Category: Buffalo

  • In Focus: Sunsquabi lights up the crowd at Town Ballroom

    Town Ballroom may want to look into a new room after The Floozies, Sunsquabi and Late Night Radio blew the lid off the Buffalo venue on Sunday, March 1.

    Sunsquabi showed up with a production that would have made any fan assume they, not The Floozies, were the headliner. No punches were pulled as the 3-piece band created an experience greater than the sum of their individual tracks. A high energy and seemingly nonstop dancing frenzy was on tap all night, with each jam and each mind-melting riff flowing seamlessly into the next.

    The set included fan favorite bangers including “Just a Little” and “Deluxe.” However, one would not have needed to be familiar with the band’s discography to get down to their elaborate, funky blend of electronic and jam music. The Sunsquabi love at the Town Ballroom that evening was real, and contagious. Never miss a Sunday show.

    review by Philip B. Right

    Setlist: Just a Little, Bacon and Cheese, Torque, Chrysalis, Night Moth, Deluxe, Sticky, Wizard, Steamcat

  • Hearing Aide: Timothy Alice and the Dead Star Band ‘SpaceStation AM500’

    SpaceStation AM500 is the debut album from Timothy Alice & the Dead Star Band, a trio hailing from Buffalo, NY. Timothy Alice (stage name for Timothy Patrick Henderson) displays an astonishing number of influences in both his writing and singing styles throughout this record. With the help of Matt DiStasio on bass and Bub Crumlish on drums, Alice’s lyrics paint incredible pictures of an America we can all recognize today. You could be on the Great Lakes, in a sprawling metropolis, or the last bar on the highway between this state and that; each of these locations share a tale that Timothy Alice invokes with each track.

    The opening track, “2 Am,” paints a picture that many may find familiar. The promise and elation of this song invokes the feeling of many 2 am’s we’ve all felt while bar-hopping around New York State – still full of energy and grit, while openly wondering where the night is going to take you. “It’s 2 AM and this place is jumping. I’m just trying not to lose my head again.”  The song feels like a packed bar with 2 hours left before last call, full of vigor and hope.

    SpaceStation AM500 mixes soul, blues, R&B and folk roots into a delightful set of songs with so much heart and movement in them. The band excels at feeling like you’re on the road with signs flying by in the darkness during “Just Take My Hand.” “Shadow on My Tail,” the longest track on the album, really showcases the soul in Timothy’s voice and also features a ripping solo from guest guitarist Andrew Kothen. The album also features a love song to the Windy City. The soul in Timothy’s voice while singing “Oh, Chicago” makes me long for a city I’ve only ever been to twice.

    As the night grows longer and we get further into the album, “Honeypie” provides a tale of distorted love, building up to a cacophony that would be exception to see live. “4 Am,” the final track on the album, really highlights the difference two hours can make in a night. It tells a somber and sobering tale that we’ve all experienced in our lives, regardless of what time the clock is showing. With the help of an amazing band, Timothy Alice’s lyrics paint pictures of an America we can all recognize today. Whether he’s a in a league of his own or the product of a new generation of storyteller, he shows us all that we have a lot of great music and art coming our way in this next decade.

    Key Tracks: 2 Am, Just Take My Hand, Honeypie

    https://timothyalice.bandcamp.com/album/spacestation-am500

  • Cobblestone Live Music & Arts Festival Announces 2020 Lineup

    Buffalo New York’s fourth annual Cobblestone Live Music & Arts Festival announced its 2020 lineup which will include 15 different artists across five stages. The festival will take place July 31 and August 1, and will benefit the Child Advocacy Center for the third year in a row.

    This year’s lineup includes Smash Mouth, Spin, Doctors, Aqueous, Andy Frasco & The U.N., Magic Beans, Hayley Jane, Root Shock, Funktional Flow, Witty Tarbox, Workingman’s Dead, Critt’s Juke Joint, PA Line, Grub, Cypher, and Grosh. The festival will be made up of two main outdoor stages located on Illinois and Columbia Streets, an existing stage inside Buffalo Iron Works, another inside Lockhouse Distillery & Bar, and a stage on Mississippi Street.

    There are three tiers of tickets that can be purchased. Tier one tickets with the current lineup consist of either two-day general admission tickets for $40 or two-day VIP tickets for $150. Tier two tickets are available after July 30 with the final lineup announcements and consist of either general admission for $20 on Friday, July 31, general admission for $35 for Saturday, August 1, a two-day pass for general admission for $50, or two-day VIP tickets for $150. Tier Three tickets are day-of show pricing with Friday’s general admission being $30, Saturday’s admission for $45, and a two-day VIP ticket still for $150. VIP tickets include exclusive VIP-only tented areas, preferred viewing areas of each outdoor stage, a premium bar with craft beverages, lounge area under the VIP tent, complimentary meals, private bathroom access, a commemorative laminate, and more to be announced.

    For more information and to purchase tickets visit Cobblestone Live’s website.

  • Kamasi Washington Blows Into Buffalo

    Kamasi Washington and his talented band came to Buffalo for a sold out show at Asbury Hall at Babeville. Judging by those in attendance, his fans are as diverse as his music. Young and old were treated to a mix of blues, funk, world beat and more, all firmly rooted under the umbrella of jazz. “Is Mr. Washington the savior of jazz?” is not a question I can tackle here but the genre is in good hands if he is indeed the current face of it.

  • Andy Frasco announces new LP ‘Keep On Keepin On’, extensive Spring Tour

    Whirling dervish Andy Frasco has announced his upcoming LP Keep On Keepin’ On will be due out in April on SideOneDummy Records. With a therapeutic helping of rock ‘n roll with pop and Americana roots influence, the album is a powerful musical snapshot of what’s going on with Andy, his band and his fans. A special “Wellness” video trailer for the album has been released, geared towards encouraging fans not to suppress feelings that may be uncomfortable to talk about, and share the good as well as bad things in life.

    “We all have things that make us who we are. Some things are just uncomfortable to talk about, so we tend to suppress those feelings because we don’t want our friends and social media followers to look at us as weak. It’s time to speak up about not just the good things in our life but the bad as well. This is who I am.” 

    “We’re going through a mental health crisis right now,” says Andy Frasco. “Loneliness, depression, suicide, it’s all on the rise. When you’re struggling in the moment, it can feel like you’re the only one, but that’s just not the truth. I wanted to make a record to remind you that you’re not alone.”

    The title track combines soul, funk and pop, and empowers the listener through a danceable and catchy track focusing on overcoming negative thoughts and embracing love. Honest, thought-provoking and rhythmically infectious, Frasco’s upcoming project has important conversations while showcasing his talent as a songwriter and performer.

    Produced by Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools and by former AWOLNATION keyboardist Kenny Carkeet, the LP finds Frasco digging deeper than he’s ever dug before, fusing ecstatic rock and soul with infectious pop and funk as he grapples with the kind of demons he’s spent the better part of his adult life running from. The songs here are blunt in their honesty and unsparing in their self-examination, but they remain, at their core, works of great hope and promise. They’re the work of a man who’s been through the darkest part of the night and, now that dawn is finally breaking, is ready to share his story.

    “Making this record helped me accept that I needed therapy in my life,” Frasco explains. “I always used to think I was too proud or too strong to have a therapist, but I realized that was all bullshit. I’m not always the fun, wild guy people see onstage, and it felt like time to talk about who I really am.”

    Frasco is also in the midst of his Spring Tour, supporting Big Something, Umphrey’s McGee and Twiddle, as well as standalone shows. Catch him in Ithaca on February 11, Brooklyn February 15 and Buffalo February 18. Full tour dates are below.

    Andy Frasco and the U.N. Spring Tour

    2/05 – 1904 Music Hall – Jacksonville, FL (with Big Something) 

    2/06 – The Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC (with Big Something) 

    2/07 – The Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC (with Big Something)

    2/08 – Neighborhood Theatre – Charlotte, NC (with Big Something)

    2/09 – The Broadberry – Richmond, VA (with Big Something) 

    2/11 – The Haunt – Ithaca, NY (with Big Something) 

    2/12 – The Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, PA (with Big Something) 

    2/13 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC (with Big Something)

    2/14 – Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA (with Big Something) 

    2/15 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY (with Big Something) 

    2/18 – Buffalo Iron Works – Buffalo, NY (with Big Something)

    2/19 – The Magic Bag – Ferndale, MI (with Big Something) 

    2/20 – Woodlands Tavern – Columbus, OH (with Big Something) 

    2/21 – The Stache – Grand Rapids, MI (with Big Something) 

    2/22 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL 

    2/25 – Neurolux – Boise, ID

    2/26 – Midtown Ballroom – Bend, OR (supporting Umphrey’s McGee)

    2/27 – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR (supporting Umphrey’s McGee)

    2/28 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR (supporting Umphrey’s McGee)

    2/29 – Showbox SoDo – Seattle, WA (supporting Umphrey’s McGee)

    3/03 – Humboldt Brews – Arcata, CA

    3/04 – The Saint – Reno, NV

    3/05 – Crazy Horse Saloon – Nevada City, CA

    3/06 – Lost on Main – Chico, CA

    3/07 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA (supporting Twiddle)

    3/19 – Schmiggity’s – Steamboat Springs, CO

    3/20 – Boogie at The Broadmoor – Colorado Springs, CO

    3/21 – Agave – Avon, CO

    4/18 – Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO

    4/20 – Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO

    4/24 – Sweetwater 420 Festival – Atlanta, GA

    4/25 – Winstons – San Diego, CA 

    5/22 – Summer Camp Music Festival – Chillicothe, IL

    5/23 – Summer Camp Music Festival – Chillicothe, IL

    5/24 – Summer Camp Music Festival – Chillicothe, IL

    6/07 – Backwoods at Mulberry Mountain – Ozark, AR

    6/11 – Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN

    7/04 – Peach Music Festival – Scranton, PA

    July 2 – July 5 – High Sierra Music Festival – Quincy, CA

    July 22-26 – FloydFest – Floyd, VA

  • Local Buffalo Musicians Debut New Original Band

    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.

    Local Buffalo Musicians

    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.

    Local Buffalo Musicians

    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 Talks Band History, Influences and ‘Rumours’ as They Set Out on Most Ambitious Tour Yet

    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.

    The ‘Spread Rumours’

    Tour kicks off during Saranac Lake’s Winter Carnival on Feb. 5 at the Waterhole and concludes Feb. 22 at the Higher Ground in Burlington. Stops along the way include Frog Alley Brewing in Schenectady on Feb. 7, the Disruption Network’s Third Anniversary Party at the Jewish Community Center in Utica on Feb. 8, the Buffalo Iron Works on Feb. 12, and Flour City Station in Rochester on Feb. 13. 

    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.

    annie in the water

    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. 

    annie in the water
    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. 

    annie in the water
    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. 

    annie in the water
    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. 

    annie in the water
    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.

  • Aqueous celebrates the ’70s and ’80s over New Years Run at Town Ballroom

    For the second year in a row, Queen City prog-rockers Aqueous performed at The Town Ballroom for the final two nights of the year, selling out both December 30 and 31 with musical themes for each night. The 30th had an “Almost Dazed and Confused” theme, while New Year’s Eve was “Fast Times at The BreAQfast Club.” Fans dressed with the themes for the nights, adding to the festive feel of the end of the year run that celebrated the music of the ’70s and ’80s.

    The first night featured covers from 1970’s bands Led Zeppelin, Stillwater (from Almost Famous) Black Sabbath and the Bee Gees and a first set closing “Random Company.” An encore of “Eon Don” > “Tiny Gantzer” brought the house down, with David Loss singing Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” as “Tiny Gantzer.” Earlier in the night, a VIP set found Aqueous performing five songs acoustically that had previously never been performed in that style. The overall debut of “Spirit and Soul” was found among new arrangments for “Say it Again,” “They’re Calling For Ya” and “On the Edge.”

    For New Year’s Eve, a theme of “Fast Times at The BreAQfast Club” combined the music of two great 80s films, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and The Breakfast Club with some Aqueous thrown in for good measure. Songs by The Cars, Prince, Duran Duran, Simple Minds and Flock of Seagulls were performed near-flawlessly by the band, who wore outfits from their recent music video “Come and Go.” An up-tempo/ska version of “Marty” stood out among the mang covers in the first set, which ended with “Strange Times.”

    Appropriately, Aqueous performed “20/20” to ring in 2020, following the traditional “Auld Lang Syne,” and closed the set with fan favorite “Origami.” The encore held one last surprise for the night though as drummer Rob Houk took a wireless microphone and sang the closing song from The Breakfast Club, “Don’t You Forget About Me.” During the song, the lights were kept low and before the fans could realize it, Houk was on the bar behind the crowd and walked up to the rail through the crowd singing. If this is how the ’20s begin for Aqueous, this might be their best year yet.

    Setlists via Aquaintances

    12/30/19 Setlist

    Set 1 (VIP): Say It Again (1,2) > They’re Calling For Ya (1,2), America (1,4), Spirit and Soul (1,3), On the Edge (1,2)

    Set 2: Fever Dog (3,5) > Paranoid (3,6), Burn It Down, The Median, Gordon’s Mule, Slow Ride (3,7,8) > Misty Mountain Hop (3,8) Random Company

    Set 3: Dave’s Song > Sweet Emotion (9,10), Little Something To Me, You Should Be Dancing (3,11) > Don’t Do It, All In > Do You Feel Like We Do (3,12) > All In

    Encore: Eon Don (13) > Tiny Gantzer (14)

    1- AQoustic Debut
    2- New arrangement
    3- Debut
    4- Simon & Garfunkel
    5- Stillwater
    6- Black Sabbath
    7- Foghat
    8- ft. Travis Gray (Wild Adriatic) on vocals
    9- ft. Ryan John Nogle (Funktional Flow) on triangle
    10- Mega Bustout, LTP: 11/24/10 (870 shows)
    11- Bee Gees
    12- Peter Frampton
    13- Neon Don
    14- Mega Bustout, LTP: 9/21/13 (632 shows)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNWGpdwt_tE&fbclid=IwAR0ss3lnbHxih5uhhF43ganqUZQzif40Kr2d3237HF-Soi0cMmiWm1A93EM&app=desktop

    12/31/19 Setlist

    Set 1: Come and Go¹, I Ran (So Far Away)² ³ > Warren in the Window, Moving In Stereo⁴ ² > Second Sight > Marty⁵, Hungry Like The Wolf² ⁶ > Strange Times⁷

    Set 2: Let’s Go Crazy² ⁸, Skyway, I Melt With You² ⁹, On The Edge, Don’t You Want Me² @@ > Be The Same > Auld Lang Syne, 20/20 > Origami

    Encore: Don’t You Forget About Me² @@@
    Notes:

    ¹ Band came out dressed in their outfits from the music video.
    ² Debut
    ³ Flock of Seagulls cover
    ⁴ Cars cover, Included Spicoli pizza delivery skit from Fast Times at Ridgemont High (By The Cars)
    ⁵ Ska
    ⁶ Duran Duran cover
    ⁷ Life in the Fast Lane (Eagles) tease
    ⁸ Prince cover
    ⁹ Modern English cover
    @@ Human League cover
    @@@ Simple Minds cover, Rob on lead vocals, Ryan Nogle on drums, sang end of song in the crowd