The Shrine – Lagos, Nigeria
April 3 – FuzzYon – La Roche Sur Yon, FR
April 4 – La Sirene – La Rochelle, FR
April 5 – Le Temps Machine – Joue Les Tour, FR
April 6 – Festival Banlieues Bleues – Epinay, FR
April 7 – La Nef – Angouleme, FR
April 9 – Le Moloco – Audaincourt, FR
April 10 – Cully Jazz Festival – Cully, CH
April 12 – Moods – Zurich, CH
April 13 – Le Plan – Ris Orangis, FR
April 16 – Het Depot – Leuven, BE
April 17 – Maison Folie – Lille, FR
April 19 – Jazz Cafe – London, UK
April 20 – The Sugar Club – Dublin, IE
April 21 – The Sugar Club – Dublin, IE
Andy Frasco & the U.N. have been hitting the road in support of their latest album Change of Pace and Sunday, March 10, saw them stop at Buffalo Iron Works. No strangers to Buffalo, they really made a name for themselves in the Queen City at last summer’s Cobblestone Live. Needless to say the place was packed by the time openers Wild Adriatic took the stage and the party did not let up. Beers were chugged, Jameson was passed around and crowd surfing …oh the crowd surfing.
