Jack White filled in as musical guest for the second episode of the 46th season of SNL, hosted by Bill Burr. Called in last minute to replace country singer Morgan Wallan, White and his power trio including Dominic Davis (bass), and Daru Jones (drums) first performed a medley of “Ball and Biscuit,” “Don’t Hurt Yourself” and “Jesus Is Coming Soon,” and “Lazaretto” off White’s second solo album later in the show.
This was the fourth time Jack White performed on Saturday Night Live, going back to 2002. The first performance began with the infectious riff of “Don’t Hurt Yourself” from White’s collaboration with Beyoncé, before transitioning into “Ball and Biscuit” from The White Stripes’ fourth album, Elephant, which also featured a nod to Blind Willie Johnson’s “Jesus Is Coming Soon.”
As noted by Benjy Eisen on Twitter, “Jesus is Coming Soon” has a COVID-19 tie-in, as the original song was written about the 1918 H1N1 influenza that killed over 50 million people worldwide, and includes the lines “It was an epidemic/It floated through the air.”
“Lazaretto,” the title track of White’s GRAMMY-winning sophomore solo album followed as the second performance of the evening. Bassist Davis wore a shirt that read PRINE, a nod to the late singer/songwriter John Prine, on what would have been his 80th birthday.
White gave a subtle nod to the late Eddie Van Halen during “Lazaretto,” using a model of guitar similar to Eddie Van Halen’s, but also playing a finger tapping solo mid-song, a signature move of Van Halen’s.
The White Stripes Greatest Hits arrives on December 4 on Third Man Records/Columbia Records.
Phish guitarist and New York City resident Trey Anastasio kicked off his eight-week virtual residency at the Beacon Theater last night, delivering the kind of live music we’re all starving for right now. Appropriately named “The Beacon Jams,” this Friday night, and the next seven as well, will serve as a weekly musical oasis for a world currently deprived of massive live shows and indoor concerts. Broadcast by twitch.tv, Trey and friends delivered two-plus hours of music spanning the musician’s prolific career.
Tonight’s performance was essentially a stripped down version of the current Trey Anastasio Band configuration. Longtime stalwarts Tony Markellis and Russ Lawton manned the bass and drums, respectively. Cyro Baptista was behind the percussion kit, and delightfully present and high in the mix all night. And a spry Ray Paczkowski added his signature sound on keys for most of the night. Jeff Tanski, a friend, theatrical collaborator and fellow NYC resident, would also sit in on piano for a few songs.
One of the more interesting aspects of the show was that instead of a typical stage setup with the band facing the seats, the back of the stage was opened up entirely for the cameras and the band faced the opposite direction. With the majestic yet empty Beacon Theater as the backdrop, the night started off aptly with “Corona.” Making its first live appearance since a 4/27/18 Trey show in New Orleans, this set the tone nicely with a short but passionate outburst of a jam.
The “Blaze On” that followed carried things even further. Cyro and his wearable rub board gave it a nice percussive touch early. And the extended jam that ensued had everyone getting in on it courtesy of rotational solos before Trey put the finishing touches on it.
He had a noticeably fun time all night “breaking the fourth wall” after songs and mentioning/thanking the twitch chat room that was shown in front of him on a monitor. and mentions/thanks the chat room. After some playful banter, it was time for “I Never Left Home,” one of the many new Trey songs from his new Lonely Trip album that was recently produced and released while in quarantine. The echoe-y vocal effects and spellbinding dark and psychedelic jam that this evoked in its first live showing just oozes with Phish potential.
The ensuing “Soul Planet” featured another extended jam, this time fueled by Russ on drums. Trey then took a quick moment between songs to read some more chat room messages and also wish his Mom a happy birthday. Jeff Tanski then came out for “Shade” on piano with Ray moving over to the organ.
Photo: Angela Cranford/MSG Entertainment
“Dark and Down,” a classic TAB song then followed before the debut of another Lonely Trip song “A Wave of Hope.” The upbeat lyrics and positive sentiment noting “this too shall pass” carried right over into the next song, “If I Could See The World,” another new Lonely Trip number.
Things then shifted from inspirational to funky through the “Sand” that followed. With Ray heavy on the clav per usual. this one is given the full treatment with pulsating rhythm supplied by Russ and Tony and another passionate Trey solo on top of it all.
One of the true highlights of the evening was the “Stash” that immediately followed. This would be the only “old school” Phish song played tonight and it was anything but traditional. Trey was only accompanied by Jeff Tanski on piano and Cyro who added a mesmerizing percussive element simply by clapping along in various rhythms. This all served to create an acoustic “Stash” of sorts that is a must hear.
The Phish vibes were out once again in full force in the “Everything’s Right” that came later. Cyro began this one with what seemed to be percussive ping-pong paddles of some sort before a Russ shuffle beat steered the song into its familiar beginning.
Although he never left the stage, some true acoustic songs seemed to begin the unofficial “encore.” This included a tender rendition of “The Inlaw Josie Wales,” a song Phish hasn’t tackled in 20 years, although it does get some run through TAB. This also gave Trey a chance to talk about the rehabilitation house that proceeds from this residency are going towards, obviously a project near and dear to Trey’s heart.
“46 Days” saw the rest of the band then come out and finish things off in style. This marked the end of night one with another seven Friday nights of Beacon Jams lined up to follow. It’s fairly clear that each night will feature new guests, stories and interaction with Trey via twitch, and live music that’s good for the soul.
Trey Anastasio “Beacon Jams” Beacon Theater – New York, NY 10/9/20
Corona > Blaze On, I Never Left Home [1], Soul Planet, Shade [2], Dark and Down, A Wave of Hope[1], If I Could See The World[1] > Sand, Stash [3], When the Words Go Away [4], Everything’s Right > …And Flew Away[1], The Inlaw Josie Wales [5], Sunset Days [6], 46 Days
[1] Debut. [2] Jeff Tanski on piano. [3] Only Trey, Jeff Tanski on piano, and Cyro clapping. [4] Debut; Trey solo acoustic. [5] Only Trey on acoustic and Jeff Tanski on piano. [6] Trey solo acoustic.
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear music from Ciarra Fragale and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Ciarra Fragale – “Miss That” and “Too Good For You Baby”
Ciarra Fragale is an indie pop act born and raised in New York’s Hudson Valley. By blending the nostalgic traditions of songwriting with unique new-wave sensibilities, she creates a sound all her own. Ciarra spent years playing solo, until early last year when she joined forces with Kingston drummer Eli Marzano. Since then they have brought their dynamic set all across the Northeast, opening for renowned acts like Sammy Rae & the Friends. Ciarra relocated to North Adams, MA at the end of last year and just last weekend sold out two shows at Mass MoCA, her first shows since March.
After the release of my second LP, Call It What You Will, I found myself already collecting a bunch of new material. Last fall, I visited a friend of mine’s studio (Sleeper Cave Records) while I was passing through for a show and really fell in love with the space. I had been familiar with [Andy’s] engineering work, as a lot of my friends had recorded with him. After a few conversations, we went in to record “Too Good (For You, Baby)” and quickly realized that we weren’t just recording a single—we were making a record. We’ve been plugging away on it ever since. It feels really good to push the envelope. I just know so much more now than I did when I was making the previous records, both as an artist and as a producer. I’m really excited to share these new songs, most of which no one has never really heard. The climate is different now…usually you write a new song and you try it out at a few shows to gauge interest. Since that is not really an option right now, we’re just going for it on this record and it feels quite liberating. The collection of songs on this album feel like my most honest, which is why I decided to make the record self-titled. This new album is not necessarily a “quarantine record,” even though a lot of the songs were written during this tumultuous time. They are just a snapshot of where I am, right now.
EQXPosure will open the show 7pm Ciarra’s “Miss That” and later play “Too Good For You Baby” later in the 7 o’clock hour.
kurt.riley+praxis are best known for shaping the alternative music scene in Central and Upstate New York. Riley has loved and played music from a young age; his influences include glam rock, Moroccan ritual music, new wave, 1930s pop standards, and Eighties post-punk. After a pause of a few years for a college degree, Riley started developing concept albums featuring other-wordly characters – Kismet in 2016, and Tabula Rasa in 2017.
“Free,” releasing today, October 9, is the fourth track from Riley’s current ongoing project, Chrome Empire. The album is built around its main character – an android living in a dark future – and uses science fiction themes to address real-world events.
In “Free,” the android (portrayed by Riley in the video) has gained self-awareness, and is captured by a monolithic megacorporation seeking to prevent the rise of intelligent machines. An employee of the corporation has been put in place to get him to talk.
Previous singles released from the Chrome Empire project are “Future Shock,” “Say You Love Me,” and “Evergreen.” The story arc starts with “Future Shock” that sets the dark, futuristic scene. The android, having a mind that came from a human a long time ago, remembers his love and tries to find her (“Say You Love Me”). In “Evergreen,” he is trying to escape the control of the megacorporation and finds footage of an evergreen Earth of the past.
In each single, Riley has chosen to include non-human characters which was “Much more fun – and more palatable – than talking about our current reality in a plain manner. Plus, I get to dress up!” he said.
There will be at least a dozen releases in total, scheduled through the rest of 2020 and 2021. After “Free,” the next one coming up (scheduled for early November) is called “Get Connected.”
“Free” is scheduled to air at 5:00 PM EST on Friday, October 9, 2020 on the kurt.riley+praxis YouTube Channel.
When I was young, I didn’t understand My grandfather was a preacher man Told me to read the bible Crucial for my survival Grandmother joined him, now they sleep Keeping to the vow, so dark and deep While I maintain location Staring at revelation But I’ll never be free Oh lord, no, I’ll never be free Not me Leaders are debating over déjeuner Waters start to rise at the chestnut tree Only the weak are humble So they shall let it crumble On the horizon, the horsemen ride Stocked up my rations and I’m locked inside Stun my profane synapses All while the world collapses And I’ll never be free Oh Christ, no, I’ll never be free Not me
Derek Discanio, lead singer of pop-punk band State Champs, celebrates his birthday today, October 9th.
State Champs – Upstate Concert Hall – March 2013 – Jenny Caulfield
State Champs originated in Albany and made a name for themselves in the local punk scene playing regular shows at legendary Albany venue Valentines, which has since closed down. Derek founded the band in 2010 with current guitarist, Tyler Szalkowski.
State Champs – Upstate Concert Hall – March 2013 – Jenny Caulfield
State Champs have come a long way in a short time. After self-releasing a string of acoustic singles and EPs, State Champs garnered the attention of Pure Noise Records in 2012 which eventually led to the band being picked up by the label and given loads of promotion opportunities.
After teaming up with Pure Noise, State Champs released remastered versions of “Critical” and “Remedy” which opened the band up to a whole new audience.
The band’s first full-length studio album, The Finer Things, arrived on October 8th, 2013. It sold over 3,000 copies the first week and landed at Number 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Following the release of the band’s debut album, State Champs were a staple in any pop-punk kid’s playlist, fulfilling the prototype of skateboard-centric music videos, stage dives, and appearances at the Vans Warped Tour.
Since then, State Champs has gone onto release two more albums, Around The World and Back, debuting the hit single “All You Are Is History” and Living Proof, both of which were praised heavily by fans.
Aside from his involvement in State Champs, Derek has also featured on other prominent Albany pop-punk bands, notably in 2016 when he brought Young Culture’s “Bedroom Floor” to their repertoire, which has become a fan favorite.
State Champs are one of those bands that kids interested in punk music look up to in Albany, making a name for themselves and always remember Albany as their home. Join NYS Music in wishing Albany native Derek Discanio a Happy Birthday!
Phish has a storied history at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, one highlighted by Island Tour performances in April 2 and 3, 1998, and one of their most notable performances of the ‘2.0’ era, February 28, 2003. The Uniondale venue has played host to Phish seven times, most recently on December 1, 2019. 1999
Phish would return to Uniondale on October 7 and 8, 1999, nearing the end of their Fall Tour, with two shows to follow in Albany that would close the tour. Newsday reviewed the first of the two nights, saying, “The Britney Spears of the world come and go, but Phish, the shaggy Vermont jam-band that has never had a hit on the radio or video, is proof that quality music can survive in a mass marketed world.”
The first set on October 7 was highlighted by three songs – an 18 minute “David Bowie,” a “Gotta Jibboo” with an ever-rare “Dave’s Energy Guide” tease, and to follow, a set closing “Fluffhead.” The second set would feature an inventive ‘Mike’s Groove,’ with a nearly an hour of music packed in between “Mike’s Song,” (featuring Trey on keys) “McGrupp,” “Prince Caspian,” “Golgi Apparatus” and “Weekapaug Groove.”
Also notable was the encore, which featured three songs – “Rocky Top,” “I Am Hydrogen” and “Julius” – the stand alone “I Am Hydrogen” being played outside of the typical “Mike’s Song” > ” Weekapaug Groove” for the first time since Halloween 1987, and almost as rare, being played in an encore slot.
Set 1: NICU > My Soul, Dirt, David Bowie, Frankie Says > Possum, When the Circus Comes, Gotta Jibboo, Fluffhead
Set 2: Boogie On Reggae Woman, Heavy Things, Tube, Back on the Train > Mike’s Song[1] > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, Prince Caspian > Golgi Apparatus > Weekapaug Groove
Encore: Rocky Top > I Am Hydrogen > Julius
[1] Trey on keys.
Fall 1999 tour map via Todd Puckett
After the barn burner of the night before, October 8 would still have some tricks up its sleeve, particularly in Set 2. The first set was somewhat standard, beyond a “Meatstick” that brought Sofi Dillof to the stage for the dancing portion of the millennium tune.
Set 2 opened with “Halley’s Comet” and then ventured into a 20-minute “Tweezer” which featured a jam that was reminiscent of the Siket Disc tune “My Left Toe.”
After a fantastic mid-set “Harry Hood,” Phish began to play the opening notes of The Who’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” and appropriately brought to the stage Phish lyricist Tom Marshall, singing “My name is Tommy” to a rapt audience. The track from Tommy was played to perfection, as Phish is well versed in The Who‘s catalog, particularly Quadropheniafrom their Halloween 1995 show at Rosemont Horizon in Illinois. Turning into the “Listening to You” portion of the song, the energy in the room can still be felt as Marshall belts out the remainder of Townshend’s lyrics and Phish tears through the rock n roll overture.
Even though Nassau Coliseum is shuttered for the time being, and may not reopen, the performances Phish and others have made there have secured the venue’s legacy for generations of music lovers.
Blue Öyster Cult is back with their first album in almost 20 years. The Symbol Remains gets its name from a lyric from their 1983 song “Shadow of California,” off their Revolution by Night LP. First rumored in early 2017 and confirmed last year, this release contains 14 new tracks from the classic rock outfit.
Original members Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser and Eric Bloom still lead the group with help from bandmates Richie Castellano, Danny Miranda and Jules Radino. Whether you’re a die-hard BÖC fan or just a fan of classic rock in general, this album is sure to pique your interest.
Each song on this album is full of head-banging moments and plenty of shredding guitar solos as the band appears to have taken a deep-dive back into their expansive catalog to find inspiration and influence for this release. Long time BÖC collaborator John Shirley returns with lyrics for a number of songs and the album also features a track from co-writer Richard Meltzer, who has been contributing to the band since their Soft White Underbelly days, the band’s former moniker. Roeser and Castellano have six and seven writing credits respectively, and their guitar prowess is heard time and time again throughout this release, as is Bloom’s infamous “stun guitar.”
From start to finish, this record is a hard-rockin’ pleasure of an album to listen to. With catchy choruses and riffs, there’s something new, but nostalgic to find in each track. “Tainted Blood,” “Nightmare Epiphany,” and “Train True (Lennie’s Song)” will be stuck in your head for for days and behemoths like “The Alchemist” and “The Return of St. Cecilia” each require at least a second or third play-through, with each listen more enjoyable than the last. There is something for everyone on this record and in true Blue Öyster Cult fashion, founding member Albert Bouchard returns to contribute cow bell to the opening track, “That Was Me.”
BOC also released a few videos to accompany the roll out of the album. Watch “That Was Me” below and more here.
The Symbol Remains comes out on October 9 and will be available on all major streaming services, but you can also get it on Vinyl and CD as well. BÖC has released music videos for the first three tracks on the album and while the majority of their 2020 tour has been postponed, they are actively updating their website with tour dates and will hopefully be in Middlebury, NY on February 13, 2021.
Key Tracks: Tainted Blood, The Return of St. Cecilia, The Alchemist
Hold off on making your Album of The Year lists, alt rock fans, until you’ve taken the debut album from Carpool for a test drive. Erotic Nightmare Summer checks all the right boxes: electrifying riffs, crafty turns of phrase, and choruses you can’t help but sing along to. In short, it slaps. Hard.
Erotic Nightmare Summer is a follow-up to their 2018 EP I Think Everyone’s A Cop, a work that launched them on the East Coast touring circuit and a spot at Fest last year. They’ve already been named on the lineup when Fest resumes in 2021.
NYS Music caught up with band members Stoph Colasanto (lead vocals, guitar, synth), Tommy Eckerson (lead guitar, vocals), and Alec Westover (vocals, drums) to talk about the album, starting with the overall concept and inspiration.
“Lyrically, it’s about the realization that some close relationships had become toxic, and the need to move on,” said Stoph. The music follows suit, pushing the boundaries of what is expected from an emo band. With the help of their producer, RJ Demarco, they challenged themselves to leave their comfort zones instrumentally, incorporating unexpected touches like classic rock elements and instruments that are unconventional for the genre, like violin, sax, and glockenspiel.
The story of the album artwork is also intriguing. For most works, the visuals are an afterthought. But Erotic Nightmare Summer was actually inspired by the striking collage that now graces its cover. It was a print Stoph had bought off artist Aaron Gordon from Buffalo to hang up on his wall. “I was just sitting in my room staring at it, and I got some ideas for songs. It just went from there.”
That spark fueled the concept of the album, and the melodies and lyrics for a handful of songs. Stoph called Tommy over that day, and together they started crafting the majority of the songs that comprise Erotic Nightmare Summer. They’ve fielded a lot of questions since the release. We went track by track through the album because there’s a lot to unpack.
Cruel Intentions
The guitar progression on “Cruel Intentions” may seem slightly familiar to Carpool fans. There’s a reason for that. Tommy explained, “The main riff for Cruel Intentions is one that Stoph has been playing, in several variations. The way he played it for ‘Cruel Intentions,’ we built the song off that.”
In the story arc of this concept album, this starting point represents the dawning comprehension that some relationships are emotionally damaging, like the song’s 90’s namesake movie. Stoph recalled watching the movie as a kid with his siblings, and really being drawn in by the music on the soundtrack, including Counting Crows and The Verve.
The lyrics tell a heart-wrenching tale of trying to disentangle from a messy relationship. “And I’m drunk and waiting for your call / I reek like alcohol / When you finally pick up, this is my fault / And I won’t crawl back to you.”
Whiskey & Xanax
“That’s for sure the darkest song on the album. The first lyric is ‘Take two steps forward, take your 12 step back,’” explained Stoph, referring to 12-step self-help programs. “It’s like you’re doing well, then all of a sudden something happens and you lose something important to you like your sobriety.”
“A lot of people advocated for us to change the name before we put it out,” Tommy noted, “But it’s not like we wrote an edgy song just to write an edgy song.”
“The last thing it’s doing is promoting substance abuse,” added Alec.
Going against the grain can be hard in the music scene, where drugs and alcohol are pervasive. Bands who want to play live are often performing at bars and house shows, where there’s a lot of social drinking and casual drug use going on.
This song also points to how the unhealthy relationships and substance use become intertwined. Alec pointed out, “It’s easy to relate to people’s flaws, especially when it comes to addiction, or being attracted to people with similar flaws.”
The Salty Song (Erotic Nightmare Summer)
“I was mad, I was salty,” Stoph said about how he felt when he was conceptualizing the lyrics for the song. “But it’s okay to be mad.” “The Salty Song” was one of the first written for the album, and the seething intensity of the lines is counterbalanced with a mega-upbeat melody. The short, catchy pop song features a big chorus.
After writing it, Tommy knew this one was something special. “Stoph and I were texting each other, and I was like, I don’t care if the song or the album does well, I just want people to make a TikTok of one of our songs.” They put out a challenge on social media and it took off. They had responses from a lot of people, including an employee at a mall pretzel shop. “Shout out to everyone who did a TikTok to that song,”
Beauty School Dropout
Stoph refers to this song as Tommy’s baby. As a fan of the musical Grease, Tommy had been wanting to record the song he had been writing, inspired by his favorite character, Frenchie.
“Originally it was called Frenchie,” said Tommy. “We always have ideas for songs lying around, and finally I was like ‘I really want to do it.’ I liked the instrumental, and I wrote the lyrics in the studio under the gun.”
This song about low self-esteem was a natural fit for the storyline of Erotic Nightmare Summer. It also incorporates an audio clip from the television series Euphoria, pulling in a contemporary reference.
Driving Under the Skinfluence
“This was the first one we recorded for the album,” Stoph said. “This song is a sad one, and a slower one. At this point in the lineage of the album, you’re good, you’re kinda okay with yourself, but you wonder if that person still thinks about you at all.”
The chorus repeating “I lie, you lie, we both lie. We self-destruct every time,” really drives home the heart-wrenching pain and agony.
Come Thru Cool (Punk Ass)
Stoph admitted this is his least favorite to sing live. “I always feel like I’m going to throw up after.”
But Tommy loves playing it out. He recalled the day when they wrote the song. “We were literally rehearsing and Stoph started playing this riff. Meanwhile, I’m trying to show him ‘Beauty School Dropout,’ which I had written for like two years and I was dying to finally show them how to play it. And Stoph was like, this is a sick riff. That’s how we wrote ‘Come Thru Cool.’ I love the song now, but at the moment, I was like, seriously, you’re going to write a song in the middle of me trying to show you my song, with no other basis other than the riff sounded cool?”
Toronto
“That was our first studio song through and through,” Tommy said. They wrote it and recorded it in the studio with their producer, RJ Demarco. Demarco recorded all the bass lines on the album, and was in all of the group vocals. A man of many talents, he also plays saxophone.
“There’s a bridge, like a pre-chorus breakdown. I wanted a trumpet player to come in, and I had a specific melody,” Tommy said. “We were in crunch mode at this point, trying to finish it, so RJ played saxophone. It was something a little extra.”
Like the fan fave “Idaho” off their EP, “Toronto” is a destination song about getting away from it all. Based on the band name alone, Carpool fans can probably expect sing-along road trip songs like these to continue to be a staple in their discography.
Liquor Store Employee (Old Friend)
The band gets a lot of questions about this song in particular, regarding the lyrics and the complexity of the instrumentation. It’s a contrast from the shorter chorus-driven ditties like “The Salty Song (Erotic Nightmare Summer).”
“I just want to say about Liquor Store, first off, I’m the Liquor Store Employee. That’s me,” said Stoph. “It’s not about my friend Hayley at all – that part references a specific conversation that I had with my friend Hayley… it’s a little something I put in there because I had a conversation with my friend Hailey and it changed my point of view on things.”
This is Alec’s favorite song on the album. “There’s a super hot beat, and slow parts, and a part that bangs super hard with the lyric. It’s just great. That part in the middle with Tommy doing the lead is probably my favorite part in the album.”
“This is our band fave for sure,” Tommy agreed. “This and ‘Driving Under The Skinfluence’ are probably our strongest. There’s a good blend of instrumentation, lyrics, and structure.”
East Coast West Coast
This is the oldest song on the album, predating Carpool as a band. It’s one that Stoph’s been saving for the right time to record. “This is a song I wrote in 2014, when I was in my first year of college. I’d play it when I came home, at parties, and it was a thing that we did when we had a party. We’d sing ‘East Coast West Coast.’”
“This is more like a straight up indie rock song,” he continued, ”We’re a dirty emo DIY band at the end of the day, but if you listen to this album, you’re not just going to hear a lot of emo songs and open tunings. You’re going to hear Alec going off on the drums in ways you wouldn’t think. And then you’ll hear Tommy do a classic rock and roll solo that just fits better than anything you could imagine over a contemporary alternative song.”
They drew on some influences from the music they listened to in their formative years for this nostalgic song about long distance friendships. The sentiment of the song is underscored by the use of violin, played by CJ Westcott (who has now been dubbed CJ West Coast).
Stolen Self Help (I Like You)
This is a softer song, originally written for another musical project, but it made more sense to use it to complete the trajectory of the journey from self-loathing to self-love. And at the end there’s a clip of a little girl saying the band’s motto: Carpool is about sharing smiles with friends.
“That’s my sister’s best friend’s daughter. Her name is Lila,” Stoph said. “I sent it to my sister’s friend and said, would you be down to have Lila say this in a voice memo? She sent it to me. It’s so cool, especially on that song. It’s like a soft close.”
Tommy added: “Carpool is a band about sharing smiles with friends. Don’t get it twisted. It is what it is.”
The band cites numerous people who contributed to Erotic Nightmare Summer, including Taylor Kremis, Jake Amadon, Nick Jones, Trevor Balbierz, CJ Westcott, and artist Aaron Gordon. Also, John Naclerio at Nada Studios who did the mastering, and the crew at Acrobat Unstable Records. And they give a lot of credit to RJ Demarco at Skyway Studios, who also recorded their EP ‘I Think Everyone’s A Cop.’
“I really gotta shout out RJ,” said Stoph. “I feel like honestly if we didn’t go to him our first time, we wouldn’t know what our sound is. I feel like he understood us better than we understood ourselves. His guidance and structure throughout our time knowing him… especially this past year playing bass for us and being super integral… he made us grow.”
Erotic Nightmare Summer is out now for purchase on Acrobat Unstable Records, and can be heard on a variety of platforms, including Bandcamp and Spotify. The band has some material in the wings, including an music video and a cover song. Be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest content and announcements.
Esteemed guitar icon and rock legend Eddie Van Halen passed away yesterday at the age of 65 after an extended bout with cancer. Best known as the shaggy haired lead guitarist of the eponymous band that he co-founded along with his brother, Van Halen‘s passing is a loss sure to be felt throughout the music industry. And it marks the end of an era for an American band that reached a level of popularity few others have.
Eddie Van Halen – photo by Mark McGauley
Edward Lodewijk Van Halen was born in Nijmegen, Netherlands, on January 26th, 1955, a year and a half after his older brother Alex, to a Dutch father and an Indonesian mother. His father, also a musician, joined the Dutch Air Force band as a way to make money. When Eddie was eight years old, the family immigrated to Pasadena, CA where they set roots down and later established one of the most successful American bands of all time.
(l-r) Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Mark Anthony, Alex Van Halen
Originally, Eddie was a drummer and his brother would play guitar. Frustrated that he couldn’t handle the drum solo on The Safaris’ “Wipe Out,” the brothers decided to make one of the most impactful instrument switches of all time. The Van Halen brothers would go on to join several local short lived bands in the Pasadena area. In 1972, they formed a band called Genesis featuring Eddie as lead vocalist/guitarist, Alex on drums, and Mark Stone on bass. They initially rented a sound system from David Lee Roth but decided to save money by letting him join as lead vocalist even though his previous audition(s) had been unsuccessful.
Roth was the only guy who had a PA. We were renting his PA every weekend for $35 and getting $50 for the gigs. So it was cheaper to get him in the band.
Eddie Van Halen
The band later changed its name to Mammoth, after learning Genesis was already in use. In 1974, the band replaced Stone on bass with Mark Anthony from local band Snake and again re-named itself, this time for good, to Van Halen. Like most bands, they started out playing parks and backyard parties in the Pasadena area. This soon gave way to gigs at small bars and strip clubs in the Hollywood area.
What helped Van Halen significantly in its early years was their ability to self-promote. They would hand out flyers before shows at local high schools and also after Aerosmith and Black Sabbath concerts when they be in the area. After catching a show at a Sunset Boulevard club, Gene Simmons even helped produce a demo recording for them and took it to KISS management who would later inform him this fledgling band “had no chance of making it.”
That would seem to change in 1977 when the band was offered a recording contract by Warner Bros. Records shortly after a show at the Starwood in Hollywood. By the end of the year, the group had recorded their debut album Van Halen at Sunset Sound Recorders.
By now, the band had a solid collection of original songs like “Runnin’ With The Devil” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” to go along with their rotation of cover songs that were prevalent early in their career. The debut effort peaked at #19 on the Billboard charts and sold more than 10 million copies in the United States, receiving Diamond certification.
This helped Van Halen land a tour opening for Black Sabbath, a band whose parking lot they were flyer-ing only years ago. The group’s chemistry owed much to Eddie Van Halen’s technical guitar wizardry and David Lee Roth’s flamboyant antics and stage persona, strong points which later made them rivals.
Van Halen II was released the next year and produced the band’s first commercial hit, “Dance The Night Away.” The 1980s would then see them maintain a rigorous pattern of album releases and supporting tours that would cement the band as global icons. They even earned an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest-paid single appearance for a band: a $1.5 million payout for a 90-minute set at the 1983 US Festival.
While it was soaring commercially, the very fabric of the band was beginning to fray behind the scenes. Tensions between Eddie Van Halen and Roth were rising over the direction of the music. Roth preferred more dance-pop numbers while Van Halen was becoming interested in exploring new musical avenues and veering away from cover songs.
I was getting sick of their ideas of what was commercial. That’s how we ended up doing all those covers on [1982’s] Diver Down. I never wanted to be a cover band.
Eddie Van Halen
When it came time to record a follow-up to Diver Down, Eddie insisted they record “Jump” and incorporate synthesizers into other tracks. The result was the smash 1984 that turned them into MTV superstars as videos for “Jump,” “Panama,” and “Hot for Teacher” went into heavy rotation and the album began selling by the millions, reaching Number 2 on the Billboard 200.
1984 would be, by far, Van Halen’s biggest commercial success, with the album going five-times platinum only a year after its release. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts that year, behind only Michael Jackson’s legendary Thriller. But this would also mark the end of an era, as Roth would quit the band later that year, embarking on a solo career.
On October 7, 2019, Phil Collins brought his ‘Not Dead Yet’ Tour to Madison Square Garden for two nights. The tour was 97 shows total including legs in Europe, North America, South America and Australia. and named after his 2016 autobiography. Due to ongoing nerve damage with his hands, this is the first tour that Collins did not play drums. Instead he relied on his son, 18 year old Nicholas Collins to handle all the drum parts. He did an excellent job and I’m sure his father was proud.
Back surgery had also left Phil with a paralyzed right foot so he had to remain seated during this tour. His backup band included guitarist Daryl Stuermer, keyboardist Brad Cole, bassist Leland Sklar, percussionist Richie Garcia and featured Nicholas Collins on drums.
It was a bit awkward as Phil hobbled on stage assisted by a cane, but I don’t think he cared much and neither did the audience. You realize he is an absolute legend as he begins to play hit after hit spanning his 50 plus year career. He sounded fantastic. He even snuck in a few Genesis songs along the way and teased a Genesis reunion which is now supposed to take place sometime in 2021. They played for 2 and half hours, and still couldn’t possibly play every song everyone wanted to hear.
The 19 song setlist barely scratched the surface of even just his greatest hits. One of the highlights of the show was when Collins, his son Nicholas and percussionist Richie Garcia had a wild synchronized percussionist duel which culminated with both of them coming out to sit with Phil and play amplifies cajons. It really brought the energy up and was the closest thing we got to see him playing drums. Another highlight was when he brought his son Nicholas to accompany him on piano on “You Know What I Mean” which Collins said his son requested to be included on the tour.
Nicholas returned to the drums as Phil stood for the only time to perform “In the Air Tonight.” He kept the energy up with “Can’t Hurry Love” and “Invisible Touch” ending the show with “Easy Lover,” Sussudio” and “Take Me Home.”
The crowd, including myself was definitely pleased with the performance and went home happy. Weather or not he will ever play again solo or with Genesis will remain to be seen.
Setlist: Against All Odds, Another Day in Paradise, Hang In Long Enough, Don’t Lose My Number, Throwing It All Away (Genesis), Follow You Follow Me (Genesis), I Missed Again, Who Said I Would, Separate Lives, Drum Trio, Something Happened On The Way To Heaven, You Know What I Mean, In The Air Tonight, You Can’t Hurry Love, Dance Into The Light, Invisible Touch (Genesis), Easy Lover, Sussudio, Take Me Home
