NYS Music 202​0

Tag: Brooklyn Bowl

  • The Hold Steady Announce ‘Massive Nights 2020’ Celebration

    The Hold Steady will host their annual Massive Nights 2020 livestream celebration on December 3-5. Brooklyn Bowl will livestream the event to showcase The Hold Steady’s music and allow viewers to enjoy the show from the comfort of their own homes. Music kicks off on December 3 and 4 at 9 p.m. and on December 5 at 5 p.m.

    THe Hold Steady Massive Nights 2020

    The Hold Steady plan to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their fifth studio album, Heaven Is Whenever with a special double-album reissue set to release on November 27. The limited-edition vinyl and CD of Heaven Is Whenever Deluxe Edition will include nine unreleased bonus songs and liner notes by Drive-By Truckers co-founder and singer/songwriter/guitarist Patterson Hood. As a bonus, the digital version of the deluxe album will include six unreleased songs. Fans can pre-order the limited-edition album on the THS website.

    the hold steady
    Photo by Lee Allen Photography

    On May 4, 2010, The Hold Steady released Heaven Is Whenever. making it their first release since the departure of keyboardist Franz Nicolay on January 20, 2010. The album debuted in the top 5 on Billboard’s “Top Alternative Albums” chart and made a top 10 debut on Billboard’s “Top Rock Albums.”

    Everyone seems to have an opinion about our fifth album. Here in 2020, we’re very proud of Heaven Is Whenever. It’s the sound of a band pushing through difficult times by making music about that very struggle. It acknowledges suffering as part of human life. And with all the extra songs that we recorded beyond the album tracks, it’s a testament to the band’s willingness to show up and try to work through uncertainty. Happy 10 years to Heaven Is Whenever

    The Hold Steady

  • In Focus: Jimmy Herring and the 5 of 7 at Brooklyn Bowl

    On Saturday, September 28, 2019, Jimmy Herring played Brooklyn Bowl NYC with his new band The 5 of 7. The band consists of bassist Kevin Scott, drummer Darren Stanley, guitarist and singer Rick Lollar, and Matt Slocum on keyboards.

    jimmy herring 5 of 7

    Herring is best known for being the lead guitarist for the band Widespread Panic. He is also the founding member of Aquarium Rescue Unit and Jazz is Dead. Jimmy is a guitar legend and has played with other legendary bands like The Allman Brothers, Phil Lesh and Friends, and The Dead.

    The two hour set started with a Miles Davis cover of “Black Satin” and continued with songs from Jimmy Herring during his solo career like “The Big Galoot,” “Matt’s Funk” and “1911.” The show was also streamed live on The Relix Channel, seen below. The show was amazing and an absolute must for fans of jazz infused rock and roll with heavy guitar solos.

    Setlist: Black Satin, The Big Galoot, Matt’s Funk, Sketch Ballad, Soulful Hang, Miss Maybelle, One Strut, 1911, Check the Hand, Former Lives, Buddy, Kaleidoscope Carousel, Two Good People (Zone 28 Grams, Baby Gas & King Cydal cover), Scapegoat Blues

    • Jimmy Herring
    • Jimmy Herring

  • Hearing Aide: ShwizZ release ‘Big Things,’ provoke Musical Euphoria

    Nyack duo ShwizZ slams you against the blackboard in awe that all your basic math skills have fleeted. Not only does ShwizZ explore a multi-level, mixed-meter halfway house of genres, but also bulldoze your ear to the other end of the record collection with their latest Big Things. No algorithm can compute this formula. Not from two people.

    ShwizZ

    It’s hard to believe Big Things can lead you through all eight compositions without losing sight of what’s ahead. Something doesn’t add up. The duo – Ryan Liatsis and Andy Boxer – stab you with the sharp pain of “Splinter,” opening with an off the cuff funk tag. The tune walks on with staccato chunks of its bassline before Liatsis shoots out jarring guitar pads.

    These guys look bored amid a musical Mortal Kombat where nobody breaks a sweat. Boxer is collected behind the kit, unleashing cool six-stroke rolls and collapsing tom fills in-between Liatsis’ ever-changing soundscape. Liatsis begins to crack a smile as he waves through his solo, far beyond the musical speed-limit. Boxer listens and instigates. The strings are not phased.

    The albums second track “Khoi Khoi,” aides to more textured side of the duo. They explore a more mysterious side of scale that is oddly cathartic. That is until you’re stunned unexpectedly from your dream.

    ShwizZ gets creative with “Your Call is Very Important Us,” in a meter that seemingly races ahead of the ear. Boxer’s cymbal work is airy and effortlessly hangs with Liatsis on Guitar. The meter does not exist.

    There is no explaining how ironically calming this journey is. It’s the movie you can’t watch but inch closer to the screen. Liatsis has you on the hook with these roaring solos never loosing sight of the songs motif.

    An album favorite for the die hard rocker is “The Shwizzard.” A chunky lead and solid back beat make the track stand out gritty. Liatsis shoves the lead right in your face. The track embarks on short epics with classic rock feel.

    New York State’s theme of a “hearing aide” is unmasked by ShwizZ and their June release of Big Things. The album tunes the ears of the most complex listener and holds them to a higher standard.

  • Brooklyn Bowl Celebrates 11th Anniversary

    Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg is celebrating their 11th Anniversary on FANS, this Friday, July 10. The livestream, fueled by Lagunitas, is set to feature 11+ hours of music with artists who’ve become Brooklyn Bowl family over the years: Tank and the Bangas, Big Freedia, Fantastic Negrito, Lotus, Soulive, Phil Lesh, and The Terrapin Family Band, The Soul Rebels, a tribute to Melvin Sparks ft. The New Mastersounds, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Anders Osborne ft. Scott Metzger, and more.

    Don’t miss special appearances by The Robyn Party, Tash Neal, Karina Rykman, Simon Allen, Andy Falco, Brandon “Taz” Neiderauer, Scott Metzger, Doom Flamingo, and Nicki Bluhm.

    Donations will go directly towards the Jazz Foundation of America to support the music of our future while you watch. Party Brooklyn Bowl-style via Fans.com.

    “We started Broolyn Bowl to bring people together to enjoy the magic of live music. We has a great run, open every night of the week, with people coming from every direction, and e loved hosting every type of musician and fan that you can imagine. Then we had to stop. Even though our stage is dark, we are still turning 11 years old. Having a birthday during this difficult time makes us want to get back to doing what we do more than ever. We will be back.”

    – Peter Shapiro, founder Brooklyn Bowl

    “We have had a lot of fun in our first 11 years! Because we’re closed temporarily, we now exist as a glowing sense memory of warm vibes, soft light, great sights, and sounds. A place that became a refuge from the ordinary crap in modern life. A place where we rediscovered the simple magic of coming together to celebrate life. This anniversary comes at a moment of enormous pain, stress, and loss for so many of us. But it’s also an opportunity — a giant reset button. All of us can practice greater kindness, mindfulness, and generosity of spirit. We all need to love each other and pull together. We will be back!”

    – Charley Ryan, founder Brooklyn Bowl

  • This Darkness has got to give: Music Venues in July across New York State

    It is now July 2020, the fifth month with minimal, if any, live music performances throughout New York State, let alone the country. Our venues are not yet open, but as the threat of COVID-19 decreases, parts of New York will enter Phase 4 and beyond, with the hope that live music will return, even if gradually.

    While we may be stream weary, the prospect of live music is a motivator for many, and staying safe is the key given that New York and much of the Northeast are faring better than other areas of the country.

    Photo by Buscar Photo

    From viewing these photos taken during mid-late June, we can see the presence of the Black Lives Matter protests that spanned all 50 states. In all corners of New York there were protests, particularly in New York, protests that continue to push for defunding of the NYPD.

    Working with 13 photographers to document more than 60 venues in 20 cities across New York State, NYS Music presents the second edition of our monthly series that looks at the current state of our beloved venues. When the venues reopen, we will share photo documentation recording the changes over time in all corners of the state.

    Immense thanks goes out to all photographers and venues who are taking part in this monthly series. We’ll start this month in the Capital District, with a drone montage from Zach Culver, covering the venues we long to return to, sooner, rather than later.

    Manhattan and Brooklyn – photos by Joseph Buscarello

    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)

    Hudson Valley – photos by Mickey Deneher

    Saranac Lake – photos by Pete Mason

    Long Island – photos by Andrew Camera

    Rochester – photos by Brian Ferguson

    Plattsburgh – photos by Jerry Cadieux

    Manhattan – photos by Jamie Huenefeld

    Utica – photos courtesy of The Stanley Theatre

    Port Chester – photos by Chad Anderson

    Ithaca – photo by Casey Martin

    Lake Placid – photos by Pete Mason

    • Paul White Memorial Band Shell
    • Palace Theatre

    Long Island – photos by Rob Tellerman

    Tarrytown and Peekskill – photos by Steve Malinski

    Buffalo – photos by Zachary Todtenhagen

  • This darkness has got to give: Music venues during COVID-19 across New York State

    As we enter June, the fourth month where live music performances are postponed until it is deemed safe to have mass gatherings due to COVID-19, we take a look at the music venues across the state that are closed for now, but in the coming months will hopefully reopen.

    Working with 13 photographers to document more than 60 venues in 20 cities across New York State, we present this monthly series that will look at the current conditions of these beloved venues. As they reopen, we will provide photo documentation recording the changes over time in all corners of the state.

    Great thanks to all photographers and venues who take part in this series.

    Buffalo – photos by Zachary Todtenhagen

    Capital District – photos by Zach Culver

    Brooklyn – photos by Joseph Buscarello

    Hudson Valley – photos by Mickey Deneher

    Long Island – photos by Andrew Camera

    Plattsburgh – photos by Jerry Cadieux

    Manhattan – photos by Jamie Huenefeld

    Syracuse – photos by Josh Davis

    Utica – photos courtesy of The Stanley Theatre

    Ithaca – photos by Casey Martin

    Long Island – photos by Rob Tellerman

    Brooklyn and Manhattan – photos by Steve Malinski

    Port Chester – photo by Chad Anderson

  • In Focus: Terrapin Family Band Shines at Brooklyn Bowl

    There’s something amazing about the music of the Grateful Dead; it is a catalog of songs that has spoken to music fans for generations. It’s a collection of music that, since the 2015 Fare Thee Well shows in Chicago, has exploded, ushering in a new generation of musicians that are carrying the torch of the Grateful Dead Family. These songs are the only collection of music in the world that has a whole scene based around it. One that is growing around the next generation of musicians covering, experimenting and paying tribute to this amazing catalog. Since its formation, The Terrapin Family Band is one of the top bands doing this and has brought a new and fun sound to this music that has new and old Deadheads alike excited for whats new and what’s next.

    Thursday night this remarkably talented group of musicians brought their take on The Dead catalog to the intimate Brooklyn Bowl. The band, led by Grahame Lesh, also includes Ross James, Alex Koford, Jason Crosby, Elliot Peck, and Nathan Grahame, treated Deadheads to two sets of classics like “Bertha,” “New Minglewood Blues,” “Sugar Magnolia,” and “The Other One.” But It was the addition of the TAB horns of James Casey and Natalie Cressman on songs like “Dancing in the Street” and “Brokedown Palace” that show why this music is thriving again – it’s moments like this when the next generation of musicians are taking these classic songs and throwing their vision and musical style into the mix. It’s moments like this that show the magic of the Grateful Dead and why the Terrapin Family Band is so much more than a cover band, they are the leaders in this movement that’s reminding all music fans that family is what the Grateful Dead community is all about.

    Keep an eye out for more upcoming dates, and hopefully some festival appearances from the band this summer. And don’t be surprised if most of this band will be at The Capitol Theatre next weekend joining in the celebration at Phil Lesh’s 80th Birthday Party.

  • Andy Frasco and the UN Royally Rumbles With Big Something at the Brooklyn Bowl

    Andy Frasco and the UN brought their Royal Rumble tour circus to the Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday night, in the form of a high energy, wrestling themed showdown with co-headliner Big Something. Comedian Kyle Ayers doubled as the opening act and MC for the antics. The sold out crowd enjoyed the ruckus that ensued, as well as the jams.

    Kyle Ayers kicked off the festivities with an unusual opening set of comedy directed at jam band fans. Shortly thereafter, Big Something descended upon the stage, delivering jam rock with a Southern and alt-rock flavor, along with extremely high energy. Members of Andy Frasco and the UN joined this party dressed in wrestling masks for a notable cover of  Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” At one point, Frasco dove onto Ayers, forcing him to wear a neck brace for the rest of the show. Big Something also performed the nineties throwback “Gangster’s Paradise” by Coolio. 

    After setbreak, Andy Frasco and the UN descended upon the stage once again, this time with even crazier stage antics. Known for stage diving, Frasco went for a ride early on in the set, and sported a bottle of Jameson throughout the night. Frasco was not without support from talented guests, as guitarists Dave Brandwein of Turkuaz and Brandon Niederauer took the stage for an electric cover of “Burning Down the House” by the Talking Heads. They also played their newly released track “Keep On Keepin’ On,” which was well received by the crowd.

    The night was not complete without a stage diving race to drive the lane and dunk a basketball into the hoop setup within the crowd. Ayers refereed this challenge, while standing on top of Frasco’s piano. Frasco pulled off the victory while wearing his Wilt Chamberlain Lakers jersey.

    The show was highly entertaining, and included some tasty blues, funk and rock-n-roll jams. This circus is back on the road this week in NY State, performing at the Buffalo Iron Works in Buffalo, NY on Tuesday, Feb 18th. Visit their tour page for more details.

  • Spafford Slays The Brooklyn Bowl With Stellar Lights and Covers

    Arizona’s improvisational jam rock quartet Spafford kicked off a three night run on Friday night at the Brooklyn Bowl. They delivered high energy tunes to the sold out crowd immediately upon taking the stage- and never looked back. The band also brought a high tech light rig that elevated visuals throughout the show. They were supported by, and are currently on tour with, Connecticut’s Eggy.

    Known for blending rock, funk, jazz, reggae, ska and electro-pop, Spafford’s members include Brian Moss (guitar), Jordan Fairless (bass), Andrew Johnson (keyboards), and Nick Tkachyk (drums).

    Eggy’s line up consists of Michael Goodman (bass), Jake Brownstein (guitar), Dani Battat (keyboards) and Alex Bailey (drums).

    Brian Moss

    Eggy kicked off the festivities to sizable crowd, as their Connecticut fan base was out in full force. They installed an “Eggy” sign on Battat’s keyboard stand, and dove into their flawless set of jam rock that often reminded this reviewer of Moe. Towards the end, they paid homage to Blind Melon by covering “No Rain,” which was a hit with the crowd. Andrew Johnson from Spafford the keyboard space with Battat for this cover, and the synergy was quite notable. Eggy’s impressive execution felt more like a main course, despite being tonight’s appetizer.

    Johnson sits in with Eggy for Blind Melon’s “No Rain”

    Spafford quickly made haste by taking the stage and unleashing a monster “Shakedown Street” cover by the band who started the jam rock genre, The Grateful Dead. Their exquisite light rig heightened the already powerful house lights at the Brooklyn Bowl, much to the delight of NYC Metro region crowd. They were so massive, in fact, that they took up a sizable chunk of the stage’s real estate.

    The second set included more of Spafford’s signature improvisational rock, funk and electro fusion. Moss’s guitar work was on another level tonight, and was often seen exchanging smiles and jubilant glances with Fairless, Johnson, and Tkachyk. They also dispatched another notable cover of “Peaches”, by 90’s alt-rock band, The Presidents of the United States. The show wrapped up with the high energy “The Reprise” as an encore, sending the crowd home thirsty for more.

    Spafford wrapped up their soon to be legendary three night run Sunday night at the Brooklyn Bowl with a special Acoustic only performance. Visit their tour page for details on future performance dates.

    Set One: Shakedown Street, Mind’s Unchained, Hollywood > The Remedy, Plans

    Set Two: America, Doghouse > Part II > Musette, My Road (My Road), Peaches, Galisteo Way 

    Encore: The Reprise

    Setlist courtesy of Spaffnerds.com

  • Jazz Is PHSH perform in Rochester and New York City during brief February tour

    This February, Jazz is PHSH returns to New York with two stops in Rochester and NYC, bringing with them perform unique arrangements featuring the music of Phish and an all-star lineup. Alongside bandleader and drummer Adam Chase, musicians Felix Pastorious (Hipster Assassins), John Culbreth (Naughty Professor) and Yesseh Furaha-Ali join together for these coming shows, with Matthew Chase and Jonathan Huber joining for the first three shows, and Snarky Puppy’s Bob Lanzetti and Justin Stanton joining for the rest of the tour.

    jazz is phsh perform

    “Ultimately, it became my goal to create arrangements that would be fun for Phish fans to enjoy while presenting the music in a way that even the most pretentious jazz professor would be forced to respect,” says co-creator and music director Adam Chase, of the process. 

    To formulate their compositions, the Chase brothers do things like write original chord changes to support the existing melody or pull chord changes from jazz standards and add them to solo sections. The ensembles create their own unique interpretations and arrangements of songs by the beloved improvisational rock band and, at times, their unique interpretation of music from the Phish songbook are completely unrecognizable.

    Jazz is PHSH Tour Dates:

    1/30 – Baltimore, MD – Union Craft Brewing

    1/31 – Toronto, Ontario – Velvet Underground

    2/1 – Rochester, NY – Anthology

    2/4 – Boston, MA – City Winery

    2/5 – Philadelphia, PA – City Winery

    2/6 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl

    2/7 – Winchester, VA – Bright Box Theater

    2/8 – Harrisburg, PA – The Abbey Bar

    Watch a live version of “Stash” from City Winery in Atlanta