NYS Music 202​0

Category: Media

  • Gov’t Mule rocks into 2020 at historic Beacon Theatre with The Record Company

    Gov’t Mule wrapped up 2019 with two shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, with a fair amount of Beatles covers in the process. The band teased the possibility of some Beatles songs on their social media ahead of the run, with pictures of mules walking across Abbey Road as well as playing on the rooftop of Apple headquarters. 

    gov't mule beacon

    Night one included covers of “She Said She Said,” “Tomorrow Never Knows,” “And Your Bird Can Sing,” and “Revolution.” Night two’s crowd was treated to an entire eleven-song post-midnight Beatles set with songs including “Get Back,” “Come Together,” “Oh Darling” and “Something.”

    Prior to the December 30th show, The Madison Square Garden Company (owners of the Beacon) presented the band with a commemorative plaque honoring their 40 shows at the venue (as of New Year’s Eve). The plaque will be on display backstage at The Beacon.

    Gov’t Mule next performs in Jamaica on January 17 for their Island Exodus shows. Warren Haynes will also be part of The Allman Brothers’ 50th Anniversary show at Madison Square Garden on March 10. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot5XpIcRBWk

    Setlist: December 30, 2019

    Set 1: Railroad Boy, Larger Than Life, Fool’s Moon, Painted Silver Light, Effigy > Folsom Prison Blues Jam, Effigy, Which Way Do We Run, She Said, She Said, Tomorrow Never Knows, And Your Bird Can Sing#, Revolution*^ Revolution Come, Revolution Go

    Set 2: Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground, So Weak, So Strong, Doing It To Death, Fallen Down, The Other One Jam@, Play With Fire#@, Birth Of The Mule&

    Encore: Live With Me*+

    # with The Better Half Singers
    @ with Aaron Heick
    * Debut
    ^ with Connor Kennedy
    & with Oz Noy Mule
    + with Carmine Appice & Jimmy Vivino

    Setlist: December 31, 2019

    Set 1: Mr. Man, Lola, Leave Your Light On, Unring The Bell, Endless Parade, Whisper In Your Soul, Thorns Of Life, Game Face > Mountain Jam > Game Face, Don’t Step On The Grass, Sam, Eternity’s Breath Jam, Tastes Like Wine

    Set 2: (full set with Connor Kennedy) Get Back*, Don’t Let Me Down, I’ve Got A Feeling*, One After 909*, Dig A Pony*, Dig A Pony (Reprise)* > Auld Lang Syne, Come Together*, Oh! Darling*, Something*, I Want You (She’s So Heavy), The End

    Encore: Brighter Days, Silent Scream Pt. 2 > Scenes From A Troubled Mind > Starship Trooper Jam > The Gates of Delirium Jam > Starship Trooper Jam > Scenes From A Troubled Mind > Silent Scream Pt. 2, Sco-Mule^, Lay Your Burden Down >, Smokestack Lightning^ > Lay Your Burden Down, Catfish Blues^, Bad Little Doggie

    * debut
    ^ with Jimmy Vivino

    • gov't mule beacon
    • gov't mule beacon

    Opening for Gov’t Mule on Monday, December 30 was The Record Company. The Los Angeles-based band consists of Chris Vos (guitar, lead vocals), Alex Stiff (bass, backing vocals), and Marc Cazorla (drums, backing vocal). The trio was influenced by blues singers as well as early punk and rock bands like The Stooges and The Rolling Stones. 

    The Record Company began their set with the second single “Make it Happen” from their most recent album All of This Life.  As soon as they started playing, the crowd was immediately engaged. They followed that with two cuts from the first album, “On the Move” and “Rita Mae,” plus their 2017 single “Baby I’m Broken.” Only a few songs in and the Beacon was nearly filled to capacity as people finished filing in. Many people were dancing in the aisles and singing along as the band did a few more songs from the first album Give it Back to You. The set ended with a tremendous version of  “I’m Getting Better” that left the crowd wanting more. 

    The band will be playing The Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe,IL, as well as The Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, TN this summer. 

    Setlist: Make it Happen, On The Move, Rita Mae Young, Baby I’m Broken, Turn Me Loose, Off The Ground, Life to Fix, I’m Getting Better

  • Aqueous celebrates the ’70s and ’80s over New Years Run at Town Ballroom

    For the second year in a row, Queen City prog-rockers Aqueous performed at The Town Ballroom for the final two nights of the year, selling out both December 30 and 31 with musical themes for each night. The 30th had an “Almost Dazed and Confused” theme, while New Year’s Eve was “Fast Times at The BreAQfast Club.” Fans dressed with the themes for the nights, adding to the festive feel of the end of the year run that celebrated the music of the ’70s and ’80s.

    The first night featured covers from 1970’s bands Led Zeppelin, Stillwater (from Almost Famous) Black Sabbath and the Bee Gees and a first set closing “Random Company.” An encore of “Eon Don” > “Tiny Gantzer” brought the house down, with David Loss singing Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” as “Tiny Gantzer.” Earlier in the night, a VIP set found Aqueous performing five songs acoustically that had previously never been performed in that style. The overall debut of “Spirit and Soul” was found among new arrangments for “Say it Again,” “They’re Calling For Ya” and “On the Edge.”

    For New Year’s Eve, a theme of “Fast Times at The BreAQfast Club” combined the music of two great 80s films, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and The Breakfast Club with some Aqueous thrown in for good measure. Songs by The Cars, Prince, Duran Duran, Simple Minds and Flock of Seagulls were performed near-flawlessly by the band, who wore outfits from their recent music video “Come and Go.” An up-tempo/ska version of “Marty” stood out among the mang covers in the first set, which ended with “Strange Times.”

    Appropriately, Aqueous performed “20/20” to ring in 2020, following the traditional “Auld Lang Syne,” and closed the set with fan favorite “Origami.” The encore held one last surprise for the night though as drummer Rob Houk took a wireless microphone and sang the closing song from The Breakfast Club, “Don’t You Forget About Me.” During the song, the lights were kept low and before the fans could realize it, Houk was on the bar behind the crowd and walked up to the rail through the crowd singing. If this is how the ’20s begin for Aqueous, this might be their best year yet.

    Setlists via Aquaintances

    12/30/19 Setlist

    Set 1 (VIP): Say It Again (1,2) > They’re Calling For Ya (1,2), America (1,4), Spirit and Soul (1,3), On the Edge (1,2)

    Set 2: Fever Dog (3,5) > Paranoid (3,6), Burn It Down, The Median, Gordon’s Mule, Slow Ride (3,7,8) > Misty Mountain Hop (3,8) Random Company

    Set 3: Dave’s Song > Sweet Emotion (9,10), Little Something To Me, You Should Be Dancing (3,11) > Don’t Do It, All In > Do You Feel Like We Do (3,12) > All In

    Encore: Eon Don (13) > Tiny Gantzer (14)

    1- AQoustic Debut
    2- New arrangement
    3- Debut
    4- Simon & Garfunkel
    5- Stillwater
    6- Black Sabbath
    7- Foghat
    8- ft. Travis Gray (Wild Adriatic) on vocals
    9- ft. Ryan John Nogle (Funktional Flow) on triangle
    10- Mega Bustout, LTP: 11/24/10 (870 shows)
    11- Bee Gees
    12- Peter Frampton
    13- Neon Don
    14- Mega Bustout, LTP: 9/21/13 (632 shows)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNWGpdwt_tE&fbclid=IwAR0ss3lnbHxih5uhhF43ganqUZQzif40Kr2d3237HF-Soi0cMmiWm1A93EM&app=desktop

    12/31/19 Setlist

    Set 1: Come and Go¹, I Ran (So Far Away)² ³ > Warren in the Window, Moving In Stereo⁴ ² > Second Sight > Marty⁵, Hungry Like The Wolf² ⁶ > Strange Times⁷

    Set 2: Let’s Go Crazy² ⁸, Skyway, I Melt With You² ⁹, On The Edge, Don’t You Want Me² @@ > Be The Same > Auld Lang Syne, 20/20 > Origami

    Encore: Don’t You Forget About Me² @@@
    Notes:

    ¹ Band came out dressed in their outfits from the music video.
    ² Debut
    ³ Flock of Seagulls cover
    ⁴ Cars cover, Included Spicoli pizza delivery skit from Fast Times at Ridgemont High (By The Cars)
    ⁵ Ska
    ⁶ Duran Duran cover
    ⁷ Life in the Fast Lane (Eagles) tease
    ⁸ Prince cover
    ⁹ Modern English cover
    @@ Human League cover
    @@@ Simple Minds cover, Rob on lead vocals, Ryan Nogle on drums, sang end of song in the crowd

  • Hearing Aide: Mike DeAngelis ‘Songs from the Shelter’

    New York native and country artist, Mike DeAngelis, is thrilled to release his new album, Songs from the Shelter, a culmination of tracks written over decades of his music career. This album was blossomed in the late 90s when Mike connected with former band member of “Nightshift,” Ace Parkhurst, after being introduced to Ace while he was running sound for a local band.

    Mike had envisioned a solo project after playing in a band for a while, and the duo joined forces to often record at Ace’s studio nicknamed “The Bombshelter.” Mike and Ace would sing on each other’s songs and were eventually able to pull these tracks off the shelf, polish them up, and produce the crystal-clear record meant for road trips down a long-winding road, Songs from the Shelter. Some of the tracks are old, and some are new, and they are ecstatic to share them with the world.

    The record starts off with “Welcome Me Home” opening with smoothly picked acoustic guitar, and the lyrics introduce a story of Mike traveling hours down the highway at night with nothing but the open road, eagerly waiting to arrive home. Mike and Ace come together and produce such a diverse sound with tracks such as “Old Letter” and “Guessing Game.” Every track on this album has a specific purpose and each tell a story of its own. Songs from the Shelter is a unique glimpse into the artist’s rich history, which has lasted more than twenty years and from the looks of this album, there’s no end in sight.

    Mike DeAngelis has an incredible demonstrated musical history, and his music serves as a staple of the last few decades for this dedicated group of musicians.

    Key Tracks: Welcome Me Home, Fool In The Moon, and Guessing Game

  • Eggy Plays Acoustic and Electric Set at FTC Stage One

    It was a little bit intimate, a little bit all-out-jam in Fairfield last Saturday night. Eggy made their return to Fairfield Theatre Company (FTC) Stage One with two sets full of holiday spirit.

    eggy FTC Stage One
    Eggy at FTC Stage One – Photo by: Chris Sidoruk

    2019 was a big year for Eggy. They released their debut album Watercolor Days in March, and in September they announced becoming a part of the Madison House team. Time will only tell what 2020 has in store, but I can tell you they will be opening for Spafford at Brooklyn Bowl on February 7 and 8. So get there early!

  • Phish rings in 2020 with Clones and the Rescue Squad at Madison Square Garden

    Jam rockers Phish executed their annual New Years Eve show and gag, albeit with unexpected turns and clones. The show took place at Madison Square Garden to a sold-out crowd. The gag is an annual tradition where the band attempts to fool the audience during the third set. Over the years, the gags have become more theatrical, but this one included an unplanned element of surprise.

    The first set included a notably-funky jam “Halley’s Comet,” and the setlist delight, “Fluffhead.” Additionally, after “Axilla,” the band continued a story that was started on 12/30, and eventually referenced a pan flute player named Zamfir. Fishman was able to conjure up Zamfir, played by Richard Glasgow their tour manager, by saying his name.

    The second set was a non-stop jam that prepared the fans for the gag to come. Notable songs included “Punch You In the Eye” and “Mercury.” As the set ended, the crew removed all instruments from the stage, and left eight large covered cubes.

    Set three began with the band talking behind stage without realizing the audience was listening. Guitarist Trey Anastasio mentions that the band will finally give the people what they want, and play an entire set of jazz ballads, a cappella, for new years eve. That is of course, until Zamfir made another appearance, unleashed his pan on the band, and effectively started the annual gag.

    The band appeared wearing wacky colorful jumpsuits during a piano solo for “Send in the Clowns.” Fishman wore a pink inverted version of his usual donut muumuu. The band then changed the lyrics from “Clowns” to “Clones,” and by the end of the song, Anastasio proclaimed “Send in the clones,” and with that, an entire dance troupe dressed in the same outfits as the band, complete with wigs, paraded onto the stage. The band members blended in and were soon cast into the air above the stage, with color-coded platforms suspended above the stage with their respective instruments.

    To end 2019, Phish launched into a rocking “First Tube” from the air, with their clones performing choreographed dance sequences on the ground and on color coordinated risers. At midnight, the band played the traditional “Auld Lang Syne,” followed by “Sand,” reminiscent of the incredible “Sand” played twenty years ago at Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in Florida. The band members were toggled up and down in the air on their platforms, as the clones dance beneath them.

    At the end of “Sand,” Anastasio was noticeably still suspended in the air, while the other three band members were on the stage. Anastasio tried to ease the audience with quipps like “Well, I guess if I’m about to fall to my death, I might as well tell you guys all how much I love you.” A long pause followed, where he found out that the crew was unable to move his broken platform to the ground. The show must go on, and Anastasio played from his hobbled platform for the rest of the set. The audience stood in near silence watching Anastasio’s platform swaying ever so slightly, as the pops of thousands of balloons echoed in Madison Square Garden, with the clones laying down on the platforms, waiting patiently for the next song to begin.

    Trey Anastasio is lowered to safety via the Rescue Squad

    Despite being stuck, the show continued with Page, Jon and Mike moving up and down on their platforms, with Anastasio’s static, 30 feet above the stage. During the quintessential “You Enjoy Myself,” the clones participated in an exceptional vocal jam. At the end, Anastasio awkwardly declared that the encore was starting, because there was no way for him to exit his platform, and asked the audience to pretend that they had gone off stage and come back on. The band gave the fans one final song of the night, “Tweezer Reprise,” and all left the stage, except Anastasio, who remained on his hobbled platform, and sang an impromptu ode to the “Rescue Squad” of crew who safely brought the Bad Lieutenant down. Using Fishman’s platform to safely bridge Anastasio to safety, Anastasio continued the “Rescue Squad” jam on his way down, utilizing Fishman’s drumkit for a final thank you to the Rescue Squad.

    Trey Anastasio

    Was it all part of the gag? Was this part of the plan? Fans continue to debate this days later, all the while reveling in one of Phish’s most impressive New Year’s Eve stunts to date.

    Setlist courtesy of Phish.net

    Set One: Martian Monster, Buried Alive, AC/DC Bag, Halley’s Comet > Prince Caspian > Sparkle > Axilla, Maze, Fluffhead > Rise/Come Together

    Set Two: Punch You in the Eye, Wolfman’s Brother > Light > Twist > Soul Planet > Mercury > Possum

    Set Three: Send in the Clowns[1], First Tube, Auld Lang Syne, Sand, Drift While You’re Sleeping, What’s the Use?, You Enjoy Myself

    Encore: Tweezer Reprise, Rescue Squad[2]

    [1] Phish debut, with lyrics changed to Send in the Clones; a cappella
    [2] Debut; only Trey.