Author, poet, songwriter, and Queen of New York Patti Smith graced the stage at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park with her bandfor a free Sunday evening show this past weekend as part of the Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage concert series.
Nearly one month ago Smith was set to perform as part of the mega NYC Homecoming Concert in the Great Lawn, which was cut short by the watery remnants of Hurricane Henri before she had her turn on stage. Confirmed in an interview she did that evening with Anderson Cooper, she we would have performed a duet with Bruce Springsteen on the song they penned together, “Because the Night.” While there was no surprise Bruce appearance, Smith made a full-hearted fancy of the tune in dedication to her late husband Fred Smith.
A NYC-cultivated setlist payed tribute and honor to Smith’s equals who’ve either passed or fortunate to still be contributing to the arts. Early in the show Smith dedicated the reggae-infused “Renando Beach” to the late Jamaican record producer Lee “Scratch” Perry and went on to pay tribute to Charlie Watts with “Beneath the Southern Cross.” In tribute to former Saturday Night Live star Norm Macdonald Smith introduced Stevie Wonder’s “Blame it on the Sun” with a quote from the late comedian. Her band paid homage to Hilly Kristal and his CBGB legacy with a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “I’m Free” with an interlude of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” Lastly, Smith tipped her hat to Bob Dylan with her take on his song “One Too Many Mornings.”
As a poet Smith performed her spoken word poem “Perfect Moon” to welcome in the approaching Harvest Moon leading seamlessly into the lyrics and music of “Dancing Barefoot.”
After a short encore break, Smith’s show ended with a message of strength “People Have the Power.” With fists in the air, many sang along in solidarity with that message.
The Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage concert series continues into early October; for more information check out the schedule here.
Setlist: Grateful, Redondo Beach, Free Money, Ghost Dance, Perfect Moon (poem), Dancing Barefoot, Ain’t It Strange, Beneath the Southern Cross, Blame It on the Sun, I’m Free -> Walk on the Wild Side -> I’m Free, Because the Night, Pissing in a River, One Too Many Mornings, Land / Gloria
This here was an eclectic, punky mix of music on a beautifully moonlit Sunday night at SPAC, with Flogging Molly, Violent Femmes, Me First and The Gimme Gimmes, and Thick. The venue had hosted hordes in their thousands for Dave Matthews earlier in the weekend, but this gig wasn’t that kind of shoulder-to-shoulder crowded – the theater was a good two-thirds or so full, with a smattering of people out on the lawn. Not empty by any stretch, but not packed either. Which was just fine for this writer, who is just easing back into live music in the plague-times.
Brooklyn punkers Thick opened the gig before the place had filled up much, with a few hundred people inside the theater and an enthusiastic group down the front. I’m new to this band, but they blasted out an energetic half-hour of raw, catchy punk, and I was left wanting to check out more. Cool band.
The place started to fill up for Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, who took the stage to an Eddie Money intro tape, and swaggered through a 45-minute set which damn near stole the show, kicking off with “Don’t You Worry About a Thing” and straight into Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” and roared through some Elton John (“Rocket Man”), Neil Diamond (“Sweet Caroline”), John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” and Paul Simon’s “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” preceded by an audience Q&A about weird public sex spots along with a whole bunch of other pop hits, retooled as blazing punk rock. You had to be there.
Swingin Utters’ Spike still leads the show and hits all the notes, but the band for this tour was bulletproof and ironclad: John “The Swami” Reis of Rocket from the Crypt and Jonny “2 Bags” Wickersham of Social Distortion on guitar, Andrew “Pinch” Pinching, sometime drummer for The Damned on the skins, and the guy with the bass, white hair and beard on the right was none other than CJ Ramone himself. CJ Ramone! They were great. All-star, hilarious, fast, heavy and and unstoppable.
Violent Femmes seemed the odd men out on a bill otherwise populated with fast punk rock, but a solid chunk of the crowd was here to see the alt-rock legends, who had a spare stage set, instrumental variety galore and got a great reaction. And if the Femmes touring with Flogging Molly seemed odd, it shouldn’t: the VF toured with The Pogues in the 80s, which should give them all the Celtic punk cred they need, as if they needed any. I’ve never owned a VF record, but openers “Add it Up” and “American Music” are familiar, ubiquitous alternative rock standards. They kept the crowd with them for the 15-song set, with one player from the Horns of Dilemma in the back mixing up the songs with some brass, a fiddle-player for a few songs, and drummer John Sparrow playing not only stand-up snare, but a wooden box and a charcoal grill. Bassist Brain Ritchie switched to xylophone for “Gone Daddy Gone” before “the hit” – “Blister in the Sun” and “Kiss Off” wrapped it up. A great set.
You’d think that the variety between the two headliners would see some of the VF crowd head for the doors on a work night, but not so – the audience hung in for Flogging Molly. The Femmes were by far the most veteran band here, but FM singer Dave King has probably been playing the Albany-Saratoga region longer, having first appeared in this region in the early 80s as a skinny Irish teenager with long red hair, fronting the British metal band Fastway when they opened for Iron Maiden in 1983, and Rush in 1984 at Glens Falls Civic Center just up the road from SPAC. Not that Flogging Molly are newcomers any more – their indie debut live record Alive Behind the Green Door was released way back in 1997, and the recently reissued, roaring debut studio record Swagger has passed the 20-year mark. Dave King’s red hair has given way to spiky white locks and spectacles. Flogging Molly are now veteran rockers. But the Celtic punk sound is still hefty, fast, rowdy Irish drinking music – even if SPAC’s inflated $17-per-can beer prices made it hard to afford to get in the spirit, and a lack of any Guinness on sale didn’t help either.
The Mollys hit the stage hard, with a hammering “Devil’s Dance Floor” from the Swagger debut getting the pit crowd up front bouncing, which continued for the whole hour-ish long gig. A pummeling of “The Hand of John L. Sullivan,” from their most recent record Life is Good was next, but most of the songs played weren’t the recent ones – nine of the 14 songs played were from the first two studio records, including a blazing “Drunken Lullabies,” “The Worst Day Since Yesterday,” which let off the gas a bit, King’s autobiographical “Black Friday Rule,” and an his ode to his dad – “The Likes of You Again.” The lineup has shifted – only four remain from the seven-member lineup that recorded those first two records: King, his wife/fiddler/whistle player Bridget Regan, bassist Nathan Maxwell, and Rochester, NY native Dennis Casey on guitar, who were joined by more recent members Spencer Swain on mandolin/banjo, and drummer Mike Alonso. Where accordion player Matt Hensley was is unknown, but he wasn’t in Saratoga. And there was some new music, the band playing one new jangly and Celtic song, “Croppy Boy,” which joined the hit single “Float” and the wistful “If I Ever Leave This World Alive” as the mellower points of the evening.
Other than that, it was all carousing, headbanging Irish music: instrumental neck-snapper “Swagger,” the pounding “Crushed (Hostile Nations)” and, of course, “Salty Dog,” that speed-demon Celt-punk classic which has not lost a thing in the 21 years since it opened the studio debut. The band finished up with two more full-on blasts of rollicking paddy-punk: “What’s Left of the Flag” and “The Seven Deadly Sins,” even if there were only six Flogging Mollys up there to commit them. A fine Celtic end to a four-pack of cool, varied, alt-punk musical acts.
Setlists:
ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES: Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing (Stevie Wonder cover), Jolene (Dolly Parton cover), Danny’s Song (Loggins & Messina cover), Straight Up (Paula Abdul cover), Sloop John B (The Beach Boys cover), Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (Paul Simon cover), Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond cover), Rocket Man (Elton John cover), Over the Rainbow (Harold Arlen cover), Leaving on a Jet Plane (John Denver cover), Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp) (Barry Mann cover), Summertime (George Gershwin cover), End of the Road (Boyz II Men cover)
VIOLENT FEMMES: Add It Up, American Music, I’m Nothing, Breakin’ Up, Prove My Love, Promise, Country Death Song, Jesus Walking on the Water, Good Feeling, Gimme the Car, I Held Her in My Arms, Color Me Once, Gone Daddy Gone, Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off
FLOGGING MOLLY: Devil’s Dance Floor, The Hand of John L. Sullivan, Drunken Lullabies, The Worst Day Since Yesterday, Black Friday Rule, Croppy Boy, The Likes of You Again, Swagger, Float, Crushed (Hostile Nations), Salty Dog, If I Ever Leave This World Alive, What’s Left of the Flag, The Seven Deadly Sins.
Looking out on the throngs of fans who flocked to North Pearl Street in downtown Albany for PearlPalooza, WEQX Program Director Jeff Morad remarked “This is a prime example of ‘If you build it, they will come.’” With three local artists and a day of prime weather, the first PearlPalooza since 2019 took place on Saturday, September 18, bringing Albany out in force.
photo by Pete Mason
Starting with Yogapalooza at Noon, PearPalooza kicked off with music at 1pm with prog-rockers Timbre Coup, a long-awaited return to the stage for many in the crowd. Glass Pony‘s upbeat pandemic anthem “Something Good” rang through the streets and businesses on Pearl Street.
photo by Pete Mason
Jocelyn and Chris were the third hometown band on the lineup for PearlPalooza, giving many an opportunity to see them play live, in person, as opposed to their near-daily live streams that have been a regular way to get to know the duo since mid-2020. Thus, they brought their yellow livestream couch for a brief respite during their set, and performed the unreleased “Runaways.” While Jocelyn opted for a costume change, Chris showed off his guitar chops, leading into “Witness.” The duo emotionally thanked the crowd for the opportunity to play live music once again, closing the set with radio hit “Sugar and Spice.”
For Slothrust, PearlPalooza marked their ‘first show in forever,’ as frontwoman Leah Wellbaum remarked. After the live debut of “The Next Curse,” they performed a heavy cover of Britney Spears “Hit me Baby One More Time.” The Violent Femmes influence was felt on the Boston group, who commanded the stage, leaving an indelible mark in the annals of PearlPalooza, encoring with “Birthday Cake” and greeting fans side stage after their set.
Dave Matthews Band arrived at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on September 17, 2021, for the first of two shows at one of their most familiar stomping grounds. Matthews briefly grew up in the Hudson Valley of New York before heading to South Africa, then to Charlottesville, VA to form his eponymous band.
The first concert Dave ever saw was that of Pete Seeger. “My parents took my brother, my sisters and me. I will never forget it. I was little. Dancing in a field in Upstate New York while the grown-ups sat on the grass.” Dave was able to share the Saratoga stage with a 94 year-old Pete at the September 2013 Farmaid concert.
Dave Matthews Band opened their two night run at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Friday with a nod to Seeger by performing “Rye Whiskey,” the first time the full band has played it since Bethel Woods in 2009. A variation on the traditional Scottish folk song “Way Up on Clinch Mountain”, Seeger’s version includes the lyrics “If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck, I’d swim to the bottom and never come up.”
Tim Reynolds warmed Saratoga up with a two night acoustic run on his own at Putnam Place back in June. He told NYS Music about playing smaller rooms before his sold out SPAC shows “Oh incredible man, I think this year is wide open.”
The band extended out “So Damn Lucky” from the 2003’s Some Devil, seguing into Sly and The Family Stone’s “Thank You Falletinme Be Mice Elf again.” Dave Matthews had reunited with Some Devil bassist Tony Hall for their Labor Day weekend shows at The Gorge Amphitheater in George, WA, where Hall sat in on low end for bassist Stefan Lessard. Hall told NYS Music about the recording of Some Devil “I had a lot of fun with that record. One of my favorite songs is “So Damn Lucky.”
A new song debuted by the band this tour, “Walk Around The Moon,” has a psychedelic sound based on a true story of being lost in the woods with unexpected consequences very fitting for Saratoga Spa State park with its forest lining. The band shone a moonlit glow on the crowd for “You Never Know” with it’s fitting lyrics, “Funny when you’re small, The moon follows the car there’s no one but you see Hey, the moon is chasing me”.
The seven piece took “Jimi Thing” for a walk down multiple SPAC trails mashing up covers by Huey Lewis’ “I Want a New Drug,” Prince’s “Sexy Motherfucker” and The Rolling Stones. Dave took on Mick Jagger’s front man energy while singing the Stones staple “Satisfaction” in honor of Charlie Watts, for whom Dave Matthews Band had opened up for in the past.
All the lovers in attendance got a “#41,” “Say Goodbye,” and “Lover Lay Down” to keep their flames lit. Tony Hall’s cajun influence is heard during the appropriate “Louisiana Bayou” jam. The band encored an upstate New York anthem “Don’t Drink The Water,” with the poignant “here’s the hitch your horse is leaving” lyric for the Saratoga race track heads.
Night two at SPAC and the weather was perfect for more Dave Matthews Band. “Big Eyed Fish” opened the show, as the crowd was treated to “#27,” “The Stone,” and “Sugar Will,” all three being golden tunes to catch a vibe. Up next Buddy Strong kicked that B3 Hammond up for a howling cover of The Zombies “Time of the Season.” “Pantala Naga Pampa ” -> “Rapunzel” musical ride hit hard mid set, with “Granny” reminding the crowd why they were in attendance (Love!!!…Baby!!!)
The ensemble closed with Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” while midway through the chilling cover, Dave came in with the final verses of “Stairway to Heaven.” The house lights went up and a fresh fall air set on the crowd. The encore jumped seasons with “Christmas Song,” a simple song about the message of love through baby Jesus.
They finish with “Shake me like a Monkey” to make sure the crowd is on the same page before exiting into our lives: “Do you know what it is to feel the light of love inside you? And all the darkness falls away. If you feel the way I feel then I believe we have the answer. That I’ve been searching for tonight”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eei2lTAiP6Q
Dave Matthews Band – September 17, 2021 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Saratoga Springs, NY
Setlist: Rye Whiskey, One Sweet World, That Girl Is You, Pig, So Damn Lucky, Can’t Stop, Walk Around the Moon, You Never Know, Minarets, Jimi Thing, I Want a New Drug, Sexy M.F., Brown Sugar, Bitch, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, #41, Say Goodbye, Kill the Preacher, Why I Am, What You Are, Lover Lay Down, Louisiana Bayou, Stay (Wasting Time),
Encore: Sister, Don’t Drink the Water
Dave Matthews Band – September 18, 2021 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Saratoga Springs, NY
Setlist: Big Eyed Fish, Bartender, Grace Is Gone, Grey Street, #27, The Stone, So Much to Say, Anyone Seen the Bridge, Too Much, Sugar Will, Crush, Squirm, Lying in the Hands of God, Time of the Season, Pantala Naga Pampa, Rapunzel, Drive In, Drive Out, Granny, Warehouse, All Along the Watchtower
On September 3, Preservation Hall Jazz Band drew in a packed house at The Ridgefield Playhouse bringing with them the soul of New Orleans jazz and heritage. With merely less than a week since the devastating Hurricane Ida hitting New Orleans, their keep-your-head-up spirit radiated from their voices and music. (Links to NOLA hurricane relief fundraisers are included at the end of the article)
Preservation Hall is celebrating a big milestone this year. It’s the 60th anniversary since their founding in 1961 after Allan and Sandra Jaffe inherited a hybrid art & music gallery space on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter. Today the band is carries on a family tradition being led by Allan’s son, Ben Jaffe. Much like the nightly concerts put on by members of the Preservation Hall collective at their New Orleans venue, the show took us through various flavors of the New Orleans jazz tradition with the spice of their own touch blending other cultural music styles in their arrangements.
The second set brought a special surprise for the audience, in a way a blessing introduced by Hurricane Ida. Jaffe walked out on stage with a clarinet to say some introductory words, referencing a musician who, because of the hurricane timing, evacuated New Orleans with the band rather than other possible alternatives. A living legend of the Preservation Hall collective, 89-years-young Charlie Gabriel, was brought out for the entirety of the remainder of the show. Gabriel’s passion for the saxophone, music, and comradery for his bandmates gave him a youthful but refined liveliness as he stood alongside his bandmates on stage.
That French Quarter street music feel had many toes tapping the whole night and as the heat grew on stage the theater was brought to their feet, seemingly shaking loose the weight of the past year. The band capped the end of the night with two burners, “La Malanga” and their Cuba-inspired composition “Keep Your Head Up.”
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Setlist:
Set 1: Tin Roof Blues, One Hundred Fires, Rich Women, Tootie Ma, So It Is, Santiago, That’s It!
Set 2: Come With Me/Convergence, Dear Lord, I Am, La Malanga, Keep Your Head Up
In the wake of Hurricane Ida, there are several ways to contribute to help New Orleans musicians and the NOLA community in Hurricane Ida relief:
Wantagh hosted “The Metal Tour Of The Year” at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, featuring Megadeth, Lamb of God, Trivium, & Hatebreed. Billed as “The Metal Tour Of The Year” and rightfully so, as each one of these bands could easily headline their own respective tours.
Fans of all ages packed in the beautiful Jones Beach Theater in Long Island in a buzz waiting for the show to begin. Originally scheduled to open the tour was In Flames, but due to COVID the band ultimately decided not to tour. Hatebreed graciously accepted the position and gave a fantastic heavy, fast paced set that really set the bar for the show.
While only performing 8 songs in total, Hatebreed didn’t slow down at all performing favorites such as: “I Will be Heard”, “Smash your Enemies”, an epic Slayer cover of “Ghosts of War”, and “Perseverance”. While their set flew by, they finished with an exclamation point with their hit “Destroy Everything”. Hatebreed was the perfect replacement for In Flames to open this tour, and fans were very welcoming and receptive to their performance.
Following Hatebreed, Trivium is set to take the stage and fans are starting to fill in the theater. Anticipation was certainly high as the crowd chanted the bands name prior to them taking the stage. After a brief instrumental prelude, Trivium roars right into their new hit “In The Court of The Dragon” which sends Jones Beach into a roar. While also only playing an 8 song set, Trivium flowed seamlessly through their performance. Following up right into “Catastrophist” and then “IX” really showcased how tight of a band Trivium is. It is unfortunate they were only allotted 8 songs, though all of them being their top hits which included “What The Dead Men Say”, “Down From The Sky”, “The Heart From your Hate”, “Feast of Fire” and closing with “In Waves”. Triviums stage presence was something to be admired as singer/guitarist Matt Heafy moved around the stage and interacted with the crowd. Overall their set was very well done for the time they had allotted.
Next up was the co-headliner of the tour, and one of the biggest metal bands in the modern era – Lamb of God. Lamb of God is known for their absolutely captivating live shows, with an energy that is just unmatched by singer Randy Blythe. Tonight would be no different, as the crowd chants “Lamb of God, Lamb of God” over and over waiting for their show to start.
Opening with “Momento Mori” the lights are all dimmed down as the intro places and the band one by one takes their places on stage. As the intro progresses Randy Blythe makes his way front and center perfectly times as he opens with a epic scream of “Wake Up” and the band immediately fires on all cylinders. Randy Blythe isn’t just any front man, he is one of the absolute best in the business and commands your attention with his stage presence. From the beginning to the end of their set, Blythe doesn’t stop moving and jumping around the stage, feeding off of the crowds energy. Their set was fast paced, heavy, and in my opinion one of the best live metal shows to see.
Their set included a mix of old and new songs, all of which fit perfectly into their performance. Going right into “Ruin” the crowd doesn’t have any time to relax, as the mosh pit grows in ferocity and crowd surfers are seemingly nonstop. One of the highlights of their set was the third song, “Walk With Me In Hell” which included an enormous amount of pyrotechnics. Randy also played into the pyro of the set, performing a glorious jump off the drum risers as the flames were all rising at once. The rest of their 12 song set included hits “Now You’ve Got Something To Die For”, “512”, “Vigil” “Contractor”, “Laid To Rest”, and ending their performance with the very high energy “Redneck”. Lamb of God is a must see for any fan of metal music whenever they come around.
Lamb of God Setlist: Momento Mori > Ruin > Walk With Me In Hell > Resurrection Man > Now You’ve Got Something To Die For > Set To Fail > New Colossal Hate > 512 > Vigil > Contractor > Laid to Rest > Redneck
It was finally a time for Megadeth to take the stage and fans were pumped after Lamb of Gods performance. While not as heavy of a band, Megadeth are legends and are one of the “Big 4″(Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax being the others) so fans were in for a treat tonight. Vocalist and founder Dave Mustaine recently won a battle with throat cancer, which makes seeing them perform that much more special.
Opening with “Hangar 18” the crowd erupts into applause and screams as Dave takes the stage dressed in a white shirt and jeans. The band sounded great and Mustaine was still performing exceptionally well, especially giving the circumstances he has gone through. The production was top notch with the drums also sitting high up on risers and a giant blue “MEGADETH” sign lit up the background. The band transitioned extremely well between songs, playing “The Threat Is Real” right into “Sweating Bullets.”
Highlights of Megadeths set were during “Dystopia” when Vic Rattlehead appeared with a robot(Vic Rattlehead is the mascot Megadeth and is a skeletal figure wearing a suit who embodies the phrase “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” as well as a symbol of censorship.) and during “Tornado of Souls” when Dace announced that tomorrow is his 60th birthday, which then the crowd sang “Happy Birthday”. Megadeth closed out their set with “Peace Sells” and “Holy Wars.. The Punishment Due” in epic fashion, with everyone in Jones Beach Theater giving applause.
The Metal Tour of The Year is definitely one worth seeing, as all these bands are fantastic and put on such a great performance. It was a great feeling to be back to a packed metal show again, which hopefully is a positive sign of the future for more shows.
Megadeth Setlist: Hangar 18 > The Threat Is Real > Sweating Bullets > She-Wolf > The Conjuring > Trust > Conquer or Die! > Dystopia > Tornado of Souls > Symphony of Destruction > Peace Sells > Holy Wars.. The Punishment Due
The North American Tour for Julien Baker is well underway, with her headlining show at The Beacon Theatre on, Tuesday , September 14 marking a significant milestone in her career. A packed crowd cheered on as she played hits from her catalogue, including several tracks from her latest album, Little Oblivions, which released earlier this year. Thao and Mini Trees opened up the show.
Julien Baker at Beacon Theatre, Photographed by David ReichmannJulien Baker at Beacon Theatre, Photographed by David Reichmann
Mini Trees opened up the show with songs from their debut album Always In Motion, which you can pre-order here.
Mini Trees at Beacon Theatre, Photographed by David Reichmann
Thao fired up the crowd with a lot of energy during their set. Their setlist included the track Marrow from their latest album Temple, which released in 2020.
Julien began her set with the emotional and hard-hitting track Hardline, her latest album’s opening track. She played a wide range of songs, from the quietest and loudest moments in her catalogue. You can see the full setlist here.
JulienBaker at Beacon Theatre, Photographed by David Reichmann
Between songs Julien joked about how strange is was to be in a fully vaccinated and (partly) masked audience, thanked her New York audience for making the evening possible, and remarked on how strange this tour was compared to her last.
Julien Baker at Beacon Theatre, Photographed by David Reichmann
You can check out Julien Baker’s latest album here and view her remaining Fall Tour dates here.
Julien Baker at Beacon Theatre, Photographed by David ReichmannThao at Beacon Theatre, Photographed by David ReichmannJulien Baker at Beacon Theatre, Photographed by David Reichmann
On the evening of September 9, 2021, a cacophony of spiked collars, fluorescent shorts, and favorite faded tee assembled under the Webster Hall Marquee holding the words SLEIGH BELLS. Vaccine cards in hand, fans appeared to be patient, but closer investigation revealed fingers tapping, shoulders curling and wide eyes darting.
Why the underlying excitement? Because this night celebrated the 10 year anniversary for Sleigh Bells and the release of their newest album, Texis. The sold-out, fully-vaxxed show had dedicated fans yearning to show appreciation for the band’s providing a depth of meaning far deeper than casual.
The energy reflected that night felt like an expression of survival among diverse fans that were grateful to their two heroes, Alexis Krauss and Derek Edward, for providing escape, protection, and tools for self love in order to go on in this world with a head held high.
The ferocity in the fans was unhinged. The darkness and strobes mixed with the bass and tempo perfectly, showcasing the dynamic range of response. A true reflection of the diversity and adversity many fans have experienced due to who they are and who they love.
Sleigh Bells singer Alexis Krauss recalled recognizing nearly all fans in the crowd. Like the recently released song “True Seekers,” fans did not hesitate to drive from places like Washington D.C. and Georgia for this special night.
Motif of duty seemed to resonate throughout the night. It was the responsibility for fans to let go of all the emotions trapped in the safe space both medically and metaphysically. Acceptance to show up as one’s true self allowed for joy to spark a fire that burned away all distractions from the world that existed outside of this hallowed hall.
The short version is Sleigh Bells is my fav band—it’s hard to describe why they’ve had such a profound impact on my life thru the years, but ever since the release of Treats, I can’t get enough Lol so my husband and I came all the way up from Atlanta to see this show! It was so cathartic in the age of covid…I cried after the show just from pure bliss of remembering concerts past…when you go to a Sleigh Bells show, you’ve got to bring the energy & it give it everything you’ve got! And that’s just what we did.
A True Seeker
To tie the ribbon on this musical gift, Sleigh Bells provided a sensory experience conducive for fans to walk together into the void as their authentic selves. Alexis and Derek played fast, loud and with love. New songs and old, the band paid respects to their past and ended with sights pointed towards the future.
The dragons have been awakened by their fearless leaders. Mobilization for a brighter future awaits. Tour starts now. Go see them if you can.
For more Sleigh Bells, treat yourself to a YouTube Rabbit hole of their incredible music video catalog before purchasing your show ticket.
Merch sold out before the show started so if you missed your chance, visit the online store.
The Black Crowes, led by founding brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, played the first of three shows in New York State amid their ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ 30th anniversary tour, at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Tuesday, September 14
Back in November 2019, the pair appeared on The Howard Stern Show to deliver incredible news: “We’re announcing that the Black Crowes are together and that we’re going on tour next summer.” That was planned for 2020, with a tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their quintuple platinum debut album Shake Your Money Maker and will feature the band playing the entirety of the record every single night. Chris Robinson reflected humbly on the upcoming experience:
The real reward is knowing our music has played a vital role in many people’s lives as well as getting to see their albums on shelves alongside some of the other greats. “I always thought, ‘I’m in the same record store as Thelonious Monk? … Like, what? How did that ever happen?’
Chris Robinson
The brothers were special guests and closed a set at the Beacon Theater for the Love Rocks NYC Benefit on March 12, 2020. Just three songs were all that was played before the full 30th anniversary tour was postponed. This marked the Black Crowes last Empire State show before heading up the Hudson River to Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Tuesday, September 14 to keep their rock and roll promise.
Supporting the tour has been the band “Dirty Honey,” featuring Niskayuna native Marc LaBelle on lead vocals, with the group playing material from their new LP, including the single “The Wire.” They immediately got the crowd’s attention with a rock like vibe reminiscent of the Crowes infamous tour with Jimmy Page in 2000. Marc Lebelle’s hometown crowd led to him reflecting on his first show at SPAC as a fan, for an Aerosmith performance in 1990. To help come full circle, the band covered “Last Child” as an homage to Boston rock legends.
Prior to the Crowes start the stage was set like a western saloon with a full bar on site. Lead singer Chris Robinson came out head to toe, dressed with an umbrella in hand.
The Elmore James composition “Shake your Money Maker” opened the show appropriately for the album and tour it is named after. The Crowes had the same approach in the 1990s to the blues hero’s sound, much like The Rolling Stones did in the 1960s. However, the Robinson brothers from Georgia hit home a little bit closer to the mud like Gregg and Duane Allman. With a jukebox behind them onstage, they played the 1990 LP in full for the Saratoga Springs crowd. All 10 tracks hit the crowd with full indulgence, making those at home realize they were jealous again.
Fans who remembered seeing the The Black Crowes with Levon Helm In Central Park in September 2009 were hoping for songs off “Before the Frost…Until the Freeze,” recorded at Levon’s Barn in Woodstock. Instead the Crowes played to the desert saloon stage up for a complete hair raising version of their classic “Wiser Time.” Guitarist Isaiah Mitchell’s twang and Rich Robinson’s tone blended with Chris’s vocals: “No time left now for shame, horizon behind me, no more pain, windswept stars blink and smile, another song, another mile.” The band gave the crowd the remedy they all needed to close the show.
For the encore, the Crowes channeled that energy for Led Zeppelin’s “Hey Hey What Can I Do?,” with Robert Plant’s lyrics fitting for the overall vibe. “I guess there’s just one thing a-left for me to do. Going to pack my bags and move on my way … going to leave her where the guitars play.”
The Black Crowes play next in New York at Jones Beach on September 17 and Bethel Woods Performing Arts Center on September 25.
The Black Crowes, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Saratoga Springs, NY – Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Setlist: Shake Your Moneymaker, Twice as Hard, Jealous Again, Sister Luck, Could I’ve Been So Blind, Seeing Things, Hard to Handle, Thick N’ Thin, She Talks to Angels, Struttin’ Blues, Stare It Cold, Sting Me, Hotel Illness, Oh Josephine, Wiser Time, Thorn in My Pride, Remedy Encore: Hey Hey What Can I Do
For many bands it is a struggle to make it past a few years. However, when they do, it requires something special. To commemorate their 20th anniversary, Georgia’s Blackberry Smoke spun up the “Spirit of the South Tour: A Celebration of Southern Rock N Roll.”
To help support this momentous adventure, Blackberry Smoke brought along The Allman Betts Band and The Wild Feathers, as well as having special guests sit in at various stops along the way. As luck would have it in the year 2021, midway through the tour a member of Blackberry Smoke tested positive for Covid. With proper protocols in place, the band isolated for enough time to enabled them to finish out the run and reschedule dates where possible. NYSMUSIC caught one of the rebooked shows at The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, N.J.
With a light breeze flowing in from the Atlantic Ocean, The Wild Feathers opened the late Sunday afternoon show. Fired up and raring to go, this five-piece from Nashville shared songs from their 2013 debut album, The Wild Feathers, and the soon to be released Alvarado. Per the band’s website, they “have been through the wringer” in the music biz, but you wouldn’t have known it as they strutted the stage, kicked up their heels, played their hearts out and found Ricky Young and Joel King climbing out on speakers to take in all the house had to offer.
The Wild Feathers
The Allman Betts Band faced logistic issues due to the rescheduled date and surprised the crowd with a three-piece acoustic version of ABB comprised of Devon Allman, Duane Betts, and R. Scott Bryon. Devon set the expectations for the afternoon calling it a BBQ backyard show, with the band writing the set list as they went along. Being in Jersey, the trio shared their take on Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” to the delight of the Asbury crowd. Drew Smithers sat in mid set with his slide guitar prowess and later Jimmy Hall, founding member of Wet Willie, joined in contributing vocals and harmonica. In the spirit of paying homage to their musical forefathers, the collective finished with Sonny Boy Williamson’s “One Way Out.”
The Allman Betts Band
As the sun was setting, Blackberry Smoke launched into a 16-song set covering their multi-decade existence. Front man Charles Starr thanked those in attendance for their support over the years and attendance at the rescheduled show. The night featured songs from their latest, You Hear Georgia, in addition to “Good One Comin’ On”, “Medicate My Mind”, and “One Horse Town. The band closed with “Ain’t Much Left of Me.” BBS’s performance let everyone know they were not calling it quits at 20 years.
Blackberry Smoke
After these three acts finished, one could have gone home satisfied. But then the magic took over. After a short break, Blackberry Smoke hit the stage again bringing with them a variety of players to salute those who paved the musical way. Joined by The Wild Feathers, they started in with Charlie Daniel’s “Long Haired Country Boy” followed by Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Tuesday’s Gone.”
Larkin Poe guested on Marshall Tuckers “Can’t You See” and Jimmy Hall fronted the jam with Wet Willies “Country Side of Life.” Not to remain on the side of the stage, The Allman Betts Band led a special tribute to Charlie Watts with “Honky Tonk Woman.” Throwing in a few more southern classics for good measure, Blackberry Smoke brought it all together as everyone joined in on “Midnight Rider.”
The New Jersey shore, known for its boardwalk, games of chance, and salty air was transformed this night by Blackberry Smoke and friends into simply “Southern” Jersey.
