On Wednesday, March 5, 1997, Phish was the musical guest at The Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway, performing “Character Zero” on the Late Show with David Letterman.
The band had just returned from a tour of Europe a few days prior, with Trey Anastasio and Jon Fishman both sporting a post-international tour/vacation beard.
Following the performance, Letterman came over to shake the band’s hands, saying “Nice to see you again” to which Anastasio replied, “Hope you got the ice cream,” referring to the new Ben and Jerry’s ice cream flavor, Phish Food, just released nationwide a month prior. A concert at the Flynn Theater in Burlington, VT on March 18, 1997, would officially release the flavor, including an appearance by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield just before the show began.
Guests on the show this evening included Chevy Chase and Mary McCormack from the ABC show Murder One.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7frkMAW6-g
One of the arena rock songs in the Phish repertoire, “Character Zero” typically is found as a set closer in recent years, putting an exclamation point on a show and extracting jubilation from fans in the song’s refrain.
I was taught a month ago To bide my time and take it slow But then I learned just yesterday To rush and never waste the day Well I’m convinced the whole day long That all I learn is always wrong And things are true that I forget But no one taught that to me yet
I ought to see the man Mulcahey
I was taught a month ago To bide my time and take it slow But then I learned just yesterday To rush and never waste the day Now I’m convinced the whole day long That all I learn is always wrong And things are true that I forget But no one taught that to me yet
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from, Honey Suckle Vine, Patrick Sargent, The Young Love Scene and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Honey Suckle VIne – “Painted Nights”
Honey Suckle Vine (HSV) is a high-energy 4-piece blues-rock band based out of the Capital District of New York State. The songwriting team of Joey Jaquez (vocals, harmonica) and Jeremy Silverman (guitar, vocals) have been creating original material for over 20 years across the USA. Joined in 2017 by long time friends Graham Espe (bass, vocals, recording and production) and David Snediker (drums, vocals), Their latest “Painted Nights” is featured on this week’s EQXposure.
The Young Love Scene – “Honey”
The music of The Young Love Scene was born in 2014, a year in which Gordon Goldsmith faced challenges he did not know he could surmount. After releasing the EP Haypenny Hashcandy under his own name,Goldsmith was burned out, jaded, and flat broke. TYLS began as a way for him to work through his feelings of loss and alienation after he moved back home to recuperate. Frustrated with Haypenny’s failure to portray the full range of his emotions, he started over. Listen to their later “Honey” below and on Sunday night between 7-9pm.
Patrick Sargent – “Rebel Yells”
Patrick Sargent was born in Phoenix, AZ and grew up in Concord, NH now resides in Sunderland, VT. An avid lover of music from an early age Patrick started playing music at three years old as well as doing theater and writing novels. After having gone through some ups and downs Patrick dedicated his entire life to music playing original songs and covers. Somewhat of a multi-instrumentalist Patrick plays bass, drums, guitar, and sings. Most known for his guitar skills and unique voice, Patrick is excited to finish up work with the local Old Mill recording studio.
The 2022 summer concert season will kick off on Memorial Day weekend with Twiddle & Frends at the inaugural Memorial Meltdown. Scheduled to take place at the Charles R. Wood Festival Commons in downtown Lake George on Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29, the Memorial Meltdown will feature two sets each night by Vermont jamband Twiddle, along with performances by Lucid, Marble Eyes and the Whiskey Dicks (with special guests Ryan Dempsey of Twiddle and guitar virtuoso Joe Cirotti) on Saturday and Roots of Creation, Sophistafunk and Baked Shrimp on Sunday.
The two-day event, produced by the same folks who bring the Labor Day music extravaganza Adirondack Independence Music Festival at the same location, will also feature a variety of food and craft vendors. Gates open each day at 1:30pm with music set to begin at 2:30pm and run until about 11pm.
Now in their 17th year, Twiddle has built an impressive resume spanning Red Rocks to Bonnaroo, and multiple sellouts of historic rock venues across the country. In the live setting, more and more people are invigorated by Twiddle’s community, promoting positivity and the band’s skillful improvisational music. So many like-minded people believe in the greater good, and they find that good in Twiddle, who donates $1 of every ticket sale to The White Light Foundation, Twiddle’s affiliate 501c3 organization. The White Light Foundation, in turn, makes financial contributions to non-profits local to where the band is playing.
Memorial Meltdown Schedule
Saturday, May 28
Twiddle (2 sets) Lucid Marble Eyes The Whiskey Dicks featuring Ryan Dempsey & Joe Cirotti
Sunday, May 29
Twiddle (2 sets) Roots of Creation Sophistafunk Baked Shrimp
Tickets for the all-ages event go on sale Friday, March 4 at 10:00am. Single-Day and 2-Day General Admission Tickets and a limited number of VIP tickets are also on sale. For more info visit memorialmeltdown.com.
*VIP tickets include: Admission to the show, a meal, snacks, half-priced adult beverages, $2 waters / soft drinks, access to a VIP viewing area (with private bar) and access to VIP bathrooms.
** $1 per ticket supports The White Light Foundation, Twiddle’s affiliate 501c3 organization. The WLF makes financial contributions to non-profits local to where the band is playing each night.
Since 2015, New York State Music has crafted a March Madness competition that spans all the musical harbors of the Empire State. As fans and musicians, the NYS Music team aims to spotlight the great talent found across New York in a friendly contest, bringing broader attention to the next generation of artists and bands on the rise. March Madness 2022 highlights 64 bands and artists you might not know, but should know, as these homegrown talents are making waves through the New York State.
A little March madness may complement and contribute to sanity and help keep society on an even keel
Porter coined the term “March Madness” that went dark for four decades. As we know it today, March Madness is commonplace in sports and bracketing, and NYS Music is here to put a musical namesake on March Madness 2022.
With the aide of our sponsors, NYS Music March Madness is a medium for these artists to be heard, grow and discovered. Go Listen. Go Vote. And let the Madness begin.
NYS Music has partnered with businesses across New York State to highlight these 64 up and coming bands. Regional sponsors include Funk n Waffles, a premiere music venue in Syracuse established in 2007 with a unique take on the culinary and entertainment industries, offering a wide variety of gourmet waffles and breakfast food, as well as offering live music every night! Bearsville Theater in Woodstock is where Americana was born – where Dylan took folk music and married it to Rock & Roll. where folk went electric, and where Janis took a breath and recuperated, before launching her hurricane energy and heart stopping songs out into the world. Renovated in 2019-2020, Bearsville Theater has an impressive calendar of shows for Hudson Valley music lovers.
DSP Showsbased in Ithaca, NY and Northampton, MA, is one of the leading independent concert promoters in America, with shows at venues including State Theatre of Ithaca, Hangar Theatre, The Haunt, Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, Brewery Ommegang, Asbury Hall, The 9th Ward at Babeville, and Daryl’s House among others. The Helping Friendly Hemp Companyoffers a wide variety of industry leading products including tinctures, soft chews, and hemp flower, using only USA grown hemp extract.
The winners of each region will be rewarded with a collection of prizes worth $3000. Partners for NYS Music’s March Madness 2022 include Mirth Filmsfrom Albany, a music news/entertainment outlet that specializes in original video content and live streaming, with news coverage ranging across the whole country, who will provide a professional multi-camera recording session at a prestigious venue in Albany for the winning band, premiering exclusively on Mirth Films.
The XPerience Monthly is the greater Capital Region’s alt-monthly newspaper, bringing independent music and thought provoking articles to the area. The XPerience Monthly will feature the winning band in a newspaper profile and interview this summer.
Enter your email address, meet the bands and vote for your favorites on Page 2!
Central New York Comedy has found a home at Funk n Waffles in Syracuse. For the past few months, NYC comedian Brian Enck has put together well-received and hilarious shows in Downtown Syracuse, in a music venue of all places.
Brian is a nationally touring comedian who’s been in dozens of comedy fests, hosted award shows, podcasts and anything else you can think of. But his new home is here in Syracuse and his new favorite show is the monthly at Funk & Waffles.
Honestly I didn’t think I’d be able to get them. To be real, Funk & Waffles was my target college and my grades were not good enough. They’re known for being this very cool music venue with amazing bands coming through and I walk up with my dumb face and go ‘Hey how about I bring you some comedians?’ We talked for a few weeks, tweaked out the details till we made it work. We’ve had two of the past three shows sold out, and the comics love the space, so it must’ve been the right call.
Brian Enck
Enck, originally from Webster, outside of Rochester, moved to NYC once he started getting paid gigs freshman year of college in 2010. For over a decade Brian made stand up not just his passion but his career drawing on his influences like Dave Chappelle, Monty Python, Lenny Bruce, Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford and others. “I moved from Upstate because there wasn’t a scene around here, it was just angry recently divorced 50 year olds yelling about their ex wives and giving me a hard time because I was working out jokes.” Now the whole state has a great network of talented comics in well run rooms. From the clubs, to bar shows, to little pop up rooms, or monthlies in a place that had a heavy metal band the night before it’s like a renaissance for the New York comedy.” Brian also spent his last few years as a comedy producer for a TV Network. “I loved being able to work on scripts, talk out characters with actors, and making a budget work with the accountants, actually no that part sucked but the rest was fun.”
Brian’s shows have had the same outline grab the funniest people and turn on the microphone.
Because of COVID, he would take some time to work remotely and spend time with his family. That summer Brian met his now wife and made the move from Brooklyn to Syracuse and hasn’t looked back.
With a goal of drawing NYC comedians north, and Rochester, Buffalo and Albany each having ripe comedy centers, Syracuse fits right in the middle of that I-90 corridor and would benefit CNY comedy fans in need. Turning Syracuse into a city that is great for comedy is Enck’s plan, just as Madison, WI is great for comedy just because it decided to be; there is no reason Syracuse can’t be the same, given how close it is to NYC.
Though Brian thought choosing a music venue was going to be a long shot, it has worked out perfectly for a comedy series. Every comedian wants to be a musician and vice versa, to quote Seinfeld “Musicians and Comedians are like Chimps and Orangutans, we know we have something in common we just can’t place it.”
Working with the clubs, comedians, and other venues the next plan is for a Central New York comedy festival. With each city hosting comics from all over in the great rooms that already exist here and now.
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from, Ciarra Fragale, Seize Atlantis, Sara Devoe and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Seize Atlantis – “Unstoppable Groove”
Formed in 2019, Seize Atlantis is an Alternative Rock Band located in Upstate NY that plays a variety of genres, including originals and covers. All members were high-school friends and lived in the same area growing up in Queensbury/Glens Falls. Eventually realizing they all shared the same passion for music, the band formed Seize Atlantis and the search for the sound they were looking for was complete.
Ciarra Fragale – “Loosing my cool”
Ciarra Fragale is an indie pop singer/songwriter, producer, and actor from the Hudson Valley. By blending the nostalgic traditions of songwriting with unique new-wave sensibilities, she creates a refreshing sound all her own. In addition to making her own music, Ciarra has also composed many works for theater and film.
Sara Devoe – “ God U R so cool”
Sara Devoe is an emerging singer/songwriter from Albany. Much of her music is inspired by artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Haley Heynderickx, Field Medic, and Grimes. Her first EP “Harsh” will be out this Summer.
On Thursday, February 24, bassist Karina Rykman will embark on the last show of her Winter Tour at Brooklyn Bowl, with Boston band Neighbor opening the night.
She’ll then look ahead to March when she heads out on a cross-country tour for most of March, opening for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. In April she’ll be on the road with Too Many Zooz, including an appearance at Lark Hall on April 23.
Can’t believe my band will get to play in so many amazing places we’ve never been before. Here’s the list for Winter/Spring. Thanks so much for having us Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, TOO MANY ZOOZ, The Infamous Stringdusters The California Honeydrops!
Karina Rykman on Facebook
Rykman also plays bass with Marco Benevento, taking the role from JRAD and Ween bassist Dave Dreiwitz, and building a name for herself over the past few years. Whether she is soundchecking iwth Phish at Madison Square Garden, playing in the backing band on America’s Got Talent (in front of Howard Stern and co. at Radio City Music Hall), playing with Everyone Orchestra, or forming her own band, Karina is a force in the New York City jam scene, and beyond. She recently released two singles in 2020 – “City Kids” and “Dirty South”, and continues to perform live with her band, with 2022 looking as bright as ever.
Get the scoop on Karina’s bass rig with her feature in NYS Music’s Behind the Gear series.
Tickets for Rykman’s solo debut at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg with Neighbor can be found here. All other shows are now on sale here.
Karina Rykman Spring 2022 Tour
2/24 – Brooklyn, NY • Brooklyn Bowl (with Neighbor) 3/3 – Houston, TX • White Oak Music Hall * 3/4 – Dallas, TX • The Echo Lounge & Music Hall * 3/5 – Austin, TX • Emo’s * 3/8 – Phoenix, AZ • Marquee Theatre * 3/9 – Flagstaff, AZ • The Orpheum Theater * 3/10 – San Diego, CA • The Observatory North Park * 3/11 – Los Angeles, CA • The Belasco * 3/12 – Berkeley, CA • The UC Theatre * 3/15 – Crystal Bay, NV • Crystal Bay Casino Lake Tahoe * 3/17 – Bend, OR • Midtown Bend * 3/18 – Portland, OR • Crystal Ballroom * 3/19 – Seattle, WA • Neptune Theatre * 3/20 – Seattle, WA • Neptune Theatre * 3/24 – Chicago, IL • Lincoln Hall + Schubas 3/25 – Indianapolis, IN • LO-FI Lounge 3/26 – Ferndale, MI • Otus Supply 3/27 – Cleveland, OH • The Beachland Ballroom and Tavern 4/21 – Burlington, VT • Higher Ground ^ 4/22 – Portland, ME • Aura ^ 4/23 – Albany, NY • Lark Hall ^ 4/25 – Morgantown, WV • 123 Pleasant Street ^ 4/26 – Charlottesville, VA • The Jefferson Theater ^ 4/27 – Greensboro, NC • The Blind Tiger ^ 4/28 – Asheville, NC • The Grey Eagle ^ 4/29 – Atlanta, GA • SweetWater 420 Festival 5/26 – Morrison, CO • Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre º * Pigeons Playing Ping Pong ^ TOO MANY ZOOZ º The Infamous Stringdusters & The California Honeydrops
After initially teasing their upcoming, self-titled seventh album with the single “Think,” Dopapod rides on an intergalactic groove on “Grow,” released on palindromic date of 2/20/22. With an intergalactic groove punctuated by a head-nodding bassline, “Grow” features all the staples of the Dopapod sound – slick guitar, simmering cymbals, and smooth vocals.
2019 found Dopapod performing select shows in Syracuse where the band assembled what would become Dopapod. But with music shut down in 2020 and into 2021, the band spent their time perfecting the music en route to a Spring 2022 release.
“Grow” captures Dopapod’s signature blending of styles and sonics. A deep groove and tight rhythm section grounds the song in a frantic funk territory, until the clouds part to usher in the epic heights of Dopapod’s frenzied psych/prog-rock wizardry. Soaring keys and synth lines crescendo as the song accelerates before returning to where it started, true to Dopapod’s palindromic existence. The group’s knack for dense, multi-layered suites across their material is a testament to their range of influences and styles, and their live show amplifies the momentum you hear on record. Each song is a journey of cosmic proportions.
The lyric ‘big things have small beginnings’ is from the movie Prometheus. Microscopic particles are the start of life. This is how we evolve. The song could be about a character time traveling back to the Big Bang.
Eli Winderman, on “Grow”
Dopapod is Eli Winderman [keys, vocals], Rob Compa [guitar, vocals], Chuck Jones [bass], and Neal “Fro” Evans [drums], a quartet who present albums as experiences meant to be shared out of your speakers and on stage. Traversing time travel, palindromic labyrinths, and binary pairs in a greater cohesive mystery, Dopapod’s forthcoming self-titled album ties the conceptual ends of the group’s discography, while charting a path forward.
“Grow” is about tackling binaries, and not letting failure distract you from sticking to the plan, and prioritizing your own growth. Organisms multiply and build. A seed overcomes the odds in its journey to becoming a billowing behemoth. The line borrowed from Ridley Scott’s Prometheus echoes throughout “Grow,” and shows that the band is as honed in as ever almost fifteen years into their journey.
It had been four years since the last run of Ween shows at The Capitol Theatre, and the Rock Palace was indeed in need of a fresh coat of brown. Over a run spanning February 18-20, the genre-fluid band played over 100 songs, among them just a pair of covers, and treated fans to deep dives into their catalog as well as the usual fan favorites including “Frank” and “Touch My Tooter.”
At Stage Left all three nights was an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, adding the benefit of visual translation of Ween’s (at times, deeply troubling and/or profane) lyrics to the entire audience, but especially those deaf fans in the audience for whom ASL provides the full concert experience. (See videos below.)
Friday, February 18
Before they could jump into “Pork Roll Egg and Cheese” to start the night, Dean Ween could not hold back his excitement, letting out a ‘Fuck Yeah!’ to the crowd. A fair amount of fan favorites set the tone for the weekend, including “Transdermal Celebration,” ‘Boys Club,” “Voodoo Lady,” and “She Fucks Me,” which had Deaner giddily repeating the refrain while watching the ASL interpreter sign the phrase over and over, much to everyone’s delight.
Of course their song titles are nothing you’d want to bring up casually in conversation; they are designed to be hilarious if not daring for the crowd to shout and request, and can make a conversation go from G-rated to NC-17 before you can say “Poopship Destroyer.”
During a string of songs with Gene Ween on acoustic guitar, he played a portion of Cat Stevens “Father and Son,” possibly the most out of place tune the whole weekend. An older instrumental, “Ice Castles,” appeared about halfway through the evening, just before Gene took a break and the band jumped into “Put the Coke on My Dick.” “Your Party” would close the set appropriately, with “Shamemaker,” off 2007’s La Cucaracha sandwiched between “I’m Dancing In The Show Tonight” and “Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down).”
Setlist: Pork Roll Egg and Cheese, She Wanted to Leave, Exactly Where I’m At, I Was Nothing, I Don’t Want to Leave You on the Farm, Touch My Tooter, I Gots a Weasel, Transdermal Celebration, Boys Club, Transitions, Mononucleosis, Frank, Voodoo Lady, I’ll Miss You, She Fucks Me, Cornbread Red, Help Me Scrape the Mucus Off My Brain, Father and Son*, Chocolate Town, The Mollusk, I Don’t Want It, Ice Castles, Final Alarm, I Get a Little Taste of You, The Golden Eel, Put the Coke on my Dick, Flutes of Chi, Buckingham Green, Light Me Up, Koko, Old Queen Cole, The Stallion, Part 5, Your Party
Encore: I’m Dancing in the Show Tonight, Shamemaker, Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)
*Cat Stevens, unfinished
Saturday, February 19
Night two of the run was just as good as Friday, with a few more rarities worked into the show. “Birthday Boy” and “Piss Up a Rope” kicked off the night with “My Own Bare Hands” following right behind, setting the tone early. “Waving My Dick in the Wind,” “Japanese Cowboy” and a pair of “Stallions” – Parts 1 and 3 – would be among early highlights of the show, before lesser played songs “Boing,” “Ooh Va La,” and “Can U Taste the Waste?”
After an intense “I’l Be Your Johnny On the Spot,” Gene found his mandolin for “Ocean Man” before a “Vallejo” set closer. A four-song encore began with “Baby Bitch” and “Tender Situation” before bassist Dave Dreiwitz switched instruments with Dean for “Dont Laugh (I Love You)” and the12 Golden Country Greats lead track “I’m Holding You.”
Setlist: Birthday Boy, Piss Up a Rope, My Own Bare Hands, Polka Dot Tail, Now I’m Freaking Out, Wavin’ My Dick in the Wind, Sweet Texas Fire, Dr. Rock, Japanese Cowboy, Happy Colored Marbles, Beacon Light, I Got to Put the Hammer Down, Zoloft, The Stallion, Part 1, Gabrielle, Boing, The Enabler*, Little Birdy, The Stallion, Part 3, Albino Sunburned Girl, Nan, Fat Lenny, Reggaejunkiejew, Ohh Vah La, Papa Zit, Can U Taste the Waste?, Pandy Fackler, Take Me Away, Object, I’ll Be Your Jonny on the Spot, Ocean Man, Vallejo
Encore: Baby Bitch, Tender Situation, Don’t Laugh (I Love You), I’m Holding You
* Instant Death cover
Sunday, February 20
With a tank still full of gas, Ween swung for the fences early on Sunday with a “Fiesta” opener and two of their best known songs (to non-Ween fans), “Bananas and Blow” and “Roses Are Free.” The rare “Suckin the Blood From the Devil’s Dick” made its first appearance since 1995 prior to “Big Jilm” and “The Argus.”
Among the rest of the highlights tonight were “Stroker Ace,” “Demon Sweat,” “The Blarney Stone” and the ever-romantic “Stay Forever.” An encore of “You Fucked Up” and “Poopship Destroyer” put a brown closing note on the weekend, raising the bar for future Ween runs in Port Chester.
Setlist: Fiesta, Captain Fantasy, The Grobe, I Can’t Put My Finger on It, Bananas and Blow, Roses Are Free, Sorry Charlie, Push th’ Little Daisies, Learnin’ to Love, How High Can You Fly, Suckin the Blood From the Devil’s Dick, Big Jilm, The Argus, Don’t Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy), Sketches of Winkle, Even If You Don’t, Springtheme, Did You See Me?, I Play It Off Legit, The Goin’ Gets Tough From the Getgo, Stroker Ace, Puerto Rican Power, Seconds, Don’t Sweat It, Demon Sweat, Tried and True, What Deaner Was Talkin’ About, Stay Forever, Ode to Rene, Homo Rainbow, The Blarney Stone, If You Could Save Yourself (You’d Save Us All) Encore: You Fucked Up, Poopship Destroyer
Paul McCartney has announced a 13 show “Got Back” tour for 2022, making a stop in Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, his first stop in the Salt City since 2017.
The tour marks McCartney’s first since “Freshen Up” tour in 2019, that spanned a 39 dates in 12 countries, wrapping up with a sold-out show at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in July 2019.
I said at the end of the last tour that I’d see you next time, I said I was going to get back to you. Well, I got back!
Paul McCartney
McCartney released his latest album, McCartney III, in 2020, before enlisting a collaborators Beck, Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, Devonté Hynes, Damon Albarn, among others, for a companion LP, McCartney III Imagined, in 2021.
Tickets for the Got Back tour will go on sale on February 25 at 10 a.m. local time. A presale for American Express cardholders will run from February 22 at 10 a.m. local time through Feb. 24 at 10 p.m. local time. Full information is available on McCartney’s website.
Paul McCartney 2022 Tour Dates
04-28 Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena 05-02 Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena 05-03 Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena 05-06 Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena 05-13 Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium 05-17 Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena 05-21 Winston Salem, NC – Truist Field 05-25 Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live 05-28 Orlando, FL – Camping World Stadium 05-31 Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena 06-04 Syracuse, NY – Carrier Dome 06-07 Boston, MA – Fenway Park 06-12 Baltimore, MD – Orioles Park 06-16 East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
