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
When musicians collaborate, you can expect a few things – a merging of styles, unique covers, and the strengths of each to shine even brighter. With Hayley Jane joining up with Annie in the Water to kick off a 10 show Hayley in the Water February tour, there is a stellar degree of mutualism already on display throughout their first three shows in Saranac Lake, Schenectady and Utica over February 5-8.
An acoustic set from Hayley Jane, with Annie in the Water joining for a few songs, kicked off each night, setting the tone for a thorough night of music and a taste of what these artists are capable individually, as well as when they join together. The second set, a full performance of Fleetwood Mac’s seminal 1977 album Rumours, was simply magical. Not only is the album chock full of classic rock gems, to the point where you are taken back by how many great songs are on one album, but Hayley Jane’s vocals and the well rehearsed sound of Annie in the Water truly brought the album to life. Hit after hit, including the underrated opening track “Second Hand News,” found all musicians in lockstep with each other, adding genuine, organic energy to classics including “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop,” “Go Your Own Way,” “The Chain” and “I Don’t Want to Know.” Hayley Jane shone bright on “Gold Dust Woman” and “Songbird,” channeling Stevie Nicks in a way few can. Listen to their performance of “Dreams” from Saranac Lake’s Waterhole.
Annie in the Water continued the night with a set of originals, including the fan favorite “Hey I’m on my Way,” plus “Sativa,” “In the Sand” and “Crispy” (with a dose of 4 Non Blondes “What’s Going On?”), the latter of which brought Hayley Jane back to the stage. Add in Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade” and Talking Heads “Burnin’ Down the House” (after a fire alarm went off briefly in Utica) and you’ve got an impressive range from a band that not only has the audience enjoying ever minute of it, but the band is clearly having a blast too.
This is a phenomenal series of shows and one with great potential, surely a ‘catch it while you can’ tour. Don’t sleep on Hayley Jane and Annie in the Water performing Rumours – two incredible forces in the Northeast music scene rarely join together to create a memorable performance such as this.
Feb. 12 – Buffalo Iron Works – Buffalo, NY
Feb. 13 – Flour City Station – Rochester, NY
Feb. 15 – Stowe Cider – Stowe, VT
Feb. 19 – Stone Church – Brattleboro, VT
Feb. 20 – Arch Street Tavern – Hartford, CT
Feb. 21 – Electric Haze – Worcester, MA
Feb. 22 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT
Annie in the Water Setlists:
Feb. 7 – Frog Alley Brewing – Schenectady, NY
Hey I’m on My Way, Pleasure in Sin, In the Sand/Freestyle, Crispy (w/Hayley Jane), Sativa (w/Hayley Jane), Time to Play—>Bulls on Parade
Feb. 8 – Jewish Community Center – Utica, NY
Change My Mind, Carry the Music, Burning Down the House, River, Crispy (w/Hayley Jane), Fire on the Mountain (w/Bill Foose), Sativa
Chris Meier, Hayley Jane and Bradley Hester
Hayley Jane, Bradley Hester & Michael Lashomb
Ryan Trumbull & Brock Kuca of Annie in the Water
Trampoline Jetstream
Anthony “Zee” Donaldson of The Disruption NetworkR
Arizona’s improvisational jam rock quartet Spafford kicked off a three night run on Friday night at the Brooklyn Bowl. They delivered high energy tunes to the sold out crowd immediately upon taking the stage- and never looked back. The band also brought a high tech light rig that elevated visuals throughout the show. They were supported by, and are currently on tour with, Connecticut’s Eggy.
Known for blending rock, funk, jazz, reggae, ska and electro-pop, Spafford’s members include Brian Moss (guitar), Jordan Fairless (bass), Andrew Johnson (keyboards), and Nick Tkachyk (drums).
Eggy’s line up consists of Michael Goodman (bass), Jake Brownstein (guitar), Dani Battat (keyboards) and Alex Bailey (drums).
Brian Moss
Eggy kicked off the festivities to sizable crowd, as their Connecticut fan base was out in full force. They installed an “Eggy” sign on Battat’s keyboard stand, and dove into their flawless set of jam rock that often reminded this reviewer of Moe. Towards the end, they paid homage to Blind Melon by covering “No Rain,” which was a hit with the crowd. Andrew Johnson from Spafford the keyboard space with Battat for this cover, and the synergy was quite notable. Eggy’s impressive execution felt more like a main course, despite being tonight’s appetizer.
Johnson sits in with Eggy for Blind Melon’s “No Rain”
Spafford quickly made haste by taking the stage and unleashing a monster “Shakedown Street” cover by the band who started the jam rock genre, The Grateful Dead. Their exquisite light rig heightened the already powerful house lights at the Brooklyn Bowl, much to the delight of NYC Metro region crowd. They were so massive, in fact, that they took up a sizable chunk of the stage’s real estate.
The second set included more of Spafford’s signature improvisational rock, funk and electro fusion. Moss’s guitar work was on another level tonight, and was often seen exchanging smiles and jubilant glances with Fairless, Johnson, and Tkachyk. They also dispatched another notable cover of “Peaches”, by 90’s alt-rock band, The Presidents of the United States. The show wrapped up with the high energy “The Reprise” as an encore, sending the crowd home thirsty for more.
Spafford wrapped up their soon to be legendary three night run Sunday night at the Brooklyn Bowl with a special Acoustic only performance. Visit their tour page for details on future performance dates.
Set One: Shakedown Street, Mind’s Unchained, Hollywood > The Remedy, Plans
Set Two: America, Doghouse > Part II > Musette, My Road (My Road), Peaches, Galisteo Way
Back in June 2019, Sam Beam (a.k.a. Iron & Wine) joined forces with folk/Americana group Calexico for the full length LP, Years to Burn. This would mark the second time the two bands collaborated, the first being EP In the Reins from 2005. The bands musical styles perfectly complement one another, resulting in luscious harmonies and arrangements.
John Convertino of Calexico at Webster Hall – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
Before the show started, stage hands marched a seemingly endless amount of instruments on stage. Nine acoustic guitars moved in alone, followed by accordions, upright basses, electric guitars and horns. I have experienced seeing both of these bands individually and this collection of instruments is not surprising. Sam Beam typically brings a dozen or more musicians out for an Iron & Wine show and Calexico has such a full Americana sound with dense horns and strings. None of these attributes were lost in bringing the two bands together.
The set drew heavily from the two collaborative projects, but they also performed covers of each other’s songs and other bands. This first one was a cover of “Glimpse,” a track off Calexico’s 1996 debut Spoke. Sam introduced the song by saying “this song was the first Calexico song I ever heard.” The other Calexico cover was “Flores y Tamales” from 2018s The Thread That Keeps Us. While there were no Iron & Wine covers at Webster Hall, they were playing songs like “Boy With A Coin” and “Naked As We Came” at other stops. Full setlist below.
The show ended with two more collaborative tracks, but with opening band Half Waif joining them on stage to provide additional vocals. Had you not known that this show was a collaboration between two separate groups, you would think this was a band that has been writing and performing together their whole career. Their musical styles are already complementary and there is a clear friendship that adds a ton of energy to the stage.
Setlist: Father Mountain, Prison on Route 41, Follow the Water, In the Reins, Glimpse (Calexico cover), Sixteen Maybe Less, The Bitter Suite, Bring on the Dancing Horses (Echo and the Bunnymen cover), Flores y Tamales (Calexico cover), [Solos], Red Dust, I Lost It (Lucinda Williams cover), Midnight Sun, Burn That Broken Bed, What Heaven’s Left.
The 14th Annual NolaFunk Mardi Gras Ball was headlined by Voodoo Dead at The Capitol Theatre on February 6. The impressive supergroup consists of Steve Kimock, Dead & Company’s Jeff Chimenti, moe.’s Al Schnier, Wally Ingram, John Morgan Kimock, and The Meters’ George Porter Jr.
The night was kicked off by Breakdown Brass, a large band of horns from Brooklyn. It was their first time playing The Capitol Theatre. The large group of horns managed to sound really clear and not all on top of each other, full of intricate rhythms and dance worthy grooves. Breakdown Brass even played “Mary Jane” & “It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy.
Voodoo Dead, the super group… You’ve got some heavy hitters like Chimenti from Dead & Company, Al Schnier from moe., and the gosh darn bassist for the funkiest funk that ever funk’d The Meter’s very own George Porter Jr. His bluesy, rugged vocals really shined on “Sugaree.” The funk could definitely be heard, added with taste, not to stray too far from the composition of the tunes. He went on to describe how the song “Look-Ka Py Py” came to be written… one day a broken piston on a long car ride inspired this song.
The band went on to play “I Walk on Guilded Splinters” a nod to New Orleans, honoring the great Dr. John. “Eyes of the World” and “After Midnight” featured intricate jams and amazing vocals by Porter. They closed up the night with a heart warming “Turn on Your Love Light.”
The band has announced a tour that features shows in Ardmore, PA, three shows in Japan, and will headline the 2020 Skull & Roses Festival in April out in Ventura, CA, a festival celebrating The Grateful Dead.
Setlist: Shakedown Street, Sugaree, Look-Ka Py Py (The Meters cover), Ophelia, I Walk on Guilded Splinters (Dr.John cover), Eyes of The World, Drums, Space, After Midnight, Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles cover, instrumental), Turn on Your Love Light.
“It started out because of the love of Queen, and today it’s still going because of the love of Queen,” is how Randy Gregg characterizes his New York City based tribute band, Almost Queen. Now in their 16th year, Almost Queen is selling out shows across the U.S., including the The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y. where we caught the band performing.
Joseph Russo (as Freddie Mercury)
Paying homage to one of the UK’s most iconic bands are Joseph Russo (as Freddie Mercury), Steve Leonard (as Brian May), John Cappadona (as Roger Taylor), and Randy Gregg (John Deacon). I spoke with Gregg a few days before the Capitol show to gather some insight into a “tribute” based rock and roll band.
“Almost Queen is first and foremost, a proper band,” he proclaims. “I see a lot of tribute bands out there and they do a great job, but I see that they focus, (are) so focused on trying to emanate and trying to do this, that they have lost the sight of your first reason: to be a band and play. We play. If we weren’t doing Queen music and we were doing the Rolling Stones, we’d kill that too because these four guys are first and foremost, a band.”
Almost Queen – The Capitol Theatre
“Back fifteen; sixteen years ago, I don’t even know if there were any Queen tribute bands around.” Randy recounts. “It was like a dare you even try to attempt playing Queen music. We did a lot of rehearsal in that first year. Our goal was to perform the songs you hear on the radio, studio versions is what we wanted to shoot for. ”
Randy Gregg (as John Deacon)
It started out because of the love of Queen, and today it still going because of the love of Queen
Randy Gregg, Almost Queen
Almost Queen – The Capitol Theatre
“We wanted to get as close to Queen as possible,” Gregg shares. “ We knew that we never could be what that band was. But we wanted to get into the ballpark. That’s why we call the band Almost Queen. ‘Cause there is no way we could be Queen and that’s just the end of it. So from day one we had an excuse that if you don’t feel we were that good, it’s called Almost Queen.”
John Cappadona (as Roger Taylor)
With 15 studio, seven EPs, two soundtracks and other recordings to draw from, determining what Queen songs to play on any given night can be a challenge. Gregg incorporates a technique based on where the band is performing. “If it’s the first time going into a venue, here’s the hit’s list. ‘Cause there is an expectation. You don’t want to hit them with anything out of the ordinary right away. Then boom, we did great, we are coming back for that next gig and here are these couple of songs we are going to take out and put these couple of songs in. Give it a different flavor. Third time back, lets put in a couple more, deeper cuts. I have set lists saved on my computer for years. If we’re playing (a) venue for the eighth time, in eight years, I will pull out eight different set lists. I never wanted to have it were we get a revue that says Almost Queen was great, but same set list. It’s always about keeping it fresh.”
Almost Queen – The Capitol Theatre
With 16 years performing as Almost Queen under their belt, I asked about the preparation before a show. “It’s a pretty cool vibe backstage. One or two people could be cranking some tunes in the back. It’s a lively vibe; it’s an exciting vibe. We know what we are going to be doing in a half hour. It’s pretty chill but it’s pretty exciting. We are just doing our normal routine, getting dressed, stretching out, warming up vocals, having a beer, putting on makeup everything that’s involved with a rock and roll show. The excitement builds per minute as that goes on. “
Steve Leonard (as Brian May)
Being a tribute band, what happens as you walk on stage for that first number? Is there a loss of person and a transformation? A transformation into Queen? “It is very close to that,” Gregg reveals. “When the lights go out, the place becomes hysterical as the intro comes on. That moment of walking out on stage when that intro comes on, it’s like a real deal rock show. That is the vibe that you get when you walk out into it. Within that time of the intro, you are absorbing this energy coming from the crowd, this excitement, here it is, you feel it all. Then, at that first start of the note, all of our minds go right to the music.”
Almost Queen – The Capitol Theatre
The energy level at The Capitol Theatre was peaking the dials. The band played for almost two hours, with people singing and dancing throughout the night. Mid show, lead singer Joseph Russo engaged the audience in an impromptu a cappella vocal round, making everyone a member of the band. The love for Queen was in abundance, emanating from the stage and being returned exponentially by those in the house.
Almost Queen – The Capitol Theatre
Taking the night to another level, the proceeds from the Almost Queen merch table are donated (as they are with every show) to The Mercury Phoenix Trust, which was founded by Brian May, Roger Taylor and Jim Beach in memory of Freddie Mercury, who died from HIV/AIDS in 1991. The goal of MPT is to fund the work of global charities fighting aids worldwide. “We are very proud to donate our merch,” Randy noted with a gratifying tone to his voice.
Almost Queen – The Capitol Theatre
What started as love for a band, that has snowballed into sell out shows, and promotes compassion for one’s fellow man to boot, has me thinking that maybe the band should change its name from Almost to Absolutely Queen.
Those were the days of our lives, yeah The bad things in life were so few Those days are all gone now but one thing’s still true When I look and I find, I still love you I still love you
These are the days of our lives Brian May / Freddie Mercury / John Deacon / Roger Taylor
Rochester is a strong music city, based mostly on its flourishing local scene. Touring acts aren’t as kind to this city between cities. But every once in a while a band comes through, latches on, and rides the tide to local hero-dom. The Wood Brothers are such a band.
First opening for the poster-child of Rochester hero bands, Tedeschi Trucks Band. Then breaking through as a club pass band at the Rochester International Jazz Fest. They quickly returned as a main stage headliner, and headlined at the Lilac Festival soon after that. Wednesday night they were back at the Kodak Center for a rare wintertime visit. Tedeschi Trucks, Jazz Fest, Lilac Fest, Kodak… hitting all the Rochester sweet spots, it’s no wonder they’ve found a place in the city’s hearts.
On top of that, they welcomed Rochester-native, Kat Wright, to open their whole tour. Excited to be back in her hometown, she recalled Rochester memories, got shout outs from friends, family and fans in the crowd, and dedicated a song to a friend celebrating her birthday. Her usual eight-strong Indomitable Soul Band was stripped down to her, Bob Wagner on guitar and Josh Weinstein on bass. They rearranged some older tunes for the occasion, threw in a cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “Love Me Like a Man,” and introduced a few new ones, like the sultry slow burning “Let Me In” and the bluegrass-infused reggae of “Can’t Explain.”
The Wood Brothers had some new songs in their arsenal as well, coming with a stellar new album in tow. They opened with the first track, “Alabaster,” with “Little Bit Sweet” and the West-African inflected “Don’t Think About My Death” not too far behind. Though for the most part they stuck to the tried and true classics, digging through their songbook generously, presenting the full spectrum of their wares.
The seated crowd was soon on its feet, filling the aisles, dancing and singing along. The best dance moves as always though, belonged to bassist Chris Wood. His fancy footwork only outmatched by his fancy fretwork, both on display during a rumbling bass and drums segment during “Who the Devil.”
Midway through their set, during the old-school format portion of the evening with Jano Rix out front on his ‘shitar,’ the band injected the excellent Rochester local scene into their set. They invited Aaron Lipp on banjo and Wright on vocals for a rollicking rendition of the Wood Brothers oldie “One More Day.” The set peaked at the penultimate “Happiness Jones” with its funky grooving soul on full display.
Oliver Wood made sure to seal the deal on the mutual feelings between band and crowd before calling it a night, “We love Rochester!” One thing seems certain, it won’t be long before the two meet again.
Setlist: Alabaster, American Heartache, Atlas, Little Bit Sweet, Shoofly Pie, Don’t Think About My Death, Luckiest Man, Mary Anna, Little Bit Broken, Postcards from Hell, Pray Enough, Who the Devil, Loaded, One More Day*, I Got Loaded, Happiness Jones, Snake Eyes.
Encore: Chevrolet (Ed & Lonnie Young).
* with Aaron Lipp on Banjo and Kat Wright on vocals.
The Lawn Boys celebrated Phish at Sera Phi in Greenpoint on Saturday night, and said goodbye to local artist Alex Anastas with a dream set list of Phish songs crafted by Anastas himself. The band consists of Darren Rodney (guitar), Andrew Mega (drums), Bruce Raskin (bass), and David Kaufman (keyboards), and primarily plays Phish covers.
Sera Phi is also known as the Sera Phi Social Club, which lived up to its name as the crowd was exceptionally friendly. The row of couches in the back created a great ambiance and the vibrating floor echoed the crowd’s enjoyment through movement. The walls were filled with projections of partially inverted images of Phish throughout the evening, courtesy of videographer Aylon Ben-Ami.
Alex Anastas
The show began on a high note, with the band announcing the departure of Anastas to Australia, and stating that the proceeds from the event would benefit those impacted by the Australian bush fires. The first set contained many heavy hitters. “Bathtub Gin” included notable jam solos by Rodney, who was firing on all cylinders. Also, “Maze” > “David Bowie” felt like the real thing, as this band effectively channeled Phish. Anastas took the stage and sang during “Dirt” and “Waste.”
After a delicious DJ set that included re-mixes of Pink Floyd, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and the Talking Heads, the boys returned for another monster set. “Down With Disease” was the prevalent theme, as the band jammed into and out of this song several times. During “Glide,” the lyrics were changed to “We’re glad glad glad that Al’s alive.” The encore was equally exciting and well executed, with versions of “Harry Hood” and “Chalkdust Torture” that made the crowd long for the real thing.
Overall, the Lawn Boys’ skills were quite impressive, and paired well with the social crowd at Sera Phi. They are a talented cover band who portrays Phish with vigor and delighted the crowd throughout the night.
Setlist:
Set One: Curtain With > AC / DC Bag, Bathtub Gin -> Ghost* > (funk jam) > Tweezer > Maze , Dirt, Waste^, Bouncing Around the Room, David Bowie > Highway to Hell
Set Two: Down With Disease > Crosseyed and Painless > Down With Disease, Glide, Heavy Things, YEM, Tube > Tweezer Reprise
Encore: Chalkdust Torture, Harry Hood
Notes: *DWD teases; ^Darren acoustic, Al on vocals
A sold out crowd welcomed Greensky Bluegrass back to the Capital District for another round of energetic and psychedelic jamgrass from the standard bearers of the genre at The Egg. Opening the show was Ghost Light, featuring local favorite Holly Bowling on keys, who gave the audience a short yet stellar opening 45-minute set.
Greensky have made Albany an annual winter tour stop, returning to The Egg and a capacity and ever-enthusiastic crowd. Following “Dustbowl Overtures,” with it’s line, “It’s a New York Minute, under a New Mexico sky,” eliciting cheers from the audience, mandolinist Paul Hoffman welcomed the crowd to the show, referring to the venue as the ‘punniest venue in the country.’ With that, dobroist Anders Beck joined in with egg jokes that carried on throughout the night. First set highlights included “I’d Probably Kill You” -> ‘Nellie Kane,” as well as “Broken Highways” and “Courage for the Road,” where Beck was a heavy presence via the dobro and shone as the set came to a close.
With Set 2 came more jokes that continued as soon as the band hit the stage. Beck returned prepared and informed the crowd, “I’ve probably got a dozen, just to lay it out there.” A long “Take Cover” kicked off a set full of surprises, plus lots of banter with the crowd. The back and forth was so natural and the crowd so focused, Hoffman said it felt like “playing on a radio station, but you’re all here.” For “Casual Wednesday,” Beck laid his down dobro and took off into the crowd to greet the audience and hype up the sound and light teams on this casual Wednesday, making a Buddy Guy-style lap around the venue, before returning to the stage.
A cover of The Band’s “Atlantic City” segued perfectly into “Just Listening,” which was followed by “Mother and Child Reunion,” which contained a deep reference to eggs, their debut of the 1972 Paul Simon single. After the song, Hoffman expressed that playing that song at The Egg was a career highlight. “Furious Exuberance” > “Kerosene” would close the set with Pink Floyd-esque spaciness that paired perfectly with the evening’s light show that hovered between early ’70s psychedelia and late ’70s disco.
Set 1: Don’t Come Apart Just Yet, My Dear> Bullseye Blues> Cold Blooded* > Don’t Come Apart Just Yet, My Dear
*with Diamond Eyes jam
Greensky Bluegrass at The Egg, setlist via Phantasytour
Set 1: Lose My Way, Dustbowl Overtures, Better Off, Hot Dogs (On Parade), I’d Probably Kill You, Nellie Kane, What You Need, Broken Highways, Courage for the Road
Set 2: Take Cover, Collateral Damage, Do It Alone, A Letter to Seymour, Casual Wednesday, New Rize Hill, Atlantic City> Just Listening, Mother and Child Reunion*, Exuberance> Kerosene
