Saratoga Performing Arts Center announced they will again partner with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, renewing an annual residency. “CMS at the Meadows,” hosted at Pitney Meadows Community Farm open-air High Tunnel greenhouse, will present twelve performances in 2022, spanning June, July, and August. The diverse orchestra will take on masterworks by the likes of Beethoven, Mozart, and Dvořák.
‘CMS at the Meadows’ at Pitney Meadows Community Farm.
“One of the highlights of this past summer’s programming was the glorious confluence of stunning music-making in a magnificent natural setting. Thanks to our partners at The Farm, we are excited to be going back there for the summer 2022 season,” said SPAC President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol.
Led by artistic directors David Finckel and Wu Han, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will highlight a diverse array of performers and composers. Some CMS guests, like the acclaimed Escher String Quartet, make a welcome return to Saratoga Springs. Others, like German clarinetist Sebastian Manz, Brazilian oboist Hugo Zouza, Taiwanese-American violist Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, and American hornists David Byrd-Marrow and Kevin Rivard, will appear at SPAC for the first time ever.
A previous performance of CMS at the Meadows holds an open-air crowd mesmerized.
In addition to highlighting both familiar classics and new frontiers, CMS will also continue their intentional efforts to highlight BIPOC music and musicians. A special Juneteenth concert will see acclaimed BIPOC composers Jessie Montgomery, Florence Price, and William Grant Still make their SPAC debuts.
“It will be an exciting summer, and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it,” Finckel and Wu Han shared in a statement.
The Hill Tunnel at Pitney Meadows Community Farm.
Tickets to all six Chamber Music Society programs (performed at 3 pm and 6 pm rain or shine) will be available for purchase at spac.org, beginning on December 10th with a presale for SPAC members. The general public will be able to purchase tickets starting December 17th. See the full summer schedule below:
Sunday, June 12 @ 3PM & 7PM: Quintessential Quintets
ANI KAVAFIAN, Violin
IDA KAVAFIAN, Violin
PAUL NEUBAUER, Viola
STEVEN TENENBOM, Viola
DAVID FINCKEL, Cello
Mozart: Quintet in G minor for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello, K. 516 (1787)
Dvořák: Quintet in E-flat major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello, Op. 97, “American” (1893)
Sunday, June 19 @ 3PM & 7PM: From the Harlem Renaissance to Today
MSIMELELO MBALI, Bass–baritone
WU QIAN, Piano
STELLA CHEN, Violin
GUILLERMO FIGUEROA, Violin
TIEN-HSIN CINDY WU, Viola
NICHOLAS CANELLAKIS, Cello
Still: Suite for Violin and Piano (1943)
Montgomery: Duo for Violin and Cello (2015)
Price: Quintet in A minor for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello
Additional vocal works TBA
Sunday, July 10 @ 3PM & 7PM: The Magic of Mixed Ensembles
MICHAEL BROWN, Piano
CHAD HOOPES, Violin
KEITH ROBINSON, Cello
TOMMASO LONQUICH, Clarinet
KEVIN RIVARD, Horn
TBA, Viola
Mozart: Quartet in G minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, K. 478 (1785)
Schoenfield: Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano (1986)
Dohnányi: Sextet in C major for Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano, Op. 37 (1935)
Sunday, July 17 @ 3PM & 7PM: Astounding Winds
JUHO POHJONEN, Piano
ADAM WALKER, Flute
HUGO SOUZA, Oboe
SEBASTIAN MANZ, Clarinet
MARC GOLDBERG, Bassoon
DAVID BYRD-MARROW, Horn
Reicha: Quintet in E minor for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn, Op. 88, No. 1 (1811-17)
Beethoven: Quintet in E-flat major for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Piano, Op. 16 (1796)
Françaix: L’heure du berger for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Piano (1947)
Poulenc: Sextet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Piano (1932-39)
Sunday, August 14 @ 3PM & 7PM: The Escher Quartet
ESCHER STRING QUARTET
ADAM BARNETT-HART, Violin
BRENDAN SPELTZ, Violin
PIERRE LAPOINTE, Viola
BROOK SPELTZ, Cello
Haydn: Quartet in B-flat major for Strings, Hob. III:78, Op. 76, No. 4, “Sunrise” (1797)
Walker: Lyric for String Quartet (1946)
Webern: Langsamer Satz for String Quartet (1905)
Dvořák: Quartet in E-flat major for Strings, Op. 51 (1878-79)
Sunday, August 21 @ 3PM & 7PM: Beethoven’s Archduke
WU HAN, Piano
ARNAUD SUSSMANN, Violin
DAVID FINCKEL, Cello
Beethoven: Trio in C minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 1, No. 3 (1794-95)
Beethoven: Trio in B-flat major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 97, “Archduke” (1810-11)
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 The William Deuel Band, Dustin Sawyer 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.
The WIlliam Deuel Band
The William Deuel Band released their newest LP, Moment in Time, in August 2021. The blues-rock band’s second full-length project, they formed in 2018 in Saratoga Springs and have since made waves worldwide. They’ve found success on Australian radio, as well as in the UK and South Africa. Inspired by a conversation between Deuel and his mother, Moment in Time’s title track is upbeat and energetic with a killer breakdown just before the three-minute mark.
The following song, “Call Me Crazy,” is much more acoustic and scaled-back, at least until the halfway point. Deuel’s vocals gradually become more raw and passionate, culminating in a grand finale.
Dustin Sawyer
One of two new songs from Americana artist Dustin Sawyer, “Take Me Away” premiered in October. In its music video, the Mayfield singer and songwriter wanders through the wilderness as gnomes and other fantastical elements appear. The song is addressed to God, with Sawyer opening it saying “Father, forgive me ‘cause I know what I’d do / Given that opportunity to walk a mile inside your shoes.” It also references the forty days and nights the Israelites wandered to find the Promised Land.
Hailing from the Collar City of Troy, pop-punk band Playoffs have released “Lickety Splitz,” the first single off their upcoming debut album, due out on December 20, 2021.
Formed out of a cover band that ran face first into the year 2020, Playoffs band members Cody Sargood (guitar/vocals), Alex Foster (vocals), Daniel Livermore (drummer) Bill Milhizer (keys/guitar) and Neal Makela (bass) found themselves like many of us, stuck inside and only able to create their sound from virtual messaging.
With all their powers combined, Playoffs was able to come to the table to record their first self titled album with producer Neil Schneider. While navigating the worst year and strangest times, Playoffs became more than just an idea, they became a goal. Schneider also served as producer, engineer, mix/masterer, and collaborator on the album, drawing on a relationship he has had with Cody since grade school.
Like many songs on the upcoming Playoffs LP, “Lickety Splitz,” released on November 22, draws from from the inner perspective of someone’s mental health. The song tells of relationship troubles by addressing self-struggle and the outward projection of those struggles. Mental health issues can suffocate and ravage an individual’s mind, like a troubled relationship that cannot get out of its own way. “Lickety Splitz” became a typical relationship song, but to deal with and address mental health issues that plague so many individuals today. Playoffs hope that people can connect with the song and realize that no mental health issue is too big or small to ask for help, and that there are people in your life that love you and will help you.
I think each one of us — whether a father, expecting father, newlywed, or just human — had an eye-to-eye mindframe. We were all able to see how awful things were for everyone. This project allowed Cody and myself to write what we were feeling while embracing the style of music we already liked playing. Everyone kind of got it. It worked, and everything came together. Whether it was writing the lyrics one-on-one at someone’s house, or going through the recording process, we maintained communication with one another and having that outlet for ourselves is truly beneficial and hopefully transfers to the people who listen to it.
Alex Foster
Prior to forming Playoffs, the band members were involved in a pop punk/hip hop/90s musical jukebox cover band performing at bars under the name kidbilly. Playoffs started just before the world shut down from COVID, but with the uncomfortable and disconnected feeling that grew from having to sit home and see no one and do nothing, the group recorded the album in pieces and parts, some even from across the country with the help of Makela.
Being able to meet online, play music virtually, embrace the hardship that literally the entire world was facing, and turn it into a reflective piece of art was an amazing experience for the group, especially as they are able to highlight mental health amid the frightening state of affairs of 2020 and having to watch the world slow to a crawl.
The Slip, avant-rock trio from Boston, soundly finished their first mini-tour in a decade, playing seven shows over two weeks this November across the northeastern US. This was their first mini-tour since 2011. Brad and Andrew moved to Montreal in 2005, birthing The Barr Brothers. As The Barr Brothers ramped up, The Slip’s performances ebbed, playing only 7 times in 2011, then only twice at High Sierra Music Festival. Everyone wanted to know when they’d tour again.
The long-awaited Slip mini-tour launched at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT, where they’ve played over two dozen times since 1998 (lastly in spring of 2008). BAM started off with the ethereal Landing, prelude to the fiery fan favorite, Get Me With Fuji (a song named by long-time friend and one of the first Slip tapers, Jason Booth). After Fuji fired up the crowd, Brad donned his Danelectro for Nobody Waits That Long Anymore, a brand new song (debuted at Lockn’ Farm). Even Rats, their most-watched video, brought indie rock vibes to keep the first set lively.
The reflective rock classic, Sometimes True to Nothing, warmed the crowd in the first set. “The heart is a wilderness / with beauty and emptiness / that you endure”. The new rock song Motherwolf went into Chasing Rabbits, which debuted in 2003, but hadn’t been played since April 2007. Long-time Slip fans anticipated more good times from the wide mix of new and old songs in their tour opener.
The Slip flexed their jazz chops with their Coltrane tribute, Trane-ing, first played back in 1998 at The Living Room. They continued with an even older classic, Through the Iron Gate, which debuted in 1997 and hadn’t been played in 16 years! Heading back to recent times, they unearthed another gem from Eisenhower, Life in Disguise, then on to The Weight of Solomon, ending the single set with the oft-paired The Orginal Blue Air > Paper Birds.
The boisterous crowd cheered them on for a tasteful encore of The Band classic, The Weight, which The Slip has greatly rearranged, ending it typically with a Dogs on Bikes outro, and Autobody teases. Slip tour commenced robustly.
Thursday, November 11, 2021 – Higher Ground – South Burlington, VT
Setlist Landing, Get Me with Fuji, Long Ways Back, Even Rats, Sometimes True to Nothing, Motherwolf, Chasing Rabbits, Trane-ing, Through the Iron Gate, Life in Disguise, The Weight of Solomon, The Original Blue Air, Paper Birds Encore: The Weight* Notes: * new version, with Dogs on Bikes theme
Their tour evolved at Fete Music Hall in Providence, a cool industrial warehouse converted to a two-stage music venue. Ryan Montbleau, a friend of BAM’s who has Marc Friedman in his current band, surprised us with a lovely opening set of originals on acoustic guitar. This hometown crowd was larger than the tour opener in Burlington. BAM started the set with Landing, but ended there, instead of the typical segue into Fuji. They continued into Trane-ing, Blue Air > Paper Birds, and saved Get Me with Fuji until after the commonly-paired song duo.
Brad announced to the audience they were about to play their new single, Superterranean Onlyness, The Slip’s first studio release since Eisenhower – flowing with harmonized vocals, and brilliantly engineered by Steve Albini. Here’s a fan-shot 4K video of the live debut. BAM then played Driving Backwards with You, a song which debuted in 2000 at Higher Ground, then Lockn’ this August after an 11-year hiatus (last played at Narrows 2010). Even Rats preceded another new song, Hit Song.
More songs came back into regular rotation, such as Chasing Rabbits, Motherwolf, and Sometimes True to Nothing, followed by the sublime Aptos* > Something Learned, which debuted at Bethel Fest in 2003, and was last played at Cafe du Nord in 2010. They delved back into Eisenhower territory with Life in Disguise, then treated their hometown fans with another old-time classic, Autobody Experience (debuted in 1996!). This led into their new version of The Weight, with Dogs on Bikes outro to close, ending with a tasty encore of Children of December (performed over 250 times!)
All the parents of the children of december have a clutch because their birthdays are the hardest to remember when you’re born on christmas or the day before new year’s you can sing happy birthday but nobody hears it
Friday, November 12, 2021 – – Fete Music Hall – Providence, RI Setlist: Landing, Trane-ing, The Original Blue Air, Paper Birds, Get Me with Fuji, Superterranean Onlyness, Driving Backwards with You, Even Rats, intro, Hit Song, Chasing Rabbits, Motherwolf, Sometimes True to Nothing, Aptos, Something Learned, Life in Disguise, Autobody Experience, The Weight, Dogs on Bikes Encore: Children of December
The Sinclair in Harvard Square was packed before showtime, being where they went to music school and have played more than anywhere. Ryan Montbleau opened again.
BAM started with Landing, then Brad launched into wild guitar playing & effects, then segued into a sizzling Get Me with Fuji, then the brand new ballad Nobody Waits That Long Anymore. They continued into Even Rats, Sometimes True to Nothing, and capped the first set with a fierce Motherwolf.
Set two started with the jazzy Trane-ing, The Weight of Solomon, followed by Hit Song into Aptos. They returned to Through the Iron Gate, into Life in Disguise, with Lennon’s Jealous Guy teases (foreshadowing?). They teased Autobody Experience inside The Weight, following up with a Wolof jam and Dogs on Bikes outro to finish the smoking second set.
The most popular encore, Children of December, was well-executed. The weekend ended on a high note, and those attending all 7 shows were eager to see what they’d play next week in Philly and New York.
Saturday, November 13, 2021 – The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA Setlist: Landing, Psych Guitar, Get me with Fuji, Nobody Waits That Long Anymore, Even Rats, Sometimes True to Nothing, Motherwolf, Trane-ing, The Weight of Solomon, Hit Song, Aptos, Through the Iron Gate, Life in Disguise, Autobody Experience, The Weight, Wolof jam, Dogs on Bikes outro Encore: Children of December
Originally scheduled for Tuesday, Nov 16th, their first show at the new Brooklyn Bowl in Philly was canceled. It was great to return there, having attended the venue’s opening night with Soulive. This brand new 900-capacity venue shoulders The Fillmore in Northern Liberties, with two floors, twenty lanes of bowling, dining room, stage, and long bars on both floors. Delicate Steve opened, with a straight-ahead drums/guitar rock duo.
The Slip began with Trane-ing, followed by You Might Say (not played since High Sierra 2008). Ernie Mickey continued, a fan favorite (House of Blues Chicago 2001). BAM continued with The Soft Machine, Hit Song into Motherwolf, into From the Gecko, and Something Learned. They busted into a hot take of Get Me with Fuji, where Steve Marion (from Delicate Steve) joined in on guitar, staying on through Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Proud Mary and ending the set with Sometimes True to Nothing. The Reddish Moon encore was calming, perhaps to prepare us for NYC?
Wednesday, November 17, 2021 – Brooklyn Bowl – Philadelphia, PA Setlist: Trane-ing, You Might Say > Ernie Mickey, The Soft Machine, Hit Song > Motherwolf > From the Gecko, Something Learned, Get Me with Fuji% > Proud Mary%^ > Sometimes True to Nothing% Encore: Reddish Moon Notes: % w/ Steve Marion (Delicate Steve) on guitar and Charlie Hall (War on Drugs) on drums. ^ Creedence Clearwater Revival (cover).
As is usual in pandemic times, inter-city travel is capricious, so the Philly to NYC route was beset with numerous accidents and traffic jams, even after morning rush hour. The usual 2.5 hour ride to Brooklyn took over 5 hours, but I was lucky to have a booked hotel a couple blocks away to unwind before the show. The Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg is the first one that Peter Shapiro opened in July 2009. The Slip last played there in 2011, after another slow year in 2010 when they only played 4 shows.
To keep us on our toes, at the first Brooklyn Bowl show on Thursday, The Slip opened with Landing again, but instead went into Even Rats instead of Fuji. They played Superterranean Onlyness third, which was growing on us after a couple of live appearances. There was a quiet pause after, then we were treated to Invocation, first in 1999, last played in 2004 (17 years ago!). Stuart Bogie (tenor sax from Antibalas & Fela! Broadway musical) joined for a sizzling Yellow Medicine.
Brad went into The Weight of Solomon and then Motherwolf, Chasing Rabbits, Through the Iron Gate, into the Nathan Moore song I Hate Love, with Bogie returning on tenor through the set closer, Jumby. A Sometimes True to Nothing encore left fans energized. Few were ready to turn in, so we met for aftershow drinks at The Gibson, a favorite late-night watering hole a couple blocks away, where we discussed what the future may hold for upcoming Slip tours.
Thursday, November 18, 2021 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY Setlist: Landing > Even Rats, Superterranean Onlyness*, Invocation > Yellow Medicine%, The Weight of Solomon, Motherwolf, Chasing Rabbits, Through the Iron Gate> I Hate Love%, Jumby% Encore: Sometimes True to Nothing Notes: * new song, released Nov. 2021. % with Stuart Bogie on tenor (from Antibalas and Fela! Broadway Musical
Relix hosted The Slip for a livestream on their Twitch channel, at a top-secret location near my old apartment. Brad asked his good friend Jason Booth for his song requests. Brad smiled, then turned to the stream chat for viewer requests, joking that they “probably wouldn’t play any of those”. The livestream included their new hit single Superterranean Onlyness, followed by the scorcher, Sometimes True to Nothing, then Motherwolf, The Original Blue Air > Paper Birds to close the set. Watch the stream here.
Friday, November 19, 2021 – Relix Studio – Manhattan, NY Setlist: Superterranean Onlyness*, Sometimes True to Nothing, Motherwolf, The Original Blue Air > Paper Birds Notes: afternoon set, livestreamed on Twitch – www.twitch.tv/therelixchannel. * new song
Brooklyn Bowl Friday saw the biggest turnout of this tour. Our night startedoff boisterously, with BAM being introduced by Brett Siddell, a comedian from their high school wrestling team. BAM opened with the classic, Aptos > Airplane/Primitive (only time played in 2021), the poetic Friedman song:
The airplane, the primitive, saw it and thought it was some kind of bird it landed, he made up his mind – I can’t live knowing that there’s some other world where men fly, up in the sky, trapped himself on the wing for a one way ride and in the air above a cloud, there his soul stayed when his body fell down.
Before Wolof, Brad thanked the Brooklyn Bowl staff, and everyone who traveled to the show, saying “that’s not easy to do these days”. He continued, “So, if anyone bowls a strike during this song … you get a t-shirt, and a handshake from Marc.” This definitive Slip classic starts with Marc’s infectious bass groove, debuting at Valentine’s in Albany in 1998.
Bloodstone came next, another new song debut (only played at Brooklyn Bowl and Levon’s), followed by the raucous Hit Song. BAM cooled things down with the mellifluous Driving Backwards with You, last played at Narrows 2010. Panda began with Brad spacing out with his pedals, applying feedback for Soft Machine. Next was The Shouters (cut short), which was only played once in 2021. The room exploded for the highly popular Get Me with Fuji (played 243 times), with a tease of Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child of Mine that drifed into a few measures of Moby Dick before returning to Fuji.
The band took a breather as Brad asked if anyone bowled a strike and got their t-shirt, then leveled with the audience:
I want to say it feels really good to be The Slip again. We’ve had such a journey, from our beginnings in high school when we were the jazz band … our friend Brett was not kidding. So when we moved to Boston and really became a band together … in the 90s and 2000s, you know, and coming up with all of you and starting to do the festival thing and really getting to know this really cool community of bands getting to know other bands like Lettuce and Schleigho, and Soulive, Marco, The Duo, … they all fit conveniently under the jamband umbrella. And then, at some point for us, for The Slip it became sort of a hard pill to swallow, because we related to maybe parts of being a jam band, but we really didn’t relate to whole other parts of being a jam band. And then there was … an identity crisis there in the mid 2000s and we made our record, Eisenhower, and that was so much fun to make and really felt like a success. But we still sort of had – you know – more than a decade playing together, and it was very hard to see…you know…sometimes it’s hard to see what’s great about you, as a group … and you start thinking of ways to change it, and then we did. And so we went into one identity crisis … beautiful and contorted … what I mean, it’s really good to be back here as The Slip … enjoying what was always good about being The Slip … and having so much fun together up here, with you … and that means a lot to me
Brad’s pensive baring of his soul set the tone for Through the Iron Gate:
I get tossed like a bone into the dogs into the sky the closing is a gathering a gathering of eyes an i will look to you and you to me in between the space we chase the tune we dream so lazily
Ruminating on what he had just shared, Brad continued into the soul-searching Life In Disguise:
The world is only a stage and I’m just a man with a sound caught in his throat and a pick in his hand but when the song comes tumbling out, you understand there’s no great demand well it’s there under your breath behind your eyes and you don’t have to say nothing cause I realize that everything somehow in some way eventually dies
…and then Jealous Guy:
I didn’t want to hurt you I’m just a jealous guy
The introspective, sombre tone evaporated with the first beats from Andrew’s kit to kick off the funky Autobody Experience, while we processed what Brad had just laid on us. After a few measures, feet and hands started flailing as Autobody melted into the newly rearranged The Weight, with guitar pyrotechnics and rhythmic undulation. They merged into Dogs on Bikes organically and fiercely, going back into The Weight, mashed up and dangerous, as they are known for. Dogs kept going, with a blazing solo by Andrew, back into The Weight, Dogs, Weight, Dogs…and our minds will never be the same.
The fans were not ready to leave, and the packed house didn’t budge, cheering for an encore. The Slip came back, and Brad warned us, “We all knew how this was going to end”, as they encored with a 9-minute Children of December.
Friday’s Brooklyn Bowl was the best of the tour so far; The Slip had rekindled the sacred fire.
Friday, November 19, 2021 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY Setlist: Aptos > Airplane/Primitive, Wolof, Bloodstone*, Hit Song, Driving Backwards with You, First Panda In Space > The Soft Machine, The Shouters > Get Me with Fuji@ > Moby Dick^ > Get Me with Fuji, Through the Iron Gate@#, Life in Disguise$, Jealous Guy!, Autobody Experience > The Weight+ > Dogs on Bikes (outro) Notes: * new Brad song (working title). @ w/ Sweet Child o’ Mine tease from Brad and Marc. # w/ So What (Miles Davis) teases from Marc & Andrew. $ unfinished. + new version, rearranged w/ Dogs outro.
We arrived early to Levon’s to hang by the fire. It was wonderful to see so many dear friends, some from as far as California! The Slip played High Sierra Festival most often, garnering a huge west coast fan base to rival back east. We wondered what they’d play tonight, and who might show up. Our anticipation was rewarded when Kt confirmed that Marco was arriving, which means he’d sit in. Other fans found out when they saw Marco’s Hammond inside the barn. A handful of fans had never seen The Slip before, but the audience was comprised of dear friends and music aficionados Levon’s sold out in a few minutes, so we all counted our blessings to gather at this special venue for our favorite band.
On the way in, we went to check out the merch. The new Slip tour hoodies have “216” on the front, a special code. 216 is Plato’s Number, which has references in ancient texts, the sum of 3 consecutive cubes (a “magic number”).
BAM opened with Suffocation Keep. This was another tour bust-out, last played at Sullivan Hall in 2010 (one of only 4 shows they played that year). This sombre song is about a relationship and introspection (lyrics, video). Trane-ing came next, which was played in every city this tour, but had not been played since a Slip stealth gig at Matt Murphy’s Pub on Valentine’s Day 2006 (The Slip were billed as “The Lips”). Bloodstone returned, which debuted at Brooklyn Bowl Friday. The powerful Sometimes True to Nothing and Motherwolf ended the first set with ferocity.
Marco sat in on Hammond for most of the second set, adding depth and chops to the musical stew. They opened with the sing-a-long If One of Us Should Fall, one of their most popular tunes, last played at Lockn’ Farm this summer. A funky Chasing Rabbits came next, followed by Jumby and a sweet Yellow Medicine with a Zion intro. Marco took a break for Through the Iron Gate and Life in Disguise, returning for Lennon’s Jealous Guy, which BAM only ever played on this tour.
Teasing this song throughout the tour on preprinted setlists, The Slip finally satisfied fans with their most-requested song, Honey Melon. This song is an earworm – once the “Words go in, they don’t come out.” This ended the set with great energy, and everyone was on their feet by then.
BAM returned to play an blazing encore of The Weight (fan-shot video), which was even fiercer with Marco on keys. This version had both the Autobody intro and the Dogs on Bikes outro. Fans danced wildly to celebrate this last show of the tour, and we all hope that The Slip will return to the road again soon.
Hugs and tears flowed as we processed the musical majesty of these last two weeks.
Saturday, November 20, 2021 – Levon Helm Studios – Woodstock, NY Set 1: Suffocation Keep, Trane-ing, Bloodstone*, Aptos, Sometimes True to Nothing > Motherwolf Set 2: If One of Us Should Fall, ? > Chasing Rabbits, Jumby, Yellow Medicine%, Through the Iron Gate^, Life in Disguise^, Jealous Guy$, Honey Melon Encore: The Weight#> Dogs on Bikes Notes: * new Brad song, previously untitled. % w/ Zion intro. ^ the only two songs in second set w/o Marco Benevento on Hammond. $ John Lennon cover. # new version, with Dogs on Bikes outro and Autobody intro.
Alex Giannascoli, a.k.a. Alex G, closed out his 2021 tour this week with two shows at Webster Hall. The tour served as a second leg of shows in support of the excellent 2019 LP House of Sugar (from Domino Records). With the release of this LP, Alex G also dropped part of his stage name; being formerly known as (Sandy) Alex G. NYS Music caught the last show of the tour on December 7th – scroll down for the full photo gallery below.
Alex G played career spanning sets at Webster Hall over the two shows, hitting tracks off all his past LPs plus a heavy dose of House of Sugar. Both nights opened with the psychedelic and groovy single “Gretel,” a quintessential show opener. Swirling acoustic guitar arpeggios transition into a psychedelic jam with heavy hitting drums perfect for setting the tone for the night.
Both nights also featured surprising covers. On night one fans got a very different version of Trans Siberian Orchestra’s “Christmas Eve Sarajevo” while night two saw a very true to form version of Coldplay’s “Clocks.”
Tuesday night was the finale of the tour, and there is currently only one more show scheduled next year on February 24th at August Hall in San Francisco. Keep an eye out for more shows and possibly new music in the near future from Alex G.
The American Classical Orchestra has joined in on celebrating indoor concerts and will be performing an all-Mozart program at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center on December 14th, titled “Restore.”
Alice Tully Hall and Julliard School
New York City’s foremost period instrument orchestra is back in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall conducted by the Orchestra’s Founder and Artistic Director Thomas Crawford and includes the composer’s substantial masterpiece, the Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola. In Crawford’s piece he’ll feature soloists Aisslinn Nosky, violin, and Maureen Murchie, viola. Later he’ll feature the Flute and Harp Concerto with harpist Parker Ramsay and flutist Emi Ferguson, in addition to Mozart’s popular Symphony No. 29.
We’ll hear from harpist Parker Ramsay and the Handel and Haydn Society’s Principal Flutist Emi Fergusonfirst on Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra. At just 18 years old, Mozart wrote the light-hearted Symphony No. 29 which remained a foundational piece in the composer’s career, posing as a signature of his classical style. For Sinfonia Concertante, showcase violist Maureen Munchiewill have to tune her viola a half-tone higher where Mozart wanted to create a brighter sound.
Munchie has performed on both modern and Baroque violin and viola across the US and overseas with Trinity Baroque Orchestra, Handel and Haydn Society, all the way to Broadway’s pit of Tootsie, so fortunately for her this will be an easy feat. The “a fearsomely powerful musician” violinist Aisslinn Nosky will also be a featured soloist, channeling skills she’s learned from hailed The Toronto Star, the Eybler Quartet, and being Concertmaster of the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston.
Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra in C Major, K. 299
Symphony No. 29in A Major, K. 201
Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola in E-flat Major, K. 364 (320d)
Tickets priced at $35–$75 are available online at lincolncenter.org or by calling CenterCharge at 212.721.6500. Concertgoers will need to comply with Lincoln Center’s visitor guidelines, including COVID protocols, which can be found here.
Singer and songwriter Thom Powers, from Greenwich, NY where he’s been living and playing locally for about nine years now, has released his first single called “Roller Coaster Show.” It’s a rock and roll tune with clear Beatles influences. Powers recruited top musicians in the area to join him on this track including: Darryl Kniffen (drums, producer, mixer), Andy Mollica (lead guitar and bass) from jazz trio Tanager, and Tony Califano (keys) from Rusticator.
Powers grew up in rural Sherrill, NY, listening to his father strum and sing throughout his childhood. He continued to have a love for music and guitar throughout his early 20’s but didn’t explore the playing out scene until 2012. He started playing at Argyle Brewing Company at Greenwich and quickly branched out to other local venues, collaborating with exceptional musicians in the area – all of whom studied music and are multi-instrumentalists.
“Roller Coaster Show” will be the first song on Powers’ forthcoming album. It’s a catchy tune with a solid drum track that keeps you grooving in combination with the wonderful addition of Tony Califano’s Wurlitzer and Organ and Andy Mollica’s well-timed guitar licks throughout.
There are no set gigs as a 5-piece at the moment, but Argyle Brewing Company and Unihog will be on the schedule in 2022. The trio will have a few more gigs and Thom Powers will continue to play solo at The Inn at Saratoga, Bound by Fate Brewing on New Year’s Eve and Cloud 9 Coffee Lounge on New Year’s Day, amongst others. You can even catch him at the Saratoga Farmer’s Market on January 15.
You can check out the brand new single below and on Bandcamp.
Vanessa Collier gave a two set and encore performance to match everyone’s delight at the 443. Vanessa serves up three courses of art as she is a saxophonist, vocalist, and songwriter. She whipped up table side sax solos at the 443 while taking a stroll through the crowd. The 443 social club creates an ambience much like the “storytellers” series that many artists have been a part of. Vanessa told the crowd about her various family influences on certain numbers. She had Syracuse’s Byron Cage on drums and William Gorman on keys. Andrew Cane from San Diego on bass and Shemekia Copeland’s guitarist Arthur Neilson from Brooklyn.
Photo by Steve Moore
Her four album names should help give some insight on the kind of grooves they laid down at 443, Heart Soul & Saxophone, Meeting my Shadow, Honey Up, and Heart on the Line. She kept the spontaneity in the show vibrant by switching to steel guitar for a cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “Blender Blues”.
Vanessa credited stories like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Greek Myth of Icarus to the crowd as an inspiration before performing her original “Icarus” off her Honey Up Album…
It’s a song about little Icarus when he is just dreaming of taking that flight and its sort of a song to everybody to chase your dreams and never let anybody tell you that you can’t do something
Vanessa Collier
Vanessa took some time after the gig to post up at one of the 443 social club tables for a talk with NYS Music about music & her history,
Matthew Romano: Is there a memory of a show you’ve played or attended in New York state that sticks out as a meaningful experience? J.V Collier told me he used to go to where Jaco Pastorius slept in Central Park for inspiration.
Vanessa Collier: For sure, that’s a great question. I remember it being special because it was my very first gig opening for Bruce Katz at The Falcon in Marlboro, New York. Things come full circle. It was my first time seeing his guitar player Chris Vitarello and now I’ve played with him a bunch in my band. So we keep it going, it’s connected.
MR: It is connected. Bruce Katz used to play with Gregg Allman at our Blues Festivals like you did this year. I couldn’t help but notice a song you played tonight titled “If Only” The sentiment seemed very familiar with the “when I get this..then that will bring happiness” concept that a lot of people fall to. The sax solo at the end had a Leroi Moore like tone too. Would you mind talking about that tune?
VC: Sure, my whole thought process behind the new record was to try and write story songs. Some of them are based on true things, some are not. This one is close to me. I’ve had a person in my life who’s constantly unhappy and nothing is ever enough ya know what i mean? It was inspired by this person and just a reminder to always live life to the fullest and to live with what you got to find a way to be happy.
MR: I know exactly what you mean. With this on the go lifestyle all you have is the moment. Hard to sacrifice that time to be unhappy.
VC: Amen.
MR: My third and final question here at 443 is about two books that we have in common, Questlove’s Creative Quest and The Devil’s Horn: The Story of the Saxophone from noisy novelty to king of cool. What’s cool that sticks out to you from those two great reads?
VC: That’s killer. I respect Quest’s love and knowledge for the music. It’s not a surface level thing with him. It’s all life. He knows every groove from every single song he’s heard. From a DJ perspective and then a drummer angle is great. I know I was gonna re read it again when i get into a new record. The thing I love about the devil’s horn is that I didn’t know Adolphe Sax’s story as much. Ya know that he almost died so many times and they murdered his assistant thinking it was him. To me what I loved is that the saxophone has this history of challenge and yet it still brings out something beautiful. I love that the inventor of the sax was that way too . He went through a lot of struggle to create this beautiful instrument.
MR: I love how the saxophone survived the Vatican when they tried to outlaw it because of its effects. What’s the oldest room you’ve ever played in?
VC: We’ve played a lot of converted churches that are now venues. So those are always awesome with just the acoustics in the room alone.
MR: There is two floor opera house near here that is an old theater church now used for music & art in Syracuse’s Little Italy you should play next.
In our current social-economic climate, many gage an artist based on their mainstream success. Did they have a big hit record? Top-selling album? Never mind the fact that outside of the music industry’s true 1%, streaming is a non-factor.
Hence, despite our emotional attachment to art, the music industry is a business and should be handled as such. Take Queens native, Irv Da God (Born Derrick Duke Irvin), for instance. His foray into the music industry was not based on a pipe dream of having a chart-topping hit or selling a million units. Rather, steadily establishing himself through various ventures and building a following.
Fortunately, Irvin’s upbringing during the rugged 90’s era Queens prepared him for an equally — for different reasons — cutthroat world.
As we got older, we all dealt with the obstacles as everyone’s trying to survive, get money. You just had to be always on point [and] never be caught slipping.
As he sheds light on his days as an aspiring hooper running the streets of Queens, it becomes ever apparent that Irvin is a by-product of his environment.
His production company, Block Boy Media, LLC, has directed, filmed, and edited productions for the likes of Dave East, Cam’ron, Chubbie Baby, Coi Leray, Lil Durk, Avianne & Co. Jewelers, among others. Yet, it is a passion that can be traced back to his childhood.
I was really into films since a kid. We had the VHS tapes and I used to drag my mom to the Africans and make her buy all the bootlegs. Back then we didn’t have cellphones, so I would just watch a lot of VHS tapes, I had at least 100 movies.
After being inspired by the countless hours of film study and the budding acting career of his self-admitted “rap superhero” and fellow Queens MC, Sticky Fingaz, Irvin took his hustle to the next level. He saved and enrolled himself into a six-month course at New York Film Academy where soon after he was making money recording and editing music videos for artists, as well as his own productions.
While admittedly a basketball head for large portions of his upbrining, the influence of hip hop is never too far away from inner-city youth.
His label, Block Boy Mafia, Inc, was home to his first studio album, Thirty 3, in 2019 and in 2020, B.B.M. released their first studio collaborative album, Son Day.
Irvin speaks of his Block Boy Mafia family with great hubris, acknowledging their status as family rather than business associates, yet lamented the fact that he seemed to care more about the preparation and overall success of the collective than others. As he matures in the industry, he’s made the conscious decision to prioritize Irv Da God and lay the foundation which he hopes his crew will build upon.
I can keep the family together, but I can’t make the decisions for the family all the time. When everybody has opinions, I have to let everybody be who they want to be.
In Irvin’s eyes, it’s all for the greater good, as he embodies the Block Boy moniker. On the block one would typically hang out with family, close friends and acquaintances and that is how he envisions his long-term success.
I just want to do it with my friends, the people I looked up to, [spent time] around and people we came across in our lifetime.
As he continues to spotlight, Irv Da God, it’s clear that “the block” is never too far away. It was only earlier this year that Irvin teamed up with Onyx’s own, Sticky Fingaz, and Bizkit of B.N.B. to release “Fearless,” a collaborative track made for the Vitor Belfort vs Evander Holyfield boxing match on Triller Fight Club.
Tasked with leadership for long periods of time, Irvin’s relationship with Freddo Starr and Sticky Fingaz feels like a breath of fresh air for the Hollis, Queens native, as Sticky and Freddo are two of hip hop’s most successful rappers-turned-actors.
They’re such good people man and show a lot of brotherly love,” Irvin says of the duo. “I’m a rap artist now and they’re my first rap brothers in the game.
His latest endeavor, a red-carpet appearance at the TrillerVerz battle in Hollywood, CA between Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia to promote the “Fearless” record, reiterated why he has stood on his family-oriented principles. After a chippy contest, that even included a near-altercation between the two legendary hip hop groups, it was Three 6 Mafia’s camaraderie that won Irvin over, despite being a bigger fan of Bone-Thugs.
People are big into energy nowadays. You can tell which groups are organized and you can tell which ones don’t really deal with each other anymore. You grow together, you have to keep the synergy in alignment, I feel like Juicy J and Three 6 Mafia definitely had the energy, they had the crowd jumping. It was like they were back in time to when the records first hit the club.
As he enters the next phase of his development, Irv Da God is preparing to independently release his sophomore project, Irvin Jackson. A soundtrack album set serve as the score for an upcoming tv series aptly named, Block Boy: Behind The Lights, Irvin is looking to showcase some of the very best from Block Boy Mafia.
I’m just giving people different styles of me. I’m really just showing people the growth of my career and my music. When I first came out, I might have been a little hard and aggressive on my Thirty 3 album. The traction was great, but it doesn’t show my diverse side. I’m not giving people pain, but I’m giving people experience.
As he comes up in the game, Irvin doesn’t seem mystified by the thought of bright lights. Despite being a Las Vegas resident, he keeps his city close to heart and speaks of the relationships he’s made along the way with gratitude. Whether it be Boston Rob for connecting him to Sticky Fingaz, Bronx MC Haddy Racks, A$AP Ferg and Dave East as old friends whose success have inspired him.
One thing people got to understand is that we made it already, everything else is just understanding the business and getting with the right people. These videos and these movies are edited, real life ain’t.
World-class musicians from the Caroga Lake Music Festival will return to Fulton County over December 16-19 to celebrate the holiday season during WinterFest. Performances are slated for the towns of Caroga, Johnstown and Gloversville.
Among the four scheduled performances over December 16 to 19 will be musical festivities featuring works by Tchaikovsky, Bach, Corelli, holiday sing-along favorites and more. See below for a schedule of Caroga Lake Music Festival WinterFest events in the Mohawk Valley.
Encore! Jazz Sessions: A Low-Key Christmas
Thursday, December 16 – 7:00pm – Nick Stoner Inn, Caroga Lake – Tickets: $15
Featuring Grammy Award-winning bassist Geoff Saunders and friends
CLMF WinterFest at Paul Nigra Center
Friday, December 17 – 7:00pm – Paul Nigra Center for the Creative Arts, Gloversville – Tickets: $15 (Livestream available)
CLMF WinterFest at St. John’s Johnstown
Saturday, December 18 – 7:00pm – St. John’s Episcopal Church, Johnstown, NY – Free Admission
Donations appreciated and split between Caroga Arts and One Church Street. Livestream available via St. John’s Episocpal Church facebook page
Holiday Sweets & Suites! – Featuring Caroga Arts Ensemble
Sunday, December 19 – 4:00pm – The Glove Theatre, Gloversville – Tickets: $10 per person, $30 per family of four
Special guests Suliman Tekalli (violin) and Mathieu Cognet (piano) performing Tekalli’s original virtuosic arrangement of The Nutcracker Suite.
