The 8th annual Levitate Music and Arts Festival is making a return this summer. A full list of jam band regulars have been announced as performers for this year’s festivities. Set for July 10-12, the Massachusetts-based festival will have a host of vendors in addition to the performers to complete the fan experience. Food, art, and music will be shared at the festival during what is set to be an eventful and entertaining weekend. Vendor applications will be made available today, February 10.
The full list of performers includes: Jack Johnson, Phil Lesh & Friends, Stick Figure, Tash Sultana, Old Crow Medicine Show, Dirty Heads, Umphrey’s McGee,moe, Toots & The Maytals, Trevor Hall, Billy Strings, Mt. Joy, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Goose, Protoje, Jade Bird, Durand Jones & The Indications,Too Many Zooz, The Elovaters, Fruition, Busty and the Bass, Mike Love, Sun Parade, The New Motif, Sundog Organ Trio, Aubrey Haddard, Gentle Temper, Mihali & Friends will also be hosting a “Very Special Community Jam,” ft. Jackson Wetherbee, Hitch, & James Calandrella.
For tickets to and more information on the Levitate Music and Arts Festival, visit their official website.
Organ Fairchild will debut at new Buffalo hotspot Duende on February 15 at 6 p.m. The brand new band is comprised of local Buffalo veteran musicians Joe Bellanti, Corey Kertzie and Dave Ruch.
Since 1983 these Buffalo natives have performed numerous times together around the “jam band scene” including in groups like Wild Knights, Sonic Garden and Acoustic Forum.
Playing their own original music, the local Buffalo musicians will debut in traditional organ trio format consisting of an organ, guitar and drums, with bass parts being covered by the keyboardist’s left hand. Music enthusiasts can expect an updated take on this classic music setup with funky and syncopated sounds designed to get you moving.
“We’ve always had so much fun playing everyone else’s music that I guess it just didn’t occur to us to see what we could be creating ourselves,” said Ruch. “The music we’ve always played together has a fair amount of improvisation embedded in it, so that can satisfy a creative itch in itself. But we’ve NEVER had so much fun playing together as we are now, with our own tunes and ideas at the forefront.”
Fans can attend this debut event for free with the first 50 people through the doors receiving a Greg Meadows designed sticker.
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.
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
The Rock and Roll Playhouse has expanded to include even more dates across the United States, including many in New York City. The performances will also make their way to Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, Cubby Bear in Chicago, The Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, and Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, CA.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse is a family-minded live event series that tries to find new ways to inspire creativity and particularly foster a relationship between children and music. It’s a national concert series that gives back to local communities. The program has donated to the Can’d Aid Foundation’s Tunes Programs, VH-1 Save the Music Foundation, and Keep the Music Alive, as well as ticket donations to local school fundraisers and auctions.
The event series will make stops at Brooklyn Bowl New York, Garcia’s at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, Industry City in Brooklyn and Rockefeller Center in New York City. For more information and to purchase tickets visit The Rock and Roll Playhouse official site.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse 2020 Winter/Spring Tour Dates:
Ardmore Music Hall – Philadelphia, PA
2/8 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids with Johnny Shortcake
3/29 – The Music of Phish for Kids ft. Bathtub Gin
Brooklyn Bowl New York – Brooklyn, NY
2/9 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids
2/16 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids
2/23 – Mardi Gras Celebration for Kids ft. Black Tie Brass
3/1 – The Music of Fleetwood Mac for Kids
3/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids ft. Uncle Ebenezer – Purim Celebration with Because Jewish
3/15 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday
3/22 – Broadway Rock for Kids ft. Musicians and Singers Direct from Broadway
3/29 – The Music of Dave Matthews Band for Kids ft. Rhyme and Reason
Brooklyn Bowl Nashville – Nashville, TN
3/29 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids ft. Los Colognes
4/19 – The Music of Queen for Kids
5/10 – Music of The Beatles for Kids // Mother’s Day Celebration
Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV
2/22 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids!
3/28 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids
Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO
2/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids ft. Kings of Prussia
Garcia’s at the Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY
2/15 – The Music of Queen for Kids
2/29 – Music of The Beatles for Kids
3/15 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday
3/21 – Jazz for Kids
Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC
2/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids w/ Runaway Gin
3/14 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday
Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR
2/9 – The Music of Talking Heads for Kids
3/15 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday
Fairfield Theatre Company – Fairfield, CT
2/9 – The Music of Phish for Kids ft. Uncle Ebenezer
3/1 – One Love ft. Music of Bob Marley for Kids and More!
Funky Biscuit – Boca Raton, FL
2/9 – Music of The Beatles for Kids
Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC
2/23 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids
Higher Ground – Burlington, VT
2/9 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids
3/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids
Industry City – Brooklyn, NY
2/8 – One Love ft. Music of Bob Marley for Kids and More w/ David Langlois and the Brooklyners – Bob Marley’s 75th Birthday Celebration
2/15 – Music of The Beatles for Kids
2/22 – Mardi Gras Celebration for Kids ft. Black Tie Brass
2/29 – Broadway Rock for Kids ft. Musicians and Singers Direct From Broadway
3/14 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday
Mohawk- Austin, TX
2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids
Port City Music Hall – Portland, ME
2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids
3/1 – The Music of Phish for Kids
Rockefeller Center – New York, NY
2/9 – Reggae for Kids ft. David Langlois and the Brooklyners
Saturn – Birmingham, AL
2/9 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids
The Sinclair – Boston, MA
2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids
3/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids
The Stone Pony – Asbury, NJ
2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids
Sweetwater Music Hall – Mill Valley, CA
2/8 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids!
3/22 – The Music of Talking Heads for Kids
Terminal West – Atlanta, GA
2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids!
3/22 – The Music of Phish for Kids
Terrapin Crossroads – San Rafael, CA
3/14 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday
Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL
2/9 – Music of The Beatles for Kids (AM Show // SOLD OUT)
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 trio that began busking in the New York City subways more than eight years ago has created a distinct sound that has emerged to stages across the world, a sound that’s been coined “brasshouse.” The incredible talent of those three – Leo P. on bari sax, Matt Doe on trumpet, and The King of Sludge on percussion – form the group Too Many Zooz. The band has reached many fans far and wide with music videos and clips of their live shows emerging on social media outlets, but those short clips don’t do justice to the experience of being in the crowd at their shows.
After kicking off their tour with a Jam Cruise performance, Too Many Zooz returned home to Brooklyn for a packed show at Brooklyn Bowl, and will be hitting The Hollow in Albany this week on Jan. 28, with stops at The Haunt in Ithaca and Buffalo Iron Works on the 29th and 30th, respectively.
We had a chance to speak with Matt Doe about Too Many Zooz,
and he had a lot to say about the band.
Matt Doe, with Too Many Zooz at Brooklyn Bowl, Jan. 24, 2020
Steve Malinski: How was Jam Cruise?
Matt Doe: It was cool, man. I don’t think I’m much of a cruise person to be honest, in the sense of what it is and how it’s formatted. But for what it was I very much enjoyed it
SM: Did you guys have any collaborations?
MD: Yeah, we played with Galactic and Thumpasaurus and a few others.
SM: Going back to the start of Too Many Zooz, how did you guys meet and settle into the style you’re playing now?
MD: We just met in the subway and started playing music.
SM: So, was it totally random?
MD: Well, I went to school with Leo and he met TKOS in a band called the Drumadics, and we got connected with each other after that.
SM: Can you explain a little bit about what brasshouse is?
MD: I don’t really think of music in genres like that, so for me BH is more just about the intent in which you play the music and not necessarily a specific rhythm or sound or harmonic styling. I think a lot of people get put in a position where they feel like they have to tailor to one sort of genre or box and be confined to that box. So brasshouse is more about playing the music you want to play and making it your own. It’s way more about (for me at least) what it is that you’re bringing to it and what your intent is when playing.
SM: Regarding your live shows…how are they different from what people might see on videos on social media?
MD: It depends if they’re watching a video of a live show, or from the subway. I think it’s more of just a question of how live music differentiates from recorded music. There are some obvious differences – on recordings people play shorter songs just because of how that’s formatted. So at shows we open up more. I personally think that our recordings are awesome but live is definitely a different experience.
SM: As a performer, how does the energy of the crowd affect your performance on stage?
MD: You have a crowd in front, not the studio walls. It’s hard to explain, but maybe the crowd gives you some energy to play off of, which you don’t have in the studio. It’s a totally different thing.
SM: How much of your show is structured versus improv?
MD: It very much depends on where we’re playing and who we’re playing for. Generally, I think nowadays, on average, it’s half and half improvised and structured songs.
SM: With social media being popular for musicians, how much do you think Instagram and Twitter has helped you reach new fans, and fans around the world?
MD: Immensely, man. I don’t think we’d be here without it. We’d be somewhere, I’m not saying we wouldn’t be a successful band but there’s something to say about the power of the internet. The benefit of what those things can give you…I wouldn’t credit our success to social media but more to our hard work. But it’s definitely kind of become a part of being an artist today. I see the immediate value for the clout and using it to look cool in using it to promote yourself in certain ways. But…just for daily happiness – the idea of waking up every morning and living my life through a lens….
SM: Do you guys have any new projects in the works?
MD: Yeah, we just put out the Zombies EP which we’re super proud of and I think that’s one of our better projects, if not our best. We have a bunch of other stuff that we’re sitting on. It takes us so long to put music out since we’re on the road all the time and I never get the chance to get to the studio and produce the material. When I do, it’s like six months after the fact. It’s tricky to keep up…it’s tough to make something and say “yeah, this is awesome, this is f*king good, we gotta get this out” and then three months later it’s just sitting on a hard drive and might not see the light of day. So, it’s hard to have a fluid system when you tour as much as we do, especially since we do everything in house. I do the production and we all work on the record in our own way. The only thing we do outside of the three of us is the mixing/mastering.
It’s also a matter of being in different artistic places at different times. We can record six tunes in one style, then we’ll record more tunes a few months later and it sounds totally different. So, then we feel like maybe we should split it into two separate projects released at separate times and not try to force them into one thing. So it’s difficult to get it all out. But yeah, we’re sitting on tons of music and I think we’ll put some of it out in the next few months and more out in the summer. It’s a fluid process every day trying to move forward with it and gain traction.
It’s especially hard, too, when dealing with other artists…we get it because we’re the same way. Everyone’s on tour or working and it’s tough to get everyone in the same room, same studio. Things sometimes happen naturally, but when people are on the road there is a ton of back-and-forth, some discourse on how the tune is going to go. When you’re all in the room together, things can happen very quickly just because you say an idea, I’ll respond to that idea within two seconds and we move forward. Whereas, if I’m doing things remotely, and even in my own personal projects, it’s the same way. I’ve been working on my own album for two and a half years. You send an e-mail with the track, they ask a question two days later, you respond two days later and that one question takes a week to answer. If we’re in the studio that would take ten seconds to answer.
SM: So it sounds like it can a challenge to keep a cohesive focus on a project.
MD: Exactly. Yeah and it’s so much harder without the fluid motion to creativity and thinking. So, that’s a really long answer to a really short question, but yeah we’re working on a bunch of stuff.
SM: For you personally, separate from Too Many Zooz, you were on Saturday Night Live supporting Harry Styles. What was that experience like throughout that day?
MD: It was cool. Harry’s people worked with a friend of mine and he hit me up about it. We had a few rehearsals ahead of time. The day of the show, pretty typical for SNL, we show up around 4:30 for a rehearsal with the artist, then the full rehearsal with everyone. There was also a lot of hurry up and wait. Then around 11:30 there’s the live taping. TV is hard – there is so much that goes into that world aside from the music. So, just like I was saying about our recording process, there are so many moving parts going at once. It was cool to be on the other side of the screen. I grew up watching Chris Farley and Will Farrell. Definitely a bucket list item for me to play there. Harry is the sweetest dude in the world and his team is amazing. Luckily, I was just able to play with some of my best friends and some really wonderful people. I have nothing but great things to say about that entire experience.
SM: Before I let you go, I think you guys have played up in Albany before…
MD: ….Yeah, I think maybe a year ago. We were also at The Haunt in Ithaca and Buffalo Iron Works. To be honest, I sometimes just get in the van and go – I can’t remember the name of the place we played. But I’m looking forward to coming back.
SM: Anything cool in store for this tour? I know you recently hit the road.
MD: Yeah, we’re already on tour, starting on Jamcruise. It’ll be a fun run. We’re taking three months off for the first time in a while. We’ve been a band for almost eight years now… holy crap that’s insane to think about. We’ve pretty much been on tour for the past five years and this will kind of be our first vacation to spend time with families and do some work on our own projects and unwind. It’ll give us a chance to creatively recharge since it’s been a non-stop sprint for a while. Then we’ll be back at it, heading to Europe.
Too Many Zooz is taking the stage at The Hollow in Albany, Tuesday Jan. 28 along with special guest Birocratic. The show starts at 8pm, and tickets are available from the venue and the band’s website here. They’ll also be stopping by The Haunt in Ithaca the following night on Jan. 29 and Buffalo Iron Works on Jan. 30.
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.
Goose began their winter tour in earnest at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on January 24, 2020, their first U.S. show of 2020 since opening for Dead & Company at Playing in the Sand in Mexico earlier this week. Since their Halloween show at the Mercury Lounge this past year, Goose has been on a meteoric rise with no indication of a slowdown, anywhere in sight.
As curious fans flock en masse to check out the buzz, El Goose keep adding to its gaggle — the jamband version of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, luring fans to sold out show after sold out show with their magical pipe. The buzz keeps getting louder. The rooms keep getting bigger. Goose keeps on truckin’, kicking ass and taking names along the way.
Opening with “Drive,” dense crowded room got into an easy groove. Trevor Weeks (bass) getting deep and dirty as Rick Mitaronda (guitar, vocals) let some early solos fly. Though it’s hard to peel your gaze from guitarists Rick and Peter Anspach, the rhythm section of Trevor and Ben Atkind (drums) is what dictates the furious, addictive pace of this Connecticut-based quartet.
The band explored some energetic Type II jams before segueing into a cover of Wes Montgomery’s “Switchin’.” Peter took the mic with a big smile for his first vocals of the night with “Lead the Way” before Rockabilly original “Elizabeth.” The crowd really got rocking with Bill Wither’s “Lovely Day,” a tasty slice of funk and soul that was easily the first set highlight as judged by the movement and sway of the room. Goose really shines brightest at this nexus of funk and jamband space, where Rick’s soaring solos are accentuated by the funk oozing from Peter’s keys and the groovy backbone of Trevor’s 5-string bass. “Honeybee” closed the set, but not before your grateful reviewer amassed 5,958 steps of dancing.
After an exciting intermission fueled by the sounds of phenom DJ Chris Tart, the second set got shot out of cannon with “Into the Myst” > “Flowdown,” a very Phishy tune somewhere at the crossroads of Uncle Pen meets Sparkle, met with the roaring approval of a roomful of Goose’s newest fans.
As step counts never lie (8,219), the slightly more energetic second set was off to the races, a shared sense of community and euphoria pervading the now sweaty room. “Bob O. John,” an original debut met with another of the night’s loudest roars, was sandwiched by “Echo of a Rose.” Considering that every song was new to most people in the sold out hall, that applause really spoke volumes about the quality of this debut song that opened with a reggae beat, before eventually finding its way to a signature Goosian-shred.
“Slow Ready” won over any remaining doubters before “Tumble” took us all on a communal victory lap. “Shama Lama Ding Dong,” the encore cover of fictional band Otis Day & The Knights from National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), wrapped up the raucous party in frat house style.
While Goose has a sound very much their own, it’s noteworthy to recognize the influence of, not only the different genres, but also their jamband predecessors whose sound is sprinkled within in their playing. It is these tip-of-your tongue moments of recognition that help to make the new feel immediately secure and comfortable, like your best old sweater, but suddenly fresh and updated. Comparisons overheard last night ran the gamut from Grateful Dead and Phish to My Morning Jacket, Wilco, and even STS9.
It’s so much fun to see and hear so many new fans take flight, as most of the room raised their hands and shouted when asked who was seeing their first Goose show. “That’s pretty good,” said Peter. The Pied Piper, indeed, but no magic pipe necessary. Just four dudes with a lot of talent and even more humility making really good music.
The band takes a selfie with the crowd to cap off a great performance Photo by Jamie Huenefeld
The tour continues Saturday in Brooklyn at the Music Hall of Williamsburg before Goose heads west for an extended winter tour.
Set One: Drive > Switchin’ {1}, Lead The Way, Elizabeth, Lovely Day {2}, Honeybee
Set Two: Into The Myst > FloDown > Echo of a Rose > Bob O. John {3} > Echo of a Rose {4}, Slow Ready, Tumble
Encore: Shama Lama Ding Dong {5}
Coach’s Notes: {1} Wes Montgomery. {2} Bill Withers. {3} FTP. – Original tune. {4} OG vocal ending. They sang “Echo of a Rose” for the outro. {5} Otis Day & The Knights. This was a sold out show. Set 1 Start: 9:18pm – Set 1 End: 10:28pm. Set 2 Start: 10:55pm – Set 2 End: 12:21am. Sound Check: Arrow, Lovely Day, Honey Bee. 14,177 steps danced.
The 8th annual LOCKN’ Festival lineup has been announced. Taking place (as usual) at Infinity Downs & Oak Ridge Farm in Arrington, VA. This year’s festivities will be in honor of Grateful Dead bassist, Phil Lesh’s 80th birthday, where he will perform alongside friends and legends alike, with plenty of special guests to boot.
The three-day event, camping festival, will kick off on June 19. Day one will feature performances from: Phil Lesh Quintet ft. Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, Rob Barraco, John Molo, Brandi Carlile, Gov’t Mule, Goose, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, The Chain Gang ft. Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Cody Dickinson, Luther Dickinson, Samantha Fish, John Ginty, & Berry Oakley, Jr. play Fleetwood Mac’s, Rumours, Yola, Boombox ft. BackBeat Brass, and Grateful Shred.
Saturday, June 20, will feature Phil Lesh Quintet ft. Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, Rob Barraco, John Molo with David Crosby, Oteil & Friends, David Crosby, Mike Gordon, Black Pumas, Garcia Peoples, Grateful Shred, and Kendall Street Company. In addition, an new headline act will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
Festivities conclude Sunday, June 21, with performances from Phil Lesh with John Mayer and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Leon Bridges, Electric Hot Tuna,Railroad Earth, MEUTE, The War and Treaty, Midnight North, and Keller Williams’ Grateful Gospel.
The first ever three-day LOCKN’ festival doesn’t end there. A special “Steal Your Thursday” add-on will be available for $30, allowing attendees to kick off their festival weekend on Thursday, June 18, while a Wednesday early-entry add-on will also be made available, giving guests a chance to enjoy the farm in preparation for the extravaganza that lies ahead.
Along with all the great entertainment, attendees will get the chance to try-out various local food vendors and their always enticing cuisine, in addition to craft brewery, and other delectables.
Three-day LOCKN’ passes are available for $259, with a payment plan that allows fans to pay a deposit of $19.99 (with fees) and make four payments over four months. There will also be VIP passes that offer fans perks such as, enhanced seating/ambience, intimate view of performances, exclusive merchandise and much more. Accommodations will also include; glamping tents, RVs, tour buses, and more and are available as an add-on to festival passes.
For more information on LOCKN’ 2020 tickets, on-site lodging or special add-ons, click HERE.
