Playing for over 4 million fans since 1988, The Australian Pink Floyd Show showed Rochester why they are the ultimate Pink Floyd tribute band after performing at the Kodak Theatre on September 21. Right down to the light show and lasers, Australian Pink Floyd, as they are sometimes called, got toes tapping and heads rocking right out of the gate.
Immediately, fans were transported back in time with remarkable renditions of classics like “Obscured By Clouds,” “Time,” “Money” and of course, “Another Brick in the Wall Pt 2.”
Hailing from Adelaide, group consists of Luc Ledy-Lepine (guitar), David Domminney-Fowler(guitar/vocals) Steve Mac (guitar/vocal), Jason Sawford (keyboard), Paul Bonney (drums), Ricky Howard(bass/vocals), Mike Kidson (sax), and the amazing Chris Barnes on vocals. Backup singers are Lorelei McBroom, Emily Lynn, and Lara Smiles.
On an overcast and at times rainy Sunday, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) was home to more than a concert, but instead the day long Outlaw Music Festival, with Particle Kid, Brittney Spencer, Larkin Poe, Billy Strings, The Avett Brothers and the legendary Willie Nelson.
The Outlaw Village, located towards the back of SPAC’s renovated concession area, featured a variety of vendors like you’d see at a festival or your nearest Shakedown Street. A packed crowd was lively and excited to see the new (Particle Kid, Brittney Spencer), the rising star (Billy Strings), Americana (Larkin Poe, Avett Brothers) and the old (Willie Nelson, closing in on 9 decades).
Billy Strings simply stole the show, and it seemed that the crowd was mainly there for the rising Nashville star (via Michigan). In fact, it could easily be argued that Billy Strings should have played just prior to Willie Nelson, flipping slots with Avett Brothers. Granted, Avett Brothers have been around for over 20 years, but the energy and draw of Billy Strings far outweighs the Americana of the Avetts. Having Billy and his high power set precede Avetts left the latter’s set feeling like something was lacking, and the speed was lower tempo and inconsistent by comparison.
When you factor in that the gracious Billy Strings thanked Willie, not just from the microphone, but in the setlist as well – spelling out THANK YOU WILLIE over the course of 14 songs in a 75Minute set. Highlights from the set included covers of Pearl Jam’s “In Hiding” and Bill Monroe’s “Uncle Pen.”
Billy Strings Setlist: Turmoil and Tinfoil, Hollow Heart, Away From the Mire, Nothing’s Working, Know It All, Y’all Come, Old Mexico, Uncle Pen, West Dakota Rose, If Your Hair’s Too Long (There’s Sin in Your Heart), Love and Regret, Libby Phillips Rag, In Hiding, Everything’s the Same
The 89 year old Willie Nelson followed Avett Brothers with four band mates tore through a set that the audience waited patiently for, kicking things off with his classic “Whiskey River.” Bringing out grandson Micah Nelson (Particle Kid) for “Everything is Bullshit,” ” Halfway to Heaven” and “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” plus a few other tunes was an excellent touch; the set brought to mind Farm Aid in 2013 at SPAC, where Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real performed a short set and later joined his pater familias.
To close out Outlaw Music Festival at SPAC, Willie invited all the days performers to the stage for “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” and a finale of Mac Davis’ “It’s Hard to Be Humble.”
French DJ and music producer Madeon released his second LP Good Faith back in 2019 but has been touring strong behind the record ever since. Madeon puts on a few different types of shows ranging from DJ sets, to the standard club concerts but he will also perform select shows dubbed Good Faith Forever. These shows boast a unique production, with the most recent one happening at the revamped Brooklyn Mirage last Sunday, September 11.
Madeon’s choice of venue is one of the key factors for the unique Good Faith Forever shows. The venue must have large-scale production capabilities to allow Madeon to take on a larger-than-life presence and completely engulf the audience into the show. For New York City, there is no better choice than Brooklyn Mirage. The venue has a massive LED screen that is curved and wraps around the front end of the crowd, making you feel immersed in the visuals no matter where you are in the venue. The venue has all the bells and whistles already built in, giving Madeon the joy of incorporating lasers into Good Faith Forever for the first time.
A key element to the show takes place in the last leg, when an elevated platform takes Madeon about 20 feet above the stage right as he performs the unreleased song “Gonna Be Good.” At this height, Madeon is towering over the crowd with an intense visual show taking place on the LED, carefully aligned and framing the musician. The venue again provided amplification; not only were fans dwarfed by the show at this point, but the sheer size of the screen and the visuals on it made the entire production feel truly out of this world.
The setlist featured Madeon’s latest one-off release “Love You Back” which came out earlier this year, and the show closed with fan-favorite “Shelter” (a collaboration with Porter Robinson). Good Faith was released back in 2019, but given the delays performing live due to the pandemic, the support for the LP did not begin until 2021. Combine that with the variety by which Madeon performs and you have a tour cycle that goes on without ever getting stale. Good Faith Forever makes a few more festival stops including III Points in Miami before heading to Mexico and then Jakarta, Indonesia. There are also a handful of DJ sets mixed in between. Head over to Madeon’s website for the full tour dates.
The Grateful Dead wound up playing more than 50 shows at MSG by the time their touring career ended, but the September 1990 run had a unique feel all its own. With keyboardist Brent Mydland’s recent death just months earlier, the Dead once again found themselves in an era of transition. Vince Welnick was brought on as his replacement, but was still very much finding his footing and shaking off stage fright at this point in his tenure with the band. To combat this, they recruited the willing and able talents of Bruce Hornsby to help them along in this new era of Grateful Dead music. His first shows were during this September run at MSG in 1990, offering fans an extraordinary new addition to the music as well as giving a glimpse of what might have been.
The show begins in a relaxed manner as the band eases into a “Jack Straw” opener with Hornsby lending early vocal support on some of Garcia’s lines. There’s no issue with the music though, as an enthusiastic early jam develops from this, much to the delight of a roaring MSG crowd. After noodling around with the opening notes, the Dead then burst into “Bertha.” A blistering guitar solo from Garcia, along with some musical interplay with Hornsby – a staple of this run, lead the way on this one. With the crowd now fully engaged, Bob Weir takes over and leads the way through a particularly bouncy “Me And My Uncle.”
As soon as the last note of “Uncle” finishes, the Dead keep it going and use a similar drum beat to jump right into “Big River” which gives Hornsby his first chance to solo on piano. With the show off to a blistering start, things mellow out a bit with the Garcia-led “It Must Have Been The Roses” that follows, one of the few Dead songs that feature both Robert Hunter penned lyrics and music. The first cover selection of the night comes next, with Weir playing the role of Bob Dylan for “Stuck Inside Of Mobile (With The Memphis Blues Again),” a song the band added to its repertoire a few years earlier. Welnick adds some nice touches on the keyboards on this rousing tune that delivers a slow build in emotion.
To wrap up this opening set at MSG, the Dead decide to unleash the vaunted “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” >”Franklin’s Tower” combination that sees the band at their collective best with a discernable new feel to it thanks to the two new keys players. But by the end of “Franklin’s,” a delighted MSG crowd could make the case that some things never truly change.
The second set begins with another longtime Dead classic, “Playin’ In The Band.” The band wastes no time in crafting an explosive, early improvisational jam that quickly goes deep, fueled by some frenetic fret board work from Garcia. Instead of progressing even further, the jam instead comes to a crawl and the opening chords to “Ship Of Fools” emerges. This quick side journey is another prime example of an older song getting a new “shine” to it thanks to the new piano and vocal harmonies supplied by Hornsby. Once completed, the Dead then go right back into “Playin’,” seemingly picking up right where they left off before they quickly shift gears once more and collectively merge into another fan favorite with “Uncle John’s Band.”
After a powerful, but fairly concise jam, the band brings back UJB to completion and, right after the outtro jam, immediately leap into a surprise “Let It Grow,” the first time it’s been found in the second set in years. This elicits one of the finer jams of the evening, a steady, driving collective effort that never really strays too far from the song’s original structure. Afterwards, however, structure goes by the wayside thanks to a seemingly off the cuff jam with Hornsby prominently involved on piano along with noodling from Garcia and Weir. It turns out to be one of the better jams of the night, one that naturally builds in intensity and gives an enticing glimpse of what the Dead could have become had Bruce stayed on permanently.
This essentially becomes the fuel for an extended “Drums” > “Space” sequence that sees the Dead fill MSG with a plethora of sounds and emotions that range from the ambient to the psychedelic. Hornsby even sticks around for some of the early “Drums” madness, giving that a different feel as well. After this lengthy group improv runs its course, the show rounds back into form with the familiar opening drum beat of “Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad,” finally providing a dance number with some tempo.
After an exuberant version that gives all parties a chance to shine, said tempo drops back down for “Stella Blue,” sung with its usual emotion and feel from Garcia. One more juxtaposition in mood then takes place as Weir proceeds to lead the band through a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Around & Around” that features a bluesy jam which continues to build in energy before peaking, closing out the set in style. For an encore, one more Dylan cover makes an appearance with “Quinn The Eskimo.” The Dead would go on to wrap up their six-night run at MSG the following evening.
View this and more Grateful Dead shows from across the years in New York State with our interactive map below
Grateful Dead Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Set 1: Jack Straw, Bertha, Me & My Uncle-> Big River, It Must Have Been The Roses, Memphis Blues, Help On The Way-> Slipknot!-> Franklin’s Tower
Set 2: Playin’ In The Band-> Ship of Fools-> Playin’ In The Band-> Uncle John’s Band-> Let It Grow-> Jam-> Drums-> Jam-> Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad-> Stella Blue-> Around & Around,
Joe Jencks and Kray Van Kirk traded songs at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs on Sep. 16. The night was divided into three sets: a solo set by Van Kirk followed by a solo set by Jencks, then both singers came on stage to trade songs back and forth for a story-filled hour plus from these two singer songwriters. Joe Jencks was last featured on NYS Music at the folk music Old SongFestival of Traditional Music and Dance.
In the solo sets, Kray Van Kirk started the night off. A highlight from Van Kirk for this listener was when he introduced a song with this: “I am going to spend my time rejecting my heritage.” He then sang a song of solidarity with people of all kinds. Van Kirk said after the show that his “ancestors were slave owners in this country.” He finished his solo set with the title track from his most recent album Midnight Commander.
Joe Jencks took the stage for his solo set and began by saying that he was standing in solidarity with the workers of Amtrak. Jencks mentioned that his friend Van Kirk, who lives in California, was fortunate that he took a plane over to the Northeast, as a trip via train could have been tricky. The highlight for this listener was also a title track. This time it was Jencks singing the title track to his new album The Coming of the Years. Jencks mentioned how this song was an homage to “getting together” and how nice it was to get together with an audience considering the past couple years of the Covid pandemic.
During the combined set, Van Kirk told an incredible story/legend about Irish Selkies. These are the Irish people’s version of Mermaids. Jencks continued the theme of water-related storytelling. He sang a song of acceptance that centered on “The Lady of the Harbor” (Statue of Liberty). Both singers spun tales of politics and bravery. Concluding the night, the two singer songwriters invoked Pete Seeger telling the US Congress that he was not invoking his 5th Amendment rights; he was invoking his 1st Amendment rights. Then the crowd sang along to a swelling rendition of The Youngbloods’ Smile on Your Brother.
British folk rock band Bear’s Den played at historic Webster Hall in the East Village on Thursday, September 15. They have been touring nonstop for the past 18 months gaining a loyal fanbase. The duo consists of Andrew Davie (lead vocals, guitar) and Kevin Jones (vocals, drums, bass, guitar). Christof van der Ven joined the band in 2016 as a session musician and plays in their live shows. Jools Owen is also their current drummer and horn player when they perform live.
Bear’s Den performs at Webster Hall 9.15.22
Bear’s Den opened their set with the title track of their recently released fifth studio album Blue Hours. The album was released in May of 2022 and debuted on the UK Albums Chart at # 6. They then played “Frightened Whispers” which is also featured on the new album. Fans were excited when the band went back in time a few years and performed “Red Earth & Pouring Rain” from their 2016 album of the same name.
Bear’s Den performs at Webster Hall 9.15.22
Continuing the mix of new and old material, the next portion of the set included “Fuel on the Fire,” “All That You Are” and “Isaac.” A big highlight of the night was when the band performed an unplugged version of the 2013 song “Sophie.” After that, they played a few more new tracks from the new album including “New Ways” and “Shadows.”
They then performed their newest single released only a few days ago, “Stitch In Time.” The song was developed during the creation of the new album, but wasn’t completed until they recently started touring again. When asked about the meaning of the song, the duo said, “‘Stitch in Time’ is a song exploring ideas around trauma. Specifically the idea of reaching back through time to be with someone in a difficult moment and just being with them and letting them know that it’s not ok.” You can listen to the new song below.
Perhaps my favorite part of the show was when the band went into the crowd during the encore at the packed Webster Hall and performed “Gabriel.” Without the help of mics, the band sounded amazing and really brought the crowd together for a communal experience. The show ended with “Agape,” the first track from their first album Islands released in 2014.
Setlist: Blue Hours, Red Earth and Pouring Rain, Frightened Whispers, Fuel on the Fire, All That You Are, Isaac, Sophie, New Ways, Shadows, Stitch in Time, Magdalene, Crow, Love We Stole, Spiders, Auld Wives, Pompell, Gabriel, Agape
Chestnut Grove, a Pennsylvania-based rock band, is on the road in support of a new single, with some New York dates in the near future. “All For You” is now available on streaming platforms and the band plans to release an EP titled Can’t Stand The Music sometime early next year.
Last month, Chestnut Grove performed a “revved-up” Free at Noon set at Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live for a lively audience who danced, sang along and got a preview of the new EP. Click here for pictures and an audio recording of the performance. This comes in advance of their scheduled gig this weekend in Camden, NJ for WXPN’s Xponential Music Festival on September 18.
In late October and early November, Chestnut Grove will make their way throughout New York State. Shows in Syracuse and Saranac Lake are scheduled for October 28 and 29, respectively. And the band’s show on November 3 at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs will receive support from Consider the Source. Additional tour dates can be seen below.
Chestnut Grove 2022 Fall Tour
September 18th Xponential Music Festival, Wiggins Park – Camden, NJ
September 24th Pro Re Nata Brewery – Crozet, VA w/ Disco Risque
October 8th Pick Fest – Boyertown, PA w/ The Manatawny Creek Ramblers
October 28th Funk N’ Waffles – Syracuse, NY
October 29th Waterhole – Saranac Lake, NY
November 3rd Putnam Place – Saratoga Springs, NY w/ Consider the Source
November 17th Sellersville Theater – Sellersville, PA w/ Consider the Source
November 23rd The Soundback – Phoenixville, PA w/ Hunter Root
November 25th Jeremiah’s Banquet Hall – Williamsport, PA
November 26th King’s Rock Club – Erie, PA w/ Medusa’s Disco
Winding down their 14-date tour of North America, in support of their fourth album Crawler (Partisan Records) released in November 2021, avant-garde punk rockers IDLES from Bristol, England made a stop at the majestic Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, this past Thursday night, September 15. Unable to tour for their previous studio album (2020’s Ultra Mono) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IDLES brought with them plenty of new material to offer its steadily growing legion of fans, present company included.
Joe Talbot of IDLES | Photo by Michael Dinger
Arriving more than an hour before the 7:00 pm doors on a chilly September late afternoon, a signal that autumn would soon be upon us, excited concertgoers were spotted congregating on nearby sidewalks, hastily exiting their Ubers beneath the grand marquee or frequenting the nearby bar that doubles as a tattoo parlor. As patrons filed past the security check point, many had a sheer expression of awe on their face as they witnessed the theater’s ornate, French Baroque style for the first time. The nearly 3,700 seat venue had been restored to its vintage condition and reopened to the public in January 2015, including the ornamental 50,000 square foot ceiling, along with the glazed and gilded walls paneled in American walnut.
Kings Theatre marquee | Photo by Michael DingerKings Theatre ceiling | Photo by Michael Dinger
Approximately 15 minutes before the night’s opening act would take the stage, IDLES fans continued to pack the lobby. Many of which checked out the merch table, grabbed a drink from the array of bars strategically placed on all levels or snapped a cell phone picture of the historic venue’s centerpiece, the console of a “Wonder Morton” pipe organ that was installed in the original Loew’s New York City movie theaters.
Kings Theatre pipe organ | Photo by Michael Dinger
An American hip hop group formed in Tempe, Arizona in 2013, Injury Reserve are rapper Ritchie With a T and producer Parker Corey. However, the current duo was once a trio, until the sudden death of friend and founding member Stepa J. Groggs on June 29, 2020, at only 32 years of age. Having already supported Black Midi on a tour of the West Coast earlier this year, Injury Reserve’s musical genre is best described as experimental, or abstract hip hop – think beat machines with endless cords.
Albeit for blinding flashes of strobe lights, Injury Reserve performed in near darkness, with their figures appearing in silhouette, or barely discernible at all. Notwithstanding, as the steadily increasing crowd took their seats or joined the general admission floor, they cheered and applauded loudly at every opportunity. Ritchie With a T and Corey would perform ten songs over the course of nearly 45-minutes, all taken from their second studio release By the Time I Get to Phoenix, self-released nearly one year ago. The only song not played from the album was the third track titled “SS San Francisco.”
Injury Reserve | Photo by Michael DingerInjury Reserve | Photo by Michael Dinger
After a 30-minute turnover of the stage by IDLES’ crew, the quintet comprised of Joe Talbot (vocals), Mark Bowen (guitar), Lee Kiernan (guitar), Adam Devonshire (bass) and Jon Beavis (drums) unassumingly appeared in the dark shadows a few ticks past 9:00 pm. With its cinematically suspenseful introduction and a perfect number for opening the show, the first of IDLES’s 18-song set was “Colossus,” from 2018’s Joy as an Act of Resistance, which would also find Kiernan tip toeing along the narrow barricade in front of the stage apron. With one foot perched up on his monitor, prior to launching into the evening’s second offering “Car Crash” (Crawler), about Talbot’s real-life experience in a near-fatal accident, he instructed the entire floor audience do split apart, forming a no man’s land down the middle. Then, on his command, each side came crashing back into one another (like a car crash) in a fevered, giant mosh pit like I have never seen before.
Lee Kiernan of IDLES | Photo by Michael DingerIDLES | Photo by Michael Dinger
For the remainder of their 90-minute set, sweaty, beer-covered bodies would often sway in unison as IDLES filled the entirety of Kings Theatre with a raw emotion that emanated from songs across their ever-growing discography, including the rallying cry of “Grounds” (Ultra Mono), the cathartic “Mother” (Brutalism, 2017), “The Beachland Ballroom” (Crawler) about the iconic Cleveland venue, the violent vigor of “Never Fight a Man With a Perm” (Joy as an Act of Resistance) and the grittiness of “Crawl!” (Crawler). Oftentimes, when Talbot was not prowling the stage in concentric circles or jogging in place, he could be seen engaging with his fans directly by looking straight into their eyes, as if he were singing to them only. I was also fortunate enough to catch his gaze on more than one occasion.
Lee Kiernan & Adam Devonshire of IDLES | Photo by Michael DingerMark Bowen of IDLES | Photo by Michael Dinger
There were too many highlights in the IDLES set to count, and all five members were in prime form. But the moment that seemed to electrify the fans the most was not when Kiernan stood atop the crowd’s shoulders hugging a pink cowboy hatted fan, but when Bowen climbed his own way into the crowd, microphone in hand, as he led the frenzied crowd through the bridge section of the anthemic “Danny Nedelko” (Joy as an Act of Resistance).
Despite being a self-described “angry band” from the U.K., IDLES have built a really loving community amongst their fans. People constantly look out for out for each other, and tonight’s show was no exception. The final concert of IDLES’ “Back To Normal Tour,” before trekking to New Zealand and Australia in late-October, will be at the Sea.Hear.Now festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey on September 18.
Injury Reserve Setlist: Outside > Superman That > Footwork in a Forest Fire > Ground Zero > Smoke Don’t Clear > Top Picks for You > Wild Wild West > Postpostpartum > Knees > Bye Storm
IDLES Setlist: Colossus > Car Crash > Mr. Motivator > Grounds > Mother > Divide and Conquer > The Beachland Ballroom > Never Fight a Man With a Perm > Crawl! > 1049 Gotho > The Wheel > Television > A Hymn > War > Wizz > I’m Scum > Danny Nedelko > Rottweiler
Freddie Gibbs hosted a pre-album listening party for his upcoming album “$oul $old $eparately” (SSS). The album is set to release on September 30th. The party occurred on Wednesday, September 14th, at 383 W Broadway in SoHo. His label, Warner Records, stated that this is “Freddie’s first major label album debut and is based on the refusal to compromise his morals or integrity under the pressures of the industry.”
Freddie Gibbs at his “$oul $old $eparately” Album Listening Party. Photo By: Lucas Kurzweil
Freddie Gibbs hails from Gary, Indiana, was initially signed to Interscope Records in 2006, but would not release his first album until signing with Young Jeezy’s CTE World where he released mixtapes through the label, including Baby Face Killa (2012).
Freddie released “Too Much” featuring Moneybagg Yo in advance of his casino-themed album. The track features cutting flows that have become Gibbs’ token sound. Freddie’s last album, “Alfredo,” (made in collaboration with California producer the Alchemist) was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards. “Alfredo” featured Rick Ross, who will make another appearance on SSS. Other features on the new album will include Anderson .Paak, Offset, and Pusha T. Merchandise for the release is out for pre-order on Kanecomics.shop.
Guapdad 4000 at the “$oul $old $eparately” Album Listening Party.Ben Lambert, Thefitmamii, and Freddie Gibbs at the “$oul $old $eparately” Album Listening Party.
There will be dancing in the aisles once again as the Grateful Dead return to cinemas worldwide for the 2022 Meet-Up At The Movies, celebrating the 50th anniversary of a notable Europe ’72 show.
All year the Grateful Dead and Deadheads have celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Europe ‘72, and Meet up at the Movies brings the previously unreleased Tivoli Concert Hall performance from April 17, 1972 to the big screen on Tuesday, November 1st with additional screenings across the U.S., Canada, and select territories on Saturday, November 5th.
This ground-breaking concert broadcast event was the Dead’s first major live concert broadcast, and a first in Danish television history. Fully restored and color corrected in High Definition with audio mixed from the 16-track analog master tapes by Jeffrey Norman and mastered by David Glasser, Tivoli 4/17/72 features nearly an hour and a half of the Grateful Dead at a peak of their performing career.
The show’s many highlights include an overview of the Dead’s 1972 touring repertoire, including magnificent versions of “China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider,” “Big Railroad Blues,” “Truckin’,” and many more of the Dead’s classics, as well as the first live performance of “He’s Gone,” and other new songs including “Ramble on Rose,“ “Jack Straw, “ and “One More Saturday Night.” Pigpen, on what would prove to be his last tour with the Grateful Dead, is well-represented by three songs, including the broadcast’s opening number, “Hurts Me Too.”
