NYS Music 202​1

Author: Peter Herrick

  • In Focus: State Champs Headline Frozen Fest 2021 at Empire Live

    Saturday, December 18, was the return of Frozen Fest in Albany, New York, at Empire Live. The show was headlined by Albany’s own State Champs, with Origami Angel, Young Culture, and Pollyanna. Pollyanna, and Albany-based Young Culture opened up Frozen Fest 2021 and primed the crowd for Origami Angel. The Washington D.C. duo took the stage and rocked harder than any duo should be able to. By the end of their set, the Frozen Fest audience was feeling loose and ready to party with State Champs.

    state champs
    State Champs

    State Champs walked on stage before a rowdy crowd that had no idea there was a 24-song set in store for them. The long setlist bounced around State Champs’ discography and the audience loved every minute of it. The hometown band opened with ‘Criminal’ and crowd surfers immediately began pouring over the guardrail. The show’s energy slowly increased over the course of the next hour, until fans received good news.

    state champs
    Origami Angel

    After what felt like an entire show, Derek announced to the crowd that their set was only halfway over. A few hundred sweaty and out-of-breath fans gained a second wind and the night’s energy continued on its upward trajectory. Not too long after this midpoint though, the show hit a tipping point. Fans who were too scared to crowd surf earlier had gained the confidence to try, and one person after another began giving the “up” signal to the nearest strongman they could find.

    The evolution of a crowd surfer.

    Eventually though, the good times would have to end. As State Champs played their final songs, the party in the crowd continued with pushing and shoving blurring with hugging and singing. The only thing that could take the night higher was a 5-minute break before a three song encore. State Champs’ set peaked during this encore as the Albany fans sent up as many crowd surfers as was physically possible. Frozen Fest 2021 would go on to end in a shower of hundreds of balloons as the crowd sang along with their hometown band.

    state champs

    State Champs are heading to Europe next, but you can keep track of future dates on their website.

    Setlist: Criminal, Mine Is Gold, Outta My Head, Shape Up, Frozen, Xmas, Tonsil Hockey (Intro), Critical, Something About You, Shades Of Gray, Hurry Up and Wait, Our Time to Go, Breaking Ground, Hard to Please, Just Sound, Simple Existence, Slow Burn, Losing Myself, All You Are is History, Dead and Gone
    Encore: Time Machine, Elevated, Secrets

    • state champs
    • state champs
    • state champs
    • state champs
    • state champs
    • state champs

  • In Focus: The Front Bottoms at Empire Live

    Albany’s Empire Live was sold out on Friday, December 17 for The Front Bottoms, Opening act Sydney Sprague was accompanied by her Jazzmaster, and started the show with a solo set that highlighted her singer/songwriter style. Sprague sang a few songs from her new album maybe i will see you at the end of the world, including ‘object permanence,’ ‘quitter,’ and ‘steve.’ Check out Sydney’s site for her future tour dates.

    front bottoms

    The Front Bottoms came out to a crowd ready to sing the words to every song of the set. Their set featured a range of songs across their discography, and had fans, both new and old, shouting at the tops of their lungs. The Front Bottoms started their set with tracks off of their newest album, ‘In Sickness & In Flames’ and their EP ‘Rose’ before playing through their debut self-titled album in its entirety. The crowd’s energy continued to build throughout the night, and only accelerated as the end approached.

    front bottoms

    The Front Bottoms left the stage and the crowd began cheering for an encore just a second later. The band got back on stage a minute later to find a crowd that had been pent up a minute too long, and the show erupted to the tune of Tie Dye Dragon and Twin Size Mattress. A wave of energy left the stage and everyone from the guardrail to the bar was moving, shouting, and contributing to the chaos. Fan after fan took their turns crowd surfing as the final minutes of set stretched out and The Front Bottoms played themselves out.

    front bottoms

    The Front Bottoms are finishing the last leg of their tour, but you can keep up to date with any future show on their site, and can hear their music on YouTube.

    front bottoms

    Setlist: Leaf Pile, Vacation Town, West Virginia, Montgomery Forever, Love at First Sight, Awkward Conversations, Jim Bogart, Peach, Cough it Out, Flashlight, Maps, Looking Like You Just Woke Up, Mountain, Rhode Island, The Beers, Father, Swimming Pool, The Boredom Is The Reason I Started Swimming. It’s Also The Reason I Started Sinking, Bathtub, Legit Tattoo Gun, Hooped Earrings
    Encore: Tie Dye Dragon, Twin Size Mattress

  • In Focus: Puddles Pity Party, Live From the Egg

    Puddles Pity Party performed this past Sunday, December 12 for a few hundred engaged fans at The Egg in Albany. You may be familiar with Puddles from his over 800,000 subscriber Youtube Channel, his appearance on America’s Got Talent, or his performances with Post Modern Jukebox. For the uninitiated, Puddles appears as a large and somber clown and sings reimagined covers with his bellowing voice of gold.

    puddles pity party

    Puddles may be a sad clown, but his performance was filled with humor, irony, and a positive outlook on life. The singing clown put his own spin on a number of hits including Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over,” Lorde’s “Royals” and REM’s “Everybody Hurts.” These covers were often accompanied by videos and act outs that gave new meaning to the lyrics. Musician and comedian, Dave Hill, also joined Puddles on stage throughout the night after opening the show.

    puddles pity party

    Puddles and Co. were full of energy and made themselves at home in The Egg. The stage slowly became littered with tissues, glitter, picture frames, and clothes as the show progressed. Puddles Pity Party found themselves running from the mess and into the crowd throughout the night as they sang and soloed with the audience. At one point, Puddles moved from fan to fan while he took their phones, and recorded himself singing before handing the phones off to anyone but their rightful owners. The crowd jumped to their feet at the end of the show to applaud what was a fun and original night of covers.

    puddles pity party

    You can see Puddles Pity Party live at his final New York State show on Dec. 16 at the Tarrytown Music Hall,and you can view all of Puddles’ tour dates on his website.

  • In Focus: Hot Tuna With The Midnight Ramble Band At The Egg

    The Egg was packed this past Wednesday, December 1st, for two legendary groups: The Midnight Ramble Band and Hot Tuna. Fans of both groups were present and full of energy from the moment The Ramble Band took the stage. Throughout the night, these concert-goers cheered on what proved to be a clinic in musicianship.

    hot tuna midnight ramble
    (Pictured left to right: Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, Amy Helm, and Jim Weider)

    There’s a reason most bands have three to five members: because it’s really freakin’ hard to play in large groups. The Ramble Band’s ten members, however, made it look easy. This ensemble had no defined leader, and the crowd’s attention was masterfully directed all over the stage. It seemed as though each and every song featured a different band member taking over lead vocals, while different groups of instruments took the spotlight during breakdowns. 

    Larry and Jim led the way on guitar while Adam and Tony kept the groove going on bass and drums. Their parts were punctuated by the horn section, who left plenty of room for Amy and Teresa to steal the show with their powerful vocal performances. The crowd appreciated The Ramble Band’s high energy set that showcased each member’s raw talent.

    hot tuna midnight ramble
    (Pictured left to right: Brian Mitchell, Larry Campbell, Teresa WIlliams, Steven Bernstein, Erik Lawrence, Jay Collins, Amy Helm, Adam Minkoff, Jim Weider, and Tony Leone)

    The Midnight Ramble Band and its members can be seen performing at Levon Helm Studios – Woodstock, NY, and across the country. Check out their future shows here.

    hot tuna midnight ramble
    (Jack Casady: bass, Justin Guip: drums, Jorma Kaukonen: guitar/vocals)

    After The Midnight Ramble Band, Hot Tuna took the stage, and the blues rock trio picked up right where the big band left off. Jorma and Jack have been playing together since they were teenagers, and both went on to join Jefferson Airplane in 1965. This close connection was evident from the start of the set as the duo locked into their groove.

    The crowd peppered the show with shouts of “WOO!” and “HOT TUNA!” throughout the night as Jorma and Jack showed The Egg just how sharp they are. The duo played through their set with strong intention; Jack’s grooves were full of space, and Jorma’s licks followed suit. Their music seemed to breathe while notes were held, ringing out, allowing their tones to fully develop. By the end of the night there was no question about the fact that Hot Tuna and The Egg are a perfect match.

    hot tuna midnight ramble

    Hot Tuna are closing out the Northeast leg of their tour on Dec. 4 at The Capitol Theatre, then Dec. 5 at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, then finally on Dec. 7 at Carnegie of Homestead Music – Munhall, PA. For all dates, visit their website.

    • hot tuna midnight ramble
    • hot tuna midnight ramble
    • hot tuna midnight ramble
    • hot tuna midnight ramble