NYS Music 202​0

Author: Pete Mason

  • 27 Years Later: Phish rocks Jones Beach for two nights

    After performing at SPAC and taking a day off to celebrate the release of A Live One, Phish headed to Jones Beach for their first two-night run at the Long Island amphitheater. Growing their following, especially from New York metro area high school and college students with a summer off, was part of Phish’s broadening appeal as they performed in bigger and bigger theaters.

    Ticket stubs via Shapsio

    The first show on the 28th featured the retired “Axilla (Part II)” and an 11-minute “Foam” demonstrating the patience of the foursome from Vermont. The rest of the set after “Fast Enough For You” reads like a fantasy setlist, and it was only the first set, including one of two “Fluffhead”‘s from that tour.

    Set 2 unleashes a 30+ minute “Tweezer” that is one for the books, so much that it was added to Live Bait 10 (scroll down for video). This experimental version of the jam vehicle included the ever rare “Dave’s Energy Guide” and a jam on The Breeder’s “Cannonball.” If you were still clamoring for more, the “Harry Hood” and “Tweezer Reprise” to close the set are likely to seal the deal.

    Setlist: June 28, 1995 via Phish.net

    Soundcheck: Sweet Home Alabama, Jam, Ginseng Sullivan, Red River Valley Jam, Dog Log (slow)

    Set 1: Axilla (Part II) > Foam, Fast Enough for You, Reba[1], Punch You in the Eye, Stash, Fluffhead > Chalk Dust Torture

    Set 2: Sample in a Jar, Poor Heart > Tweezer -> Dave’s Energy Guide -> Tweezer > Gumbo > Sparkle > Suzy Greenberg, Harry Hood, Tweezer Reprise

    Encore: Sweet Adeline, While My Guitar Gently Weeps

    [1] No whistling.

    Ha Ha Ha was teased before the start of the first set. Reba did not have the whistling ending. Dave’s Energy Guide was played for the first time since March 8, 1991 (479 shows). The secondTweezer included a Cannonball jam with quotes from Trey.

    The next day the fans returned to Jones Beach for another round of Phish, and were greeted with “Runaway Jim” -> “Taste.” The straightforward first set was enthusiastic and energetic, and ended with an acapella “Carolina.”

    If you were getting your first taste of Phish over these two nights, you might think that nearly half hour versions of songs were the norm, and for a time, they were. Both “David Bowie” and “You Enjoy Myself” topped over the 25 minute mark, with “Bowie” taking chances getting spacey, and “You Enjoy Myself” including a bass and drums section.

    From here, Phish would have two more two-night runs, at Great Woods in Mansfield, MA and two-nights in at Sugarbush in North Fayston, VT

    Setlist: June 29, 1995 via Phish.net

    Set 1: Runaway Jim > Taste, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Divided Sky, Cavern > Rift > Simple > Split Open and Melt, Carolina

    Set 2: Free -> David Bowie, Strange Design, You Enjoy Myself, Acoustic Army, A Day in the Life

    Encore: Theme From the Bottom

    Runaway Jim contained a Cannonball tease.

  • Grateful Dead perform at SPAC on June 28, 1988, ending three year ban

    After being banned from SPAC for three years, the Grateful Dead returned on Tuesday, June 28, 1988 for one final outing at the famed Saratoga Springs venue. This being their first show since the release of 1987’s In the Dark and the Top 10 single “Touch of Grey,” a new generation of Deadheads were seeing the group for the first time, who were disparagingly referred to as ‘Touchheads’ by some veteran fans.

    While this was the final performance for the Grateful Dead’s at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the band had a strong fanbase in the greater Capital District. Add in a new audience of younger fans and the band would find themselves heading half an hour south for future performances in the region, at the Knickerbocker Arena, starting in 1990.

    Grateful Dead SPAC

    Locally broadcast on WPYX, the Tuesday show was aired on the radio in an effort to dissaude fans from arriving at the show without a ticket. This did not prevent gatecrashing from occuring early in the night, and fans on the lawn were found heading into the pavilion balcony as they did in 1985.

    Rain fell on the crowd as storms passed through, and lightning was seen during the rain-soaked “Candyman,” leading to a chill coming over the crowd as the show wore on. A solid variety in the straightforward first set seemed to swap Bobby and Jerry songs from the outset of “Hell in a Bucket,” and ending with “Victim or the Crime” and “Foolish Heart.”

    More rain came down early in the second set, similar to the rain in 1985 that began during “Fire on the Mountain.” Listen to “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire on the Mountain” > “Estimated Prophet” > “Crazy Fingers,” and you’d likely be enjoying dancing in the rain as the thousands of fans did that night.

    Following a hypnotic “Drums” and “Space,” a beautiful version of “I Will Take You Home” by Brent Mydland appeared, and a late second set “Stella Blue” found Jerry stumbling just before pouring buckets of emotion into the ending jam. The Dead had left their mark on SPAC, one of the most beloved venues in the Northeast.

    Grateful Dead, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), June 28, 1988

    Set 1: Hell In A Bucket-> Bertha, Walkin Blues, Candyman, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Row Jimmy, Victim Or The Crime, Foolish Heart

    Set 2: Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet-> Crazy Fingers-> Drums-> I Will Take You Home-> Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad-> I Need A Miracle-> Stella Blue-> Not Fade Away

    Encore: Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

  • Discover Local Music With EQXposure Featured Artists Of The Week

    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.

    Luminous Crush – All The Words And More

    Luminous Crush from Jamaica, VT has shared the stage with Amy Helm, opening for her band at the Paramount Theater in Rutland, VT. Their first album was produced along with Grammy-winning Nashville songwriter and producer Felix McTeigue, and their newest LP Lumina is now available at Bandcamp. This is a new song not found on either of their previous releases.

    Architrave – Yellow Lines

    Check out this Ballston Spa band’s new album This Perfect Day at Bandcamp and Spotify. The Daily Gazette of Schenectady called it the “perfect pandemic album”. This song was inspired by a dream that singer Jen Coleman’s daughter had.

  • Music inspired card game, MY FAKE BAND, celebrates absurd band names and song titles

    When you think of bands like Butthole Surfers, Hoobastank, Limp Bizkit, Barenaked Ladies, and Hootie & The Blowfish, what stands out is the unique and nearly absurd names these groups have. (When Limp Bizkit first came on the scene in the late 90s, the band name was a slight hurdle before getting to their music.) These band names are part of the inspiration for MY FAKE BAND, a music inspired card game that captures the absurdity surrounding band names and song titles.

    Combining easy gameplay with the natural comedy that accompanies some band names & song titles, MY FAKE BAND has launched an official Kickstarter campaign, giving backers an opportunity to own a copy of the game before public release.

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/neverplayedout/my-fake-band?ref=discovery

    The music scene has forever been a lawless wasteland of endless bands who rise and fall much like the tide. There are a few things that all bands have in common, such as the process of choosing band names and song titles. Have you ever asked yourself how do they came up with their name, and what does it all mean? MY FAKE BAND takes the guesswork out of the equation with 150 fake band cards and 150 genre cards. During gameplay, you and your crew will produce endless hit song titles based on over 20,000 band and genre combinations drawn from the deck. 

    my fake band

    Created by Never Played Out LLC, this game aims to capture the imagination of the music scene through their Kickstarter campaign by offering many unique and fun “Street Team Quests.” With quests ranging from tweeting @NPOgames your own fake band names to filming Dragonforce’s Through The Fire and Flames being sung karaoke style, there is a quest for everybody. Completing one or more quests gives you the ability to play a direct role in unlocking stretch goal features.

    MY FAKE BAND is designed for 4-8 players for a 45+ minute game, and is recommended for ages 17+.

    my fake band

  • Flashback: Phish at SPAC, June 26, 1995

    On June 26, 1995, Phish performed for the third time (and second as a headliner) at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Phish’s 1995 Summer Tour was into full swing by this point with the final 11 shows in the Northeast, four of which were in New York.

    Phish SPAC 1995

    Back in 1995, reserved tickets for this performance at SPAC cost only $20. An “Acoustic Army” soundcheck with teases of “Shine” (six months and a day before “Shine” would debut on New Years Eve during “Fly Famous Mockingbird”), and Little Feat’s “Time Loves a Hero” reappeared for the first time since soundcheck on April 15, 1989.

    A little Led Zeppelin could be found in “Possum” with a “Heartbreaker” tease, and in “You Enjoy Myself” containing a hint of “Immigrant Song.” The highlight of the show is surely a spacey and unfinishes “Down with Disease” that led into a monster “Free,” seen below.

    The penultimate performance of The Meditations “Don’t You Want to Go?” was found in the first set, alongside a unique trio of “It’s Ice” > “Dog Faced Boy” > “Tela,” and the aforementioned “Possum.” Set 2 is a fiery one from the start, with a “Down with Disease” > “Free” that Phish.net calls “a multi-movement masterpiece.” A huge “You Enjoy Myself” (seen below) and “Sleeping Monkey” > “Rocky Top” encore are among the many highlights of this stand out show. It would take 9 years before Phish returned to SPAC, shows that stack up well against June 26, 1995. This show was released by Live Phish in 2017.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Phish – SPAC – June 26, 1995

    Soundcheck: Time Loves A Hero > Dog Log/Time Loves A Hero mashup, Nellie Kane, Santana Instrumental, Rocky Mountain Way

    Set 1: My Friend, My Friend, Don’t You Want To Go?, Bathtub Gin, NICU > The Sloth, My Mind’s Got a Mind of its Own, It’s Ice > Dog Faced Boy > Tela > Possum

    Set 2: Down with Disease [1] -> Free > Poor Heart > You Enjoy Myself, Strange Design > Run Like an Antelope

    Encore: Sleeping Monkey > Rocky Top

    [1] Unfinished.
    My Friend started with a Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 tease from Trey. Trey teased and quoted Long Tall Glasses in Bathtub Gin. Possum contained a Heartbreaker tease and YEM contained Immigrant Song teases from Trey. Down with Disease was unfinished.

  • lespecial to premiere ‘Cheen Stream II’ Thursday night

    On Thursday June 25 at 8pm, heavy prog and future groove band lespecial will debut “Cheen Stream II,” featuring multi-angle video and a soundboard audio live set. Filmed at the band’s studio and music school The Music Cellar in Millerton, NY the performance will be streamed live on lespecial’s Facebook and YouTube.

    lespecial cheen

    “A lot of times in horror movies sequels don’t live up to the original. But the best ones expand on the lore and go deeper, introducing the makings of a franchise. I don’t know what that has to do with cheen stream II. But I do know that with the multi-angle video and soundboard audio, this will be a big step up from the first cheen stream. There will still be a level of in-studio casualness, but more bangers. Older songs we haven’t played in a while in a new setting, and some new music we’ve been working on. We’re excited to bring some music to people right now, in our home studio with some fresh production.”

    Luke Bemand, bassist for lespecial

    lespecial recently joined Royal Artist Group, whose roster includes DJ Logic, Ghost-Note, James Casey, Natalie Cressman and many more. If you’re looking to see lespecial live and in person, they will be performing a private drive-in show in the Glens Falls area this on Saturday, June 27. For details and information on tickets, please email claw@jamflowmgmt.com.

  • Aqueous Ushers in a New Era of Live Music

    At Transit Drive In in Lockport, NY, live music returned for the first time in over three months. The drought was lifted with three shows from Aqueous, who performed with a limited crowd that was safely distanced throughout the grounds.

    As Sunday attendee Pete Connors of Utica attested, “For a post-apocalytpic world, they put together as close to a first class event as you’re gonna see this year.” From the looks of the recap video by Jim Houle and just shared by Aqueous, the joy on the faces of the fans, even spread out among the Drive-In grounds agrees with this sentiment.

    Aqueous live music

    With a line forming at noon for the matinee concert, doors opened at 1pm for two sets starting at 2pm. From most points around the state, you’d be home in bed before it was dark. The sound was reported as fantastic from all fronts, even if the sound had to be adjusted to appease neighbors.

    Each dad had its own unique highlight from the band. Friday opened up with local legend Rick James’ “Below the Funk,” and Saturday featured a single song second set of “Half In Half Out,” with teases throughout. On Sunday, the band left the stage before “Kitty Chaser” with a looped beat playing, as they staged a runaway golfcart marathon around the ground, saying hi to fans (from a safe distance).

    In time, we’ll remember the shows and the return to live music, even if the details get foggy. Fans are grateful for music more than ever thanks to intimate experiences like Live at the Drive In, and the easing back into live music will present us all with a new appreciation for the blessings of music around us.

    Aqueous live music

    Setlists via Darren Kemp

    Friday, June 19th, 2020

    Set 1: Below the Funk¹ > They’re Calling For Ya > Numbers and Facts, Little Something to Me, Strange Times² > Burn it Down³ > Below the Funk

    Set 2: Mind Games, Say it Again > Complex Pt. II, Realize Your Light

    Encore: What’s The Connection?⁴

    Notes: ¹ BUSTOUT LTP 12/7/2018 (100 shows)² Unfinished³ G’z and Hustlaz (Snoop Dogg) tease⁴ Birds of a Feather (Phish) tease

    Aqueous live music

    Saturday, June 20th, 2020

    Set 1: Staring into the Sun¹, Good Days, Split the Difference² ³ > Underlyer, Bring Me Down⁴

    Set 2: Half In Half Out⁵

    Encore: Freedom⁶

    Notes: ¹ w/ ending² Wedge tease (Phish) between songs³ So Fresh So Clean (Outkast) tease⁴ Original – Debut�5⁵ Teases galore, including 20/20, Below the Funk (Rick James), Sample in a Jar (Phish), YYZ (Rush), Echoes (Pink Floyd), Californication (Red Hot Chili Peppers)⁶ Jimi Hendrix Cover, BUSTOUT – LTP 2011/6/11 (858 shows)

    Sunday June 21st, 2020

    Set 1: Dig It Good, Josie > Second Sight¹ > Good Enough, The Median

    Set 2: Can You Get Me There?, Willy is 40 > Loop Jam² > Kitty Chaser (Explosions)

    Encore: Freebird³, Complex Pt. I > Second Sight⁴

    Notes: ¹ Unfinished² Band set loops on their instruments and proceeded to drive through the audience on golf carts thanking fans³ Lynyrd Skynyrd cover, Partially played as a joke, mostly acapella from Rob⁴ Ending

    Photos by Zachary Todtenhagen

  • Flashback: Grateful Dead perform their final NY shows at The Knick

    The writing was on the wall, and if 1994 didn’t confirm it, 1995 certainly did. And on June 21-22, the Grateful Dead performed their final shows in the state of New York at the Knickerbocker Arena (The Knick) in Albany.

    The Dead had performed over 300 shows in New York State alone since their first in 1967, but the last two in Albany would serve as a curtain call for a band that treated the state as a second home, musically speaking. After all the shows and runs at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Fillmore East, Paradise Garden, Capitol Theatre, Nassau Coliseum, Rich Stadium, the Carrier Dome and more, and these would be the finale, even if it was not announced as such.

    jerry sundays
    via JerryGarcia.com

    The June 21st show would offer up the final “Row Jimmy,” “Man Smart, Woman Smarter,” “Supplication Jam” and “Morning Dew,” and what a “Morning Dew” this was. Fans were in tears as the ballad played, one fan saying “all difficulties disappeared for a few precious moments and we were all treated to a beautiful, final rendtion from the boys.” Listen or watch the full show below and judge for yourself.

    Grateful Dead – The Knick, Albany, NY – June 21, 1995

    Set 1: Hell In A Bucket, Loser, Take Me To The River, Row Jimmy, Broken Arrow, Promised Land

    Set 2: Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain, Women Are Smarter, It’s All Too Much, Playin’ In The Band-> Drums-> Space-> Easy Answers-> Morning Dew

    Encore: U.S. Blues

    The next night would be the final show in Albany, at The Knick, and in New York State for that matter. The tour would head to Washington, D.C., Auburn Hills, MI, a few more stops in the Midwest before the final show at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL.

    via JerryGarcia.com

    This show features an incredible “Franklin’s Tower,” clocking in at 18 minutes, a near-record for its final version ever. The final “Help on the Way” and “Slipknot” preceded the set closing jam, as did an emotional “It Must Have Been the Roses.” Early in the second set, “Estimated Prophet” -> “Terrapin Station” combine for 30 minutes followed by 25 minutes of “Drums” and a “Silent Way” jam ahead in “Space.” Final versions of “All Along the Watchtower,” “Black Peter” show up later in the set, with an encore of “I Fought the Law” to close the run.

    The Grateful Dead made their mark on the Empire State through nearly 30 years of performances, one that lasts in every corner of the state to this day. Revisit those final shows, 25 years later.

    via gratefuldeadoftheday.com

    Setlist June 22, 1995

    Set 1: Touch Of Gray, Walkin’ Blues, It Must Have Been The Roses, When I Paint My Masterpiece, So Many Roads, The Music Never Stopped Help On The Way-> Slipknot!-> Franklin’s Tower

    Set 2: Samba In The Rain, Estimated Prophet-> Terrapin Station-> Drums-> Silent Way Jam-> Space-> All Along The Watchtower-> Black Peter-> Around & Around

    Encore: I Fought The Law

  • moe.ron Mondays to feature never before seen 2005 Portland shows

    The next two moe.ron Mondays on Nugs TV will feature a pair of shows from the State Theatre in Portland, Maine, which will also conclude the weekly streaming series.

    These two shows did not allow taping and served as record release shows for The Conch, one of moe.’s best-received albums, receiving 4/5 stars in Rolling Stone. The shows, seen for the first time, will offer a glimpse at a band 15 years into their career. Tune in at Nugs.TV

    moe.ron mondays portland
    moe. Summer 2005 tour poster by Emek

    Setlist, June 10, 2005
    Timmy Tucker, It, Lost Along the Way, Happy Hour Hero, McBain -> George, Tailspin, The Pit, Recreational Chemistry, She, The Road, Brent Black
    Encore: Wind It Up, Blue Jeans Pizza, Crab Eyes

    Poster by Marq Spusta

    Setlist, June 11, 2005
    Captain America, She, Wind It Up, The Road, The Pit, Kyle’s Song, 32 Things, Wake Up, St. Augustine, Head, George, Rebubula
    Encore: Plane Crash

    Watch and enjoy “MacIntyre Range,” featured on The Conch and inspired by the Adirondack Mountain range of the same name.

  • Discover Local Music With EQXposure Featured Artists

    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 to discover 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.

    discover eqxposure

    No More Death Stars – Before the World Ends

    No More Death Stars is an indie/punk band from Glens Falls. They are Kevin Cardinale, Gina DiNardo, Eric Rothstein, and Kevin Stephenson. However, singer Kevin C plays all the instruments on this song which he recorded over a 12 hour period while in quarantine. This video features friends who were asked to send in funny videos of themselves listening to the song and all the best clips were selected for the final product.

    Jesse Sample – Really Girl

    Jesse is from Schenectady and this represents another side of what he’s been doing. The song features Tim “The Witchdoctor” Brosnan from The 7th Squeeze and Stellar Young on drums, Colin Abele, former bassist of Black Mountain Symphony, on bass. It also showcases the vocal styling of Jesse’s old roommate’s dog, The Dude. And that Dude’s got some pipes.

    Tune in here on Jesse’s website