Buffalo’s Aqueous has announced dates for their Spring Tour 2022, including shows at the new Brooklyn Made and Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs.
Aqueous will wrap up 2021 with a show at Town Ballroom in Buffalo, with Eggy joining them to close out the year. They’ll venture to New York City for their debut at Brooklyn Made on January 29. After a pair of shows in Colorado in March, the band returns east for a show in Pittsburgh on April 1, Cleveland on April 2, then Saratoga Springs on April 8. The final announced show will be in Chicago on April 23, with one festival date – Great South Bay Music Festival over July 7-10, 2022
Aqueous Spring Tour 2022 tickets are now on sale at AqueousBand.com
North Beach Music Festival announced dates and lineup including Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Spafford, and The Motet. The festivities will take place on December 10-11, 2021 in Miami, Florida.
The festival is being presented by GMP Live which is a concert promoter, festival producer, and talent curator based in Miami. North Beach Music Festival will take place at Miami Beach’s historic open-air art deco amphitheater, the North Beach Bandshell. The North Beach Bandshell is an open-air amphitheater in the heart of Miami Beach’s North Beach neighborhood. It has been managed by the Rhythm Foundation – a Miami Beach-based nonprofit cultural organization – for the City of Miami Beach since 2015 and was built back in1961. The festival will feature some improvisational rock bands, jam bands and funk bands will descend upon the Bandshell, and the adjacent Bandshell Park, for performances over two stages.
The festival has three well known New York based artists coming to perform. Marco Benevento, Aqueous, TAUK, and Karina Rykman will all be performing sets at North Beach Music Festival.
The lineup for Friday, December 10, 2021 features a headlining performance from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, as well as performances from The Motet, TAUK, Karina Rykman, The Heavy Pets, Electric Kif and Tand.
he lineup for Saturday, December 11, 2021 promises two headlining sets from Spafford—one entirely improvised and another titled “Spafford & Friends”—in addition to performances from Marco Benevento, Aqueous, Ghost-Note, Eric Krasno & The Assembly, Brandon “Taz” Niederaure, the special Brendan Bayliss & Jennifer Hartswick collaboration, as well as Holly Bowling and JUke
Tickets are on sale now with single day GA tickets for $80 for Friday and $90 for Saturday. VIP tickets are $130 for Friday and $140 for Saturday. More information on ticketing and travel packages can be found here.
For information on North Beach Music Festival visit their website here.
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.
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.
Resurgence Brewing Company and Twenty6 Productions present the Rocks on Rocks Festival on Saturday, Aug 7. A full day and night festival featuring music, art, craft beer, food trucks, local artisans, busker stage, and much more. Featured artists include Aqueous who have two sets, Soul Patch, Grub, and Mom Said No.
Aqueous was born of a life-long friendship rooted in music, paired with an endless appetite for elevating and evolving their craft. Following several full-length studio albums, EP’s, and live releases, high profile performances at music festivals like Electric Forest, The Peach Music Festival, and Summer Camp Music Festival. With pop infused hooks, meaningful songwriting, and all out rock n’ roll, the band is a joyful listen. No strangers to improvisational music, the natural extension of many songs live is what makes every show unique. Blurring the lines between a multitude of styles and genres, Aqueous’ sound is explosive, fresh, and undeniably their own.
Soul Patch, Buffalo’s Premier 90’s Alternative Cover-Tribute Band, features members of Every Time I Die.
Grub, a multi-genre trio capable of delivering funk-driven madness, improvisational bliss, and shoe-gazing glitch-o-matic soundscapes. A true wildcard in today’s music scene from Niagara Falls, NY. With the intent of drawing in music lovers of all sorts, the boys continue to push the envelope in modern musical expression.
Grub’s original catalog can be described as uniquely inventive, adventurous, and welcoming to new listeners. Each song showcases a seamless blend of genres such as funk, psychedelic rock, electronic, hip-hop, metal, and reggae amidst a pop-esque composition, so there are elements on the table for all. A live Grub performance showcases their original tunes as well as their improvisational chops, while captivating the crowd by teasing dancy and nostalgic covers from over the decades.
Mom Said No has perfected its own brand of high-energy, dramatic, tuneful, and memorable alternative pop.
To learn more about Twenty6 Productions, please visit the website and follow along on Facebook and Instagram.
The Rocks on Rocks festival is at Resurgence Brewing Co located on 55 Chicago St in Buffalo, NY. Gates open at 1:00 pm on Saturday Aug 7 and shows are from 2:00 pm to 11:00 pm. The event is for everyone ages 21 and over.
Rocks on Rocks General Admission tickets are $35 when bought in advance and $50 day of show. VIP tickets are $85 when bought in advance and $100 day of show. VIP tickets include: Front of stage access, private bathrooms, VIP area, VIP bar, complimentary food/snacks, and a festival poster.
Twiddle headlined 4 nights at Apple Valley in Lafayette, NY over Memorial Day weekend, and welcomed Dopapod and Aqueous for two nights each. It was a rainy run of shows just south of Syracuse, but the weather didn’t damper spirits one bit.
Dopapod and Aqueous each opened two nights, with Dopapod taking the honors on Thursday and Friday, and Rob Compa & Eli Winderman joining Twiddle on night one for “Syncopated Healing.” The next night all members of Dopapod, including Chuck Jones and Neal ‘Fro’ Evans joined for the evening’s closing number, “Latin Tang.”
photo by Dave Decrescente
Aqueous would also join Twiddle on Saturday and Sunday, with Mike Gantzer sitting in for “Slippin in the Kitchen” and “All along the Watchtower.” Similar to their Dopapod counterparts, all of Aqueous joined in for “Shakedown Street” to close out the weekend.
Apple Valley Park has a great lineup this summer, with Get the Led Out, Allman Betts Band, Billy Strings, Umphrey’s McGee, Tedeschi Trucks Band and many more arriving over in the next couple months. Get your tickets here.
Amid the festivities in Lafayette, Long Island’s Baked Shrimp performed two afternoon shows at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse, welcoming Ryan and Mihali from Twiddle, and Mike from Aqueous, to join them. Baked Shrimp are poised for a breakout year, especially after building up momentum during this last year and heading to the finals of NYS Music’s March Madness. Check out photos of the early afternoon action from Zak Radick.
Dopapod Setlists May 27: Mucho, Freight Train, Upside of Down, Bats in the Cave, Vol. 3 #86
May 28: Cloudworld >PLSS >Braindead, We Are Not Alone, Trapper Keeper, FABA
Aqueous Setlists May 29: Origami, Little Something to Me, Aldehyde1, Random Company2 1 – Puddle of Mud teases after Aldehyde 2 – Rob playing half time through vocals
May 30: Second Sight > Timmy’s Blades > Second Sight, Weight of the Word, Kitty Chaser (Explosions) > Funky Monks²³⁴ > Kitty Chaser (Explosions), Be the Same 1) Featuring David Loss on tambourine 2) Red Hot Chili Peppers 3) MKDevo (Dave Peck) on vocals 4)FYMFYD full band quote
May 27: Collective Pulse, Carter Candlestick, Second Wind, Hattibagen McRat, Beehop -> Ganja Medley -> Beehop Moments, Zazu’s Flight, Syncopated Healing% % w/Rob Compa & Eli Winderman of Dopapod
May 28: Amydst the Myst, Jamflowman >Frankenfoote, Brown Chicken Brown Cow, White Light >WIRIP * D’yer Mak’er%, Latin Tang # % Led Zeppelin # with all members of Dopapod
May 29: Enter > Orlandos > Apples > Funky town > Apples, Dr Remedies, Tiberius > River Drift> LITC, Honeyburste Encore: Slippin in the kitchen^, All along the watchtower^ ^ w/Mike Gantzer of Aqueous
May 30: Peas and Carrots -> Gatsby the Great -> Harry’s Pond -> Gatsby -> Bronze Fingers, My Truck, Machine, Beethoven and Greene, Milk%, Shakedown Street! % with Mike Gantzer ! with Rob Compa, Mike Gantzer, Rob Houk & Dave Loss
Memorial Day Weekend 2021 in Central New York will be much more music filled than last year. Creative Concerts has announced four nights of Twiddle, May 27-30, at the new Apple Valley Park in Lafayette, just 10 minutes south of Syracuse. And they’ll be bringing some Frends with them.
Dopapod will join Twiddle on May 27 and 28, while Buffalo’s Aqueous arrive for the shows on May 29 and 30. The four nights of Twiddle and Frends kick off a season of outdoor live music from Creative Concerts, providing a safe and enjoyable concert experience for music fans both local and beyond.
All events at Apple Valley Park will be socially distanced, with roped-off PODS (Personal Outdoor Dance Space) available for parties of 2, 4 or 6. A thorough site plan has been developed allowing for temperature screenings and surveys to be conducted upon entering the event grounds. PODS are spaced a minimum of six feet apart, and fans will have a variety of food and beverage options available for purchase. Site map and FAQ for Apple Valley Park venue can be found here.
Apple Valley Park is located in beautiful LaFayette, NY. With its rural atmosphere, rolling hills, and expansive fall foliage, it has proven to be a wonderful home to the annual LaFayette Apple Festival since 1973. More recently it has expanded to host other live entertainment events, including a few successful drive-in concerts in the fall of 2020.
Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, April 2 at 10 AM on the Apple Valley Park website.
Summer Camp Music Festival has announced the lineup of artists who will join together at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL over August 20-22, 2021. Sticking closely to the original lineup from May 2020, the majority of artists are all confirmed and ready for the festival’s 20th Anniversary celebration (take four).
Festival management weighed in on the lineup and rescheduled festival:
It’s been an exhausting year, but the excitement of again welcoming an amazing list of artists to join us for our 20th anniversary celebration has our spirits soaring. We are thankful to share the artists that will be moving to our new 20th Anniversary celebration, taking place August 20-22, 2021 at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL.
We welcome back long time hosts moe. and Umphrey’s McGee plus headliners, Ween, Billy Strings, Three Six Mafia, GRiZ, Rezz, STS9 and Tipper among others. Although we are disappointed that not all previous artists could make it, we are excited to get to share the joy that everyone’s favorite pre Summer Camp ritual brings – new artist announcements!! Stay tuned for additional announcements in the coming weeks.
Together, we’ll make this an unforgettable weekend, SCampers… We are currently working hard to elevate this already stellar lineup by adding new artists & activities.
Jay Goldberg Events
Summer Camp Music Festival started in 2001. Since its beginning, Summer Camp has been known for its spacious, open fields for shows, trademark late-night events, pristine campgrounds, and amazing lineup of eclectic artists and bands.
2020 will mark the 20th anniversary of the festival which has hosted a wide array of talent over the years, including (but not limited to) Umphrey’s McGee, moe., Trey Anastasio Band, Primus, Tom Petty’s Mudcrutch, Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Zac Brown Band, Steve Miller Band, Big Grizmatik, Jane’s Addiction, Diplo , The Roots, Widespread Panic, The Flaming Lips, Cypress Hill, Willie Nelson, STS9, Jason Isbell, Pretty Lights, The Avett Brothers, Excision, George Clinton, Skrillex, Zeds Dead, Violent Femmes, and many, many more!
More details and refund information for those who cannot make the August dates can be found here, with additional information on the festival available at the Summer Camp 2021 festival website.
Umphrey’s McGee, Ween, Three 6 Mafia, GRiZ, Rezz, Billy Strings (2 Sets), STS9, Tipper, Dirty Heads, Subtronics, Shpongle [Simon Posford Live set], The Wood Brothers, Houndmouth, The Floozies, Lettuce, Cherub, Manic Focus, Emancipator, CloZee, Boogie T, Twiddle, ScaryPoolParty, LSDream, Whipped Cream, Spafford, Yonder Mountain String Band, Here Come the Mummies
Andy Frasco & The U.N., Aqueous, Banyan [feat. Stephen Perkins, Willie Waldman, and more], Big Something, Boogie T.rio, BoomBox, Break Science, Cycles, Death Kings [Ryan Stasik, Mike Gantzer and Mikey Carubba], Detox Unit, Doom Flamingo, Dopapod, Everyone Orchestra, Ghost-Note, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, Karina Rykman, Keller Williams, KellerSquabi, Lawrence, lespecial, Maddy O’Neal, Maggie Rose, Marvel Years, MonoNeon, Monophonics, Mungion, Papadosio, Ryan Montbleau, Saxsquatch, Southern Avenue, Sunsquabi, The Werks
Aaron Kamm & The One Drops, Chicago Farmer & The Field Notes, Chomppa, Cofresi, Consider the Source, DOGMA, Family Groove Company, Fate Nite, Filibusta, Funk You, Goodsex, Hot Buttered Rum, The Jauntee, Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, Jon Stickley Trio, Kitchen Dwellers, Lee DeWyze, LTX, Marcus Rezak’s Shred is Dead, Mike Dillon and Punkadelic, Mize, Old Shoe, Porn and Chicken, Red Wanting Blue, Rev Jeff Mosier, Sicard Hollow, Steady Flow, Sun Beard, Tropidelic
Alison Hanna Band, The Althea Grace Band, AP010, Audiodacity, Backyard Tire Fire, Badman, Barefuzz, Berth, Biomassive, BluePrint Metro, Bones Jugs, Brainchild, Chemical Safari, D Webb, D’Arcy, Daniel Rodriguez, Dark Moon Hollow, The Dawn, Dizgo, DJ Belly, DJ Tim Williams, EGi, Electric Orange Peel, Fall Classic, Fletcher’s Grove, Float Like a Buffalo, Funkstatik, FUX, Guerrilla Theory, The Iceman Special, IFDAKAR, Jack Cloonan Band, Joslyn and the Sweet Compression, JUULS VERNE, Kadela, KVZ, Levity, Little Stranger, Magnolia Boulevard, Medusa, MK Ultra, MO & WWP
Nicholas Gerlach, The North 41, Positive Vibr8ions, Pushing Daisy’s Band, The Ries Brothers, The Rockstar DJ Tre, Since JulEYE, Still Shine, Stormy Chromer, Sugar Lime Blue, The Textures, Thee Delinquents, Timmy Two Times, Travers Brothership, The Tripp Brothers, Trouble Chasin’, TruFeelz, Undercover Organism, Victoria Canal, Vine, Vintage Pistol, WokeZan, Yam Yam, ZOSKA
The music is starting to return… LonCon, a two-day music event to be held in the Southern Tier of New York’s scenic Catskills will feature national touring acts at the legendary Arrowhead Ranch over August 27-28, 2021.
In 1991, music producer Bill Graham brought a vision to Arrowhead Ranch, making the summer of 199 legendary, with acts including Phish, The Band, Richie Havens, Billy Preston, Hot Tuna, Blues Traveler, Widespread Panic, and many more. 30 years later, LonCon will hold its inaugural weekend at the historic venue over Friday August 27 and Saturday August 28, 2021.
“The event is going to be so humbling to all three of us in Baked Shrimp. Being younger and going to outdoor music concerts in the mountains has been something we’ve all been doing for much of our lives, and we’ve always dreamed that one day Baked Shrimp would do something similar and keep it going for years to come. Now that we can finally announce that we’re helping put together what will be a beautiful two-day event at such a historic venue, it’s really a dream come true. The lineup is also filled with artists who we have looked up to over the years, so we are unbelievably excited to share the stage with them.”
Jared Cowen, Baked Shrimp
Cowen also shared his thoughts on putting the event together in honor of Lon Conscious.
“The Live for Lon stream was so humbling in it’s own way. Where we’re at in the world is something no one could really prepare for. When Lon left us, we had to think of a way despite these hectic times to honor his incredible legacy and spirit. The stream was the best way we could have thought to do this. The night had a true sense of community, like we were all together, Baked Shrimp, our fans, family, friends, and so many of Lon’s hundreds of friends who he meant so much to. The performers were incredible, and we were able to raise over $2,700 for a really great cause, the White Light Foundation. The stream was our way to honor Lon, to reminisce, to laugh, to cry, and everything in-between. LonCon is our way to continue the Lon Gellman legacy. LonCon is how we will make sure Lon is always remembered, and we’re brainstorming things to include over the course of the two days and hopefully make traditions.”
Jared Cowen, Baked Shrimp
Health and safety are the number one priority for attendees at LonCon. Promoters are dedicated to ensuring all proper COVID-19 restrictions in New York State that are in place at the time of the event are followed.
Evan McPhaden, bassist of Aqueous, spent 2020 staying productive amid limited live performances. He started early out in quarantine working on a solo side-project, Fluffy Fingers, and it’s one of the best albums you’ll hear in this nascent 2021.
If you’re looking for an album of soothing tracks that fit neatly into a Lo-fi beats playlist, Fluffy Fingers is for you. Six tracks of instrumental goodness are found in the vein of Poolside and a consistent groove that does not slack on any given track.
Compared to energetic Aqueous performances, McPhaden contrasts his typical comfort zone, bringing mellow yet engaging sounds to the listen for just under a half-hour. Evan invited fellow Aqueous bandmate Mike Gantzer to play on “Summer Pool 104” as well as Turkuaz‘ Craig Brodhead to join in on “Chai,” making this collaborative effort even deeper despite the distance between them.
McPhaden spoke to NYS Music about the album and revealed The Office connection to the project name.
Pete Mason: When did you start on the EP? Was this a project in works prior to pandemic or something that generated from the shutdown?
Evan McPhaden: I started working on this project about a month or two into the shutdown. I’ve always wanted to release my own personal music and it felt like it was a “now or never” moment. There’re so many memes about working on an EP and never putting it out, I had to do it. The shutdown was a unique time for everyone so it was nice to fill that time making music.
PM: What artists influence the style found on the album? I hear some Poolhouse and Tycho influence.
EM: That’s funny you mention Poolside because that was definitely an early influence on this project. The first song I wrote for this EP (coincidentally the first on the EP as well), which features Mike, totally has a Poolside influence. I also love Bonobo and was thinking of his vibe through this. Over the pandemic, I binged on instrumentals as well. I can put on the “lo-fi beats” or “jazz vibes” playlists on Spotify and listen to those for hours. So a lot of this EP has that vibe of influence over it.
PM: Where did the name Fluffy Fingers come from?
EM: Originally, I was thinking I would use something from Buffalo. I had the name “hoyt” because I live right next to Hoyt Lake. But it wasn’t sticking and I began to think about other things I love. I’m a huge fan of “The Office” and watch it way too much. I thought if I could find something from the show I’d love that. Micheal Scott goes to Darryl for some advice for what to do if someone disses you. Darryl uses the term fluffy fingers which he says “That’s when someone really gets in your face, you know you just, start ticklin’ ’em.” Part of putting out this music and creating it was to have fun with it, not over think it and just enjoy creating it. I thought the name and reference just reflected that and it felt right.
NYS Music’s Best of 2020 series concludes with a look at the best Tours and Drive-In shows of a year we’d all like to forget. When the music industry shut down in mid-March, it was sudden and continues to last into 2021. Few bands got to go on a ‘real’ tour, given there were roughly 11 weeks in which to tour, and the coldest months of the year, at that. Still, a few bands went out on a Winter 2020 tour, making stops in New York State and surrounding areas. Be sure to check out the best Streams, Covers and Jams.
photo by JD Cohen
Goose announced shows in Williamsburg for late January, 2020, and immediately added a second, and smaller third show, due to demand. Their shows at The Music Hall of Williamsburg were two of the best of their tour.
One band, Twiddle, celebrated their 15th year as a band with a Roots Tour of their own, streaming the multi-week event that looked at the venues they got their start in across Vermont, wonderfully recalled by Ryan Dempsey. In addition to these shows, Twiddle performed at multiple Drive-In shows across the Northeast, including New Jersey and Essex Junction, VT.
All that after a cross-country tour running from January through early March. The band had an impressive 2020, performing shows in Colorado to start 2020 with “Somewhere on the Mountain” in Frisco, CO and connecting with platform LiveXLive for their July Roots Tour.
photo by Dave Decrescente
When it came to Drive-Ins, there were quite a few across the Northeast – Drive-in-Live in Swanzey, NH, Jericho Drive-In in Glenmont, NY, South Farms in Morris Farms, CT, Fingerlakes Drive-In in Auburn, NY, Silver Lake Drive-In in Perry, NY and Radial Park in Astoria, Queens.
Live at the Drive, featuring Buffalo’s Aqueous, was one of the first and the most successful series, with three weekends between Lockport’s Transit Drive-in and Perry Silver Lake Drive-In. Buffalo Iron Works produced the shows, with Josh Holtzman and Grace Vesneske’s new company Twenty6 Productions garnering credit for putting on shows that set a standard for socially distanced shows that were safe, well-run and comfortable for fans and staff alike.
photo by Paul Citone
Goose also hosted numerous Drive-Ins across the Northeast and even ventured safely to Ohio, North Carolina and Maryland, as well as Swanzey and South Farms. Located in Morris, CT, South Farms was centrally located to the Hudson Valley from Albany to NYC, Western Massachusetts and Connecticut itself. As such, Goose, moe., Warren Haynes, Grace Potter, Allman Betts Band, Dark Star Orchestra, Citizen Cope and even comedian Bill Burr. Due to a recent Zoning Board ruling, South Farms won’t have live music for the time being, but they made some memorable moment in the time they were able to, in a key location in the Northeast.
photo by Chad Anderson
moe. and Disco Biscuits each hit the new Drive-In circuit, streaming online and giving fans thirsty for live music the remedy they sought. Shows in Yarmouth, MA became regular stops, with both bands heading to Cape Cod in October. Lafayette Apple Festival Grounds, just south of Syracuse, brought in Dirty Heads and Disco Biscuits, the latter of which performed three nights, culminating their Drive-In shows with a Halloween show and an audience well-prepared for the cold and mud but still got down to dance.
What will come in 2021? Drive-In concerts will surely be a regular feature starting in the Spring, until the pandemic is under control, the population is inoculated with the vaccine, and venues are able to manage crowds of slowly increasing size. Will Drive-In concerts be here to stay? The collective effort to stem the spread of COVID-19 this year and into 2022 will determine the speed at which we can return to having live music back to where it was in early March of 2020.
