Inspectah Deck, born Jason Richard Hunter on July 6, 1970, and an infamous member of the groups Wu-Tang Clan and Czarface, celebrates his birthday today.
Photo Credit: Coup d’Oreille on flickr
As a rapper and producer, Inspectah Deck has developed the sound for many Wu-Tang tracks and members, his own solo endeavors, and movie soundtracks. Throughout his career audiences have known him for his intricate lyricism and his verses on many of the group’s most revered songs.
Born and raised in Staten Island, Inspectah Deck routinely mentions the Park Hill Projects in Clifton, Staten Island, where he grew up and went to school with the future Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Remedy.
His on stage persona of being laid-back, quiet, and low-key, was a counterbalance to the antics of Method Man, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and RZA. Apparently, that also translated to his day to day personality as well, as that is what fellow members of the Wu-Tang Clan know him for.
Wu-Tang Clan
Photo: Jonathan Weiner
2014
For RS1223 Story
via Fant, Phylicia
and
Hawkins, Hillary
As the second most featured member on Wu-Tang’s debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Deck provided highly acclaimed verses for the singles “C.R.E.A.M.,” “Protect Ya Neck,” “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta Fuck Wit,” and “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’.”
On Wu-Tang’s second group album, Wu-Tang Forever, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1998 Grammy Awards, Deck produced the track “Visionz” and contributed a solo track, “The City”, as well as writing one of the most critically acclaimed verses in hip-hop on the group’s hit single “Triumph”.
Inbetween contributing to the later albums of the Wu-Tang Clan, including The W, Iron Flag, 8 Diagrams, and A Better Tomorrow; Deck worked on several other projects.
Along with features on fellow Wu members’ solo projects, including Method Man’s Tical, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, GZA’s Liquid Swords, and Ghostface Killah’s Ironman; Deck also provided production for Method Man, RZA, and GZA throughout the years.
In 2013, Deck formed Czarface with Boston duo 7L & Esoteric. Their debut album featuring the legendary DJ Premier was called Czarface. The group has collaborated with names like MF Doom and Ghostface Killah. With albums including Every Hero Needs a Villain, which was released in 2015, and A Fistful of Peril in 2016.
Deck’s work in film has included composing for movies such as Meet Dave, The Wackness, and Nerve.
Deck’s debut solo album Uncontrolled Substance was initially set to release in 1997, however, due to a flood in producer RZA’s basement studio, which destroyed over one hundred beats, including all of the instrumentals made for the album, it was finally released in 1999 and featured more of Deck’s own production.
In 2003, Inspectah Deck released his second studio album, The Movement, which he later stated did not live up to his expectations despite having popular songs like “City High” on the tracklisting. Three years later, in 2006 he released The Resident Patient, which was intended as a prequel to The Movement. The mixtape turned album was a slight divergence from Deck’s previous discography due to its cinematic themes and homages.
In 2010, Inspectah Deck released his third solo album Manifesto, which features guest-appearances from Raekwon, Cormega, Termanology, Planet Asia, Cappadonna, Kurupt, and M.O.P.’s Billy Danze.
The album Chamber No. 9, which was released in 2019 will reportedly be his final album as a solo artist. Whatever the future holds in store for Inspectah Deck we’ll all be waiting to hear and enjoy. Happy birthday, Inspectah Deck!
Robert Walter shares “Or Else” and “Franklin,” the first two songs from his Better Feathers series, in which the acclaimed keyboardist rolls out six new “digital 45s” via Royal Potato Family. Each release will feature two singles for a total of 12 tracks to be issued from now through October.
Rather than making the more obvious quiet, introspective music, the focus instead turned to my nostalgia for sweaty bars and crowded dance floors. Somewhere during the process, tracks began floating back and forth to friends like Stanton Moore (Galactic), Craig Brodhead (Turkuaz), Chris Stillwell (The Greyboy Allstars), Jake Najor, John Kimock and Mike Gordon (Phish) to add their own parts remotely.
Robert Walter
Written and recorded entirely from home during quarantine in 2020 and 2021, Robert immersed himself in the writing and recording process as a way to remain creative and fend off boredom while faced with a year of no live shows. According to Walter, the title Better Feathers comes from the idea of birds molting — shedding their old, worn-out feathers for new, better ones.
“Or Else,” is the first of the two tracks released in the series. The song features Robert Walter‘s frequent collaborator, New Orleans drummer Stanton Moore and Turkuaz guitarist Craig Brodhead. “It was influenced by early ’80s dance records by artists like Grace Jones and Chic,” says Walter. The clean melody is inspired by dub melodica explorations and the breakthrough work of Augustus Pablo to create “pure topical funk and summer vibes.” The tune was the first track Walter wrote and curated for the sessions.
Robert Walter – Photo by Julia Mordaunt
It was time to shift gears and think of the situation as a positive and not a negative; an unexpected abundance of time to emerge with something of value… The music is influenced by the methods. In the absence of working with a group, the focus turned to overdubbing layers of sound. Inspirations were found by digging into late 70s NYC dance music, dub reggae, archaic blues, Krautrock, jazz, and funk.
Robert Walter on his creative process during COVID-19 quarantining
The “b-side” is “Franklin” named after Walter‘s elementary school alongside memories of his younger self. Once again, Stanton Moore joins on drums, adding an especially spare and funky beat.
Photo by Rene Huemer via robertwalter.com
There was a certain time during the mid-’70s where it seemed like everything in pop culture was funky. Saturday morning cartoons, television commercials, and most of the music on the radio had absorbed (and sometimes bastardized) the sounds of James Brown, Sly Stone, and the Jackson 5
Robert Walker
Robert Walter’s BetterFeathers Digital 45 Release Schedule
The Better Feathers series continues in late July with the release of “Saucerman” featuring Phish bassist Mike Gordon and “Devices of Similar Size” with Stanton Moore once again on drums. Find the schedule below:
"Saucermen" (w/ Mike Gordon)
"Devices Of Similar Size" (w/ Stanton Moore)
Release Date: July 21, 2021
"Bloodstar" (w/ Craig Brodhead)
"Better Feathers" (w/ Stanton Moore)
Release Date: August 18, 2021
"Security" (w/ John Kimock)
"It's Not What's"
Release Date: September 1, 2021
"Wet From The Press" (w/ Jake Najor)
"Feeder, Doctor, Talker" (w/ Jake Najor & Chris Stillwell)
Release Date: September 22, 2021
"Hellhound" (w/ Chris Stillwell)
"Loomis"
Release Date: October 27, 2021
Until then, isten to and share “Franklin” and “Or Else” below on his Spotify as well as other streaming services accessible HERE
To celebrate the 4th of July in 1989, the Grateful Dead decided to heed the advice of their song “Truckin’” and return to Buffalo. By now, it was near tradition for the band to celebrate our nation’s independence with summer tour shows in the Northeast. Starting with a show at the same venue, Rich Stadium, for a 4th of July gig in 1986, the Dead followed this up with another one in 1987 in Foxboro, MA.
In classic Grateful Dead style, for 1989, they mixed it back up, with a summer run of shows that began at Foxboro two days prior and landed back in Buffalo on the 4th. It’s a well-crafted and enjoyable show that sees the band in fine form, all fully engaged, cohesive, and perhaps most importantly, healthy. In 2005, it was officially released on DVD, with an accompanying CD soundtrack, appropriately titled Truckin’ Up To Buffalo. Although, oddly, the title track never makes an appearance tonight.
For an opener, the Dead bring out an old faithful in “Bertha” that sparks the ignition at Rich Stadium this evening. Jerry Garcia adding a little extra “4th of July” mustard to the lyrics and the band easily toying with the reentry at one point only enliven the crowd further. This is succeeded by “Greatest Story Ever Told,” with fellow guitarist Bob Weir taking over the controls, admirably backed up, as usual, by Brent Mydland both vocally and instrumentally on electric piano. In the pivotal three-spot tonight, the band reverts back to another old standby, their signature take on the folk classic “Cold Rain And Snow.”
Weir then tags back in for another cover tune. This time it’s the band’s take on “Walkin’ Blues,” an old blues standard that was reintroduced to their live shows a few years prior. A lively Hammond organ solo from Mydland that’s supplanted by slick work from Weir on guitar along with his signature vocal stylings highlight this one. Garcia seems to take great delight in playing the “Row Jimmy” that follows, as made evident by the smiles that accompany two poignant guitar solos and a flawless vocal delivery. It’s a beautiful rendition from an era of the band’s history that produced a lot of them.
The Dead then go back to their vaunted bag of “covers,” this time going with a choice version of the Bob Dylan-penned “When I Paint My Masterpiece.”
The Dead go back even further for the next song, “Stagger Lee,” their electricized cover of another folk song that dates back to the early 20th century. To close out the rest of the first, they return to their immense catalog of original material, starting with “Looks Like Rain.” Weir tackles the emotional vocals with ease while Garcia tacks on some more transcendent guitar fills for good measure. A rowdy “Deal,” accentuated by more frenetic work from Garcia on the fret board, then caps off the first set, with the Rich Stadium crowd vociferously making their appreciation known.
To ring in the second set for Buffalo’s 4th of July celebration in 1989, the Grateful Dead rip into an immaculate “Touch Of Grey.” The pulsating bass line deployed by Phil Lesh that doesn’t quit and more nimble guitar play from Garcia gets the communal engine revved backed up again in a big way.
After a quick pause, “Man Smart (Woman Smarter)” keeps the line moving. Brent Mydland steals the show on this one, lending both his signature raspy singing tone and some dazzling work on the organ that flavor the song perfectly. The Dead then go back into the earlier pages of the songbook again and slow things down a touch with “Ship Of Fools.” Some exquisite rhythm guitar play from Weir and fully engaged vocals on Garcia’s end seem to give this “Ship” a little extra edge to it.
But instead of a full stop afterwards, the Dead effortlessly slink into an instrumental section of “Playin’ In The Band” before taking it out for one verse, merely serving as a reprise. Perhaps remembering they opened the previous show with PITB two days ago at the Foxboro show, the proverbial ripcord is deployed and the band effortlessly shifts gear into a different classic, “Terrapin Station.”
Like it’s done so many times before, the percussive heavy outro of “Terrapin” slowly gets consumed by drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart and the “Drums” portion of the evening ensues. They leave no stone unturned, unleashing an impressive arsenal of percussive agents from around the world, including an electronic-sounding steel drum and an African talking drum.
Some heavy duty kaleidoscopic imagery accompanies their playing on the video, as the rest of the band begins to reenter the fray for the “Space” portion. Eventually, a familiar tone breaks through, a quasi-trumpet sound, courtesy of one of Garcia’s many guitar filters. This paves the way for the delicate “I Will Take You Home,” sung passionately as always by Mydland, that’s juxtaposed wonderfully with the scorching take of “All Along The Watchtower” that follows.
The end of the second set wraps with another couple of tried and true Grateful Dead live staples. “Morning Dew” allows Garcia to drop a few more staggering guitar solos, which he does with ease in conjunction with some truly inspired and emotional singing. “Not Fade Away” then gets the rest of the band, and the Buffalo faithful, singing together one last time to close out the set.
The crowd continues to serenade the band through the encore break which ends once “U.S. Blues” emerges, a fitting closure to this 4th of July show, and just like they had done three years ago as well.
Both full audio and video of this vintage Dead show can be found below. Happy birthday, America!
Grateful Dead Rich Stadium – Buffalo, NY July 4th, 1989
Set 1: Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told, Cold Rain And Snow, Walkin’ Blues, Row Jimmy, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Stagger Lee, Looks Like Rain > Deal
Set 2: Touch Of Grey, Man Smart (Woman Smarter), Ship Of Fools > Playin’ In The Band Reprise > Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > I Will Take You Home > All Along The Watchtower > Morning Dew, Not Fade Away
With his 2004 book, Elevator Music, Joseph Lanza laid out a lovingly comprehensive history of the much-maligned, mood-altering musical genre also known as Easy-Listening. Lanza’s treatise was ballsy in that it made the entirely logical connection between the background music pumped into shopping malls, restaurants and, yes, elevators, and the soothing experiments of ambient artists like Brian Eno and The Orb. Now with Easy-Listening Acid Trip, Lanza is digging deeper into a very specific niche of moodsong. He is showing how the psychedelia-informed hits of The Beatles, Donovan, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Procol Harum, Jefferson Airplane and others inspired easy-listening arrangers to reinterpret them as instrumentals that were sometimes more surreal than the originals.
But first, a quick primer on easy-listening music. Easy-Listening was a style most popular in the ‘50s – ‘70s, when large orchestras recorded lush instrumental versions of the vocal standards of the ‘30s and ‘40s and, ultimately, the hits of the day. The most obvious trademark was their soaring string sections. It was something that gave name to some of the idiom’s most popular artists, like the 101 Strings and the Percy Faith Strings, which also launched one of the most popular formats on FM radio.
Lanza’s Easy-Listening Acid Trip is a journey through the countless reimagings of psychedelic pop standards by the swamis of orchestral schmaltz – from Mantovani and Henry Mancini to Ray Coniff and Jackie Gleason (yes, the mucho excitable guy from The Honeymooners TV show).
Lanza kicks-off with a chapter providing a pocket history of easy-listening and a delineation between the two types of psychedelic music: the concise whimsical, effects-laden pop songs (ones which ready-made for good moodsong remakes) and the aggressive, jamming of bands like the Grateful Dead (that were not). The author then dedicates individual chapters to the different psych tentpole that arrangers took to reimagining. This includes St. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” “Light My Fire,” The Lemon Piper’s “Green Tambourine,” Donovan’s slew of mystic hits and the musical Hair. There’s also a chapter dedicated to that brief shining moment in 1968 when easy-listening artists like Paul Mauriat and Mason Williams scored chart-topping hits with their own originals, “Love Is Blue” and “Classical Gas.” Lanza also shows how the exotica instruments and arrangements of easy-listening ultimately infiltrated original rock on string heavy offerings like Love’s orch-pop masterpiece, Forever Changes, and The Left Banke’s “baroque pop” hit “Walk Away Renee.
Lanza spends a good deal of time on the Hollyridge Strings, Capitol Records’ own studio orchestra. They waxed well over a dozen “Songbook” albums smoothing out the hits of their psych-minded label mates, The Beatles and The Beach Boys, which included haunting versions of “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “I am The Walrus” and “Good Vibrations” to name a few. He also tells how the otherwise hard rocking Lemon Pipers came to record psych-pop’s most confectious song, “Green Tambourine,” and the saga behind 13 easy-listening versions, from the likes of Trombones Unlimited, Mariano and the Unbelievables and even Lawrence Welk.
Read (and YouTube your ears through) 16 elevator-informed versions of “Light My Fire,” most of which took the lead from the bossa nova flavored cover by guitarist/singer Jose Feliciano rather than the original. Lanza also details the 21 lush interpretations of Scott McKenzie’s “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)” by 101 Strings, Big Ben Hawaiian (cool steel guitar on this one!), Italy’s Caravelli and his Magnificent Strings, Living Guitars and more.
My favorite chapter is “A Wail of Illusion.” This explores how the sitar/raga fad came to hugely color easy-listening. This started right after Beatle George introduced the Indian stringed instrument into pop with the 1965 recording of “Norwegian Wood (The Bird Has Flown).”
Two men, English session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan and American Vinnie Bell, were responsible for the finest (and I mean that!) sitar-driven covers around. Big Jim left a lucrative recording and TV gig with crooner Tom Jones to record the album Sitar Beat (1967), then coronate himself Lord Sitar on the self-titled follow-up. On them, Sullivan adds an Eastern twang to covers of psychedelic pop stands like “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” Donovan’s “Sunshine Superman,” “I am the Walrus” and “Eleanor Rigby.”
Brooklyn-born Vinnie Bell was not only a monster session guitarist but an inventor, who played an important role in the creation of the Danelectro 12-string electric and the Coral Electric Sitar, still the choice of prog musicians like Yes’ Steve Howe. His 1967 album, Pop Goes the Electric Sitar also covers “Eleanor Rigby” and Bell would also lend his sitar talents to other artists’ covers of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “Within You, Without You.” More widely known are his sitar star turns on chart-toppers hits The Lemon Pipers’ “Green Tambourine,” B.J. Thomas’ “Hooked on a Feeling,” Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love,” Freda Payne’s “Band of Gold” and The Box Tops “Cry Like a Baby”.
Lanza also serves up numerous hilarious anecdotes. One regards how just weeks after the Strawberry Alarm Clock released their hit, “Incense and Peppermints,” Muzak recorded an instrumental version by Charles Grean and His Orchestra, one that kept the electric guitar but re-contoured the tune with harps, horns, flutes, a tambourine, and other effects for offices, supermarkets, and of course, elevators. My favorite tale may be from 1989. This is when gonzo rocker Ted Nugent made an offer/publicity stunt to buy Muzak for $10 million, with a promise to wipe out its entire library of master tapes. Muzak responded by recording an odiously fey version of his psychedelic whirlwind, “Journey to the Center of Your Mind,” with woodwinds and a sonic meadow of strings replacing his screaming guitar. Point and set, Muzak!
If you are a musician who wants to learn more, especially about arranging, you should check out this genre, with Lanza’s two great books serving as your guide.
You think easy-listening is not worth your time?
Maybe John Lennon can change your mind.
In the early ‘70s, Lennon disparagingly called his partner Paul McCartney’s solo work “Muzak.” But by 1980, in one of his final interviews, he was humming a different tune.
When asked about his favorite listening choices at the time, Lennon said: “Muzak or classical. I don’t purchase records. When I was a housewife, I just had Muzak on, background music, because it relaxes you.”
If it’s good enough for him, it should be good enough for you.
After nearly all Music Festivals worldwide postponed their events in 2020, the return of those festivals has begun, bringing with it joyous fans, packed houses and the livemusic that has been missing for far too long. Peach Fest 2021 marked the first large scale music festival to return, held over July 1-4 at Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA.
Thursday, July 1
Kicking off Thursday afternoon with sets from Eggy, Mikaela Davis, Twiddle, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Dark Star Orchestra, the muggy air and intermittent rain was an afterthought for those in attendance. Spread out between the Peach and Grove stages, the acts all had full crowds, with few attendees missing a full range of live music. A wide selection of jam, funk and, in the case of Davis, harp music, kept the crowds satiated, and it was only Day 1.
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Friday, July 2
The Mushroom Stage, where Goose performed a breakout set in 2019, opened up Friday at Peach Fest 2021 with Thumpasaurus, Ghost Light and Aqueous. Nicole Atkins, followed by Live at the Fillmore East, a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Allman Brothers Band seminal live album (stay tuned for our look back at the album and performance on July 6!).
What felt like a celebration of a steady return to normalcy found both musicians and patrons delighted to be back. Friday night the crowd was rocked with two sets from Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) and Umphrey’s McGee following with a two hour late-night set.
Russo gave special thanks to his drum tech/nephew Evan Roque for taking over his role behind the kit two years earlier while Joe was tending to his newborn child. Roque then sat in with Joe for an encore of “Samson & Delilah.” Umphrey’s McGee’s late-night set included a mind-blowing sit-in from lead singer from Doom Flamingo, Kanika Moore, who joined the group for a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused.” The Chicago septet closed the set with “Glory” -> “Hajimemashite” -> “Glory” followed by “40’s Theme.”
Watch Moore’s sit-in below and stay tuned for a full report on Saturday’s music!
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Saturday, July 3
A wet Friday night gave way to a much drier, enthusiastic, and jam packed Saturday at Peach Fest 2021. Spirits were high for Oysterhead and everyone raging at Turkuaz late-night. The rain picked up around 5pm when Oteil & Friends started a set of Allman Brothers tunes, welcoming the Allman Betts Band for a couple of of songs to help clear up the rain. Dopapod played an incredible, packed set at the Mushroom Stage, a welcoming sight for a Northeast Festival favorite.
On the Grove stage, Andy Frasco welcomed a cast of friend including Taz, Mike Gantzer, and members of Doom Flamingo. Frasco recreated his Peach 2019 set by crowd surfing over to the pool from the stage. Later at the Grove, Trey Anastasio sat in with fellow Ghosts of the Forest member Celisse.
Oysterhead took the stage for a highly anticipated performance, their first together since Fberuary 2020 in Colorado, and also Les Claypool’s last time on stage. Opening with “Mr.Oysterhead,” they worked through much of their catalog with Anastasio taking command on many songs, including a surprise cover of Phish’s “First Tube.” To close the night, Turkuaz played an irresistible dance set of Talking Heads covers, featuring a surprise King Crimson cover, “Thela Hun Gingeet,” with KC guitarist Adrian Belew joining them for the set.
One more day to go Peach Fest! Have a Happy 4th of July!
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Photo: Jesse Faatz
Sunday, July 4
Never miss a Sunday show, so they say, and what a SUNday it was! The weather finally gave way to a fun in the sun packed last day of Peach Festival 2021. Patrons were excited to utilize the water park and enjoy an independence day full of leisure.
Sunday started off with the Peach guitar pull, a tradition started in 2019. Later in the day Warren Haynes played a mostly acoustic, solo set. This proved to be slow but also genuine and touching, playing a soul warming “Hallelujah” (Leonard Cohen), an always loved “Soulshine,” and a well played “It Hurts Me Too” amongst an array of wonderfully executed tunes.
The main event came soon after Warren, with two sets of The String Cheese Incident. Playing a monstrous first set, opening with “Texas” and paying tribute to Independence Day by closing with the Grateful Dead’s “U.S. Blues,” with Warren Haynes sitting in.
The second set opened up with another sit-in, this time by “The Blind Boys of Alabama” followed by a reggae, bass heavy sequence of “Best Feeling” > “Exodus” > “Best Feeling.” The second set was incredibly energized and even featured a Drums section. SCI paid tribute to the Allman Brothers Band with a performance of “Jessica” as their encore.
The music was over but many of the patrons were not looking to end their nights just yet. Circling to and past the “Thunder Dome,” a DIY stage in the campgrounds consisting of a tent a and few canopies. At night it hosted as many people that could be accommodated, with musicians playing late into the night.
Another Peach fest in the books. See you next year!
This summer marks the 60th anniversary of the Opera Saratoga Summer Festival. Initially dubbed the Lake George Opera playing to a crowd of 230 people, Opera Saratoga regularly performs for over 25,000 a year. Having performed over 90 works by 52 composers, this summer’s festival commemorates the history and continued success of those who have put on these critically acclaimed productions. The festival features three concerts inspired by the literature of Miguel de Cervantes: Quixotic Opera, Man of La Mancha, and Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding.
Working with a team of those dedicated to ensuring safety in the time of COVID, Opera Saratoga has committed to bringing audiences back safety for this summer’s festival for an outdoor experience during the months of June and July. These performances, produced in partnership with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Spa State Park, and Pitney Meadows Community Farm, provide different performance spaces for a safe and enjoyable concert.
Via Opera Saratoga Official Site
“Quixotic Opera”
June 24th and 25th saw the kickoff of the festival with an 80 minute “Quixotic Opera” at Pitney Meadows Community Farm. Following a series of scenes from operas inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote, the concert brought the audience on the adventures of nobleman Alonso Quizano who became a knight to serve his nation under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha. Lead by musical director Laurie Rogers, it featured scenes from Don Quichotte chez la Duchesse (Boismortier / Favart), Die Hochzeit des Camacho (Mendelssohn / Voigts), Il furioso all’isola di San Domingo (Donizetti / Ferretti), Don Quixote (Kienzl) and more.
“Man of La Mancha”
Via Opera Saratoga Official Site
July 8th, 9th, and 10th will feature the 120 minute musical “Man of La Mancha” at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Amphitheater. Written by Dale Wasserman, the Tony Award winning musical, which features Broadway and Opera star Zachary James in the lead role as Cervantes/Don Quixote, tells the story of Don Quixote with music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion.
“A universal tale of love, hope, and adventure, Man of La Mancha celebrates the perseverance of one man who refuses to relinquish his ideals, and who is determined to see life not as it is, but as it ought to be.”
Opera Saratoga Official Website
“Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding”
Via Opera Saratoga’s Official Site
For lovers of more traditional classical music, Opera Saratoga will be presenting the 50 minute “Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding” with twelve performances scheduled between July 14th and 18th. A one-act comic serenata, the performances will feature artists from Opera Saratoga’s Young Artist Program. Written by Georg Philipp Telemann with a libretto by Daniel Schiebeler, the concert incorporates an episode from Part Two of Don Quixote where the knight and his squire stumble upon unusual weddings while exploring the world.
Tickets for both the musical Man of La Mancha and the serenata Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding on Opera Saratoga’s website. Ensured audience safety amidst the COVID-19 pandemic has limited tickets this season and Opera Saratoga anticipates that performances will sell out in advance of the show date. Advance ticket purchases are required for Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding and while not required for Man of La Mancha, they are strongly advised to ensure a spot at the special 60th anniversary performance.
Synthwave band Doom Flamingo has released their newest EP album, Flamingo, on June 30. The band has also announced a slew of tour dates for this summer, including a stop at the Capitol Theater.
(Photo Credit: Paul Chelmis)
Based in South Carolina, Doom Flamingo is a self-described “synthwave beast with a Jekyll and Hyde element to their songwriting.” Similar to the contrasting words in their name, Doom Flamingo creates a musical breed of both heavy electronica and dance-floor-ready pop.
The group features bassist Ryan Stasik, of the jam band Umphrey’s McGee, alongside a cast of musicians including dynamic vocalist Kanika Moore, guitarist Thomas Kenney, drummer Stu White, saxophonist Mike Quinn, and keyboardist Ross Bogan.
Flamingo serves as an upbeat alter ego to their 2020 DoomEP, a darker inspired collection. Full of ’80s-style keyboard beats, positive lyrics and an infectious groove, the new EP has a nostalgic summer beach-trip vibe.
This project makes me want to lace up a pair of roller skates and head on down to the boardwalk.
Ryan Stasik (bassist of Umphrey’s McGee and Doom Flamingo)
Despite this fun-loving and beachy attitude, the group stays vigilant in their belief in justice and equity. Songs like “Untraditional” and “Somebody” help spread the message that people deserve to live confidently in their truth, even if they’re outside expected societal values.
Doom Flamingo takes inspiration from a wide array of artists, from electronica pioneers Daft Punk to pop-icon Tina Turner(listen to their rendition of Turner’s “The Best”). Interestingly enough, one of the chief inspirations for Flamingo is former First Lady Michelle Obama. The band even wrote track 4, “Michelle,” in her honor.
‘Michelle’ is a song dedicated to the women that exhibit love, intelligence, and charisma because it feels good to deposit positive energy and be fed with the same. I’m inspired by Michelle Obama.
Kanika Moore (lead singer of Doom Flamingo)
Doom Flamingo in North Charleston, 2020
Flamingo can be streamed on all major platforms starting June 30. The band will also be bringing their new EP to a handful of select cities in the coming months, as part of their 2021 Summer Tour. For ticket information, check out their website.
Check out the full tour schedule below:
DOOM FLAMINGO Summer Tour 2021
July 1 – Isle of Palms, SC – Windjammer July 3 – Scranton, PA – Peach Festival August 19-21 – Chillicothe, IL – Summer Camp September 9 – Austin, TX – Antone’s September 10 – Houston, TX – Bronze Peacock September 11 – Dallas, TX – Deep Ellum September 16 – Masontown, WV – Resonance Marvin’s Mountaintop September 18 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue October 9 – Port Chester, NY – Garcia’s @ The Capitol Theater December 4-8 – Puerto Morelos, Mexico – Holidaze
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music fromFenton Hardy, Girl Blue and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Fenton Hardy
Bookended by organs, Fenton Hardy’s “The Ghost” is a haunting ballad about loneliness. According to Hardy’s Instagram, the laid-back six-minute song ponders “the age-old question: do we feel more alone in isolation or with others?” “The Ghost” is the title track off the Troy-based alternative musician’s debut EP, which includes three other songs.
Girl Blue’s “Strangers” is the third single off her upcoming album due this fall. Recorded at White Lake Studios in Albany, singer-songwriter-producer Arielle O’Keefe channels Alanis Morissette with rambly diary-lifted lyrics. The song’s intimate verses build to a cathartic chorus, where O’Keefe makes peace with a once-close ex becoming a stranger. Unlike many breakup songs, “Strangers” doesn’t feel bitter, and instead serves as an amicable goodbye letter.
Pencildive
Pencildive is a trio made up of singer-songwriter Gina De Nardo, bassist Kevin Cardinale and drummer Zach Hirsch. Their new song The Sweats” wastes zero time cutting to the chase, boldly beginning with loud drums and guitar straight out of shoegaze. Pencildive recently signed to Albany’s Paintbox Records, alongside labelmates Senior Living and The Classica. Their album, Grown-Ups is out May 28 on all platforms.
Buffalo-based star Grabbitz just released his artistic, short-film style music video for his newest single, “Pigs in the Sky.”
The just over 7-minute video shows Grabbitz in a mysterious Buffalo art museum where he finds himself immersed in paintings and scenes from different eras. Grabbitz even faces ruthless attacks from his antagonist (Sarah Santizo) as he tries to snap back into reality.
The video is an entertaining creative feat. Strong direction by Mac Cappuccino even incorporates sitcom tropes and alternate timelines (à la Wandavision) while “Pigs in the Sky” itself is a catchy, playable track.
It seems like cinematic music videos are fading out. I grew up watching immersive videos, and there were so many platforms that catered to them. Nowadays, we live in a time of TikTok where videos have to be short, to the point, and hook you in half a second. So we decided to make this video really f’ing long.
Grabbitz
Photo by Daniel Leahey
Grabbitz, AKA Nick Chiari, is not only a singer-songwriter but also a producer and musical composer. Spoken like a true 716 native, Chiari recounts that the first song he ever learned was the Buffalo Bills theme. He learned guitar and piano at a young age and began using the Xbox game “MTV Music Generator” to produce songs and beats throughout middle school.
Chiari, 28, started performing as Grabbitz back in 2014 as a DJ in the EDM world. His song “Here With You Now” gained traction and he even caught the attention of Shaquille O’Neal. In fact, Shaq made an appearance in Grabbitz’s 2018 music video for “My Cloud.” He has also collaborated with big names like One Republic and deadmau5.
Grabbitz is now back home in Buffalo after previously living in Los Angeles. With “Pigs in the Sky” and a deal with Hopeless Records, Grabbitz is hoping to enter the next phase of his musical career, having pivoted away from EDM.
Photo by Margaryta Bushkin
It’s got rapping and an interesting chord structure in the chorus. This is not a song I would have attempted a few years ago, but it feels right and I feel good about doing it now. It has a weird, driving, heavy beat that will blow your speakers if you play it too loud, and the lyrics are reflective because I wrote it during the pandemic when I had nothing but time to think. I wanted something that was serious but had comedic relief, and I think I got there. I’m proud of it and see it as a stepping stone to the next permutation of what I do.
RODERIK, the Long Island pop-punk/post-hardcore band, debuted a new single titled “You’ll Never Know.”This is the band’s second single and the latest in a series of new tunes the band will be releasing this year.
The band name, RODERIK, derived from Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, and fittingly formed during the early stages of a global pandemic, is comprised of remnants and fragments of bands that once reverberated through the vibrant Long Island music scene. Members include Alternative Press recognized band Approaching Troy, singer/songwriter Jake Anthony Salazar & guitarist Jay T. Sutherland set out with bassist David P. K., and drummer Danny Nugent, to rebuild and reformulate.
After years of writing and playing shows together, these four members have finally come together to not only make music, but build visual experiences that would mirror that of its dark origins. The band aims to combine musical elements with visual representation, showcasing the dark and honest truth of Salazar’s dark lyrics, which stem from his life experiences and ongoing battle with depression.
Of the new track, singer/songwriter Jake Anthony Salazar said, “In many ways, “You’ll Never Know” is a sequential follow up to our first single, “Save Me. Save Me” which was about my internal monologue during one of the most difficult times in my life. Whereas “You’ll Never Know” is about realizing I had to save myself, and reconciling with that. Only I could make the changes that were needed for me to be happy, but with change comes loss. “You’ll Never Know” is more focused on coming to the reality of my situation, and the grief that came with escaping it. Things that are good for us, in the long run, don’t always feel that great in the now, and this song is me trying to come to terms with that.”
To stay up to date with RODERIK follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
