Karina Rykman has announced with great excitement that her band will be headlining Brooklyn Bowl on February 24, 2022. Part of a greater movement with other of powerhouse women in live music not only making their presence known, but respected. This New York City-based artist bends the genres and feeds the soul. Karina called this “a proper hometown show” which could be interpreted as her way of saying “not to be missed.”
Who Is Karina?
Karina Rykman has been the powerhouse thread weaving its way through seemingly opposing forms of musical expression. Chatter of Karina’s name, talent and on stage acrobatic feats of stunt work have been the topic of conversation at festivals, pre-show hangs, after parties and set breaks. Some know Karina as Marco Benevento’s bass player but her solo project has made itself known as a force to be reckoned with. Sparkly boots, deep grooves and occasional stunts make for an entrancing experience with no choice but to allocate all attention in the moment.
Photo: Em Walis
But What Kind of Music Is This?
The funkier side of jam with a heavy lead bass of songs like “Dirty South” blend smoothly into a lo-fi ambient moods with songs like “Plants” and “Arbitrary”. “Elevator” and “City Kids” live within a pleat synching indie with the grit only a New York City Riot Grrrl could harness. All of the masterful genre stitching and blending encompass the beauty in what music is becoming.
Magic camptured at Catskill Mountain Jubilee by Em Walis
Evidence Points To Magic
Where might have Karina gained her momentum and defined her style? Perhaps all the time society was forced to look at the same four walls heightened other sense and stronger recognitions for new and exciting sound profiles. Maybe Karina experienced some form training similar to Uma T’s Black Mamba character in the Kill Bill films. In this case it would have been bass, not katana. The training with Marco Benevento likely involved many more smiles, a few less stairs and absolutely a large collection of cheap keyboards. Crystal masters claim that when the “greatest sound guy of all time” is at the helm and the sunlight hits Karina’s bass at just the right angle, the golden light that exists in this musicians soul becomes visible for only a moment.
Stocks
Day or night, it would be in one’s best interest to see Karina now and catch glimpses of the golden light now, because it will be a lot more difficult as her career continues to grow. Karina’s shows are fun. Banter could include existential questions followed by a quick video game cheat code. Encouragement to bandmates might involve empowering words like “slay” and “queen” which are unfortunately not in the usual vocabulary of “dude bands at dude shows”. Karina’s shows are known to feel uplifting, creatively complimentary and spirit lifting.
Women supporting women in music by Em Walis
Slay Queen
Women like Karina, friends Marlo and Veronica from Melt, Kanika Moore of Doom Flamingo, Laura Lee of Krunghabin and fellow New Yorker Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells are all making waves on tour and helping to create a safer space for future generations of women that are interested in music. These women convey a message that grant permission for women to present authentically, dress in what feels the best and behave in a way that stands by ethical codes unapologetically. The future looks bright thanks to Karina and the other magical warriors queens out there slaying.
Saturday, December 18, was the return of Frozen Fest in Albany, New York, at Empire Live. The show was headlined by Albany’s own State Champs, with Origami Angel, Young Culture, and Pollyanna. Pollyanna, and Albany-based Young Culture opened up Frozen Fest 2021 and primed the crowd for Origami Angel. The Washington D.C. duo took the stage and rocked harder than any duo should be able to. By the end of their set, the Frozen Fest audience was feeling loose and ready to party with State Champs.
State Champs
State Champs walked on stage before a rowdy crowd that had no idea there was a 24-song set in store for them. The long setlist bounced around State Champs’ discography and the audience loved every minute of it. The hometown band opened with ‘Criminal’ and crowd surfers immediately began pouring over the guardrail. The show’s energy slowly increased over the course of the next hour, until fans received good news.
Origami Angel
After what felt like an entire show, Derek announced to the crowd that their set was only halfway over. A few hundred sweaty and out-of-breath fans gained a second wind and the night’s energy continued on its upward trajectory. Not too long after this midpoint though, the show hit a tipping point. Fans who were too scared to crowd surf earlier had gained the confidence to try, and one person after another began giving the “up” signal to the nearest strongman they could find.
The evolution of a crowd surfer.
Eventually though, the good times would have to end. As State Champs played their final songs, the party in the crowd continued with pushing and shoving blurring with hugging and singing. The only thing that could take the night higher was a 5-minute break before a three song encore. State Champs’ set peaked during this encore as the Albany fans sent up as many crowd surfers as was physically possible. Frozen Fest 2021 would go on to end in a shower of hundreds of balloons as the crowd sang along with their hometown band.
State Champs are heading to Europe next, but you can keep track of future dates on their website.
Setlist: Criminal, Mine Is Gold, Outta My Head, Shape Up, Frozen, Xmas, Tonsil Hockey (Intro), Critical, Something About You, Shades Of Gray, Hurry Up and Wait, Our Time to Go, Breaking Ground, Hard to Please, Just Sound, Simple Existence, Slow Burn, Losing Myself, All You Are is History, Dead and Gone Encore: Time Machine, Elevated, Secrets
Legendary Grateful Dead tribute act Dark Star Orchestra will play in Utica at The Stanley Theatre on March 17, 2022. This follows the group’s pair of shows to ring in 2022 at The Palace Theatre in Albany on December 31, 2021 and January 1, 2021.
Performing to critical acclaim for over 20 years and over 3,000 shows, Dark Star Orchestra continues the Grateful Dead live concert experience. Their shows are built off the Dead’s extensive catalog and the talent of these seven fine musicians. On any given night, the band will perform a show based on a set list from the Grateful Dead’s 30 years of extensive touring or use their catalog to program a unique set list for the show. This allows fans both young and old to share in the experience.
By recreating set lists from the past and developing their own sets of Dead songs, Dark Star Orchestra offers a continually evolving artistic outlet within this musical canon. Honoring both the band and the fans, Dark Star Orchestra’s members seek out the unique style and sound of each era while simultaneously offering their own informed improvisations.
In addition to appearing at some of the nation’s top festivals, Dark Star Orchestra hosts its own annual music festival and campaign gathering, titled the “Dark Star Jubilee,” currently in its eighth year where they headline all three nights and are joined by a mix of established and up and coming national touring acts. Beyond the shores of the United States, the band has taken its internationally-acclaimed Grateful Dead tribute to the beaches of Jamaica in the dead of winter for the past six years, with their event appropriately titled ‘Jam in the Sand.’ Featuring an ocean-side stage, Dark Star Orchestra sets up camp to perform shows for four nights along the tropical sands of an all-inclusive resort, selling out the event each year for hundreds of lucky attendees.
For us it’s a chance to recreate some of the magic that was created for us over the years. We offer a sort of a historical perspective at what it might have been like to go to a show in 1985, 1978 or whenever. Even for Deadheads who can say they’ve been to a hundred shows in the 90s, we offer something they never got to see live.
keyboardist and vocalist Rob Barraco
Fans and critics haven’t been the only people caught up in the spirit of a Dark Star show. The band has featured guest performances from six original Grateful Dead members: Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten and even toured with longtime Dead soundman, Dan Healy.
The Stanley Theatre has always adhered to all recommendations and guidelines from Oneida County in regards to COVID-19. With this said, the theatre will require any applicable mandates at the time of the performance.
Tickets for Dark Star Orchestra in Utica will go on sale on Monday, December 20 at 10:00 a.m. and can be purchased through Ticketmaster, or by calling The Stanley Theatre Box Office at 315-724-4000.
The Rockettes have cancelled the rest of their 2021 performances due to COVID-19 outbreaks across NYC and within the Rockettes team themselves. The announcement was made on December 17, 2021 with COVID cases stemming from the omicron variant reaching daily highs continuing on didn’t seem like the most responsible decision to the Rockettes team.
The “Christmas Spectacular” stars the well known Radio City Rockettes who are an American precision dance company. The show takes place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City which is owned by MSG Entertainment. Last year the show was cancelled in its entirety due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic raging throughout the world and the United States. Unfortunately it seems that COVID-19 is raising it’s head again and forcing the “Christmas Spectacular” show to shut down early. The Radio City staple says they just can’t continue their Christmas Spectacular due to “increasing challenges from the pandemic.” Those challenges include a COVID outbreak among the production team, plus musicians in the orchestra. Breakthrough cases are piling up in the Rockettes team.
With the omicron variant, which is more contagious and spreads faster than previous variants, becomes more widespread it seems the entertainment industry could start shutting down again. Things were seeming to be getting back to normal in the entertainment industry with events, games, and tours coming back across the globe but now events are getting scrapped left and right.
The Rockettes say refunds will be issued to anyone who bought tickets to their canceled 2021 shows. They are looking forward to hopefully hosting performances again in 2022. For more information visit their website.
The outbreak comes as a string of Broadway shows, among them Company, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Hamilton, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Ain’t Too Proud, Mrs. Doubtfire, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical and Freestyle Love Supreme, each of which have temporarily shut down this past week due to COVID concerns.
The electronic rock band LCD Soundsystem, on the tail end of a 20-gig residency at Brooklyn Steel, have now also cancelled the remaining three shows due to the recent omicron outbreak. This decision came after the band initially left it up to potential attendees as to whether they wanted to attend or request refunds, even going so far as to advise, “Us playing the shows is in no way an indicator that it’s safe to attend.” But due to the fan response and the aforementioned circumstances, the remainder of the residency is now cancelled.
The band released an official announcement on their Instagram page earlier today:
You all have spoken. The last three shows are cancelled.You good people who want to return your tickets and try again another time have spoken, but so has the new info, the hospital capacity, and those of us in the band, crew, and venue...We tried. We really did. We were heartened to see so many more masks at the last show. We were incredibly thankful for everyone who wanted to make it work. But it will have to wait, again, until we find out what this new wave means to us all. Thank you for again listening, trying, etc. Please be safe.
LCD Soundsytem
The shows were scheduled to take place on December 19, 20 and 21. All tickets purchased via AXS will be automatically refunded – there is no action required if tickets were purchased via AXS online or by phone. The band also recently announced an upcoming holiday special which will air on December 22 at 9 PM Eastern via Amazon Music, Prime Video and Amazon’s Twitch Channel.
Updated on December 21, 2021: “Jagged Little Pill’ joins the many performances closing down on Broadway due to the omicron variant. The rock musical announced this on December 21, 2021. The musical was fueled by Alanis Morissette and focused a with a variety of topics including contemporary social issues. It has become the first big Broadway show to fall by the resurgent coronavirus pandemic.
City Winery also announced on December 19, 2021 that people attending shows at the venue will be required to have both proof of full vaccination as well as a negative Covid-19 test due to the surge of Covid-19 due to the omicron variant. They are one of the first venues to require both measures, due to fast transmission of the Omicron variant which has made it so that full vaccination isn’t enough of a defense against the highly contagious strain.
Flushing Town Fall jumped on the bandwagon for it’s Mini-Global Mashups announcing postponing them until a later date due to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in New York City. It made this announcement on December 21, 2021 and will offer anyone who purchased tickets to these event a full refund or exchange. The first Mini-Global Mashups was suppose to take place on January 9, 2022.
Updated on December 23, 2021: More bands jump ship on live shows due to the omicron variant. On December 23, 2021 Phish announced postponing their MSG shows until April due to COVID-19 sweeping through NYC. Phish will honor all tickets for the December 29-January 1 shows at MSG on the rescheduled dates of April 20-23, marking the first time Phish has played New York City in April since 1994 at the Beacon Theatre.
On December 23, 2021 Pink Talking Phish announced postponing their New Years Eve show at Gramercy show to an undetermined date via their facebook page due to COVID-19 sweeping through NYC putting the health of their fans, friends, and family first.
Updated on December 26, 2021: Warren Haynes announced on December 24 that due to the omicron variant he will be postponing his new years run. For the health and safety of their fans, crew and all involved in making these shows happen is always their top priority. The following dates have been rescheduled: April 8 Beacon Theatre New York, NY (12/30/2021 Tickets Honored), April 9 Beacon Theatre New York, NY (12/31/2021 Tickets Honored), April 14 The Met Philadelphia, PA(12/29/2021 Tickets Honored).
Updated on December 28, 2021: On December 27, 2021 SoulShine: An Allman Brothers Experience announced that it will perform at Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre on Dec. 31 in celebration of New Year’s Eve but only a with 50 percent capacity due to the COVID-19 cases soaring.
Soulive announced on December 27, 2021 they have rescheduled their run of shows set for New Year’s at the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn to July 7, 8 and 9 of 2022 and will celebrate Brooklyn Bowl’s thirteenth anniversary. All tickets for the New Year’s shows will be honored at the July dates.
Dark Star Orchestra announced on December 27, 2021 the postponement of their upcoming New Year’s Eve run of concerts in New York scheduled for The Paramount in Huntington on December 29 and 30 and the Palace Theatre in Albany on December 31 (New Year’s Eve) and January 1 (New Year’s Day). The decision comes after members of DSO’s touring party tested positive for COVID-19 and in the wake of rising COVID cases due to the omicron variant.
Transmission New Year’s Eve Dance Party also announced on December 27, 2021 they were cancelling due to the current surge in COVID-19 cases.
The Ed Sullivan Theater played host to Phish on this day in 2002. The Vermont group performed “All Of These Dreams,” the ninth track on Round Room, on the Late Show with David Letterman.
The appearance on Letterman was the band’s sixth overall, starting in on December 30, 1994 with “Chalkdust Torture,” “Julius” on July 13, 1995, “Character Zero” on March 5, 1997, “Birds of a Feather” on October 27, 1998, “Heavy Things” on May 15, 2000, a multi-song performance on the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee on June 21, 2004, and “The Line” on June 25, 2014.
“All of These Dreams” has only been played 13 times total, not including this initial performance at the Ed Sullivan Theater, according to Phish.net. The song, written by Trey Anastasio, Tom Marshall and Scott Herman officially debuted in concert on January 3, 2003 in Hampton, VA. A rarity, the song has not been played live since October 26, 2020 in Manchester, NH.
The Phish.net song history reveals that “All of These Dreams,” as well as another Round Room track, “Anything But Me” emerged from the wake of a screaming fight between Trey and Tom during a songwriting session in a Philadelphia hotel room. According to Trey, the two tunes “express something that I usually am a little too shy to express,” though precisely what that is he leaves unsaid.
There is a place on the mountain nearby Deep in a cave but it’s up rather high There in the darkness are safely concealed All of the dreams that you never revealed And if you go there, and after you do All of these dreams would be yours to pursue The rest of your lifetime devoid of a care If you keep your eyes open you may find yourself there
Such is the promise, such is the curse You could just live your life better or worse Knowing the cache of dreams up on that hill Beckons and sways but won’t bend to your will You might find a river under a mountain That feeds a remote subterranean fountain Drink from this, taste just a hint of a dream That somehow leaked into the underground stream
Albany’s Empire Live was sold out on Friday, December 17 for The Front Bottoms, Opening act Sydney Sprague was accompanied by her Jazzmaster, and started the show with a solo set that highlighted her singer/songwriter style. Sprague sang a few songs from her new album maybe i will see you at the end of the world, including ‘object permanence,’ ‘quitter,’ and ‘steve.’ Check out Sydney’s site for her future tour dates.
The Front Bottoms came out to a crowd ready to sing the words to every song of the set. Their set featured a range of songs across their discography, and had fans, both new and old, shouting at the tops of their lungs. The Front Bottoms started their set with tracks off of their newest album, ‘In Sickness & In Flames’ and their EP ‘Rose’ before playing through their debut self-titled album in its entirety. The crowd’s energy continued to build throughout the night, and only accelerated as the end approached.
The Front Bottoms left the stage and the crowd began cheering for an encore just a second later. The band got back on stage a minute later to find a crowd that had been pent up a minute too long, and the show erupted to the tune of Tie Dye Dragon and Twin Size Mattress. A wave of energy left the stage and everyone from the guardrail to the bar was moving, shouting, and contributing to the chaos. Fan after fan took their turns crowd surfing as the final minutes of set stretched out and The Front Bottoms played themselves out.
The Front Bottoms are finishing the last leg of their tour, but you can keep up to date with any future show on their site, and can hear their music on YouTube.
Setlist: Leaf Pile, Vacation Town, West Virginia, Montgomery Forever, Love at First Sight, Awkward Conversations, Jim Bogart, Peach, Cough it Out, Flashlight, Maps, Looking Like You Just Woke Up, Mountain, Rhode Island, The Beers, Father, Swimming Pool, The Boredom Is The Reason I Started Swimming. It’s Also The Reason I Started Sinking, Bathtub, Legit Tattoo Gun, Hooped Earrings Encore: Tie Dye Dragon, Twin Size Mattress
Saturday Night Live was back this week with host Paul Rudd for the NBC staple’s Christmas episode, but with a scaled back cast and crew, no musical guest and no studio audience, due to concerns over the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Recorded earlier in the evening, a departure from the typical live taping, SNL adjusted and made the most of the situation, with a blend of fresh and classic holiday sketches. The cast was limited to Kenan Thompson and Michael Che, and only two members of the Saturday Night Live Band on hand – Lenny Pickett (sax) and Tuffus Zimbabwe (piano).
The show began with an atypical intro, Tom Hanks walking out to introduce host Paul Rudd, and no cast montage to begin the episode. Rudd kept things light and soldiered on in his fifth appearance as a host, joining the Five Timers Club in the process, thanks to special guests and fellow club members Hanks and Fey.
Earlier Saturday afternoon, Saturday Night Live announced the changes for this week’s episode, which included Fey filling in for Colin Jost on Weekend Update. This brought Fey back to the Update desk, despite there being no actual desk due to a limited crew for this episode’s taping. Jost, along with Aristotle Athari, and Sarah Sherman had reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
The musical guest for the evening was slated to be Charli XCX, but shortly after the official word from SNL, Charli tweeted “Due to the limited crew at tonight’s taping of SNL my musical performance will no longer be able to go ahead. I am devastated and heartbroken. I am currently safe and healthy but of course very sad. Please look after yourselves out there,” along with a follow up clearing any confusion that she did not cancel or pull out of the show. Although Charli did not perform, she did take part in the digital short “Christmas Socks,” a take on “The Christmas Shoes,” as a bird named TJ Rocks.
Classic holiday sketches like “Dick in a Box” and “Christmastime for the Jews” (sung by the great Darlene Love) filled in where new material would normally be found. The brilliant “An Evening with Pete” looked at the career of Pete Davidson in the year 2054, a take on Raging Bull and Christmas movies of the past.
The fully decorated set found the five actors – Che, Fey, Hanks, Rudd and Thompson – on stage at the end of the episode for goodbyes, as well as socially distant hugging. Only Pickett and Zimbabwe stood on the stage playing the outro music as the credits rolled.
Tonight’s show marked the first time since October 11, 1986, when Sigourney Weaver hosted, without a musical guest in the show’s history. Madonna did appear that night to read a statement apologizing for the previous season, noting it was only a dream, ala Season 9 of Dallas. While not the musical guest, Buster Poindexter performed “Oh Me, Oh My,” “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (a duet with Weaver), and “Smack Dab in the Middle.”
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 from Zan and Dave Strumfeld,In the Valley 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.
Zan and Dave Strumfeld
Siblings Zan and Dave Strumfeld have joined forced to give us “Christmas in Wyoming,” off their holiday EP, Winter Songs. Zan Strumfeld is also the frontwoman of Zan and the Winter Folk. Their last release, “If I Had Known (Murder Ballad),” is based on a true story from 1850s Troy.
In the Valley
A folk-pop duo from Clifton Park, In the Valley is best known for playing wedding gigs. They released their most recent single, “Christmas Sweater,” on December 17th. The song features a groovy saxophone and a cozy jazz piano, more than living up to its name.
The Bitter Stars
Consisting of Clarke Hingeford and Kyle Pemrick, The Bitter Stars have returned with a new single. An eclectic mix of new wave music and modern trance, “Dance Me to Death” clocks in at six minutes long.
Psychomanteum
Made up of singer Matt Smith, drummer Pete Von Stettina, and guitarist and bassist Brian Slattery, Psychomanteum is a sci-fi metal band based in Albany. Their newest single, “Strange Voltage” debuted on December 10. In the field of parapsychology, a psychomanteum is a chamber in which one can communicate with spirits.
From 1986 until 2014, David Letterman would close out his final show of the year with a Christmas episode that featured the one and only Darlene Love. Over the span of those 28 years, Love would perform her holiday hit “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” one of Letterman’s favorites.
The appearance found its origins after Letterman saw Love perform the song at the Bottom Line, in a show called Leader of the Pack. He immediately had to have her on the show. Love told Variety in 2014:
He had David [were] down to see the show. [Letterman] said, “You know that song that girl sings? That Christmas song? That’s the greatest Christmas song I’ve ever heard. We need to get her on the show.” That was 1986, and so I’ve been doing it ever since.
The tradition spanned two networks over nearly three decades, appearing from 1986 until 1993 on Late Night with David Letterman, and later on the Late Show with David Letterman when Letterman joined CBS.
The song was originally recorded for the 1963 Phil Spector album A Christmas Gift for You, and while Love performed the song on Letterman’s shows, she told the New York Times in 2014 that she will not sing it for any other TV talk-show hosts moving forward.
For her final performance, the Late Show paid tribute to Darlene Love. Following her brief interview with Dave, the stage filled in with additional musician, including string and horn sections and several backup singers. These singers would not overshadow Love’s powerful voice, and sang her final last verse from the top of Paul Shaffer’s piano, with fake snow falling around her.
Recently, an animated version of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” has been released through Legacy Recordings. The short video follows a young Black girl as she walks home through a snowy neighborhood, accompanied by a happy snowman. Along the way, she stops to admire a Christmas tree and runs into her dog, who is singing along with a pair of carolers. The girl and her dog arrive home, where they are lovingly greeted by her parents. As the video nears its end, the girl opens up one of her presents to find a snow globe with the smiling snowman inside.
At the end of the music video, Love posted a message paying tribute to her late sister, Edna Wright Perry, who sang backing vocals on the track.
Featured on the show prior to Love’s show-stopping performance, Letterman annually welcomed comedian Jay Thomas, to share, as Letterman put it, “the best story I’ve ever heard.” Thomas would then launch into his true story about an encounter with Clayton Moore, the actor famous for playing The Lone Ranger. For 17 years starting in 1992, Thomas would come on the show and deliver the joke, much to Letterman and the audience’s approval. Watch the story unfold over the years.
After Thomas delivered the punchline, he and Letterman would alternate throwing a football at the meatball on top of the Late Show Christmas tree. To wrap up the show, Darlene Love would come out for “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and send the show into the night.
Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon brought their acoustic duo tour to Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Wednesday December 15. The venue has been a sought after performance destination by various artists since the 20th century. The original padded wooden seats help absorb a layer of sound. Listeners in even the deepest seats hear the effect of the entire room. Leo & Mikes acoustic bass and guitars resonated just right into acoustic ear candy at the performance on the Hudson.
Photo by Dave Decrescente
The visual and historic appeal of the Hall must not be overlooked in any discussion of its acoustic character. The ear and the eye are inseparable in the concert-going experience in Troy. The room with equivalent acoustics could not sound as good without also being visually vibrant.
Mike Gordon took note of the Hall’s history on his Instagram by saying
Classical performers consider this room to have the best acoustics in the country. I can’t believe I get to share a chair with Leo Kottke to play in it tonight. Heavenly.
Mike Gordon
Photo by Dave Decrescente
There is even a black and white shot of Leo on the Halls walls from 1996 along side all the other great performers to grace the stage. Leo took lead on alot of the numbers through out the evening. Mike had the best seat in the house next to Kottke as he listened with audience to his various tales coming off the band stand. Mike did jump in front for a cover of Hank Williams Jr “Old Habits”.
I hope you don’t mind how lost I am. I’m just having a real good time up here.
Leo told the crowd of American modernist composer Charles Ives and his struggles to get his work out. Overtime he hired Burlesque dancers to enhance attention on his Concord Sinata 2. After becoming acknowledged for his work someone told Ives over time… “I can tell it’s good music but it doesn’t sound very good” Ive’s reply:
Whats sound got to do with music?
Charles Ives
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
Leo also read a passage of Sunday Morning by Wallace Stevens to the Troy Music Hall crowd.
All Pleasures and all Pains, remembering the bough of summer and the winter branch. These are the measures destined for her soul
Wallace Stevens
Photo by Dave Decrescente
The duo covered a lot of material from their 2020 Album Noon. They also brought the crowd back to their first album collaboration Clone by performing “From Pizza Towers To Defeat” In true Leo fashion the duo sat through the encore so that “we could all leave the room at the same time” They finished with “Invisible” off their Sixty Six Steps album.
The duo truly gave a history lesson on the shores of the Hudson. They split the bill down the middle in Troy for an evening of composition, and improvisation. The live performance that unfolds in front of you is credited it to the moment that we all can share in before leaving the room at the same time. The tour concludes in Plattsburgh’s Strand Theater on Sunday December 18 2021. The venue is 2.5 miles from where Mike performed at the Cilfford Ball in 1996.
Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, December 15 2021:
Set List: Rings, Living in the Country, Tiny Island, Old Habits, The Last Steam Engine Train, Airproofing, Ojo, You are My Flower, Twice, Flat Top, From Pizza Towers to Defeat, Invisible
