SpaceStation AM500 is the debut album from Timothy Alice & the Dead Star Band, a trio hailing from Buffalo, NY. Timothy Alice (stage name for Timothy Patrick Henderson) displays an astonishing number of influences in both his writing and singing styles throughout this record. With the help of Matt DiStasio on bass and Bub Crumlish on drums, Alice’s lyrics paint incredible pictures of an America we can all recognize today. You could be on the Great Lakes, in a sprawling metropolis, or the last bar on the highway between this state and that; each of these locations share a tale that Timothy Alice invokes with each track.
The opening track, “2 Am,” paints a picture that many may find familiar. The promise and elation of this song invokes the feeling of many 2 am’s we’ve all felt while bar-hopping around New York State – still full of energy and grit, while openly wondering where the night is going to take you. “It’s 2 AM and this place is jumping. I’m just trying not to lose my head again.” The song feels like a packed bar with 2 hours left before last call, full of vigor and hope.
SpaceStation AM500 mixes soul, blues, R&B and folk roots into a delightful set of songs with so much heart and movement in them. The band excels at feeling like you’re on the road with signs flying by in the darkness during “Just Take My Hand.” “Shadow on My Tail,” the longest track on the album, really showcases the soul in Timothy’s voice and also features a ripping solo from guest guitarist Andrew Kothen. The album also features a love song to the Windy City. The soul in Timothy’s voice while singing “Oh, Chicago” makes me long for a city I’ve only ever been to twice.
As the night grows longer and we get further into the album, “Honeypie” provides a tale of distorted love, building up to a cacophony that would be exception to see live. “4 Am,” the final track on the album, really highlights the difference two hours can make in a night. It tells a somber and sobering tale that we’ve all experienced in our lives, regardless of what time the clock is showing. With the help of an amazing band, Timothy Alice’s lyrics paint pictures of an America we can all recognize today. Whether he’s a in a league of his own or the product of a new generation of storyteller, he shows us all that we have a lot of great music and art coming our way in this next decade.
Rapper, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s highly anticipated, third solo effort has finally arrived. It’s backed by two singles: “Reply,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert and “King of My City,” as well as a snippet of “Guitar Song.” The Bronx native is looking to impress after having his album release date pushed back on several occasions because of leaked records. He shared the album’s artwork on his Instagram account on February 5 and confirmed the Valentine’s Day release on February 10.
His last album, Hoodie SZN, was his first project to debut at number 1 on Billboard 200, producing four charting singles, the most successful of which was the guitar laden “Look Back At It.” Overall, the crooner/emcee looks to capture the city’s attention, with a return to what had gained him a loyal following throughout the five boroughs.
Although Hoodie SZN was commercially successful, some felt he had strayed away from the tear-jerking records that first gained him notoriety. Such as, “D.T.B.,” from his debut mixtape Artist, hence the latest project’s title. With an ever-growing staple of New York City rappers (Pop Smoke, Fivio Foreign, Sheff G) bringing notoriety back to hip hop’s birthplace, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is looking to leave a lasting impression, and lay claim to his throne as the latest king of New York rap.
He’ll need this project to be the one to do so, as this might be the last time we hear from A Boogie for a while. The “Drowning,” rapper took to Instagram to say, “This might be my last project for a while,” he revealed. “I wanna take a break from music after Artist 2.0 tour is over. There’s a lot of things I want to do in life and it’s just moving too fast for me to focus on everything at once. But I will never let my fans down. When you need me most, I’ll be there.”
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.
In celebration of 30 years of being a innovative quartet, Grammy winners Bela Fleck & The Flecktones have added several new stops to their summer 2020 North America tour. Four stops along the way will be in New York including March 25 in Ithaca, March 28 in Stony Brook, and June 3 in Albany before their tour concludes on June 5 in Port Chester.
Formed in 1988 by NYC native Bela Fleck for a PBS series special Lonesome Pine Special, the group consists of banjoist Bela Fleck, harmonica and keyboardist Howard Levy, bassist Victor Wooten, and percussionist / drumitarist Roy “Future Man” Wooten. A year later in 1989 is when the group began touring, creating a sound that could never be labeled. Playing all manners of genres – from classical and jazz, to bluegrass and African music, to electric blues and Eastern European folk – breaking music barriers has been the common denominator propelling this group forward.
“The band is a creative idealistic project, one that somehow connects with people in a profound way,” says Béla. “Nothing about any of that has changed in 30 years. The Flecktones are touring for the sheer love of playing and celebrating our friendship. That’s why we get together these days.”
“What I needed,” replied banjo innovator when asked about the 1989
formation of Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, “were people that were kind of
freaks. Each
person had to be an equal or more, and that’s what made it work when I ran into
these guys and we started playing together.”
See the full list of tour dates below. Tickets are on sale now.
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones 30th
Anniversary Tour
March 21 – Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park – Live Oak, FL
March 22 – Jefferson Center – Roanoke, VA
March 24 – Community Arts Center – Williamsport, PA
March 25 – The State Theatre of Ithaca – Ithaca, NY
March 26 – The Capitol Center for the Arts – Concord, NH
March 27 – Berklee Performance Center – Boston, MA
March 28 – Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY
March 29 – Santander Performing Arts Center – Reading, PA
Apr. 4 – Savannah Music Festival – Savannah, GA
Apr. 5 – Belk Theater – Charlotte, NC
May 23 – Delfest – Cumberland, MD
May 24 – The Clay Center – Charleston, WV
May 26 – The Southern Theatre – Columbus, OH
May 27 – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium – Asheville, NC
May 28 – Paramount Bristol – Bristol, TN
May 29 – The Carolina Theatre of Durham – Durham, NC
May 30 – Harrison Opera House – Norfolk, VA
June 2 – Lebanon Opera House – Lebanon, NH
June 3 – The Egg Performing Arts Center – Albany, NY
Annie in the Water has just completed the most successful year in their career and is now embarking on the most ambitious tour of their career beginning this week. This tour has the band teaming up with Hayley Jane to perform Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album in its entirety and will visit venues across the Northeast throughout the month of February.
Annie in the Water’s second album Time to Play was released last summer. It’s an album comprised of songs the band has been playing live for years but hasn’t received the studio treatment until now. It’s an album that gives a snapshot of a band on the rise and a band ready to take on the live music scene with a vengeance.
While they call the North Country home, Annie in the Water has roots all over the map. Their origin story stems from a chance meeting between singer/guitarists Michael Lashomb and Bradley Hester at Hobart College in Geneva in 2007. The two hit it off immediately and began jamming together. They would reconvene during summers off from college, jamming together and coaching at lacrosse camps. They recorded their first album Destination in 2011 while Hester was a graduate assistant coach at Jacksonville University.
Since forming, the band has undergone several lineup changes, with Hester and Lashomb the only constant over the years. The band is now a six-piece with the addition of former Formula 5 keyboardist Matt Richards last July. Brock Kuca (drums/percussion), Ryan Trumbull (drums) and Chris Meier (bass) complete the unit.
Annie in the Water and Hayley Jane have been rehearsing for this tour for the past several months and are set to kick it all off this Wednesday in Saranac Lake.
NYS Music recently sat down with the band to discuss their history, their influences and the upcoming Spread Rumours Tour with Hayley Jane.
NYS Music: First, I’d like to start by finding out more about each of you individually. Where is each of you from? What path brought you to where you are today?
Bradley Hester: I grew up all over the place, born in Colorado. I also lived in Ohio, Japan, Virginia, and I came to Upstate New York by way of Hobart College. Since college, I’ve been in Upstate doing the Annie in the Water thing but also coaching lacrosse. I will probably always coach lacrosse because it’s one of the ways I am bringing my value to life and I have learned so many things from the game that continue to impact the way I live my life.
Brad Hester (Photo: Brian Cornish)
Michael Lashomb: I was born and raised in Cleveland, OH. My parents were originally from Ogdensburg, New York. We would go visit Upstate and work on my grandfather’s land whenever we had time off from school, so I was able to become familiar with the North Country landscape and inner-city life throughout my childhood.
While I was in Cleveland, I was exposed to a lot of diverse styles of music. There was always new music coming through mainstream radio when I was a kid, also a lot of hip-hop and funk influence in the city. In the North Country, I was exposed to more roots style and country. So I had a good blend that influenced me. When I was about 11 years old, I heard blink-182’s song “Dammit” on the radio and I immediately thought of ways to learn the song. That motivated me and I just started diving into all sorts of musical styles. I specifically started basing my early style of play on John Frusciante’s (Red Hot Chili Peppers) fretboard work.
Throughout my late teens and early 20’s, I was always picking up different jobs to try to make it work. I moved down to Florida at one point and was recruited to be a lacrosse coach and teacher at a prep school in Jacksonville. After that, I went out to L.A. for a short time and worked on the TV show The Amazing Race. In my late 20’s, I decided to go full-time music. No Plan B for me. I couldn’t imagine not pursuing music as my life path.
Michael Lashomb (Photo: Brian Cornish)
Brock Kuca: I was born and raised in a little town called Morristown on the St. Lawrence River (Thousand Islands). I started playing music at the age of 10, the saxophone. That didn’t really work out so well. I discovered the guitar at age 12. That’s when the sparks flew and music became the main priority in my life. Before joining Annie in the Water full-time, I cooked fancy food in a local restaurant. I was also a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and worked production at music festivals. Although I have a deep passion for cooking, it’s hard to really imagine my life without some kind of musical influence in it.
I met Mike and Brad some eight or nine years ago. Wow, that’s hard to believe. They would invite me out to play gigs in Potsdam, Alexandria Bay, Clayton and Watertown. I’ve shared the stage with various, very credible and outstanding musicians since then but the present combination of the six of us is a special thing. We are all writers/composers and are just starting to explore that realm with one another.
Brock Kuca
Chris Meier: I’m originally from Chatham, New York. My path to where I currently am heavily involved my time spent at SUNY Oneonta, where I met my bandmates from my first group, Space Carnival. We were lucky enough to have a great scene that eventually led to where I am now.
Chris Meier
Ryan Trumbull: Well, I grew up in the Adirondacks. I was born in Saranac Lake. All of my family members had some sort of musical talent, especially my uncle who had played drums for a long time.
Ryan Trumbull (Photo: Brian Cornish)
Matt Richards: I was born in Albany and reside just outside of the city in Delmar, NY. My life’s musical journey through multiple bands — my high school and SUNY New Paltz band, The Assortment of Crayons, followed by my three-plus years with Formula 5 immediately after college — is what brought me to Annie in the Water. If I weren’t making music, I’d likely be studying how birds make music.
Matt Richards, Brock Kuca and Michael Lashomb
NYSM: The group has evolved over the years, adding new members as recently as this past summer. Have the six of you started to gel as a unit yet?
BH: I feel we gelled the first time we played with each other in a rehearsal. The first show we played together felt like the right thing. The music and the feelings that go with it all get tighter as we continue to push ourselves into unknown territory. As long as we allow ourselves the freedom to explore at shows, we can uncover parts of our potential that would never have happened if we limited ourselves.
ML: The band finally became a full unit when Matt Richards joined in July of 2019. The first rehearsal we had, I personally felt that he was the glue of the entire unit and the gelling started then. Chris and Rippy (drummer Ryan Trumbull) had already been in the mix for six months and they were really sinking in with the backbeat and Brock has made considerable strides as a percussion player.
Everyone in the band is open to trying new things. They are constructive and they are professional. I am extremely lucky to have such great people in this band. I believe all of our collective experiences and knowledge have come together well. All of our individual skills have made the growth quick.
MR: We certainly have. I find our unity became most evident in what is now known as “The Church Set.” We were supposed to perform outside in Potsdam on Sept. 7 last year but due to poor weather conditions, we performed inside the local Methodist Church. We were effortlessly one cohesive unit this set, and have remained so since.
RT: I think we are just starting to mold our sound.
CM: Most definitely. We’ve really taken off as a unit and it feels like the sky’s the limit.
NYSM: How does the songwriting process work for you guys? Is there one person doing all the writing or is everyone given free rein to submit material?
BH: Songwriting works in a variety of ways. The album Time to Play is a collection of some of the songs Mike and I have been playing and performing for years, but I really enjoy opening up the floor for all ideas while we are creating. I feel like the best ideas can come into something with an open canvas, so even if one of us writes a song, everyone else can add ideas to it and add great elements. Everyone in the group is a creator, so I like to keep open the possibility of anyone bringing a song to the group and for the group to help develop.
ML: AITW music is a collective of material. Everyone in the band writes, which is terrific. Now that we have had some time to develop, we are more focused on writing as a unit. Sometimes a song can be written collectively but also one person may have a vision for a song, and as a group, it’s important for us to all do our best to help facilitate that creation. Songwriting will always be an evolutionary process for this band.
MR: We all have so many songs from our past that we want to work in this group. Perhaps everyone in this band is a terrific songwriter. There is a strong desire to work as one to create music in the future. Additionally, Bradley and I have performed a number of duo shos and write at least one song each time, live, in front of an audience. That is a process that is new to me but I love very much. Songwriting can be improvisation slowed down and improvisation can be songwriting sped up.
CM: This has been the most open format for writing I’ve ever been a part of. Everything is on the table.
Hayley in the Water Rehearsal at The Bank, Frankfort
NYSM: Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
BH: When I was young, I grew up on Top 40 hits and was influenced by country music through my parents. Garth Brooks was a go-to of mine when I was in elementary school and, strangely enough, because of my older sister, the Backstreet Boys had an impact on me before I became a teenager. Throughout middle and high school I got into bands like Styx, 311, 30 Seconds to Mars, Finch, Our Lady Peace, blink-182. From the hip hop angle, Eminem is someone I paid a lot of attention to in terms of diction and delivery of language, Kid Cudi for breaking out of norms, B.O.B., Andre 3000, Sammy Adams for their unique approaches. Bob Marley is a huge influence on me as well. Mike introduced me to Phish back in 2008 and I had such an uplifting experience that I knew I was going to achieve similar things with our band with time and patience.
I’m always influenced a little by the other bands in our scene, especially the bands we have the pleasure of playing with. Michael Franti and Spearhead, Andy Frasco, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Swamp Kids, Wild Adriatic, John Brown’s Body, Goose, Turkuaz, Big Something, moe., Twiddle, Nina’s Brew, among others. There are too many to name but I am slightly influenced by everyone I am lucky enough to experience!
ML: When I was eight years old, I was obsessed with the Grateful Dead. Not so much their music, but their artwork. I had t-shirts and patches on my backpack and everything. What is interesting is how their music has been woven into my style almost naturally. But besides them as an overall musical influence, I grew up on folk music — Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. I’m also a big fan of The Band. I love Pink Floyd, Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem and Sigur Ros. Those are my ethereal outlets. I also loved punk in high school: Ten Foot Pole, MxPx, Pennywise, blink-182, Less Than Jake, 311, NoFX, but also heavy stuff like GWAR, Korn and Rammstein.
I got into jamband/bluegrass style stuff in high school. Stuff like String Cheese, Bela Fleck, Dispatch, moe., Umphrey’s McGee. Phish was a discovery that changed the whole game. But recently I have been getting more into traditional Celtic music like The Dubliners and different modern composition styles like Bon Iver and Hans Zimmer. Very grateful for all the music I have been exposed to.
MR: Steely Dan, Animal Collective, Ween, Yes, MGMT, Circa Survive, Phish, Vince Guaraldi, McCoy Tyner, The New Deal, RAQ, nature (like actual nature, not a band), Wilco, Dave Brubeck, Talking Heads. Okay, I gotta stop myself somewhere but I know I am missing at least 50 artists and will kick myself for not including them.
RT: Stewart Copeland, Brain (Primus), Anika Nilles, Benny Greb.
CM: Sly Stone, Beck, Motown, Steely Dan.
NYSM: When did you first develop a relationship with Hayley Jane? This tour sounds like it will be a fun collaboration. What was the genesis of the idea to do a Rumours tour together?
Hayley Jane
BH: I first developed a relationship with Hayley Jane back in 2016 when I posted myself doing a vocal exercise for the first time in eight months. She contacted me and was curious about what happened to me because she wanted to offer her experience going through vocal issues. We’ve been friends ever since, sitting in and co-creating whenever possible.
Sometimes it’s hard to remember how fragile our vocal cords can be if they do not get proper attention and strength training, but they are also very resilient and can come back from injury stronger than ever, which is how I feel now. I was able to dissolve the cyst that formed on my right vocal cord by taking many months of pure rest and also learning how to properly warm-up. Staying away from alcohol and drugs and remembering to stay healthy and hydrated is key to my intention to make my vocal cords last as long as I can stay alive.
ML: Brad and I first met Hayley Jane about four years ago in Vermont and that’s when a relationship started. The Vermont music scene has a tendency to bring like-minded people together. The project idea started when we were all at Grassroots in Shakori Hills, NC. Our band had been on a pretty solid Fleetwood Mac kick for a while so when we were in North Carolina, Chris was talking with Hayley about playing a Fleetwood Mac song. I’m not exactly sure how the conversation went because I wasn’t there, but now there’s a tour put together and I’m playing in it.
CM: I’ve been aware of Hayley for a number of years but we formally met last fall at Shakori Hills Grassroots Music Festival. The idea was developed there over the conversations we had in our RV on tour.
MR: I first met Hayley through Formula 5. She would perform with us in Burlington at Nectar’s when we would get up there. I think since we all love Rumours it just felt natural we reach out to Hayley and see if she would be interested in doing this with us. It all fell into place seemingly well.
NYSM: Thanks to all the members of Annie in the Water for your participation. Best of luck with this most ambitious tour.
The upcoming tour will have Hayley Jane opening each show with a set of original material, followed by a complete run-through of Fleetwood Mac’s storied Rumours album featuring Hayley Jane alongside Annie in the Water and concluding with a full Annie in the Water set.
Tickets are available now for all shows on the Spread Rumours Tour. For more information on the tour and where to purchase tickets check out the Annie in the Water website here. Check out the band’s latest album Time to Play below.
Fresh off a sold out show at Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom, Goose completed a multi-night, multi-venue, multi-borough NYC run last night in Brooklyn at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. While the hype surrounding Goose has been a topic all its own, last night’s show was an exclamation point, an emphatic declaration that Goose is real and they’re here to stay. Having seen a whopping three Goose shows now, which makes me either a wiley veteran or highly unqualified to make this statement (depends who you ask), last night will go down as one of the special ones. So let’s make no further comparisons about who this Connecticut quartet sounds like or reminds you of … This. Is. Goose.
With soaring improvisational solos, irresistible hooks, and infinite peaks, Goose absolutely crushed another packed room, this one already vibing hard thanks to the seductive beats of DJ Doey Joey. Taking the stage to Notorious B.I.G.’s “Where Brooklyn At,” Goose opened with the slap-bass funk intro of “Yeti,” a statement song if ever there was one, and Trevor Weekz (bass) kicked the three-hour party off in high gear. Peter Anspach was first out of the box with face-melting guitar solos, with Rick Mitaronda not far behind before they joined forces with two part harmonies in “Time to Flee,” a jam that culminated in the white light reflections of the centrally located disco ball. “Western Sun” rang in with a Southern twang and a country-ish rock tone that served to highlight Goose’s impressive range. “All I Need” was another peak-after-peak-after-peak neverending jam that has become synonymous with Goose’s signature sound. How do you follow that? Well, If a Radiohead cover is in your wheelhouse, then you bust out “Weird Fishes,” just because you can. WOW. A “Doc Brown” dedication to Peter’s eight year old nephew preceded the thunderous set-closer, “So Ready.” BOOM!
Check out fan video of “Weird Fishes”
DJ Doey Joey kept the beats going through the setbreak as the crowd never stopped grooving – yours truly included! Riding the first set high and Joey’s infectious vibe, the crowd was primed for a raging second set and Goose delivered one for the record books. “Arrow” brought the party back, complete with the first of what would be sporadic confetti cannons that seemed to amuse the Goose as much as the Gaggle. A first ever cover of the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” emerged from the “Arrow” jam, more evidence of both Goose’s dynamic range and the fun they have on stage. Trevor Weekz brought the funk back for “Creatures,” before a 2001 pop cover of Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Outta My Head.” Talk about not taking yourself too seriously; Goose’s fun quotient is unparalleled right now.
“Hot Tea,” with perhaps the most compelling and addictive hook in their growing catalog, and my favorite song, taboot, was white hot. Brooklyn came to party and this hands up, arms waving, confetti blasting, disco ball doing its ‘disco ball thing’ jam was a peak moment (okay, maybe more like 15). A “Jive I” > “Jive Lee” combo closed the set, with heavy effects from guitarist Mitaronda, and “Turned Clouds” in the encore slot wrapped it all up a few moments before 1:00 am.
Goose heads west, touring with Pigeons Playing Ping, for their next show February 5 in Phoenix, AZ.
Locally, Rick, Peter, and Trevor will be playing as Birds of a Feather with Alex Petropolous and Jeremy Schon (PPPP) on March 21 at Brooklyn Comes Alive. Goose will also open for Pigeons on Friday April 24 at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY.
Goose – Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY – 1/25/20
Set 1: Yeti, Time to Flee, A Western Sun, All I Need {1}, Weird Fishes {2}, Doc Brown {3}, So Ready
Set 2: Arrow > Nights in White Satin {4} > Creatures > Can’t Get You Outta My Head {5} > Hot Tea, Jive I > Jive Lee
Encore: Turned Clouds
Coach’s Notes: {1} Slow & melodic version of All I Need {2} Radio Head {3} Wiz Kid dedicated the song to his nephew {4} Moody Blues, FTP {5} Kylie Minogue This was a sold out show Set 1 Start: 9:27pm – Set 1 End Time: 10:47pm Set 2 Start: 11:15pm Set 2 End: 12:52am Next Show: 2.5.20 • Phoenix, AZ • The Marquee Theater
A packed Hollow Bar & Kitchen welcomed Bella’s Bartok and West End Blend back to the Capital Region for an intense night of dancing and revelry. The two bands, from western Mass and Connecticut, respectively, have built up sizable followings around the state and when converging together in Albany on Friday, a welcoming crowd got down with them from the first note to the last. West End Blend’s funk did more than warm up the crowd, and set the tone for the night with “Smile.” Bella’s Bartok followed shortly after with a set full of klezmer-infused, high energy numbers, with inflated eye balls bouncing around the crowd and a daring band member who crowd surfed to the bar (for a shot) and back to the stage with the support of their fans.
Following these two glorious sets of music to shake the week off, the bands spoke to NYS Music about why New York is such an important part of their careers and how they have grown as a result of touring across the state.
Drummer Sam Horan of West End Blend: “I feel like playing around the New York scene, that’s not New York City, it’s just been really good to us, and we’ve seen a lot of progress and steady progression which keeps us fueled to come back. This show, specifically, was a surprise because our last show was, it was good, but tonight really felt like a turning point for the market. We have a really great audience in Saranac Lake, and we throw our festival ‘The Blender’ in Saranac Lake, and that’s its own thing, but for Albany tonight it really felt like a turning point for us, with an early opening set, and it was a full room. It was a really good, reassuring thing for us to see a full room, starting pretty early, so that’s kind of the thing the New York scene has just been really good to us, and that’s what keeps us coming back.”
Likewise, Asher Putnam, lead singer of Bella’s Bartok shared: “We’ve been playing upstate New York and the Hudson River Valley since 2009-2010 when we were just a street band, and we’ve always enjoyed ourselves. We’re out of western Massachusetts, the Great Barrington area, so it’s a hop, skip, and a jump, and it’s really nice to see people coming up to the show who’ve been seeing us for 7-8 years, singing along to the old songs and hearing the new tunes. From Saranac Lake to Albany, and sometimes to NYC even, the Capital Region and Upstate is where we find our people.”
Catch West End Blend on Saturday February 8 at The Waterhole in Saranac Lake, and Bella’s Bartok the night before at The Waterhole on Friday, February 7. Bella’s then returns to the state on Saturday, March 7 at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, and then again on Thursday, March 19 at Funk ‘n Waffles in Syracuse.
The NYC Winter Jazz Fest rolled on with the Jazz Fest Marathon, which included 6 venues in Brooklyn with a myriad of jazz verticals. One ticket was accepted at any location, allowing fans to customize their music experience. This review will focus on coverage from the legendary Brooklyn Bowl, located on the waterfront in Williamsburg.
Kendra Morris
Singer-songwriter Kendra Morris and her four-piece band kicked off the festivities with their “soul meets indie” jazz sound. Most of their material was originals written by Morris, and soul-fully executed by her adept band. Her beautiful voice electrified the crowd when she belted out the classic Pink Floyd tune “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.”
Felix Pastorius and Hipster Assassins
Felix Pastorius, son of jazz legend Jaco Pastorius, and Hipster Assassins, his experimental bass-driven jazz band, was up next. Their eclectic mix of a guitar, bass, drums and saxophone raised the bar of modern jazz. Their free flowing sound yielded a creative and fresh take on the classic jazz tune, “Butter Biscuit.”
Kung Fu
Following Pastorius was Kung Fu, the Connecticut-based jazz group led by guitarist Tim Palmieri, who delivered non-stop funk for the people. Their intense set included a nice groove and contagious stage energy between the band members. Palmieri’s performance was nothing short of legendary, diving on his knees and playing off the energy of the crowd. The band hit a high note during the cover of the jazz classic “Birdland.”
DJ Logic
The evening wrapped up with a late night performance by DJ Logic and friends, supported by Billy Martin and Shanir Blumenkranz. This set was filled with beats and scratching, care of DJ Logic. The organic percussion of Martin and the various string instruments played by Blumenkranz created a perfect harmony with the digital elements.
Tim Palmieri of Kung Fu
Overall, the NYC Winter Jazz Fest Marathon was a delightful way to enjoy a number of bands under one or more roofs, depending on the tastes of the listener. Head on over to their website for more information about future Jazz Fests.
Antibalas will celebrate its 20th Anniversary with a return to their Williamsburg roots on their latest Daptone Records studio album, Fu Chronicles, due out on February 7, 2020. Today, Antibalas releases the single “Amenawon.”
A pre-gentrified Williamsburg serves as the backdrop for Fu Chronicles, a voyage back to the early days of when Antibalas and revered soul label, Daptone Records, were spawned out of lead singer Duke Amayo’s kung fu dojo. A senior master of the Jow Ga Kung Fu School of martial arts, Duke Amayo along with Antibalas’ founder/baritone saxophonist, Martín Perna, guide listeners through an epic journey where kung fu ingeniously intersects with Afrobeat on Fu Chronicles.
WNWNYC’s New Sounds exclusively premiered Antibalas’ latest from The opening track and first single off Fu Chronicles, “Amenawon,” Tuesday. It honors Amayo’s late mother, whose middle name was Amenawon. She is also depicted on the cover of Fu Chronicles standing as tall as the Statue Of Liberty, carrying a baby.
With the literal meaning translating to “may the water you will drink, not pass you by,” the composition speaks to rain water washing away pollution and the unveiling of government lies. Amayo pays homage to the Yoruba River goddess, Yomoja, whose healing powers can be accessed by invoking her name. Water is further a symbol in kung fu reflecting one’s ability to adapt to any situation.
At age 12 in Lagos, Nigeria, Amayo began his kung fu practice while simultaneously witnessing the spiritual leader Fela Kuti perform at his famous nightclubs the Afro-Spot and Afrika Shrine in Lagos. Living in the same neighborhood of the Afro-Spot and sneaking into the clubs to experience the force of nature that was Fela Kuti, a young Amayo was enlightened on his path destined for greatness in America.
Attracted to the cosmopolitan lifestyle of fashion, dance, martial arts, and music, Amayo moved beyond the highlights of his football career to launch a singular clothing brand and open a kung fu dojo in Williamsburg, dubbed the Afro-Spot Temple. Upon opening the dojo, Daptone co-founder Gabe Roth and Martín Perna inquired about classes, and soon invited Amayo to join Antibalas. The dojo became the headquarters for the band and label with Antibalas’ classic sophomore album, Talkatif (2002), being recorded onsite at the dojo’s recording studio. Coming full circle, Fu Chronicles sees Gabe Roth in the producer’s chair with Antibalas laying down the tracks at Daptone’s House of Soul in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
Fu Chronicles transports listeners to where universal equilibrium and indefinite possibilities unite within a dream world of a child’s limitless mind. The transcendent long-form Afrobeat compositions decolonize our psyches through movements traversing with melodies to realign us with a purpose of finding balance in our coexistence. The fiery Antibalas ensemble — widely renowned as one of America’s fiercest live bands — along with an additional five musicians transform Amayo’s opus into hypnotic and invigorating compositions with singular rhythms of resistance.
Over the course of its lauded 20-year career, Antibalas has toured across four continents and produced eight studio albums, establishing them as the premier Afrobeat band in the West. In addition to their integral role as the backing band for the Tony Award-Winning Broadway musical “Fela,” Antibalas has served as the house band for several star-studded tribute shows at Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theater paying tribute to the music of Aretha Franklin, David Byrne, Paul Simon, and Billie Holiday.
ANTIBALAS – WINTER & SPRING 2020 TOUR DATES
Tuesday, February 11 — The Siren — San Luis Obispo, CA
Wednesday, February 12 — Moe’s Alley — Santa Cruz, CA
Thursday, February 13 — The Regent — Los Angeles, CA
Friday, February 14 — The Independent — San Francisco, CA
Saturday, February 15 — The New Parish — Oakland, CA
Sunday, February 16 — The Independent — San Francisco, CA
Thursday, February 20 — Neptune Theatre — Seattle, WA
Friday, February 21 — Rickshaw Theater — Vancouver, BC
Saturday, February 22 — PDX Jazz — Portland, OR
Sunday, February 23 — The Olympic — Boise, ID
Wednesday, February 26 — Knotty Pine — Victor ID
Thursday, February 27 — The Commonwealth Room — Salt Lake City, UT
Friday, February 28 — Washington’s — Fort Collins, CO
Thursday, March 19 — The Sinclair — Boston, MA
Friday, March 20 — Brooklyn Bowl — Brooklyn, NY
Saturday, March 21 — Brooklyn Bowl — Brooklyn, NY
Thursday, March 26 — Terminal West — Atlanta, GA
Friday, March 27 — The Grey Eagle — Asheville, NC
Saturday, March 28 — Cat’s Cradle — Carrboro, NC
Friday, April 3 — Sleeping Village — Chicago, IL
Saturday, April 4 — SPACE — Evanston, IL
Friday, April 10 — Lee’s Palace — Toronto, ON
Saturday, April 11 — Lee’s Palace — Toronto, ON
Friday, April 17 — Theatre of The Living Arts — Philadelphia, PA
Inductees for the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame have officially been announced. The committee in charge of inductees – made up of more than 1,000 historians, members of the music industry and every living Rock Hall inductee – have included two prominent names in music culture, whose body of work was not based in the genre. In an effort to diversify the Rock Hall of Fame, soul songstress Whitney Houston and iconic hip-hop emcee The Notorious B.I.G., will make their entrance into the hallowed halls of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They will be posthumously induced, at the 35th annual Rock Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, on Saturday, May 2, 2020, at Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio.
The duo headlines an illustrious class, which features influential rock band The Doobie Brothers, Grammy-winning rock act, Nine Inch Nails, English rockers, T. Rex, who were prominent in the development of the rock scene during the early 1970s, as well as Depeche Mode, a dominant force within the electronic music scene.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Jon Landau, the longtime manager of Bruce Springsteen, and entertainment executive Irving Azoff will also be recognized at the ceremony. They will be presented with the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which honors songwriters, producers, disc jockeys, record executives, journalists, and other industry professionals who have had a major influence on rock & roll.
The ceremony will be broadcast live for the first time on HBO on May 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Performances and special guests and Induction Week programs will be announced later.
Tickets go on sale to Rock Hall members on February 25 and to the public on February 27 at 10 a.m. ET, at ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.
