Kofi Burbridge, multi-instrumentalist of Tedeschi Trucks Band passed away in Atlanta on Friday, February 15 following treatment complications for an ongoing cardiac issue. Kofi was well-known and praised for his mastery of the flute and keyboard, as well as his strong vocal skills.
Kofi and his younger brother, Oteil, displayed musical interest and skill when they were young. Their parents supported these abilities, encouraging the pair to learn the ins and outs of music and performance. The brothers became comfortable with multiple instruments and took part in classical and jazz courses, eventually leading to participation in well-known bands. Kofi found himself in Atlanta in the 80s where he performed with Knee-Deep and became friendly with Col. Bruce Hampton. In 1997, Otiel became a member of the Allman Brothers Band, opening the door for Kofi to impress the world with his talents during several guest performances.
Derek Trucks, also a member of the Allman Brothers, founded the Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2010 with Kofi as a founding member, reuniting him with his brother. Although Oteil left the band in 2012, Kofi remained present throughout his surgery and recovery, accompanying the group for their final shows of 2018.
Following his death, tributes and loving messages displaying admiration for Kofi Burbridge filled social media. Among others, Oteil penned a tribute to his big brother, referring to him as his “first and biggest hero” and highlighting his sweet and humble nature. As wisely stated by Oteil, and openly supported by us all, “fly free, Kofi.”
Karolina Rose and her synth pop EP, Invicta, hold many certifiably commendable moments. The singer has racked up a few thousand plays and some rotation on radio. The January 31 release features present, sugary alto melodies combined with synth waves and booming, faithful drumlines delivered by producer Andros Rodriguez (Shakira, Florence and the Machine). For those involved, the talent is clear. Rose’s voice is built for power along the lines of singers such as Amy Lee or Lynn Gunn, while the instrumental composition will attract fans of Daft Punk and John Carpenter (Dir., Halloween).
Invicta is a set of songs you wish you could enjoy more. While it is obvious everyone involved is passionate about the project and that the talent is there, the elements therein (instrumentals, lyrics, melodies, and other aspects) are a mismatch. Many things may be causing this: one is the synth instruments chosen just simply don’t match the singer’s vocal tone especially on songs such as “Going to Berlin” and “Crystal Gem.”
Another issue could be that the melodies she uses don’t always connect with the lyrics, or they need more of a dress-up. Speaking of lyrics, the singer’s narrative/analysis style distracts from the flow of the EP, and a few dashes of overused song concepts are a bit too sprinkled throughout (“just go with the flow,” “Love, it makes you do crazy things,” and “What will be, will be”). “Crystal Gem” throws a volley of statements at its listener but lacks direction. “Check my pulse to see if I’m alive,” is a statement made on “Move With Me,” which prompted this thought: “If you have the ability to check your pulse, wouldn’t it be obvious that you are, in fact, alive?”
A quick Google search lands live audio and video of Ms. Rose on acoustic guitar in Hollywood. She’s clearly a multidimensional artist with much potential. Invicta could have had a lot of unique flavor by adding acoustic elements, but the quiet guitar strums at the opening of “Love Crazy” is all we get. What Invicta misses is less production. Sometimes, it is best to strip things down; this is one of those times.
This music is adaptable, though. On the highlight tracks like “Downhill,” Rose’s voice weaves around a quiet synth beat and stays followable, while on “Goodnight, Mr. Moon,” the music quiets down and allows Rose to expose the subtler qualities of her voice. As a first effort, Invicta leaves room for growth and also shows many aspects of Rose’s artistry, but misses the mark as far as connection.
Invicta is available for listening and downloads on all major platforms.
Key tracks: Downhill, Goodnight, Mr. Moon, Love Crazy
Night two of the five night Colorado run took place at a hip little venue in Avon, located in the Vail Valley. Agave, a traditional Mexican restaurant by day – live music venue by night, hosted Aqueous and BIG Something for an intimate show. The welcoming vibe continued with a crowd of Colorado residents and again, familiar faces from back East. Agave filled up while the band completed soundcheck; the excitement from fans was palpable. Situated on a cozy corner stage, Buffalo’s groove-rockers were ready to get the crowd moving.
Holding true to their “cant stop, won’t stop” mantra, it was only fitting that the set opener was “Strange Times,” from the 2012 album Willy is 40, which segued beautifully into a highly anticipated “The Median.” Next up was an exceptionally fun bust-out of the Gary Numan song “Cars,” played only one other time 467 shows ago on 7/28/14. The set concluded with a soaring, extended “Kitty Chaser (Explosions).”
After the set concluded and Aqueous load out was complete, the opportunity arose to sit with Evan McPhaden (Bass/Synth) for a conversation about touring, songwriting and his roots as a musician. The exchange started, Evan spoke about how it felt to be back in Colorado and being on tour with North Carolina’s BIG Something. Very happy to be back in CO, Evan said he’s been excited to be playing new venues and sharing the tour with BIG Something. Stating that a perk of a co-headlining tour allows time to enjoy the show as well as perform. Delving a bit into his involvement in the creative side of things, it was uncovered that Evan contributes heavily to the songwriting process. On Color Wheel, he wrote “Weight of the Word,” the music for “Split The Difference” and “Mandela Effect,” which was a NYS Staff voted Best Album of 2018. When asked about McPhaden’s hand in songwriting, he humbly downplayed his efforts even though he is known as a gifted writer and composer.
Evan began playing music at a young age. Encouraged by his father, whom played bass, Evan picked up the guitar to join in on jams with his dad. He gave it his all, but one day he picked up a bass guitar and he said it just “felt right.” As far as bass-lines go, McPhaden pulls out some low end grooves that provide the heartbeat for both melodies and jams that Aqueous is known for. Giving credit to his rhythmic partner-in-crime Rob Houk, Evan explained that since Rob joined the band he feels much more confidence and flow when performing, and this is certainly apparent on Color Wheel.
The conversation with Evan concluded with some real love for the AQuantainces. Evan shared his appreciation and respect for their fans, stating that watching a fan sing “every single word to every single song” was incredibly moving. Looking forward to the next stop on the tour, the band prepares for more travel through the mountains and more adventures at new venues. Next stop, Winter Park at Ullrs Tavern. These shows will be available on Nugs.net for streaming with a subscription. Full set list for the Agave set can be found below. Tour dates for the Aqueous/BIG Something tour can be found here.
February 14, 2019 Agave, Avon, CO
Set one:Strange Times > The Median, Say it Again > Cars1 > Kitty Chaser (Explosions)
Among the network of musicians in Albany, there are select venues that are known to be “off the beaten path” but still provide the listener with the intimate experience many are searching for from live music. Since the unfortunate closure of Valentine’s in 2014, the need for these spaces has increased, leading to house venues popping up across the area to cater to fans. With no particular venue picking up where Valentine’s left off, the mission of getting a PA and inviting your friends over for a show got the ball started for house venues such as the Chateau. One of these artists, Girl Blue, was recently profiled by NYS Music, and we present the premiere of Girl Blue’s Chateau Shows performance.
The Chateau was born in 2014 with the first show in 2015, and since then, roughly 15 shows a year, or 1-2 a month are held at the house. Dan Maddalone says of Chateau, “It’s not a money maker, just something for fun and a sign of the healthy and continually growing music scene, both above and underground, in Albany.”
Albany native turned international performer Meg Duffy (Hand Habits) and beloved DIY stalwart Lomelda have both performed at Chateau, making it a utility space for musicians on their way up. More established acts like Spoon, White Denim, and White Reaper have also performed in the space due to Maddalones previous involvement with the radio station WEQX.
Thanks to venues like The Chateau, bands can build an audience in Albany and branch out to other towns without traditional airplay and booking. “House shows are an incubator for a small part of the scene, for a talented group of people who do a lot of great art and create amazing things.” As the industry has broken down, artists have found a new way to prosper and The Chateau is but one small part of an international movement. But make no mistake, Maddalone says, “This has always been happening in Albany and abroad, and will continue to happen forever. We are but one tiny part of a long running DIY methodology.”
Chateau is one of many house venues in Albany. Normally, house venues last between six months to two years, depending on who manages them. Traditionally, it is college students who take on the practice and either move on or pass the house onto another group when their tenure is up. Chateau has such a long legacy due to it being owned and operated by the same persons year after year.
These venues are all several steps above house parties due to the focus being put on the music. The setting typically involves a house kit, PA system, with some lights and decoration in the ‘venue’ part of the house, which is often an attic or basement. In non-venue parts of the house lie comfortable living quarters for bands to rest before moving on to other shows. Between bands, guests are typically welcome to wander about the house sipping whatever they brought with them, and chatting with friends.
The atmosphere of the Chateau and other house venues offer a different musical experience than what you typically find at a club or bar. Performances at clubs can foster a passive and inattentive crowd, but at house venues, the focus is intently upon the performer with a small audience of 30-80 people gathered to see something new, special, and intimate.
All around Albany, a music scene continues to thrive in venues of all sizes and styles. The Capital Region has produced nationally touring bands already because of venues like The Chateau, Valentine’s, and The Hollow. Supporting artists from the ground up ensures a healthy breeding ground for future musicians down the road. House venues like The Chateau may be the place to catch your new favorite band.
Girl Blue video was produced at The Chateau by Chris and Brian Leary of Chrome Glass Productions along with Dan Maddalone. Girl Blue audio was engineered, mixed, and mastered by Troy Pohl with engineering assistance from Judybelle Camangyan.
Pink Talking Fish has teamed up with the Big Apple Circus to create a new concept called Junta Circus, celebrating Phish’s album Junta, and are bringing the circus to the Capitol Theatre on Saturday, February 23. Greg Ormont from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong has been recruited as ringmaster. The show will feature circus acts both on and off stage. Who better to lead the wacky circus than Scrambled Greg?
Pink Talking Fish celebrates the music of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish all on one stage. They have already played two concept shows at The Capitol Theatre, one for “The Wall” and another for “Stop Making Sense.” The energy, artistry, and improvisation are incredible at these shows, and, undoubtedly, they will pull out all the stops to provide a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Like other shows, this will be one long marathon set, so you better get ready.
The New Year’s Eve performance from Phish, featuring several suspended aerialists flying around the band, seems like it may have inspired this show even though it was announced before Phish’s New Year’s run. Junta features Phish classics like “You Enjoy Myself,” “Dinner and a Movie,” “Divided Sky,” “David Bowie,” “Fluffhead,” “Sanity,” “Contact,” “Icculus” and more. Some of those feature masterful composition with parts that are difficult to play, so the musicians of “Junta Circus” certainly have their work cut out for them.
Pink Talking Fish team up with Start Making Sense and the ladies of Turkuaz for one of their concept shows at the Capitol Theatre.
Two separate shows were originally slated to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Woodstock during the same weekend of Aug. 16-18, one of those events, in Bethel, is now being scaled back.
The Poughkeepsie Journal has reported that INVNT, the branding and live storytelling agency slated to help produce the Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival, celebrating Woodstock’s 50th anniversary, has pulled out of the event with a statement released on Feb. 18, just weeks, if not days away from an artist lineup for the show.
INVNT stated about the departure that it: “will now comprise three separate events over three days and forms part of the venue’s Season of Song & Celebration commemorations, a year-long schedule of exhibits, programs and events.”
INVNT was partnering with Bethel Woods and Live Nation to produce the weekend long festival. The re-imagined celebration will now stretch throughout the 50th anniversary summer instead of concentrating solely on the weekend festival that had been in direct competition with Woodstock 50, the Michael Lang-produced event that same weekend at Watkins Glen International Speedway 90 miles west of Bethel.
The second announced artist appearing at the performing arts center will be Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band with Arlo Guthrie and the Edgar Winter Band. They will join another rock legend in Carlos Santana, who is touring sheds this summer with the Doobie Brothers. Santana announced his appearance last month.
INVNT CEO Scott Cullather, released this statement about the event: “INVNT will not be involved in the new format and we wish Bethel Woods and Live Nation, as well as the organizers of the other 50th anniversary celebrations taking place around the world, the very best.”
Original Woodstock producer and co-founder Michael Lang will hold his own anniversary show the same weekend as the Bethel woods event in Watkins Glen. Lang stated that he has over 40 artist booked for his event, but has yet to announce any artists.
With The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical making its way to Schenectady, NY on Friday February 22 and Saturday the 23, James Hayden Rodriguez took time out of his busy schedule to talk about the performance. Rodriguez was very excited to be touring again as one of the four original cast members from when the show debuted in 2017 Off-Broadway. With a wonderful attitude and a humble down-to-earth personality, the conversation was fluid with a few laughs. To Rodriguez, acting in a show like this or any musical is second nature and something he always knew he was meant to do.
NYS Music was able to speak to James Hayden Rodriguez via phone on February 14 as he was just reaching his next stop of tour in D.C, before the cast and crew make their way to Proctors in Schenectady. Rodriguez plays Luke and Others in The Lightning Thief.
Headshot via jameshaydenrodriguez.com
Shannon Marie Palmo: In the musical you are said to play Luke and others. What are the other characters you play aside from just Luke?
James Hayden Rodriguez: My main two characters that I play are Luke and Ares, who is the god of War, who ends up being one of Percy’s biggest villain in the show.
SMP: I read that you guys used the book as your bible, how do you articulate the books on stage? How does that fuse with who you are as an actor, and the freedom that comes with being an actor?
JHR: With Luke specifically, I really have a lot of freedom to just use a lot of my own personal experience. We are all children of Greek Gods, but we are also still human and we have human qualities so we are able to use our personal experience to create these characters which is pretty cool. We have a lot of freedom.
SMP: What do you think are the disadvantages or advantages? What do you like/dislike about doing the tour verse being at one venue in NYC?
JHR: I don’t think there are disadvantages, I think it’s very exciting for us to be just doing the show again at all and the fact that we are able to bring it to all of our fans who were unable to see it in NYC because our fanbase is really massive and its spread and not just in the United States. We are even surprised by coming to these cities and selling out houses and the kids in the audience have read the books and seen the movies and know these characters. They are just really excited that we are bringing it to them. The great thing about the movie is that it has reached a lot of people, so we have a lot of people who are coming to see the show because they have seen the movie. We have the young book fans, but also the people who are new to theatre. They saw this really awesome film so they want to check out how we put this on the stage.
SMP: What is the balance between stage production between dialogue, there’s fighting scenes and it’s also a musical. So how would you say that balances out because some musicals are non-stop music with very little dialogue.
JHR: There’s definitely a lot of dialogue, and Percy is thrown into this world where he is learning this completely new universe to him. He is also dealing with the fact that his mother was just killed by this monster that he didn’t know existed. But when he gets to these really emotional parts in the story, it turns into these big rock numbers, which is really cool. I think we have a good balance from music to dialogue. There’s definitely a lot of scene work which helps us develop the characters and tell the story.
SMP: What is something that goes through your mind when you’re on stage performing whether it’s an actual performance or rehearsal?
JHR: I try to be as present in the story as I can and actively listening to everything on stage. I can’t concern myself too much with who’s in the audience because then it will throw you out of the world and the more you can focus on what is actually happening on the stage the better the performance will be. I don’t like to know if there’s press, or family, or casting directors in the audience.
SMP: With a show being about Greek Mythology, what’s it like being thrusted into such a world as Percy Jackson trying to portray that world on stage because like you said, you guys don’t have CGI as the movie did.
JHR: Yeah, it definitely allows us to be more creative with how we tell the story and that’s what has always been so exciting about theatre in the fist place, and why I got into theatre. You have to use your imagination to tell stories like this and we have been doing this with puppetry, which is cool this time around. We have a puppet team who has really elevated our storytelling. They are scary when revealed. People in the audience scream when they come out.
Rodriguez in The Lightning Thief. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.
SMP: So, what’s it like playing an antagonist like Luke or a character like Luke. When I saw the movie, and who Luke really was, I was completely shocked – without giving too much away.
JHR: (Laughs) Ares is more of the antagonist of this story. I don’t like to think of Luke as the antagonist because he starts out in the show with really good intentions and he’s just really misunderstood. He’s just dealing with his own insecurities and resentment issues because of the relationship with his dad. He’s a teenager as well and coming of age and learning all these new things and starting to have to make choices for himself. And Luke ends up going down a darker path than the rest of the characters. He doesn’t start off this way so you really get to see his journey from being a really good kid to more of a bad kid. I don’t think Luke is an antagonist, I just think he’s trying to make his own path.
SMP: How do you keep up with the physical demands of the show?
JHR: All of us are pretty good at making sure we are going to the gym, doing physical warm ups and stretching so we are not hurting ourselves in the show because the fights are pretty intense.
SMP: Did you guys have to go through fighting boot camp to train?
JHR: Oh yeah, we have a really great fight choreographer who has helped us through our process, and I’m also the fight captain in the show. I take the fights a little more seriously, making sure everyone is safe and doing what they are supposed to do because our choreographer was only here for rehearsals, he doesn’t travel with us.
On Sunday, February 17, St. Paul & The Broken Bones made their Port Chester debut at the historic Capitol Theatre. Led by the incredible vocalist Paul Janeway the Alabama rock and soul band weaved in out of their original catalog, blessing the audience with amazing versions of “Flow With It” and “Apollo.” The 8-piece soul outfit was in top form preparing for an upcoming performance on Late Night With Seth Meyers. There is something about sweet soul music, having a tight band and a lead singer that makes all the hairs on your body stand with every high note hit. It’s awesome to see good music thrive, and I can’t wait to see what comes next for St. Paul & The Broken Bones.
Setlist: LivWithOutU, Flow With It (You Got Me Feeling Like), All I Ever Wonder, Like a Mighty River, Grass Is Greener, Band Instrumental (with So Fresh, So Clean by Outkast), Mr. Invisible, Convex, NASA, GotItBad Band Instrumental, Apollo, Bruised Fruit
Save the date. On Friday, April 19, the Dirty Pennies celebrate the release of their new EP with a show at the Bug Jar in Rochester. Special guests include Buffalo’s Handsome Jack and indie rockers The Stedwells. Tickets are on sale Thursday, February 21.
The Dirty Pennies’ much-anticipated sophomore release will be out a couple weeks before the show, on April 2. Entitled ep, the collection will be available over all major music platforms (including Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Bandcamp).
The new work demonstrates The Dirty Pennies’ ability to create a cohesive sound from blues and surf rock influences. The Dirty Pennies turned to Josh Pettinger and Greg Thompson of Wicked Squid Studios to record and engineer their new songs. The pair took on the herculean task of harnessing the raw energy of this dynamic trio and translating it into a recording that remains true to the feel of the Dirty Pennies’ live shows.
The reprieve from polar temperatures has drawn people out to enjoy some of the night life. In the spirit of the mid-winter thaw, Rochester’s Abilene Bar and Lounge threw an event called “Feel The Warmth” on Friday night. The cozy bar was lined with posters from shows’ past. On the bill were a few of the newer bands on the scene: False Pockets, Vacation Daze, and The Low Spirits.
Over the past year, the quartet has released a few self-recorded singles that were mixed and engineered by their bassist Jim DeWitt. Mid-set Egling announced that they had finished recording an album at Wicked Squid Studios. The work is set for a spring release. They played a song from the upcoming album. The tune, called “Measurement,” features drummer Billy Martin on lead vocals. If this groovy jam is any indication, we can look forward to great things from the new album.
The Low Spirits rounded out this night of discovery. The quartet includes two of the three members of the psychedelic/blues band St. Phillip’s Escalator (Ryan Moore and Zachary Koch). Both bands build upon a foundation of rock ‘n roll, but The Low Spirits has more of a 70’s rock vibe. The difference was apparent when there was some riffing on Led Zep during their sound check at Abilene. Moore, a man of many hats, was on guitar, vocals, and sometimes his vintage Farfisa keyboard. The distortion on guitars and rhythms pumped through an antique VOX bass cabinet lent to their authentic retro sound.
Zachary Koch was stationed behind the drums. With his sticks held in a traditional grip, he added fills which evoke a comparison to the drumming style of Ringo Starr. This was only their second show, but they’ve already got a third booked at Photo City Improv on March 9.
Derek Trucks, also a member of the Allman Brothers, founded the Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2010 with Kofi as a founding member, reuniting him with his brother. Although Oteil left the band in 2012, Kofi remained present throughout his surgery and recovery, accompanying the group for their final shows of 2018.
After the set concluded and Aqueous load out was complete, the opportunity arose to sit with Evan McPhaden (Bass/Synth) for a conversation about touring, songwriting and his roots as a musician. The exchange started, Evan spoke about how it felt to be back in Colorado and being on tour with North Carolina’s BIG Something. Very happy to be back in CO, Evan said he’s been excited to be playing new venues and sharing the tour with BIG Something. Stating that a perk of a co-headlining tour allows time to enjoy the show as well as perform. Delving a bit into his involvement in the creative side of things, it was uncovered that Evan contributes heavily to the songwriting process. On 
