Once a New York City teacher himself, Simmons agreed to spend 30 minutes with the Schalmont rock history students to answer some questions. He ended up speaking for over an hour giving advice, sharing stories and engaging in jovial conversation.
The virtual meeting came together with the help of Schalmont High Senior Gabe Unser, who looked up the musician on his website.
I found a media contact online and said ‘I don’t know if I can ask this but we have a History of Rock Music class and we were wondering if Gene would be able to talk to our class.’ She replied he’d be happy to.
Gabe Unser
According to Unser’s teacher, Robert Renzi, Simmons does not usually answer to inquiries but was moved by the message and decided to take the opportunity.
Simmons recalled how committed he and the rest of KISS was to practicing endlessly in their small New York City apartment. He simultaneously worked various jobs during that time, including teaching 6th grade.
Simmons 1960s teacher photo compared to his iconic rock persona. Credit: KISS Facebook Page
Simmons’ key piece of advice was to ignore the naysayers and do what you love. But, he was quick to say to not quit your day job in the process. Simmons also noted he has never drank alcohol or used illegal drugs and encouraged students to do the same.
The thing we did right is we did what we envisioned and put together a band we had never seen on stage before.
Gene Simmons
When a student asked if they could get autographs, or at least for their teacher as a retirement gift, Simmons agreed to send each person an autograph. He ended the meeting by telling students they could do anything if they put in the time and encouraged them not to be afraid of failure.
Kiss in London – May 1976 Credit: Photo by Andre Csillag/REX/Shutterstock
This is not the first time Simmons got in touch with his teacher side. While filming his reality show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, he visited public school music charity organization, Little Kids Rock.
Simmons ditched his celebrity status in the clip, interacting with the children one-on-one, sharing valuable advice similar to his meeting with the Schalmont students, and even playing bass along with them. Simmons teamed up with Fender to donate guitars and other musical supplies to the charity before he left.
After multiple decades and a successful music career, it seems Simmons never really quit his teaching day job!
Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) was alive once again on June 18, as Trey Anastasio kicked off three nights of acoustic shows with some friends along for the ride.
On Friday night, Trey welcomed Beacon Jams stars the Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski for eleven songs during the show, while performing another eleven solo on acoustic guitar. The songs included Phish numbers, as well as one of Trey’s new quarantine home recordings, “Lost in the Pack.”
Trey told stories during the performance, asking the audience what they’d been up to since Mexico, the last Phish shows held in February 2020. Trey gave nod to HBO’s Succession Season 2 for best viewing this past year, as well as Marc Rebillet’s vaccine song.
The crowd, held to 30% capacity (due to live performance restrictions at the time of announcement) skewed slightly younger, with crowd pleasers “Everything’s Right,” “Turtle in the Clouds” and “Sigma Oasis” elating the audience, the latter especially with the line, “Take off your mask.”
Fans were treated to two lengthy compositions with the Rescue Squad Strings and Tanski with the early composition “Fluffhead” and the more recent “Mercury,” both wowing the crowd, the latter making its acoustic debut along with the Anastasio/Tansky duet of “Split Open and Melt.”
A show closing “First Tube” gave a nod to the late Tony Markellis, as Anastasio said, “With deepest love,” for the former TAB bassist and longtime resident of Saratoga Springs.
Set 1: Wilson [1], Alive Again[1], Stash [2], Water in the Sky[2], Lost in the Pack[1], Back on the Train[1], Sample in a Jar[1], Sigma Oasis[1], Theme From the Bottom[1], Shade [3], Fluffhead[2], Mercury [4], The Inlaw Josie Wales[2], Turtle in the Clouds[1], Maze[1], Snowflakes in the Sand[1], Everything’s Right [5], Split Open and Melt [6], Joy[2], Harry Hood[2]
Encore: More[1], First Tube[4] [1] Trey on acoustic guitar. [2] Trey on acoustic guitar; with the Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano. [3] Trey on acoustic guitar; with Jeff Tanski on piano. [4] Trey on acoustic guitar; with the Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano. First acoustic performance. [5] Trey on acoustic guitar. Started and stopped before being played in full. [6] Trey on acoustic guitar; with Jeff Tanski on piano. First acoustic performance.
Saturday night found Trey and a full house at SPAC for round two. Phish bandmate Page McConnell stopped by late in the evening, surprising fans for a few songs.
Just before the encore, Trey thanked the audience, crew and friends and spoke about the late Tony Markellis.
Tony will always be a part of all of our lives. He of course, Saratoga resident and native. Page reminded me backstage of a fact that was quite true that I had forgotten. His absolute favorite song in the repertoire of all of this groups of friends who play together is this next song. He just loved this one. One of Page’s favorites too.
Trey Anastasio
And with that, “Sleeping Monkey” was played by Trey and Page, with the crowd letting out a laugh, and later singing the “home on the train” part in unison. For the final songs of the encore, Trey brought Jeff Tanski and the Rescue Squad Strings as Page stepped off, closing the night with “If I Could” and “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.”
Set1: Set Your Soul Free, Blaze On, I Never Needed You Like This Before, Esther#, Brian And Robert*, Wolfman’s Brother*, Divided Sky*, Driver, When the Words Go Away, Twist, Foam#, What’s the Use*, Chalk Dust Torture, Sand#, Pebbles and Marbles*, Lifeboy*, Backwards Down the Number Line, Limb By Limb, Mountains in the Mist^, Sleep^, Waste^, Sleeping Monkey^
Encore: If I Could$, Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.
* – with Rescue Squad Strings + Jeff Tanski # – with Jeff Tanski ^ – with Page McConnell $ – with Rescue Squad Strings + Page McConnell
For the third and final night of acoustic performance at SPAC, Anastasio spent the longest day of the year focusing intently on playing and less time sharing stories. On the 17 year anniversary of one of Phish’s most notable SPAC performances, Anastasio gave the date fresh significance as acoustic debuts of “Reba,” “Drift While You’re Sleeping,” “You Enjoy Myself” and “Tweezer Reprise” were the specials of the day.
With the mantra of ‘Never Miss a Sunday’ show holding true through a pandemic, Trey kicked off the show with an unexpected Father’s Day opener in “Carini,” noting afterwards this was a Father’s Day song with the lyrics “he went across the street and called his dad,” the ends seemingly justifying the means.
A spirited acoustic version of “Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan” had a nice jam at end that worked its way into “Free” which had cheers throughout for “I feel the feeling I forgot.”
For the first acoustic debut of the night, “Reba” featured a duet with Jeff Tanski on piano, who added in a little ragtime style in the first third of the composition. The incredibly intricate song, one that Anastasio recently mentioned on Alive Again (Osiris Network) took the pair on a complex journey through one of Phish’s oldest fan-favorites. Anastasio noted afterwards that it was Tanski who helped him through the pandemic by playing together for 4-5 hours daily in a small practice space in New York City.
Welcoming back The Rescue Squad Strings – Katie Kresek and Maxim Moston on violin, Rachel Golub on viola, Anja Wood on cello – Anastasio dove into “Strange Design” and the debut of “Drift While You’re Sleeping,” the crowd moved by lyrics “It’s love, it’s love, it always was. And it is and it always will be love.”
Trey went solo for “Ghost” and “Farmhouse” before welcoming back Tanski for “Ghosts of the Forest” with aquarium-hued lighting and Anastasio hanging on the lyric “I’m drowning in my own mind” to the song’s morendo. The Strings returned for “Light” which used the blank canvas behind the stage to simulate a sunrise growing brighter as the song built towards climax.
“Bathtub Gin” and “NICU” had the audience singing along once again, followed by Tansky returning for two somber numbers in “Dirt” and “Miss You.” The Strings then came back again for the at-home composition from April 2020, “Till We Meet Again.” If there was any point of the evening where there was an interlude in the music, it was these previous few tunes, as the crowd would soon find out.
A solo version of “Tube” brought out big cheers for science, and with Tansky and the string section, fans were wowed with “The Lizards.” Debuting during the Beacon Jams in Fall 2020, the addition of strings to the fan-favorite had the song hitting a little different this evening. Paired with the “Slave to the Traffic Light” that followed, fans were blessed with two classic Phish songs plus strings in as intimate a setting as 30% capacity at SPAC could allow.
After a solo version of “Possum,” Trey read a sign saying “Play what makes you happy.” He obliged, playing “a little ditty that makes me happy,” that being “You Enjoy Myself.” The vocal jam afterwards was reminiscent of past performances with orchestras, such as at Carnegie Hall in 2009, with Anastasio standing in front of the canvas backdrop, his silhouette visible against orange and then blue light.
For the encore, Trey thanked everyone for three great nights, introduced the string section and Tansky, and moved into the Ghosts of the Forest ballad “Life Beyond a Dream.” The addition of strings to emotionally powerful songs from across his decades of performance stood out tonight, but the show closer, “Tweezer Reprise,” would be the icing on the evening as the first ever version with a string section, with Anastasio smiling ear to ear as the typical finale of Phish shows reigned supreme once again in the halls of SPAC.
Anastasio will perform two nights at The Beacon Theatre, June 22 and 23, the first shows with an audience at the famed venue since March 2020.
Set 1: Carini [1], Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan[1], Free[1], Reba [2], Strange Design [3], Drift While You’re Sleeping [4], Ghost[1], Farmhouse[1], Ghosts of the Forest [5], Light[3], Bathtub Gin[1], NICU[1], Dirt[5], Miss You[5], Till We Meet Again[3], Tube[1], The Lizards[3], Slave to the Traffic Light[3], Possum[1], You Enjoy Myself[4]
Encore: A Life Beyond The Dream[3], Tweezer Reprise[4] [1] Trey on acoustic guitar. [2] Trey on acoustic guitar; with Jeff Tanski on piano. First acoustic performance. No whistling. [3] Trey on acoustic guitar; with the Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano. [4] Trey on acoustic guitar; with the Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano. First acoustic performance. [5] Trey on acoustic guitar; with Jeff Tanski on piano.
Air Bertr&, the new project from Let’s be Leonard‘s Karl Bertrand, has an ambient first single with “City Walk,” clocking in at a meditative 25 minutes and 48 seconds. Karl uses various instrumentation on the track, and was joined by fellow LBL bandmate Connor Dunn, playing saxophone on “City Walk.”
Hailing from Saratoga Springs, Bertrand began getting into ambient music in 2018, finding the music eased his mind as he wrestled with insomnia and anxiety. He cites favorite ambient artists as Chihei Hatakeyama, Midori Takada, Brian Eno, Harold Budd, and Laraaji.
In the past couple years, Karl has hosted a radio show ‘Fly Air Bertr&’ on 91.1FM Skidmore College, where he mixes ambient music from various artists with ASMR recordings and lecturers from a variety of different philosophical and spiritual backgrounds.
Fly Air Bertr& radio show on WSPN 91.1 Skidmore College Radio
Released on May 28, “City Walk” is the result of years of writing and recording, plus time in 2020 to focus on this project while awaiting the return of live music.
My connection with ambient music has often felt very spiritual to me. That might come out the most on the radio program.
Karl Bertrand
Bertr& has performed at local events, including at yoga studios where he live DJs the class. He has also composed a piece for a local ballet studio, an interesting way for the music to come alive in a live setting, especially in comparison to the live rock performances.
Karl Bertrand performing live at a yoga class.
“City Walk” was first recorded on a handheld cassette recorder as Bertrand took a walk from Manhattan’s Upper East Side to Midtown. He later recorded an improvisation on electric piano to the field recording and finished the piece by inviting Connor Dunn to improvise over everything on his saxophone.
I definitely felt inspired by the big city energy and the thoughts of all of the old session players and jazz cats that had walked those same streets. I think Connor’s playing really captured that feeling. He did it all in one take after barely hearing the backing track. When he was finished he said “I’m done.” That was that. It’s just how I imagined the old-city jazz cats would have done it.
I’ve always loved walking alone in the city with headphones in. It’s one of my favorite things about traveling. I think the energy of the whole track feels just perfect for how I feel when I’m doing that activity. There’s so much life there but it’s also just so serene at the same time.
Bertrand shares one experience from the field recordings in New York City:
One of the coolest parts of making music is the unexpected moments. One of those moments is buried in the end of the field recording on this track. I’m almost finished walking through the park and getting closer to midtown. The environment grows more dense with commotion and voices of New Yorkers and tourists. One guy walks past and says “Which way’s up?” as I pass him (referring to which way is uptown I’d assume.) Maybe ten seconds later a little kid playfully exclaims “It’s this way!” It seems like a little miracle of sorts to record such an unexpected li’l moment like that.
Doctor Lo Faber, formerly of celebrated jam band God Street Wine, shared the title track from his upcoming folk/Americana-leaning LP Claiborne Avenue. He’ll hit the road for four shows in June, starting at The Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Albany.
Faber has a rich musical history; prior to adding the “Doctor” title to his moniker, he founded legendary jam band God Street Wine in 1988. GSW landed a record deal with Geffen in 1994, and later with Mercury. During that time they toured nearly constantly, pausing only to record. Ultimately, GSW hit a wall of burnout and played their farewell show in December 1999.
Faber went on to form the Lo Faber Band, composed and recorded the double-CD concept rock operas Henry’s House and Friday Night Freakshow in 2001 and 2003, respectively. Meanwhile, the age of social media led to GSW fans congregating in a Facebook group that successfully brought the band back for a series of annual reunion shows beginning in 2010.
When the pandemic hit the US in full force back in March 2020, Doctor Lo took to his YouTube channel to connect. While at first he was hesitant to embrace live streaming, by June 2020 he was all in and now continues to broadcast twice a week to his social media pages.
The album, Claiborne Avenue, features musicians, such as Dave Eggar (The Who, Coldplay, Beyonce) on cello and string arrangements, Jason Crosby (Phil Lesh, Jackson Browne, Tedeschi & Trucks) on piano and fiddle, God Street Wine’s Jon Bevo and Aaron Lieberman on keys and lead guitar, New Orleans musician/DJ Marc Stone on slide guitar, Blake Collins on mandolin, and Ted Marotta and Tom Pirozzi, who worked with Ominous Seapods in the 90s, on drums and bass.
Faber is set to celebrate the release with a limited run of live shows, including a sold-out performance at Albany, NY’s The Hollow on June 18.
DOCTOR LO FABER UPCOMING LIVE DATES
June 18 – The Hollow – Albany, NY
June 20 – Gabe-Gate – Sussex, NJ
June 22 – The Tap Shack – Duck, NC
June 23 – The Tap Shack – Duck, NC
Listen to Claiborne Avenue on Bandcamp or Spotify out on June 18.
The Old Songs Festival of Traditional Music and Dance will be held virtually over June 25-27, 2021. Old Songs Festival celebrates folk, Quebecois, roots, Americana and world music from Scotland, Newfoundland, Quebec, Africa, the Midwest, Appalachia, New England and more.
The roots music featured at Old Songs Festival is highlighted by new music from contemporary songwriters, as well as music passed down through generations in families and/or communities.
Sing, dance, and listen at this highly participatory event for the whole family. At Old Songs Festival, audience members are encouraged to take part in learn-how sessions, sing sacred harp, move their feet to great dance bands, learn Hawaiian Dance, take in a tap lesson or take a Friday afternoon class.
Just like the in-person festival, it will feature over 70 artists and includes “Main Stage” evening concerts, workshops, ‘learn hows’, Dance (yes really), family events, open mics, sings, sacred harp, sightings of Roger the Jester, a photo display of past festivals, and more.
School age children who play an instrument have participated in this year’s virtual “Great Groove Band” and there will be a short video of their performance at the virtual main stage of the festival on Sunday, June 27.
Featured performers this year include: Sheila Kay Adams with Melanie Rice Penland & Donna Ray Norton • Scott Ainslie • Stefan Amidon • Anita Best • Bourque Émissaires • Joe & Jim Bruchac • Matthew Byrne • Children’s Music Network • Andy Cohen • Guy Davis • Jeff Davis • Dennis Stroughmatt et L’Esprit Creole • John Dickson • Danielle Enblom • Frost & Fire Trio • Bing Futch • Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen • Sam Gleaves & Deborah Payne • Ron Gordon • Great Gambian Griots: Jali Bakary & Pa Bobo • The Great Groove Band • Hālau O Keikiali’i • Simon Harmer • Reggie Harris • Heard • Jamcrackers • Joe Jencks • Hubby Jenkins • JigJam • Ustad Shafaat Khan • John Kirk & Trish Miller • Chris Koldewey • La Croisee D’Antan • Evie Ladin • Frank Lee & Allie Burbrink • Jim Lloyd with Hunter Wilson & Sophia Pucket • Michael Love • Magpie • Val Medve • Will Mentor • Mist Covered Mountains • Emma O’Sullivan • Linn Phipps • John Roberts • Roger the Jester • Sally Rogers & Howie Bursen • Claudia Schmidt • Cedar Stanistreet & Donal Sheets • Stomp Rocket • Rodney Sutton • Toss the Possum • The Byrne Family • The Vox Hunters • George Wilson • Windborne • Bethany Yarrow • Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group!
On Sept 29, multi-faceted folk-rockers The Accidentals will kick off a long-awaited U.S. tour. Joined by their friend and collaborator Sawyer Fredericks, this co-bill tour will take the female-fronted, multi-instrumentalist power trio throughout the Midwest before heading east through New York and down into the Southeast.
The Accidentals—Sav Buist, Katie Larson, and Michael Dause—are touring in support of their upcoming release Vessel, which is due out Oct 1.
This tour is not the first time The Accidentals have collaborated with Fredericks. The Accidentals’ Larson and Buist contributed two songs to Fredericks’ recent Flowers For You album—“Lies You Tell” and “Days Go By”—and were also featured in the video for “Lies You Tell.”
“The Accidentals have great energy on stage and a very driven work ethic,” says Fredericks. “In addition to the fun of touring with good friends, I also feel I will learn and grow a lot through working with them.” Fredericks will perform solo from the first date in Traverse City, MI, until his band joins him at Chicago’s City Winery for the duration of their tour.
Fredericks hails from his family farm in central New York State. At the age of 13, he played local farmers markets, open mics, and iconic New York venues like Caffe Lena, the Towne Crier Cafe, and The Bitter End. At 15, with his deep, beyond-his-years original lyrics and melodies, raw, soulful vocals, and powerful live performances, he won season 8 of NBC’s The Voice.
Fredericks went forward with the release of his major label debut, A Good Storm, with Republic Records, an impressive blend of soulful Folk, blues, and rock. In 2018, after choosing to go independent, for more creative freedom, Hide Your Ghost was released, fully written and produced by Fredericks. Shedding the high gloss major label treatment, and staying true to Fredericks’s honest and elegantly stripped down style, a self-described “free range folk”, incorporating elements of blues, roots rock, and jazz with live instrumental arrangements throughout.
May 1, 2020 Fredericks released his 4th album, Flowers For You. Two songs from Flowers For You won top awards from the 18th annual Independent Music Awards, “Born” won in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter category and “Amen” won the Vox Pop award in the Social Action Song category. “Born” was recently officially added to SiriusXM’s Coffee House channel.
Female-fronted, multi-instrumentalist power trio, The Accidentals, (Sav Buist, Katie Larson, and Michael Dause) kicked off 2018 with the release of their debut album, Odyssey, with Sony Masterworks. They followed the album release with two-hundred days of touring nationally, seventeen festivals, sync placement with Turner Classic Movies and FOX sports, and a RAM Trucks BANDvan #tourtough commercial.
In 2019, The Accidentals released a self-titled live album and toured the UK; all while scoring an indie film, teaching workshops across the country, playing with symphonies, and recording new music. In their downtime Sav and Katie are making a name for themselves as a go-to Nashville string team, composing, arranging, and playing string tracks for bands like BTS, Keller Williams, Flint Eastwood, etc.
Catch The Accidentals and Sawyer Fredericks on Tour:
9/29 – Traverse City Opera House – Traverse City, MI *
9/30 – Traverse City Opera House – Traverse City, MI *
10/1 – State Theatre – Bay City, MI *
10/2 – The Ark – Ann Arbor, MI *
10/3 – Beachland Tavern – Cleveland, OH *
10/7 – Great Lakes Center For The Arts (Blissfest) – Petoskey, MI *
10/8 – Cheboygan Opera House (Blissfest) – Cheboygan, MI *
10/9 – Calvin University – Grand Rapids, MI *
10/10 – City Winery – Chicago, IL
10/13 – Lake Michigan College Mendel Center – Benton Harbor, MI
Gov’t Mule and Allman Brothers Band guitarist Warren Haynes will venture into the Northeast for 5 solo acoustic shows, prior to his performance at Peach Music Festival on July 4.
Warren will make solo stops in Eatontown, NJ – a second show has been added on June 29 – and in Lake George. He’ll then head to East Swanzey, NH to perform at Northlands Live, and swing back to Central New York to perform at Apple Valley Park on July 3, before his July 4 performances at Peach Festival.
I can’t wait to get back on the road and play music in front of live audiences. Leading into Peach Fest, I’ve added 4 brand new shows in Eatontown, NJ, Lake George, NY, E. Swanzey, NH and Lafayette, NY. Each show will adhere to local regulations as pertains to seating, capacity and overall public health safety protocols. Please check out the links for each show below.
June 29&30 – Concerts On The Green – Eatontown, NJ July 1 – Lake George Festival Commons – Lake George, NY July 2 – Northlands Live – East Swanzey, NH July 3 – Apple Valley Park – Lafayette, NY
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 fromthe Grandstand Jockeys, Timbre Coup 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 Grandstand Jockeys
The Grandstand Jockeys’ debut EP, Win, arrives on June 18. Its first single, “Better Days,” is a nostalgic call to long-past good times, holding out hope for their eventual return. The song is especially timely in the wake of many COVID-19 restrictions being lifted: “Time to begin, the time is now / Get yourself off the ground.” The Grandstand Jockeys’ Facebook page describes their sound as a mix of Tom Petty, Nirvana and QOTSA, but “Better Days” has the former written all over it.
Timbre Coup
Timbre Coup’s latest single, “Running Always,” is an indie rock piece that occasionally delves into prog and funk. The song’s scarce lyrics contrast its vast, sometimes trippy soundscape, replete with a sweeping electric guitar that wouldn’t sound out of place on OK Computer. The four-piece band from Albany will release their fourth studio album, Sudden Urge, on June 25.
Ciarra Fragale
Indie-pop singer-songwriter Ciarra Fragale’s self-titled EP is out on July 2. Described by Fragale as “a love letter to my anxiety (and yours),” single “It’s Only Raining” isn’t concerned with the weather so much as the stressful hypothetical situations our brains create for us. Fragale’s vocals are effortless yet passionate, and the staccatoed keys will stay with you long after listening.
By 1992, there was no secret about the affinity the Grateful Dead had for Albany’s Knickerbocker Arena. This would be the third year in a row they made sure to make a tour stop here. But after two previous three-night runs, including the acclaimed one from 1990 that will always be associated with their acclaimed Dozin’ At The Knick live album, the Dead only had two nights to play all the hits this year. This first of these performance went down 29 years ago today.
Tonight’s Grateful Dead show, despite a ravenous Knickerbocker Arena, has a very relaxed open as the band slowly ambles into a “Bertha” opener. No complaints are heard as the crowd drowns out the opening lyrics in delight. After a mild jam that’s peppered with some thunderous bass notes from Phil Lesh, the entire room seems to be singing along for the remainder of this first set staple. The “New Minglewood Blues” that comes next begins in similar fashion. Garcia and keyboardist Vince Welnick each drop a couple of bluesy solos and get stretched out a little while, in between, Bob Weir takes care of the vocals, making note of the “Upstate fllies” in a nod to the locale.
“Row Jimmy” gets the rest of the band singing again, and sees more dexterous work from Garcia on guitar, as he digs into his MIDI bag of effects and offers something that sounds closer to a flute solo at one point. After three classic Dead originals, the first cover of the night is Bob Dylan’s “Queen Jane Approximately,” with Weir once again manning lead vocals. Welnick gets in on the act here and highlights this one with a blissful, ethereal piano solo.
“Dire Wolf” finally brings the tempo back up and the band rips through another first set mainstay, with Garcia plowing through his requisite solo with ease. But it’s near a minute and a half until the next selection is made, “Beat It On Down The Line.” With both the Dead and Knickerbocker Arena now alive and well, the sing-a-long is back on thanks to “Loose Lucy” as the crowd continues to add their collective backing to the lyrics in revelry. Welnick makes the shift from piano to Hammond organ nicely and adds some flavorful support as well. “The Music Never Stopped” then puts the fitting finishing touches on a crisp opening set that’s nothing but treasured Dead originals and a Dylan cover.
The Dead dive into one of their more recent originals with “Foolish Heart” to kick off the second set at the Knick. Garcia and Welnick once again complement each other beautifully on guitar and keys, respectively, as the band sears through this one effortlessly. No extended jam of note develops afterwards. Instead, it’s a brief pause and away with “Playin’ In The Band” where, after a quick run through of verse, the collective improvisation starts almost immediately and doesn’t let up anytime soon. When it does, the beginning to “Uncle John’s Band” ensues, as the audience seems to come back up for air after the quick yet heavy display of psychedelic mayhem that immediately preceded it.
The Dead then go back down to the bottom, the way bottom, courtesy of an extended “Drums” > “Space” sequence that stretches out to nearly a half hour. A well rested Knick is more than happy to help out with the vocals for the “I Need A Miracle” that finally emerges. A quick jam, punctuated by an aggressive Welnick piano solo, is crafted before things slow down one last time with “Wharf Rat.”
After another set comprised of solely live Dead originals, and some intense improv, the evening closes out with a pair of covers. Weir hams it up one last time on vocals, and Welnick on piano as well for that matter, on Chuck Berry’s rocker “Around and Around” that suits the crowd perfectly. And the band help themselves to some more Dylan material with “The Mighty Quinn” that serves as tonight’s encore.
With night one of the two-night run now in the books, expectations were surely through the roof for the following evening. Thanks to some sort of odd cross-promotional gadgetry straight out of 1992, if you held onto your ticket stub from tonight, the Dead would make sure you were well fed for tomorrow.
Grateful Dead Knickerbocker Arena – Albany, NY 6/11/92
Set 1: Bertha, Minglewood Blues, Row Jimmy, Queen Jane Approximately, Dire Wolf, Beat It On Down The Line, Loose Lucy, The Music Never Stopped
Set 2: Foolish Heart, Playin’ In The Band-> Jam-> Uncle John’s Band-> Drums-> Jam-> I Need A Miracle-> Wharf Rat-> Around and Around
Tanglewood, the home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has announced a significant increase in capacity from the previously announced attendance cap of 25% to 50% for the 2021 Tanglewood Season this July 9 – Aug 16.
The decision is in response to recent health and safety issuances by the Centers for Disease Control, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Berkshires’ Tri-Town Health Department, as well as feedback from the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s own team of experts – including 9Foundations.
In support of regulations set by the Tri-Town Health Department and the Lenox and Stockbridge health boards, Tanglewood will limit attendance capacity to 9,000—50% of its usual capacity of 18,000. With this significant increase in capacity, they will now be able to welcome up to 2,400 patrons inside the Shed and 6,600 patrons on the lawn. While physical distancing will no longer be enforced on the lawn, the approximate 50% capacity will ensure ample space for voluntary physical distancing should patrons choose that option.
Tanglewood will now maintain three-feet physical distancing between patron parties seated in the Koussevitzky music shed for all Boston Symphony Orchestra related performances, from July 9 through Aug 16. In addition, they will no longer require patrons to wear masks, though it is recommend masking and physical distancing for people who are unvaccinated based on Center for Disease Control guidelines.
The new 9,000 overall capacity limit also applies to the new 2021 Popular Artists schedule, though there will be no capacity restrictions in the Koussevitzky Music Shed. Performances that have been rescheduled for later this summer include:
Brandi Carlile, with opening artist Mavis Staples, originally scheduled for July 27, will now perform on Aug 21, with ticket sales resuming on Monday, June 21.
Judy Collins, Richard Thompson, and Jesse Colin Young, originally scheduled for June 20, will now perform on Aug 22, with ticket sales resuming on Monday, June 21.
Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me will take place on the originally scheduled date of Aug 26,with tickets on sale now.
Performances by James Taylor, Ringo Starr, and The Mavericks & Los Lobos, originally scheduled to take place on June 17, June 27 and Aug 31, respectively, have been rescheduled for the 2022 Tanglewood Season. The Trey Anastasio concert Scheduled on June 19 and the John Legend concert on August 28 have been canceled.
Additional tickets affected by the 50% capacity change will go on sale to the public on Monday, June 21. Existing ticket inventory remains on sale now. To stay up to date on shows, see highlights from the season, and acquire tickets visit the BSO website.
For more information about safety guidelines and protocol visit the Safe and Sound section on the BSO website.
