Author, poet, songwriter, and Queen of New York Patti Smith graced the stage at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park with her bandfor a free Sunday evening show this past weekend as part of the Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage concert series.
Nearly one month ago Smith was set to perform as part of the mega NYC Homecoming Concert in the Great Lawn, which was cut short by the watery remnants of Hurricane Henri before she had her turn on stage. Confirmed in an interview she did that evening with Anderson Cooper, she we would have performed a duet with Bruce Springsteen on the song they penned together, “Because the Night.” While there was no surprise Bruce appearance, Smith made a full-hearted fancy of the tune in dedication to her late husband Fred Smith.
A NYC-cultivated setlist payed tribute and honor to Smith’s equals who’ve either passed or fortunate to still be contributing to the arts. Early in the show Smith dedicated the reggae-infused “Renando Beach” to the late Jamaican record producer Lee “Scratch” Perry and went on to pay tribute to Charlie Watts with “Beneath the Southern Cross.” In tribute to former Saturday Night Live star Norm Macdonald Smith introduced Stevie Wonder’s “Blame it on the Sun” with a quote from the late comedian. Her band paid homage to Hilly Kristal and his CBGB legacy with a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “I’m Free” with an interlude of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” Lastly, Smith tipped her hat to Bob Dylan with her take on his song “One Too Many Mornings.”
As a poet Smith performed her spoken word poem “Perfect Moon” to welcome in the approaching Harvest Moon leading seamlessly into the lyrics and music of “Dancing Barefoot.”
After a short encore break, Smith’s show ended with a message of strength “People Have the Power.” With fists in the air, many sang along in solidarity with that message.
The Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage concert series continues into early October; for more information check out the schedule here.
Setlist: Grateful, Redondo Beach, Free Money, Ghost Dance, Perfect Moon (poem), Dancing Barefoot, Ain’t It Strange, Beneath the Southern Cross, Blame It on the Sun, I’m Free -> Walk on the Wild Side -> I’m Free, Because the Night, Pissing in a River, One Too Many Mornings, Land / Gloria
Soul Blind is out to impress us once again. The Hudson Valley based alternative rock band has released their new EP Third Chain on Other People Records. Drawing from The Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, and Deftones, Soul Blind releases a nostalgic track that mimics something out of the 90s.
The newly released music video captures the band performing in a kaleidoscope of swirling colors through a fisheye lens. If that doesn’t give you 90s nostalgia then maybe Justin Sarica and Finn Lovell’s entwined guitar riffs will remind you of The Smashing Pumpkin’s sheer rock groove.
This track also reminds us the endless range of what the rock genre truly encaptures. Steve Hurley on drums is the foundation urging the beat forward urging nothing but a head-banging session leaving the listener engaged, asking where the melody will head to next. Third Chain gives us the original hard rock we have come to know and love while still having an original sound. Soul Blind’s other tracks including “Misplaced” and “Phantom Pool” continue delving into the lessons crucial relationships teach us about ourselves. Jon Markson and Adam Cichocki recorded each track ensuring a lush wall of guitars mixed with divine vocals.
The EP serves a lot of self reflection lyrically, as well as the emotional turbulence within personal relationships. ALl three songs reflect different feelings, but come together in the same world. Sonically we think these songs show some diversity in our sound and a clear example of our range of what can be expected from future releases, especially going into our first full length.
Soul Blind
Soul Blind is working toward becoming a household name and are on their merry way. In 2018, the group made their debut with the Willpower EP, followed by Untitled later that year with a handful of promo singles in 2019. Don’t just take our word for it. No Echo, Stereogum, and New Noise Magazine have released praising reviews gloating about the band. Opening for the likes of Vein, All Out War, Death Threat, Fiddlehead, Praise, Anxious, Modern Color and One Step Closer solidify their hardcore stardom.
Be sure to check out Soul Blind’s East Coast tour with Koyo. Tour dates can be found below.
9/17/2021 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ APEX Studios w/ Restraining Order 9/18/2021 – North Haven, CT @ The Cockeyed Crow w/ Restraining Order + Rule Them All + End It 9/19/2021 – Oakdale, NY @ Shakers Pub 9/20/2021 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fire w/ Webbed Wing 9/21/2021 – Greensboro, NC @ Gate City Garage 9/22/2021 – Columbia, SC @ New Brooklyn Tavern 9/23/2021 – Jacksonville, FL @ Archetype w/ Magnitude + Point Of Contact + Kharma 9/24/2021 – Brandon, FL @ Noisebox w/ Magnitude + Point Of Contact + Kharma 9/25/2021 – Tallahassee, FL @ The Bark w/ Magnitude + One Step Closer 9/26/2021 – Pensacola, FL @ American Legion w/ Magnitude + One Step Closer 9/27/2021 – Atlanta, GA @ The Dog House 9/28/2021 – Richmond, VA @ The Camel w/ One Step Closer 10/09/2021 – Brooklyn, NY @ Gold Sounds w/ No Pressure, Koyo, Victory Garden, Charity 10/30/2021 – New Haven, CT @ State House w/ Narrow Head + Waveform
Saturday Night Live has revealed the first four hosts and musical guests of its upcoming season 47. Returning on October 2 on NBC, the lineup includes Kacey Musgraves, Halsey, Young Thug and Brandi Carlile. The premiere is the first episode of SNL since last May, when Anya Taylor-Joy hosted as Lil Nas X took the stage. Cast members Beck Bennett and Lauren Holt are exiting the show, while three new featured players are set to join: Aristotle Athari, James Austin Johnson and Sarah Sherman.
Fans of the show can likely anticipate a tribute to late alum Norm Macdonald, who passed away in September.
Today is a sad day. All of us here at SNL mourn the loss of Norm Macdonald, one of the most impactful comedic voices of his or any other generation. pic.twitter.com/KQYuuz5eM9
The season premiere kicks off on October 2, with Loki star Owen Wilson hosting and country-turned-pop singer Kacey Musgraves as the musical guest. Musgraves’ fourth studio album star-crossed was released on September 10, supported by a visual album that premiered on Paramount+. She previously performed on SNL in 2018:
On October 9th, Kim Kardashian West hosts as Halsey performs. Her August album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power received the best reviews of her career to date, attracting new listeners thanks to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s production. Halsey has guested on SNL annually since 2018, doing double duty as a host and musical guest in 2019.
Rami Malek hosts on October 16, a change of pace from portraying the most recent Bond villain in No Time to Die. Young Thug joins Malek as the musical guest, his first time as the main performer despite assisting Megan Thee Stallion last season.
The furthest out host and musical guest announced for Season 47 of Saturday Night Live are Emmy-winning Ted Lasso star and former SNL alum Jason Sudeikis, and singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, both for October 23.
Seems the air is getting cooler which means our summer is coming to an end, but to kick it off you might as well go out with a bang at Riverboat’s seasonal closing party. The second annual Alex Bay Summer Send Off Party will be the weekend of Friday October 1 and Saturday October 2. There will be two full nights of live music that’ll feature headlining performances by Wild Adriatic and LITZ on Saturday night.
This summer’s send off will be rooted in the spirit of rock & roll. Wild Adriatic is a third time returning guest at the stage, with roots in the Capital District and a smooth sound filled with groove heavy guitars and enough grit to get you moving.
The power house psychedelic funk band LITZ will close the night right on Saturday, or close out the year essentially. This Maryland based band will have something for everyone, from funk, jam, go-go, soul, to even electronica. Their late night set has tons of built up anticipation where this will be their debut at Alex Bay and they know how to make a good first impression.
If you can’t make it on Saturday, Friday has a lot in store. The Reflexions are performing at the Pre-Party as an 8 piece in alt-funk band project put together by none other than Joshua West (Annie in the Water and Lucid). The reggae/roots Americana band will debuting at The Riverboat along with HANZOLO fusing soul, jazz, rock, and funk. The Upstate alt-funk band will continue to fill the air and stage with another 7 piece band.
On Saturday for happy hour, loop master Cozmic Theo will perform a solo set to set off the night, followed by Nash Robb of The Old Main.
Get your tickets for Summer Send Off now. Just $20 for 2 days of music with a weekend pass ticket purchased at the link below. Single show tickets will be available at the door for $10 on Friday and $20 on Saturday.
ZASH Global, a brazen startup co-founded by Ted Farnsworth, wants to give a gift to the city ZASH calls home. On October 2nd, from 4 PM – 11 PM EST in Clinton Square in Syracuse, Dandelion will give life to an all-FREE Electronic Dance Music concert equivalent to the productions found in Miami.
Nicky Romero will fly from Holland to headline the event. Not only does Nicky have a claim to fame as a DJ, but he is also a known producer & mogul whose label is at the forefront of modern Dance Music. From his hits “Toulouse” and “I Could Be The One” to his recent No.1 US Dance Radio track “Sometimes’” with DallasK & Xylo, Nicky boasts an impressive discography of originals, remixes, and co-productions proving his ability to the ever-changing landscape of electronic music. The success and impact of his label Protocol Records in which he had a hand in producing “Right Now” by Rhianna, “It Should Be Easy” by Britany Spears, along with multiple collaborations with David Guetta… to name a few.
Joining Nicky will be Deorro. After more than a decade of developing his genre-blurring musical style, Los Angeles-born producer Erick Orrosquieta, known as Deorro, has become a worldwide-touring DJ, reputable songwriter, and bona fide superstar producer. Deorro will hone in on the variety of styles that he’s become known for, like Melbourne Bounce and Latin. Andrew Moore, known as Kryoman, will also perform at The Dandelion. He has performed Syracuse before and no one forgets his performances. Miami-based, but London-born, Kryoman makes his presence known with 10-foot tall robots suits, equipped with high-powered lights, smoke guns, and high-definition LED mapping. His music techniques include trap and future house. Moore was a dancer at the main stage at Ultra Music Festival Miami and toured with David Guetta, Steve Aoki, the Black Eyed Peas, and Akon.
Additional artists include the EC Twins, SVNF8, Tadeo Fernandez, and Talia Eisset. The EC Twins have been credited as two of the most influential figures in electronic dance music and thanks to their “British Invasion,” played a large part in the explosion of Electronic Music in the USA. They began by performing in small clubs in Los Angeles and invested all of their finances into their music and performances. Their hard work paid off, turning a local fan base into an army of dedicated worldwide followers.
The scene’s newest mysterious producer SVNF8 has been blowing listeners away with mind-altering techno soundscapes on his past few releases. After making his grand Mau5trap debut with the alluring single “Twin Flames,” the masked musician is back on the highly-acclaimed imprint’s release radar with a dark but simultaneously uplifting fresh track, “Never Ever.”After placing his music on the Lomotif app, SVNF8 saw near 4 million views.
Lomotif’s cutting edge technology and attention to detail is next level. From the editing tools, quality, simplicity, and fan interaction; it’s a must for everyday media networking.
SVNF8
Tadeo Fernandez and Talia Eisset are some of the most influential Electronic Dance Music influencers around. Tadeo has tracks that are achieving top charts and millions of plays, as well as the biggest electronic music, viral, and top playlists. His singular style and energetic club and festival shows performed all over the world have helped to build a solid career and reputation. Talia is well recognized as an MTV star and actress, but also for her shows at festivals and clubs throughout the world. Playing in stages such as Resistance by Ultra, Medusa Festival Mexico, Storage Festival, and a recent tour in Ibiza playing in the most iconic venues Pacha, Bora Bora, and Carnero. Involved in DJing, producing, modeling, and acting, Talia is always preparing to get better and better to give the best shows possible.
Along with plenty of food trucks, cold brews, and wine, Dandelion will educate you. Being in the entertainment world, ZASH understands the importance of the arts on culture, quality of life, education, and fueling the economy. “Oftentimes, arts programs are the first to be cut when budgets are lean,” reminds Farnsworth. “We want to give back to this city by supporting arts programs to our youth.”
Redhouse Arts Center is a professional, not-for-profit theater serving the community by providing leading and inclusive experiences through its theater and educational programs. In schools, they reach thousands of students each day to engage them in learning through arts-based lessons.It also offers classes and camps during school breaks and produces a professional theatre season. Donations to support this program are accepted at Redhouse City Schools Program
We are proud of our partnership with Syracuse City Schools and the impact we make on student success. Using the arts as a process rather than a product helps to engage students in a new way.
Samara Hannah, Redhouse Executive Director
ZASH Global Media and Entertainment Corporation is an evolved network of synergetic companies working together to disrupt the media and entertainment industry as we know it today. One recent ZASH acquisition was Lomotif, a video editing app that competes with companies like TikTok. Lomotif is spearheading new technology to create and edit videos. “Lomotif’s biggest highlight is a patented tool that allows creators to edit and stitch together multiple clips,” said Lomotif CEO and founder, Paul Yang. “But this does not mean the user needs to bring five different clips to create. The tool also has an evolving library that suggests clips based on any keyword you feed in, much like Google recommendations.”
Lomotif recently struck a deal with Universal Music to license its library of music. Lomotif users now have access to thousands of songs by Universal Music Group artists, including Olivia Rodrigo, to use in their video clips.
Stop by the Lomo video booth for the chance to create a music video and upload it on the Lomo app. A&R Executives will review auditions and see if any potential artists have a chance to move forward with Lomo Records. Then step on the red carpet in front of the ZASH/Lomo step and repeat! Snap your pic and post it on your page. The first 100 people to visit our tent at Dandelion will receive free ZASH merchandise. Can’t make it to the event? The full 6 hours will be available to live stream also available on the Lomo app.
Visit and learn about another branch of our company Magnifi U. Magnifi U is an immersive, online education platform that helps you develop skills, nurture strengths, and live with purpose. Magnifi U offers courses online and because they are just launching a beta testing site… you can get their classes for a limited time for free! To learn more register here or stop by their tent on Oct. 2nd.
“This will be a festival like CNY has never seen before,” said ZASH’s Media Relations Specialist, Kimberly Rossi. “The stage, production, Lazer show, C02 cannons, the artists, and a few extra surprises will bring the whole Electronic Dance Music experience to heightened levels.” SU students can enjoy an orange grove that will be a sectioned-off area dedicated to SU students.
Dandelion will be hosted by none other than the Voice of Dance Music. For 24 years, the VODM has hosted Ultra Music Festival, the world’s largest touring festival. His talents have been showcased in front of millions spanning over 3 decades, 75+ cities, and 6 continents around the globe.
It’s been almost two years without any live music and some venues were being forced to close their doors for good. Fortunately, there have been new ones opening up. In Horseheads, NY, located in Chemung County, a new venue has arisen called The L, and its owner, Adam Bunce who is the organizer of iMatter Festival on September 16th, kicked off a show that did just that. It was only fitting to bring August Burns Red Leveler 10 year anniversary tour to be the first act, they were accompanied by Fit For A King, Erra, and Like Moths To Flame.
This new space has the capacity to fit 300, 500, and 1000 attendees in different rooms, and while this show wasn’t a sell out, attendance was definitely high. The show kicked off with Like Moths To Flames, followed by Erra, Fit For A King, then with heavy hitting August Burns Red.
With an owner who is used to running a festival with more bands and way more attendees, everything felt smooth, from the time you parked, till the last band, and even the food from the cafe was reasonably priced.
The night seemed like a huge success and they already have a line of shows announced. Head over and see what they have in store.
As the haze descended over the stillness of West Virginia’s Marvin’s Mountaintop, one could easily miss the creatures cautiously peering out from carefully selected hideouts. Anticipation built for these mystical beings, for the game of games was about to commence. Players arrived unsure of where to go, but had confidence in their mission of finding what they had lost. On the eve of the full moon, the Resonance Music Festival provided a Labyrinth, some goblins, a few other fairy-tale characters and at the center, a Goblin King. This king kept close, but made sure to provide accommodations of the best lighting and soundtrack for the games.
Goblin friends
It’s further than you think. Time is short.
Keeper of the Beans
Paths twisted and tents upon tents repeated. Nondescript thumping of DJ music could be heard in the distance of an unknown direction. Seeking direction was futile when it came to camp dwellers claiming to be “only worms” relaxed at their sites. These worms, while unhelpful, were very friendly and offered players to meet the Mrs. and stop for some tea. Tempting as it may be, Eggy was about to go on and the center had to be found.
She Chose Down
Satan’s Empress
Eventually, that thing the wizard said about the jam holes filled with Magic Beans made a lot more sense. It was not a dead end, but rather, an energizing oasis. Hobbits with stimulated hemp hats were experts at foraging the Resonance grounds. They advised consumption of Magic Beans was best at The Bog of Eternal Funk You. Doing so summoned Doom Flamingo and our first peek at both Goblin King and Satan’s Empress.
Goblin King
The babe with the power.
Cory Wong reminds the Goblin King of the babe with the Voodoo Power
Attitude was everything that mattered for this maze game and Cory Wong delivered a set that helped reconciliation with players still being so early in the game. His laid back and fun energy was something to behold. To casually joke about a complex timing about to be played evoked the feeling of hope that mastery of something as complex as a guitar or a maze game could be achieved. The laughter on stage was infections and as coolness of the night set in, the next two days felt far more possible thanks to this true artist. Cory also showed that, with good listening skills, it could be possible to play with others outside of the tribe. When sitting in with TAUK Cory had slightly more reserved demeanor, which helped him listen and respond without skipping a beat.
That’s not fair!
Occasionally the board itself seemed to be alive. Initiated by the most subtle of Jack-O-Lantern lights, landscapes would shift dramatically.
Melodic
Flamingo
“The mellow jams would pull you in, then (Umphrey’s) got real nasty with guitars. Melodic to demonic in an instant, but all with that smooth bass keeping it all together while the guitars were going wild.”
-VIP Goblin
Demonic
Doom
You have no power over me…
Lespecial commanding attention.
On September 16-18, Eastern met Mountain and Jam converged with EDM with roads paved in metal. The most notable hour of convergence was when Connecticut Ancient HomiesLespecial (or as the goblins playfully mis-pronounced, “lay-spesh-ee-al”) played on Saturday afternoon. From the VIP crow’s nest, hoards of players could be seen running like the fast zombies from 28 Days Later to the center of the labyrinth, easily finding their way after all the searching they had endured. The crowd grew in size and density as a universal epiphany dawned on everyone involved in the games. A next-generation metal-jam-electronic fusion band deriving from influences like Primus was the lost item no one realized they were missing.
Your eyes can be so cruel…
I wish…
It has been said that legendary sets happen in the center of the Goblin King’s Labyrinth. Ask any Goose fan. The great equalizer of the center provided a grounding humility to many that thought they knew a lot about music.
Conversations held in the crowd were surprising in that nobody had heard of anyone else’s favorite band. The players arrived deeply rooted on many teams. Disciples of Tipper were ready for Detox Unit, but had never heard of The Motet or Dizgo. Doom Flamingo fans were psyched to see Papadosio, but had never witnessed a laser show like the one Sunsquabi put on. Umphrey’s fans had however, heard of Lotus and could not wait to see Tim Palmieri display his technical mastery as if it were the plumage of a rare bird.
“I move the stars for no one…”
Photo courtesy of Albie Binkley
Behind the games, behind the curtain, and beneath the veil was an Oz-like figure in control of the entire game. Only when he was satisfied, were we were released from the simulation.
“Should you need us…”
Dizgo members showing up for Eggy in more ways than one.
After it all, when intensity subsided and the sun was up again, Eggy played an intimate set from the VIP Crow’s nest and provided the perfect time to reflect on the lessons learned.
Despite the game only lasting a weekend, the friendships made were lifelong.
Tour dates have been announced for Sean Chambers, following the release of his most recent album, Thats What I’m Talkin About on Quarto Valley Records. The album is packed with nine tracks, most that long term fans will remember from the 90s. He honors his former guitarist as well as producer on his new label. You can find him in Lima, Seneca Falls, and Buffalo at the end of September starting the 21st, and in New York City at Terra Blues on September 29.
This album went out with a heavy heart, where it is a tribute to former Howlin’ Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin. Lucky for the band, this album was recorded in March 2020 just before the pandemic hit. Ben Elliot passed away shortly after engineering and producing the album. In tribute to Sumlin, the album includes 10 songs Sean regularly performed on the road as a member of Hubert Sumlin’s touring band, as well as “Hubert’s Song,” an original piece saluting Sumlin. Sean Chambers and his band also join lauded keyboardists Bruce Katz and John Ginty on a few tracks as well.
It all began when Sean received a call asking if they’d be interested in backing up Hubert at ‘Blues Stock’ in Memphis. After relentless practice, the performance with Hubert in October of 1998 was nothing short of extraordinary There was no denying the immediate chemistry between Hubert and Sean, he soon asked the group to become members of the full-time band and they went on to tour for over four years. Hubert was a mentor to Sean, giving him a ‘college education in the blues’. ‘That’s What I’m Talkin About’ was used as a title where it was a phrase commonly used by Hubert.
I will always be grateful to both Hubert Sumlin and Ben Elliott and will never forget all the work we did together, as well as all the lessons that I learned from them both. The music will always live on, and I hope that you enjoy this album as much as we enjoyed making it
Sean Chambers
This album being Ben Elliott’s last project pushed the band to put a picture of the two behind the mixing board for his last song. Ben of course also produced the band’s previous two albums, Trouble & Whiskey and Welcome To My Blues.
Sean Chambers will performing at Sportsmen’s Tavern in Buffalo on Wednesday September 22. Tickets are available here.
Eddies Music Hall of Fame announced their class of 2021 inductees and their Induction ceremony which will take Place on October 27, 2021. The ceremony will take place at the Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs and will feature live performances.
The Eddies Music Hall of Fame was founded back in 2019. Recipients receive a plaque and a short video about their career playing at the Eddies Music Hall of Fame Wall at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. The Hall of Fame is conducted in conjunction with the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards, both of which are parts of the Proctors Collaborative. Universal Preservation Hall is also a part of the Proctors Collaborative.
This year’s inductees includes big band vocalists and brothers Bob Eberly and Ray Eberle; country musician Marty Wendell; the rock band the Figgs, radio disc jockey Jim Barrett, jazz band leader Skip Parsons, Cuban and African percussionist and educator Eddie Ade Knowles; Old Songs founders Kay (Andy) and Bill Spence.
To be considered eligible to be inducted into the Eddies Music Hall of Fame nominees must have been born in the Capital Region and / or have lived here and / or worked professionally in the Capital Region during their lifetime. As a general rule, nominees must have been active in the music industry for a minimum of 20 years. Exceptions are made in the case of a candidate’s premature death or due to outstanding service or special circumstances.
Both physical performers who are nominated for the Instrumental and / or vocal work and non-performers who are Songwriters, producers, conductors, engineers, disc jockeys, record company executives, journalists, promoters, and other industry professionals who have had a major influence on music, business, organization and institutional leaders, philanthropists, venue operators are eligible to be nominated for the Hall of Fame.
Jim Murphy who is the co-founder and co-producer of the Eddies Music Hall of Fame spoke on this year’s inductees saying, “This is our biggest class so far and it brings the total number of inductees to 15. Judges have nominated nearly 100 individuals and groups since we started the process so there is no end in sight to celebrating our local music scene as more bands and individuals enter eligibility.”
The Eddies Music Hall of Fame Induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on October 27, 2021 at 7 PM. The ceremony will feature performances from artists playing the inductees’ music: Dylan Perillo; Sean Wendell; BROWN LIQUOR SOCIAL CLUB featuring Chris Dollard and J Yager; and Peter Pashoukos and Greg Greene (of the band Perennial). Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show.
For more information on Eddies Music Hall of Fame and their 2021 inductees visit their website.
This here was an eclectic, punky mix of music on a beautifully moonlit Sunday night at SPAC, with Flogging Molly, Violent Femmes, Me First and The Gimme Gimmes, and Thick. The venue had hosted hordes in their thousands for Dave Matthews earlier in the weekend, but this gig wasn’t that kind of shoulder-to-shoulder crowded – the theater was a good two-thirds or so full, with a smattering of people out on the lawn. Not empty by any stretch, but not packed either. Which was just fine for this writer, who is just easing back into live music in the plague-times.
Brooklyn punkers Thick opened the gig before the place had filled up much, with a few hundred people inside the theater and an enthusiastic group down the front. I’m new to this band, but they blasted out an energetic half-hour of raw, catchy punk, and I was left wanting to check out more. Cool band.
The place started to fill up for Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, who took the stage to an Eddie Money intro tape, and swaggered through a 45-minute set which damn near stole the show, kicking off with “Don’t You Worry About a Thing” and straight into Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” and roared through some Elton John (“Rocket Man”), Neil Diamond (“Sweet Caroline”), John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” and Paul Simon’s “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” preceded by an audience Q&A about weird public sex spots along with a whole bunch of other pop hits, retooled as blazing punk rock. You had to be there.
Swingin Utters’ Spike still leads the show and hits all the notes, but the band for this tour was bulletproof and ironclad: John “The Swami” Reis of Rocket from the Crypt and Jonny “2 Bags” Wickersham of Social Distortion on guitar, Andrew “Pinch” Pinching, sometime drummer for The Damned on the skins, and the guy with the bass, white hair and beard on the right was none other than CJ Ramone himself. CJ Ramone! They were great. All-star, hilarious, fast, heavy and and unstoppable.
Violent Femmes seemed the odd men out on a bill otherwise populated with fast punk rock, but a solid chunk of the crowd was here to see the alt-rock legends, who had a spare stage set, instrumental variety galore and got a great reaction. And if the Femmes touring with Flogging Molly seemed odd, it shouldn’t: the VF toured with The Pogues in the 80s, which should give them all the Celtic punk cred they need, as if they needed any. I’ve never owned a VF record, but openers “Add it Up” and “American Music” are familiar, ubiquitous alternative rock standards. They kept the crowd with them for the 15-song set, with one player from the Horns of Dilemma in the back mixing up the songs with some brass, a fiddle-player for a few songs, and drummer John Sparrow playing not only stand-up snare, but a wooden box and a charcoal grill. Bassist Brain Ritchie switched to xylophone for “Gone Daddy Gone” before “the hit” – “Blister in the Sun” and “Kiss Off” wrapped it up. A great set.
You’d think that the variety between the two headliners would see some of the VF crowd head for the doors on a work night, but not so – the audience hung in for Flogging Molly. The Femmes were by far the most veteran band here, but FM singer Dave King has probably been playing the Albany-Saratoga region longer, having first appeared in this region in the early 80s as a skinny Irish teenager with long red hair, fronting the British metal band Fastway when they opened for Iron Maiden in 1983, and Rush in 1984 at Glens Falls Civic Center just up the road from SPAC. Not that Flogging Molly are newcomers any more – their indie debut live record Alive Behind the Green Door was released way back in 1997, and the recently reissued, roaring debut studio record Swagger has passed the 20-year mark. Dave King’s red hair has given way to spiky white locks and spectacles. Flogging Molly are now veteran rockers. But the Celtic punk sound is still hefty, fast, rowdy Irish drinking music – even if SPAC’s inflated $17-per-can beer prices made it hard to afford to get in the spirit, and a lack of any Guinness on sale didn’t help either.
The Mollys hit the stage hard, with a hammering “Devil’s Dance Floor” from the Swagger debut getting the pit crowd up front bouncing, which continued for the whole hour-ish long gig. A pummeling of “The Hand of John L. Sullivan,” from their most recent record Life is Good was next, but most of the songs played weren’t the recent ones – nine of the 14 songs played were from the first two studio records, including a blazing “Drunken Lullabies,” “The Worst Day Since Yesterday,” which let off the gas a bit, King’s autobiographical “Black Friday Rule,” and an his ode to his dad – “The Likes of You Again.” The lineup has shifted – only four remain from the seven-member lineup that recorded those first two records: King, his wife/fiddler/whistle player Bridget Regan, bassist Nathan Maxwell, and Rochester, NY native Dennis Casey on guitar, who were joined by more recent members Spencer Swain on mandolin/banjo, and drummer Mike Alonso. Where accordion player Matt Hensley was is unknown, but he wasn’t in Saratoga. And there was some new music, the band playing one new jangly and Celtic song, “Croppy Boy,” which joined the hit single “Float” and the wistful “If I Ever Leave This World Alive” as the mellower points of the evening.
Other than that, it was all carousing, headbanging Irish music: instrumental neck-snapper “Swagger,” the pounding “Crushed (Hostile Nations)” and, of course, “Salty Dog,” that speed-demon Celt-punk classic which has not lost a thing in the 21 years since it opened the studio debut. The band finished up with two more full-on blasts of rollicking paddy-punk: “What’s Left of the Flag” and “The Seven Deadly Sins,” even if there were only six Flogging Mollys up there to commit them. A fine Celtic end to a four-pack of cool, varied, alt-punk musical acts.
Setlists:
ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES: Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing (Stevie Wonder cover), Jolene (Dolly Parton cover), Danny’s Song (Loggins & Messina cover), Straight Up (Paula Abdul cover), Sloop John B (The Beach Boys cover), Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (Paul Simon cover), Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond cover), Rocket Man (Elton John cover), Over the Rainbow (Harold Arlen cover), Leaving on a Jet Plane (John Denver cover), Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp) (Barry Mann cover), Summertime (George Gershwin cover), End of the Road (Boyz II Men cover)
VIOLENT FEMMES: Add It Up, American Music, I’m Nothing, Breakin’ Up, Prove My Love, Promise, Country Death Song, Jesus Walking on the Water, Good Feeling, Gimme the Car, I Held Her in My Arms, Color Me Once, Gone Daddy Gone, Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off
FLOGGING MOLLY: Devil’s Dance Floor, The Hand of John L. Sullivan, Drunken Lullabies, The Worst Day Since Yesterday, Black Friday Rule, Croppy Boy, The Likes of You Again, Swagger, Float, Crushed (Hostile Nations), Salty Dog, If I Ever Leave This World Alive, What’s Left of the Flag, The Seven Deadly Sins.
