Over the last two years, the musical timbre in New York’s Catskill Mountain region has been one of tree frogs, crickets, and owls. Last Saturday, that changed. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats rode into Belleayre Mountain, a location declared by the NYS Forest Preserve as “Forever Wild”, on a triple bill that reconfirmed the mountain’s sobriquet.
Rateliff and band blazed through a twenty-one song set, including a three-song encore. Nathaniel opened with “Shoe Boot” from his 2018 release Tearing at the Seams, kicking up his heels, pulling in all who were ready for a night of rock and roll. As he maneuvered between guitars and keyboards, the stage took on its own persona: golden glows, somber blues, spotlights, and silhouettes reflecting the nuance each song had to offer. The Night Sweats shared their prowess constructing the musical foundation to allow Rateliff’s gritty voice the opportunity to exhibit its versatility going from the up-tempo “Look It Here” to the depth of “Redemption”.
Nathaniel Rateliff
The day already had a vibe from those tailgating that afternoon which blossomed into people dancing from early on and never stopping. From the stage, set at the base of the mountain, one could see how people filled the vertical rise of the ski slope. During the encore, “S.O.B” took on a life of its own by turning the mountainside into the church of Rateliff, with the preacher calling out to his flock who, without hesitation, responded back tenfold.
Earlier in the day, with dusk spreading its golden light across the ridgeline, The Marcus King Band put their musical adroitness on full display. King, along with his long-time band mates, took the crowd through a fiery hour of rock and blues. They jammed their way into the night and threw in occasional covers, including “Poppa was a Rollin’ Stone,” that had everyone singing along.
Marcus King
Allison Russell opened the night. Russell, who curated the prior week’s 2021 Newport Folk Festival’s “Once and Future Sounds” set, brought her soulful, introspective tunes to the pastoral landscape of the Hudson Valley. Allison shared songs from her solo album Outside Child, one that pulls from her personal tragedies of childhood abuse. It went deep mid-set but offered a light of hope as she closed out her set with “Nightflyer.”
Allison Russell
Local Hudson Valley radio station WDST 100.1 Radio Woodstock produced the show, conceived as a bridge to cover the void left from two years of not having Mountain Jam. For those in attendance, it could not have come at a better time. Let’s hope the music and the mountain stay forever wild.
There are two things you can find a great deal of in Upstate New York – music venues in nearly every town, and Stewart’s Shops. There are more than 345 Stewart’s in New York and Vermont, and if you’ve been to a show or gone camping Upstate, you’ve probably stopped at a Stewart’s for provisions. With newly remodeled shops, Stewart’s is a staple for locals and visitors alike.
One of Stewart’s best sellers is their ice cream. Made from milk from New York farms, the variety of flavors goes well beyond the basic Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry. The variety of music venues Upstate is equally varied, and gives music lovers an opportunity to see their favorite bands and new artists in unique settings.
We’ve partnered with Stewart’s Shops to look at their ice cream flavors and compared them to Upstate music venues. Below you’ll find 15 flavors paired with their appropriate venue, a small sampling of the more than 30 flavors Stewart’s Shops offer. Get the scoop before you get a scoop heading to your next show!
Brownie Cookie Sundae // Ulster Performing Arts Center, Kingston
This venue and flavor have each got it all. UPAC features one of the widest arrays of musical selections in the state. From Meatloaf to Willie Nelson, the HV Philharmonic to plays and musicals, UPAC has it all. Likewise, Brownie Cookie Sundae comes loaded with vanilla ice cream, chewy brownie bites, soft cookie dough pieces and a rich fudge swirl. Available in a cone or half-gallon.
Star Gazer // Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Saratoga Springs
Where can you see the most stars? Head north on I-87 and get off at exit 13 for Saratoga Performing Arts Center, where you’ll see the biggest artists and national touring bands at SPAC each summer! Originally the home of the NYC Ballet, SPAC has been bringing concerts to the edge of the Adirondacks since the 1960s, making this the perfect venue for seeing stars. Stargazer has Malt flavored ice cream with a rich caramel swirl and pieces of Milky Way candy bars mixed in. Available in a half-gallon.
Chocolate Sea Turtle // Snug’s Harbor, New Paltz
Turtles are found throughout the state, but they’ll always need a snug harbor somewhere to rest their shell. Snug Harbor provides a comfortable space for bands to play in the college town of New Paltz, with a variety of music and cold beer on tap. Stewart’s Chocolate Sea Turtle features chocolate ice cream with a sea salt caramel swirl and chocolate fudge pecans. Available in a cone for a limited time.
Fireworks // Empire State Plaza, Albany
One of the best spots for fireworks in Upstate New York is the Empire State Plaza in downtown Albany. Capable of hosting more than 10,000 people and room for even more nearby, the Fireworks every 4th of July and for select events are a must see event, as well as the bands that perform on the plaza during the summer months. Pop Rocks encased in vanilla ice cream with a tart cherry swirl helps this flavor live up to its name! Available in a cone.
Blueberry Pie in the Sky // Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel
Summer and blueberry pie are synonymous. The summer of love lives on through Bethel Woods. Grab a cone of Blueberry in the Sky, with blueberry ice cream with shortbread and a Maine blueberry swirl, on the way to your next show and imagine the roads filled with cars headed to Yasgur’s Farm. Available in a pint.
Happy Camper // Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Oak Hill
When the music on the stage is done for the day, head to your campsite anywhere at Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival’s campgrounds for pickin’ parties, where you can hear classic bluegrass songs and singalongs, just like at camp enjoy s’mores! With graham cracker flavored ice cream with a graham cracker pieces, a marshmallow swirl and peanut butter pieces, enjoy a cone of Stewart’s Happy Camper while friends old and new sit around and pluck away. Available in a cone.
Located just a few miles from Mount Marion near Saugerties, Levon Helm’s Barn is the perfect pairing for this sweet treat. Living in Woodstock at Big Pink with The Band and backing Bob Dylan for years, Levon Helm made a second home in Woodstock, establishing Midnight Rambles that continue to be a thing of legend. Marionberry Cookie is a pink-hued ice cream with a chocolate cookie swirl. Available in a cone for a limited time.
Mint Cookie Crumble // The Bardavon, Poughkeepsie
Two classics, presented in a new way. The Bardavon is the oldest continually operating music venue in New York State, offering various performing arts, cinema, theater, vaudeville, and performers ranging from David Byrne to Chick Corea, Dr. John to Gladys Knight, and Joan Baez to Natalie Merchant. Bardavon is also the home of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, making the classic venue fresh for a new generation of music lovers. Mint Cookie Crumble is a spin on mint chocolate chip, but with a chocolate cookie crumble fudge swirl mixed in smooth cool mint ice cream. A classic, presented in a fresh new way. Available in a cone, pint or half-gallon, and now available in a non-dairy pint!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup // The Egg, Albany
One of Stewart’s tastiest ice creams has a swirl of peanut butter inside, ready to surprise you with each bite. Inside The Egg in Albany, you’ll find not one but two music venues – The Hart Theatre and The Swyer Theatre, both offering an array of musical offerings, not to mention surprisingly incredible acoustics! Available in a cone, pint or half-gallon.
Sweet Bourbon Cold Brew // The Falcon, Marlboro
Both of these combine bourbon and coffee together in a perfect pairing, but The Falcon also offers live jazz in their intimate, rustic venue. The sweet cream/cold brew/bourbon flavors combine for a smooth ice cream experience. Available in a pint for a VERY limited time.
Crumbs along the Mohawk // Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes
Located 500 feet from the Mohawk River, Cohoes Music Hall, opened in 1874, has been home for live music performances, high school musicals and plays, theater performances and much more. With a name synonymous with music, Cohoes is a great small town to stop in for an evening. The perfect ice cream to go with such a classic venue is Crumbs Along the Mohawk, inspired by the 1939 film “Drums Along the Mohawk,” with graham cracker flavored ice cream holding together graham cracker pieces with a caramel swirl. Available in a pint or half-gallon.
Brew Ha Ha // Saranac Brewery, Utica; Ommegang Brewery, Cooperstown
Where in New York can you get brewery fresh beer and live music? Two places come to mind – Saranac Brewery in Utica, and Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown. With their own wide selections of beers and other beverages, these breweries offer two things that New York is known for – great beer and great music – Brew Ha Ha takes Stewart’s richer roast coffee ice cream with espresso bean flavored chocolate flakes, a nice combination as well! Available in a cone or half-gallon.
Adirondack Bear Paw // The Waterhole, Saranac Lake
The northernmost venue on our list is The Waterhole, home to music year round, with Party on the Patio on Thursdays each summer, Winter Carnival music performances in February, and the heart of this Adirondack town. Vanilla ice cream mixed with sweet praline cashews and caramel swirls make a rich combination in this tasty northern delight. Available in a half-gallon.
The classic creamsicle flavor is a throwback to summers spent in Saratoga Springs, with a twist. A classic Saratoga venue, Caffe Lena, has been a fixture in the Spa City since the 1960s, and new renovations in the building put a twist on the original! Available in a half-gallon at your local Stewart’s Shops!
Colombian Coffee // Club Helsinki, Hudson
Like coffee, Club Helsinki has something for everyone, serving as a music venue, bar and restaurant. Open mic nights, both virtual and in person, welcome all people and talents. The many flavors of coffee can be found in this Columbia County venue that welcomes a variety of artists to the east shore of the Hudson River. Available in a cone or half-gallon.
New York State has an abundance of talented musicians. While music is their main priority, artists also use their creativity to produce coveted merchandise lines so that fans can rep their favorite bands all day in a variety of ways. This page features band merch collections from artists across New York State – browse these items and support the next generation of hard working musicians from across the Empire State.
From Rochester, this indie band is known for their beautiful, calming melodies that are easy on the ear. Their newest music to date is a single titled “Private Eye” that was released in May. The Demos have promising potential to become big around the nation, not just around New York State. Their merchandise consists of t-shirts and CDs of their EPs.
Coming from Troy, Dark Honey‘s music is lyrically-rich, indie-pop-rock with an emphasis on guitar notes. They are currently selling their creative merchandise in a variety of forms including T-shirts and sweatshirts.
Melt the Band is based out of New York City and their music has been described as “One groovy super organism.” They are soulful and funky and are currently selling epic merchandise, such as beanies, posters, hoodies, and more.
From Rochester, Mikaela Davis continues to prove her outstanding talent with every new release. Her alternative sound pulls from rock, 70s and 80s pop, and funk vibes. This fabulous artist is currently selling physical copies of her full-length album.
Sean Rowe is an indie singer-songwriter from Troy. His music evokes emotions from listeners that they have never felt before because of his stunning vocals and peaceful guitar blends. He is selling physical forms of his four albums.
From Troy, The Sea The Sea is a powerful indie folk-pop duo featuring Mira Costa and Chuck E. Costa, who make a lovely couple in and out of the studio. Their merchandise is currently physical albums, signed posters, and various clothing items.
This alternative band from Buffalo, is known for their ability to entertain everyone, regardless of musical preference. They have gained many fans over the years, performing at major music festivals and winning multiple awards in Buffalo. Funktional Flow‘s merchandise consists of t-shirts, pins, and stickers.
Although this singer/songwriter from Syracuse, just recently began her career, she has already been nominated for three major regional music awards. Sydney gets inspiration from artists including but not limited to Taylor Swift, Tom Petty, and Post Malone. She is currently selling merchandise such as t-shirts, tank tops, and buttons.
Bandits on the Run is a staple band in the Metro NY music scene, both below and above ground. They released their debut indie-folk-pop album in 2017, and have become even more adored ever since. They are currently selling merchandise items such as t-shirts, bandanas, and stickers.
Architrave is a husband and wife duo from Ballston Spa. Their alternative music is heavily reliant upon post-punk guitar and basslines. They also incorporate a funky 80s flair into their tracks. They are currently selling t-shirts with differing logos on them.
Lucas Garrett is from Queensbury and is known for his catchy hooks that don’t necessarily fit under one category. He started playing his original music at local coffeehouses and eventually released his debut EP in 2017. He is selling physical copies of his music as well as t-shirts.
Eastbound Jesus, from Greenwich, is an Americana/Bluegrass Northern Rock band comprised of six males. They have five albums that they are currently selling in CD format.
From Brooklyn, Fake Dad is a band that will leave listeners assured that everything will be alright, almost as if they were giving you a tight hug while blasting their tunes. The electronic tracks that the duo creates have a calming effect when mixed with their peaceful vocals. They are currently selling two epic variations of a t-shirt.
From Buffalo, Intrepid Travelers is a musical quartet that is rooted in friendship, fun, and freedom. Their music can be described as upbeat, groovy jams with roots in jazz, funk, and a hint of bluegrass. They treat every show as an interactive experience with the audience rather than a typical performance. The merchandise that Intrepid Travelers currently has on sale includes shirts, koozies, and pins.
Noon Fifteen is Ithaca’s genre-bending soul combo that produces forward-thinking jams with old school instrumentalism. Their sound has been compared to Lake Street Dive as well as The Beatles, with elements of gospel, funk, and hard rock. They are currently selling a band logo t-shirt.
moon kissed comprises of New York City natives Emily, Khaya and Leah. Their debut album was self-released and tells stories of youth and heartbreak. Their sound is inspired by artists such as Charlie XCX and St. Vincent. The trio is currently selling t-shirts and vinyls.
Girl Blue is the project of vocalist Arielle O’Keefe who is based out of Troy. Her angelic voice paired with her songwriting capabilities leads her to have an extremely positive outcome on every listener. She has tons of merchandise available now, including shirts, vinyls, and buttons.
Originally from South Africa, Sulene started her music career out of Brooklyn. She is most well-known for being the the lead guitarist for Nate Ruess of Fun. She is active in the indie-pop Brooklyn scene and has performed on stages all across the world with all kinds of people. Her aesthetically pleasing merchandise collection features t-shirts and vinyls.
Vaporeyes is a progressive rock band from Syracuse. Their sound can be described as an actualized collective of overactive subconscious. Merchandise for Vaporeyes comprises of hats, buttons, stickers, and more.
Based in Buffalo, Grosh is an energetic four-piece rock band. They are known for frequently selling out local Buffalo shows, and fans love them for their heavy-hitting rock style combined with their vulnerable lyrics. They recently released their second full-length studio album, Not Down For Long. They are now selling t-shirts, koozies, bracelets, and more.
The Jess Novak band is from Syracuse, and is known for their powerful, fierce vocals (by Jess Novak herself) and their engaging songwriting capabilities. They can win over any crowd with their unmatched energy and soul-pumped rock sound. They are surely on the rise and have made a great impression on New York State audiences thus far. Their merchandise includes stickers, mugs, shirts, and more.
From Albany, E.R.I.E. can be described as “Not yer Dad’s dad-rock.” The motivational messages behind their lyrics helps them stand out from other rock bands. Their first full-length album, Don’t Wanna Live, Don’t Wanna Die, was released in August 2020. They are now selling one t-shirt and physical copies of their album.
The Erotics, from Albany, take a very straightforward approach to rock & roll. They released their first full-length album in 1997 and fans have loved them for their constant political incorrectness ever since. They have a comprehensive merchandise list, ranging from t-shirts to dog tags to shot glasses.
Mike Grutka describes his music as, “acoustic based funky modern roots rock-n-roll.” His most recent album takes listeners on a journey through loneliness and pain to find happiness and peace. His merchandise is currently physical copies of his albums.
Organ Fairchild is a highly admired organ trio from Buffalo. Their music has been described as a party that never quits. Their vibe makes you want to jump out of your seat and jam along until the sun comes up. They are currently selling their own shirts, posters, and stickers.
Jazz saxophone great David Murray will perform a unique solo performance, complimented with live painting by artist Nancy Ostrovsky, August 7 at Rustic Ridge View Farm in Ulster County.
A titan of the tenor sax and bass clarinet who came to prominence in the mid-70s, David Murray has recorded dozens of albums that merge free jazz with the mature style of classicists like Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster. He was a founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet and has performed or recorded with luminaries like Henry Threadgill, Elvin Jones, James Blood Ulmer, Olu Dara and the Grateful Dead, for whom he recorded a tribute album with his Octet in 1996. In 1989, Murray won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance for his album, Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane, along with a Guggenheim Fellowship. The Village Voice named him “Musician of the Decade” in 1980.
Deeply textured and enthralling in their execution, Nancy Ostrovsky’s paintings are, just like the music itself, free improvisations inspired by and at one with the resonant vibrations and spirit created by a musician in a live performance. Her spontaneous method of smearing, dripping, squeezing and manipulating paint onto canvas, in real-time as compelled by the music, is electrifying to witness.
Over the years, the Accord, NY-based artist has collaborated at concerts with some of the jazz world’s leading names, including Roswell Rudd, Butch Morris, Michael Gregory Jackson, Michael Bisio and Murray. She has performed her live painting to music at many prestigious venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and the Eastman School of Music.
The event will take place Saturday, August 7 at Rustic Ridge View Farm, 15 Old Kings Highway, Kerhonkson, New York. Suggested donation is $20. It is recommended that patrons bring their own chairs or pillows for seating at this outdoor event. Refreshments will be available.
More of Ostrovsky’s work and videos of her unique live painting performances can be seen here.
Marco Benevento tended to his muster of peacocks near a seemingly innocuous building in Saugerties that serves as a porthole into the inspirational playground of Fred Short Recording. Later that week, he’d play at Westville Bowl for the third time this summer with Joe Russo’s Almost Dead before prepping for his upcoming 2021 solo shows, including one at Roots Rock Revival, and opening for moe. at Apple Valley. Amidst a wall of keys, eight-track players and plastic microphones, Marco discussed his creative process, upcoming tour, new music, tools of the trade, and life after shutdown.
Marco Benevento
A show and tell concluded the hour long chat. Marco shared some of his favorite devices that helped him access the mind that created his genre bending and catchy latest album Let It Slide. The whole experience felt like a movie filmed in the past, that took place in the future.
Upcoming Tour
Em Walis: How’s it going here with your tour about to start?
Marco Benevento: I was looking at my calendar and I just swipe to the right and I saw August and I was like, “Oh no, I’ve got lots of gigs.” Yeah. Which is great because, you know, gigs are back baby.
EW: I was thinking it might be a cool thing to talk about would be the idea of wearing different hats, shifting from home hat to tour hat. What does shifting from the creative process hat to, “Okay, business time. Let’s get it out there,” hat look like?
MB: I wear a bunch of hats in that regard. Because you’re like, weird musician guy. And then you’re like, also booking hotels and flights. So then we’re here, you record and how, how, you know, when that you comes out, and yeah.
Octagon Discs
Fred Short Recording
EW: Do you find for your flows, because I see you have almost different zones here, that if you’re working you have one place that’s your business zone and separately have an “I’m making stuff now” zone?
MB: I basically do it all in this one zone. I mean, here’s the headquarters right here sit behind the piano move and the piano tape machine all the gear here recording, but then here’s the laptop for music and stuff. Also dealing with manager emails. This is the office in studio basically. Yeah, this is the always curious, just how to change literally. Luckily, I have a booking agent and a manager. So there’s a lot of behind the scenes, those guys are making my days easier. That’s really so I can just focus on the music and that’s cool. And everything and even just being around the kids. Yeah, hanging out.
EW: So how many you have kids? Two kiddos?
MB: 14 and 11. One just went to a friend’s house. My other is inside just playing Legos. She’s like, “Okay, when you’re done with your interview…,” Daddy comes and goes. So it’s nice that people like helped me out. You know, making my life easier. So I enjoy being a dad.
MB: Yeah. It’s cool place. I did it last year. I just did a day workshop there. It’s just like, music camp. They have a lot of artists come in. People talk about music and improvisation. And, you know, everybody needs camp. I mean, I went to like, some heavy jazz camps growing up and learned a lot from cool clinics, you know, sleepover camps, or music all day. It’s immersion. And then you’re picking each other’s brains about stuff. On a loose level. You don’t get a lesson from a guy and you have an hour and that’s it. You’re at a camp that lasted for a week and, maybe later at night when you’re hanging out. You know? Yeah, just sort of shoot the shit about some questions you might have. Yeah, totally.
Outdoor Live Performance Experience
EW: How do you feel about like being in the “cool outdoor environment” places? I imagine with the electricity and things like that, it might be hard to like play the kind of music you want to play, or run into difficulties with like sound and light conflicts, or is it worth it when you’re in out in the middle of the woods playing at a place like Full Moon?
MB: I love that. I’m all about it. The outdoor stuff is cool. I always prefer playing outside because you’re not fighting the venue and the walls are the collection of all that stuff. Sometimes you get into a room and you’re like, “Oh, just sounds weird in here at soundcheck,” and they’re like, “Oh, when people come in, it sounds better.”
EW: The bodies right?
MB: Yeah, that does help. But for the most part, the trees in the open air, no walls by us, it’s so nice. That’s better. I’ve always wondered whether it’s preferred or not. For me, I like outside better. I’m curious to see what other musicians would say, but yeah, there’s nothing like playing an outdoor stage.
EW: What would the word be for it? If it’s not a room for us? It’d be really great woods out there. You know, the trees really just sounded great.
MB: We played this festival called Pickathon in Oregon. And they had this tree branch stage. It was just made out of branches, it was so cool, a little stage in the middle of nowhere. Yeah, it was just all these tree-like branches are all over you and around they make a dome that has branches and it’s really cool.
Marco Benevento’s Fred Short Recording
Creative Process: Starting
EW: Let’s talk creative process.
MB: I mean, creatively, I’m just in here writing and recording all the time. Yeah. It’s kind of funny, because most people, when they do their job during the day, and they come home, they want nothing to do with their job. When I do my job, and I come home, I want everything to do with my job again. Yeah, put the kids to bed and then hang out with my wife, and then she goes to bed. And then I’m in here writing and recording.
EW: The best hours?
MB: Yeah. The creative process for me is writing with playing along to a drum machine. Recording keyboards to a drum machine and then adding drums and then adding fade and then figuring out the lyrics after, if there are lyrics. Yeah, figure those out sort of, after the fact. But basically writing. Writing groups.
The creative process for me is writing with playing along to a drum machine. Recording keyboards to a drum machine and then adding drums and then adding fade and then figuring out the lyrics afterwards, if there are lyrics.
marco benevento
Marco Benevento finding inspiration in the Octagon
EW: Writing groups, that comes first. The late night is just the best creative time it seems like. Is it something about inhibitions that are just lessened at that time?
MB: Yeah. And talk about immersion. You’re just like, in here, and you almost spend too much time on one little particular thing. But then you get to the next morning, and you listen back and you’re like, “Oh, I’m glad I spent time dialing in. Yeah, that weird drum machine sound or there’s a mission.”
EW: Yeah, exactly an hour for the paper focus. Lasering in on something instead of having to have that bigger picture that seems like we feel so much pressure.
MB: Yeah, the bigger picture sort of comes after. I’ll get the groups baseline, I’ll figure out the arrangement, and then the bigger picture starts coming in.
Creative Process: Finishing
EW: How do you know when it’s time to like, start wrapping something up?
MB: It’s a good question. I find that like a lot of musicians. I guess it maybe it’s like, almost 50/50 I feel like there’s musicians that are just like, putting shit out, no problem., and not getting too hung up on certain things. Then I feel like there’s another side of musicians that says, “How long do you work on this record?” Two, three years in some cases, that’s a long time. You put that out, or even like longer, like 10 years, right?
EW: At what point does it start to deconstruct?
MB: I’m the kind of person that’s almost to the point where I should maybe be spending more time with it. But I’m like, “You know what? This is done.” And the good thing about being “This is done” is that you’re like, OK, you get excited for the for the next thing. So yeah, keep things fresh. that’s why. Recognizing when the freshness is starting to fade. I made this COVID record basically, over the last year. Now it’s starting to, fade, I’m like, I gotta put this out, because it’s just time for this to be out. I’m excited to be done with it. It’ll be done very soon.
Creative Process: Prioritizing
EW: How do you prioritize?
MB: I like deadlines. Especially when you’re planning your whole touring schedule and everything like that. If you want to know the music, you want to know the music’s ready and you want to time it. So when you do that tour, you have a new record. So by saying, “August 15, it needs to be done,” the signal will come out. Maybe the whole record comes out in the winter, but then you want to do a tour in the spring. So you time it all out. If you hold it up and the records are done, then you mess up everything down the line. So that makes so much sense, like planning a baby. Yeah, exactly. Keeping the ball rolling, that’s really it. I’m working like with all sorts of other folks, which is fun, on side projects. Specifically one with my friend Leon Michels, who lives across the river, and Ryan Cliff. He has his own thing called El Michael’s Affair. Check it out. He moved up from the city, we made my last record together and he’s just doing so many things with different folks, so he’s always having me over to like record on something that’ll eventually be used. He’s producing, having songwriting sessions at his house, it’s super fun and brings us to the Hudson Valley, it is nice to be up here. There are so many people with studios around here.
The Hudson Valley
EW: It’s the place where the real stuff is happening. This is where the people that have done well enough for themselves to make a home and be outside. And a lot of really, really amazing artwork.
MB: And there’s a lot of home studios, there’s a lot of people that are recording themselves in their side house studio, or their room or their garage or their basement and they’re really tasteful. They make great music. There’s so many folks around here and then even just professional studios. Applehead is nearby, and on the other side of the river where Leon lives, actually not far from him, it’s called The Clubhouse, which is another great studio.
Marco talks home studios and shutdown
EW: Especially after this year. It’s the home setup, for sure, and be glad if you have already had a place in the Hudson Valley.
MB: Absolutely. I know. I couldn’t have quarantined at a better place. It was ridiculous. Some of my musician friends were going through a really hard time. I couldn’t even imagine… I was like, “Okay, I’ll be stuck here for how long?Actually don’t even tell me, I’ll just do this.” I was so productive. Anytime anybody would like call me or FaceTime me. I’d be like, “Yo, what’s up?”
Live Streaming
EW: My family did a fake music festival with live streams. So when we were done texting we would be like, “Alright, I’m going back to camp and my sister would be like, get me a flannel and beer!”
MB: Online streaming things from festival stages, that was a kind of cool platform, and there’s a really successful tipping system where it’s really easy for people. You can scroll by all these comments, sitting here playing in my house, feeling like I’m playing and people just rolling through, so I liked it. Not a live show, it’s just something else, right? People are watching you on their computer, and we all know what that is. So it does feel somewhat rewarding, but it has its limitations, obviously.
EW: Well, if the home is interesting now, do you see an evolution happening with home fans that still will follow musicians around but not actually physically? Like, seen/listened to every show?
MB: I think that those platforms are hoping that artists don’t stop doing their online streams. It was funny, because I did a bunch of shows with StageIt and then things started opening up and my schedule got pretty busy again. I was playing shows and they were like, “Do you still want to do a StageIt show?” I thought, “I don’t know. Should I? Everyone’s going to shows, do people still watch stuff on their computers?” And they were basically like, “You know, that’s how we make our living.” So yes, of course, it’s still happening. I did one the other month, it was kind of fun. It’s still fun to do, because this room just looks cool with keyboards.
EW: They see where you hang out every day, and it can be funny when your cat knocks something over.
MB: It’s definitely more connected. Yeah, people want to go out to live but yeah, it’s more personal. It seems cool. It seems like at least I know for myself, like the gates opened a little bit more. It’s kind of cool to still feel like part of something. It’s definitely interesting.
Making memories
Return to Touring
EW: Have you found you’ve played a lot since reopening?
MB: Yeah, I play with this band called JRAD which is, which is Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and it’s like all the music of the Grateful Dead. I’ve done it a couple of shows with them in that place in New Haven at a new spot. It’s pretty awesome – Westville Music Bowl. I do love tennis and played so much tennis because of the quarantine. I’ve been playing with them, smaller shows, some smaller solo outdoor gigs which has been cool. I played with my band with Karina and Divi at Brooklyn Steel and cool stream from there. That was really, really fun. It’s fun to be able to capture the venue and do what I do, go into the venue and have a sound person that you know and everything, helping you out and doing it safely felt really good.
Connecting Post-COVID-19
EW: With the upcoming tour, do you anticipate there being a different energy or headspace in the crowd?
MB: Well, it’s not full capacity. For example, Westville in New Haven holds I think 12,000 people or something. If there were actually 12,000 people in that venue it would feel a lot different than it does now because I think they’re literally only letting in like 3000. That’s gonna be a little… it’s kind of like you’re aware but kind of wandering around a little because you have a little bit of wiggle room.
EW: Gratitude. In my experience, like it seems for some people it’s almost more of a religious experience than it’s ever been. Because artists that have been there for them through stuff, your streams kept people happy.
MB: I did feel that way, which was a nice feeling. Like, oh, I can I provide something that people like, they really love, and they really needed love, even if it’s not live, they need it through somewhere, somehow, and even as a musician, I also need that outlet as well. Even though I’m playing here all the time anyway, but just to have a concert where you’re like, actually emotionally connecting.
Cheap Keyboards
EW: And we’re like, “Yeah, music. It’s fun. It’s creative. This is who I am.” But then after it becomes like any relationship, where you were there for me, when I was going through this thing, and your music was there, almost saying “I got your back.”
MB: Yeah, I did feel that way. I also taught some lessons. I was like, I’ll just put my name out there. And if it’s just one person that wants to take a lesson every week, that’d be awesome. And they’re so stoked, they’re so stoked, right? This one guy, still takes a lesson with me. He just wants to shoot the shit about music and talk about how things roll and writing everything. It’s really loose, it’s been really cool. Now we have this connection and never met before. Now I know how smart he is. How great of a musician he is, and that’s so cool. I know that he was at this show, and for certain songs of that show, really freaking out that night.
This one guy, still takes a lesson with me. He just wants to shoot the shit about music and talk about how things roll and writing. It’s really loose. It’s been really cool. Now we have this connection, and never met before. Now I know how smart he is. How great of a musician he is, and that’s so cool. I know that he was at this show, and for certain songs of that show, really freaking out that night.
Marco Benevento on Teaching music
The Future
EW: What are you excited about right now?
MB: I’m excited. I’m very excited. I’m playing this weekend with JRAD. I played at the Newport Jazz Festival on Sunday with Christian McBride, John Scofield and Joe Russo, and some other people will probably sit. It’s like the the grand jam at the end. So I’m doing that and then I’m playing with my band at Levon Helm Studio.
EW: When you are into something, do you go so deep until the point where you’re like, “Alright, I’ve done enough in order to do more. Do I have to give up something else and therefore move on?” Or do you have different psych levels, where you have many things that you’re sort of slow cooking?
MB: That was that was a good way of saying it. Just lots of things that are still simmering in this. Song ideas. I rarely look back and think, “I spent too much time on something.” Getting a sound, maybe I look back thinking I spent too much time on maybe the arrangement of the song that seems to take me a long time to figure out which parts of where it feels like if it’s too scary or too much. For example, I had a song that was like, basically three parts in it, the whole thing repeated as a song form and it was an instrumental song, you know, whatever A, B and C, then I edited it, I listened to it and was like, this doesn’t sound right. So I flipped it around and see it was C, B then A – I was like, that’s on the song with the ending that I thought was the ending but it should be the beginning of the song. The middle of that regard, this is where it’s pretty awesome.
Four Track
Fred Short Show and Tell
EW: Then mixing and mastering – is that your people that do that for you?
MB: I love using tape machines and I have a four track recorder. I basically get all my tracks down to four tracks and I’ll have drums on one track, one bass. one vocals and then put it back in the computer. This is an essential tool for me.
EW: Do you find having a lot of gear can get overwhelming? Or do you love having tools and things around?
MB: I know how they all work. So yeah. If anything, I always love more.
Random Note
MB: This is called Random Note, it just does whatever you can adjust. You can adjust the speed, and then you can adjust the world. There’s the gear shelves too. This is a favorite too, this is a Wurlitzer kind of a classic sound. I mean, you’ve heard this. Oh, this is this is another new thing. You’ll like this one. This is cool. I just got this. I do like the cheap keyboards. I love these cheap keyboards.
“I do love cheap keyboards” Marco Benevento
You can adjust the speed, and then you can adjust the world.
Marco Benevento
EW: Why is that?
MB: It sounds so cheesy, but when you hear right, I use a lot of drum machines. This keyboard plays these discs, and it’s called the octagon, it uses a light. That’s why it’s called the optimal use of the optical sensor. It has these cool grooves and then you can play along with your right hand. So they all have these funky little album covers too that you get with it. These are cool, just found on eBay. So for example, your special effects, tambourine covers, track sandbox, and that’s what this one sounds like.
I spent a lot of time over here with this keyboard because it helps me get inspired right away. This sound is awesome, then it just helps me, like that. Even though maybe at the end of the songwriting process, this might be eliminated, at least it got me there. I might not use the original drum track that inspired the song, at least in the moment this is drum sound inspired me to write something, which is what everyone’s looking for when they’re being creative.
The Octagon
EW: It’s an intervention, sort of.
MB: Yeah, this is just a quick way, an intervention. Getting started really quickly. I’ll just randomly do shit like this.
EW: What is the story with the artwork in the corner over there?
MB: That’s Billy Martin from Medeski Martin Wood. The donkey is from my friend Battista Ebar, who actually made the artwork for my first record, Invisible Baby. I’m a fan of just making weird art. My record cover, obviously. I just like doing drawings like a staple in your book, and it’s the cover of our record called The Story of Fred Short.
Few bands have a relationship with the state of New York like the Grateful Dead. Outside of California, the Grateful Dead have performed more shows in New York than any other state.
With 309 unique shows performed across the Empire State in a 28 year span, beginning at Tompkins Square Park on June 1, 1967, the Grateful Dead made New York a home away from home, with venues of all sizes welcoming them during their career.
Over the past few years, NYS Music has looked back on some of these shows, whether they be archival releases, or an iconic show worthy of a closer look. In 2020, we began to look intently at the history of the Grateful Dead in the Empire State, and in doing so, discovered some overlooked diamonds in the rough.
While performances at Madison Square Garden, The Knickerbocker Arena and Barton Hall garner the glory, there are shows that are equally compelling which we took a second look at. Whether the performance was in The Bronx, Alfred State, Oswego, Glens Falls, Lake Placid or Watkins Glen, each show gets a thorough analysis, with first-hand accounts and memorabilia, as well as audio and/or video of each performance.
We’ve taken all these articles that examine the long history of the Grateful Dead in New York State, as well as Jerry Garcia’s solo and JGB performances, and created an interactive Google Map that allows you to observe the history of the Grateful Dead in New York – So MaNY Roads. You can find info on each of these shows (were you there?), and dive into shows you may or may not have known about.
With more than 300 shows to include in this series, we so far have looked at more than 50 of these shows, all searchable in the map below. More will be added each month as we continue looking at the Grateful Dead and their history in NY.
We welcome Section 119 as a sponsor for So MaNY Roads, our Grateful Dead in New York series. Section 119 takes you from beachfront to stage front with the highest quality merchandise celebrating the Grateful Dead. Shop for a variety of officially licensed clothing and accessories including board shorts, polos, button-down shirts and more at Section119.com.
The small Catskills village of Athens is sharing a late summer concert series. The series, put on through the Athens Performing Arts Corporation (APAC) begins July 30 and runs every Friday until September 3.
The concerts will take place in Athens Riverfront Park from 7-9 PM. Admission is free and performances are rain or shine. The lineup boasts diverse acts and genres, from Led Zeppelin cover acts to blues, soul and Americana.
Photo by SleepyHollowLake.org
Located in Greene County, the village of Athens, located within the larger town of Athens, is home to just under 2,000 residents. The village has multiple sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places and sits scenically on the west bank of the Hudson River. Athens has an eclectic and artistic feel with residents passionate about sharing music and art.
Be sure to check out the concert series starting this Friday. The full lineup is below and APAC has been posting updates and information on their Facebook page.
Village of Athens Summer Concert Series Lineup
July 30 – Zozo
August 6 – GA-20
August 13 – Paper Sun
August 20 – Tommy Castro and the Painkillers
August 27 – Classic Stones Live
September 3 – Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen
Enjoy this throwback performance by SouthSide Johnny!
Editor’s Note/Update: Due to concerns over Covid-19 Delta Variant, theSound Waves concert with Sxip Shirey at White Feather Farm is being rescheduled from August 5 to September 9.
Sound Waves at White Feather Farm is a new global music series that will be held Thursdays, from August 5 – September 23, at Broken Wing Barn in Saugerties. The open-minded line-up will present world-class artists in genres ranging from Gypsy jazz and Afropop to Latin Boleros and Native and African-American folk, soul and gospel.
The Sound Waves series is being produced by Saugerties-based Isabel Soffer of Live Sounds and globalFEST and Olivier Conan of Barbés Brooklyn, in partnership with White Feather Farm, the site of the acoustically-resonant, 280 year-old Broken Wing Barn. The Sound Waves line-up includes:
August 5 – The World of Sxip Shirey
Sxip Shirey tests the edge of music using his vast imagination to create playful and mischievous songs using familiar objects, mutant instruments and reconfigured sounds. he acoustic beauty. “Sxip Shirey’s imagination for sounds, sound combinations and textural color makes him one of the most curious combinations of composer-sound designer-performer meets storyteller-curator.” — CD Baby “Eclectic and original” – NPR’s Fresh Air.
August 19 – West Africa Dance: Mandingo Ambassadors
The Mandingo Ambassadors was founded by griot-guitarist Mamady Kouyaté in 2005. A veteran of the great orchestras of the golden age of Guinean dance bands in West Africa, Mamady is a living library of musical science inherited from his ancestors and from a half century of experience as an arranger, band leader, accompanist and soloist. Representing a musical tradition that stretches back hundreds of years, Mamady plays with a melodic virtuosity that pulls in listeners. “Dazzling vocal and guitar patterns over a rhythm section that is like a perfect system” – NYTIMES.
August 26 – Martha Redbone: Native American and African American Soul, Blues and Gospel Martha Redbone is a Cherokee-Choctaw and African-American singer-songwriter, composer and educator known for her unique gumbo of folk, blues, and gospel fused with elements of traditional Native American music from her childhood in Harlan County, Kentucky and infused with the eclectic grit of pre-gentrified Brooklyn. “Americana’s next superstar”– Village Voice.
Wrembel may be the foremost interpreter of Django Reinhardt in North America. Whether sticking to the French master’s arrangements or taking the music into new territory, Wrembel has always treated Django like a classical composer rather the cliché paragon of swing and speed the master guitarist has often been portrayed as. In addition to Wrembel’s work as a film composer and performer (he wrote the theme song to Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and scored Allen’s last movie) Wrembel has delved into the study of Django’s “Improvisations” – the solo pieces that Django recorded throughout his life which were precisely scripted and more akin to classical preludes than jazz improv. Wrembel painstakingly transcribed and memorized the entire cycle, highlighting the influence of Ravel and Debussy on the music, as well as the original compositional approach. Wrembel released the album Django L’impressionniste back in October 2019 – a stunning work, which he premiered at the prestigious Lyon Opera house, in France. “A revelation” – Rolling Stone Magazine.
Sept 23 – Miramar: The Golden Age of Latin American Boleros
Miramar draws its inspiration from the golden age of romantic music, primarily that of the Latin American genre known as the bolero which was made popular by Mexican, Cuban and Puerto Rican combos of the 1950’s. Also referred to as “trio music,” the term bolero became synonymous with various slow to medium grooved Latin American dance rhythms. As the popularity of the bolero thrived, it also expanded and fused with other musical styles to create sub-genres of bolero-rock, jazz and disco. Miramar simply furthers expands the tradition through their own interpretations and exploration through new compositions with hopes to enrich a new audience that may be previously unaware of the genre. “Turn the lights down low, clear out the living-room carpet and find your dance partner for this one”—NPR Music
Limited tickets are available for Sound Waves. Please consider carpooling as parking is limited. Doors open at 7, show at 8, hang out with us after the show! Ticket buyers must show a vaccination card or negative covid test within 72 hours to attend without a mask, otherwise a mask is required.
Avant-Garde Arama is a two-day festival of short works of dance, performance art, poetry and music that will take place at Mount View Studios in Woodstock, July 24 and 25 at 8 pm.
Avant-Garde-Arama was originated in 1980 at the legendary East Village venue Performance Space 122 (P.S. 122) by performance artist/dancer Charles Dennis, who also co-founded this still vibrant cultural institution. This is the first time the event will take place in Woodstock.
Premiering in 1989 to raves in media like The Village Voice, Dennis’ movement piece “2 x 2 x 4” is a dramatic dance duet performed with fourteen wooden 2 x 4s, one whose mood will only be height by Cataldi’s atmospheric live loop & drone based guitar improvisations.
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Cataldi’s debut album under Spaghetti Eastern Music moniker, Sketches of Spam, is a 16-track, 69-minute, genre-surfing journey through contrasting moods, with instrumentals inspired by 70’s Miles, Krautrock, Ennio Morricone, Fripp & Eno and ECM’s icy guitar great Terje Rypdal giving way to bare-bones acoustic vocal tunes reflective of the influence of John Martyn and Nick Drake.
In 2020, Cataldi followed this with a trio of critically-acclaimed atmospheric singles that have been heard around the globe, “Her Lemon Peel Raincoat – Because It’s Raining,” “Peace Within” and “And This is Their New Hoax,” a COVID-19 musical editorial featuring samples of President Trump’s most noted denials to Cataldi’s soundpainting guitars and synths. His latest release, “Blues for A Lost Cosmonaut,” is a nine-minute plus maxi single again in the ambient mode, one that will inform the live tracks he will perform to Dennis’ dance piece. His music has received high praise from our site and other outlets including The New York Times, Time Out New York, Jazz Times, Huffington Post and many others.
For information and ticket information for Spaghetti Eastern Music at Avant-Garde Arama in Woodstock, please visit the Facebook event page or .
For those looking for some great live music to round out the summer, the Catskill Mountain Jubilee music festival is coming to East Durham, NY from August 12-14, 2021.
The Jubilee will take place at Blackthorne Resort, less than an hour south of Albany and less than three hours north of the NYC metro area. A few days in the Catskills is sure to be a fun escape, complete with the festival’s strong lineup of many fan favorite artists.
Just announced additions to Catskill Mountain Jubilee include CIA (Clay Parnell, Ian McGuire and Allen Aucoin), Reed Mathis and Todd Stoops, TalkPeck SoundSystem – A tribute to Talking Heads, LCD SoundSystem and Vulfpeck (Jon Barber, Matt McNulty, Allen Aucoin, Mike Greenfield, Avery Acevedo, Miles Livolsi, Todd Stoops, Jeff Borg, Lowell Wurster).
Headliner Dark Star Orchestra covers both popular hits and deep cuts from the Grateful Dead’s extensive catalog. Boasting over 3000 shows under their belt, DSO puts on an enjoyable musical experience for all ages. The Chicago band has featured guest performances from six original Grateful Dead members and even toured with longtime Dead soundman, Dan Healy.
Other headliner Lotus is an instrumental jam band based in Philly/Denver. Lotus blends many different genres in their groovy improvisation, including flares of funk, electronic dance music with an underlying rock sound. Their new studio album, Free Swim, comes out August 21.
There are dozens of other exciting acts to catch at this inaugural Jubilee. The team frequently shares news on their Facebook and there is a newsletter signup on their website to keep up with any updates.
The festival will be home to over 25 musical acts whose style range from Grateful Dead rock-n-roll and hip-hop to livetronica, reggae and house music. This lineup is truly a collection of quality musicians who historically offer only the highest quality of performances, and we’re grateful to have each and every one of them joining us for the first ever The Catskill Mountain Jubilee.
Catskill Mountain Jubilee Team
Tickets are available for purchase now with options for two and three day general admission passes. Lodging packages are currently fully booked.
