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.
NEO Project crushed their set at The Upstairs on Friday, October 22 in Ithaca. NEO Project is a professional six piece, high energy dance band rooted in funky R&B grooves, Afro Cuban/Caribbean rhythms & jazzy, bluesy soul music. The members are music professors, a former Motown sideman and soul practitioners with years of experience.
Their eclectic repertoire will get you body movin’ with new arrangements of established hits and irresistible original party grooves. NEO Project reimagines some of the best funk, jazz and soul music out there, always delivering a powerful dose of deep pocket grooves supporting soulful melodies & juicy improvisation.
This band grooves hard as they weave irresistible R&B rhythms around Afro-Cuban & world beat syncopations. And they do it all on their toes as they re-shape their arrangements on the fly, vibing off the energy of their audiences.
Friday at the Upstairs NEO Project laid down the energy of the ’90s New York club culture. They covered “Groove is in the Heart” by Deee-Lite. The song came from a fan letter Deee-Lite sent with a demo to Bootsy Collins. The original track featured Bootsy Collins on bass, Maceo Parker on saxophone, and Fred Wesley on trombone, as well as a young Q Tip on backing vocals. The song made its way to the 1990 scene as a radio hit.
Drummer Adam Deitch from the funk band Lettuce told NYS Music this summer a similar experience with Bootsy Collins. Bootsy’s Instagram story featured a clip of him snapping his fingers whispering “keep that funk alive…keep that funk alive.” This inspired Deitch to sample the message. From here he immediately laid down a drum beat to Bootsy’s vocal tempo. The rest of Lettuce got in on the session and it was sent to Bootsy’s camp. He replied with delight and his signature bass line & vocals to boot that finished the collaboration.
NEO Project stands on the same “Shaky Ground” as many other live New York performances. When Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead played Syracuse Landmark Theater in November 2018, his wolf pack trio covered “Standing on Shaky Ground” by The Temptations which is co written by Eddie Hazel of Funkadelic, “ever since you put me down.”
When Tony Hall of legendary New Orleans band Dumpstaphunk played the 2019 New York State Blues festival he made his way to Funk N Waffles after the performance. Tony and Drummer Deven Trusclair were able to to sit in with the house band for “Shaky Ground” as well. NEO Project brought the same energy with their take on the classic throwing some Stevie Wonder Halloween Superstition spirit at the end.
The NEO Project kept the audience on the same beat, all stopping on the 1 and ending on time to close the show Friday. The Upstairs crowd all fell in line like Thriller.
NEO Project Touring Act: Elly Holiday: Vocals, Jimbo – lead vocals, Prof. John White – keyboards & vocals, Franklin Henry Jr. – 5 string electric bass, Mike McCoy – drums, Dwight Carroll – guitar & vocals,
NEO Project – The Upstairs Venue, Ithaca, NY – October 22, 2021
10:30pm
Gentle Thoughts/Lovely Day 106 G Ji Dw/El Herbie Hancock /Bill Withers
I Was Made To Love Her 076 Db El/Ji Dw Stevie Wonder
Come Together 090 C- Ji/El Dw The Beatles
Tennessee Whiskey 067 A/C Ji/El Chris Stapleton
Stir It Up/3 Lil’ Birds/Bend Low 176 A Dw/Ji El Bob Marley
Make Me Feel 115 E El Ji/Dw Janelle Monae
Fire 124 A Ji/El Bruce Springsteen, Des’ree
Higher Ground 127 E El Stevie Wonder
11:30pm
Brown Eyed Girl 152 Ab Ji Van Morrison
Valerie 106 Eb El Amy Winehouse
Ain’t Too Proud To Beg 115 Bb Ji The Temptations
Crazy In Love 095 F El Ji Beyonce
Seven Nation Army 112 E Ji Jack White
Groove Is In The Heart 121 G El Deee-Lite
I Got You (I Feel Good) JB 144 Bb James Brown
Uptown Funk 115 D- El Ji/Dw Bruno Mars
12:25am
Addams Family Theme 126 Bb Ji All
Killing Me Softly With His Song 093 E- El The Fugees
Shaky Ground/Superstition 094 E Ji/El Temptations/Stevie Wonder
Eric Gales brought his incredible five-piece touring band to the Homer Center for the Arts on Monday, October 18, 2021. Gales starts his shows in a similar manner on the microphone by himself discussing the hardships he and all of us have taken on over our lifetime. Eric told the crowd, “If you haven’t cried the blues the past 18 months then god forgot to pass you out a soul.”
Photo by Out Loud Pictures, LaDonna Gales, Eric Gales, Nick Hayes
From this angle, Eric began his performance on the acoustic guitar talking about the same blues that his grandfather had. His grandfather used to play with Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters. Gales said he wanted to spread the spirit and the inspiration his grandfather instilled in him. During the fitting titled “Grandaddy Blues,” the rest of the band appeared behind him on stage following suit to the groove. On percussion and backing vocals was his wife, LaDonna Gales, Nick Hayes on drums, and on bass from Brooklyn, Nil Jones.
Photo by Out Loud Pictures, Eric Gales band
Eric made sure the microphones and sound were on point chuckling at the familiarity of its resonance in an old church. Gales is no stranger to Jimi Hendrix’s electric church. Eric was part of the cast touring with Jimi’s bassist Billy Cox, the jellyfish Buddy Miles on drums, and Stevie Rays’ Chris Layton for the “Experience Hendrix Tour.” Robert Ranndolph was there too,
He even educated the crowd that Jimi played a right handed guitar but strung it left handed. For clarification, Gales and bassist Nil Jones were playing completely upside down and backwards. So naturally as a salute they played Gales original “Southpaw Serenade.”
In between songs, Gales inner tales were serenading the crowd to a wide range of stories. From his funk playing days in Minnesota that caught the eye and ear of the legendary Prince to his overall approach on life. Eric told the crowd “I believe laughter and music are the best forms of communication and medication.” Gales took one four-minute break the whole night, while Jones helped rattle the brick inside Homer for a bass solo.
Gales returned to the stage fired up saying, “I’m getting tuned up I feel a sermon coming on, it’s been far too long.” At the end of a two and half hour performance, Eric treated the crowd to a bouncy funked up version of “Voodoo Child” that led to a blended jam of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and AC/DC’s “Back in Black” to remind the audience it is still Rocktober. Tony Hall told NYS Music after seeing Gales footage, “Hes a bad mother fucker”
Jimi Hendrix once said “When I get up on stage -well, that’s my whole life. That’s my religion. My music is electric church music.” Robert Cray looked to the ceiling at the Homer Center for the Arts last month during his performance and said “Jimi Can you hear me?” Eric Gales and his band channeled the same energy on a stormy Monday to start the week at the electric church in Homer.
Ana Popovic crushed the European leg of Experience Hendrix and The Center this year. Samantha Fish killed at the center Wednesday November 3rd. Mississippi’s Christone “Kingfish” Ingram took the Delta Roads from Mississippi to Homer, New York the night before Samantha. They are all blues disciples.
NYS Music loved that Eric started the week in Homer to only link up with Gary Clark Jr On “When my Train Pulls in” down the road in Greensboro. Flotations groovy I said a jelly fish will tell ya that. NYS Music agrees with Santana on Gales…its all a piece of the blues disciples history. Tony Hall and Arsenio Hall said it best “Yea he’s bad”
Embarking on their first tour since 2019, Dopapod chose a familiar setting in Saratoga Springs’ Putnam Place to kick things off, which they did in remarkable fashion. A mostly packed house was treated to a first set that began, and ended, with a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Echoes.”
photo by Pete Mason
In fact, that’s all they played for a full hour, finding room to jam and improvise without any let up. After 25-30 minutes of “Echoes,” fans looked around at each other wondering “Is this still Echoes?” and simultaneously realizing “This is all they’re going to play this set.” There were no complaints, and no one second-guessed the band’s choice here, rocking out for the full 63-minute set with teases of The Beatles and Dopapod originals mix in, the crowd reveling in the awesomeness they witnessed during setbreak on the Putnam patio.
Set 2 found far more songs, nine to be exact, with a range of material from across Dopapod’s catalog. The recent debut “Velcro” kicked things off, followed by “Happy Song” off 2009’s Radar and fan favorite “Braindead” from Redivider, Luke Stratton’s lights silhouetting the band throughout.
“Black and White,” a highlight of Dopapod’s 2017 Halloween show at Putnam Place, featured teases of “I Might Be Wrong” by Radiohead and “Funky Duck” by Vulfpeck. The final segment of “Onionhead” > “Grow” > “Present Ghosts” capped the night perfectly, bolstered by room shaking bass from Charles Jones.
For an encore, while the setlist only showed “French Bowling,” an audible was called with AC/DC’s “T.N.T.,” preceded by Eli Winderman fist pumping and engaging the crowd to add in “OY! OY! OY!” before Eli and Rob Compa led the band through the 70s rocker. “Bowling” did indeed then close out a fun night of music afterwards.
Dopapod, who just released their new single “Think” today, arrives at Buffalo Iron Works on Wednesday, October 27 before heading to the Midwest. Get your tickets here.
Dopapod returned to The Dock in Ithaca, a premier music venue on Cayuga Lakes Inlet, for the first time since 2012. Rob Compa gave the crowd an A+ for their vibe, saying, “This is exactly how we want a Dopapod show to be.”
The four piece crushed their first set with a standout “Trapper Keeper” jam that the fall crowd boogied down on. Whether you had a Jansport or an Eastpak to store it in, you probably had your video game cartridges in there as well. Dopapod fired up their old consoles for the “Donkey Kong Country Theme” -> “Something from Zelda.”
Cornell’s infamous Barton Hall that sits in The Dock’s sightline sent a sonic wave to crash in the set. During their original “Sonic,” Dopepod took the Grateful Dead’s classic “Dark Star” on an uptempo disco vibe that sent people dancing in the boat launch.
The band opened the encore on drummer Neal “Fro” Evans who laid down a tight groove of improvisation before launching the band back into the 1990s. Dopapod rocked the dock with Alanis Morissette’s classic “You Oughta Know” to close the night out. Rob Compa noted told NYS Music after the show “I think Taylor Hawkins (current Foo Fighters drummer) is on the original studio drum beat for that.”
Dopapod – The Dock, Ithaca, NY – October 21, 2021
Set 1: Freight Train > Mucho, STADA, Trapper Keeper, Numbers Need Humans, Vol. 3 #86
Set 2: Bats in the Cave, Donkey Kong Country Theme -> Something from Zelda > Trickery, Nerds -> Sonic¹
Encore: You Oughta Know²
¹ Dark Star (Grateful Dead) tease ² Alanis Morissette cover, Nerds tease
Syracuse is a host to a bunch of local venues, one in particular, The Lost Horizon which was established in 1976 was host to The Black Dahlia Murder “Up From The Sewer” tour but they were not alone. The tour was also accompanied by After The Burial, Carnifax, Rivers Of Nihl, and Undeath.
All bands on this tour have been traveling together, so there weren’t any local acts but one band is a familiar sight to many, Undeath is actually a Rochester native. The Lost Horizon may not be a big venue when compared to others but many came out to the show and many circle pits were made. Head over to their site and check out the upcoming shows.
From the same Jersey Boardwalk scene as Bruce Springsteen the legendary Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes sound is currently touring this season.The group traveled from the Jersey shore to Upstate New York’s Homer Center for the Arts on Sunday October 17, 2021. Jon Bon Jovi has acknowledged Southside Johnny as his “reason for singing”.
Out Loud Pictures: Southside Johnny, Tom Seguso, Glenn Alexander, Chris Anderson
Southside Johnny revived the 1950’s Summer vibe last July at a Drive in Concert at Monmouth Race Track. More than a 1,000 vehicles honked their car horns to show appreciation for the Asbury Jukes horns sound in New Jersey’s biggest concert last year. So to have them inside the sold out Center for the Arts Homer on Sunday was truly an intimate performance.
Out Loud Pictures: Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes
The Horn Section is made up of Chris Anderson on Trumpet, John Isley on Saxophone and Neal “The Dude” Pawley on trombone. The trio helped serenade the spirits of the 150 year old church turned music venue on Sunday.
Across on B3 Hammond and piano was the band’s musical director Jeff Kazee. He led the ensemble on vocals for Steve Winwood’s classic “Can’t Find My Way Home”. Glenn Alexander rocked the evening on lead guitar. John Conte’s bass lines bounced off Tom Seguso’s boardwalk beats. Seguo sported a pair of Carter Beauford style white gloves while playing the kit.
Southside Johnny sang to the crowd during the twenty one song set that “I want to hear people laughing and having a good time, I want to know why she told me she had to go, why did she leave me so lonely…it’s time to go but I don’t want to go home”
Out Loud Pictures: Jeff Kazee, John Conte
It should come to no surprise that Bruce Springsteen joined the band when they played in Asbury Park for “The Fever”. The Homer crowd was given the same medicine on Sunday night as they played this classic. Oh he’s got the fever. Left this little boy blue.
Out Loud Pictures: Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes
The eight piece ensemble closed the show with “Shake em Down.” Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes were howling in unison with the crowd… We’re Gonna Rock until the morning We’re gonna ride till we die. I gotta keep movin till I’m satisfied.
In June 2021, Bruce Springsteen was the first to play Broadway at The St. James Theater since its closing last year. He treated the crowd to stories of his Freehold, New Jersey childhood where he grew in to song. Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes brought the same small town magic back to the Center for the Arts during its Fall season. In similar fashion to when Bruce guested with the Jukes they closed the night with a nod to Sam Cook Sundays for his classic “Were having a party” Tell Em one more time, were havin a party, yeah. and everybody’s swinging, oh, were dancin to the music, on the radio, tell you, were havin a party.
Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes Homer Center for the Arts – October 17 2021
Setlist: Passion, Ain’t That Lonely, Angel Eyes->Forever, Lost, Wrong Side, Gin Soaked Boy, Woke up this AM, Good is Gone, Fool, Your My Girl, All I Can Do. Without Love, Fever, Talk to Me, Trapped Again, Shake Em Down Encore: Not that Lonely, Were Having a Party
The fall concert series at The Dock in Ithaca is in full “Rocktober” mode. Kevin Black presented the AC/DC tribute band Bonfire on Friday, October 15, with a very fitting “Back In Black” vibe had by the all-ages crowd. What’s more fun than a band dressing up as a musical costume during a month of Halloween celebrations? Bonfire’s ensemble is a full attraction to casinos and festivals that fit nicely on The Dock’s stage.
Photo by Out Loud Pictures
Lead guitarist Donnie “Angus” Bottacio felt at home on the Cayuga Lake inlet venue. He is an audio-video specialist at Cornell University. This would explain the high quality production and sound levels the band put out at the Dock on Friday. Donnie made his way through the crowd while simultaneously shredding the red signature Gibson axe to make sure everyone could hear the Marshall amps like AC/DC did. Bottacio told Kat Walters on the I 100 radio station, “I do the riffs as close as humanly possible to Angus, I can’t be Angus but I try my best to celebrate his music with all the love the crowd has to come out and enjoy it.”
Photo by Out Loud Pictures
The infamous “Hell’s Bells” opened the show in a chilling fashion. They covered all eras of AC/DC’s catalog. The five-piece band crushed 30 songs in full character. The same bagpipes from AC/DC’s studio sound were brought to life on the Dock stage by Mexico, NY’s Kevin Dano. It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Photo by Out Loud Pictures
The group’s name is attributed to the variety in AC/DC’s 1997 five CD bag set release “Bonfire”. Lead singer Steve Seniuk helped cover the Bon Scott and Brian Johnson era of AC/DC with the same bravado. Bassist Mike Del Olio and Drummer Tom Reeder were locked in like TNT Dynamite for the set. Guitarist Kenny Romer rocked an inferno-like tempo on the Dock stage for the entire performance. The audience and band came to full speed during the October classic “Highway to Hell.” Goin Down, Party time, my friends are gonna be there too, yeah, hey mama look at me…I’m on my way to the promised land… I’m on a highway to hell!
Photo by Out Loud Pictures
On October 5, 1980 AC/DC came to Central New York’s Onondaga County War Memorial as part of their Back In Black Tour. The same spirit made its way through the Dock on Friday as part of “Rocktober” 2021. Kevin Black presents similar musical costumes the rest of this month with tributes to Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, and naturally, Black Sabbath. For all other upcoming events at The Dock click here.
“Bonfire” AC/DC Tribute – The Dock, Ithaca, NY – October 15 2021 Setlist: Hell’s Bells, Shoot to Thrill, Dog a Bone, Dirty Deeds, Girls got Rhythm, Get it Hot, If You Want Blood, Money Talks, Sin City, Jailbreak, Demon Fire, Pollution, Long Way (with bag pipes), Thunderstruck, Back in Black, Shook Me, Have a Drink, Money Honey, Shake a Leg, TNT, Rosie, Bad Boy Boogie, The Jack, Big Balls, Highway to Hell, For Those About to Rock, Let There be Rock Encore: Night Prowler, Walk All Over You, High Voltage
Play it Leo! Kottke that is. Leo Kottke returned to Homer Center for the Arts on Saturday, October 16. This solo acoustic performance, his last Upstate New York show since April 2018 at The Clayton Opera House comes ahead of the three dates scheduled with Mike Gordon of Phish in the Empire State this December. During 2020 the duo released their first record Noon in over fifteen years. So it was fitting for Leo to open the show with “From Pizza Towers to Defeat” at Homer Center for the Arts, a song written by the duo from their 2002 album Clone.
John McConnell , Leo Kottke, Clayton Opera House April 2018
You wouldn’t have seen a tour bus outside the Homer Center for the Arts on Saturday night. Leo Kottke’s solo tour traveling rig is simple, and very reminiscent of Chuck Berry when he showed up at the venue driving himself with two guitars and a steel slide in tow. Leo deals with venue staff directly and settles up on his own with no tour manager. Mike Gordon of Phish told Rolling Stone “Hes like this American treasure living in his own bubble. He’ll travel the country listening to Lone Ranger series from the 1950’s in its entirety in the car.”
Leo Kottke, Center for the Arts Homer , October 2021
Leo’s stories from traveling this great country were weaved in to his ninety minute set on the intimate Homer stage. Outside the venue was a local haunted attraction in its 39th year that gave the performance a vibe of Phish’s interpretation of Disney’s Chilling, Thrilling, Sounds of the Haunted House.
Although Leo didn’t tell the crowd about his most recent studio release with Phish’s bassist, instead he told them about the first drummer he has ever collaborated with in 60 years:
I’m having a ball doing this with David King of the band Bad Plus. It’s a nice cocktail kit, he doesn’t come in with this Keith Moon suicide drowning thing. We go in the studio and start making shit up, the only thing Dave doesn’t like is when I stop. It’s a great attitude to be around, a little dangerous as I will demonstrate now.
Leo Kottke
He told the crowd of American modernist composer Charles Ives and his struggles to get his work out. Overtime he hired Burlesque dancers to enhance attention on his Concord Sinata 2. After becoming acknowledged for his work someone told Ives over time, “I can tell its good music but it doesn’t sound very good” to which Ives replied “What,s sound got to do with music?”
Leo’s point on it was that its a privilege to be able to play and if you have a chance to play. You don’t get to pick where you play and if you want people to hear what your doing and can’t find a crowd hire a burlesque orchestra to get some clout. “I mean its a privilege all around that it ever even happens in any faint way for you…but if there are people that want to listen your stuck with a privilege beyond luck, it becomes a thing itself”
The audience chuckled as Kottke told them that he has played prisons, hospitals, schools and claimed they are all the same. For Kottke, The Center for the Arts in Homer counts as a 150 year old church gig. Leo admitted to playing a library opening in the past five years to a fellow musician friend due to his complaining that he has been subject to pizza parlor gigs. Defeat the pizza towers, “Play Anywhere,” Kottke told the crowd.
You also won’t find a setlist after Leo’s performance either. The same fashion in which he entered he chose to exit and play through the encore “So we could all leave at the same time.” He finished the show with the classic piece “Corrina,” walking off the stage with both guitars in hand. New York’s legendary Pete Seeger called Kottke “The Best 12 string player in the world.”
In December when Kottke returns to New York State with jamband giant Mike Gordon, expect the same kind of sharpness at the performance. Even though Leo has seen Phish on New Years Eve at Madison Square Garden, Mike Gordon recalled a tale from the road during their last tour when he put on a Grateful Dead jam to listen to in which Leo replied “OK, that’ll be enough of that.”
Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon December 2021 Tour Dates
December 8 – Munhall, PA – Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall December 9 – Washington, DC – Sixth & I December 10 – Tarrytown, NY – Tarrytown Music Hall December 12 – Beverly, MA – The Cabot December 13 – Lebanon, NH – Lebanon Opera House * December 15 – Troy, NY – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall December 16 – Norwalk, CT – Wall Street Theater December 17 – York, PA – Appell Center for the Performing Arts December 19 – Plattsburgh, NY – Strand Center for the Arts
Lil Tjay, born in the Bronx, has become at just 18 years old one of his generation’s fastest breakout rappers, having performed since 2019, put on a thrilling show on Saturday, October 9 at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse. The Westcott inhabits a cinema style venue with a capacity of 700 people; it was a complete night and day difference before and after the crowd came through. Giving off a festival pit vibe upfront with a bar in the back, this is a perfect venue for the youth. The stage is easy to see from all angles which is very inviting.
One of many stops on the “Destined to Win Tour” Tjay performed a series of his latest hits such as “Headshot”(featuring. Polo G), and one of his top hits with almost 400 Million plays, “Calling my Phone.” A variety of performers preceded Lil Tday’s set, including Jacosse, The Real Raw Breed, Syndacit, Kyy Stacks, Kaash Paige and Rassandra, also known as RazyBaby, who recently dropped a song with Tjay called “In too Deep.”
Host for the night, Concert Crave, played various top rap hits throughout the concert which entertained the crowd in the pit, VIP section and throughout the known ‘sidelines.’
During “Calling My Phone,” Tjay and crew asked the crowd to put up the flashlights on their phones. This immediately lit up the venue and created an amazing atmosphere for the crowd, fans and all performers.
Tjay appealed to the audience with phones lit up in the sky and performed “What You Wanna Do,” followed by “Mood Swings.” Shortly after, Rasandra came on stage not once but twice after Lil Tjay brought her out on stage to perform their new single “In too Deep.”
Throughout the show, various artists were throwing water into the crowd, taking selfies with front row fans, encouraging mosh pits, and even throwing merch to various crowd members.
At a prime point, Tjay ripped off his shirt and threw it into the audience, which brought the crowd to an uproar, captivating his audience and making the best of that night.
With millions of views and millions of fans, Tjay’s career has only shortly begun. Relating to the younger crowd, he speaks to his generation, relating to teen and young adult struggles, and also his own. Lil Tjay has come a long way and will continue on the path ahead of him.
Lil Tjay next performs in New York at Citi Field on October 30, part of Rolling Loud. More info here.
Hailing from Verona, NY, Fritz’s Polka Band has released their 20th recording, The Hands of Time, on October 1, 2021. Recorded at SubCat Studios in Syracuse, the new album features 11 original tunes features appearances by Utica blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa and drummer Deen Castronovo, and a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower.”
Fritz’s Polka Band (FPB) was formed in 1978 by lead accordionist, the late Fred Scherz Sr. and his eight-year old son, Fritz, for whom the band was named. Despite Fred’s death in November 2009, Fritz’s Polka Band has vowed to carry on his legacy, playing everything from modern-style polka to country, rock and even blues.
Performing an eclectic mix of musical styles, Fritz’s Polka Band is not an oom-pa-pa band or a stereotypical “polka” band, but rather broke the stereotype regarding Polka music, performing at Woodstock ’99, and was inducted into the Syracuse Area Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
The first ever gig for Fritz’s Polka Band on October 14, 1978, at Beck’s Grove in Rome, NY. Via FSB Facebook page.
Songs on the album fit the mold of a Polka band, with titles “Chicken Wing Breakdown,” “Hey!,” “Come Home Safe” and “Oktoberfest Is Here Again.” Notably, the late Fred Scherz Sr. is featured, alongside Joey Miskulin, on “Tommy’s Lendler.” Fritz told the Utica Observer-Dispatch “One special guest I’m extra excited about is my son, Freddy, who’s just 7 years old. He played so nicely on a Swiss tune that his grandpa – my Dad – Fred wrote!”
I’m so thrilled this recording has finally been released. My band has been playing some of the tunes that appear on this album at gigs and they’ve really been going over quite well with the various audiences we’ve played for. I think the fact that the styles of songs on this album being so eclectic is a good thing, because there’s basically a tune for every mood someone might have.
If you’re in the mood for a festive, party-type song, then a song like “Oktoberfest Is Here Again” will fill that need. If you’re saddened by the loss of a loved one or close friend, then a tune like “The Hands Of Time” and/or a ballad like “I Know I Should” will resonate with you. The special guests on this album really made it extra special, too! Whether folks choose to buy the CD at a gig, via mail order and/or download, I hope they enjoy it as much as my band enjoyed recording it!”
Fritz Scherz
FSB appears on the DVD of “The Manchurian Candidate” (2004) and had two songs – “Grandparent’s Polka” and “Here Is Fritz’s Polka Band” – included in two episodes of “Breaking Bad.” The group was nominated for a Syracuse Area Music Award (SAMMYs) for their 19th album, Hey, and in autumn 2019 were nominated for Band of the Year as well as New, Original Polka Song by the Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame. Additionally, Fritz Scherz was nominated for Musician of the Year and Button-Box: Artist or Duo awards.
You can find more info on Fritz’s Polka Band on their website and order The Hands of Time at various on-line outlets here.
