If you’re in the Saratoga Springs region this August and September and need a safe activity for the whole family, where everyone can feel like a kid again, you’re in luck. Saratoga Springs’ Universal Preservation Hall has the perfect afternoon activity for you.
“Part of the Machine: Rock and Pinball” is one of the most fun and unique experiences you’ll have this summer in Saratoga Springs. Designed for music lovers of all ages, you’ll find 16 different pinball machines, all inspired by Rock ‘n’ Roll bands including The Rolling Stones, KISS, AC/DC, The Beatles and Alice Cooper, among others.
There is of course one of the greatest pinball machines of all time, the detailed “Tommy” celebrating The Who’s “Pinball Wizard” himself. Alongside each machine, you’ll find artist memorabilia and information on each pinball machine, as curated by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, who brought the exhibit to UPH.
UPH is also taking all precautions during the exhibit. There is a limit of 20 patrons per 90 minute block, during which time a facemask and gloves are required. Upon entry they’ll check your temperature and guide you in a socially distanced way to the exhibit.
Following each block, all machines and surfaces are sanitized and cleaned over 30 minutes, before the next group comes in. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children, giving access to all pinball machines, with no need to dig into your pockets for quarters.
The Saratoga region is fortunate to have such an exhibit open to the public during a time when group activities seem a relic of the past. Given the UPH staff’s propensity for professionalism and creating an environment that is welcoming to all, you’ll find this exhibit welcoming and return for future performances and exhibits. Playing pinball for 90 minutes is a great way to get lost in the music and feel like a kid again, if only for a short time.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDPST-FJtAH/
“Part of the Machine: Rock and Pinball,” is now open and runs through September 26. Tickets are available for admission during the following time frames: Sunday â Wednesday: 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and Thursday â Saturday: 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door. For more about the exhibit, visit UPH’s website.
The guitar Pete Townshend used to write “Pinball Wizard” is an added bonus to the Rock and Pinball exhibit at Universal Preservation Hall.
Phish frontman Trey Anastasio today releases his new album, Lonely Trip, comprised of songs written and recorded during lockdown at his home in New York City.
Initially, Lonely Trip songs were released through Anastasio’s Instagram over the past five months, and have been remixed by longtime studio collaborate Bryce Goggin. The album releases on Anastasio’s own label, Rubber Jungle Records.
Anastasio shared this on the making of Lonely Trip:
Lonely Trip was conceived and recorded in isolation at my home studio (aka Rubber Jungle) during the peak of New York City’s COVID-19 crisis, March — July, 2020. When the lockdown began, I had by chance just completed a weekend songwriting session with my friends and longtime collaborators Tom Marshall and Scott Herman. That session took place March 13th and 14th just as the crisis was beginning in New York, so the themes of fear and isolation were already finding their way into those first songs. By the time I arrived home, the situation in NYC had gotten much worse.
Knowing I wasn’t going to be leaving my apartment for a while, I started working. It felt therapeutic to write. I wanted to connect with our community in some way. The unplanned nature of the recording meant I didn’t have a lot of gear during this process. I had an electric and an acoustic guitar, a small amp, two microphones, some percussion, and two keyboards, including an old Kurzweil with very realistic drum sounds on it. Everything was recorded through a Spire 8-track. Lonely Trip is truly a raw, low-fi recording.
The process of writing songs became a reflective and healing experience. Being able to share these songs instantly with our community via Instagram felt equally profound. It harkened back to my youth, before there was a Phish, when I would write songs and home-record them specifically with the intention of sharing them with my circle of friends via cassette four-track recordings.
As the weeks went by, I worked on improving my recording techniques. I called recording engineers including Ben Collette and Vance Powell to get tips on microphone placement, and I purchased a bass guitar online. I also started tapping into a Dropbox folder with about 30 four-minute drum sequences that I had recorded with Jon Fishman over the last year.
For the previous few Phish albums (including Kasvot Växt and Sigma Oasis), I had been experimenting with writing songs, starting with drum beats that I had sung into my phone. Fish and I would go into the studio and record the beats exactly as I had sung them, with Fish launching off in his unique way after a minute or two. I used these beats as building blocks to many of the songs on Lonely Trip, and it explains how I could do a whole album in Rubber Jungle with such good sounding drums. Thank you Fish!
The album was ultimately mixed by my friend Bryce Goggin, and as always, Bryce’s mixes sound incredible. Thank you Bryce!
Lonely Trip was my message in a bottle during this time, and I wish I knew how to properly thank all of you in our community for listening and responding. It meant so much to me. Thank you. Wishing all of you much love and safety during this turbulent time.
This album is dedicated to the heroism of our healthcare and essential workers.
— Trey
From Anastasio’s experience to your ears. Doing what few performers have done during this great pause, Anastasio releases an album that conveys the emotions of doubt, fear, joy, loneliness, love and many more in a seamless album. As songs appeared on Instagram, Phish fans jumped at the opportunity to revel in the unique and fresh tracks that were inspired by the same lockdown conditions they were experiencing. The result of Lonely Trip is a journey through the past five months and will serve as an uplifting musical bookmark on this era.
Buffalo’s Intrepid Travelers welcome two new members to the band, saxophonist Ellen Pieroni (Folkfaces) and bassist Zak Beutel, who join the already stellar IT lineup of Donny Frauenhofer (keys, vocals), Brian Calisto (guitar, vocals) and Jon Fohl (drums, vocals).
photo by Sam Murray
Pieroni shared her thoughts on joining Intrepid Travelers:
I’ve considered myself to be IT fam for the better half of the 5+ years Donny and I have been dating. Over the years, I’ve attended a bunch of shows, sat in on countless tunes, worked the merch table, and volunteered for IT fest. I’ve jokingly said for years “you should just let me join the band!” Well, recently they decided to finally listen and let me try IT out. It’s been a blast so far, immersing myself in new experiences like deep improvisation, exploring and building my pedal rig, composing new music, and taking on a larger role vocally than I have in any band before. It feels really good to be creative in new ways and be thrown into a band where folks are just as excited for the next chapter. The group chat is constantly lighting up with new ideas and I’m super happy to be a part of it.
Beutel looks as his joining IT and the long journey from fan to band member
One night in September 2014, I went to EBC, a staple in the town of Fredonia where I was attending college, to check out this band that all my upperclassman friends had exclaimed to be THE band to see in Fredonia. Upon entering, I was overtaken by the range of blissful sounds, to downright funk, and all the spaces in between. It was Intrepid Travelers, and immediately I was taken aback by their dynamic musicianship, inspired improvisation, and creative songwriting ability, as it had far exceeded any local acts I had previously seen. I bought a CD, and the Have You Seen My Rainbow Monkey EP was a mainstay in my old car that only took CDs and is now what I consider to be one of the ‘soundtracks’ to my first year at Fredonia.
Years later in late 2019, my buddy and I needed a drummer for a charity gig, and Jon (Fohl)n was the first person that came to mind, so we reached out and he joined us for a fun show. A few months later, I saw a post of his on Facebook that he was looking for some gigs, to which I reached out and suggested a side project, and let him know I was available if he needed bass for anything. In a somewhat serendipitous way, he let me know that he had been thinking about reaching out to me as Intrepid Travelers had taken a hiatus and weren’t sure what the steps would be moving forward, but that he thought I would be a welcome fit in the group and that we should give it a go. A few months after quarantine, and after many jam sessions with Jon and Brian, I headed over to Donny’s for the first practice with Intrepid Travelers as a whole, where we warmed up with the classic “Photobooth Youth” and launched into a 15-minute jam segment out of it, and the rest is history. It feels full circle in a way, as I can still remember watching these guys on stage in Fredonia and wishing I was up there with them, and to say I’m honored and excited to be in this band would be an understatement. Everything fell into place, and it’s only up from here. I can’t wait to see what the coming years hold for the band, and I’m so grateful to be along for the ride.
Naturally, keyboardist Donny Frauenhofer is excited for the band to return with two new members:
Intrepid Travelers is back with new songs, new members and new energy! I know its a strange time to be “back” as a band that primarily existed as a live act considering what has happened to the live music industry, but it really ended up being the perfect time to get the wheels turning again in a low pressure environment. We had already been talking since the fall about going hard on making content, and just having a greater focus on creating rather than just playing shows constantly.
Taking a break in the past year was both timely and necessary for Intrepid Travelers to get the creative juices flowing again:
In our time off, we were able to focus better on what we wanted Intrepid Travelers to be as both an entity and for each of us personally. The band being a living, breathing thing that evolves has been at our foundation since Day 1 (one of our earliest songs was called “Always Evolving”). The nice thing is theres very little pressure, so we’re just having fun – and our longtime fans, friends, and supporters seem to be really enjoying it. We played an outdoor show on a neighbors porch and the turnout was incredible.
We have some new, but familiar faces in the band. Zak Beutel, who I actually collaborated with over quarantine a few times, but I’ve just met recently, is taking over the bass and vocals role. Additionally, Ellen Pieroni of Folkfaces is joining on vocals/saxophone/mandolin/whatever other instrument she picks up. We also have a team for the first time since 2016 – Brandon Keller, who had put on Woodhenge Sustainability, Music, and Art Festival is helping manage and book for us, and we also have Tim Merrill who had worked as Witty Tarbox’s manager for a while is joining us to help in a more creative role.
Intrepid Travelers have also announced IT Fest IV to be held in Hannibal, NY for August 28-29, with very limited capacity. More information coming soon.
On the third anniversary of ‘Chocolate’ night, Phish will air their July 28, 2017 performance from Madison Square Garden for this week’s installment of Dinner and a Movie. The Baker’s Dozen run of 13 shows was accented by donuts handed out to those who entered early each evening, with flavors that matched the theme of the show each night, provided by Philadelphia’s Federal Donuts.
This week’s featured recipe was chosen by guitarist Trey Anastasio and features two delicious components of any Phish show, donuts and chicken sandwiches. Get the recipes for Federal Donuts Double Chocolate donut and the Federal Donuts Fried Chicken sandwich here, and read our review of Chocolate night from Baker’s Dozen.
Set 1: Chocolate Rain[1], Ass Handed, Free, Weigh > Undermind > The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony, The Dogs, Destiny Unbound, Divided Sky, Things People Do, Sand
Set 2: Have Mercy, Chalk Dust Torture[2], You Sexy Thing[3] > Mercury -> You Sexy Thing > Backwards Down the Number Line > Rock and Roll
Encore: Fee[4], Space Oddity
[1] Phish debut; a cappella, with Page on a midi controller keyboard. [2] Unfinished. [3] Phish debut. [4] Lyrics changed to “have a chocolate donut and catch your breath.”
Now through August 6, MSG’s Instagram, Facebook and Twitter is celebrating this incredible run by sharing interactive polls, setlists from each night, quote graphics, photos from each show, the banner raising and much more, to bring fans back to the excitement of Phish’s unforgettable Baker’s Dozen performances.
Photo by Carl Scheffel
On the final night of the run, the band was honored for this memorable engagement as they received a banner in the MSG rafters, which cemented the band’s place in both MSG and New York history, as the NYC Mayor’s office proclaimed August 6, 2017 “Phish Day.”
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to a ever-expanding listening audience. Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm on 102.7 FM, you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. NYS Music will bring you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Art LaFleur – “Reset“
Art has been in the local Albany music scene for nearly 20 years performing in modern country bands such as Offramp, Rattlesnake, True Grit Outlaws, Byrds of Prey, and most recently, Grit N Whiskey. Art was out of the music scene for a couple of years dealing with the long term illness and the death of his wife who sadly passed away in 2017. As a means to deal with the loss, he has begun writing his own songs and putting more emphasis into building his songwriting career. He draws influences from Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Outlaws, Warren Haynes, The Eagles, Sting, and Charlie Daniels.
Thinner Friends – “Demons Are All I Have“
A new electronic punk trio from Troy in the vein of DEVO meets Le Tigre, Thinner Friends have just released their debut album and 50% of all sales on Bandcamp will be donated to the Black Trans Protesters Emergency Fund. Whatever is not needed will be given to Black trans-led organizations that work to stop violence against Black trans people.
Johann – “Sparkly Summer Radio Song“
A college student from Cambridge, NY, Johann released Thanks for Coming in April which is available on Bandcamp. “Sparkley Summer Radio Song” is his latest and was recorded during quarantine thanks to the extra time to write.
21 years ago this weekend, the festival calamity known as Woodstock 99 took place at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, NY. If you know anything about Woodstock 99, you likely know about the festival-ending fires and mild rioting that took place in the concert grounds, built out of a weekend of frustration with festival pricing and lack of an adequate infrastructure.
Over Friday and Saturday, the festival seemed to be your typical late 20th century festival – bands playing mostly on schedule, an amalgam of various groups of music lovers, basic amenities and little in terms of technological infrastructure. This was a time where cell phones were a luxury item and resembled Zack Morris’ brick phone.
via Getty Images
There was the giant plywood wall that surrounded the grounds, which gave you a feeling of being trapped inside, with only two or three entry points where you’d be searched at security’s leisure. Once inside, prices were high, even by today’s standards. Four dollars for a bottle of water, eight dollars for a hamburger, nine dollars for a cheeseburger, ten dollars for a chicken sandwich and twelve bucks for a small personal pizza. If you were lucky, you found a lemonade stand where the drinks cost only two dollars, but if you wanted alcohol, you had to drink it in the beer garden, which was devoid of shade or quality sound, and put you in a direct line of fire from people slinging mud through the chain link fence.
The musical lineup was as solid as it could be for 1999. In alphabetical order, you’d be able to catch Bush, Chemical Brothers, Creed, Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews Band, DMX, Everlast, Guster, Ice Cube, Korn, Jewel, Limp Bizkit, Live, Los Lobos, Megadeth, Metallica, moe., Alanis Morissette, Willie Nelson, The Offspring, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rusted Root, Sugar Ray and The Tragically Hip, among many others
Two stages that were a long, long walk from each other separated the acts. If you wanted to see someone on the West Stage, you’d be sacrificing a great deal at the East Stage, and vice versa. The schedule was staggered, but surely this could have been organized better. At least moe. got a set.
Governor George Pataki is rumored to have said of the Woodstock weekend,
“It seems to me the whole reason Woodstock ’99 failed was because of the kids. Kids from all over came to Rome and had no sense of authority, and did not care about anyone but themselves. The promoters should be held to blame, but also the irresponsible people who attended. It seems a strange contradiction. The week before Woodstock 99, 120,000 people gathered in Oswego, New York to see the rock band Phish. The event was in more cramped quarters, and was just as hot, and to my understanding no major problems were reported. Maybe if people behaved like they did at the Phish event this wouldn’t have happened.”
Pharmer’s Almanac, Volume 6
While Pataki’s remarks are off by around 90,000 ‘Camp Oswego‘ attendees, it does highlight the weekend prior where similar conditions of oppressive heat and humidity did not lead to the same circumstances as they did in Rome from July 22-25. How can two festivals, 80 minutes apart, be so diametrically opposite? You’d have to factor in an audience from mixed walks of life, many of whom may not have been to a multi-day music festival prior to this, and festival promoters who came up short in every single area – from bathrooms to food, safety to water, and layout to operations.
Skip ahead to Sunday, July 25, and on the main East Stage, you’d catch Al Green, Willie Nelson, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Everlast, Elvis Costello, Jewel, Creed, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Genre-wise, in order, you could catch gospel/soul, country, swing, rap, rock, pop, ‘hard’ rock and pure rock ‘n’ roll from the Chili Peppers. Quite a variety to see in one day.
Long lines at the limited vendors that had food to serve coupled with very long lines for water, overflowing portos and litter seemingly everywhere, finally hit a tipping point. Add in the aforementioned oppressive heat and humidity plus a complete lack of shade, and a powder keg was ready to burst. The plywood fence around the venue was already being torn down casually throughout the day by concert-goers taking out their frustrations, which led to more seeking a piece of memorabilia.
During the day, in an odd bit of cosmic irony, anti-gun violence group Pax (now the Center to Prevent Youth Violence), distributed candles to those who stopped by their booth during the day. The original intent was for a candlelight vigil during “Under the Bridge,” but instead some used the candles to start bonfires, and when coupled with the thousands of empty water bottles that littered the East Stage field, there was plenty of fuel to light the grounds on fire from stage to stage.
At some point towards the end of the Chili Peppers set, the audio tower caught fire, and the fire department had to be called in. The festival was over thankfully, and many had left during the day, but for the thousands needing to vacate the grounds while emergency personnel were arriving, the scenario had to be frightening. CBS News reported:
The three-day concert climaxed into a frenzy about a quarter mile from the main stage when several concertgoers set fire to twelve parked tractor-trailers.
Several people pulled cases of soda and merchandise from the trucks and fed the flames with debris. Others toppled light stands and speaker towers, while another group tried to destroy a radio station truck.
As a result of Woodstock 99, it would be a number of years before a festival with pop bands reaching a broad audience would take place. Jam festivals were already on the rise, and while the lineup for Bonnaroo 2019 looks little like that of Bonnaroo 2002, the key to the festival formula was in building a lineup for a defined audience, not gathering an audience towards a known lineup.
And while Woodstock 50 never even got off the ground and Woodstock 99 was a stain on music festival history, the original and even the 1994 edition bear the torch for a name still synonymous with peace, music and love.
The nine-episode podcast Break Stuff: The Story of Woodstock 99 from The Ringer gives a detailed breakdown of the festival. Listen here.
“Time To Drive-In” will offer fans the opportunity to safely enjoy a true live music event while following social distancing guidelines. A car pass provides a parking space for a standard passenger vehicle and entry for a maximum of four people per vehicle. Concertgoers will be able to enjoy two full sets, each night, with full concert production, in a socially distant manner.
Fingerlakes Drive-In is a classic drive-in that opened on July 15, 1947, and is the oldest operating Drive-In theatre in New York State. Tickets are now on sale at through Creative Concerts.
If you are in or near Putnam County this weekend and are looking to get rocked, you are in luck. Almost Queen will perform at Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster, ready to bring an authentic Queen experience to Downstate NY.
Fronted by Joe Russo (no, not that one) Almost Queen is the most authentic Queen live show since the days of Queen themselves. A deliberate four piece band, Almost Queen delivers a live performance showcasing signature four part harmonies and intricate musical interludes. Donning genuine costumes, they recaptures the live energy and precision that is the ultimate Queen experience.
Doors open at Tilly Foster Farm at 6pm on Saturday, July 25 for the 8pm show. Please wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines at the venue. Get tickets here.
Endicott Performing Arts Center will share a live production of the iconic Broadway musical and film, The Music Man, July 24th – 26th. Family entertainment at its best, The Music Man centers on River City, where a fast-talking salesman gets his heart stolen by the town librarian.
Through EPAC digital, a new online platform, the Southern Tier venue will continue its mission of bringing high quality performing arts to a broad community at an affordable price. With EPAC digital, productions from EPAC Repertory Theater Company, both old and new, will be available for purchase, including Tempest 3000 and Songs for a New World.
This virtual concert version of “The Music Man” will be available on EPAC Digital Friday, July 24th at 8pm, Saturday, July 25th at 8pm, and Sunday July 26th at 3pm. Tickets can be purchased here.
Originally written for Broadway by Meredith Willson, the EPAC production of the six-time Tony Award-winning musical comedy The Music Man is directed by Connor Gates, with musical direction by Paula Bacorn and choreography by Kate Fabrizio. The local cast of performers features Matt Gaska as Professor Harold Hill and Jana Kucera as Marian the Librarian.
Update – July 30, 2:50pm – All three Twiddle shows in Lake George have been canceled. Twiddle posted this statement on Wednesday evening, saying,
We are very sorry to report that our Lake George shows are cancelled this weekend. Our team spent the last 48 hours working through every possible scenario to not only make sure that the experience would be as great as possible given the current guidelines , but to make sure the event was safe in every way. We are just as upset and sad as you are and wanted nothing more than to play live again for all of you. We are extremely sorry, but safety has to be first and foremost. Tickets are available for refunds at point of purchase and we are working on something special for all those that had a ticket.
The event promoter shared a more detailed and impassioned response on Thursday afternoon:
Here’s my comment to the local papers: I could go on for hours about how unfair the entire entertainment industry has been treated in all this mess. First industry to get cut and who knows when it will be back. Oh wait that’s right, as long as you are sitting at tables spaced 6ft apart and eating dinner, a band can play. I forgot about that. I could also say that it’s easy to mandate people have to stay in cars at a drive-in concert in 85 degree heat if you don’t know anything about concerts or heatstroke or carbon monoxide poisoning for that matter.
I could ask the questions of why it’s ok to have a stranger so close to you in line at a chain store that you can feel them breathing on your neck but it’s not ok to sit in front of your car with your group while socially distanced from the next group. I won’t though because apparently nobody can answer them. Wait, can you get out of your car at the drive -in movies? Probably. And probably because there’s no entertainment.
We all agree that safety for everyone-everywhere is priority #1. We also agree that adaptation and change are part of life. Life must go forward in whatever way it can (safely ) – gotta fit the gaslight in there-and the rules should be reflective of situations not industry. Like that band I mentioned playing to all those tables of people eating dinner- now I’m going to “Bob Ross” you. Let’s turn those tables into distanced cars yes cars. Bam -now add a band and food and we are a restaurant. Do drive-ins have concession stands that you can go into and stand in line 6 ft apart to order some cracker jacks. I say cracker jacks because it’s fitting. Yes is that answer.
Now let’s “Bob Ross” you again. Let’s make that Cracker Jack concession stand a chain store and bam- no more 6ft, more like hot breath. Now we are going to have a drive- in movie with a band and food and chain store merchandise and you guessed it- bam – you cant have food or beverage or merchandise at a drive-in concert unless you order thru an app or text and have it delivered to your car with touchless methods. What does that even mean? Bueller? My point is we all want to be safe and responsible but go home NYS – you’re drunk. What kind of Cracker Jack logic is this?
Two really great shows on opposite ends of NY being put on by responsible and respected promoters were both canceled this weekend because apparently if you have a band involved it’s better to get heatstroke or carbon monoxide poisoning than risk you might give someone in your already socially distanced group the Covid. Bueller?
Tickets to Twiddle shows have been refunded starting today.
Original post follows below
We’re not out of the woods yet, but live music is starting to slowly come back throughout much of Upstate and Western New York. Aqueous, moe. and now Twiddle are utilizing their local Drive-In to provide socially-distanced options for live music during the era of COVID-19.
Twiddle has announced that they’ll play three shows at Lake George’s ‘Drive In Jam Out’ event, held on July 31 and August 1-2 at Charles R. Wood Commons, a stone’s throw from the lake, and on August 14-16 in Essex Junction, VT at the Champlain Valley Exposition. Higher Ground has been producing live stream Drive-In events for a month now in Essex Junction, a short drive from Burlington.
For the Lake George shows, gates open at 5:30pm each night and close at 7:30pm. Tickets are available per car, with a limit of five people per vehicle or seven for SUVs. Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable and are on sale NOW for Lake George and Essex Junction on the , and 16th.
Safety measures will be enforced at both venues, including wearing a mask when not at your designated spot on the ground, but also staying 6 feet apart from other patrons. A two-strikes policy will be enforced – if you are asked twice to put on a mask and decline, you’ll be asked to leave without a refund.
