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
Indie artist Phoebe Bridgers made a stop in Lewiston for her Reunion Tour. On September 15 the witty lyricist filled Artpark with skeleton suits and serenity.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
In a surprise turn of events, Phoebe Bridgers’ guitarist ended up opening the show. After two long years, Harrison Whitford finally got to perform live again. His guitar skills and soft vocals captured the crowd’s attention. His sense of ease on stage meshed well with his heart felt lyrics. The performance made the audience even more eager for the following act.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Fans screamed with excitement as the group dressed in skeleton costumes ran on stage to the iconic Black Eyed Peas song, “I Gotta Feeling.” Phoebe Bridgers immediately grabbed her guitar and opened up the show with the viral single “Motion Sickness.” The Grammy nominated musician has an ethereal presence on stage. Her angelic voice and smooth guitar strums carry the audience through these complicated yet all too relatable human emotions.
The new tour has allowed Phoebe to perform her latest releases that haven’t been heard live before. In 2020, she dropped her second solo album Punisher. Fans got to hear a lot of these newer songs like “Kyoto,” “Halloween,” and “Savior Complex.” Phoebe’s dreamy hooks make her ability to capture the different brands of depression that much more hard-hitting.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
The renowned musician described her show in Buffalo as “a rock concert with no rock music.” This is a perfect way to define the rare environment Phoebe creates at her concerts. She can pull at very specific heart strings that entrance her listeners into a seemingly new world. Through struggles with depression, a turbulent relationship with her father, and lack of faith, Phoebe doesn’t shy away from raw honesty. She further opened doors of vulnerability as the night closed with “I Know the End” and the buzzing Bo Burnham song “That Funny Feeling.” A sensation of awe swept over the whole venue that night.
Setlist: I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas), Motion Sickness, DVD Menu, Garden Song, Kyoto, Punisher, Halloween, Smoke Signals, Chinese Satellite, Moon Song, Savior Complex, Funeral, ICU, Scott Street, Me & My Dog (boygenius), Graceland Too, I Know the End
Gogol Bordello, the legendary gypsy-punk collective known for their high-energy shows and genre-bending music, touched down in Vermont on Wednesday, performing at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT.
The show replaced a Montreal tour date that was rescheduled due to shifting COVID regulations. But Gogol Bordello has a long history in the Burlington area. Frontman Eugene Hutz moved to the area with his family when they first came to the states, as political refugees from Ukraine in 1992. Already an avid guitarist, Hutz formed popular local punk band The Fags before eventually moving to New York, where he would form Gogol Bordello in 1999.
The anticipation among the crowd at Higher Ground matched that long, storied history. Concertgoers of all ages mulled around the venue, often greeting each other with a smile and asking “you ready?” A worthy question– it’s hard to be fully ready for the kind of breakneck, immersive experience that is a Gogol Bordello show.
Nu Folk Rebel Alliance, a duo of Gogol Bordello member Pedro Erazo and guitarist Leo Minimum Tek, opened the show. A frequent associate of Gogol Bordello, Nu Folk Rebel Alliance shares their passion for blending global folkloric traditions with a punk rock twist. Pedro Erazo proves a charismatic presence, as arresting on vocals and percussion as in front of a DJ table. An electro-influence cover of “Working Class Hero” cemented the band’s power-to-the-people message, along with original “Fronteras,” an immigration anthem which Erazo addressed to “our brothers and sisters at the border.” Fronteras features a spaghetti-western guitar riff over heavy bass, nimbly blending the old with the new. The song bitingly addresses those who “wash their hands with corruption/ Making our lives miserable/ Miseducating our hoods.” Sung in Spanish and English, “Fronteras” urges immigrants of all nations to rise up in international solidarity and fury.
The humming Romani melodies signaling Gogol Bordello’s entrance began echoing before the group even stepped on stage, mesmerizing the crowd. The longer it lasted, the more voices in the audience called for them: “We want you!” A security guard tapped me, warning “you might want to be ready to get out of the way. Just in case there’s crowd surfers.” What exactly was I in for?
What I was in for, it turned out, was a rousing, electric and moving performance; a “gypsy punky party,” as Eugene Hutz declared. Once they began performing it proved impossible to look away. Their musical capability is astounding; just drums, violin and an acoustic guitar can give the impression of the center of a thunderstorm. Each song seems to feature a new instrument offering the perfect final tough; bongos, or bells, or an enormous marching bass drum.
The band’s unity, creativity and technical skill make thundering tracks like “Wonderlust King” and “Immigraniada” feel stadium-worthy. But the close environment of a club offered Gogol Bordello an opportunity to highlight their other grand talent: engaging an audience. Hopping from platform to platform and teetering at the edge of the stage, the band treats the stage like a playground and encourages the audience to adopt the same mentality. Many times, Hutz spun his hands as the crowd energy grew and grew, literally stirring the pot.
What felt most revolutionary about the performance was its embodiment of the Gogol Bordello’s mission: breaking boundaries, emphasizing global solidarity, and rejecting the norm. Even the band itself was somewhat shifted; Gogol Bordello announced on Tuesday members Ashley Tobias and Boris Pelekh had tested positive for COVID-19 and were quarantining. Leo Minimum Tek stood in for Pelekh with the rousing support of Hutz, whose unfettered, wiley joy seems utterly unsinkable. Waltzing across the stage in an open, tasseled bolero jacket, twirling his guitar as casually as the bottle of Brazilian rum he brought onstage, Hutz couldn’t be less bothered. His demeanor of carelessness seemed to say: Hey, the world is fucked, but we can have fun with it, together. The emotion is as intoxicating as their breathless musical pace.
Furthermore, crowd participation isn’t optional with Gogol Bordell. Hutz’s gutterall yells and ad-libs always include a microphone to the crowd, and occasionally a tease to get louder. But the chaos of their music never loses you, as the mind-boggling technique kill violinist Sergey Ryabtsev specifically catches you and doesn’t let go. His mesmerizing violin brings to mind a lived-out version of The Devil Went Down To Georgia, the classic tune where a musician plays for his life. Ryabtsev could surely beat the devil at this game, even in his own territory.
The band came out for a lengthy, rowdy encore after an hour-long set, performing classics like “Start Wearing Purple,” and new track “Roaring 2020s.” As wild moshing continued in the pit, a couple on the edge of the crowd waltzed together, twirling furiously. No one wanted the party to end.
However, all parties must end, and before they headed offstage Gogol Bordello stood together, extending their arms to the crowd. Though they had been the ones to bring their wild breed of freedom, we had all shared in the moment, and they thanked us. Hutz left the audience with a final, affecting message: “Don’t believe the hype, don’t believe the anti-hype. Stay fucking centered.”
Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” played as the crowd trickled back out into the night. Whatever had been released in that theater left, in its place, a free and easy feeling; the performance had captured the angst, energy and possibly fleeting joy of this moment in time. When Gogol Bordello say they ‘confront the jaded and the irony-deseased,” they mean it. Their inspiring message of international-mindedness, righteous fury and pure fun is enough to leave the most jaded of souls with hope for the future. That is, a future with lightning rods like Gogol Bordello in it.
The veteran guitarist and songwriter John Burdick is known in the mid-Hudson Valley as the leader of long-running stumble pop quintet, The Sweet Clementines, as well as for his work as an always tasteful sideman for Old 97’s front man Rhett Miller and his All-Stars, indie singer-songwriter Laura Stevenson and others. The name may also be familiar to music-lovers in NYS from his years as a music critic for outlets like Almanac Weekly (now Hudson Valley One) and Chronogram.
Birds and Birds is the name of Burdick’s latest, a four-track EP which is actually the first title released under his own name. It’s a maddening slim selection (at a little over 14-minutes, I wish there was more) of lush down-tempo art pop, the ideal chill-out listening experience for these troubled COVID times.
With the intro to “Unison Waltz,” we can hear that Burdick has spent a good deal of time listening to the electric guitar filagree of Richard Thompson. Like all the songs here, there’s a delight swirl of textures stitched by the electric and acoustic guitars, keys and background voices. Ten bonus points for working the word “gestalt” into the lyrics without having the tune grind to a halt! The slacker-rock socio-economic critique “Complikate” came out of SubFamily Records’ casual quarantine experiment Seed Project (reviewed here). But it was re-mixed for this collection by the Grammy-winning producer Danny Blume. This features more distinctive organ vibes and some melodic McCartneyisms on the bass.
The closer, “Birds of Heaven,” is a true standout, a perfect endpiece that reminds me a bit of John Cale’s placement of “Antarctica Starts Here” on his masterwork. Paris 1919. It dawns as the most minimal and poetic offering in the collection, before the thump kicks in two minutes in. Burdick’s ambient guitars, lush keys from Sarah Perrotta, the potent percussion and sound design by this track’s co-producer C.I.T.E and Dean Brown’s trombone solo on the make this another fine example of this artist’s eclectic art pop sensibilities.
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:
The Foo Fighters were scheduled to play the K-Rockathon at the New York State Fairgrounds in the summer of 2000, but cancelled due to a scheduling conflict. They returned to play the Landmark Theater with Queens of the Stone Age later that year with Dave Grohl covering Prince’s “Purple Rain” that night as an apology to the Syracuse audience.
21 years later, Grohl and the band were about to send a virtual apology to the seated fans at the Lakeview Amphitheater big screen that the show might not go on. The band was stuck at JFK airport waiting on a plane for almost four hours due to fog. Grohl said the band set a deadline: if they weren’t en route to Syracuse by 8:20 p.m., the show wasn’t going to happen. 8:15 rolled around. Then 8:16. 8:17. 8:18. At 8:19 p.m. Grohl got word from the pilot.
“They said, alright, we’re going to Syracuse,” he said. “We got a fucking rock show.”
This energy carried from the plane’s landing at Syracuse’s Hancock airport to a police escort to Lakeview Amphitheater. The full band got out and immediately took the stage around 9:45pm. County Executive Ryan McMahon helped cater the show past the 11PM curfew, in true rock n roll fashion. “The question that was our call to make is how late do they play,” McMahon said. “The team made the right call: They can play as late as they want and we’ll deal with repercussions later.”
What occurred musically for the rest of the evening was pure rock n roll magic. The moment the house lights drew on the band, a mutual appreciation quickly developed between them and the crowd. Permission was granted to be able to rock the night away.
As Dave Grohl softly sang the opening verse to “Times Like These” it created an in-the-moment fervor felt immediately by 17,000 people. He belted extra loud the nights appropriate lyrics during “Learn to Fly:” “Now, I’m looking to the sky to save me. Make my way back home when I learn to fly high.”
The heavy drum intro to “My Hero” was another golden original played on the Onondaga Lake Trails. Drummer Taylor Hawkins sported an old band tee of The Police and his bass drum had a “RIP Charlie” tag to honor the fallen Rolling Stone. Hawkins switched spots with Grohl on drums For lead on Queens “somebody to love”. Freddie Mercury’s spirit was sang by the crowd and band in full bravado.
“Anybody, anywhere, anybody find me somebody to love love love! Somebody find me, find me love.” The band played off a new concept cover of The Bee Gees “You Should Be Dancing” that sent bodies back to the old discotheque. “All My Life” howled it’s lyrics “Hey, don’t let it go to waste, I love it but I hate the taste” The two Foo Fighters staples “Best of You” and “Everlong” completely unified the crowd to cloud nine to end the night. “Wait, it took 20 fucking years to play Syracuse? What the fuck, that is bullshit!” Grohl exclaimed.
Foo Fighters – September 15, 2021 At St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, Syracuse
Setlist: Times Like These, The Pretender, Learn to Fly, No Son of Mine,The Sky is a Neighborhood Shame Shame, Breakout, My Hero, These Days, Walk, You Should Be Dancing (Bee Gees cover), Band member solos + Blitzkrieg Bop snippet, Somebody to Love (Queen cover) All My Life, This Is a Call, Best of You, Everlong
Algiers made their way to Saint Vitus Bar in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on Tuesday for the fourth stop (and first of two nights at the bar) on their renewed 2021 tour. The pandemic forced the band to cancel the 2020 tour in support of their new album at the time There Is No Year. The ongoing threat of COVID is still omnipresent in all of our lives, especially for drummer Matt Tong who elected to sit the tour out to protect his newborn baby. Dante Foley, the drummer from the opening band was filling in behind the kit.
Algiers at Saint Vitus Bar, 9/14/21. Photo by Buscar Photo
Support for the night came from Cleveland’s Mourning [A] BLKstar, an eight-piece band described as “a multi-generational, gender and genre non-conforming amalgam of Black Culture dedicated to servicing the stories and songs of the apocalyptic diaspora.” The stage at Saint Vitus was a tad small for the big group, keeping band leader RA Washington on the floor within the crowd who routinely danced and mingled with the people throughout the set. The performance featured a trio of vocalists backed by soaring horns and driving electronic R&B and funk elements not to be missed.
Mourning [A] BLKstar at Saint Vitus, 9/14/21. Photo by Buscar Photo
Saint Vitus is a very intimate setting; a square room off the back of a classic NYC metal bar with ~200 person capacity. The PA could serve a room 4 times the size and fans get an up close and personal experience. Algiers plugged in for a sound check pre show, to test it out to see how all their samples and distortion would sound in the small room. Once filled with fans and friends, the energy was overwhelming, especially as Franklin James Fisher jumped in and out of the crowd while singing.
Algiers at Saint Vitus Bar, 9/14/21. Photo by Buscar Photo
The members of Mourning [A] BLKstar as well as Algiers both made comments during the show about all being a part of a family. Two vocalists from MAB joined Algiers during “Dispossession,” and as Algiers was finishing off the night with a high energy run through of “Death March,” candles were being lit on a cake to celebrate Fisher’s 40th birthday. Both bands had many friends and family in attendance, and the atmosphere in Saint Vitus was pure celebration.
Algiers at Saint Vitus Bar, 9/14/21. Photo by Buscar Photo
Night two in Brooklyn was Wednesday, September 15th. The tour runs across the US through October, then goes on break until a European leg throughout May 2022. Franklin teased that a new record is written so stay tuned for new music from the group in the near future.
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
