Category: Media

  • Triveni take Albany Crowd on a Journey with Classical Indian Music

    The Swyer Theatre at The Egg played host to a sold out afternoon performance on Sunday, April 10 by Triveni, featuring three of the greatest musicians in Indian classical music – Zakir Hussain, Kala Ramnath, and Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh. The three musicians have been honored in India and abroad with numerous awards, and have collaborated for Triveni’s initial tour in North America.

    triveni

    The mixed crowd drew from the large South Asian population in the Capital Region, all captivated by the sonic experience the trio had to offer this afternoon.

    All three performers walked out shortly after 3pm, taking their seats behind their respective instruments. Hussain wished the crowd a happy Palm Sunday, and said that they were all very glad to finally be performing, which was greeted by loud applause from the audience. Ramnath and Kumaresh – wearing traditional saris – flanked Hussain on each side, with Ramnath playing violin to Hussain’s right and Kumaresh the Saraswati Veena.

    Hussain noted they would treat the performance as a train on a journey, stopping at different stations. Noting the North Indian raga tradition background of Ramnath, and the South Indian veena of Kumaresh, Hussain served as the bridge for the two to meet, culminating in hypnotic interplay between all three and, at times, duets between them.

    The combination of sounds from each of the stringed instruments joined with the tabla made for a consistent musical conversation, one with no breaks in between, just a constant flow from song to song. With the group’s name of Triveni derived from the mythical site of the union of three sacred rivers in India, the name was on point as a perfect one for this concert of musicians.

    In one segment, after 20 minutes of continuous interplay between Ramnath and Kumaresh, Zakir joined in after quietly observed the pair. As the collaboration progressed, Hussain used the rapid drumming of his fingers on the tabla to drive the tempo of the “train” quickly uphill. After taking a lengthy solo, Hussain was joined by once again by Ramnath and Kumaresh, bringing the performance to a ferocious close.

    After a slightly more than 90-minute set, the trio went out in front of their instruments to bow in appreciation to the audience. At this time, Hussain stepped back, allowing the women to soak in the appreciation from the Swyer Theatre audience.

    Triveni Tour Dates

    4/12/2022 Pittsburgh Cultural Arts Pittsburgh, PA
    4/14/2022 Sixth&i Washington, DC
    4/17/2022 Global Arts Live Somerville, MA
    4/19/2022 Davidson Theatre Columbus, OH
    4/20/2022 Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland, OH
    4/23/2022 Indian Classical Music Circle Austin, TX
    4/24/2022 Wortham Center Houston TX

    Photos by Tammie Birdwell

  • “Dead and Gone” Podcast Returns for Season 2

    The “Dead and Gone” podcast by Payne Lindsey and Jake Brennan returns for season two on April 6. The new season of the true crime podcast will investigate new unsolved murders relatedly to the Grateful Dead.

    Season two will focus on four unsolved cases spanning from the 1980s-2000s, all of whom bear some connection to the Grateful Dead: Adam Katz, Jennifer Wilmer, Bridget Pendell-Williams, Jeremy Alex. Each of these cases was supposed to be featured in season one before until Payne and Brennan decided to dedicate a full season to these cases.

    Season one discussed the investigation into the 1986 double murder of Mary Regina Gioia and Gregory Allen Kniffin. Through an “a mysterious tip from a fellow Deadhead” Payne had reason to the case’s ruling had led to a wrongful conviction.

    Episode one of the new season, which will be avaialble on all podcast platforms will recap season one and introduce the case of Adam Katz. The 19-year-old who was killed outside of what is now Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford New Jersey after a Grateful Dead concert on Oct. 14, 1989. Subsequent episodes will detail the investigations of the remaining three cases.

    Payne Lindsey is the co-founder of Tenderfoot TV. The company’s first podcast was the popular “Up and Vanished” true crime podcast series which has been downloaded 350 million times. He is also the creator and host of popular “Atlanta Monster, “ “Dead and Gone” and “Radio Rental”.

    Jake Brennan is a music journalist who created the podcast series Disgraceland, a true crime podcast about notable cases in the music industry. In 2020 Disgraceland won the iHeartRadio Best Music Podcast award. It is the most downloaded music podcast in the world. Brennan is also the co-founder of podcasting company Double Elvis.

    New episodes will be released every Wednesday starting April 6.

  • In Focus: Queensrÿche Bring Heavy Metal Back to Peekskill’s Paramount Hudson Valley

    Heavy metal rockers Queensrÿche brought an extended show to Paramount Hudson Valley on April 3 in a one-off headlining set in between shows supporting Judas Priest’s North American tour. The night was packed full with opening sets from Black Dawn and Hittman.

    Black Dawn

    Formed in 1996 on Long Island, Black Dawn kicked off the night with songs from their five-album discography. NYC’s Hittman has an even longer history in the NY Metro area metal scene dating back to the mid 1980s. Their fast-paced set echoed some of the core sounds of their NYC scene neighbors Dream Theater, just without the higher degree of progressive metal elements.

    Hittman

    Queensrÿche landed on the Paramount’s stage with an off-night between supporting shows for Judas Priest in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The extended time afforded by their own headlining show allowed them to dust off some songs they weren’t able to fit in their supporting shows such as one of their latest songs “Man the Machine” (from The Verdict, 2019) and other steadfast favorites from the band’s four decade history.

    With a long history Queensrÿche has had a few lineup changes over the years; most notably the departure of original singer Geoff Tate in 2012 whose vocals helped shape the band’s sound. The replacement by Todd La Torre has proven to drive the band forward with continuity in their sound and presence.

    Queensrÿche Setlist: Queen of the Reich, Warning, En Force, NM 156, Breaking the Silence, I Don’t Believe in Love, Man the Machine, Walk in the Shadows, The Whisper, Silent Lucidity, Jet City Woman, Operation: Mindcrime, The Needle Lies, Eyes of a Stranger

    Encore: Take Hold of the Flame, Screaming in Digital, Empire

  • Lucy Kalantari Releases New Music Video “Art”

    Brooklyn-based two-time GRAMMY award winner Lucy Kalantari is an artist, composer, and producer passionate about creating children’s media. She is the frontwoman and bandleader for Lucy Kalantari & the Jazz Cats. She just released a new music video for her song “Art” off of her EP What Kind Of World?

    Lucy Kalantari.

    Her album All the Sounds won the Grammy Award for Best Children’s Album and in 2020, Kalantari produced, recorded and arranged the Grammy award-winning album All the Ladies, by Joanie Leeds. Her latest EP, What Kind of World?, had the title track named Biggest Songs of 2021 by SiriusXM Kids Place Live. Her music promotes joy, and inspires community while highlighting the power of resilience.

    She is a full time music creator and mother to an nine-year-old musician, and she still takes time to mentor, teaching high school and college students to pursue their passions.

    The video for her song “Art” features handdrawn art by by seven-year-old Hannah, and directed by Matt Mayers. The song is a mesmerizing and thought-provoking song that addresses the evolution of self, growth, and how things don’t last very long.

    To accompany the video, she created a worksheet for listeners to express themselves in response to the song’s message.

    The music video for “Art” is out now.

  • Camila Cabello Duets with Willow on Saturday Night Live

    Camila Cabello performed on this week’s Saturday Night Live, and brought along Willow for a duet of her new song “Psychofreak.” The American-Cuban artist performed previously on SNL in 2019, performing “Cry For Me” and “Easy.”

    camila cabello

    The Jake Gyllenhaal-hosted episode opened with President Biden (James Austin Johnson) congratulating new Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (Ego Nwodim) on her Senate confirmation this past week. Jackson then met with fellow barrier-breakers Ruth Bader Ginsberg (Kate McKinnon), Thurgood Marshall (Kenan Thompson), Harriet Tubman (Punky Johnson) and Jackie Robinson (Chris Redd), before opening the show together.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_qQwXRjqQ8

    On Friday, April 8, Camila Cabello released her third studio album, Familia, and took her second time on the Studio 8H stage to perform a pair of songs featured on the album.

    Introduced by Gyllenhaal (who wore a Ramona and Gloria shirt to give his nieces a subtle shout out), the GRAMMY-nominated Cabello performed the lead single off the album, “Bam Bam,” a song dealing with heartbreak and promises broken.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwnAuvofiEw

    For her second song, Cabello was joined by Willow (Smith, daughter of Will and Jada), who performed “Psychofreak” together, one day after release of the music video, which featured both artists in a setting that calls back to Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity.”

    Cabello wore a unique black latex outfit with red latex globes, with Willow wearing a red coat and playing guitar as they sang, “Feelin’ like a psychofreak sometimes, Tryna get connected, no Wi-Fi, Tell me that you love me, are you lying?, Give me lemonade, I give you limes, House in the hills is a house of cards, Blink and the fairytale falls apart, Sorry, didn’t mean to get so dark, Maybe I’m an alien, Earth is hard.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7Vn78Fwrv4

    Saturday Night Live returns next week on April 16 with musical guest and host Lizzo.

  • Inhaler plays NYC fans like a record at Irving Plaza

    Touring in support of their debut studio album It Won’t Always Be Like This, released on July 9, 2021 (Polydor), the Irish sensation known as Inhaler performed the second of back-to-back shows in New York City on Monday, April 4.

    True to their word as they neared the end of a 20-date North American tour that kicked off one month ago in Atlanta, the quartet of young lads were making up a date that was originally scheduled for March 10, but postponed due to a positive test for COVID-19 among the touring party.

    Inhaler
    Eli Hewson (Photo: Michael Dinger)

    Inhaler’s rapidly growing legion of fans, many of which are comprised of a young female demographic, lined the sidewalks of two city blocks in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan, all waiting for tonight’s venue to open its doors to them. Irving Plaza, more than a century and half old, was inhabited as a Polish-American community center in the late-1940s, prior to a conversion into a ballroom-style music hall in 1978. Having hosted legendary performers during its storied history, such as The Clash, Paul McCartney, The Ramones and Bob Dylan, the venue underwent an eight-month long, multi-million dollar renovation in 2019.

    Inhaler
    Irving Plaza marquee (Photo: Michael Dinger)

    Upon entering the iconic venue, general admission fans blew right through the contemporary, revamped lobby and flew up the stairs to the second level stage, hoping to find themselves as close to the night’s performers as possible. Talking with dedicated fan Arianna Russell moments before Inhaler appeared on stage later in the night, I learned that she arrived to queue outside Irving Plaza more than 12 hours earlier! For her to be in the front row, leaning on the stage rail barricade, it was more than worth the effort.

    Inhaler
    Fans queue (Photo: Michael Dinger)

    Having also opened for Inhaler the night before at Warsaw in Brooklyn, the up-and-coming indie-pop rockers known as Rebounder took to the stage at approximately 8:25 pm. These New Your City natives are led by the alluring Dylan Chenfield (singer-songwriter-guitarist), a self-proclaimed huge fan of Bruce Springsteen, who is already known for the nostalgic lyrics about the city that inspires him. The trio is rounded out with Dylan’s younger brother Noah (bass) and Cobey Arner (drums). The fourth offering from their seven song set included their newest single “Premium Fantasy,” a dreamy tune complete with a catchy hook combination of melody and lyrics.

    Inhaler
    Rebounder (Photo: Michael Dinger)
    Noah Chenfield (Photo: Michael Dinger)

    As their name suggests, Dylan is also a basketball fan, particularly that of Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks. A deeper meaning to their moniker, however, can be attributed to their DIY mentality and strive for success, bouncing higher with each new challenge.

    Cobey Arner (Photo: Michael Dinger)

    Nearing the end of their time onstage, Rebounder executed a shining example of 1970s electronic energy with their synth-dominant track “Swim Zone.” After graciously thanking the audience for their support and Inhaler for inviting them to perform, Rebounder exited house right.

    Dylan Chenfield (Photo: Michael Dinger)

    For those unfamiliar, Inhaler formed in 2012 at St. Andrews College in Dublin and are Elijah (Eli) Hewson (lead vocals, guitar), Robert Keating (bass), Josh Jenkinson (guitar) and Ryan McMahon (drums). Also joining them for live performances is Louis Lambert (keyboards/synthesizer).

    Inhaler (Photo: Michael Dinger)

    As a 50-year old Gen Xer, I admittedly discovered Inhaler through my passion of Eli’s father, Paul Hewson (a.k.a. Bono of U2), the legendary frontman himself. Notwithstanding, their infectious songs have completely won me over, dating back to their first single, “I Want You,” which the group self-released in 2017. With their debut album having topped the UK chart in its first week of release, this fast-rising band is “must see” entertainment.

    Fans in the front row (Photo: Michael Dinger)

    Immediately following two back-to-back shows in Los Angeles, and showing no signs of jet lag, Inhaler appeared on the Irving Plaza stage accompanied by flashing strobe lights that beamed throughout the intimate setting. While surveying the 1,200 souls in attendance, including VIP guests in the mezzanine that included Bono, Christy Turlington, Ed Burns and Helena Christiansen, I heard a fan say to her friend, “If I stop breathing, [just] slap me on the back.” Opening their 12-song set with the title track “It Won’t Always Be Like This,” Eli was dressed in a white t-shirt and head-to-toe in denim. The first words out of his mouth, which he addressed to the fervent audience who jam-packed the entire floor area like sardines in a tin, were, “A Monday night never felt so good, thank you for coming to see us.”

    Crowd waiting for Inhaler to take the stage (Photo: Michael Dinger)
    Ryan McMahon (Photo: Michael Dinger)

    Equipped with a Fender Stratocaster that was complete with an Elvis Presley guitar strap, for the next hour, Eli and his bandmates would tear through fan favorites such as “We Have To Move On,” “Ice Cream Sundae,” “When It Breaks” and “Cheer Up Baby.”

    Robert Keating (Photo: Michael Dinger)

    Well on their way to becoming refined songsmiths, Inhaler songs are defined with a dizzying array of sonic textures, complete with a melodic chorus that grabs your immediate attention upon first listen. Their dynamic, intricate instrumentation is anchored by Jenkinson’s soaring guitar riffs, Keating’s rhythmic, thumping bass lines and McMahon’s dynamic drumming style reminiscent of Stewart Copeland, The Police drummer he has noted as one of his inspirations. The closing number, “My Honest Face,” is a coming-of-age song that Eli wrote about losing himself, and then finding himself again, figuring out the type of performer that he wanted to be onstage, in front of a live audience.

    Josh Jenkinson (Photo: Michael Dinger)

    Inhaler’s It Won’t Always Be Like This North American tour wrapped in Toronto, Canada on April 6th. The band’s next plans for world domination in 2022 include 60 plus shows spanning the globe that will take them to Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Scandinavia, The Balkans, United Kingdom, and of course, The Emerald Isle. Several stops along the way will also include major festival dates, such as PinkPop (June 19), Glastonbury (June 22), Rock Werchter (July 1) and Lollapalooza (July 28). Additional details can be found on their website here: https://www.inhaler.band/

    Eli Hewson (Photo: Michael Dinger)

    Rebounder Setlist: Change Shapes > Slow Angel > The Library > Premium Fantasy > Lovers > Swim Zone > Night Sports

    Inhaler Setlist: It Won’t Always Be Like This > We Have to Move On > Slide Out the Window > Ice Cream Sundae > When It Breaks > A Night on the Floor > Who’s Your Money On? (Plastic House) > My King Will Be Kind > Totally > In My Sleep > Cheer Up Baby > My Honest Face

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features Vermont Artists Super Stash Bros and My Own Sweet

    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 two rising Vermont bands, Super Stash Bros and My Own Sweet.

    Super Stash Bros

    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.

    Super Stash Bros – “Everytime”

    The Super Stash Bros are a band out of Killington, VT featuring Josh Jakab (Guitar), Nick Vittone (Bass), Josh Morse (Vocals), Vince FitzGerald (Guitar) and Blake Gowan (Drums). Their eclectic mix of genres has confused, disappointed and annoyed listeners for years.

    My Own Sweet – “Snowfences”

    MOS is Tim Lauben, Chris Kelly, Kurt Herrmann and Dave Mersch. Prior to the release of their latest, “Snowfences,” the band created the EP Ghosts I Knew. The bands recalls that on Easter Sunday 2020 someone texted them, “Could we try to write a song?” Over the next two years, MOS used Garageband and zoom/googlemeet to collaborate and whittle down more than 20 songs to a four song collection of demos called “Ghosts I Knew” that serves as the answer.

  • VRSTY Share “Hush” Video

    New York City based band VRSTY (pronounced “Varsity”) have shared their newest music video for their song “Hush.”

    VRSTY
    VRSTY consists of Joey Varela [vocals], Javy Dorrejo [bass], Chris Cody [drums], and Paul Gregory [guitar].

    The vocals of Joey Varela and sound from Javy Dorrejo [bass], Chris Cody [drums], and Paul Gregory [guitar] provide the bands one of a kind musical genre, a unique fusion of R&B with vocal elements of post-hardcore sound. The new video “Hush” does the band justice showing these different musical elements.

    Welcome Home is the band’s debut album, which has accumulated six million streams in less than a year and yielded the head-turning singles “Shameless” and “Massive.” 

    “‘Hush’ is definitely one of my favorite songs on the entire record,” says Varela. “It’s also one of the most different songs simply because it’s more uplifting and fun rather than dark and moody —my usual mood! Writing this song was incredibly therapeutic for me yet also super scary. Because it was so different, I wasn’t sure if anybody was gonna like it. However when Welcome Home dropped, it ended up becoming a fan-favorite. I just hope it makes people feel the way it made me feel when I first wrote it.”

    Welcome Home is an incredibly personal album to me,” Varela shares. “I know everybody says that, and hey, maybe they’re not lying when they do. I sure as hell am not. It was definitely a task, at first, trying to figure out how to phrase or sing something without getting too personal. But somewhere along the way, I threw that idea out the window and decided to say exactly what I felt. You won’t find me trying to sound cool or using any fancy wordplay. It’s just me in my rawest form, saying exactly what I’ve felt or experienced over the years, which is what has made me who I am today. I think if anybody ever wants to get to know me, this record will give you everything you need to know. No secrets. Just me.”

  • Bob Weir and Wolf Bros Mark 50 Years of ‘Ace’ at Radio City

    Another Saturday night brought Bob Weir back to Radio City Music Hall along with the Wolf Bros and special guests to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of his first solo studio album, Ace.

    Special guests for the show included Brittany Spencer who complimented Weir’s vocals with soulful harmonies. And Tyler Childers whose guitar and vocals added an extra touch of Americana. Longtime Weir collaborator Ron Carter stepped on bass for ”Dark Star.”

    The core of Weir’s Wolf Bros band consisted of Don Was (bass), Jay Lane (drums), Jeff Chimenti (keys), and Barry Sless (pedal steel guitar). The Wolf Pack of Alex Kelly, Mads Tolling, Adam Theis, Brian Switzer, Sheldon Brown on strings and horns brought some rather fun improv breaks throughout both sets.

    Weir’s Ace celebration continued Sunday evening at Radio City Music Hall. This time with another added guest, Dead & Company bandmate John Mayer.

    Bob Weir and Wolf Bros Radio City Music Hall – New York, NY 4/2/22

    Set 1: When I Paint My Masterpiece, Me and My Uncle, Loser, Ace: Greatest Story Ever Told (w/ Tyler Childers), Black-Throated Wind, Walk in the Sunshine (w/ Brittney Spencer), -> Playing in the Band -> Looks Like Rain (w/ Brittney Spencer), Mexicali Blues, One More Saturday Night, Cassidy

    Set 2: You Win Again (w/Tyler Childers), Weather Report Suite -> Shakedown Street (w/ Brittney Spencer), Dark Star (w/ Ron Carter), Eyes of the World -> What’s Going On -> Eyes of the World, Days Between -> Playing in the Band

    Encore: Ripple

  • Dark Star Orchestra Celebrates New Year’s in April, Honor Local Albany Promoter

    The spirit of the Grateful Dead was alive and well this past weekend as veteran improv rockers Dark Star Orchestra finally played their annual New Year’s Eve celebration in Albany. Held on April 1st and 2nd at the storied Palace Theatre and re-dubbed “Fool Year’s Eve,” the joke was on you if you missed this gratuitous good-time jubilee.  Couldn’t make it to the show? No need to worry, our man on the scene, NYS Music photojournalist Zak Radick was there and has a full recap of all the sights and sounds from the memorable occasion.

    dark star orchestra Albany

    It all started around 7pm when suddenly out of nowhere, they came out from everywhere.  Funneling into the base of Clinton Ave and North Pearl, an apparent make-shift flash mob of “Dead Head’s” made the sidewalk near McGeary’s Irish Pub the weekend’s designated ‘Shakedown Street’ for this trip to Albany. A traveling do-it-yourself marketplace for fans to commerce and socialize with our like-minded folks, these pop-up flea markets AKA Shakedown Street’s, have been a longstanding fixture for fans of the original Grateful Dead community going on decades now and are just one of the many traditions fans still regularly practice. It was a nice thing to see in a town that’s been through so much, yet never lost heart. Vibrant and friendly, chatty and colorful, the pre-game hustle was in full swing outside the historic venue just prior to showtime.  Having already been there and done that, the older ‘heads’ soon began filing inside, not wanting to miss a moment of the opening acoustic set from DSO guitar player Jeff Mattson.  And they were sure glad they did, as they were serenaded by a delightful opening combo of “Dire Wolfe” and “Deep Elem Blues” while finding their seats. Soon word had reached the street that the show “was on” and before long the lower level of the gorgeous room was packed with people and yes, an overwhelming smell of patchouli, body odor and pot. 

    dark star orchestra Albany

    The Palace looking as lovely as ever, a simple glance around the theatre revealed a fan base the spanned all ages and backgrounds, but most skewing older.  Many wearing tie dye, some with dreadlocks to their knees and flowers in their hair, others covering up in cowboy hats and trucker caps, while other came dressed in their New Year’s best, sporting their finest sparkling dancing pants and glamorous glittering jackets.  Still, there were the other ones.  The fans who looked like regular Joes you’d pass in a grocery store aisle and never expect they’d know every single word to every single song written by Jerry Garcia and company. The brief but beautiful acoustic set from Mattson also featured Lisa Mackey on harmonica and concluded with a sentimental rendition of “Ripple,” sending fans buzzing to intermission debating if that was a recreation from a Dead set, or a standalone, original set of select Dead covers.  

    dark star orchestra Albany

    With balloons hanging high over the Palace, the Dark Star Orchestra causally took the stage around 8:30 to a rowdy ovation from eager and attentive fans. Comprised of members Rob Eaton and Jeff Mattson on guitars and vocals, Rob Barraco on keys, Rob Koritz and Dino English on drums and percussion, Skip Vangelas on bass and Lisa Mackey on backing vocals and harmonica, DSO has been a fixture in the jam scene for more than 20 years and have over 3,000 shows under their belts.   Bringing the essence of a live Grateful Dead show back to reality for a whole new generation, the band is often seen as one of the top acts of their kind, and now popular enough to fill a place like the Palace.  An impressive testament to their consistency and quality of performances. 

    Perhaps with acknowledgement to GD history, or perhaps in acknowledgement of the heady pre-show Shakedown scene earlier, it seemed fitting when Dark Star Orchestra opened the second set of the night with a rambunctious rendition of the beloved classic “Shakedown Street”. The appreciative audience already spilling out into the aisleways and concession overflow area in full ‘dance-party boogie’ mode. By this point, you just had that old familiar feeling that it was fixing to be a fun night! From there, the band went into a “Me and My Uncle >Mexicali Blues” segment, followed by a lively “Cold Rain and Snow” that saw the crowd showcasing their collective ‘singalong’ voices one of the loudest times of the night. A “blues” heavy set, we also caught “CC Rider,” “It Must Have Been the Roses,” “Beat It On Down The Line,” and a lengthy “Big Boss Man>New Minglewood Blues>Don’t Ease Me In” to send fans to their second set break of the evening.

    There was a special moment just prior to the start of the third set when the DSO crew invited legendary Albany promoter Greg Bell of Guthrie Bell Productions out to the stage.  Marking thirty years to the day since holding his first show, Bell made a brief but candid toast, thanking the dedicated music fans of the Capital Region for all the support over the years.   A mutual moment respect and acknowledgement for a man who’s meant so much to the local music community for the last three decades.

    dark star orchestra Albany

    When everyone returned, the rocking second set kicked off with “Iko Iko” and then in one of the musical peaks of the night, a fantastic high energy take on a “Playing in the Band”>  “Terrapin Station” > “Playing in the Band” sandwich before things got a little weird with the obligatory “Drums/space”.  Things started cooking again with the slow and building crescendo of “The Other One” that seamlessness faded into “Not Fade Away” and “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad.”  “Morning Dew” would round out the set with just enough time for another quick break before the midnight shenanigans would ensue.

    dark star orchestra Albany

    Honoring the spirit of the original Grateful Dead, the band played well into the evening giving fans exactly what they were hoping for.  As the clock now approached midnight, the balloons that had been hanging over head all night finally released and DTO began the famililar chords of the song they took their name from, “Dark Star.” Loving every second of it, fans were quick to bat the balloons around like beach balls, and seemingly keep them afloat for the remainder of the show.  A pair of fan favorite “Bertha” and “Good Lovin’” brought the show to an end and the audience to their feet, howling in approval and for just one more.   Happy to oblige, DTO returned with Lisa Mackey taking center stage during an encore of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” before cluing the audience this performance was an originally inspired by the Grateful Dead’s December 311st, 1981 show in Oakland, California.

    A great performance made even better by the great crowd, Dark Star Orchestra surpassed expectations. They sounded fantastic, musically tight and with singing voices strong and full of vigor.  It was an evening drenched in familiarity and comfort and the result was a near perfect atmosphere for the audience to let themselves get lost in.  That indescribable feeling only the live music experience can deliver and on this first night in April, the Palace Theatre in Albany was truly a fool’s paradise.

    Dark Star Orchestra | 4.1.2022 | Albany, NY | Palace Theatre

    Set 1: (Jeff Mattson Acoustic) Dire Wolf, Deep Elem Blues, Ripple

    Set 2: Shakedown Street ; Me And My Uncle > Mexicali Blues ; Cold Rain And Snow ; C.C. Rider* ; It Must Have Been The Roses** ; Beat It On Down The Line ; Big Boss Man* > New Minglewood Blues* > Don’t Ease Me In

    Set 3: Iko Iko ; Playing In The Band > Terrapin Station > Playing In The Band > drums > space > The Other One > Not Fade Away > Going Down The Road Feeling Bad > Morning Dew

    Set 4: Dark Star > Bertha > Good Lovin’

    Encore: It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue**

    Filler: My Sisters And Brothers

    * with Lisa on harmonica – original had Matt Kelly
    ** with Lisa on vocals – original had Joan Baez

    Dark Star Orchestra | 4.2.2022 | Albany, NY | Palace Theatre

    Set 1: Hell In A Bucket > Let It Rock ; When I Paint My Masterpiece ; Loser ; Cumberland Blues ; I’ll Take A Melody > Deal ; Masters of War ; Box Of Rain > One More Saturday Night

    Set 2: Here Comes Sunshine > Greatest Story Ever Told ; Revolution > Feel Like A Stranger > drums > space > Corrina > Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Throwing Stones > Days Between > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower

    Encore: Brokedown Palace