The sound of New Orleans will make its way across New York State in Spring 2022 as The Soul Rebels embark on “Epic Vibes Tour” with stops in Buffalo, Waterloo, Albany, Brooklyn and Westhampton Beach.
The Soul Rebels recently announced they will be taking part in fellow New Orleanian Trombone Shorty on his Summer 2022 Threauxdown Tour. Their Epic Vibes Tour runs from December 2021 through April 2023, with shows on the West Coast, the Northeast, a monthly residency in Memphis and a healthy amount of shows in New Orleans.
The brass band continue to ride high off the release of their latest album Poetry In Motion. The eight-member collective appeared on Def Jam artist Dave East and Nas’ “Godfather 4” single, Big Freedia and Icona Pop’s “Pipe That”, and reached fans with original singles “Greatness” which was featured as ESPN’s official College Hoops theme anthem, and “Good Time” featured on Netflix’s #BlackAF and Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!
The Soul Rebels have impressed viewers with two recent appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk series with Wu Tang Clan frontman GZA, headlined the global TED Conference, and appeared on the official soundtrack for Universal Pictures’ hit comedy Girls Trip.
Soul Rebels Epic Vibes 2022 Tour
12/17 Memphis, TN RAILGARTEN 12/22 New Orleans HOUSE OF BLUES 12/31 New Orleans MAISON 1/14 Memphis, TN RAILGARTEN 1/15 Baton Rouge, LA CHELSEA’S 1/22 New Orleans BLUE NILE 2/11 New Orleans DBA 2/16 San Diego, CA MUSIC BOX 2/17 Los Angeles, CA TERAGRAM BALLROOM 2/18 San Francisco, CA THE INDEPENDENT 2/19 Oakland, CA THE NEW PARISH 2/20 Felton, CA FELTON MUSIC HALL 2/23 Seattle, WA NECTAR LOUNGE 2/24 Olympia, WA CAPITOL THEATER 2/25 Portland, OR PDX JAZZ FESTIVAL 2/26 Bellingham, WA WILD BUFFALO 2/27 Victoria, BC UPSTAIRS CABARET 3/24 Waterloo, NY THE VINE @ DELLAGO CASINO RESORT 3/25 Philadelphia, PA BROOKLYN BOWL 3/26 Washington, DC 930 CLUB 3/27 Pittsburg, PA THUNDERBIRD CAFE 3/29 Buffalo, NY BUFFALO IRON WORKS 3/30 Albany, NY LARK HALL 3/31 Boston, MA BIG NIGHT LIVE *w/ GZA & Talib Kweli 4/1 NYC BROOKLYN BOWL 4/2 NYC BROOKLYN BOWL 4/3 Millersville, PA PHANTOM POWER 4/6 Bridgeport, CT PARK CITY MUSIC HALL 4/7 Fall River, MA NARROWS CENTER FOR THE ARTS 4/8 Greenfield, MA HAWKS AND REED 4/9 Westhampton Beach, NY WESTHAMPTON BEACH PAC 4/10 Ventura, CA SKULL & BONES 4/23 New Orleans DBA
Thanksgiving is a time for tradition and perhaps a new one was born on Wednesday night in Albany. Coming together in grand fashion family, friends and fans of The Band convened at Lark Hall on Thanksgiving Eve for a memorable evening billed as The Last Waltz on Lark Street; a stellar tribute to one of the most celebrated concert performances in rock history.
For anyone not familiar, The Band are about as close to music royalty as it gets in New York State, particularly in the Capital and Mid-Hudson Regions where the group famously lived, partied and wrote music together under the roof of a ‘Big Pink‘ house near Saugerties. Often referred to as just “the band” by Bob Dylan (with whom they often backed), the name stuck and over the course of 16 years, The Band — Rick Danko on bass, violin and vocals; Levon Helm on drums, mandolin and vocals; Garth Hudson on keyboards and saxophone; songwriter Richard Manuel on keyboards, percussion and vocals; and guitarist, songwriter and occasional vocalist Robbie Robertson, would go on to write some of the most timeless songs and albums in American music history.
As the story allegedly goes, after burning out from the demands of the touring lifestyle, it became clear the dynamic that had made The Band so special and unique had changed, the brotherhood and comradery had faded a bit and it was starting to reflect in the music. Then in 1976 it was officially announced they’d be playing their final show; one last chance to dance and it was to be held on Thanksgiving Day at the legendary Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. What took place that night, as famously documented in Martin Scorsese’s iconic film of the same name, The Last Waltz, would go down as one of the greatest star-studded, ground breaking concert celebration spectacles of all time. The film itself would later go on to be selected by the Library of Congress to be forever preserved due to it cultural and historical significance.
Now some 45 years later, the magic made and songs played that night are still being talked about, still influencing and still being played by a whole new generation of New York based musicians and for one close-knit group of Capital Region players and friends, an idea that sparked from a brainstorming jam session somehow serendipitously snowballed into reality and perhaps simultaneously became the next “can’t miss” pre-Turkey day musical meet-up for those who call the surrounding Albany area “home”.
To do this properly and with any sort of ‘relative’ justice, of course, was no easy task and with so many moving parts, variables and logistics to the show, it would also require a bit of help from friends, the good natured people behind the scenes and well, a little luck too. Those obstacles aside, here’s a ‘not-so exclusive’ scoop for the NYS Music reading faithful: never doubt the heart or talent that dwells within the 518 area code. If anyone was up to the challenge, it was the bunch who dared to dream to put this event together in the first place.
With 2021’s incarniton of The Band not finalized until the very last minute, the one-time-only line up ultimatley consisted of 18 players; a ‘who’s who’ of capital region musicians that featured members of The Wheel, The NolaNauts, Eastbound Jesus, Dead Man’s Waltz, Sarah Sippely and Brian Lapointe and the Joints.
Albany’s newest venue, Lark Hall hosted the event. With full support of Jennifer Miller, the visionary proprietor of Lark Hall, the recently renovated, historically preserved venue has quickly made a name for itself, largely by hosting nights like this; unique one-off collaborations and themed performances in a comfortably intimate, church-like setting that’s already earned the praises of nationally known artists like Keller Williams, The Futurebirds, Carl Bromel, Liz Cooper, and legendary Phish lyricist The Dude of Life. All hype and anticipation aside, the time for the inaugural Last Waltz on Lark Street had finally come.
Piped in over the PA system, the performance began with an orchestral rendition of “Theme From the Last Waltz” as the core members of “The Band” gradually filled up the stage. All tuned up and ready to go, the celebration kicked off with ‘Up on Cripple Creek’ into “The Shape I’m In.” The set would begin to stray from its familiar order when our first guests of the evening, NolaNauts horn section Bill Ringwood and Brian George, joined in for a crowd pleasing ‘Ophelia” and “This Wheel’s on Fire.” Mike Coleman would then switch out with Brian Bean on bass for “Further Up the Road” and “Who Do You Love” before the spotlight would shine on Rick Rothermel, The Wheel’s burley multi-talented keyboardist with a voice of gold who arguably had the most challenging role of the evening in filling the legendary shoes of Garth Hudson. After nailing “Chest Fever,” Rothermel handedly made a believer out of anyone in attendance not already having fun. The Nola horns would return once again for “Caledonia Mission” and an upbeat version of “King Harvest”. Following an inspired rendition of “It Makes no Difference” that featured the lovely talents of Sarah Sheppeck on lead vocals, “Life is a Carnival” would bring the opening set to a close and send fans to intermission with huge smiles and lots to talk about.
With the fuse already set for a party following the wickedly fun opening set, somehow this collective ensemble of talented musicians made of varying ages, sexes and backgrounds that came together with little time to rehearse, followed it up with an even more epic second set. It was the kind of thing capital region music fans have been dreaming of, really.
Kicking off with Brian Bean back on bass was “The Same Thing” followed by the iconic song “The Weight” which had everyone in The Hall singing along. Now that everyone was friends here, it really started feeling like a family affair when Bryan Gautie and Jill Gautie (along with Dr. Pete Andriakos of The Wheel) took over the stage to perform the only acoustic song of the night, “Coyote.” Sarah Sheppeck would then join them for another classic, “Long Black Veil” and remain on stage as Eastbound Jesus mandolin player Andrew Lynch and fiddler Jessica Bowen then got in on the fun with another highlight on the evening, “Atlantic City.” The strings would stick around for the next number Tom O’Connor introduced as a personal favorite, “Rag Mama Rag.”
Ratcheting up the ramble to a raunchy new high was “Mystery Train” which featured the talented Brian Lapointe on a screaming harmonica. “Across the Great Divide” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” came next, followed followed by “Caravan.” Now with all of the musicians who had participated on the night on the stage, the sentimental set closed with a family-jam style singalong version of “I Shall be Released.” Following pleas from the enthusiastic and appreciative crowd, “Don’t Do It” was selected as the lone encore, bringing the first ever Last Waltz on Lark Street to a celebratory close.
A few songs into The Dude of Life Band’s first set at Lark Hall, Steve Pollak (aka, The Dude of Life) announced that after the show, they’ll be streaming the Phish show from San Francisco, which started shortly after 11pm ET on Saturday, October 16. “So we’re opening for Phish a few time zones away,” said Pollak, much to the crowd’s delight. And in a way, the band was opening for Phish, a band with whom Pollak has a decades-long connection.
The Dude of Life Band, a genre-bending group led by the Dude of Life, Steve Pollak, includes Pollak on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Fred Scholl on lead guitar, Charlie de Saint Phalle on bass, Doug Schneider on drums, and Jon Liebowitz of God Street Wine on keyboard and organ.
For several decades, The Dude has been writing songs in an ongoing collaboration with Phish, and first teamed up with Trey Anastasio while the two were in high school. The Dude wrote lyrics for a number of Phish’s most beloved songs, including “Fluffhead,” “Run Like an Antelope” and “Suzy Greenberg,” and has also been a mythical sideshow with the band, making random guest appearances often highlighted by the throwing of uniquely-inscripted rubber chickens into the crowd. The Dude’s debut album, Crimes of the Mind, was recorded with Phish for Elektra Records and released in 1994.
In recent years, The Dude of Life has developed a more refined sound, and a recent burst of creativity has yielded an album’s worth of new material which was recently recorded by acclaimed producer Bryce Goggin.
The Dude of Life Band performed some of these new songs – “Automatic Pilot,” “Dilaudid Nurse” and “In Case You Didn’t Know,” alongside his Phish classics, plus a handful of Grateful Dead covers, “Ruby Tuesday” by The Rolling Stones and “Badge” by Cream. The flow to the show was smooth and the hits kept coming as the evening progressed. Pollak wrapped up the show with an appropriate “Show of Life,” right before turning the mic over to Phish, live from the Chase Center in San Francisco
Setlist: Crazy Too, Althea, Can’t Always Listen, Ain’t No More Caine, Nobody Finer, Mississippi Blues, Automatic Pilot, Franklin’s Tower, Suzy Greenberg, Dilaudid Nurse, Fluffhead, She Belongs to Me, Sugaree, Space -> Lost Moments in Time, In Case You Didn’t Know, Crimes of the Mind, Ruby Tuesday, Badge, Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad -> Show Of Life
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Parker Millsap has started a new tour in support of his latest critically acclaimed album, Be Here Instead. Millsap will arrive in New York for a show at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday, October 9, and Lark Hall in Albany on Sunday, October 10.
Millsap’s fifth studio LP and first new album in close to three years, Be Here Instead marks a stylistic shift from the gritty and high-energy folk of the Oklahoma-bred, Nashville-based artist’s previous output. Mainly recorded live with Millsap’s full band, the album sees a departure from the guitar-and-notebook-based approach to songwriting that shaped his earlier work. Instead, Parker Millsap has followed his curiosity to countless other modes of expression, experimenting with everything from piano to effects pedals to old school drum machines (a fascination partly inspired by the early-’70s innovations of Sly Stone and J.J. Cale).
Be Here Insteadwas produced by the legendary John Agnello (Kurt Vile, Sonic Youth, Waxahatchee), and was heralded in January with the luminous “The Real Thing.” The song – which features guest vocals from Nashville singer Erin Rae – was also joined by a video, streaming now at YouTube. “The Real Thing” was met with a lot of excitement at radio, peaking at #1 on the Americana chart and sitting in the top 5 for 13 weeks, and making NPR’s Heavy Rotation list twice. In February, Millsap returned with the song “Vulnerable,” a lushly textured piece of psychedelic soul threaded with elegantly simple wisdom that Rolling Stone called “a shimmering dreamlike production that plays like an underwater orchestra.” The song was joined by a companion video directed by Casey Pierce.
He then released “Dammit,” one of the album’s most majestic moments as it unfolds as an unlikely epic that perfectly captures the nuances of existential frustration while working up a furious momentum that’s nothing less than exhilarating. It was also joined by an official music video.
Parker Millsap 2021 Fall Tour
9/16 – Indianapolis, IN at Hi-Fi w/ H.C. McEntire & Logan Halstead 9/17 – Chicago, IL at Schuba’s w/ H.C. McEntire 9/18 – Chicago, IL at Schuba’s w/ H.C. McEntire 9/19 – Milwaukee, WI at Backroom at Colectivo w/ H.C. McEntire 9/21 – St. Paul, MN at Turf Club w/ H.C. McEntire 9/22 – Iowa City, IA at Gabe’s w/ H.C. McEntire 9/23 – St Louis, MO at Off Broadway w/ H.C. McEntire 9/24 – Louisville, KY at Headliner’s w/ H.C. McEntire 9/29 – Cincinnati, OH at Memorial Hall w/ Molly Parden 9/30 – Columbus, OH at Rumba Cafe w/ Molly Parden 10/01 – Pittsburgh, PA at Thunderbird Cafe Music Hall w/ Molly Parden 10/02 – Cleveland, OH at Beachland Ballroom w/ Molly Parden 10/03 – Ferndale, MI at Magic Bag w/ Molly Parden 10/04 – Toronto, ON at Great Hall w/ Molly Parden 10/06 – Burlington, VT at Higher Ground w/ Molly Parden 10/07- Cambridge, MA at The Sinclair w/ Molly Parden 10/08 – Holyoke, MA at Gateway Arts Center w/ Molly Parden 10/09 – New York, NY at Bowery Ballroom w/ Molly Parden 10/10 – Albany, NY at Lark Hall w/ Molly Parden 10/12 – Philadelphia, PA at WXPN members-only show w/ Molly Parden 10/13 – Washington, DC at Union Stage w/ Molly Parden 10/14 – Carrboro, NC at Cat’s Cradle w/ Molly Parden 10/15 – Asheville, NC at The Masonic Temple w/ Molly Parden 10/16 – Nashville, TN at Basement East w/ Molly Parden 11/11 – Springfield, MO at Springfield Brewing Company’s The Cellar w/ molly. 11/12 – Wichita, KS at WAVE support TBA 11/13 – McAlester, OK at Dancing Rabbit Festival support TBA 11/15 – Tomball, TX at Main Street Crossing (outdoors) an Evening With (full band) 11/16 – San Antonio at Sam’s Burger Joint an Evening With (full band) 11/17 – Austin, TX at 3TEN Center w/ Remy Reilly 11/19 – Dallas, TX at Granada Theater w/ Remy Reilly 11/20 – Oklahoma City, OK at Douglass Auditorium w/ Remy Reilly
There was one overall concensus from Sunday’s show at Lark Hall on August 1st, and that is Sammy Rae is going to be big. The energy that this young woman brings to the stage is really unmatched at her level. Sammy’s voice and the band’s energetic soul would have been given a warm welcome at the Copacabana in the 50’s.
Lark Hall played host to one of its biggest crowds to date as hungry fans filled the great hall. Sammy Rae had them roaring on their feet from before she even came on stage and with every note and gesture they sang her praises. The band itself was exceptionally tight with a pair of backup singers who were actually front and center, and a duo of saxophones with a full band behind them. Sammy moved around the stage like a conductor, feeding off of the crowd and the band.
If you missed out then fret not as they have an extensive tour ahead of them and this was only show number three. After finishing up their summer tour and festival season at Green River Festival in Greenfield, MA, the band moves it’s way to a few shows in the southeast and then a massive run in the Northeast including stops in Brooklyn and Syracuse. Keep this young lady on your radar, because she is coming in hot.
On a steamy Friday night, Lark Hall played host to two of the fastest rising jam bands in New York, Long Island’s Baked Shrimp, and Albany’s own Glass Pony, as a warm up to the former’s LonCon Fest.
For the opening set of the night, Glass Pony tore in with “Maximus” that segued incredibly into Oasis’ “Morning Glory,” but so smooth you wondered ‘is this a new song inspired by the 90s, or are they deep in a 90s cover?’ Sure enough, as guitarist/singer Eddie Hotaling belted out the lyrics, you knew the story. After the high energy and upbeat lyrics of “Something Good,” bassist Jeff Picarazzi sang lead on Leo Sayer’s “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing.” With a new album coming down the road, and a crowd that was getting down from start to finish, Glass Pony has a lot more music in store.
Setlist: Maximus > Morning Glory, North Bound (unfinished) -> Something Good, Check it Again, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing -> Daydream (unfinished) > House on the Hill, Doppler, Bottom of the Ocean
Baked Shrimp, a jam power trio from Long Island put on a prog/funk clinic. For their entire 90 minute set the band moved seamlessly through complicated chord progressions and never lost a beat or the attention of the crowd. The young trio has great potential in their three members, bassist Scott Reill, guitarist/singer Jared Cowen, and drummer Jager Soss, a doppelganger for Andy Frasco. Their festival LonCon will be held in Parksville, NY over August 27-28. Find out more details on the festival here.
Setlist: The Manatee, Numpty, Synth, The Method -> Now’s Your Moment -> The Method, Four Corners to Every Side, Orpheus, Down the Drain
Two of the hottest, up and coming New York bands, and 2021 NYS Music Music Madness finalists, Baked Shrimp and Glass Pony will share the stage at Lark Hall on July 9th. With festival pass giveaways, free ice cream and an incredible night of music on tap, this is one show you won’t want to miss.
Since forming in January 2017, Long Island’s Baked Shrimp has established a name for themselves across the Northeast region of the United States and beyond. In just three years the high-energy rock trio has performed multiple extensive tours, released two albums, and is a name being consistently added to the festival circuit.
Currently in the middle of a massive summer tour which finds the band performing across the East Coast, Midwest and throughout the southern United States, Baked Shrimp is rapidly making new fans outside of their home-base of New York. The trio keeps it fresh from night to night with a catalogue of over one-hundred songs of mostly original material and deep, inspired improvisational playing.
Kicking off the evening’s festivities will be Albany’s very own Glass Pony. Encapsulating influences stretching across decades from psychedelic and jam-focused rock, to funk, post-punk, and even modern indie and post-rock, Glass Pony offer a sound that truly translates through generations, with a stylistic blend built to engage a broad listenership.
With a focus squarely set on delivering the most captivating live performance possible, the band utilizes infectiously danceable grooves colored with virtuosic individual performances that deftly blend into a cohesive whole. To accentuate their creative songwriting, they place a great value on improvisation and fluid set lists that change from show to show.
Baked Shrimp will be giving away a pair of FREE tickets on this special night to their inaugural music festival LonCon, taking place at Arrowhead Ranch on August 27th & 28th in Parksville, NY. The incredible lineup features two nights of Baked Shrimp in addition to Mihali (Twiddle), Aqueous, Dogs in a Pile, and more. You must be present at the end of the night to claim your tickets if you win the raffle!
Additionally, Ben and Jerry’s Scoop Shop on Madison Avenue in Albany will be providing free ice cream for all who purchase tickets to the show. Lark Hall will have a dairy and non-dairy option starting shortly after doors open at 7pm on Friday, July 9.
Historic Lark Hall venue in Albany has big things coming.
Lark Hall owners Jennifer and Justin Miller have just announced a new management services agreement with Building Blocks Management, LLC, owned by Albany natives Danny and Stephen Taylor.
Owners Jennifer and Justin Miller
The Taylor brothers have strong experience in music venue operations. Danny currently serves as General Manager at the Palace Theatre in Albany, while Stephen is General Manager at Hi-Line Merchandising, based in Shoemakersville, PA.
The Taylors are eager to collaborate with the Millers in ramping up Lark Hall’s operations, seeing as COVID-19 restrictions are now lifted in New York State. These steps will include bolstering front of house operations, hiring new staff and security personnel and improving room management and bar operations.
This management partnership is exciting news for Albany-area music lovers as Lark Hall hopes to book even bigger talent and, of course, ensure that fans have an enjoyable and memorable live music experience.
The Millers with Danny and Stephen Taylor
We are excited to announce this partnership with Building Blocks Management, which will allow us to quickly achieve our mission to host and manage top level artists and events at Lark Hall and deliver a unique fan and guest experience like no other in the region. Danny and Stephen have quietly become two of the most talented and respected leaders in the venue and live music event management industry – both locally and across the country.
From the day we met, we knew the Taylor brothers were a perfect fit for our management and planning needs and they instantly recognized our goals and the potential for Lark Hall to be a premier venue not only for Albany, but the entire Capital District and beyond. We welcome them to the Lark Hall family and look forward to exciting times ahead.
Jennifer and Justin Miller
In addition to this big news, Lark Hall will also be hosting a job fair for prospective employees. Those interested in working with the Lark Hall team can attend the fair on July 17 from 10AM-2PM in the main event space at 351 Hudson Avenue in Albany (corner of Lark Street and Hudson Avenue).
NYS Music profiled Lark Hall back in March, outlining over 100 years of history. The venue has “a long history of being operated and owned by women” and has held suffrage conventions, wartime aid operations, school dances, fitness events and so much more.
A post-pandemic Lark Hall is sure to bring great entertainment and promising new ventures. You can keep up with Lark Hall and explore upcoming events including job fair details on their website.
Hometown horn funk favorite, Victory Soul Orchestra, features the dirty sounds of New Orleans’ driving brass, with influences including Galactic and The Dap Kings. You can find them fronted by Albany’s own JB aka Dirty Moses and singer Dali Soto. Their efforts combined help create a funk/rap show that brings the house down. In January 2019, they released their first album, Astrobeat, which is available on vinyl and all streaming platforms.
C.K. and the Rising Tide’s brand of music features poetic, nostalgic lyrics supported by music that is rockin’ and emotionally evocative. Curtis K. Flach (“C.K.”) appreciates how a film’s soundtrack enhances and cements the emotions portrayed on-screen. C.K. has a similar agenda for his tunes: “I write music as a soundtrack to daily life – a way to express things you might not be able to say otherwise…or may not want to say.”
Tickets are available via Eventbrite for Victory Soul Orchestra on April 17 and C.K. and the Rising Tide, with special guest Julia Alsarraf on April 24. Expect more live music announcements from Lark Hall in the coming weeks.
On Saturday, April 10, Lark Hall welcomed The Wheel and a crowd of 70 or so Deadheads who barely found time to take a break from dancing. It seemed like everyone was letting loose the pent up dance moves honed over the past year. With two sets packed with Grateful Dead classics, including a fiery “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot” > “Franklin’s Tower,” the crowd was elated and showed the band their love all throughout.
Buffalo’s Organ Fairchild is NYS Music’s March Madness 2021 Winner – a musical party that won’t quit. Take your old-school organ trio (organ, guitar and drums), add dance-heavy grooves and adventurous jamming, and shake vigorously. Enjoy all night long as this well-crafted jam-band cocktail has perked our musical taste buds.
When they spoke on their new single “Seepin,” the band said It’s been a LONG time coming… way back in January, having no idea it would lead to a March Madness crown.
We truly enjoyed being part of this series and are grateful to NYS Music for reaching out to us about it. We’re now hip to a whole bunch of new-to-us bands from around the state, which is kind of the whole point. As for being in the finals against Baked Shrimp, they had a whole lot of support and we definitely got a chance to check out their music, too. In fact, the two bands are now talking about collaborating on a few concert dates this summer/fall!
So kudos to NYS Music for all the good things you do to support the region’s musicians. You guys are true advocates for the music scene and we appreciate you.
Dave Ruch – Guitar
Congratulations Organ Fairchild – NYS’ March Madness Winner
Since 2015, New York State Music has crafted a March Madness bracket delving into the musical harbors of our great state. As fans and musicians ourselves, we spotlight the great talent across New York in friendly competition and discovery. Its fury never loses sight of the underdog, a headliner’s humble beginnings, new musical discovery and rolling with the punches in our ever-changing industry.
March Madness 2021 Lark Hall Region: Albany’s mid-size music venue.
Organ Fairchild – Buffalo, New York.
Organ Fairchild – NYS Music’s March Madness Winner is:
Joe Bellanti – organ, keys – Corey Kertzie – drums – Dave Ruch – guitar
“Jan. 2021 marks the release of single, “Seepin’,” from long-time Buffalo jam band veterans Organ Fairchild. Members have a history on the jam scene dating back 40 years.”
LISTEN to Organ Fairchild’s debut single below, from the forthcoming May 2021 album release! Mastered by Alan Evans of Soulive.
Chuck DeFilippo: How did Organ Fairchild come to be? What is the name origin?
Joe Bellanti: Dave called me and pitched the idea of an organ trio – I thought it was dumb – which – since we have known each other for so long – means it was a really good idea since I am always wrong about that stuff and Dave has a really good sense for projects that will work. It would be hard to characterize the amount of fun we have been having – just fantastic to be a part of this
Dave Ruch: I really wanted to name the band Organ Freeman (after Morgan Freeman), but it turns out that name was already taken! So Organ Fairchild was the next best choice….I think many of us had let’s say an affinity for Morgan F when we were young.
JamCast is a streaming platform that provides a unique experience using live, pre-recorded, archived audio & video performances, podcasting, vlogs, blogs, and more. JamCast has been centered around creating a digital network for musicians, promoters, and venues. It was designed to serve as a resource for all facets of the music industry. By offering weekly series, digital events, festivals, podcasts, archives, and more. An online resource and database for all music industry professionals.
CD: What was your first crossroads with music; how did it seep into your life?
JB: My dad was really into music and there were always records and cassettes playing. I was told I would start taking piano lessons when I was 8 – loved it for the first month until I figured out how hard it was going to be and promptly lost interest – until I was 13 – My mom would not let me quit and my 8th grade music teacher found out I could play the piano and made me play in front of the class – I was not happy about it – but – when I stopped, everyone started clapping and cheering – and here I am in the NYS finals. Thanks mom!
DR: I guess my first crossroads was the trombone in 4th grade – I was too little to carry it home from school so that didn’t last long. Second crossroads was guitar at age 12 – I was learning the wrong music and it didn’t stick. Luckily I tried it again at age 15 and I haven’t put it down since! At age 27, I quit my white collar job and made music my full-time living, so definitely a happy ending!
Central New York promotersCreative Concerts bring fans together in the final four
CD: What does New York State Music mean to you? (Not our site, but rather the music community in the state or your specific regions )
JB: NYS Music – the Buffalo scene in particular – means the world to me – some of my greatest moments have come from being a part of it – certainly my very best friends. Too many incredible moments to even try to pick out one or 2 of the best.
DR: Interesting question, as one of the other “hats” I wear as a full-time musician and performer is researching and performing old 19th-century traditional music from New York State! So NYS Music means a lot of different things to me, but in terms of the current music community, we are very fortunate here in Buffalo to have a rabid fan base of live music lovers who always come out to support our shows. The level of musicianship here if off the charts as well, and pretty much everyone involved in the local music scene is really supportive of each other. It’s a great place to be.
CD: What are the short and long term goals for the band?
JB: Short term – finish out first CD and get back to playing live shows as soon as we can. Long term – see if we can make it work long term – there is nothing I would rather do than play our own music with Corey and Dave.
CD: Any bands or new listening discovered from NYS Music’s March Madness series?
JB: Absolutely – bands and artists I never would have been exposed to without the competition – Girl Blue in particular – I listened to a bunch of her recordings during our first round match up and really thought we had no chance – really original songs and arrangements and a great voice
DR: I really enjoyed watching a bunch of these bands’ videos on the NYS Music website.
CD: Do you have a favorite COVID activity, since you have all this free time not gigging?
JB: I have practiced more in the last year than ever and started teaching online via zoom and also building a teaching web site. Also we have been writing new material, rehearsing when practical and recording our first CD
DR: Yes, practicing a lot, writing tunes, cooking, and recording.
CD: Anything in the works for the band?
JB: Two CDs in 2021 and hopefully a summer and fall of outdoor shows. Also – we will probably hit Denny’s at some point – I’m pretty sure we are the only band in the competition where all the members would qualify for the senior discount
March Madness would not be possible without our sponsors:
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