After a successful December tour of New York City venues, legendary New York hardcore acts Agnostic Front and Sick Of It All have announced they will embark on a 19-date tour.
The tour kicks off in Boston on April 23 and has the co-headliners visiting two festivals — Epicenter in Charlotte and Rockville in Daytona — wrapping with a show at Syracuse’s venerable Lost Horizon on May 15.
Tickets for all dates go on sale Friday, Jan. 31 at 10:00 a.m.
Agnostic Front / Sick Of It All — 2020 Tour Dates: April 23 – The Middle East – Boston, MA April 24 – Le D’Auteull – Quebec City, QUE April 25 – Foufounes Electrique – Montreal, QUE April 26 – Lee’s Place – Toronto, ONT April 27 – The Shelter – Detroit, MI April 28 – Crafthouse – Pittsburgh, PA April 29 – Elevation 27 – Virginia Beach, VA May 1 – Epicenter Festival – Charlotte, NC May 2 – Diamond Pub – Louisville, KY May 3 – Subterranean – Chicago, IL May 4 – Blueberry Hill – St. Louis, MO May 6 – Barracuda – Austin, TX May 7 – Trees – Dallas, TX May 8 – White Oak Upstairs – Houston, TX May 10 – Rockville Festival – Daytona, FL May 11 – The Loft – Atlanta, GA May 13 – Ottobar – Baltimore, MD May 14 – Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA May 15 – The Lost Horizon – Syracuse, NY
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 Capitol Theatre has announced a partnership with the B.B. King Estate, leading to two incredible nights of music that will celebrate the music of legendary blues guitarist B.B. King.The Thrill Is Gone: A Tribute To B.B. King will feature some of music’s greatest blues and rock legends, celebrating the King of Blues.
The Thrill Is Gone: A Tribute To B.B. King will feature two nights of music with performances by Anthony Hamilton, Bob Margolin, Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, David Hidalgo, Derek Trucks, Ivan Neville, Jamey Johnson, Jimmie Vaughan, John Scofield, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Little Steven, Robert Cray, Robert Randolph, Shemekia Copeland, Southside Johnny, Steve Cropper, Susan Tedeschi, Tony TC Coleman, Warren Haynes, and William Bell. The lineups for each day will vary, and even more special guests will be announced in the coming weeks. Grammy® Award-winning producer and legendary drummer, Steve Jordan, will serve as musical director.
A portion of proceeds from The Thrill Is Gone: A Tribute To B.B. King will benefit the Seva Foundation, a global nonprofit eye care organization that transforms lives and strengthens communities by restoring sight and preventing blindness. The SEVA Foundation was co-founded by Wavy Gravy, a close friend of B.B. King for over 40 years and whose moniker was given to him by King at the Texas International Pop Festival in 1969.
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.
Lead by music director Carlos Agreda, this is the biggest fundraiser that the organization hosts every year. Even though music lovers in the community can enjoy the event for no cost, the goal is to raise a total of $65,000.
”Playathon represents a valuable opportunity to increase awareness about ESYO and to have a relaxed and direct connection with the community. Some members of the community might not realize how much they love classical music, and if they aren’t able to come to the concert hall then we will come to their space! At Playathon we want to provide exposure and show how fun symphonic music actually is. It’s a chance to see all our ensembles in action and for people to see how much the young musicians love playing music.”
Carlos Ágreda.
Setting up in the lounge area on the first floor near Burlington Coat Factory, the event will feature 13 musical ensembles that includes everything from classical and percussion to jazz. Sponsored by Albany Medical Center; University at Albany Foundation and; Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker LLP; it is the only time attendees will get to see all performing ensembles come together to share their love of music with the public.
The all day music event ensures that ESYO can stay true to the driving force behind their organization: that no capable musician is left behind regardless of financial restrictions.
Included in the day is John Keal Music Company’s “Instrument Petting Zoo” where aspiring musicians of all ages can try out brass, woodwinds, and strings. There will also be live auctions were a attendee will have the opportunity to conduct an ensemble during the event. Additional information about ESYO’s program and concerts can be found at esyo.org.
“Our Playathon raises critical funds to support scholarships and tuition assistance so that all youth may pursue musical excellence and have serious fun, too.”
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.
Pink Floyd co-founder, Roger Waters, announced via Twitter that he will be embarking on an extensive 2020 North American “This is Not a Drill” Tour. This is the first time Waters will be performing at the Times Union Center in Albany. Updated dates can be found for 2022 below.
“This Is Not A Drill” will play in 31 cities across the U.S. and Canada including two stops in New York. First along the way will be a performance at theTimes Union Center on July 25 in Albany. Waters will then return August 5 to what will most likely be a sold out show atMadison Square Garden.
Waters was the bass player, co-lead vocalist and songwriter in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. He originally revealed news of the tour during an interview with Rolling Stone in September where he also discussed his upcoming film ‘Us + Them.’
“It’ll be a new show. It will be no-holds-barred,” Roger told Rolling Stone. “My work is to think, ‘Well, how can I make rock & roll more interesting or theatrical or exciting or visual or musical or whatever?’ That’s what I’ve spent the last 50 years doing, expressing myself.”
Roger Waters – Rolling Stone
Roger Waters: This Is Not A Drill – 2022 North American Tour Dates
July 6, 2022 – Pittsburgh, PA, PPG Paints Arena July 8, 2022 – Toronto, ON, Scotiabank Arena July 9, 2022 – Toronto, ON, Scotiabank Arena July 12, 2022 – Boston, MA, TD Garden July 15, 2022 – Montreal, QC, Bell Centre July 17, 2022 – Quebec, QC, Videotron Centre July 20, 2022 – Albany, NY, MVP Arena July 23, 2022 – Detroit, MI, Little Caesars Arena July 26, 2022 – Chicago, IL, United Center July 28, 2022 – Milwaukee, WI, Fiserv Forum July 30, 2022 – Minneapolis, MN, Target Center August 2, 2022 – Cincinnati, OH, Heritage Bank Center August 5, 2022 – Philadelphia, PA, Wells Fargo Center August 6, 2022 – Philadelphia, PA, Wells Fargo Center August 10, 2022* – Columbus, OH, Nationwide Arena August 13, 2022 – Elmont, NY, UBS Arena at Belmont Park August 16, 2022 – Washington, D.C., Capital One Arena August 18, 2022 – Raleigh, NC, PNC Arena August 20, 2022 – Atlanta, GA, State Farm Arena August 23, 2022 – Miami, FL, FTX Arena August 25, 2022 – Orlando, FL, Amway Center August 27, 2022 – Nashville, TN, Bridgestone Arena August 30, 2022 – New York, NY, Madison Square Garden August 31, 2022 – New York, NY, Madison Square Garden September 3, 2022 – Kansas City, MO, T-Mobile Center September 6, 2022 – Denver, CO, Ball Arena September 8, 2022 – Salt Lake City, UT, Vivint Arena September 10, 2022 – Portland, OR, Moda Center September 13, 2022 – Edmonton, AB, Rogers Place September 15, 2022 – Vancouver, BC, Rogers Arena September 17, 2022 – Tacoma, WA, Tacoma Dome September 20, 2022 – Sacramento, CA, Golden 1 Center September 23, 2022 – San Francisco, CA, Chase Center September 24, 2022 – San Francisco, CA, Chase Center September 27, 2022 – Los Angeles, CA, Crypto.com Arena September 28, 2022 – Los Angeles, CA, Crypto.com Arena October 1, 2022 – Las Vegas, NV, T-Mobile Arena October 3, 2022* – Glendale, AZ, Gila River Arena October 6, 2022* – Austin, TX, Moody Center October 8, 2022 – Dallas, TX, American Airlines Center
UK psych rockers, Temples, released their third LP, Hot Motion, back in September 2019, and the tour hit Webster Hall this past Tuesday, January 21. This was technically a make-up date from November, since the band previously expanded and reorganized the tour.
Support came from Canadian based singer Art d’Ecco. The glam-punk rocker commanded the stage with a dominating presence and delivered upbeat, Bowie-tinged punk rock grooves.
Temples’ new LP sees them refining their distinctive indie psych-rock sound, culminating in a very consistent addition to their catalog. This consistency was put on full display with the first three songs of the night: “The Howl” from Hot Motion, followed by hit “Certainty” from 2017’s Volcano, then a deep cut from their debut Sun Structures, “A Question Isn’t Answered.” This career-spanning intro highlighted the band’s ability to stay true to their sound while still making three very distinct songs.
Temples are another one of those bands that attracts a dedicated following. Webster Hall was packed with fans singing and dancing along to every song, and the band was more than happy to feed off that energy. They effortlessly breezed through their songs, ending the main set with fan favorite, and hit “Shelter Song” from Sun Structures.
Temples continue their tour of North America into February, followed by dates in France and Australia from March to April. Art d’Ecco will continue to open for Temples on the North America trek.
Setlist: The Howl, Certainty, A Question Isn’t Answered, You’re Either On Something, Colours to Life, Holy Horses, The Golden Throne, On the Saviour, Hot Motion, The Beam, Context, Keep in the Dark, Atomise, Shelter Song.
Last Friday, at midnight, Umphrey’s McGee fans raced over from Hell’s Kitchen after the band’s first night at the Beacon theater ended. As they descended into the underground club-room of Sony Hall, they waited for the bassist, Ryan Stasik, to make his way down to Times Square and bring out his late night masterpiece of a band, Doom Flamingo
This band has really been making a splash in the last year, charging headfirst into late night rallying fans’ hearts with a heavy 80’s-synth powerhouse of fury that keeps everyone coming back for more. They began the night with an original fan favorite “F-16” and quickly went into one of their incredible covers, David Bowie’s “Afraid of Americans.” This group really creates their own versions of the covers they choose, always picking an unexpected song.
Singer, and general badass, Kanika Moore sported what can only be described as a Doom Ballerina outfit. She also carries an incredible set of pipes and was really belting out her lyrics into the crowd. Their single set ran on deep into the morning until their triumphant finish, another single>cover showdown of their own “Runaway” and their amazing cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.”
You can catch Doom Flamingo a few times this winter down in their home area of the Carolinas before they head to Sweetwater 420 fest, and to New Orleans for a post-Jazz Fest late night set. You’ll also be able to see them at a few festivals this summer like Summer Camp and Floydfest. And don’t be surprised to find that a few other festivals are “Doomed” before long. If you have any chance to see them this year, or ever, you are strongly suggested to do so.
Set: Replicant, F-16, Afraid of Americans, Somebody, Telepathy w/ Jam, Delorean, Blade Theme, Harvest Moon, Need To Feed, Love on Hold,
Encore: Wicked Game, Runaway
Photos by Zatchmo Lives Media, Follow on Facebook and Instagram
Late in the summer of 2018, The Wood Brothers were putting the final touches on their new workshop, The Studio Nashville. After it was fully wired for sound, they decided to break in this new space by testing the energy, atmosphere and sound of each room. These initial jam sessions would lay the framework for Kingdom In My Mind when the band listened back to their performances and realized that there was something special to the recordings. It wasn’t until they took these newly recorded improvisations and began to construct verses and choruses that their creative prowess took a new leap.
While this may be a new path for the band, the members are no stranger to experimentation. The Wood Brothers came to be after Oliver Wood sat in with his brother Chris’ band, Medeski, Martin and Wood, in the early 2000’s and Jano Rix may be best known for creating the ‘shuitar’ – an acoustic guitar with a twist of percussion. In the past, the band would write large batches of songs and try to capture them all at once, but their new studio offered them so much more. “We weren’t performing songs,” explains Oliver. “We were just improvising and letting the music dictate everything. Normally when you’re recording, you’re thinking about your parts and your performances, but with these sessions, we were just reacting to each other and having fun in the moment.”
The Wood Brothers’ 7th album starts with “Alabaster,” a gem that could easily be mistaken for a classic MMW song if it weren’t for Oliver’s jazzy vocals over the track. The funky keys and effervescent bass really highlight the energy of their new space . “Little Bit Sweet” has the honor of featuring the first notes recorded in their studio, which was the impetus for Kingdom In My Mind. This track features beautiful harmonies that rise with the bouncy beat that Jano lays down. In “Jitterbug Love,” Chris Wood’s voice is perfect for this little ditty as Oliver slides up and down his acoustic guitar. It’s near impossible to listen to this track without tapping your feet and singing along to the chorus: “I’m crazy for you. I’m crazy for you!”
“Cry Over Nothing” is the only song that was developed and composed outside of the new studio, but it invokes the spirit of The Band, especially as Rix plays his soaring organ while simultaneously keeping beat. The most “rocking” song of the album comes in the form of “Don’t Think About My Death.” This track is a mesmerizing mix of dirty electric guitar and Rix’s ever-present but simplistic percussion. Continuing the jump between genres are “Little Bit Broken,” which combines funky tones with a pure gospel feeling that will undoubtedly speak to everyone who listens, and “The One I Love,” a Zydeco track that is sure to get folks on their feet at any upcoming Wood Brothers performance.
“Little Blue” continues this gem of an album with its funky, bluesy tones while “A Dream’s A Dream” takes things in a filthy direction. And I mean that in the best way possible. This is my favorite track on the album and it’s definitely the one I replayed the most this past week. “Satisfied” is the last full track on the album and Oliver’s vocals paint a tale of optimism and hope while Chris’ harmonica hauntingly floats over Jano’s solid beat. This powerful song really sums up the themes and feelings that are highlighted throughout this beautiful album. No album is complete without a proper reprise and this is no exception as” Little Blue (Reprise)” is a delightful cherry on top of this beautiful cake of an album.
The Wood Brothers will be in NYC on January 30 and 31, Rochester on February 5 and Albany on February 8.
Key Tracks: A Dream’s A Dream, Alabaster, Jitterbug Love
The album can be ordered and more information on tour dates is available at the band’s website.
