NYS Music 202​1

Category: Rock

  • Joe Bonamassa Releases New Blues Rock Single “Notches”

    Blues rock artist Joe Bonamassa is back with a brand-new single “Notches” from his highly anticipated upcoming album, due out later this year. 

    Joe Bonamassa

    “Notches” exemplifies the unwavering journey Joe has experienced while taking the road less traveled, ultimately leading him to find success. A bit older in years, but wiser in knowledge earned, his new sound has a raw and vital flavor, combined with a resolute skill that can only be gained through years of perseverance and unyielding dedication. He takes no prisoners with his hard-hitting anthem and holds nothing back, delivering a fresh unchartered sound that isn’t like anything he’s done before. The cinematically excellent official music video was directed by Paul van Kan.

    For recording “Notches,” Bonamassa hit the studio with longtime collaborators Kevin Shirley as producer and manager/business partner Roy Weisman as executive producer. The track was mixed by Bob Clearmountain (Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Toto, Bon Jovi) and was co-written with Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke). Recorded in New York City at Germano Studios/The Hit Factory the band includes Steve Mackey (bass), Lachy Doley (piano), Bunna Lawrie (didgeridoo), Bobby Summerfield (percussion), and Late Night with David Letterman‘s Anton Fig (drums and percussion), along with Mahalia Barnes, Juanita Tippins, and Prinnie Stevens on backing vocals. The fantastic artwork on this single was created by famous graphic artist Hugh Syme (Rush, Aerosmith, Whitesnake).

    The lyrics allude to Joe’s tenured uphill battle with the music industry. Looking back, he reflects, “Twenty years ago, I recorded a record of covers that eventually was called ‘Blues Deluxe.’ It was recorded at Bobby Nathan’s studio in Manhattan. It captured an energy and purpose that always stuck with me as an artist…The music business is tough, very tough. Especially back in those days when major labels pulled all the strings and, in my case, all the punches.”

    Now, maybe more than ever, Bonamassa holds the power of controlling both his artistry and his business in both hands. With 24 #1 albums, yearly sold-out tours worldwide, and custom annual cruises, he’s a hard act to beat. Joe knows his worth, and albeit humble, he has no plans to back down now. “Notches” is a testament to his credentials. It’s Joe Bonamassa at his finest, ready to rock.

    This month Joe heads back out on tour for 42 shows, starting on the West Coast in the US at the end of this month, then traveling around the rest of the country throughout the fall season before taking the stage at sea for his sold out Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea VII cruise, sailing from Miami, FL to Ocho Rios, Jamaica on February 21-25, 2022, by way of the Norwegian Pearl. 

    Connect with Joe Bonamassa on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and stream or buy “Notches” here.

    For everything Joe Bonamassa, visit his website at jbonamassa.com. For tickets and full tour dates, visit jbonamassa.com/tour-dates.

  • Neal Casal Tribute “Highway Butterfly” Announced For November Release

    A long-awaited tribute to the late artist Neal Casal has just been announced for release on November 12, 2021. Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal is a tribute to the life and music of the gifted singer, songwriter, and musician. It will contain a sprawling 41-song collection, now available for pre-order as both 5-LP and 3-CD box sets, brings together a galaxy of rock and roots luminaries that includes an expansive list of musicians such as Susan Tedeschi &  Derek Trucks, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band, and many more.

    Neal Casal tribute
    Neal Casal:: Photo by Jeremy Charles

    Casal released 14 albums under his own name during a career spanning a quarter-century. He was also an integral member of Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, the interconnected Beachwood Sparks and GospelbeacH, Hard Working Americans, The Skiffle Players, Hazy Malaze, and Circles Around the Sun.

    All proceeds from sales of Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal will benefit the Neal Casal Music Foundation, 501c3 non-profit formed in 2020, which provides musical instruments and lessons to students in New Jersey and New York state schools where Casal was born and raised, while also donating proceeds to mental health organizations that support musicians, including MusiCares and Backline

    In addition to 41 performances of Neal Casal songs by 130 participating musicians, the box set includes LP sleeves with rare and previously unpublished photos of Casal, a 48-page booklet presenting song lyrics, Casal’s own iconic work as a photographer, and an essay by early-career champion Jim Cardillo. Additional collectibles include a poster and baseball card with photos of Casal by photographer Jay Blakesberg and stickers designed by poster artists Alan Forbes and Marq Spusta.

    Today (7/21/21), the second single from the tribute is released featuring Beachwood Sparks & GospelbeacH’s rendition of “You Don’t See Me Crying” along with an accompanying video directed by Cyril Pooley Jean. A Highway Butterfly video trailer, directed by Justin Kreutzmann, was also made available. 

    Highway Butterfly: The Songs Of Neal Casal

    Track Listing:

    1. Traveling After Dark – Aaron Lee Tasjan


    2. Need Shelter – Jaime Wyatt


    3. You Don’t See Me Crying – Beachwood Sparks w/ GospelbeacH


    4. No One Above You – Marcus King w/ Eric Krasno


    5. Feathers For Bakersfield – Fruit Bats


    6. All The Luck In the World – Billy Strings w/ Circles Around The Sun


    7. Sweeten The Distance – Dori Freeman w/ Teddy Thompson


    8. Time Down The Wind – Hiss Golden Messenger


    9. Me & Queen Sylvia – Johnathan Rice


    10. Wisest Of The Wise – Mapache

    
11. Freeway To The Canyon – Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band


    12. Feel No Pain – Leslie Mendelson


    13. Detroit Or Buffalo – Jonathan Wilson w/ Hannah Cohen

    
14. Day In The Sun – Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks


    15. Bird With No Name – Jimmy Herring w/ Circles Around The Sun


    16. Maybe California – Shooter Jennings


    17. White Fence Round House – Vetiver


    18. December – Todd Sheaffer


    19. Grand Island – Courtney Jaye


    20. Superhighway – Oteil Burbridge, Nick Johnson, Steve Kimock, John Morgan Kimock & Duane Trucks


    21. Willow Jane – Britton Buchanan


    22. Too Much To Ask – Kenny Roby w/ Amy Helm


    23. Time And Trouble – Bob Weir w/ Jay Lane & Dave Schools


    24. Death Of A Dream – J Mascis


    25. The Cold and The Darkness – Tim Heidecker


    26. Free To Go – Warren Haynes


    27. So Far Astray – Rachel Dean


    28. Highway Butterfly – Steve Earle & The Dukes


    29. Angel And You’re Mine – Victoria Reed


    30. Pray Me Home – Jason Crosby


    31. Lost Satellite – Lauren Barth


    32. The Losing End Again – Jesse Aycock


    33. These Days With You – Puss N Boots


    34. Cold Waves – Tim Bluhm, Kyle Field


    35. Best To Bonnie – Zephaniah Ohora w/ Hazeldine


    36. Let It All Begin – The Mattson 2


    37. You’ll Miss It When It’s Gone – Cass McCombs, Ross James, Joe Russo, Farmer Dave Scher & Dave Schools


    38. Fell On Hard Times – Angie McKenna


    39. Raining Straight Down – The Allman Betts Band


    40. Soul Gets Lost – Hazy Malaze w/ Jena Kraus


    41. I Will Weep No More – Robbi Robb

  • Binghamton Philharmonic Announces 2021-2022 season

    The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra has announced the return of concerts for its 2021-2022 season in a press conference. The Orchestra also announced their new executive director, Paul Cienniwa. Daniel Heige, the Music Director of the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, presented the sponsors and performances that will take place for this season.

    The Philharmonic also had sponsors give speeches on their relationship with the Binghamton Philharmonic and how they will contribute to helping the orchestra with this upcoming season. The music director stated that the orchestra will play music from composers such as Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn, Jessie Montgomery, Stacy Garrop, Vivian Fung. There will also be concerts featuring musical genres of rock and pop.

    Here are the upcoming concerts at the Binghamton Philharmonic:

    Bassoonist Melissa Kritzer Wednesday, July 28 at 12p.m.

    Cellist Hakan Tayga Wednesday August 4 at 12p.m.

    Summer Chamber Music: trio pastorale with Principal Clarinet Paul Cho, Second Oboe Amelia Merriman, and Second Bassoon Melissa Kritzer Saturday August 14 at 5p.m. and Sunday August 15 at 3p.m.

    Summer Chamber Music: Unanimous Four with Concertmaster Uli Speth, Assistant Principal Cello Michael Newman, Principal Clarinet Paul Cho, and Principal Piano Tomoko Kanamaru. 

    You can check out the video of the press conference here.

    https://youtu.be/IAU_ItRVUyI

  • Elvis Costello & The Imposters Say “Hello Again” With Upcoming Fall Tour

    Elvis Costello & The Imposters will hit the road once more this October after more than a year without concerts since the Covid-19 pandemic in a show titled, “Hello Again.”

    Elvis Costello performs live on stage with The Imposters during their 2020 ‘Just Trust’ tour in London, England | Jim Dyson, Getty Images

    The tour commences in Memphis, Tennessee on October 13 at The Soundstage at Graceland, making a stop at JazzFest in New Orleans on October 16 before visiting more towns and cities across the United States. The current conclusion for the tour is set to be on November 14 in Oakland, California. Elvis Costello & The Imposters will perform songs from the pages of his formidable songbook and will be stopping by New York theaters for three performances throughout the tour.

    Costello released his latest album Hey Clockface in late 2020, followed by the release of a Francophone remix EP, La Face de Pendule à Coucou. The show, “Hello Again,” will also see the first stage performances of songs from the future, as the band aims to time-travel in all directions with its music. The Imposters: Steve Nieve (piano and organ), Pete Thomas (drummer), and bassist and vocalist Davey Faragher.

    Tickets for the “Hello Again” tour will be on sale on July 23 at 10 AM ET at elviscostello.com.

    Elvis Costello & The Imposters “Hello Again” 2021 Tour Dates:

    10/13 – Memphis, TN @ The Soundstage at Graceland
    10/16 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
    10/19 – Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
    10/20 – Charlotte, NC @ Belk Theater
    10/22 – Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Center for the Arts
    10/24 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
    10/25 – Port Chester, NY @ The Capitol Theatre
    10/26 – Port Chester, NY @ The Capitol Theatre
    10/28 – Providence, RI @ Providence Performing Arts Center
    10/29 – Portsmouth, NH @ The Music Hall
    10/30 – Brookville, NY @ Tilles Center
    11/2 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Michigan Theater
    11/3 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
    11/4 – Prior Lake, MN @ Mystic Lake Casino
    11/6 – Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
    11/7 – Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
    11/10 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Federal Theatre
    11/11 – San Diego, CA @ The Magnolia
    11/13 – Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater
    11/14 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater

  • TAUK share Extraterrestrial Video for “Moon Dub”

    After a successful return to the stage at Peach Music Festival, TAUK is set to hit the road and headline their own shows for the Chaos Companion Tour, harnassed by the release of their newest single and accompanying music video, for “Moon Dub,” out now.

    With new music and new energy, the band can’t wait to return to live shows like never before. “We’ve been missing live music just like everybody else and are itching to get back on the road,” shares guitarist Matt Jalbert. “This whole experience gave us some time to step back and really gain a whole new perspective on just how lucky we are to do what we do and share it all with unreal fans.”

    tauk chaos companion

    This first part of the country long tour kicks off with Resonance Music & Arts Festival in Masontown, WV over September 16th & 17th, followed by a performance at Borderland Music & Arts Festival in East Aurora on September 18th. TAUK will then hop along the east coast, hitting Pawtucket, RI, New Haven, CT, and Brooklyn, (the latter with Paris_Monster), before heading down south for plays in Asheville, NC, Atlanta, GA, Indianapolis, IN, Covington, KY and more. The band will then make their State Theatre debut on Halloween in Falls.

    tauk chaos companion

    Don’t miss out on TAUK on tour. An all-instrumental combination of progressive rock, hip-hop and jazz offers a unique blend and sound to their listeners. Inspired by classic sci-fi like Blade Runner and Ex Machina, TAUK’s ability to combine melodic fusion with pop sounds is sonically adventurous, and emotional. A full list of dates can be found below. Keep up with the band on their official Facebook & Instagram, and listen now on Spotify & Apple Music.

    Their most recent studio album Shapeshifter II: Outbreak, offered an interesting look at artificial intelligence and its potential to upend our world. Containing a sense of tension and cinematic mood, it proved to be an album that’s both thought provoking and soothing.

    tauk chaos companion

    Longtime friends and TAUK members Charlie Dolan, Matt Jalbert, and A.C. Carter formed their first band in seventh grade. After playing together in various projects, the three added Issac Teel to the band, creating the final lineup. Since then, TAUK has appeared at festivals like Electric Forest and Bonnaroo, and earned acclaim from major outlets like the Washington Post, who praised TAUK for “creating a hard-charging, often melodic fusion that—thanks to a penchant for improv—offers limitless possibilities.”

    tauk Moon Dub

    Earlier this month, TAUK shared “Moon Dub,” their first studio release since March 2020. On July 21, the New York-bred ensemble shared the track’s extraterrestrial-inspired video, directed by Dani Barbieri. Accompanying the fully instrumental track, listeners can join TAUK on a journey from Earth to outer space, with infectious beats and expansive sonic exploration. The vintage-tinged video chronicles the four-piece as they suit up, prepare for a space expedition and fly to the moon for a gravity-defying performance.

    Of the video’s concept, guitarist Matt Jalbert says:

    The floating, spacey nature of the song coupled with Dani’s excellent creative input and execution brought us to Volvox Labs where we were able to make it feel like we are playing on the moon and do the shoot on their high-tech screens and come away with an amazing looking video. It was then that we actually landed on the song title. It was damn hot in those space suits, but worth it in the end.

    Matt Jalbert, TAUK

    The video was captured over a single, hot summer day in New York City, in a studio without air conditioning. Despite this minor set back, Barbieri reflects upon the shoot for “Moon Dub,” saying “the men in TAUK brought 100% energy to every single take. They are true heroes and it was a gift and a dream to take them to the moon!”

    TAUK Chaos Companion Tour Dates

    Aug. 13 – Atlantic City, NJ – Sound Waves @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, featuring special guest Robert Randolph for a Beatles vs Hendrix set with BoomBox
    Sept. 16 & Sept. 17 – Masontown, WV – Resonance Music & Arts Festival
    Sept. 18 – East Aurora, NY – Borderland Music & Arts Festival
    Sept. 30 – Pawtucket, RI – The Met
    Oct. 1 – New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place
    Oct. 2 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl (with Paris_Monster)
    Oct. 8 – Martinsville, VA – Rooster Walk Reunion Music Festival
    Oct. 9 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
    Oct. 12 – Oxford, MS – The Lyric Oxford
    Oct. 13 – Little Rock, AR – Rev Room
    Oct. 19 – Jackson, MS – Duling Hall
    Oct. 20 – Huntsville, AL – Sidetracks Music Hall
    Oct. 21 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn
    Oct. 22 – Tuscaloosa, AL – Druid City Music Hall
    Oct. 23 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
    Oct. 26 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI
    Oct. 27 – Covington, KY – Madison Theater
    Oct. 28 – Memphis, TN – Railgarten
    Oct. 29 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East
    Oct. 30 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater
    Oct. 31 – Falls Church, VA – The State Theatre

    Tickets for their Fall 2021 tour are on sale now.

    Directed by Sophia Conger and shot at the Brooklyn Bowl, TAUK’s video for “Make Your Move” opens with the band quietly sitting at a bar, before suddenly shifting into a vibrant and playful competition sequence. The video mirrors TAUK’s signature instrumental sound, which begins delicately and expands into complex textures and beats, brilliantly blending the old school with the futuristic. The visuals in “Make Your Move” perfectly match this: a calm and unassuming beginning, which then bursts into a layered, intricate melody, shown with Nerf gun fights, Mario Kart-style tricycle races and more.

  • Surf’s Up on latest from Rochester Guitarist Greg Townson, “Off and Running!”

    Rochester twang bar king, Greg Townson, is back with another super fine collection of surf guitar instrumentals perfect for the hazy days of our post-COVID lockdown summer.  Called Off and Running! (High Tide Recordings), it features a cast of stellar supporting musicians, including his bandmates from the world renowned Los Straitjackets and NRBQ. Expert players all, they jell together wonderfully to breathe new life into classics like “The Locomotion” and “Just One Look” and Townson’s authentically retro originals.

    greg townson

    Greg has been making music most of his life, winning fans and making friends wherever he performs, from stages all across the United States to Europe, Scandinavia and beyond.  In 1998, Townson formed The Hi-Risers, a trio that put the spotlight on his singing, guitar playing, production and songwriting talents. Since then, he has continued to record and tour prolifically with that band, issuing nine records to date. The band’s most recent release is the 45, Smooth Operator b/w Hot Banana, which came out last year on Hi-Tide Recordings.

    2010 brought yet another dimension to Greg’s work when he was asked to join Los Straitjackets, the Mexican wrestling mask-wearing instrumental guitar greats. In 2012 he contributed songs to Jet Set, one of the strongest records in the band’s extensive catalog. He has since contributed his guitar and songwriting talents to five more of their releases. In 2015, Los Straitjackets and Townson teamed with legendary songwriter Nick Lowe. This dynamic union released several EP’s, toured the world and appeared on shows such as CBS This Morning and Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

    As a continuation of his instrumental guitar work featured in Los Straitjackets,  Greg teamed up with Hi-Tide Recordings for the Travelin’ Guitar series of his own guitar-based recording. 2017’s Travelin’ Guitar and its 2019 follow-up, More! Travelin’ Guitar, are now complemented by his latest, Off and Running!

    The title track serves as a high-energy kick-off to the album. It boasts some cool stop-time drums, snapping leads and a very delicious ascending chordal bridge – a whole boatload of serious music, moods and fun clocking in at just shy of two minutes.  Townson’s cover of the Jackie DeShannon-penned hit for The Searchers, “When You into The Room,” launches with a play on Ringo’s great intro drum beat from The Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride,” while his cover of the Little Eva then Grand Funk hit, “The Locomotion” is pure retro SoCal surf of the early 60s, something that could’ve come from the catalog of mighty The Ventures or The Trashmen.

    Townson’s reimagining of Barbara Lewis’ 1963 R&B smash, “Hello Stranger” is one of my favorites and the most ambitious arrangements on the disc. It has an almost Space Age Bachelor pad vibe, with swirling organ and soft reeds (flutes and oboe?) that sound like a Brian Wilson Pet Sounds outtake.  Spanish modes a la Los Straitjackets drive “Aztec,” while guesting background vocalists and a growly sax add pure fun to the straight-ahead surf of “Goin’ Wild” and “Go Go Power.”

    On all these tracks, Townson is a master of taste, restraint and tone, the latter which must emanate from a garage-full of vintage gear and whole bunch of vintage vinyl digestion.  The covers give you another reason to love these wonderful songs, and add Townson’s takes on them to your playlist.  And his originals are all faithful to the era that he obviously loves – a gentler, kinder time when you could take on the world armed only with the sweet twang and reverbed roar of a Fender Strat and Twin Reverb. 

    Key Tracks: Off and Running!, When You Walk into The Room, The Locomotion, Hello Stranger

  • ‘Bands on the Bricks’ Concert Series Returns to Rochester

    Live music has taken over Rochester‘s Public Market once again. The annual “Bands on the Bricks” concert series has made a comeback with a lineup of popular tribute bands and local groups, beginning July 16.

    Bands on the Bricks

    The Rochester Public Market, located on 280 North Union Street, has hosted community events since 1905. “Bands on the Bricks” is one of their most popular summer events, bringing crowds from all over the area. All shows are 6-10 p.m. every Friday night until August 13.

    On Friday, July 16 the Zac Brown Tribute Band rocked the market, delivering the “true Zac Brown Band experience” for Rochester locals. Check out a live stream recording of their set from the ZBTB Facebook.

    Bands on the Bricks
    ZBTB

    There are five free city-owned Market parking lots available for use. Railroad Street, Union Street, a large lot across Union Street from Market grounds (accessible from Trinidad or Scio Streets), and two small lots at the corners of Pennsylvania/First, as well as Pennsylvania/Union. Public street parking and paid private lot parking are also available in the surrounding Market District. 

    A market trolley circulates around the grounds and to/from parking lots from May through October, and a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Union Street is available to and from the Trinidad/Scio Street lot. Carpooling, walking, or bicycling is encouraged, but bikes are not permitted beyond the market gates. Download a parking map pdf here.

    Bands on the Bricks

    Gates open 5:30 p.m., shows start at 6 p.m., all shows are free of charge. Attendees are permitted one sealed bottle of water per person, no other food or beverages is allowed. Seating is limited so personal folding chairs and blankets are suggested. More information can be found on the City of Rochester website.

    “Bands on the Bricks” Upcoming Shows:

    July 23: Into the Now (Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, the Doors tribute band), Dinner and a Movie (Phish Tribute Band)

    July 30: The Taint (local cover band), Appetite for Voltage (Guns N Roses, AC/DC tribute band)

    August 6: Latino Night (annual partnership with Puerto Rican Festival featuring an array of local Latin music groups)

    August 13: M 80’s (80s tribute band), Kashmir (Led Zeppelin tribute band)

    Kashmir performing Zep’s “No Quarter”

  • Elektric Voodoo to stop in Rochester on Telescope Tour

    Elektric Voodoo, the Afrobeat-inspired psych dance-rock ensemble, just released the music video for their title track “Telescope” and tour dates for their album. Scott Tournet, frontman for Elektric Voodoo, is also a founding member of Grace Potter & The Nocturnals (2003-2014), Blues & Lasers, a solo artist, and producer.  They will be making a stop on August 21st at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester.

    Elektric Voodoo

    The music video filmed by Michael Cacciabaudo perfectly captures the intimate recording session and vibe. “Telescope” is the second single from Elektric Voodoo’s upcoming album of the same name, due out August 20th. The band has also announced their first tour dates in support of the album kicking off August 7th. Full tour dates below.

    Elektric Voodoo is comprised of an all-star ensemble with songwriter, guitarist, and bandleader Scott Tournet, Matt Bozzone (drums/percussion, vocals), Ty Kiernan (congas, timbales, percussion), Travis Klein (tenor sax, keyboards, guitar, percussion, vocals), Brad Nash (baritone sax, keyboards, percussion, vocals), and Luke Henning (bass, vocals, percussion). They first came together in 2016 around the time Tournet left the band he had built up for 12 years with Grace Potter and Nocturnals. Together they took a leap of faith to create something new.

    Tour Dates

    08/07 @ Mammoth Festival of Beers & Bluesaplooza – Mammoth Lakes, CA

    08/13 @ Winston’s – San Diego, CA

    08/15 @ Soundwell – Salt Lake City, UT

    08/18 @ The Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge – Minneapolis, MN

    08/19 @ Ignition Music Garage – Goshen, IN

    08/20 @ Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH

    08/21 @ Water Street Music Hall – Rochester, NY

    08/22 @ The Tupelo Music Hall – Derry, NH

    08/27 @ Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest – Augusta, NJ

    08/29 @ Rams Head On Stage – Annapolis, MD

  • Hearing Aide: John Mayer Releases ‘Sob Rock’, Kicks off 2022 Tour in Albany

    John Mayer just released his new solo record Sob Rock, produced by Don Was and released on Columbia Records and Tapes.

    Mayer also announced a 2022 Sob Rock Tour starting at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY on February 17. This marks the fourth world tour he has started in the Capital Region of New York In 2015, he played his first Dead and Company Show there. In 2017, he started his Search for Everything Tour at the arena, and Mayer also started his last solo summer tour in Albany on July 19 2019.

    John Mayer’s musical journey over the past twenty years is a classic rock and roll dream. Growing up, Mayer never had a doubt about what he wanted to be. His bedroom in the 1980s was adorned with Stevie Ray Vaughn posters. At this time, he was inspired by Buddy Guy’s “Damn Right I got the Blues.” Mayer is one of the last artists to amplify his sound to the masses through original radio and TV circuits, years before the social-media/stream world of exposure.

    In 2002, he played at Onondaga County War Memorial on his first solo American tour the same fall Bob Weir and Jeff Chimenti’s Ratdog played Syracuse’s Landmark Theater down the street. 20 years later they are Mayer’s band mates with Oteil Burbridge, Bill Kreutzman, and Mickey Hart on tour as Dead and Company, with four dates in New York scheduled for this August.

    Dead and Company Fall Tour opener Albany 2015

    In between this time, Mayer’s life was a continuum of battle studies majoring in heartbreak warfare in cities like New York. Who says he can’t get stoned and call a girl he used to know? Halfway to the moon, his vocal cords needed a recharge, which led to him living off the grid in Montana. A poolside chance encounter with the Grateful Dead’s Althea on satellite radio helped Mayer carve out another new sound. He then debuted his psychedelic chops on solo albums Wildfire and Paradise Valley before joining Dead and Co.

    Mayer kept his blues roots alive by inducting Stevie Ray Vaughn in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mayer and Gary Clark Jr helped pay musical tribute at the ceremony. Mayer also kept his English blues roots atone for performances with The Rolling Stones and joining Eric Clapton for his 70th birthday at Madison Square Garden. He reunited with producer and drummer Steve Jordan to help bring back the John Mayer Trio with Pino Palladino. Dont’t forget Pino’s groove on Don Henley’s 80’s anthem “Boys of Summer”. He recruited D’Angelo guitarist Isiah Sharkey for the his recent solo tours as well. Mayer also dabbled after midnight at the LOCKN festival with Lettuce for Jerry Garcia Band Tribute.

    Mayer’s first record fresh off the heels of growing up, however, has an ironic connection to his most recent. Romanticizing years ago on the track “83” off Room for Squares with lyrics like Oh, if only my life was more like 1983. All these things would be more like they were at the start of me. I’d plot a course to the source of the purest little part of me.

    John Mayer Search for Everything Tour Albany 2017

    Sob Rock is a nod to this era of Mayer’s life experience until now, the simplicity of any given 1980s summer day before we all had to grow up. “Why you no love me?” Is a great example of this angle “They are the most brutal lyrics I’ve written. Musically you’re on a sailboat, but lyrically it’s intense. ‘Why you no love me?’ I’ve spoken those words in relationships and it is the child learning that language. Maybe it takes 43 years to ask it?”

    The song’s lyrics, Hurt me once I let it be. Hurt me twice, you’re dead to me, Three times makes you family. Mayer reflects on these words about getting older, “Do not try and create bonds with scar tissue, there are people in our lives who have hurt us enough to join this legacy gang. As you’ get older you learn not to build relationships on the connective tissue of ‘sorry’ hangovers and morning afters. As you get older you say, ‘Be good to me from the start.’

    Sometimes nothing feels better for someone than stitching up a wound they made. At 28, that felt like love times a thousand but when you get in your 40’s its sexy to hear someone say, “I would never do that to you” That’s the new language you become attracted to

    John Mayer

    Musically a Dire Straits tone is found on “Wild Blue” with chilly Knopfler-like vocals. “I’m walking through the wilderness and living off the loneliness. I found myself when I lost you.” Sob Rock is binge watching Stranger Things for its Eighties nostalgia with Carla Francesca in an October past. Mayer wants this album to create memories that you might not have actually had. Can you have memories of things that never happened to you? “For me, I can’t quite see the memory…I’m almost there…it’s my grandmother’s house and Gumby is on TV…is it a dream?…a memory?” Maybe its all a dream I’m having at seventeen, I don’t have tattoos and very soon mother will be calling me and saying come upstairs you got some work to do.

    Additionally, two music videos released off the record, “Last Train Home” and “Shot in the Dark,” look like playbacks of recorded VHS tapes off an old Zenith console TV. We cast the same scenes in our social circles. His live performance on the tonight show with Isaiah Sharkey really shows the reflection on the stitches of old love from the road Now the road keeps rolling on forever and the years keep pulling us apart, if its on someone i blame both of us, it shouldn’t matter but it does

    His experience with Dead and Company has affected the guitarist in that he wants to hear how the music has affected you. Where did it take you and what has it brought out personally? New York musicians like John McConnell, whose only rest in 20 years was for vocal chord treatment like Mayer, his song “When This, Then That” with the lyrics “So I’ll settle in and relax for a while, I’m a 40 something victim of comfort but I do it with style” is certainly a sound off the new light trail Mayer has bended for all to hike on. At this stage in his life John (Mayer) just wants to be a musical servant. “I’m only here for transportation.”

    Key Tracks: Why You No Love Me?, Wild Blue, All I Want is to Be with You

    John Mayer 2022 Sob Rock Tour Dates tickets go on sale Friday, July 23 at 11 am ET at JohnMayer.com.

    Feb. 17 – Albany, NY – Times Union Center
    Feb. 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
    Feb. 20 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
    Feb. 23 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
    Feb. 25 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
    Feb. 27 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
    March 1 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena
    March 4 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
    March 11 – Las Vegas, NV – Grand Garden Arena
    March 13 – Los Angeles, CA – Forum
    March 15 – Los Angeles, CA – Forum
    March 18 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
    March 22 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
    March 25 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena
    March 27 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
    April 2 – Sunrise, FL – BB&T Center
    April 5 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
    April 8 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
    April 11 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
    April 13 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
    April 20 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
    April 23 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
    April 24 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
    April 28 – Chicago, IL – United Center




  • Women Highlight NY Guitar Festival Tribute to Classical Great Julian Bream

    The NY Guitar Festival online performance series Remembering Julian Bream is adding fresh perspective on the works and personal impact on a generation of players of the recently departed classical guitar great. The seven day festival, which launched July 14, will continue to premier new three video performances each day at 3pm, 4pm and 5pm EDT through July 20. 

    NY Guitar Festival

    Seven composers are performing their own works dedicated to Bream:  Laura Snowden (UK), Jiji (Korea), Leo Brouwer – performed by Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo. (Cuba), Jozef van Wissem (Holland), Derek Gripper (South Africa), and Gyan Riley (USA).

    In addition to these world premieres, the series includes performances of the classical guitar and lute music that Bream became known for, dating from the 16th through the 20th century by composers including John Dowland, Anthony Holborne, Benjamin Britten, Heitor Villa-Lobos and more.  For more on Bream’s career and his lasting impact, see the August 2020 obituary here on our site.

    NY Guitar Festival Sharon Ibsen

    Some of the true highpoints of the festival are the performances by and the personal recollections of talented women in the classical guitar realm, all whom received inspiration and personal guidance from Bream.  Here are some those highlights:

    In her performance on July 14, Sharon Isbin remembered her meeting with Bream as a 14-year-old in her hometown of Minneapolis.  After playing him the “Prelude to Bach’s Third Cello Concerto,” he had high praise for her style and passion, but noticed she wasn’t much using the ring finger of her right hand.  Isbin quickly adjusted her technique and has since plied a career as one of the most successful women in the classical guitar field.  She’s a multiple Grammy Award-winner featured on countless recordings, as a soloist in performances with over 200 orchestras and founder of the guitar department of the Juilliard School of Music to name a few.  Here, she tells her tale then performs one of Bream’s favorites, “Capricho Arabe” by Francisco Tarrega. 

    In her July 16 performance as part of the Amadeus Guitar Duo, Dale Kavanaugh and her German partner Thomas Kirchhoff tackled another Bream favorite, an arrangement of Alexander Borodin’s “String Quartet No. 2 (Moderato)”.  At the end of this compelling 10-minute performance, Kirchhoff relates a tale of Bream’s visit to his home and the master’s recollection of his own legendary partnership with Australian virtuoso John Williams.

    On Monday, July 19 at 4 pm, the festival will feature the premiere of another original composition by Jiji.  This dynamic 28-year Korean guitarist’s work spans the gap between acoustic and electric, the classics and free improvisation.  “My piece is called “MOONOU” because when I think of Julian Bream, I think of an octopus (moonou in Korean),” says Jiji.  “He just did everything; he was omnivorous. I wanted to capture his world’s colliding – the new music Julian Bream, the lutenist Julian Bream, the traditional player Julian Bream, with a hint of the world that I love. You’ll hear a bit of glitch, heavily-processed sounds, a bit of weirdness, maybe some Bach, a bit of everything. You’ll hear the way I see Julian Bream – the Octopus artist!” 

    NY Guitar Festival

    Marija Temo and Alberta Khoury perform two more favorites of Bream’s, “Spanish Dance No. 5” by Enrique Granados and “Etude No. 11 and Prelude No. 3” Heitor Villa-Lobos, on July 17 at 5 pm and July 18 at 4 pm respectively.

    The NY Guitar Festival tribute to Bream will close with an original piece composed and performed by one of the young guns of the classic guitar world, Britain’s Laura Snowden.   The composition, called “Home,” is a salute to the bucolic life Bream lived in the countryside in Wiltshire, without internet or mobile phone. It was a beautiful place where she studied at the feet of the master, learning two of his original compositions that she premiered at Wigmore Hall.  Snowden’s performance will debut on July 20 at 5 pm.

    As a sucker for the lute, another not-to-miss is lengthy performance by lute master Paul O’Dette, which can be seen below.

    Access to “Remembering Julian Bream” is free. The NYGF and performing artists are asking viewers to make donations to MusiCares. Learn more about charitable foundation of The Recording Academy’s MusicCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, and donate to help the music community affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, here.

    To watch all the performances, tune into the NY Guitar Festival YouTube Channel.   You can watch the full playlist for the series as it premieres here: NYGF YouTube Playlist, and listen to the full collection of audio recordings from WNYC Radio’s “New Sounds,” at 93.9FM or at www.newsounds.org.