Author: Zak Radick

Hiss Golden Messenger Awakens Albany’s Americana Spirit, Covers Grateful Dead During Surprise Sit In
Authentic Americana spirit was alive and well in Albany on Wednesday evening at The Egg, as critically acclaimed singer/songwriter M.C Taylor and his band, Hiss Golden Messenger, unhatched an inspired, genre defying, career spanning stellar performance that fans fortunate to be in attendance won’t soon forget.

Bolstered by a surprise sit-in from Amy Helm (Levon’s daughter) on a barn-burning cover of the Grateful Dead classic “Bertha,” the intimate evening with arguably one of ‘this generation’s most relatable lyricists” was the kind of thing that left you feeling human again. A special kind of show you walked away from thinking perhaps you just had a rare brush with true musical greatness.

If you’ve never heard of Hiss Golden Messenger before, there’s plenty of back catalog to sink your teeth into. Now with 12 studio albums to their credit, it would be inappropriate to merely label HGM as “Indie Folk,” as they so often are. There’s just so much more to it than what that implies. Anchored by smart, deeply personal and vulnerable, thought-provoking lyrics mixed with elements of Southern Rock, Blues, and even some psychedelic Jazz- fueled Funk, M.C Taylor was largely influenced by his friend and mentor, the late great Neal Casal. The two had planned on doing an album together before the tragic news of Neal’s passing in 2019. That same year, Hiss Golden Messenger would earn scores of new fans when Terms of Surrender earned a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album, but ultimately losing out to Keb’ Mo’s Oklahoma; no shame in that.

Riding a solid wave of momentum, things suddenly came to a screeching halt in 2020. When the scary and deeply fraught reality of the pandemic hit, everything changed and everyone handled ‘the unknown’ a little different. Forced into solitude for the foreseeable future, the ever-prolific and creative Taylor managed to make the most of it. By Looking deep within and somehow turning complex feelings into songs that are highly relatable to “the everyman,” Hiss Golden Messenger ended up writing and recording a wealth of new material, releasing 3 news albums in 2021 alone; Quietly Blowing It, the timely O Come All Ye Faithful and it’s companion album, The Sounding Joy, of which Taylor describes as “a record about community, celebration, faith and grief. It’s a holiday record. And it isn’t. Sinking myself into this music helped me a lot during some hard times.”

With live concerts now back in full effect, Hiss Golden Messenger is finally able to take those songs on the road and play for real people again and for fans looking for a musical elixir to help get over the Humpday blues, The Egg was the perfect place to be Wednesday night. Taking part in the American Roots & Branches series, the evening kicked off with a lovely opening performance by Philadelphia-based female duo Rosali and Emily Robb, before the members of Hiss Golden Messenger would casually take the Swyer stage around 8:30pm. All tuned up and ready to go, the show began with “Rock Holy,” the opening track from 2018’s Virgo Fool. then promptly turned a bit funkier with “Mighty Dollar.” All warmed up now, “My Wing” and “Mahogany Dread” came next before a slight guitar strap snafu resulted in a bit of humorous story time banter.

You see years ago, back with M.C. Taylor was just breaking in, he briefly played in a group called American Music Club, who still has a bit of a cult fowling. During his very first show with them, in an alleged fit of drunken on stage rage, front man Mark Eitzel fired the entire band in the middle of the show. Taylor, who chuckles about it now, remarked, “Seeing your hero have meltdown. I kinda miss those days” before the band launched into the next song, the upbeat “Jenny of the Roses” from 2017’s Hallelujah Anyhow album.

After the next tune “Biloxi,” Taylor addressed the audience once again, saying “He woke up today and was thinking about Levon Helm,” the legendary drummer/vocalist for The Band. “So I decided to call up my good friend Amy who I know lives nearby and see if she wanted to come to the show. She says ‘Where at?’ A place called The Egg. She says, no way, I’m playing at the Egg too!” Indeed she was, as Amy’s Midnight Ramble Band was opening for Hot Tuna across the hall simultaneously at the The Egg’s larger Hart Theatre. By sheer coincidence or not, the undisputed highlight of the evening came next when Amy was called up to the stage to lend her vocal talents to a pair of songs, first was “Sanctuary” and uplifting song about hope and moving on which also contains lyrical references the late John Prine {“Handsome Johnny had to go, child…”).

As incredible as that was, it was Amy’s contribution to the next song that really made the room light up, as the band then launched into the classic Grateful Dead staple, “Bertha.” Keeping the funk-folk vibe alive, HGM would really find their groove on the next number, “Like a Mirror Loves a Hammer” from 2016’s Heart Like a Levee. Afterwards, Taylor would joke how prior to the pandemic, none of them knew how the play a guitar, but it’s amazing what you can learn during a lockdown if you really put your mind to it.

Taking it down a notch, “Passing Clouds” and “I’ve got a Name for the Newborn Child” were up next, followed by “Cat’s Eye Blue,” a stellar version of Bright Direction (You’re a Dark Star Now) before “Southern Grammar” would bring the show to a close.

It’s unclear if Hiss Golden Messenger intended on returning for an encore (though one was written out ahead of time on the setlist), but after a sustained ovation from Albany’s music loving faithful, Taylor and company finally returned to the stage, commenting how he “thinks the art of the encore has slowly been lost, but that’s a discussion for another tim.” and that he could tell our thirst for one more was “real.” With that, “Way Back in the Way Back” was chosen as the final song evening, closing the book on a fantastic, well rounded, poignant night of music filled with impassioned storytelling, top-tier musicianship, a memorable sit in and even a few lighthearted laughs too.

Hiss Golden Messenger – Lewis A. Swyer Theare at the Egg – Albany, NY – 12/1/2021

Setlist: Rock Holy, Mighty Dollar, My Wing, Mahogany Dread, Jenny of the Roses, Biloxi, Sanctuary*, Bertha,** Like a Mirror Loves a Hammer, Caledonia, My Love, Passing Clouds, I’ve Got a Name for the Newborn Child, Cat’s Eye Blue, Bright Direction (You’re a Dark Star Now), Southern Grammar

Encore: Way Back in the Way Back

*Featuring Amy Helm on Vocals
**Grateful Dead cover, Amy Helm on Vocals
December 3, 2021
Ramble on Lark Street: Last Waltz Tribute a First for New Albany Music Hall
Thanksgiving is a time for tradition and perhaps a new one was born on Wednesday night in Albany. Coming together in grand fashion family, friends and fans of The Band convened at Lark Hall on Thanksgiving Eve for a memorable evening billed as The Last Waltz on Lark Street; a stellar tribute to one of the most celebrated concert performances in rock history.

For anyone not familiar, The Band are about as close to music royalty as it gets in New York State, particularly in the Capital and Mid-Hudson Regions where the group famously lived, partied and wrote music together under the roof of a ‘Big Pink‘ house near Saugerties. Often referred to as just “the band” by Bob Dylan (with whom they often backed), the name stuck and over the course of 16 years, The Band — Rick Danko on bass, violin and vocals; Levon Helm on drums, mandolin and vocals; Garth Hudson on keyboards and saxophone; songwriter Richard Manuel on keyboards, percussion and vocals; and guitarist, songwriter and occasional vocalist Robbie Robertson, would go on to write some of the most timeless songs and albums in American music history.

As the story allegedly goes, after burning out from the demands of the touring lifestyle, it became clear the dynamic that had made The Band so special and unique had changed, the brotherhood and comradery had faded a bit and it was starting to reflect in the music. Then in 1976 it was officially announced they’d be playing their final show; one last chance to dance and it was to be held on Thanksgiving Day at the legendary Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. What took place that night, as famously documented in Martin Scorsese’s iconic film of the same name, The Last Waltz, would go down as one of the greatest star-studded, ground breaking concert celebration spectacles of all time.   The film itself would later go on to be selected by the Library of Congress to be forever preserved due to it cultural and historical significance.

Now some 45 years later, the magic made and songs played that night are still being talked about, still influencing and still being played by a whole new generation of New York based musicians and for one close-knit group of Capital Region players and friends, an idea that sparked from a brainstorming jam session somehow serendipitously snowballed into reality and perhaps simultaneously became the next “can’t miss” pre-Turkey day musical meet-up for those who call the surrounding Albany area “home”.

To do this properly and with any sort of ‘relative’ justice, of course, was no easy task and with so many moving parts, variables and logistics to the show, it would also require a bit of help from friends, the good natured people behind the scenes and well, a little luck too. Those obstacles aside, here’s a ‘not-so exclusive’ scoop for the NYS Music reading faithful: never doubt the heart or talent that dwells within the 518 area code. If anyone was up to the challenge, it was the bunch who dared to dream to put this event together in the first place.

With 2021’s incarniton of The Band not finalized until the very last minute, the one-time-only line up ultimatley consisted of 18 players; a ‘who’s who’ of capital region musicians that featured members of The Wheel, The NolaNauts, Eastbound Jesus, Dead Man’s Waltz, Sarah Sippely and Brian Lapointe and the Joints.

Albany’s newest venue, Lark Hall hosted the event. With full support of Jennifer Miller, the visionary proprietor of Lark Hall, the recently renovated, historically preserved venue has quickly made a name for itself, largely by hosting nights like this; unique one-off collaborations and themed performances in a comfortably intimate, church-like setting that’s already earned the praises of nationally known artists like Keller Williams, The Futurebirds, Carl Bromel, Liz Cooper, and legendary Phish lyricist The Dude of Life. All hype and anticipation aside, the time for the inaugural Last Waltz on Lark Street had finally come.

Piped in over the PA system, the performance began with an orchestral rendition of “Theme From the Last Waltz” as the core members of “The Band” gradually filled up the stage. All tuned up and ready to go, the celebration kicked off with ‘Up on Cripple Creek’ into “The Shape I’m In.” The set would begin to stray from its familiar order when our first guests of the evening, NolaNauts horn section Bill Ringwood and Brian George, joined in for a crowd pleasing ‘Ophelia” and “This Wheel’s on Fire.” Mike Coleman would then switch out with Brian Bean on bass for “Further Up the Road” and “Who Do You Love” before the spotlight would shine on Rick Rothermel, The Wheel’s burley multi-talented keyboardist with a voice of gold who arguably had the most challenging role of the evening in filling the legendary shoes of Garth Hudson. After nailing “Chest Fever,” Rothermel handedly made a believer out of anyone in attendance not already having fun. The Nola horns would return once again for “Caledonia Mission” and an upbeat version of “King Harvest”. Following an inspired rendition of “It Makes no Difference” that featured the lovely talents of Sarah Sheppeck on lead vocals, “Life is a Carnival” would bring the opening set to a close and send fans to intermission with huge smiles and lots to talk about.

With the fuse already set for a party following the wickedly fun opening set, somehow this collective ensemble of talented musicians made of varying ages, sexes and backgrounds that came together with little time to rehearse, followed it up with an even more epic second set. It was the kind of thing capital region music fans have been dreaming of, really.

Kicking off with Brian Bean back on bass was “The Same Thing” followed by the iconic song “The Weight” which had everyone in The Hall singing along. Now that everyone was friends here, it really started feeling like a family affair when Bryan Gautie and Jill Gautie (along with Dr. Pete Andriakos of The Wheel) took over the stage to perform the only acoustic song of the night, “Coyote.” Sarah Sheppeck would then join them for another classic, “Long Black Veil” and remain on stage as Eastbound Jesus mandolin player Andrew Lynch and fiddler Jessica Bowen then got in on the fun with another highlight on the evening, “Atlantic City.” The strings would stick around for the next number Tom O’Connor introduced as a personal favorite, “Rag Mama Rag.”

Ratcheting up the ramble to a raunchy new high was “Mystery Train” which featured the talented Brian Lapointe on a screaming harmonica. “Across the Great Divide” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” came next, followed followed by “Caravan.” Now with all of the musicians who had participated on the night on the stage, the sentimental set closed with a family-jam style singalong version of “I Shall be Released.”  Following pleas from the enthusiastic and appreciative crowd, “Don’t Do It” was selected as the lone encore, bringing the first ever Last Waltz on Lark Street to a celebratory close.
November 30, 2021
The Antlers Return With First Show in Over 2 Years, Play Entire New Album
Live from the legendary Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, critically acclaimed Brooklyn band The Antlers recently emerged from hibernation for their first show in over two years. Playing their latest studio album, Green to Gold, in its entirety followed by a second set of career spanning material, the enthralling, emotional, and dream-like performance on October 22, 2021 was nothing short of awe-inspiring. The road to get there, however, was a long time coming.

Rising to prominence in 2009 with their breakthrough masterpiece Hospice, a semi-autobiographical concept album that tells the story of a hospice worker falling in love with a terminal cancer patient, The Antlers had not released any new music since 2014’s Familiars. It was later revealed in 2017 that primary songwriter and bandleader Peter Silberman had quietly stepped away from the band after being diagnosed with permanent, career threatening tinnitus and vocal lesions. The Antlers would remain silent until October 2020 when seemingly out of the blue, they released a single for “Wheels Roll Home” and officially announced their first album in seven years, Green to Gold would be released in March of 2021 via Anti Records/Transgressive.

While no touring plans were made in support of the album, the band confirmed a special one-time only performance of Green to Gold would soon take place at the most storied barn in the Catskill Mountains. For diehard fans, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more perfect setting than Levon Helm Studios.

For those who didn’t already know, some free advice: arriving late to a show at Levon’s is like being late to church on communion Sunday; there’s simply no way to enter without being disruptive. The ‘last minute Larry’s’ on this particular night found that out the hard way when classically trained jazz minimalist David Moore of Bing & Ruth kicked off the evening with a beautifully subdued piano recital. The acoustics in the room so clear, every footstep and whisper of the late arrivals was heard. Unphased by any of it, Moore’s focused, cinematic set was but a precursor to the splendor yet to come.

After a brief intermission, it was finally time for a performance that was years in the making: The return of The Antlers. A must-see bucket list band for some, one person I spoke with at set break confessed they traveled all the way from Minnesota to Woodstock for this one-time-only, once in a lifetime show. Spoiler: the band did not disappoint.

Bathed in lavender light and taking the stage to a chorus of cheers and smiling faces, the mood gradually turned dead serious as a chorus of cicadas and crickets soon engulfed the room. Just like on the studio album, The Antlers opened with the first track off Green to Gold, a dreamy, ethereal, post-rock styled instrumental called “Strawflower.” Each of the four members adding a new layer of sound and texture while joining in one by one, it wasn’t until “Wheels Roll Home” that we would hear the instrument most vital to The Antlers signature sound, Peter Silberman’s remarkable voice.

Showcasing his impressive vocal range through half-sung/half-whispered melodies that often guide the listener to an astonishing falsetto peak, when you hear Silberman sing in person, you know you are witnessing a special talent. A vulnerable, rare kind of performer who can effortlessly send shivers up your spine or tears down your face on any given song; an artist willing risk it all for the sake of his craft, defying doctors’ orders after being told he may never perform again. Sounding magnificent on this cool autumn night at the barn, hearing Silberman pour his heart out to a live audience felt like nothing short of a blessing.

Describing “Wheels Roll Home” as “a simple song about the hopeful promise of reunion after a long time gone, the experience of waiting out tumultuous times and longing for stability,” Silberman touches on a theme most can relate to, particularly in the wake of the global pandemic. Never a band to shy away from difficult, dark and emotional subject matter, their bread and butter since the beginning, just two songs into the set and you could feel a sense of renewed optimism from The Antlers, something rarely heard on their previous albums.

Up next came a beautiful song called “Solstice”, co-written with long time Antlers drummer Michael Lerner (who opted to play on Levon’s vintage red kit instead of his own), the band describes the tune as a “flashback to the infinite days of peak childhood summer, innocent barefoot hikes, staying outside all afternoon and late into the evening, well past it being too dark to see. But it’s remembered from the vantage of a present day that feels unbearably long rather than joyously endless. It’s an invocation of those simpler times, an attempt to conjure the lightness of youth, before life got so damn complicated.”

Building on the soul-searching mood, the introspective journey continued with “Stubborn Man” before fading out into a sea of ethereal ambience that left the mesmerized crowd in stunned silence. As the emotional weight and integrity of the band’s performance grew with each successive song, up next came one of the biggest standouts of the evening “Just One Sec,” a song that noticeably left several people in tears.

“I’ll free you from the person I was sure I knew
I’ll free you from a reputation you outgrew
I’ll free you from behavior I’d expect to see
And my interpretation of history
‘Cause I boxed you in unconsciously
And I saw you and I thought you ought to be
But by loving you imperfectly
For just one sec, I’ll free you from me”
“Just One Sec”

Segueing perfectly into another song about hindsight came “It Is What It Is.” Also written by Silberman and Lerner, the richly textured song tackles the topic of learning from your mistakes, asking the listener to ponder “what might have changed had you handled things differently back then, and the reluctant acceptance that it’s too late for all that now.” The Antlers then seamlessly worked their way into “Volunteer” before transitioning to the hypnotic title track of their latest album, “Green to Gold,” a song that contemplates the inevitability of life and it’s ever-changing seasons. The gentle soul-searching sway of “Porchlight” lead us to the album closer, bookending the set with another languid, post-rock influenced instrumental called “Equinox.” The relaxing, layered groove would simply dither out and conclude the Green to Gold portion of the show the same way it began, in chorus of crickets and cicadas.

After a short brake, the emotionally elated audience welcomed The Antlers back for round two. There was no mystery during the opening set, but now it was anyone’s guess. Opting to go with the opening track from 2014’s Familiars was the beautifully brilliant song “Palace.” From there we were treated to back-to-back songs from the bands critically acclaimed album Hospice, first was “Atrophy,” then perhaps the most well-known song of the evening, just down the road from Bearville, came “Bear.”

“We’ll play charades up in the Chelsea
Drink champagne although you shouldn’t be
We’ll be blind and dumb until we fall asleep
None of our friends will come
They dodge our calls
And they have for quite a while now
It’s not a shock
You don’t seem to mind and I just can’t see how”
“Bear”

After the stellar rendition of “Bear” was the bittersweet anthem “Parade.” Taking a moment between songs to clear his throat with a large drink of water, you just knew whatever was next, Silberman was going to give it everything he had left. As the richly textured, dream-like melody of “Corsicana” began, a tangible “hairs-on-the-back of your neck, get your cell phone out and record this” feeling swept over the audience. The only song to be played from 2011’s Burst Apart, it was then that Silberman uncorked one of the most unbelievable, heartfelt falsetto croons these ears have ever heard; one that still gives me shivers just thinking about it. Following an extended well-deserved applause, we were treated to one final thought-provoking number, a little-known song written by Silberman, but never released by The Antlers called “Ahimsa.”

“Time is all we have, I hope I have enough
Enough to show you love before my time is up
Before you wake the dead, take a pause
Instead of deafening nonsense, share silence
No violence today
No violence, no violence, no violence today”
“Ahimsa”

With an extraordinary end to an extraordinary evening, the band members then took center stage and hugged it out with each other first before bowing to the standing ovation. Not just a special night for fans who thought they’d never live to see an Antlers performance, but a special night for the band themselves. Coming full circle and finding perspective by letting nature run its course, time has been good to The Antlers. From writing somber songs in a Brooklyn bedroom, to playing Green to Gold in a legendary barn surrounded by friends, family, and some of their biggest fans, those who were lucky enough to be at Levon Helm Studios on this night will never forget it.

As the season for “best of the year” lists rapidly approaches, be skeptical of any that does not include The Antlers and 2021’s Green to Gold. Seven years in the making, this is an album that will stand the test of time.

The Antlers – Levon Helm Studios – Woodstock, NY – 10/22/2021

Set 1: Strawflower, Wheels Roll Home, Solstice, Stubborn Man, Just One Sec, It Is What It Is, Volunteer, Green to Gold, Porchlight, Equinox

Set 2: Palace, Atrophy, Bear, Parade, Corsicana, Ahimsa
November 5, 2021
Davy Knowles Serves Up Stand-Out Performance to Sit-down Crowd in Pawling, NY
On the eve of his latest studio release “What Happens Next,” Davy Knowles served up a special sneak preview of the album to ‘hungry’ music fans in Pawling, NY on Thursday, October 21^st. Daryl’s House, the nostalgic “dinner and a show” type venue, owned by Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates fame), played host to the event.

Part cabin-in-the-woods, part rock history wax museum, part steakhouse, Daryl’s House is anything but a typical concert venue. Then again, Davy Knowles, the Isle of Man-born guitarist/singer/songwriter isn’t your typical musician. First making waves with his band ‘Back Door Slam’ in 2007, then releasing two subsequent solo albums, 2014’s ‘The Outsider’ and 2016’s ‘Three Miles From Avalon,’ Knowles made history by becoming the first musician to play live in space, beaming directly from Mission Control in Houston to the International Space Station.

Back on Earth, Davy has earned a reputation in recent years as one of the top blues guitar players to keep an eye on; honing his craft while on the road with music titans like of Jeff Beck, The Who, Buddy Guy, Warren Haynes and The Rhythm Devils to name just a few.

Taking the stage at Daryl’s House around 8pm with the smell of pork ribs, sauerkraut and calamari still permeating the air, most of the audience was still finishing their dinners when Davy Knowles gave them something to really sink their teeth into. Opening the show with the punchy rock riff of “Solid Ground” followed up by “Heavy On My Mind,” it was as if the mostly mature, well behaved crowd didn’t know what hit them. Nevertheless, Knowles, bass player Tod Bowers and drummer Jeremy Cunningham continued on with another new track, “One & the Same” before Davy uncorked his biggest guitar solo of the night thus far on the anthemic “Stand Your Ground.”

I’m so tired of pretending, second guessing myself. All this time I’ve been spending, pleasing somebody else.

Knowles then candidly addressed the room, saying how nice it’s been to play music to a live audience again, yet also nerve-wracking trying to remember how to play some of the older material. He then asked if everyone could say “hello” in unison to his family at home watching via Facebook live.

From there, the trio brought the energy level down to a true blues vibe with ones of the stand out tracks off the latest Knowles album, “Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” before ratcheting it back up with the title track off 2015’s The Outsider.

Standing in the shadow of a massive Jimi Hendrix print on the wall, you couldn’t help but draw the obvious comparisons between the two. Sure, there’s only one Jimi, but make no mistake about it: Davy Knowles is one hell of a talented guitar player. With tone for days and an effortless ability to work his fingers around the frets with blistering speed and confidence, bringing each solo to a jaw-dropping climax before returning to more familiar structure, never were his chops more on display than on the tune “Every Man For Himself.”

The well-balanced flow of the set all but dictated it was time for another blues number, and “Roll Me” hit the sweet spot just right. We then got the evenings only song off 2016’s Three Miles From Avalon, the foot stomping, hand clapping sing along “Oxford, MS,” which finally had the audience fully engaged in something other than finishing their food.

Now eating out of the palm of his hand, Knowles would then cook up something extra saucy with the riff-centric rocker, “Outside Woman Blues” before segueing nicely into the motivational “Work a Little Harder.” Finally, Davy would bring the entrée portion of the set to a close with a new song written during the height of the pandemic, “Wake Me Up When The Nightmare’s Over. ”

After walking off stage for a brief moment, Knowles returned to with only an acoustic guitar in hand.   With that, he began sharing some personal reflections about what the last two years have been like for him.   From getting married, to losing his beloved father, to the birth of his first child and wishing his dad was there to see it, there was a lot of real-life heaviness in a relatively short period of time for Knowles. The big reprieve for him, he says, was getting to spend so much quality time with his family and learning how to be a dad.

It was during that time he wrote the encore song “If I ever Meet My Maker,” the closing track of his latest album and easily the most introspective and emotional song of the evening. Never one to send the audience home on a downer, both Tod Bowers and drummer Jeremy Cunningham rejoined Knowles for one last song. Paying homage to one of his personal guitar heroes, Knowles closed the show with a cover of the Rory Gallagher classic “Take What I Want,” bringing the powerhouse performance to an end and for the first time all night, the seated audience to their feet in a standing ovation.

Afterwards, the hard-working and approachable Knowles and his bandmates could be seen talking with fans and posing for selfies with them before packing it up and getting on to the next town.    After a brief run the mid-west, east coast fans will get several more chances to catch Davy Knowles before the end of the year, including November dates in Buffalo, Lima and New York City.

Davy Knowles – Daryl’s House – Pawling, NY – 10/21/2021

Setlist: Solid Ground, Heavy on My Mind, One & The Same, Stand Your Ground, Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, The Outsider, Light of the Moon, Every Man, Roll Me, Oxford MS, Outside Woman Blues, Work a Little Harder, Wake Me Up, When the Nightmare’s Over, If I Ever Meet My Maker, Take What I Want (Rory Gallagher cover)
October 26, 2021
Wild Adriatic Go Underground for Dynamic Capital Concert Finale
Capping off the Summer with a “wild” performance, the 2021 Capital Concert series came to a bittersweet close Wednesday night in Albany, with the final event at the Empire State Plaza headlined by Saratoga Springs’ hopefuls Wild Adriatic and Troy mainstays Super 400.

The free event presented by SEFCU was initially scheduled to be outdoors, but with lingering precipitation from Hurricane Ida, organizers made the early call to move inside and underground to the underutilized Convention Center.

Holding nothing back on this night, Wild Adriatic [Travis Gray(guitar), Rich Derbyshire (bass) and Mateo Vosganian (drums)] expanded from trio to five-piece for this special performance, enlisting keyboard player Dusty DeLuke and Let’s Be Leonard saxophone player Connor Dunn to help fill out their sound. The additions paid dividends early as the band opened with some of their oldest material, a one-two punch of “Letter” and the always upbeat “Mess Around.”

From there the band slipped into the opening track off their 2019 Our Time EP, “Hard Living.” Now firing on all cylinders, it felt like the boys put a little extra stink on a riff-rockin ‘Same As It Ever Was>Mistreated” jam sandwich, which at one point included a bit of call-and-response interplay between Gray and the audience.

Not done with sandwiches and segues just yet, Wild Adriatic would also uncork Tight Grip >Duende >Tight Grip and then finish up the set with an impressive triple decker treat that went from ” 40 Days, 40 Nights” to “Appleton” to a surprising cover of the Phish song “Carini,” one of the headiest type-II vehicles in their catalogue.

The band would eventually find their way back to “Appleton” to close out the set. After taking a bow and walking off stage, there seemed to be some confusion if they’d be back for an encore. After a few minutes of wonder, a buzz started growing when people collectively realized the stagehands were actually adding instruments to the stage, not breaking it down. When Wild Adriatic finally emerged from the shadows, they weren’t alone.

Now joined by their friends from Super 400, the stage was set for a super-jam scenario. Much to the delight of those who stuck around, fans were treated to a memorable three-song encore of classic covers; “Cissy Strut” by The Meters, “Loving Cup” from the Rolling Stones and finally, the show concluded with reggaed-out version of “I Shot the Sheriff.”

Wild Adriatic – Capital Concert Series, Empire State Plaza Convention Center, Albany – Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Setlist: Letter, Mess Around, Hard Living, Same As It Ever Was > Mistreated > Same As It Ever Was, Ain’t The First Time, New Orleans, Tight Grip > Duende > Tight Grip, 40 Days 40 Nights > Appleton > Carini > Appleton

Superjam: Cissy Strut, Lovin’ Cup, I Shot The Sheriff
September 3, 2021
Inaugural LonCon Music Festival Captures Lightning in a Bottle
The inaugural LonCon Music Festival took place over August 27-29, 2021 at the legendary Arrowhead Ranch and Retreat in Parksville, NY. Organized by Long Island up-and-comers Baked Shrimp, the two day event served as a tribute to the late Lon Gellman, a well-known and beloved supporter of live music.

Fans attending LonCon 2021 saw performances by Twiddle frontman Mihali, Dogs in a Pile, RCA, Creamery Station, and artist-at-large, Hayley Jane. Unfortunately just two acts into day one, torrential rains and an intense lighting storm forced all music to be suspended due to safety concerns. Originally scheduled headliners Aqueous were unable to play their set. While gloomy and on the cusp of rain throughout all of Saturday, LonCon managed to rock on without a hitch.

RCA, comprised of Dopapod’s Rob Compa and Kung Fu members Chris DeAngelis and Adrian Tramontano, played mostly songs off Compa’s 2019 debut solo album, Same Damn Thing. In a set filled with more teases than you could count, including moe.’s “Rebubula” and the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood,” the undisputed highlight came when artist at large Hayley Jane sat in for a ferocious take on Alanis Morissette’s ‘You Oughta Know.”

Due to their opening day set being cut short by lightning, event organizers Baked Shrimp played an extra long mid-day set to make up for lost time. Picking up right where they left off by completing a “Rosa” jam, the ambitious young band also debuted “Hurricane Jane,” which saw both Hayley Jane and Rob Compa sit in.

Jersey Shore jam band Dogs In A Pile immediately raised the energy on the farm to a whole new level. Distinguished by their colorful outfits, two guitar-attack and otherworldly sounds courtesy of multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Kaplan, the band managed to turn the soggy farmland into a veritable dance floor. Making her third appearance of the afternoon, Hayley Jane returned to the stage once again, this time with a washboard draped around her neck, joining Dogs in a Pile on a rollicking version of the beloved The Band classic “Ophelia.” Not done with sit in’s just yet, Rob Compa would later join the band for an extra funky rendition of ‘Boogie on Reggae Woman.”

With nightfall now upon LonCon 2021, Day 2 headliner Mihali Savoulidis took the stage shortly after 8pm. Before starting his set, Mihali spoke candidly about his special connection to the late Lon Gellman and explained just how much of an honor it was for him to be there at this inaugural event. He would go on to play a sentimental set, highlighted by Twiddle staples “Apples,” “Mamunes the Faun,””Every Soul,”and “Hattie’s Jam” > “When It Rains It Pours,” and “River Drift.” Other highlights included an impressive mashup medley of “Glycerine” > “No Woman No Cry” > “Farmhouse” > “Wagon Wheel” and Hayley Jane joining on a cover of No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak.” The set also featured sit-in’s from Kung Fu/RCA drummer Adrian Tramontano and Baked Shrimp members Jared Cowen and Jager Soss.

Mihali Setlist: Be There (1), Collective pulse (1), Glycerine -> No Woman No Cry ->Wagon Wheel -> Farmhouse-> One Day, Ballad of the Broken (2), Living is the Lesson, Don’t Speak (3), Cali Roads (3), Open House (4), Heart Song, Apples, River Drift, Empty Overflow, Mamunes the Faun (5), Every Soul (6)
Encore: Hatties Jam (1) -> When it Rains it Pours

(1) Dedicated to Lon Conscious
(2) Formally known as CaliRado
(3) W/ Hayley Jane
(4) Formally known as Castle in the Sky
(5) w/ Jager Soss (Drums; Baked Shrimp) Jared Cowen (Guitar; Baked Shrimp)
(6) w/ Adrian Tramontano (Drums; RCA / Kung Fu)

Baked Shrimp Setlists

Friday, August 27
Setlist: NO2-4U, Molly Ann, Tulu, Melting Over Nothing, Pork Etiquette, Rosa (1)
(1) Cut short due to lightning storm.

Saturday, August 28
Setlist: One Set: Rosa (1), Weird Times, Who are You and What am I?, Ollie Blu, Hurricane Jane (2), Stomatopoda, Level of Gold, Pig Hearts and Mechanical Parts, Super Human Mutant, Benny, Down the Drain -> Equinox
(1) Ending jam only; completes 8/27/21 version
August 31, 2021

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