NYS Music 202​1

Category: Western NY

  • Lettuce Blaze Buffalo Native Rick James’ ‘Mary Jane’ At Town Ballroom

    Lettuce blazed back to Buffalo during their Fall run of their 2021 Bring Back The Love Tour. This past July they crushed Lake George and Western New York’s Art Park. The group played the fully renovated historic Buffalo Town Ballroom on Main Street. The three floor club is an infamous hometown venue to funk artists Rick James and Soulive.

    Lettuce Buffalo

    Lettuce founding member Sam Kininger joined for one just gig this summer at the Lake George Adirondack stage. This fall, he has been on tour with Lettuce for every club date and has helped fill out a three-piece brass section with Benny Bloom and Ryan Zoidis. Like Drummer Adam Deitch told NYS music, “Sam’s the godfather of Lettuce”

    Lettuce Buffalo

    The November 11 performance went from 8:15 till 10:15 with Lettuce crushing all the way through without leaving the stage for the encore. The current Lettuce hybrid batch is also made up of Erick “Jesus” Coombs on bass, Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff on guitar and Nigel Hall on keyboards and vocals.

    Lettuce Buffalo

    They treated the Buffalo audience to “Break Out” from their infamous 2004 Live in Tokyo Album. Legendary artist Steve Gadd told NYS music the secret to any live gig. “When you get it musically to a level where everyone on the bandstand is having fun and can hear each other and you can trust the audience is hearing it the way you are, it gets to a spiritual level. In Japan or wherever you are. That’s the goal.”

    The spirit of Buffalo legend Rick James could be felt in the house on Wednesday. To pay homage to the city of Buffalo’s funk artist, Lettuce burnt “Mary Jane” from his debut album Come Get It. Like Buffalo native Alan Evans told NYS Music about James’ music, “Its hard to choose…Bustin out of L Seven on vinyl, you kinda can’t go wrong with. That’s a dope record.”

    Come catch Lettuce bust out more funk on the road in America with dates leading up to a New Years Eve show at Miami’s North Beach Band Shell. The first week of the new year Lettuce Drummer Adam Deitch will join DJ Logic & a world-class line-up of Friends including Karl Denson on saxophone and MonoNeon on bass at New York’s Blue Note. Lettuce kicks off 2022 with a European tour starting 2/22 for two months.


    Lettuce – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY, November 11, 2021

    Setlist: Purple Highness, Dump, Breakout, Suppit, Mary Jane, Sly>Silence is Golden-> Mr Yancey, Central Nyack, Pep n Step, Move on Up, Don’t Change for Me

  • The Allman Betts Band announce ‘Trippin Into Spring 2022’ tour, with Stops in Buffalo, Utica and Albany

    The Allman Betts Band has announced their ‘Trippin’ into Spring 2022′ tour dates. The run will begin on March 1 in Milwaukee, WI, and will make stops across the country and Hawaii.

    Allman Betts Spring Tour

    Ahead of the Spring tour, the Allman Betts Band will be on the road as part of The Allman Family Revival tour – a 19 date, star-studded celebration of the life, spirit, and music of Gregg Allman.

    When The Allman Betts Band released Down to the River in June of 2019, the debut album represented not only the first time the group had recorded together, but, in fact, the first time the seven-piece ensemble had ever played together. If Down to the River was the sound of the band’s combustible sparks igniting, then Bless Your Heart is their bonfire, built for the summer of 2020 and beyond; a double-album follow-up fueled by road-forged camaraderie and telepathic musical intensity, vibrantly reflecting the individual and collective experiences of these seven, all drawing inspiration from the band’s symbolic hometown- a place Devon Allman calls “the United States of Americana.” 

    Allman Betts Spring Tour

    All up to date news and tour information can be found at allmanbettsband.com.

    The Allman Betts Band ‘Trippin’ Into Spring’ 2022 Tour Dates

    3/1 @ Turner Hall Ballroom | Milwaukee, WI
    3/2 @ Kalamazoo State Theatre | Kalamazoo, MI
    3/3 @ Kent State University | Kent, OH
    3/4 @ Riverfront Live | Cincinnati, OH
    3/5 @ Robins Theatre | Warren, OH
    3/6 @ EXPRESS LIVE! | Columbus, OH
    3/9 @ Town Ballroom | Buffalo, NY
    3/10 @ The Stanley Theatre | Utica, NY
    3/12 @ Garde Arts Center | New London, CT
    3/16 @ Lebanon Opera House | Lebanon, NH
    3/18 @ Loos Center for the Arts | Woodstock, CT
    3/24 @ Hart Theatre at The Egg | Albany, NY
    3/27 @ Whitaker Center | Harrisburg, PA
    4/1 @ Hawaii Theatre | Honolulu, HI
    4/2 @ Maui Arts & Cultural Center | Kahului, HI

  • In Focus: Daughtry and His Dearly Beloved Tour Stop at The Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls

    It was a night full of incredible music at The Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls on November 9th as Daughtry, Sevendust, Tremonti and Travis Bracht rocked the stage for the Dearly Beloved tour.

    Daughtry Dearly Beloved
    Daughtry tearing it up at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki

    The first performance of the night was brought by Travis Bracht with a voice that could pierce right through your heart.

    Following him was the band Tremonti. Their drummer was ill so the audience got to see a totally different side of the band as they performed a totally acoustic set for the first time ever.

    Daughtry Dearly Beloved
    Tremonti at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki

    The rock show took off with Sevendust, and who has been around since about ’94 and they are still amazing. Their fans knew every single word to every single song.

    Daughtry, lead by American Idol Season 5 contestant Chris Daughtry, nailed their set. Daughtry’s voice is as smooth as ever, plus, his talent and charisma are tough to match, yet the rest of the band was right at his level.

    It was a night filled with refreshing, post-grunge rock that was just what this crowd needed.

    Daughtry Setlist: Desperation, World on Fire, Changes Are Coming, No Surprise, Dearly Beloved, Evil, Home, Waiting for Superman, Break Into My Heart, It’s Not Over, Heavy Is the Crown, The Victim, Lioness, September, Over you, Asylum

    • Chris Daughtry at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
    • Daughtry at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
    • Chris Daughtry at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
    • Chris Daughtry at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
    • Sevendust at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
    • John Connolly of Sevendust at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
    • Clint Lowery and Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
    • Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
    • Mark Tremonti of Tremonti at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
    • Tremonti at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
    • Eric Friedman of Tremonti at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
    • Travis Bracht at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
    • Travis Bracht at The Rapids Theatre. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki

  • The Jauntee Head East for shows in Albany and Buffalo

    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.

    the jauntee

    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.

    Stay up to date with announcements and more at www.thejauntee.com.

    The Jauntee Fall 2021 Tour Dates

    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

  • moe. Travels to Iceland in 2022 for “Midnight Sun” with Dopapod and Aqueous

    moe.’s Midnight Sun 2022 event will take place in Iceland. The event was announced across moe’s social media and  will take place August 5-7, 2022 in Reykjavik, Iceland supported by Dopapod and Aqueous.

    Moe Midnight Sun

    Midnight Sun will consist of moe. playing six sets over three nights at Reykjavik’s Eldborg Hall in the Harpa Center. Dopapod and Aqueous will be there as supporting acts. with additional late night performances set to take place at venues near Harpa, with more details and specifics will be announced in the near future. Part of the draw of Iceland for the moe.’s Midnight Sun festivities is the fact it will be taking place in summer which will provide daylight that stretches long into the evening.

    moe. recently celebrated 30 years together as a band, having formed in 1989 at University of Buffalo. A true New York band, guitarists Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey hail from Oneida County, while drummer Vinnie Amico calls Saratoga County home.

    Dopapod formed at Berklee College Of Music back in 2007, with Eli Winderman, Rob Compa, Chuck Jones, and Neal “Fro” Evans filling out the original and current lineups. Aqueous is an indie-jam rock group that formed in Buffalo back in 2007, composed of Mike Gantzer, David Loss and Evan McPhaden and Rob Houk.

    VIP tickets will go on sale on November 8, 2021 at 12 PM EST and the general on-sale goes on sale on November 11, 2021 at 10 AM EST. The VIP packages will include prime seating, access to an acoustic brunch set and more to be announced. Tickets can be purchased here once they are available.

    For more information on Moe’s Midnight Sun 2022 visit their website.

  • Bodysnatcher Bring Metal Thrashing to Rochester

    On Thursday, October 28th, Montage Music Hall in Rochester was host to a pretty wild show. If you like most pits, thrashing around, and some heavy metal, this was a show to see. This lineup was stacked all the way from the bottom with the locals and the headliners, Bodysnatcher.

    The lineup started with two Rochester locals, Deadbeat, and White Tides, followed by Left to Suffer from Atlanta, Georgia, Mouth Of War from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Boundaries from Hartford, Connecticut, and the main act, Bodysnatcher from Melbourne, Florida. The montage is known for bringing some great shows with many different types of acts, this lineup was for the metalheads and Rochester turned up.

    Bodysnatchers

    Bodysnatcher is no stranger to this venue as they had played back in 2019 and had a great turn out then as well. One band that really brought the energy was the front man Mouth Of War, it was hard to keep an eye on him as he moved about jumping and thrashing as if he was in the pit himself. It would not be a metal show without mosh pits and throughout there was plenty which unfortunately lead to someone getting hit but it was minor and they carried on. Though this show is done and gone, there are plenty more lined up for the Montage and I would recommend checking out what they have in store!  

    Deadbeat

    White Tides

    Mouth Of War

    Boundaries

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  • Salt City Waltzes to Del Lago Casino for The Band tribute Concert

    The Del Lago Casino venue “The Vine” is bringing an infamous night from San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom back to life. The famed concert of “The Last Waltz” will be recreating music by “The Band” at the Del Lago Casino on Saturday November 13th. The evening’s playbill includes over 40 performers as part of “The Salt City Waltz.” The 2021 edition promises to feature new faces and music added to the show. The production inside The Vine offers a glimpse into the 1970’s Winterland Ballroom. It will transport the concert goers to the same movie lens Martin Scorsese shot the original in. 

    Salt City Waltz
    Rick Danko of the Band

    The classic house band will feature Los Blancos from Syracuse featuring Mark Tiffault on drums, Colin Aberdeen on Guitar, and Steve Winston on Bass. The addition to their core of Scott Ebner on Piano, Mark Westers on Guitar, and Bill Barry on Organ will help shape the Vine stage nicely.

    It should make no difference that Colin Aberdeen of Los Blancos saw the legendary Rick Danko of “The Band” perform a special solo acoustic show at the Hotel Syracuse in the 1990’s. The guests at the original “Last Waltz” included Ringo Starr, Dr John, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Ronnie Wood, Van Morrison and Neil Young to name a few. The guests joining the Salt City Waltz are The Old Main, Brendon Gosson, George Rossi, John McConnell, Mike Mahwinney, Joe Altier, Pete McMahon, Rex Lyons, Carolyn Kelly, Andy Comstock, Bill Ali, Joe Whiting, Mike Frisina & Ben Sumner.

    Jay Collins returns to Salt City Waltz

    The Salt City Waltz Ensemble at the Vine in Del Lago will consist of Gary Frenay on Bass, Cathy Lamanna on Drums, Mark Hoffmann on Mandolin, Chris Eves on Guitar, Jonah Smith on Vocals/Piano and Liz Fiddle on naturally….fiddle. Guesting with them will be Central New York Songbirds Donna Colton, Joanna Jewett, Maureen Henesey and Steven Cali. As well as Opus Black String Ensemble, Ronnie Leigh and Bruce Gerow.

    To make the performance sound full circle at the Vine please welcome the Levon Helm Studio Horns. Featuring Jay Collins on Tenor Saxophone, Erik Lawrence on Baritone/ Alto sax, Steve Bernstein on Trumpet. Special guest on trombone and tuba, from Bruce Springsteen E Street Band Clark Gayton will join the Waltz this year. As Levon Helm once said, “I love horns and the bigger the band, the better it sounds in my ear.”

    Salt City Waltz

    Producer Stacey Waterman has curated all four editions of the Salt City Waltz; creating an atmosphere very much like that Thanksgiving night in 1976, right down to a chandelier. The idea behind this show is to celebrate the music of The Band and The Last Waltz. The musicians who assemble for this each year are the cream of the crop and leave the audience feeling thankful. You can purchase tickets to the event here.

    Levon Helm’s infamous studio barn in the Hudson Valley is still hosting their own live music. The music never stopped through his daughter Amy Helm and the list of other great acts to still turn the same wheel. Music also lives on at Bob Dylan’s Big Pink House that The Band famously recorded at in Woodstock as well.

    The Power of Music just kinda kills all those ills. It cures everything and you’ve got more energy because of the music. And I’ve Never Seen it Fail. Its good for ya…real good for ya

    Levon Helm
    Salt City Waltz
    Salt City Waltz
    Salt City Waltz
    Salt City Waltz


  • Gojira brings Fortitude tour to Rochester in epic fashion

    Grammy-nominated metal band Gojira brought their fall U.S. headlining tour to the Main Street Armory in Rochester. The tour featuring special guests Alien Weaponry and Knocked Loose is in support of the bands most recent album release Fortitude

    Alien Weaponry, the first band of the evening is a three piece “Te Reo” metal band hailing from Waipu, New Zealand and formed in Auckland in 2010 consisting of brothers Henry and Lewis de Jong, as well as Turanga Morgan-Edmonds. With a dark stage and subtle green lighting, the band takes the stage as a steady drum beat blasts through the armory with a giant Alien Weaponry banner draped behind them. The trio waste no time getting into their first song “Titokowaru,” which immediately shows the bands thrash metal roots.

    gojira


    Alien Weaponry performs many of their songs in the Māori language, which helps separate them from the many other bands in the genre. Each song they perform feels like a breath of fresh air, and is foreshadowing of many great things to come for this band. While only having a 6 song set list, Alien Weaponry gave a fantastic opening performance, and fit very well on the bill with Gojira. The only thing that would of made this set better is if they simply had more time, and were not the openers in my opinion.

    Knocked Loose, the second act on the bill which is American hardcore punk based out of Kentucky didn’t quite hit the nail like Alien Weaponry did. The band performed 10 songs in total, with each one of them seeming like the entire song was a breakdown. While I respect the band as musicians, it just didn’t seem to fit right with this lineup. Performing songs “Where Light Divides the Holler,” “Oblivion’s Peak,” “Guided by the Moon,” and “Mistakes Like Fractures” certainly had the mosh pit moving.

    After Knocked Loose finished their set, a drape covers the stage with symbols from Gojira’s Fortitude album while a blended mix of the song “Fortitude” plays subtle in the background. The anticipation alone with a countdown had the crowd already getting ready to be rocked by one of the best metal bands currently touring.

    gojira


    As the countdown hit 0, the band goes right into “Born For One Thing” and the drape drops sending the crowd into a frenzy. Unlike Gojira’s past US tours where they had little production, this tour set the bar high. With Co2 canisters, lasers, fog, and overhead strobes this was Gojira at their best. Some bands almost need the extra production to kind of help carry them, though with Gojira it’s more like icing on a cake. This was absolutely amazing and beautiful to witness with the pure power of their music, as well as the crowd singing along.

    Going from Born for One Thing > Backbone > Stranded > Flying Whales was one of the best possible openings for a Gojira show. Each one of these songs are super popular among fans, and extremely heavy hitting. One highlight from their 16 song set were during “Flying Whales” when fans “release whales back into the wild” by launching inflatable whales into the crowd. Overall Gojia’s setlist was extremely well rounded, with roughly half the song being new material and the other half a good mix from their previous albums.

    gojira


    Closing out their set with L’enfant sauvage, the crowd screaming “Gojira” over and over almost demanding them come back, which they obviously do for an amazing 4 song encore. Starting the encore off with “Amazonia” off their latest album sent the crowd into a roar again. Leading then into “Toxic Garbage Island” followed by “The Chant” before finishing off with fan favorite “Vacuity” was the perfect choice of songs for an encore.

    Gojira put on one of the best metal shows I have seen, and they show no signs of slowing down. Overall this tour is incredible and is definitely worth seeing if you have the opportunity to do so.

    Setlist: Born for One thing > Backbone > Stranded > Flying Whales > The Cell > Love/Remembrance > Hold On > Grind > Silvera > Sphinx > Another World > L’enfant sauvage

    Encore: Amazonia > Toxic Garbage Island > The Chant > Vacuity

    Gojira

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    Alien Weaponry

    Knocked Loose

  • Umphrey’s McGee 2022 Winter tour Starts with 5 Dates Across NYS

    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 winter tour

    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.

  • The Wood Brothers Announce 2022 Tour Dates, Tour Begins at Kodak Center

    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.

    wood brothers 2022
    ©Jay Blakesberg

    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.

    wood brothers 2022

    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 **

    * w/ Steve Poltz
    ** w/ Katie Pruitt