When A Boogie With Da Hoodie announced that he was set to release his third studio album, his fans were jubilant. It had been just over a year since we last heard from the Bronx native and in the age of microwaveable music, there was a yearning to hear what new melodies the “Just Like Me” rapper had cooked up. While leaked records delayed the album towards its Valentine’s Day release, they also built anticipation for what was to come.
At face value, Artist 2.0– the sequel to his 2016 breakout mixtape, Artist – gave his fans exactly what they asked for. The man known for his melodic chants and passionate crooning about his love life reverted back to what he knows best and then some. Although recognized as a rapper, that takes a backseat in this latest effort. A boogie never goes more than a few bars in any of the records before his singing takes precedence, exemplified in the emotional ballad “Good Girls Gone Bad,” where he wails about a woman who’s changed as a result of his inconsistencies.
What it lacks for in actual rapping, the album more than makes up for in its infectious choruses. “Right Back,” “Mood Swings,” “Me and My Guitar,” and “DTB 4 Life” are all records that have the propensity to become a mainstay in any playlist. While he doesn’t rap as much as some might have wanted on the album, his guest-features all brought their “A” game. Verses from Dababy, Young Thug, Gunna and Roddy Rich do a good job of balancing out the croon-heavy album, with A Boogie and Roddy Rich’s chemistry being one of the project’s highlights.
Coming into the rap game, A Boogie presented himself as a rapper who would occasionally try his hand at singing. On Artist 2.0, he doubles down on the latter, pushing his own personal boundaries and blurring the lines on what his official title should really be. While the album is enjoyable, it doesn’t always feel like it’s A Boogie at his best and it seems like, to A Boogie, “artist” means less rapping, which inherently is not the case.
Music scenes are riddled with a lot of traditions, a lot of staples that go hand in hand with the community and culture that is created around every genre of music . The bluegrass/jamgrass scene has grown exponentially in the last few years and, with that, the traditions have grown as well. One of these is WinterWonderGrass, held this past weekend in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. In its eighth year, the tiny, homegrown festival boasted an amazing lineup for its 2020 edition and was a blessing for bluegrass & string music fans across the nation.
This winter wonder festival takes place in the famous mountain town of Steamboat Springs. Nestled in the upper valley of the Yampa River, the picture-perfect, post card scenery overshadowed the fact that temperatures for the weekend didn’t surpass 30 degrees. Day one included intimate sets in each of the three tents from Buffalo Commons, John Stickley Trio, and an amazing new and rising artist, Molly Tuttle, with headlining sets from Grammy-nominated Nashville band Della Mae, the incomparable Keller and The Keels, and one of the hottest acts in music right now, Billy Strings. His first headlining set of the 2020 festival season included a fitting “Steamboat Whistle Blues,” “Highway Hypnosis,” and a “Train Train” encore that concluded an amazing first day of music, and reminded fans in attendance why Billy Strings is everything they love about this great event.
The second day on the mountain started off with a new tradition, a set entitled WinterWonderWoman. A collaborative set of covers and some bluegrass and country classics was performed by a group of amazing female musicians who performed throughout the weekend. On the main stage Nikki Lane, the extremely gifted country rock songwriter, proved to a packed audience that her blues guitar and vintage ’60s country-pop swagger fit right in with the WinterWonderGrass family. Despite all the firsts on the second day of the festival, it was a headlining set by festival veterans Greensky Bluegrass that reminded fans what WinterWonderGrass is all about. With a chilling and emotional “Wish I Didn’t Know” to start it all off, Greensky filled the rest of their set with tracks like “Worried about the Weather” and “Old Barn” and, with Jennifer Hartswick as a special guest, they rocked the mountains with a debut cover of Pat Benatar’s smash hit “Heartbreaker”. There is a special bond between Greensky Bluegrass and WinterWonderGrass that proves year after year how special the bond is between their music and its fans.
As a festival in its eighth year, WinterWonderGrass is very in tune with how quickly things change in the music industry, and the only way to survive and attract new and old fans year after year is to adapt. Day 3 was a look into the future of the festival and how the recent rise of the proclaimed “Outlaw Country” genre has become a perfect companion to bluegrass, this blend of new blood, veterans, country, and bluegrass was the theme of the final day of the music event. With sets from bluegrass legends The Travelin’ McCourys, and another smoking hot set from Billy Strings, the strings element to this eclectic blend was complete. It was the Sunday headliner that added a new sound to this festival and a brand new flavor to this blend of great music. Margo Price has exploded into the country music scene since her debut in 2016 and she did nothing short of that to make her WinterWonderGrass debut. She debuted a new song “Twinkle Twinkle” and even welcomed Billy Strings for a special cover of Janis Joplin’s “Move Over.” She closed out her debut set by sparking a joint, sharing it with the crowd, and encoring with Dolly Parton’s “9 To 5,” a perfect way to close out an amazing weekend of music.
The roving cold weather music festival will continue its 2020 run with stops in Squaw Valley, California from March 27-29 and Stratton, Vermont on April 10 and 11. It still remains one of the top festivals in the country after almost ten years, bringing together multiple genres of music, community, sustainability, and family in some of the most welcoming, majestic mountain communities in the country.
2019 was some year for the Allman Betts Band. In March, the band performed its inaugural show 50 years after the first time the Allman Brothers ever played together. June saw their debut album, Down to the River, hit #1 on the iTunes Rock charts the week it was released. The summer brought the band to a host of festivals and sold out headlining shows as well as a European tour. Throw in a medical emergency and a wedding too, and it was some year.
Berry Oakley, Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Johnny Stachela – Allman Betts Band
So what do you do in 2020? You go on a worldwide tour, of course. With a second album in the works (recorded at Muscle Shoals) and having taken some down time to recharge, the Allman Betts Band (Devon Allman– guitar, vocals; Duane Betts– guitar, vocals; Berry Duane Oakley– bass, vocals; Johnny Stachela– guitar, vocals; John Ginty– keyboards; R Scott Bryan– percussion, vocals; John Lum– drums) is going global. We caught ABB at the Tarrytown Music Hall stop of their global odyssey. It was coincidental that this weekend we happened to be celebrating two of our founding fathers while listening to the sons of two men who may not have started the blues, but certainly influenced many a contemporary blues or rock musician.
Jackson Stokes
Opening the night was a St. Louis, MO guitarist and singer/songwriter named Jackson Stokes. Stokes is the first person signed to Devon Allman’s new label Create Records. Supported by a solid three-piece band, Jackson offered an unfiltered, raw performance, worthy of his signing to Allman’s new label. Stokes and his band have been playing multiple dates with ABB on this tour.
JD Simo
In the middle slot was JD Simo, a Nashvillian by way of Chicago. JD’s blistering guitar work most certainly pulls from those influences . This night he took the audience with him on his therapeutic musical journey as he performed, maneuvering seamlessly through the styles with no questions asked. A regular on last year’s ABB tour, JD and his band prove to be more than a warm up act, but one that stokes the fire in preparation for a big night.
Allman Betts Band
After two kickin’ acts, the house was set. The sold-out show (which is becoming the norm) had a mix of old and young in attendance. People were sharing stories of seeing Devon or Duane separately and looking forward to experiencing the coalescing of their talents. The band opened up with “Airboats & Cocaine” from the yet to be named upcoming 2nd album. “Shinin’” from their debut Down to the River followed and the groove for the night was in full swing. With almost a year together, the band has jelled into a musical monster to which you are willing to sacrifice yourself. The set list this tour has been in flux, so no one is sure exactly what each night will bring. Sprinkled through the night, a few covers found themselves being pulled out. Berry Oakley took lead vocals on The Dead’s “Shakedown Street” which had everyone up and dancing, while Devon had the crowd waving their cell phone flashlights, a la lighters in the air, to “Purple Rain” adding a special glow to the house. The encore had the band sharing another new tune, “Magnolia Road,” and took it home in reverent fashion with The Allman Brothers’ “Blue Sky.”
Allman Betts Band at Tarrytown Music Hall
So what is 2020 to the Allman Betts Band? A new album, lots of travel stickers on their guitar cases and a band to see if their trek takes them to your town.
Devon Allman, Duane Betts – Allman Betts Band
Allman Betts Band set list: Airboats and Cocaine, Shinin’, Left My Heart in Memphis, Autumn Breeze, Ain’t Wastin’ Time, All Night, Good Ol’ Days, Jessica, Shakedown Street, Taking Time, Mahalo, Purple Rain, Long Gone
On Friday night, America played a sold out show at The Tilles Center on the LIU Post campus in Brookville, Long Island, the first show of the band’s 50th anniversary tour, celebrating the release of their 1971 self titled album. “A Horse With No Name,” originally titled “Desert Song,” was released in the US a few weeks before the album came out and sold over a million copies, being awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. The album went platinum shortly after. The band was opening for acts like The Who, Elton John, Pink Floyd and worked with Beatles producer George Martin from 1974-1979.
Friday night’s show was filled with hit after hit, spanning their 50 year long and counting career. Gerry and Dewey sounded just as good today as they did when they started harmonizing 50 years ago. Songs from the setlist included “Tin Man,” “Ventura Highway,” “Sister Golden Hair” as well as a covers of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” and The Mamas & Papas’ “California Dreamin’.” The 18-song set concluded with “A Horse With No Name.” You can see the full setlist below.
The band’s current lineup includes original founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, as well as Ryland Steen on drums, Steve Fekete on guitar and Richard Campbell on bass. The tour continues across United States and Canada until July when they head to Europe for shows in France, the U.K. and Germany. You can see all the tour dates here at https://www.venturahighway.com/. There is also a biography about the band written by Jude Warne, titled America The Band: An Authorized Biography that is available for pre-order now and will be released on May 15, 2020.
Setlist: Tin Man, You Can Do Magic, Don’t Cross The River. Daisy Chain, Riverside. I Need You Here, Ventura Highway, Eleanor Rigby, Cornwall Blank, Hollywood, The Border, Woman Tonight, Only In Your Heart, California Dreamin’, Lonely People, Sandman, Sister Golden Hair, A Horse With No Name
Grateful Dead cover band heavyweight champions Joe Russoâs Almost Dead (JRAD) continue their reign at a legendary venue with three nights at the historic Capitol Theatre, starting on Friday, February 21, 2020 (2/21/20)
Kamasi Washington and his band came through Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre this week as part of his latest round of winter tour dates. Although there has not been new music since 2018s critically acclaimed double LP, Heaven and Earth, Kamasi just released a film, Kamasi WashingtonLive at the Apollo Theater, on Amazon Prime Video. The live film was recorded at Kamasi’s show at the Harlem theater on February 23, 2019.
The show opened with a short R&B and Soul DJ set from Natasha Diggs. Natasha paid homage to many late artists with her set; music filled the room as fans filed into their seats. The setting was a perfect fit for Kamasi’s music, and the first thing he said when the band took the stage was in admiration the beautiful theater.
Flanked by two drum sets, Kamasi stood center stage and dove straight into “Street Fighter Mas” from Heaven and Earth. When the band plays live, they tend to only play five or six songs, but extend them with solos and improvs to fill a nearly two-hour set. Both drummers took their turn during the show, delivering very different drum solos, accompanied by two separate solos on upright bass.
After the first song, Kamasi introduced his father, Rickey Washington, on stage who continued to play flute and soprano saxophone for the rest of the night. The father and son stood side by side. The chemistry between them could be felt across the theater.
The main set ended with a lengthy rendition of “Fists of Fury,” which featured soaring vocals from singer Patrice Quinn. There were several movements during the performance of this track, but the final solo of the night was reserved for Kamasi on tenor. The man is a master on the saxophone and his solo ended with a standing ovation from the audience, followed by a reprise of the epic conclusion. It was the most powerful moment, ending the show with a thunderous finish.
In addition to the live film, Kamasi released the stand alone track “The Bombshell’s Waltz,” earlier this month also on Amazon Music. The band is just beginning this stretch of live dates, which continue across North America until a final show on March 12 in San Antonio – see the full itinerary HERE.
Andy Frasco and the UN brought their Royal Rumble tour circus to the Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday night, in the form of a high energy, wrestling themed showdown with co-headliner Big Something. Comedian Kyle Ayers doubled as the opening act and MC for the antics. The sold out crowd enjoyed the ruckus that ensued, as well as the jams.
Kyle Ayers kicked off the festivities with an unusual opening set of comedy directed at jam band fans. Shortly thereafter, Big Something descended upon the stage, delivering jam rock with a Southern and alt-rock flavor, along with extremely high energy. Members of Andy Frasco and the UN joined this party dressed in wrestling masks for a notable cover of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” At one point, Frasco dove onto Ayers, forcing him to wear a neck brace for the rest of the show. Big Something also performed the nineties throwback “Gangster’s Paradise” by Coolio.
After setbreak, Andy Frasco and the UN descended upon the stage once again, this time with even crazier stage antics. Known for stage diving, Frasco went for a ride early on in the set, and sported a bottle of Jameson throughout the night. Frasco was not without support from talented guests, as guitarists Dave Brandwein of Turkuaz and Brandon Niederauer took the stage for an electric cover of “Burning Down the House” by the Talking Heads. They also played their newly released track “Keep On Keepin’ On,” which was well received by the crowd.
The night was not complete without a stage diving race to drive the lane and dunk a basketball into the hoop setup within the crowd. Ayers refereed this challenge, while standing on top of Frasco’s piano. Frasco pulled off the victory while wearing his Wilt Chamberlain Lakers jersey.
The show was highly entertaining, and included some tasty blues, funk and rock-n-roll jams. This circus is back on the road this week in NY State, performing at the Buffalo Iron Works in Buffalo, NY on Tuesday, Feb 18th. Visit their tour page for more details.
Anyone in the mood for ambient, industrial, funk, fuzz and jazz noise? No? Try it; it’s… entertaining. Long time friends, Sal Cataldi (aka Spaghetti Eastern Music) of Hudson Valley and Alaskan playwright, actor and slam poet, Mark Muro, have put together 13 tracks that, for some, redefines what ‘music’ can be, as Vapor Vespers.
Such an eclectic collection of influences and ideas would inevitably create a non-palatable, sonic smorgasbord. But listeners might find that, although it’s a very unique sound, it’s somehow familiar. We have all heard these sounds before: Synthesizers, drums samples, spicy guitar, ethereal drones, deep lyrics – but we don’t always hear them combined in such a balanced way. There are some standalone tracks that are deeply immersive and highly disectable. Others, to be frank, are silly, mindless noise.
Now maybe, as a journalist, it’s an unbiased view because I am here listening to this at a desk, staring at a Google Doc, looking for something deep to uncover about the album. But I cannot seem to fathom a time or a place to listen to this. It’s an underrated part of music and overlooked by musicians. Picking the genre is important, but what is the target audience doing while they’re listening to your music? It’s an important piece to how groups gain popularity. If you’re into experiencing weird things because it’s interesting to gain perspective into creative minds, then go for it. But don’t try to jam out to this on your way to your 9 to 5. Because you’ll likely get a contact high.
As eerie and spacey as everything is, it is melodic and intentional. It’s a sandbox of sound – A confined space with no particular purpose but fun to explore. Credit must be given where credit is due – the musicianship is respectable and impressive. Cataldi and Muro are seasoned musicians with deep and thoughtful ideas, who likely knew exactly what they wanted to produce. As a result, a good portion of these tracks are very good. Plain and simple.
Ambient sounds are the basis of the album. But the quality and which it is made is professional and legitimizes the whole idea. “Timbuktu” gives listeners a taste of what’s to come. We are immersed in what their press release describes as a, “hot trek across the desert in Mali.” The instrumentation is well balanced and comes together to create the sonic illusion of endlessness, despair and waves of heat. The sound is ambient, but it has drive and a groove, making it immersive and mysterious. But what it lacks, is an overall story. We instead get a glimpse, or a picture. One moment in time. Like a painting.
The same thing befalls tracks like “In the Lap of the Drooling Buddah” and “Maisey Hot and Humid“. The music is tasty and enticing but listeners feel trapped in one space. Nothing new is leanred. There is no sense of direction, a feat well executed because we never feel bored or lost, just without a goal. If that’s something you’re after, then the album the rest of the album will be a huge hit for you.
The part that might throw people, is the spoken word aspect of their music. This style is often criticized, confusing or non-digestible to some. The song “Bottomless Seafood Surprise,” for example, tells the strangely erotic story of a woman who works a normal life but in an effort to shake things up, she cooks a fish her neighbor bought her one July instead the Lean Cuisne she normally eats. Then the fish starts to talk and says, “You and me. We are different. We are the same.” ..To some, this might have a deeper meaning, to others, it’s a distracting and comical story.
Side note, if that speaks to you, then take a listen to “The Meat Clever and the Butterfly” – A song where a Bernie Sanders sounding man talks about how amazing his penis. He describes it as, “an amazing creature with little bird wings, a golden crested head, streamlined with dorsal fins, independent suspension, and driver side airbags.”
As radical as these lyrics are, it is appropriate for the genre. Nothing else would fit. It’s just a very unorthodox thing to drink in, which will likely spoil the album for some. Even if you think it might knock it, just give it a try because you’ll at least get a chuckle out of it. The style Cataldi and Muro have created is well executed, but might be more palatable when sprinkled throughout other mainstream styles of music, rather than dousing listeners with avant garde strangeness for the sake of being strange. Those who are interested can find the album on major streaming services like Spotify and Bandcamp.
Key Tracks: Timbuktu, The Meat Clever and the Butterfly, In the Lap of the Drooling Buddah.
Galactic and Southern Avenue pleased many fans at The Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY. Writer Brian Cornish was there to capture the night.
The unmistakable charisma of Tierinii Jackson supplemented by the guitar and keyboard prowess of Ori Nafataly and Jeremy Powell, with background vocals and a steady beat from Tikyra Jackson, make this a great young band with a bright future.
“With Keep On, Southern Avenue reaches out to a new generation of soulsters while preserving the tradition of Stax and Memphis soul. These songs flow deep down into our hearts and bones, moving us in ways we never expected to be moved (or perhaps we refused to let ourselves be moved), the way that all great soul music continues to move us. Like many great soul songs, too, these songs urge us to see the glimmers of hope in our darkness and to embrace those around us in the arms of love.” – NO DEPRESSION
That message of hope is best exemplified in “Keep On” and the closing number, “Don’t Give Up,” from their eponymous debut album, which induced an audience sing along.
Galactic is a band that is difficult to quantify. They cover soul, funk, jazz, dub, and multiple other genres, always being influenced by what ever they hear in their hometown of New Orleans, or through their relentless world-wide touring. The band has put their money where their heart is, purchasing the legendary nightclub, Tipitina’s.
Galactic and Southern Avenue often relies on a rotating cast of vocalists, with this performance featuring Anjelika Jelly Joseph & rapper Charles Stewart, AKA Chali 2na.
Unfortunately, the sound mix was a bit muddled and indistinct, which is definitely not typical of the Westcott Theater. One of the telltale signs of a good show is how many musicians and fans “in the know” show up. To that end, this show was extremely popular.
On a January Wednesday, Fred Norris played a sold out show with his band at Arlene’s Grocery in the lower east side of Manhattan. Fred is best known for his role on The Howard Stern Show where he has been a writer, producer and sound effects genius for over 30 years. The new line up of his band includes Fred on lead vocals and guitar, Steve Goulding on drums, Graham Parker on guitar and Mekons on bass. Opening for The Fred Norris Band was Steve Addabbo and Megan Reilly.
Fred and his band sounded great and they didn’t even get to do a proper sound check before their set. They played for over an hour and performed 12 original bluesy rock songs including “Get In Line,” “Sense of Pretending” and “Lost in the Ether.” Fred then welcomed singer/songwriter Erica Smith to join the band for the melodious “How Long.” What was also very much enjoyable was Fred talking about each song and what inspired him to write them. Some of the songs were about his daughter Tess, while others were about current social issues such as greed, corruption and the threat of war. You can see the full setlist below.
Arlene’s Grocery used to be a bodega/grocery store which was turned into a bar in 1995. It is mostly a venue for local punk and hard rock bands. Other notable performances include Arcadia Fire, Jeff Buckley and Lady Gaga.
Setlist: Get in Line, Uptown One, Cool Surface, Sense of Pretending, How Long, Lost in the Ether, The End, There Goes The Show, The War Within, Paradise
