BOMBZR, one of New York City’s many exciting up and coming musical acts, is here to share some groovy tunes. Born out of the City’s underground funk and jazz scene, BOMBZR are the perfect accompaniment to any Friday night club scene.
“Butterscotch Baby” is one of the groups highlights featuring a slick, infectious hook and a indisputable groove. This track showcases the wide range of talent BOMBZR bring together as a group.
Rich Bomzer, leader of the group says “For me, Butterscotch Baby is a soul driven love song with a little bit of everything that makes up a good R&B song- with horns, strong vocals, talkbox and a great hook.”
“Butterscotch Baby” features Ramon Jackson on vocals, a friend of Bomzer. The two met working with Valerie Simpson at the Sugar Bar in NYC.
Comprised of musicians with working alongside artists such as Elton John, Kanye West, Valerie Simpson and Roy Ayers, BOMBZR have their own original music that mixes retro throwback soul with the new music of today.
To find out more about the band and keep up with what they have going on, follow them on ReverbNation.
Ryan Guay of Street Pharmacy and Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad‘s James Searl have unveiled a passion project collaborative track titled “They Don’t Give A $$$$.” Released July 2, both artists spoke to NYS Music about the inspiration and writing process of “They Don’t Give A $$$$” as well as the experience of working together on the track.
Thomas Lent: What would you say was the inspiration behind “They Don’t Give a Fuck”?
Ryan Guay: I had written that chorus in the months before the pandemic and James and I had been in discussion on getting together and collaborating on a song that talked about how the corporate elite sort of use manipulation and tactics to make more money and fill their pockets, and it doesn’t really help anybody but themselves. I thought it would be a really unique chorus to say “they don’t give a fuck” but say it in a way that reflects more what they are actually doing. They don’t want to give up anything to anyone and they will do anything in order to make that happen. So that’s where the initial inspiration for that chorus came from and I sent it in an iPhone memo to James and James and I started writing back and forth with ideas over the phone and I think that’s where James,
James Searl: Yeah, that’s totally right and one of the cool things about collaborating with another artist on a song is that I think to start with, ya know if you go into the office at like 8:30 a.m. and like we put up a vision board or something and we’re gonna put out a perfect song but in my way. It’s conversational which is how music is, and Ryan and I, we met each other fairly recently. In the past couple of years. We’ve had some nice conversations just about all the things we relate to together and all the things we have in common especially growing up so close to each other but also divided by a national boundary. I feel like this chorus kept making its way into the conversation and what we were talking about things that like, Ryan, forgive me I think you studied history in school?
RG: Yes, I studied history
JS: I studied international relations and we have just like the same interests but different knowledge. We would be telling people different things and be like, “Ya they really don’t give a fuck”. Not only was it the chorus that Ryan had sent to me but it would always keep coming up in our conversations and I feel like that’s a really fun loop to get into creatively was like, it’s a natural, how they bring it all together, especially as musicians in this time, I think it can get a little bit cliché to say, “Oh we’re writing a song that’s relevant to this time”. I think as an artist, it’s our responsibility to kind of talk about what’s always been happening, and until that goes out of style its always going to be in style. It’s not that it’s like for this time or for that time but for all time and talking about the indigenous situation in both the United States and in Canada or Black Lives Matter, it’s just, the common denominator is always that theirs this very rich, mostly white, mostly male, very small population that’s kind of…I wouldn’t say pulling the strings necessarily, but taking advantage of the divisiveness especially. I think another thing that one particular circumstance Ryan had called me and said “hey they’re coming down the street and there’s all of these white supremacy signs being held and all of these alt-right people looking respectable; they don’t look like neo-Nazis like we’re used to seeing, they’re wearing nice shirts and kakis”
TL: Yeah, they changed their image after Charlottesville
JS: They did and Ryan was like “I’ve never seen this in Canada before” and it was just funny (it wasn’t funny) but he was earnestly, very concerned. He went and talked to the leader of the right-wing group that was talking about getting rid of immigrants and everything and it was just so wild to be seeing this happening in the States and in Canada. When we were growing up, the first song I wrote in a band was called “A Groove To Kick a Nazis Ass Too” and it was all about not being racist and it was cool to be against that when we were younger so it’s hard to believe that this is a trending thing with young men who would be in our similar positions now. It’s just, “How did this catch on?” I would say that it has a lot to do with how the song came together.
RG: That happened in January of 2019 in the dead of winter. These guys were putting up signs on the corner of the street in my hometown of 50,000 people, signs that were encouraging people to kick the immigrants out of Canada. “Not my Canada,” stuff like that. I’ve never seen anything like that before, ever, and the first person I messaged and sent a picture too of this occurrence was James. Because we talked about this boiling point in the United States and I never saw it, I never expected that. They had their polo shirts and they’re eating their double-doubles, just “smiling and waving” The next minute they were putting signs up near my rental property. I live in the basement of one. I rent housing to international students and they were putting signs up on these lawns marking where international students lived saying, “Kick them out”. I had never seen anything like it.
TL: With the ending of the visa program, they have basically done that at this point
RG: That’s exactly what they did.
JS: My wife is a professor and every professor is up in arms because it’s cruel to the students involved and it’s dumb, it just doesn’t make any sense. It’s clearly racist and it’s part of the xenophobic atmosphere that’s in politics right now. Another thing is that when you come across it now, these young men now are reading…oh, why can’t I think of anybody’s name?
TL: Evola? Marcus Aurelius is often interpreted as one of their heroes.
JS: Ben Shapiro! When they read Ben Shapiro or even just Jordan Peterson. Whatever powers that be that are trying to pit you against these immigrants, they don’t give a fuck about you. Like these young MAGA guys in their hats. I remember a couple of years ago these young white boys with their MAGA hats came to the front of the stage and know every word to every song so it’s kinda like they’re fans but they know that they’re trolling us and it’s just like, I don’t know why you guys are bringing this attention to yourself. The people that you are supporting, they don’t give a fuck about you. They’re not going to share when it comes time for that. All of the things that we heard before when it comes time for you to reach out to help, there is not gonna be anybody there. Ya know, you can’t eat money and the indigenous people have told us this my whole life. Be wary of these people that are trying to ruin the environment and turn a blind eye to it. In the end they’re trying to kill all of us and they’ll kill all of you too. They don’t care.
RG: Yeah, I’m metis and I’ve got family members that grew up on a reserve and, you know, colonial imperialism is….
TL: I’m sorry, can I interrupt? You said you were metis – can you explain what that is?
RG: Metis means I’m mixed blood, I have some indigenous background.
LT: Thank you for the clarification.
RG: Yeah, yeah no problem. So yeah, as you know, colonial imperialism is somewhat of a dirty word. The Christianization of indigenous people, you know, is really a disguise for the economic motive of imperialism of exploited resources. You know, that’s Canada’s terrible, dirty secret, really. This attempt to, quote-unquote, assimilate indigenous people openly has left a gaping wound in the culture and indigenous people are, you know, marginalized most in our country. The last residential school closed in 1996, it’s not that long ago. I think a lot of people have this perception that Canada is all hunky-dory, but it’s not, especially when it comes to the treatment of indigenous people and I know that from firsthand experience. We have the pipeline/railroad controversy clip in the first part of the music video, the Wet’suwet’en controversy. It’s a four hundred and sixteen-mile pipeline they protested going through their land for reasons and I’m not sure if you’re familiar with this, but in Canada, almost all the indigenous problems, almost all of the First Nations in Canada and its allies formed a massive national railroad blockade in protest. To stop the trade and they stopped, the C. N. for a month. Around when the coronavirus actually started to take shape. The RCMP, which is equivalent to U.S. federal police were created for the purpose of controlling the indigenous population in the eighteen hundreds. So they were sent in to do what they were apparently meant to do in stopping the blockade and if the coronavirus didn’t happen they would probably have gotten a lot more got international attention, but that’s what the significance of the whole clip is.
TL: After finding your inspiration, how would you describe the writing process for “They don’t give a $$$$?”
RG: Okay, I’ll start with that one James. I pounded out the chorus on an acoustic guitar and just repeated it over and over and over again so I could remember it. I wasn’t near anywhere to recording and it became something. It has been an ongoing theme in our conversations. It always comes back to that. So. I think when music, sometimes theirs just something divine about it. You know, you are the vessel that music is coming through, and that lyric, melody, just came out and it didn’t change at all. I just sent it to James and said. “Hey, James what do you think of this?” And then James right away was sending me lyrics. He was inspired by it and I was inspired by what he was sending me. So then I got into a computer and started to produce it and send him some ideas with an electric guitar just some drum tracks on-we did it for the most part electronically. This was in 2019 in the winter/fall when we started to send these ideas back and forth. I remember standing in line somewhere in the mall and James sent me a great idea for what became the second half of that verse. The second half of the second verse. And I just felt that we had something of serious significance because he was able to take my hook and make it mean something. You can say they don’t give a fuck about you and you know it could be like. Who is it? What does that mean? But James is able to channel that marriage of lyrics and melody to put it together to support the thesis statement. To be fair James drove a very far distance to make this happen.
JS: Ya I drove up to Welland Ontario which is ya know a beautiful place. I wanted to go see where Ryan is from and where Street Pharmacy does their work because since we’ve gotten to know each other it’s like finding old friends that you knew were there but you didn’t know where. So Welland was like a very familiar feeling place. It is only 20-30 minutes over the border from Buffalo. So it’s almost exactly where I’m from. And ya I just went there and I brought my base with me and Ryan had the drums and some guitars went down. I sat down and I played the bass line. The drummer Ivan was also there so it was cool to feel the vibe of the drummer in the room with me while I was playing. It felt very electric to finally sit down. When I figured out what the baseline was going to be I was very excited. That’s not always the situation when you’re with your band. Maybe when you’re alone or just with the producer. This was like with we’re making something fresh, and it was the first time we’ve done that. Ryan, as we were getting on the phone- and it was like the middle of the conference call that I realized he was extremely talented and capable and was engineering everything. He has a special touch and I love the way he mixes these things and makes them sound good.
That was also very inspiring sonically alone. And then just working on the sonics of the tune. I actually wrote like a book with different verses for the song over time and then on that trip I think I was a little bit exhausted, traveling, just like living my life, which is like trying to balance a lot of things that one time and I didn’t end up getting to lay down the vocals on that trip. I really liked the verses that I had but we kinda delayed the track and then it came time to be like “Hey I think we should really put this together this is a message that people would really like us to sing” ya know were just artists putting music out there but WE want to say it. That’s another part of being an artist. It was the first time that I ever sat in my basement at night and wrote some lyrics, recorded it, and send it to Ryan and Adam to use that track, as a point of pride for myself, to say that “I’m good, we can do this” and I don’t have to leave my house during the quarantine. I can lay down my vocals for Ryan who is in Welland and we can make a song and we can put it out. Like this is using the tools that we have to our advantage. That’s like kind of how it all came together.
RG: Ya there was a lot of exchanging of material over the internet because the coronavirus made it almost impossible to meet and then the borders closed. So we just used it to the best of our ability. There were a lot of other people involved. My friend Mike who plays in a band called Silverstein was very helpful in getting some of the sounds. He was located here and I was sending the files to him in the latter stages. Our friend Adam was on the track and was really happy with the vocals. I think this is one of the first time James engineered his vocals.
JS: Ya it was my first time engineering something that normally someone else would do all the time. The thing that keeps me going is working with people who really know how to engineer their sound and be able to engineer my sound as well. For Adam to think that it was useable-
RG: He (Adam Tune) was really impressed. He’s got a good ear for being able to tell when things are right. And that’s really hard, a lot of people who attempt to engineer, they don’t use their ears. They more or less watch the meters as opposed to listening to the track. A lot of times that’s what people are just starting out do but James’s ear is fantastic. His ability in the studio to capture the moment and put it into a file and record it, especially with his bass tone and his vocal tonality, it was really inspiring for me as an engineer and a producer to be able to pull those takes out fo someone and it was like “WOW let’s try to do some other cool things”. I think at the end we tried some other, Tom Morello Esq, octave, whammy pedal type things with the base where James is going up and down a full octave. It’s almost like a bass solo at the end. That was the most fun part of the process for me, ya know this is something I forgot to mention too. The person who introduced us, who I think wants to remain nameless, came down from Buffalo to meet us and he hand introduced us. I think James has a story about that. It was really cool for him to see the idea that he something that he had sort of an idea, being a fan of Street Pharmacy and then approach me at a show and say “You really need to work with this band their great”. I said “Ok” and the same thing happened to James and it ended up working out.
TL: It sounds like you guys really enjoy collaborating together. Can listeners expect more collaborations?
JS: That’s the hope, ya we certainty want to do that.
RG: Definitely. When you get together in a room with somebody and – I write commercial songs for a living under another name and another company- so I’ve done a lot of co-writing sessions and sessions for corporations and it can be difficult. But James and I have this instant, I think it comes from friendship so, we’re interested in the same things. I don’t think Rochester is too dissimilar from Welland. Because I’m so close to the border I grew up on a lot of American 90’s Alt-Rock, early 90’s late 80’s stuff, and American Punk. James had that background as well, with both of us playing in reggae-oriented bands now and ya know we listen to the same music. 90’s golden age hip-hop, Reggae, Dance hall, and also listening to 90’s alt-rock got us to this place where we can speak the same language. We can play something and be like, “Ya I know what that is it’s giving me a Helmet vibe” and James going “Wow you know Helmet I don’t know anybody who knows Helmet!”. We can talk like that without even really needing to speak. I’m really happy about that, that’s the best thing for me that’s come out of this experience other than having a song that’s very meaningful and I hope that it can help people open their eyes to the seriousness of the situation.
The Greyboy Allstars have re-released their 1994 debut album, West Coast Boogaloo and their surprise new album Como De AllStars. West Coast Boogaloo features Fred Wesley will be reissued on vinyl Friday, Aug. 7. The recording will also appear for the first time digitally on all streaming and download platforms.
The band was quickly embraced by the Grateful Dead and Phish audiences before there even was an actual “jam scene.” The Greyboy Allstars have paved the way for a new generation of bands to play jazz-based improvisation as dance music in rock venues. The Greyboy Allstars consists of saxophonist Karl Denson, guitarist Elgin Park, keyboardist Robert Walter, bassist Chris Stillwell and drummer Aaron Redfield. They are known as some of the most revered players on the modern funk and soul jazz scenes.
When The Greyboy Allstars self-released West Coast Boogaloo in 1994, its eight tunes felt both anachronistic and urgent. But their song, “Fried Grease” centered on an irrepressible new horn riff, bejeweled by wild organ runs and strutting guitar. Built with commanding drum breaks, an itchy bassline, and pensive keys, the song “Gravee” felt like a state of mind that could last forever.
The quintet’s latest album, Como De AllStars is their first in seven years and was released on July 3. It’s 25 years later, and the band is still at it—all while individual members have their own successful careers. Karl Denson plays in The Rolling Stones and his own Tiny Universe, Mike Andrews scores films, most recently The King Of Staten Island, Robert Walter leads his own 20th Congress and plays keys in Phish bassist Mike Gordon’s solo band and Chris Stillwell and Aaron Redfield are an in demand rhythm section with credits stretching from Elton John to Charli XCX. Como De Allstars is a stirring and timely testament to the revolutionary origins and powers of jazz, funk, and their boogaloo blend—and the Greyboy Allstars’ continual ability to deliver them.
Frank Palangi, the homegrown Queensbury, NY indie rock singer, guitarist and musician who has shown he can do anything and everything he sets his mind to, has released his latest video for “Gone Mad.”
Filmed at Sweet Basil’s, as well as his home studio, Palangi coordinated for the video in recent months with Director Cameron Gallagher and Producer Frank Palangi.
The video is composed as an otherworldly talent competition at a mysterious location, which leaves Palangi walking into a rigged scenario and leaving him with no control. “Gone Mad” serves as the third chapter of of recent videos, including “Break These Chains” and “Set Me Free.”
Frank’s music is an evolution of the rock and metal sounds of the 80’s and 90’s with a dose of post-grunge mixed in. Despite the title, “Gone Mad” offers a refreshing and positive outlook that serves up a feeding frenzy of heavy guitar work and deep, gritty vocals.
Follow The Light virtual music festival was announced by We Banjo 3 in celebration of Irish traditions. The festival will take place on August 29, 2020 at 5PM EST. Festival Tickets, Artist Meet & Greets and Exclusive Festival Merchandise are on Sale Now at We Banjo 3’s website.
Follow The Light virtual music festival will work as an ode to the We Banjo 3’s Irish heritage. The festival will feature an evening of musical performances by Gaelic Storm, Sharon Shannon, Nathan Carter and The East Pointers, on top of We Banjo 3. The festival will also host non-music features throughout the evening.
We Banjo 3 debuted in the U.S. in 2012 and are Billboard Bluegrass chart-toppers. We Banjo 3 create a fusion of shared and varied traditions of Americana, Bluegrass, and Celtic music with pop-sensible songcraft to create a unique signature sound. The quartet is made up of Ireland and Nashville sounds and is composed of two sets of brothers Enda & Fergal Scahill and Martin & David Howley.
We Banjo 3 has deep-dived into exploring alternatives to physically taking the stage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They find connecting with fans through various online performances, fan Q&A’s, live interviews, poetry and book excerpt readings, general banter about topics of interest, and more, gives them a personalized approach to creating fan experiences. Their hope with Follow The Light is to create this immersive experience to a wider audience while shedding the light to the rich Irish culture that they were founded upon.
https://youtu.be/qc9GvnGR3wc
General Admission Tickets, Artist Meet & Greets Upgrades, and Festival Ticket/Exclusive Merchandise bundles are available now on We Banjo 3’s website. The ticket purchase will give the buyer access to the stream for the festival. The stream will be supported on Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick.
https://youtu.be/YzdNABunUvk
For more information on the Follow The Light Virtual Music Festival visit We Banjo 3’s website.
With one of the more iconic hooks in hip-hop history, “C.R.E.A.M” (Cash Rules Everything Around Me) is by far Wu-Tang Clan’s most popular record, making them household names. The single was on their debut LP Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and is considered a magnum opus of hip hop music. When you combine Method Man’s unique — yet silky-smooth flow — along with Raekwon and Inspectah Deck’s cutting-edge lyricism, you have the makings of a classic record.
“C.R.E.A.M” was recorded by the group in July of 1993, but was officially released November 9, 1993 as the eighth track from the 36 Chambers LP. RZA — the group’s defacto leader and beat maker — produced the song by sampling the opening piano riff from Charmel’s 1967 record “As Long as I Got You,” with a perfectly placed set of looping drum kicks added on.
Despite all the praise the record received within the hip-hop community and its current status as a classic record, “C.R.E.A.M” was not a chart-topp. Debuting at number 96 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, it eventually peaked at number 60 later that week, also peaking at number 8 on the hottest hip-hop/R&B songs. It became certified gold officially in 2009, 15 years after its release.
“The Rza is just razor sharp, he always on point with the beats with the rhymes”
In an interview for 247HH (hip-hop), Raekwon revealed the meaning behind the song’s tittle, revealing that “cream” was a slang term for money kids around the neighborhood would use. Saying that it came from cartoons like, Tom & Jerry, where the titular cat — Jerry — would slap Tom (the mouse) with whipped cream as they would fight over food. As a result, “cream” became something that they said when they were fighting over money or. in general, want of a better financial situation.
He also revealed that the acronym “cash rules everything around me” came from group mate Method Man’s associate, Raid. Detailing that back then, people would write graffiti and would break words down to give them meaning so, Raid broke down “cream” to mean “cash rules everything around me.”
RZA shed light on how the record came about, in an interview with SiriusXM. Divulging that the name of the original track was “The Lifestyle of the Mega Rich” and it had about 8 minutes of material from Raekwon and Inspacteh Deck. He wanted them to condense their lyrics into more concise verses and thought it needed a great hook. That’s where Method Man came in to play. The most culturally transcendent of the group, RZA even acknowledged that it was Method Man’s melodic flow on the hook that took Wu-Tang from gold to Platinum.
In a more recent interview with DJ Vlad, Inspectah Deck revealed that it was the success of “C.R.E.A.M” that made him realize how big of a group they were. Recalling a memory from a show the clan in Webster Hall, noticing that many of his heroes were there to see the Clan perform. From Big Daddy Kane, to Tracy Lee and Q-Tip.
The songs music video paid homage to where each member of the group was from, as a form of imagery that added even more depth to the record. The music video begins in the projects of Staten Island and then sees the Clan make their way to a more lavish lifestyle, driving Mercedes and sipping champagne.
Raekwon And Inspectah Deck were the only members of the group to have verses on the record. With both relating to the harsh realities of being from the inner cities. Telling their life stories’ in each verse. Rae gives a timeline of his life from his move from to Staten Island and his time spent in New York City. His first two lines perfectly captures the environment he hails from.
“I grew up on the crime side the New York times side
Where staying alive was no jive.”
Continuing with more personal tales of being separated from his father with his mother leaving and moving the family to Staten Island.
“Second hands moms bounced on old man, then we moved to shaolin land”
He chronicled his entire life on this verse and gave descriptive accounts of his times in the inner-city. The story being told is raw, real and vivid, something the man known as “the chef” is known for. Finishing his verse with:
“Figured out I went the wrong route, so I got with sick a** clique and went all out
Catching kings from cross seas hauling MVP’s every week we make 40 g’s
N***a respect mine or here goes the tech nine ch-ch pow move from the gate now”
Inspectah Deck took a similar approach to Raekwon, with similar accounts, while his verse detailed his own attempts at preventing the youth from following a similar path.
“Spent 22 long hard years we still struggling
Survival got me bugging but I’m alive on arrival
I peep at the shape of the streets
And stay awake to the ways of the world cause sh*t is deep”
With Raekwon’s story-telling abilities an entire story was told in one perfectly executed verse. From this verse alone, we learn, that at 15 he had plans of making “cream” but, was sent to jail for selling drugs. Yet, he only sold drugs because he never had much and only wanted a piece of the finer things in life – a sentiment many incarcerated Black men can share in. In the end, his life was taken away for trying to get his version of the American dream.
“Life as a shorty shouldn’t be so rough.
Though I don’t know why I chose to smoke sess
I guess that the time when I’m not depressed
But I’m still depressed, and I ask; what’s it worth
Ready to give up so I seek the old Earth”
“C.R.E.A.M” has left behind a significant legacy in hip-hop. The song’s popularity helped shift the balance of power from the West coast to the East, even going on to transcend any tension between the differing coasts.
The record has been sampled or interpolated by Drake on “Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2,” Notorious B.I.G on his hit record “Notorious Thugs,” featuring Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony. Other artists include Joey Bada$$ on his song “Paper Trail$” as well as, Mos Def on “Mathematics.”
Just as music fans the world over are clamoring to get their fix, so, too, are musicians longing to get out in front of actual crowds and ply their trade. No live stream can replicate the energy of a live concert, where musical notes serve as a conduit facilitating an infinite loop of energy travelling between the band and the audience. Live music requires presence — you have to be there, to be sure — though not just in body, but in mind and spirit, too. Within that presence, as one finds alignment with the head, the heart, and the feet, is where the magic lives. As it has been said, “Seek and ye shall find.”
Bridging that thought, it’s been especially hard to find live music these days (no explanation necessary), especially that of the safe and socially distant variety with crowds respectful of both coronavirus and others’ personal space. Creativity has become the order of the day in terms of booking, and I’ve now been lucky enough to catch a few live shows in locales previously unthinkable: a field behind Woodbridge HS, the Asbury Park Elks Lodge, even a few backyards, not least of all my own.
Some days live music seems more poignant than others; Jerry Garcia’s birthday has always been one of those days. I’ll never forget seeing Jerry on his birthday at The Palace at Auburn Hills, August 1, 1994, one of just three performances by the Grateful Dead on this date. Well, in the summer of 2020, any live show is special, and just as I was one of the lucky ones to see Jerry’s birthday show in ‘94, so, too, was I lucky enough to see Cosmic open the Days Between (marked by the days between Jerry’s birth and death, 8/9/95) on August 1, 2020.
After having spent the day on the beach in Asbury Park with my wife, we parted ways {one of the beautiful things about our marriage is that even though we have divergent interests, she unilaterally supports my passions} and I grabbed some primo socially distant real estate at the Asbury Elks Lodge, right up front near the band and in front of the PA. I’ve spoken of silver linings in other recent musings, but my favorite one bears repeating: encroaching on someone else’s personal space has become societally uncool, and that bodes really well for an abundance of dancing space. Punctuality has also become the order of the day and, since timeliness is next to godliness, mine was rewarded not just with the best 10×10 foot square in the house but also with soundcheck, a tasty version of “Beat It On Down the Line,” even if the band ultimately decided not to play a “seventy-eight beat intro for Jerry’s birthday” after briefly parrying the idea back and forth.
Just fifteen short minutes after the announced start time of 4:00, everybody was dancing in a ring around the sun as Cosmic took to the stage and opened this gorgeous afternoon with the Grateful Dead’s anthemic summer song, “The Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion.” This song has a short history with the Grateful Dead and wasn’t to be played live at any time after 1967, wayyyy before my time, heck, even before the actual summer of love later that same year, but to me it’s always been a party tune and set a fiery tone for the day as the band implored, “Hey hey, hey, come right away. Come and join the party every day.” An impressive and energetic “Viola Lee Blues” followed (is there any other kind???), before the band played “Set Me Free”, the first of seven original tunes they would play on this sunny August afternoon.
Shirtless guys and sun-kissed girls in long flowing dresses, spinning and twirling in a scene reminiscent of San Francisco’s Golden Gate park, the crowd was beauty personified. On this day, as we celebrated what would have been Jerome John Garcia’s 78th trip around the sun, none of us were thinking about the problems of the world, at least no more so than pertained to social distance and wearing masks. We were celebrating the life and music of Jerry Garcia, the outward expression of whose passion in turn shaped most of our lives. From the youngest among us who, forget about having seen Garcia live, probably shouldn’t have been drinking legally, to those with stories from the Avalon Ballroom and the last time they saw “Golden Road” live, our collective spirit embodied the principle of community.
Yet, in a whole world full of petty wars, “Throwing Stones” unfortunately seems to grow more relevant with each passing day. Political bullshit aside, it’s a fun song that set up one of the day’s highlights, “Cream Puff War”, driven by the insane timekeeping of drummer Dan Donovan, who would also provide an interesting bit of trivia during set break, “I wanted to make sure we worked this one into the setlist today since it’s the only tune (whose lyrics) were written by Garcia.” A short but combustible tune that the Grateful Dead only played in 1966 and 1967, Cosmic did it great justice on this most special day for Deadheads. That, I think, is the beauty of the Grateful Dead and the symbiosis they inspire between the musicians occupying their space and the deadheads taking it all in. Regardless of who’s holding the guitar, we’re all just fans (maybe fanatics would be more appropriate but let’s not parse words).
Another glorious original rocker followed, “Make Me Feel High,” as Wanda, Exalted Ruler of the Fraternal Order of Asbury Elks (I can’t shake the image of Fred Flinstone as Grand Poobah of the Royal Order of Water Buffaloes) made her way to the stage, seemingly intent on having a discussion with each band member during the middle of the song. Fully expecting a buzzkill announcement like “turn it down” or some shit like that, Wanda surprised me at the end of the song by taking the mic and welcoming us all while imploring us to “enjoy the music and the hospitality.” Poor timing aside, it was a nice message.
Taking the break as a chance to confess their hunger and ask for provisions, a familiar drumbeat signalled the start of “Samson & Delilah,” with bassist John “Jelly Roll” Nemeth taking lead vocals. John was a noticeable force on the bass all afternoon and I’m sure glad I had a hand in getting his mix turned up during soundcheck. “Wine Women Rock”, another original, this one with keyboardist Billy Siegel on lead vocals, was so good that one fan felt inspired to drop a tip in the bucket on stage left in the middle of the song.
Even when he’s not singing Dead tunes, Billy still has the Brent Mydland thing going on and I just love his vocals, this last being my favorite of the “Billy” tunes. Lead singer and guitarist Michael Jaskewicz went off script with the next one, a lovely version of Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece” before an explosive “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider” that closed the set 75 minutes and almost 10,000 steps later.
I love that this band, with a local and loyal following behind them, has the balls to play their own songs in key spots of the set. Opening the second set with “This Fire”, they continue to make the statement that they are so much more than a Dead cover band. I haven’t asked but I suppose that’s why they dropped “Jerry Band” from their moniker, as they seek to grow and develop their own material. I’ve now heard eleven original songs over two shows these past couple of weeks, and here’s to hoping there’s an album release on the horizon.
“Foolish Heart” is always a treat and Jaskewicz characteristically dazzled with both his guitar and his voice. “The Wheel” gave way to “Crooked Tree”, another rockabilly original that really slams as Siegel pounded the black and whites. Some fine setlist wizardry gave an emphatic Siegel the chance to continue stealing this segment of the show with the joyous “Hey Pocky Way” that followed. There would be no MVP, however, on this sun-soaked afternoon, as it was a total team effort. “Run For the Roses” was the first turn through the Jerry Garcia catalog before “We Are Divine,” an original dripping with proggy funk that was one of the best songs of the night, GD or otherwise.
During “Terrapin Station,” I closed my eyes and transported to another time and place, enjoying the simultaneous delicacy and raw power of a song that, from the first time I heard it, literally shaped the rest of my life. The Rolling Stone’s “Loving Cup,” even if it felt more like Phish’s version, rocked like the set closer that it could have been (my notes here simply read, “Sweet Jesus!”), even though there was still a “Loose Lucy” and a “Might As Well” on tap. Singing thank you, for a real good time!
I’d have gone home happy right then and there, fully spent having shared all of my love and energy with the band and the folks around me, but if the band was going to treat us to one (or three) more, I’d dig deep and continue to give all of myself right back. One more original was followed by a pair of JGB tunes, the powerful “Mission In the Rain” and the prayerful “Sisters and Brothers”. “Mission” has long been a personal favorite, a song by Robert Hunter that really paints a picture of the human condition.
Of this song, Garcia, in an interview, once said “Mission in the Rain” was “… a song that might be about me. It’s my life; it’s like a little piece of my life. Hunter writes me once in a while.” I felt every bit of that with Nemeth’s foreboding bass notes and Jaskewicz’ stirring vocals. As for “Sisters and Brothers”, what better way to close the day than with the hopeful gospel of Charles Johnson song popularized by the Jerry Garcia Band, “My Sisters and Brothers.” I’ll leave you with the power of its words …
I wanna say to my sisters and my brothers Keep the faithWhen the storm flies and the wind blows Go on at a steady pace When the battle is fought, and the victory’s won We can all shout together, we have overcome We’ll talk to the Father and the Son When we make it to the promised land If we walk together, little children We don’t ever have to worry Through this world of trouble We gotta love one another Let us take our fellow man by the hand Try to help him to understand We can all be together, forever and ever When we make it to the promised land
18,651 steps on the lawn of the Asbury Elks. Who’d have thunk it???
Setlist
Soundcheck: Beat It On Down the Line
Set One: The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion) > Viola Lee Blues, Set Me Free*, Throwing Stones > Cream Puff War > Make Me Feel High*, Samson & Delilah, Wine Women Rock*, When I Paint My Masterpiece, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider
Set Two: This Fire*, Foolish Heart, The Wheel, Crooked Tree*, Hey Pocky Way, Run For the Roses, We Are Divine*, Terrapin Station, Loving Cup, Loose Lucy, Might As Well
Encore: unknown original, Mission in the Rain, My Sisters & Brothers
Not too long after parts of the nation started reopening, did many individuals start to ignore the CDC’s recommendations to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
A picture of the secret rave held under Kosciuszko Bridge.
Footage of a secret rave at Kosciuszko Bridge in Brooklyn showed people gathered without participating in social distancing. Regardless of the global pandemic, hundreds of guests attended and many didn’t wear masks.
“Huge parties whether on land or boat are: Illegal, Disrespectful, violate constant decency, rude,” Cuomo tweeted.
Huge parties whether on land or boat are:
Illegal Disrespectful Violate common decency Rude
Aren’t those enough reasons not to be stupid?
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 3, 2020
Renegade, the rave organizers, told Gothamist that there’s no stopping people from gathering. One organizer said, “people need a release,” referring to quarantine.
This was not the first time Renegade held a group gathering during the pandemic. On July 4, they organized a rave supposedly for the Black Lives Matter Movement.
Among artists asked to play was DJ and producer Mike Simonetti. According to Guest of a Guest, Simonetti declined. He felt the event was disrespectful after his father died alone from COVID-19.
Although many attended the rave, some guests felt uncomfortable once they arrived.
Footage taken from attendees shows no social distancing among the rave.
An attendee told Gothamist that him and his friends stayed on the outside and stating, “I would not do that again….It was too soon for too many people in one spot.”
Renegade continues to defend the cause of the rave, but said it got out of hand.
“I don’t want people to go back to putting their heads in the sand. We need to stay on top of this and keep marching and keep protesting,” said one organizer.
The Palace Theatre along with the City of Albany and Mirth Films have announced that Saratoga Springs natives Wild Adriatic will be featured on the next edition of “The Palace Sessions”. Taking place on August 19 at 7p.m. in a undisclosed unique location within the historic theatre, the performance will stream live on the Palace Theatre’s Youtube page.
Executive Director of the Palace Billy Piskutz notes:
“We are thrilled to be able to welcome live music back to the hallowed halls of the Palace Theatre. This historic building exists to entertain and create memories and after a nearly four-month absence due to COVID-19, it is a thrill to know that it will again. We hope that our patrons will enjoy these performances as much as we do!”
The series kicked off on July 15 with a special performance by Albany locals Wurliday. Additional shows are slated for September 16 and October 21. Those performers have yet to be announced at this time.
Wurliday Performing at Palace Theatre
“Summer in Albany is synonymous with music and entertainment and it is wonderful to have the Palace Theater hosting local musicians albeit in a different way this year. I applaud the ingenuity of the Palace Theater, the Office of Cultural Affairs, and Mirth Films in bringing entertainment to people during COVID-19. I continue to be impressed with how our community has risen to the challenge of keeping the arts alive during this time and look forward to tuning in to the Palace Sessions.”
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan
During the performances donations are being accepted which will assist the Palace Theatre in continuing its mission to bring world-class arts and entertainment to New York’s Capital Region. Donations can be made HERE or directly through the Palace Theatre’s Text To Give program, by texting Palace2020 to 44321.
Hawkins has released their debut single, “Lights Off,” having arrived on the local music scene in New Haven, CT in May 2019. Hawkins is known for balancing energetic rock ‘n’ roll mixed with infectious hooky pop sophistication. The band consists of Hawkins French (vocals), Joseph Frank (guitar), Richard Frank (bass), and Joshua Frank (drums).
Their debut single is a pop rock anthem that blends soaring guitars, thunderous drums, and melodic bass lines along with the catchy hooks that you’ll hear in contemporary pop music. The subject matter of this track discusses the current superficial state of relationships and wanting more than just a one-night stand. This song intertwines their ability to create memorable pop hooks, lyrics that compel you to sing along, all balanced under a monumental sound that instantly demands the listener’s attention.
The band has performed on countless major stages across the East Coast. Notable performances include Mohegan Sun Casino, The Bitter End, Foxwoods Casino, and the Pleasantville New York Music Festival. In Pleasantville, the band shared the stage with illustrious acts such as Blues Traveler, Suzanne Vega, and Living Colour. In November they are still planning to headline at the Toyota Oakdale Theatre.
Speaking on “Lights Off” the band explains:
“This track evokes the feeling of when relationships don’t have a clear direction and are solely based upon superficiality. This is our commentary on the common tug of war that can occur in tumultuous relationships that people in their youth experience.”
