NYS Music 202​0

Category: Genres

  • Jerry Sundays: The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan Team Up to Play Giants Stadium

    On a steaming hot midsummer night in 1987, two legendary names in the music world combined forces to deliver three sets of music to a ravenous crowd in the swamps of New Jersey, locally known as the Meadowlands. The Grateful Dead’s 1987 Summer Tour included six shows that would see Bob Dylan accompany them for an extra set of music each night. Later immortalized through the live release Dylan & The Dead, these shows featured some Dylan-penned songs that would remain on the Grateful Dead’s live playlist for years to come.

    Dylan and The Dead

    Those who survived this unseasonably warm and muggy day were treated to three sets of music from some of the best in the business. The temperature and conditions were such a concern that concertgoers near the front of the stage were literally hosed down in an effort to cool off both before the show and during sets. So on a day where shade was at a premium, the festivities fittingly kicked off with “Hell in a Bucket,” and the show was off and running.

    The rest of the first set resembled a fairly common one for this era of the band. Classics like “Loser” and “Greatest Story Ever Told” mixed with contemporary tunes like the Brent Mydland-helmed “Tons of Steel,” which would only be played five more times after this. There’s an incredibly jazzy version of everyone’s favorite Dead crowd PSA, “Take a Step Back.” And an atypical placement of “Bertha” in the first set closer’s spot seemed to energize the whole stadium and created a palpable buzz between sets.

    Dylan and The Dead
    Giants Stadium 7/12/87

    The second set picks up right where its predecessor left off with another interesting placement thanks to an opening “Morning Dew” that was preceded by a little “Addam’s Family”-themed tuning. The rest of the set continued to serve as a traditionalist’s dream with an electric “Playin’ in the Band” and a thunderous “The Other One” before the crowd serenaded the band off the stage with the traditional lyrics from Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away.”

    But instead of an encore to follow, there was an entire third set to be had first and this one would see Bob Dylan play in front of, arguably, one of the greatest backing bands in rock. While it may not have evoked the same widespread energy levels of the earlier sets, this one would serve as foresight to some degree for the Dead and give a glimpse of what was to come.

    Dylan and The Dead

    While they had been debuted earlier in the tour, this collaborative set of music would only be the third time that the band would attempt live performances of “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” and “Queen Jane Approximately.” Both of these songs would continue to be played for the rest of the Dead’s touring career, with “Queen Jane” even making an appearance at the band’s last show in July of 1995.

    Fans were also treated to Jerry Garcia jumping on the pedal steel and showing off his chops on “Tomorrow Is A Long Time.” Songs were kept mostly straightforward in this set, absent of the long, psychedelic journeys which typically accentuate a Dead show. But it surely must have been a treat to see the band backup the legendary Dylan on numbers like “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” (a song the Dead used to actually cover in the late ’60s) and “All Along the Watchtower.” The encore was a double bill as well as renditions of Touch of Grey, the Dead’s latest “hit” single, and “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” sent a packed Giants Stadium crowd back to reality and into the hot summer night.

    Watch the entire third set and encore with Dylan:

    The Grateful Dead with Bob Dylan 7/12/87 Giants Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ

    Set 1: Hell In A Bucket, West L.A. Fadeaway, Greatest Story Ever Told, Loser, Tons Of Steel, Ramble On Rose, When I Paint My Masterpiece, When Push Comes To Shove, Promised Land-> Bertha

    Set 2: Morning Dew, Playin’ In The Band-> Drums-> Jam-> The Other One-> Stella Blue-> Throwing Stones-> Not Fade Away

    Set 3: Slow Train, Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again, Tomorrow Is A Long Time*, Highway 61 Revisited, It’s All Over Now Baby Blue, Ballad Of A Thin Man, John Brown, The Wicked Messenger, Queen Jane Approximately, Chimes Of Freedom, Joey, All Along The Watchtower, Times They Are A Changin’

    E: Touch Of Grey-> Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

    *Jerry Garcia on pedal steel

  • Discover up and coming bands with EQXposure Featured Artists of the week

    WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to a ever-expanding listening audience. Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm on 102.7 FM, you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. NYS Music will bring you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.

    Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear music from Asa Morris, Olsen Brothers Band, Dylan Giambatista, Zam Smarkey, Brian Kaplan Band and many more!

    Asa Morris – You’re Always Home

    Asa has been a part of the Upstate NY music scene for more than a decade and is currently living in Burlington, VT. On Tuesday, July 14th he will be releasing his 35th solo EP in six years. Seriously. Go check him out at Bandcamp and count them for yourself. The new EP, God Has Entered My Body. My Perfect Body, My Same Size was recorded this past spring and features many of his former band mates who all recorded their parts remotely and will be available at all major digital retailers with proceeds being donated to organizations in support of both Black Lives Matter and Police abolition.  

    Olson Brothers Band – Candle in A Storm

    These brothers from Bennington, Vermont say “This is a song about having the strength to say NO to Violence, to say NO to ALL forms of discrimination,” It’s “about equality and the journey to obtain it. Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself, even if it gets you into trouble.”

    Dylan Giambatista – Run For It & Vote For Me

    Essex County (VT) House Rep. Dylan Giambatsta recorded and released a two track album about the experience of running for office. He says he grew up in the southern Route 7 corridor of Vermont and he has announced plans to run for one of the six Chittenden County Senate seats in January. He is giving away 7” records of his two songs “Run For It” and “Vote For Me” which you can get by visiting vtdylan.com and clicking on the “Music for 2020” tab.

    Zam Smarkey – Helado

    Zam Smarkey is a band from Saratoga Springs who just released an album called The Ice Cream Album. The idea came about when the band members were discussing what they would like to do for a summer job and they kicked around some ideas like a shaved ice business and buying an ice cream truck. Ice cream truck was the winning idea but they don’t like ice cream truck music. So what are a bunch of musician friends to do? Make an entire album of songs about ice cream. That’s what. They have yet to procure an ice cream truck but I can imagine by the sound of their stuff that they have the passion to get it done. 

    Brian Kaplan Band – Only For Tonight

    This song is from Brian Kaplan’s new album Make No Mistake. EQX’s Jason Keller says “With Brian’s latest album, you’ll find an experienced musician, writer, and storyteller who is comfortable with showing you that one album doesn’t have to be one style. You’ll find some crunchy guitar riffs, like on “Break From the Weight,” but you can also find songs like “You Can Have It” that slow things down a bit and capture a slightly more sentimental vibe. Brian’s clear, strong, voice really brings this production together.” Listen to the track on the band’s website.

  • Roan Yellowthorn Covers Chris Cornell’s “Can’t Change Me”

    Indie pop rock duo Roan Yellowthorn have released a cover of Chris Cornell’s “Can’t Change Me” to benefit the Chris and Vicky Cornell foundation. 

    Roan Yellowthorn Chris Cornell
    Photo courtesy of roanyellowthorn.com

    This single is the second in the Blue Élan’s ‘We Are The Highway’ project series, which features Chris Cornell covers to benefit children across the globe who struggle with issues like homelessness, neglect, abuse, and poverty. The project seeks to uphold Chris Cornell’s legacy and show that music can create positive change. Blue Élan stresses that now it is more important than ever to help children in need, and co-founder of Blue Élan and friend of Cornell Kirk Pasich states that “We cannot think of a better musical way to do that than sharing the music of Chris Cornell, in his memory, and to help children.”

    Roan Yellowthorn is made up of Shawn Strack and Jackie McLean, daughter of Don McLean. Jackie McLean comments on covering “Cant Change Me,” saying: “When I hear [Cornell’s] words, I am struck by his depth of feeling. I am struck by the intensity of his emotion. I am struck by the strength of his presence.” 

    Much like Chris Cornell, Jackie McLean is an artist who is also known for putting deep feeling in her music. Their latest album Indigo “is an extremely sincere album” and was written as a way for McLean to process her feelings. All of Roan Yellowthorn’s music comes from the heart. 

    Roan Yellowthorn

    There are more songs to come in Blue Élan’s We Are The Highway project. The songs inspire people in difficult situations to survive and persevere despite their struggles, embodying the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation’s mission to help children who cannot help themselves. You can follow the official “We Are The Highway” playlist here.

  • Rock the Dock and Eastbound Throwdown festivals cancel for 2020

    Two beloved music festivals in the 518 will not return until 2021 due to COVID-19. Rock the Dock, held in Lake George, and Eastbound Throwdown, held in Salem, have each postponed their scheduled events until next year

    rock the dock eastbound throwdown

    Originally scheduled for July 17, then rescheduled for August 14, the festival was looking forward to their fourth year at Lake George Steamboat Company, but have made plans for July 23, 2021 to hold the annual event.

    Founded by Formula 5 in 2017 as a way to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Lake George Steamboat Company, the band played their final show on July 12, 2019 at Rock the Dock. The festival hosts regional and national acts with a stage on the pier of the Lake George Steamboat Company, with three steamboats framing the event.

    Keyboardist Matt Richards of Formula 5 was slated to return with Annie in the Water for this year’s installment, but that will have to wait another year. Other announced artists included Dogs in a Pile, Raisinhead, and Big Time Kitty.

    eastbound throwdown

    Eastbound Throwdown, hosted by beloved Northern rock outfit Eastbound Jesus, was scheduled to take place September 11-12, 2020. New dates have not been announced, and only Eastbound Jesus was announced for the lineup this year. Past lineups have included The Mallett Brothers Band, Girl Blue, Driftwood, Formula 5, The Ghost of Paul Revere, among many others.

  • Mongolian rock band The Hu raise much needed COVID-19 relief funds

    Mongolia’s highest praised rock band, The HU, have released a beautiful new acoustic video for their newest release, “Shireg Shireg.” The video offers insight of the bands recording process in the studio while also showing clips of live performances by the band. The video also showcases some of the traditional Mongolian folk instruments the band utilizes in their music.

    The video was dropped as a teaser for the deluxe version of the bands latest studio album The Greg set to drop July 10th. The album features performances from a star studded feature list including artists such as Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach, and Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. The original copy of the release has sold an impressive 130,000 copies thus far.

    Last weekend, The HU played their homecoming show after their recent sold out world tour, with a televised performance at White Rock Centre in Ulaanbaatar in aid of the Mongolian Covid-19 relief. The concert was aired on TV in Mongolia raising a total of 53 million MNT, approximately $19,000 USD. The concert was also made available to a global audience through streaming on Facebook and YouTube, raising $5,000 and counting.

    To find out more about The HU visit their website.

  • NYC Indie Outfit Longwave release video for “It’s Not Impossible,” share Bowery Ballroom concert footage

    Acclaimed NYC indie rock band Longwave have teamed up with filmmaker Bill Moldt to debut a music video for their song, “It’s Not Impossible,” from their latest album If We Ever Live Forever.

    The idea was to create a unique experience by presenting a choose-your-own-adventure style video for the song. “It’s Not Impossible” is the band’s first debut single off an album in 10 years making the release of If We Ever Live Forever a big deal.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEvH1Y7Ybdg&feature=youtu.be

    The music video was constructed through a series of bi-weekly Instagram story posts, each depicting a possible scene painted in watercolor. Each post contained a video of the scene being created, a caption, and a question prompting the band’s Instagram followers to determine the direction of the next scene. The video used the “poll” feature on Instagram Stories to tally the audiences choices. The process left director Moldt with 10 scenes that were ultimately created and assembled into what become Longwave’s official music video for “It’s Not Impossible.”

    Additionally this week, Longwave have shared full concert video of their November 2018 performance at The Bowery Ballroom. The performance was filmed by Erik Braund at Braund Studios.

    Connect with Longwave on Facebook, Instagram, and stream their music on Spotify.

  • Flashback: Phish headline for the first time at SPAC

    On July 10, 1994, Phish headlined for the first time at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Two years prior, the Vermont group had opened for Santana at SPAC, one of the few opening slots Phish would perform in their career.

    via Brendan McKenna, as published in PhanArt: The Art of the Fans of Phish

    The summer of 1994 would feature The Eagles, Peter Gabriel, James Taylor, The Beastie Boys and the debut of Dave Matthews at the classic Upstate amphitheater, in addition to Phish, whose performance was at the tail end of their summer tour.

    Of note from the first set is the “Stash,” which appears on Live Bait 10, and fun with the lyrics of “Julius,” adding “I haven’t decided, no no no’ during the chorus, and “Ya Mar” where the band gave shout-outs to Trey’s dog Marley, including “Who is she?” (also their record label’s name) and “Who’s the Mar Mar?”

    Tickets were only $18.50 for reserved seats

    The middle of the second set held the heat with a strong “Mike’s Groove”, adding in “Low Rider” to the typical three song sequence inside of “Mike’s Song.” At the end of the second set, The Dude of Life came to the stage and sang his composition “Crimes of the Mind” with the band.

    Listen to the show below or tune in via Phishtracks.com.

    Phish.net/Rec.Music.Phish shirt from 1994, via PhanArt

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Phish – SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY – July 10, 1994

    Soundcheck: Jive Talkin’, The Old Home Place, Nellie Kane, work on Jive Talkin’

    Set 1: Chalkdust Torture, Horn > Peaches en Regalia > Rift, Stash, If I Could, My Friend, My Friend > Julius, Cavern

    Set 2: Sample in a Jar, David Bowie, Glide, Ya Mar, Mike’s Song -> Low Rider -> Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Bouncing Around the Room, The Squirming Coil, Crimes of the Mind

    Encore: Golgi Apparatus, Rocky Top

    Notes: My Friend included a Purple Haze tease and Julius contained a Buried Alive tease from Trey. The Dude of Life sang vocals on Crimes of the Mind


  • Miserable Chillers Release Newest Single “Saga’s Sword” from ‘Audience of Summer’

    Alternative rock band Miserable Chillers debuted their third single, “Saga’s Sword,” off their upcoming album, Audience of Summer, out Friday, August 7.

    “The song really captures the feel of a curious young child exploring and actively pursuing new experiences, as Gallego even adds some ribbiting frogs and glimmering forest sounds to complement the track’s shiny guitar riffs and marimba-sounding percussion.”

    Look At My Records

    Bandleader Miguel Gallego grew up in suburban New Jersey, where he found his passion for music. He now lives in Brooklyn. He recorded and produced his latest tracks with Baby Blue Records, in New York.

    Album art for Miserable Chillers’ Audience of Summer.

    Miguel’s creativity and intuition came from the world wide pandemic caused by COVID-19. “I think of myself as a late bloomer, a lot of things have only recently started to appear obvious to me,” said Gallego.

    As a result, Fifty percent of the proceeds from digital purchases on Bandcamp will be donated to Bed-Stuy Strong. This is a group of over 3,000 people helping in the aid of their community during the COVID-19 crisis.

    I believe that in times of economic and public health crisis, and amidst the violent failures of state policy to address the needs of vulnerable communities, the necessity of local, communal responses to communal needs is especially acute. I would like to support a local mutual aid group. Bed-Stuy Strong centers on solidarity, care, and an imaginative approach addressing the needs of the community and neighborhood that I live in.

    Miguel Gallego – Bandleader

    Along with Gallego, artists from other bands contributed to the making of this album. Megan Braaten from Your Sister and Kabir Kumar of Sun Kin both sang backing vocals. While others like Sarah Goldfarb (Red Widow and Ovaeasy) played the cello. Together, they created the baroque pop sounds of the new record, exactly how is described as.

    Audience of Summer is out Friday, August 7.

    Miserable Chiller’s newest single “Saga’s Sword”.

    Mutual aid provides an alternative model for addressing need; and we badly need to embrace and imagine alternatives to our preexisting methods—be it the police, punitive and carceral responses to harm, or how we as a society provide for the healthcare of our neighbors.

    Miguel Gallego – Bandleader

  • Jimkata Returns From Hiatus With New Song “Wanna Go”

    Jimkata returned from their indefinite hiatus with the new song “Wanna Go.” The song dropped with a music video on their YouTube channel on July 9. 

    Jimkata is an electro rock trio that evolved from their original jamband roots, to a more electronic sound. The band started at Ithaca College back in 2005 with Evan Friedell (vocals, guitar), Aaron Gorsch (guitar/keys) and Packy Lunn (drums).

    The trio grew up together in the Upstate college town of Oneonta and are the founding members of the band. Dave Rossi served as bassist until 2015, having joined the band after meeting the other members during his freshman year at Ithaca College. Jimkata became a local favorite in Ithaca and across New York state before taking their indefinite hiatus in 2016.

    “Wanna Go” dropped shortly after the band teased of new music on their Facebook page starting back on June 16, 2020. They released a new clip of them working on new music every few days with all the titles together reading, “ DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD RELEASE SOME NEW MUSIC?”

    The new song comes on the coattails of the release of a Greatest Hits Album, Best, on June 12. Jimkata left a quote on the album’s release saying, “All the best things seem to surface after the worst times, all the worst things seem to come around after the best times…”

    To check out the teaser videos check out Jimkata’s Facebook.

    The video features the band setting up a living room and sitting on a couch in a picture frame. There is a theme of being surrounded by the color yellow in the video, and in the teases released and on their website. The song is boppy – a solid return to the music realm for Jimkata. 

    For more information on Jimkata visit their website or their Facebook Page.

  • moe. to get down at Vernon Downs July 31 and August 1

    moe. has announced ‘moe.’s Miracle Mile,’ a live drive-in concert, to be held at Vernon Downs racetrack on July 31. The event marks moe.’s first live performance since March 10 in Telluride, CO.

    While the July 31 show is sold out, tickets are on sale now for the recently announced August 1 show.

    The concert will begin at 7 PM on July 31 with all tickets needing to be purchased in advance. Car rates are between $150 and $260 depending on where you would like to park. Video screens and festival-style sound can be expected to make the first moe. show since March as enjoyable as possible. Find out more details, including what you can and can’t bring to the show here.

    moe miracle mile
    moe.’s Miracle Mile – July 31 & August 1, Vernon, NY

    Limited presale begins on Monday, July 13 at 10 AM, with full on sale on Tuesday, July 14 at 10 AM ET. Enter to win a free vehicle pass here.

    moe. has just released This is Not, We Are, their latest studio album. Listen to all the tracks here.

    The last time moe. played at Vernon Downs, they were the first of three bands for an immense triple bill that included Willie Nelson and Family, and The Dead.

    moe. at Vernon Downs, June 29, 2003

    Setlist: Okayalright, Bullet>Water>Moth>St. Augustine, Timmy Tucker>Moth Reprise