The Jauntee have announced a Fall Tour that brings the Colorado band back to the East Coast for the first time since 2019. They’ll make a stop in Albany on Thursday, November 18 and close the tour out in Buffalo on Sunday, November 21.
The band was poised to take the live scene by storm in 2020, with numerous support runs at some of the country’s most renowned venues along with a number of summer festival appearances. Then, complications arose from the virus which led the band to hunker down and provide their fans with a long series of full set live-streams with zero repeats they coined at “JaunTV.” Picking up where they left off, this tour will likely see many new fans introduced to the magic of their new-age improvisation.
This summer, the band was able to venture to Texas and the Midwest for appearances around Summer Camp Music Festival. This Fall tour will find The Jauntee heading back to the Southeast with shows at Smith’s Olde Bar in Atlanta and Charleston Pour House. They’ll venture into the DC and New Jersey region before heading up to their home turf in the Northeast, playing Albany, Boston, Burlington and Buffalo. The band heads back to Colorado where they will play the anniversary party for Beyond The Mountain Brewing in Boulder in December.
The Jauntee was recently added to the Nugs.net catalog, featuring 1000s of live performance recordings from dozens of bands. All shows from this Fall Tour will be posted on Nugs shortly after each show here.
11/5 – Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta, GA 11/6 – Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC 11/10 – Pearl Street Warehouse – Washington, DC 11/11 – Elevation 27 – Virginia Beach, VA 11/12 – The Saint – Asbury Park, NJ 11/13 – Reading Distilling Guild – Reading, PA 11/18 – Parish Public House – Albany, NY 11/19 – Orlando’s – Burlington, VT 11/20 – Soundcheck Studios – Boston, MA 11/21 – Buffalo Iron Works – Buffalo, NY 12/11 – Beyond The Mountain Brewing – Boulder, CO
Greensky Bluegrass continues their rigorous touring schedule this November on the West Coast, and have their sights set on the East Coast in January – they’ll make their way to the Northeast with The Infamous Stringdusters in January.
The Colorado group has just released their newest song, “Grow Together,” written by Paul Hoffman upon the arrival of his daughter. “I wrote this with my 5-week-old daughter at my feet. She laid there and listened, so content. I hoped this was the first of many experiences like this for her and I,” Hoffman told The Boot. “I reflected on the amazing gift her mother had given me and ‘Grow Together’ just fell out of my heart,” Hoffman continues. “It’s a testament to a new chapter in my life and a love song for the woman who made me a father.”
Accompanying the song is a documentary-style music video that offers intimate and behind the scenes content. A perfect visual companion for such a powerful song.
For the past century, bluegrass music has traditionally relayed real tales of American life, struggle, tragedy, and triumph. It gives a voice to the quiet, yet colorful stories woven into the fabric of the country itself. Greensky Bluegrass live these stories through their records and performances.
When touring ceased in 2020 in the face of the global pandemic, the band hunkered down and compiled demos individually at first, sharing emails and voice notes. In July 2020, they got together for the first time in four months, dedicating rehearsals to the development of the new material. Once circumstances safely permitted, they recorded what would become Stress Dreams during a session in Guilford, VT and two sessions in Asheville, NC with frequent collaborator “and old friend” Dominic John Davis as producer and “wizard engineer” Glenn Brown mixing. They preserved the hallmarks of their sound while widening its expanse.
“Greensky is and always has been very unique in our world,” says Paul Hoffman. “We put our love, energy, and focus into what we appreciate about our music. We come together as a band in a way that’s organic. We take a lot of pride in how we grow and challenge each other too. We’re maturing together. I think we get more Greensky all of the time.”
Nov 11 @ The Observatory | San Diego, CA Nov 12 @ The Fonda | Los Angeles, CA Nov 13 @ The Fox | Oakland, CA Nov 14 @ Crystal Bay | Stateline, NV Nov 17 @ Midtown Ballroom | Bend, OR Nov 18 @ Crystal Ballroom | Portland, OR Nov 19-20 @ The Showbox | Seattle, WA Nov 26-27 @ Kalamazoo State Theatre Dec 9 – 13 @ Strings & Sol | Puerto Morelos, Mexico Dec 30-31 @ The Factor | St. Louis, MO Jan 7-8 @ The Mission Ballroom | Denver, CO
Greensky Bluegrass featuring very Special Guests The Infamous Stringdusters
Jan 20 @ The Palace Theatre | Albany, NY Jan 21 @ The Met Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA Jan 22 @ The Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, NY Jan 26 @ Flynn Theatre | Burlington, VT Jan 27 @ The State Theatre | Portland, ME Jan 28-29 @ House of Blues | Boston, MA Feb 2 @ Stage AE | Pittsburgh, PA Feb 3 @ Agora Theatre & Ballroom | Cleveland, OH Feb 4-5 @ The Anthem | Washington, DC Feb 17 @ The Pavilion at Pan AM | Indianapolis, IN Feb 18 @ Fillmore Detroit | Detroit, MI Feb 19 @ Riverside Theatre | Milwaukee, WI Feb 20 @ The Palace | St. Paul, MN Feb 23 @ Old Forester’s Paristown Hall | Louisville, KY Feb 24 @ Iron City | Birmingham, AL Feb 25-26 @ The Tabernacle | Atlanta, GA
Hot on the heels of the new record announcement (Toward the Fray releasing Feb. 18) made last month by Grammy and IBMA award-winners The Infamous Stringdusters, Infamous Stringdusters have announced a January through April tour of the same name. Truly coast to coast, the band will kick off on Jan. 20 in Albany, NY with good friends Greensky Bluegrass, touring through most of the east coast and into parts of the midwest and southeast.
Dustbowl Revival will hop on towards the end of March to make several stops in California, wrapping the 4 month tour in Seattle, Washington on April 9th. Pre-sales are, as of today, on-sale for headlining dates. General on-sale starts Thursday, Nov. 4 at 10 am PT. Please visit thestringdusters.com/tour for more information and to purchase tickets.
Toward the Fray, the band’s first release of original music since 2019’s Rise Sun, will be released on February 18th, 2022 on Americana Vibes via Regime Music Group. Fans can now listen to the first single, “Toward The Fray” below.
Bard College alumnus Chevy Chase will appear at a series of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation screenings in Utica, Albany and Binghamton in December. The events will include Chevy Chase performing live on stage plus an audience Q&A following the screenings.
Chevy Chase is an original member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live and over the years became a household name for his blockbuster movies like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, National Lampoon’s Vacation, Caddyshack, Fletch, Three Amigos, and many more.
The screenings are taking place in different cities across the United States with three stops in New York currently. More screenings in New York could be announced in time though. The tour announces dates as they go, being precautious of COVID-19 spikes across the country.
The three stops in New York start in Utica on December 13, 2021 at the Stanley Performing Arts Center at 7:30PM. The second stop in New York will be on December 15, 2021 at the Palace Theatre in Albany at 7:30PM. And the last stop in New York currently will be on December 19, 2021 at the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton at 7:30PM.
Tickets to all three Chevy Chase National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation screenings in New York and to the other stops on the tour can be purchased here.
For more information on Chevy Chase and his upcoming tour visit his website.
On Friday, November 5, John Hall of 1970s pop band Orleans (“Stay With Me,” “Still the One”) will kick off NYS Music in Motion Season 3, as he sits down with our host, rocker Frank Palangi.
Sponsored by Helping Friendly Hemp Company, the series brings together seasoned musicians who hail from the Empire State or have made New York their home, alongside Palangi, a Warren County native.
Guests for Season 3 of NYS Music in Motion include Hudson Valley guitarist Kristen Capolino, Lake George multi-instrumentalist Rich Ortiz, PEAK guitarist and front man Jeremy Hilliard, Glass Pony drummer Chanda Dewey, and Ithaca-based promoter Dan Smalls.
Tune in starting on Friday, November 5 for each installment of Music in Motion on the NYS Music YouTube and Facebook page.
Palangi will have a sit down conversation with each artist, with a lineup of musicians from across New York State. A homegrown indie rock recording artist, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Palangi fuels his positive ambition naturally by serving up a feeding frenzy of edge heavy guitars, with a side of deep, gritty vocals. With a no-quit mentality, Palangi draws on influences from 80s & 90s rock, including post-grunge and heavy metal.
NYS Music in Motion Season 3 Schedule
November 5 – John Hall November 12 – Kristen Capolino November 19 – Rich Ortiz December 1 – Jeremy Hilliard December 8 – Chanda Dewey December 15 – Dan Smalls
Umphrey’s McGee 2022 winter tour will start with 5 tour dates across New York State. The world tour will have 26 stops and will start on January 14, 2022 in New York City.
Umphrey’s McGee is an American Jam band that is originally from South Bend, Indiana. The band started back in 1997 and are known for their experiments with many musical styles, including rock, metal, funk, jazz, blues, reggae, electronic, folk and more. Some of their most well known songs include “Ocean Billy,” “Puppet String,” and “Nothing too Fancy.”
The band’s winter tour will start on January 14, 2022 at Terminal 5 in NYC and will Wrap up on May 27, 2022 at the Rockjavik in Reykjavik, Iceland. The band’s second stop will also be at Terminal 5 in NYC on January 15, 2022. The third stop will be at Town Ballroom in Buffalo on January 20, 2022. The fourth stop will be at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse on January 21, 2022. The last stop in New York will be at Palace Theatre in Albany on January 22, 2022.
People can snag presale tickets for all shows and umVIP packages for select dates starting on Wednesday, November 3rd at 12PM EST. General on sale will begin Friday, November 5th at 12PM EST.
For more information on Umphrey’s McGee 2022 Winter tour visit their website.
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 Belle-Skinner, grape juice! 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.
Belle-Skinner
Just in time for Halloween, singer-songwriter Belle-Skinner has released her love magic-themed EP, Love Spell. Each song is equal parts spooky and seductive, with siren-esque vocals and lyrics that charm and bewitch. Skinner created the concept after hearing similar songs written by her friends, and penned her own to accompany the covers. “Spellbound” follows Skinner as the target of a love spell, while the psychedelic “Love Witch” sees her as the perpetrator. Instruments like the organ and theremin set the mood perfectly, creating a haunting atmosphere.
grape juice!
Albany alternative rock band grape juice! released their newest single “sad songs” in July. Despite the title and some of its lyrics like “Disappointment is my forte,” it’s an upbeat power pop song in the vein of Weezer and Fountains of Wayne.
Dark Star Orchestra will ring in the New Year in Albany. The Palace Theater announced today the band will play two shows, on December 31st and January 1st, at the venue. The band have a warm relationship with the Palace, previously celebrating their 20th anniversary there in 2017.
Dark Star Orchestra have performed their rendition of the live Grateful Dead experience to rapt audiences for over 20 years. Basing their performances on the Dead’s lengthy and singular live catalog, DSO draws from historic set lists while offering their own interpretations.
Cosmic New Year's Run kicks off Saturday! ⚡🎊⚡
Two nights in Albany at @palacealbany & a 1977 show recreation on Sunday! Two nights at @WellmontTheater 12/30 & 12/31 round out the year and ring in 2020!
“Even for Deadheads who say they’ve been to a hundred shows in the 90s, we offer something they never got to see live,” said keyboardist and vocalist Rob Barraco.
After over 3000 shows, DSO’s performances have expanded into their own universe. DSO host an annual music festival and gathering, “Dark Star Jubilee,” in Thornville, Ohio. DSO headlines all three nights of the Jubilee, joined by a variety of acts. The band has even brought their experience to Jamaica, hosting the “Jam in the Sand” event at an oceanside stage. Unfortunately, both events were canceled in 2021 due to COVID-19. But “Jam in the Sand” will return January 11-14, while the next “Dark Star Jubilee” is expected for summer 2022.
Six members of the original Dead have also made appearances at DSO shows. Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, Vince Welnick, and Tom Constanten have all shared the stage with them before. DSO also previously toured with the Dead’s longtime soundman, Dan Healy.
Before landing in Albany, DSO will make other stops around New York. DSO will spend two nights at the Capitol Theatre in Portchester on November 12th and 13th. After that, they’ll play two shows at the Paramount in Huntington on December 29th and 30th.
Tickets for both shows will go on sale Friday, October 29th at 10:00 A.M. Tickets are available for purchase via ticketmaster.com and the Palace Theater Box Office.
Alongside the New Year’s shows, the Palace Theater also announced upcoming performances from The Wood Brothers on January 28th and comedian Bert Kreischer on April 3rd. Tickets for these shows will also be available Friday at 10:00 A.M.
The Wood Brothers have announced their first shows in 2022. The Grammy Award-nominated, Nashville-based trio will head out on 19-date tour that begins January 25 at The Kodak Center in Rochester. They’ll also make stops in Albany, Plattsburgh and NYC before heading out west.
The first leg of dates—featuring support from singer/songwriter Steve Poltz—extends into February and stretches across the Northeast. Highlights include performances at 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, The Fillmore in Philadelphia, House of Blues in Boston and a return to Webster Hall in New York City to close out the run. After a brief pause, the second leg picks up on February 22 at The Rialto Theatre in Tucson and proceeds to blanket the Mountain states into March, including appearances at The Mission Ballroom in Denver, Center For The Arts in Jackson and Knitting Factory in Boise before concluding with two nights in Montana. Rounder Records’ recording artist Katie Pruitt performs an opening set each evening.
The Wood Brothers most recent album, Kingdom In My Mind, was released in January 2020. The pandemic forced the band to cut short touring plans in support of the collection thus many of the upcoming dates represent the first time fans will have an opportunity to witness the band performing material from the recording.While on hiatus in 2020, The Wood Brothers remained active, reissuing their landmark 2013 album The Muse on 2-LP vinyl and playing a series of livestreams. Additionally, Oliver Wood would record his first solo album, Always Smilin’. Released in May 2021 on The Wood Brothers’ imprint Honey Jar Records, the 12-track collection was warmly received by critics and fans alike.
Tickets for the upcoming tour go on-sale on Friday, October 29 at 10am local. All shows will be available for purchase at thewoodbros.com
The Wood Brothers Winter/Spring 2022 Tour
1/25 – Rochester, NY – Kodak Center * 1/26 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club * 1/28 – Albany, NY – Palace Theater * 1/29 – Portland, ME – State Theatre * 1/30 – Plattsburgh, NY – Strand Center for the Arts * 1/31 – Providence, RI – The Strand * 2/2 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall * 2/3 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore * 2/4 – Boston, MA – House of Blues * 2/5 – New York, NY – Webster Hall * 2/22 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre ** 2/23 – Scottsdale, AZ – Virginia G. Piper Theater ** 2/25 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom ** 2/26 – Crested Butte, CO – Center for the Arts ** 2/28 – Jackson, WY – Center for the Arts ** 3/1 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Commonwealth Room ** 3/ 3 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory ** 3/ 4 – Bozeman, MT – The ELM ** 3/ 5 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma **
The latest release from Sean Rowe, The Darkness Dressed in Colored Lights, is not just a thrilling listen. From first glance, the project begins its journey with listeners through its arresting album cover. The thought-provoking artwork depicts a smokey, neon, opaque cloud appearing in a mountain crevasse above two travelers. The cloud feels an apt metaphor for the album; The Darkness Dressed in Colored Lights envelops you, taking you to places that are both painfully familiar and entirely enlightening.
Rowe recorded the album alongside producer, friend, and longtime collaborator, Troy Pohl. Working from Bon Iver engineer Brian Joseph’s studio in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the pair aimed to tell Rowe’s stories. An “artist and nomad,” Rowe grew up in Troy, and first began playing locally in 2003. His long career has left him with a vast collection of tales from all corners of his heart. He shares them with heartbreaking clarity on Darkness.
Sean Rowe. Photo by Joe Navas
Rowe’s deep and husky voice brings to mind the classics of country and Americana, while simultaneously evoking the vulnerable tenor of Matt Berninger, frontman of The National. His spare and purposeful instrumentals absolutely grip you, letting his singular voice stand out. On the opening track “What Are We Now,” Rowe laments a disintegrating relationship. As the first song he recorded for the album, Rowe said he was dealing with a cold while in the studio for the track. He appreciated “ all the little imperfections. I knew my voice would never quite sound like that again…”
The track ends in a symphonic and strange collection of beeping noises and electric guitar whining. Over roughly 45 seconds, Rowe builds an ambient outro ending in a sound reminiscent of a Tibetan singing bowl, used for meditation.
His experimental use of ambient noises remains a theme throughout the album. But unlike some forays into ambient folk or electro-country, Rowe’s delicate production only amp up the emotional gut-punch of his songwriting. A dedicated naturalist and self-described forager, Rowe has often spoken of his deep connection to the forest and living close to the land. His dedication to the world around him is clear in the intuitive touches he adds to his music. Truly creating a world within a song, Rowe brings storytelling to a whole new level.
For its unique timbre, Rowe’s voice has incredible versatility. On “Gabriel,” where Jeremy Boetcher’s deep, reverberating upright bass makes the perfect partner, Rowe is an old-time blues poet. Meanwhile, “Little Death,” would easily get a summer Jones Beach crowd going, you can almost feel the ambient summer nights and the sloshing of Bud Light. Despite his versatility, Rowe seems most at home on his lowest notes, yet his higher ranges can be just as stunning. The mere cracks and vibrato in his voice singing “I know you feel me/When words don’t reveal me” on the outro record “Toast” is enough to bring tears to eyes.
The pattering beat of album centerpiece “Honey in the Morning” begs to be recounted around a campfire, hand-claps and all. Rowe said he was trying to capture something cinematic in the track, “a quality like a Kubrick or David Lynch film.” The ballad evokes the directors’ experimentation with the unknown perfectly. The chorus, “I know you’re a runner but I was hoping that I wasn’t right/ Honey in the morning turn to poison by tomorrow night” evokes a torrid love story while maintaining an air of mystery. The hypnotic instrumental, anchored by drummer Shane Leonard’s impossibly machine-like drumming, only adds to the uncanny quality. Eventually, an instrumental breakdown so good it’s not fair to spoil is the cherry on top.
Photo by Joe Navas
For its complex atmospheres and shifting genres, at the heart of Rowe’s beautiful album is emotionally raw songwriting. His words feel deeply relatable and completely personal. In “What Are We Now,” he sings of a lover that just won’t let him go.
When the apple of your eye/ is an oxidizing core/ You’ll be sighing at the moon/ While you’re pumping in the gas/ And you’re hoping that tomorrow’s gonna save your tired ass.
The scene, so familiar yet specific, is paired perfectly with the pained understanding that you love something that may be harming you. Rowe said a recurring theme in his songwriting is “the duality that I feel is in all of us. All the hidden parts, and all the guts that spill out when we’re faced with tragedy, adversity, or a broken heart.”
Darkness captures this duality with stunning clarity, vulnerability, and catharsis. Rowe’s lived-in stories speak of wreckage, recovery, and redemption. Elevated by the skilled instrumental and production work of friends and admired collaborators, each one is truly a gift.
Key Tracks: What Are We Now, Honey In The Morning, Toast
Countless new strides have been made by The Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO), as they emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic filled now triumphant with an in-person 2021-2022 concert season. For these musicians living in Upstate New York and Western New England, they now call the historic Troy Savings Bank Music Hall home, marking yet another milestone. With a new first-ever Director of Education in the hands of Dr. David Bebe, he pledges to take the emerging and developing musicians to new heights.
Dr. David Bebe is a gifted cellist, conductor, and experienced pedagogue who will guide ESYO’s ventures to enrich the musical experiences of ESYO musicians. Rich with experience, Dr. Bebe was a frequent guest sectional coach with ESYO’s flagship performing ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and was an Associate Professor of Music at the College of St. Rose. Dr. Bebe has now become a crucial component developing string curriculum and performance courses with being a critical resource for ESYO’s artistic staff and CHIME Teaching Artists.
I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues and the conductors at ESYO to identify and provide the tools ESYO musicians need to be successful in their ensembles, especially after COVID-19 interrupted music programs across the country. I’ve had the opportunity to work with emergin gand developing musicians throughout my entire career. ESYO nurtures and supports amazingly talented and passionate musicians.
Dr. David Bebe
The Empire State Youth Orchestra agenda is looking a little different than before with the newest edition of a year-round chamber music program launched by Dr. Bebe this fall. Throughout the season he will also be developing events and programs while discovering opportunities to bridge various levels, programs, and ensembles, fully committing himself to supporting ESYO.
With support from Dr. Bebe and a team of experienced coaches, ESYO musicians will experience music in a smaller, more musician directed ensemble. As with all ESYO-sponsored ensembles and programs, the ESYO Chamber Music program will culminate with a performance in early December.
The season will be opening on Friday, November 5 from ESYO’s Symphony Orchestra, led by guest conductor Andrés Rivas from the Orchestra Now at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. The season’s program also holds features from Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8, Bizet’s L’Artesienne Suites No. 1 & No. 2, Jennifer Higdon’s Light, Danzon No. 2 by Mexican composer Arturo Marquez and Jazz standards by Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. On November 20, the Youth Jazz Orchestra will be joined in concert by Grammy-nominated Trumpet player Michael Rodriguez.
A complete list of ESYO Fall performances is available online at ESYO.org/tickets. Tickets can be purchased online for as little as $1 with ACCESS ESYO’s unique “pay what you can” ticket program.
