Category: Media

  • Local Midwest Band, Umphrey’s McGee, Celebrates 24 years at Landmark Theatre, Still Doing OK

    Umphrey’s McGee came to Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre on Friday, January 21 for a special evening, as the date marked their first gig as a band 24 years ago. The band told the crowd about their first gig where “the power went out,” but tonight the electricity was synchronicity in Syracuse. 

    They came full circle and treated their fans from their Midwest home in Chicago to the frigid Syracuse Landmark, playing their first album Local Band Does OK, in its entirety, and notably included a nod to the start of their tour with “The Empire State.” The excitement shared during soundcheck brought this night to life, as the Landmark was filled with ambient tones and occasional Eddie Van Halen riffs from Jake Cinninger, who also played a Duane Allman-esque slide guitar during “Partyin’ Peeps” before heading to the encore of “Slacker.”

    Actor Vince Vaughn once celebrated John Lennon’s birthday at the Hotel Syracuse,  just around the corner from the Landmark, where Lennon held his 31st birthday with guests including Ringo Starr. Whether Umphrey’s knew this fact or not, they version of “Ringo”  evoked a younger image of Vaughn in his Rudy character, with a full set of pads and gold helmet in the crowd at the Landmark, whose gold walls resonated the vibe as well. With the band hailing from South Bend, IN, Umphrey’s has offered no let up for nearly a quarter century – “It’s the last practice of the year and these guys are playing like it’s the Super Bowl!”  

    Umphrey’s McGee – Landmark Theatre, Syracuse – January 21, 2022

    Setlist via Allthings.Umphreys.com

    Set 1: Andy’s Last Beer, Uncle Wally, Hurt Bird Bath, Headphones & Snowcones, Ringo, Blue Echo > The Empire State[1], White Man’s Moccasins

    Set 2: Prowler > 2nd Self, Roulette, Dough Bro > Water > Nothing Too Fancy, I Don’t Know What I Want[2], Partyin’ Peeps

    Encore: Slacker

    [1] with Brendan on percussion

    [2] debut, original

  • Greensky Bluegrass and Infamous Stringdusters Kick Off Winter Tour In Albany at the Palace Theatre

    Thursday, January 20 marked the return of Greensky Bluegrass and The Infamous Stringdusters to the Capital District, with a performance at the Palace Theatre that kept the audience warm and cozy from the frigid temperatures outside. 

    Greensky Bluegrass returned nearly two years after their last Albany performance, that time at The Egg with Ghost Light, and after a bit of a wait, they were back to kick off their Winter Tour ahead of the release of their new album, Stress Dreams.

    greensky stringdusters
    photo by Zak Radick

    Opening up the show were The Infamous Stringdusters, recently nominated for a Grammy for their Bill Monroe tribute album. They kicked off the show with “Rise Sun” off their 2019 album of the same name, and negotiated a very brief power outage, never missing a beat. The band took a few opportunities to comment on how long it’s been since they’ve seen each other, how good it feels playing live, and how much fun they were having. 

    Dobro player Andy Hall, a native of Binghamton spoke to Forbes this past week, recalling his view of his hometown:

    The Binghamton area is beautiful — rolling hills, forests and lots of medium-size towns. Not a lot is happening there, but there are lots of colleges in the area, it was a great place to grow up and there were awesome down-to-earth people. I used to have a somewhat negative view of my hometown, but I think that just went along with the urge to escape and see the world. I went back recently to receive a distinguished alumni award from my high school and was really impressed with what they have going on with music and theater. It changed my view of my old high school for the better!

    Andy Hall

    The nearly hour-long set from Stringdusters included covers of the Grateful Dead’s “Touch of Grey” and The Police’s “Walking on the Moon,” as well as “Colorado” and “Sirens,” with the appreciative Albany crowd grooving along. Earlier in the day, the band released “I Didn’t Know” off their upcoming album, The Fray.  Listen to the full show below:

    Setlist: Rise Sun*. Colorado, Sirens, Touch of Grey^, Fire, Back Home Again, Walking on the Moon%, Vertigo, If You’re Gonna Love Someone, Fork in the Road

    * Power outage on stage
    ^ Grateful Dead cover
    % The Police cover

    Infamous Stringdusters photos by Zach Culver

    Returning to the Palace Theatre stage for the third time, Greensky Bluegrass celebrated the pending release of Stress Dreams, which was released 30 minutes after the band took their final bows. Songs from the album, included the catchy “New and Improved,” “Monument” and “Worry For You,” which had its live debut this evening. Greensky Mandolinist Paul Hoffman noted early in the first set, “We made a plan to play this show a long time ago with the Infamous Stringdusters, and so far the plan is working.”

    A rarer tune, “Bont’s Breakdown” was performed for only the fourth time in the last 12 years, with fan favorites “Go it Alone” and “Living Over” closing out the first set with a 1-2 punch.

    photo by Zach Culver
    photo by Zak Culver

    A new arrangement of “Old Barns” led to one of the top jams of the night, with the visually explosive light show from Andrew Lincoln offering the perfect dose of psychedelic luminescence to layer over the band. “Take Cover” and “Tarpology” both left plenty of room for improvisation, entrancing the audience as they filled every minute. The show concluded with another Stress Dreams track, “Until I Sing,” with the audience praising the band one last time before heading out into the bitter winter night, a little warmer thanks to The Infamous Stringdusters and Greensky Bluegrass. Stream the show via Archive.org.

    Greensky Bluegrass setlist via Camp Greensky

    Set 1: Jaywalking, New and Improved, Do Harm, Train Junkie, Worry For You*, Bont’s Breakdown, Do It Alone, Living Over
    Set 2: Monument, Beauty and Pain, Old Barns^, Kerosene+, Take Cover, Against the Days, Tarpology, Windshield
    Encore: Until I Sing
    * debut
    ^ new arrangement
    + “Let it Grow” (Grateful Dead) tease

    Greensky Bluegrass photos via Zak Radick

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features North Side Sound, The Grandstand Jockeys, River Costa And More

    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 North Side Sound, The Grandstand Jockeys, River Costa, and many more!

    North Side Sound

    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.

    North Side Sound

    Four-piece Albany band North Side Sound is gearing up to release their EP, Take My Time, on January 28. It’s unclear whether they’ll be on the project, but in 2021 they released singles “Five” and “Dive Deep.” The former centers around an upbeat guitar riff, with hints of reggae not unlike No Doubt. The latter is mellow for most of its runtime, before exploding in its final third.

    The Grandstand Jockeys

    Hailing from Waterford, the Grandstand Jockeys are preparing for their upcoming album Place, out February 12. “Now You Do,” the first track off their 2021 debut EP WIN, is expected to make the cut. The band has described their sound as a “Tom Petty joining Nirvana and Queens of the Stone Age.”

    River Costa

    Independent singer-songwriter River Costa has released her EP, Mallely’s Lonely Time on Makeout Point. The first song, “Tumultuous,” is about a relationship she has trouble defining. Even though she’s excited about what the future holds, she also has doubts, fears, and even occasional apathy. Costa has also performed as a backup singer for the band Niksen.

  • Grateful Dead bring back the Boys Club In Buffalo: January 20, 1979

    By the time the Grateful Dead “trucked up to Buffalo” in January of 1979, the walls had already begun to crumble on this particular incarnation of the band. The end was nigh for Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux with their last show as members not even a month away now. And for tonight’s show, there would be no Donna Jean at all, making it a “boys only” performance, giving Deadheads a possible glimpse of what’s to come in the near future.

    “Promised Land” serves as a fun little opener but this show takes off with the “Sugaree” that follows. The band gets into a relaxed groove immediately and it’s flavored with a trifecta of sublime guitar solos, courtesy of Jerry Garcia, each one growing with intensity. This carries over to a “Peggy-O” later in the set that seems to start off slower than usual but still winds up with a beautiful peak. And the writing certainly seemed to be on the walls for the all-too-fitting “Its All Over Now” that follows with its “I used to love her” lyrics.

    Dead Buffalo

    The first set at Shea’s also features a “Jack-A-Roe” that has some shaky footing early but gets ironed out nicely with Garcia dropping another couple of slick runs on lead guitar with Bob Weir firmly in command on rhythm. The two pair up again nicely on a “New Minglewood Blues” that comes next and gets stretched out a little before a short but ferocious “Jack Straw” wraps up the set.

    For those who were at last week’s show in Utica, well, the second set tonight would begin the same exact way with an opening pairing of “I Need A Miracle” and “Bertha.” The “Miracle” almost seems to be cut a little short or “rip corded,” in the parlance of our times. But a spirited “Bertha” flows effortlessly into a cover of The Young Rascals’ “Good Lovin’” that has the Buffalo crowd screaming in delight. Things finally cool down a little with a “Loser” that’s played more than ably but seems a little misplaced here mid-second set.

    Dead Buffalo

    The latter part of this particular Buffalo show is vintage Grateful Dead and features something that those who were there would be able to brag about for years to come. It all begins with an “Estimated Prophet” that fires on all cylinders early before settling into a mellow, soulful jam with the bottom end handled nimbly by bassist Phil Lesh. As the mellowness fades and the tempo picks up, he helps steer the jam seamlessly into “The Other One” that gets a round of applause from Shea’s. This yields a jam that quickly goes deep until it’s just Garcia and the drummers remaining, with parrying back and forth. Naturally, this gives way to the “Drums” portion of the evening, with these three songs producing a full 30 minutes-plus worth of sonic wizardry.

    After the band reemerges for a brief “Space” with its usual noodle-y nonsense, they immediately go back and complete “The Other One” and its final verse. Instead of raging on afterwards, instead the jam dwindles down to nothingness before the iconic opening notes of “Dark Star” ring out. Deadheads would need to savor this one though as this seminal tune would not be played for another 238 shows, not returning until almost three years later.

    From “Dark Star” it almost sounds as if the music wants to return back once more to “The Other One” but instead Garcia starts up the opening chords of “Not Fade Away” as the show begins to come to a close. The set ends with a “Sugar Magnolia” that’s spurred on by clapping from the ever-engaged Shea’s Theatre before Weir belts out another one with “One More Saturday Night.” The tour would then head Midwest afterwards, officially bringing the end of a Grateful Dead era to the East Coast.

    Grateful Dead Shea’s Theatre – Buffalo, NY 1/20/79

    Set 1: Promised Land, Sugaree, El Paso, Peggy-O, It’s All Over Now, Jack-A-Roe, New Minglewood Blues, Stagger Lee, Jack Straw

    Set 2: I Need A Miracle > Bertha > Good Lovin’, Loser, Estimated Prophet > The Other One > Drums > Space > Dark Star > Not Fade Away > Sugar Magnolia

    E: One More Saturday Night

  • Premiere: Utican Nick Vanderwood Releases New Single “Little Vacation”

    Nick Vanderwood has finally announced a music video for his single “Little Vacation,” set to premiere on January 21st. Vanderwood, who wrote the song at the onset of the pandemic, shot the video over 24 hours, documenting his own stay-cation in California.

    Nick Vanderwood on the beach at sunset in a still from the “Little Vacation” music video. Photo via Nick Vanderwood.

    Vanderwood and his team from MSG Productions were satisfied with the “joy and beauty” they were able to capture in the video. But not everything is sunshine and beaches. Video co-director Luke Sunderlin described the narrative challenge of making sure the video was more than just a happy montage.

    “We didn’t want to have a video of Nick just frolicking in the sun,” Sunderlin said. “We wanted to tell a story. We wanted the audience to feel the way Nick was feeling.” 

    Sunderlin went on to state exclusively to NYS Music: 

    From the outset, the goal was to deliver a video that captures not only the sensations of a euphoric escape from everyday life, but also the simultaneously present forces of both nostalgia, and momentary bliss, that seem to paradoxically color the experience of taking a vacation. We wanted our visuals to demonstrate the ecstasy of being immediately present in these spaces, while at the same time participating in the crafting of a what-will-be memory. 

    Nick Vanderwood

    To create that paradox, Sunderlin said they decided to focus on Vanderwood’s journey to enter a new, beautiful space on a “Little Vacation.” The introduction of the video includes samples from candid audio recordings, which Sunderlin shared he used “to emulate the initial distress happening within our character that motivated his journey in the first place.”

    Currently, Vanderwood is hard at work on his debut solo album, recording at Big Blue North Studio in Utica. Outside of his solo work, Vanderwood is also the lead singer for Trampoline Jet Stream. Vanderwood released his most recent solo piece, a cover of “Because” by the Beatles, last year. The artist said he plans to continue exploring his musical narrative through music videos, and said he will continue to work under his solo name.

    You can stream “Little Vacation” above, and on all music platforms this Friday, as well as watch the official music video on his YouTube channel where Vanderwood will host a live video premiere.

  • In Focus: The Campbell Brothers, Live at Caffe Lena

    On Saturday, January 15, The Campbell Brothers played a high energy set for a small Caffe Lena crowd that braved the elements to make it out. The self-described church music group rocked Caffe Lena with their unique style that combined funk, soul, gospel, folk, and everything in between. The Campbell Brothers’ energy was contagious and the small cold crowd helped sing along to their entire hour and fifteen minute set.

    campbell brothers

    To get a real sense of what The Campbell Brothers’ music is all about by listening, check out this clip of “Morning Train” from 2011.

    The Campbell Brothers’ set included “Morning Train” and a number of other energetic tunes including “I’ve Got a Feeling,” “Hell No,” “Heaven Yes,” and “Jump for Joy”. This clip of “Morning Train,” though, is a perfect representation of the tone, mood, and level of musicianship present at the show on Saturday night.

    Whether it was Phillip’s touch on guitar, Denise’s powerful vocals, or Chuck’s superb control on the pedal steel, The group hit notes that anyone can enjoy. Their simple hooks made it easy for the crowd to learn the lyrics and sing along with Denise throughout the night.

    campbell brothers

    There is no substitute for witnessing their music performed live in person, and it is an experience that music lovers will crave again and again. So the next time The Campbell Brothers morning train rolls into your town, the only question you need to ask yourself is, “how many tickets am I buying?” Also, be sure to check them out on Facebook.

  • The Jess Novak Band delivers 2022 Mantra in “The Key”

    Jess Novak and The Jess Novak Band are gearing up for a big year with the release of their new music video, “The Key.” Written and recorded by The Jess Novak Band at Hobin Studios, the second track off of their 2021 album release, “A Thousand Lives,” seeks to inspire listeners everywhere.

    In its lyricism and upbeat instrumentation, “The Key” tackles themes such as baggage, trauma, and moving on. Lyrics like “If the ground keeps crumbling, then get some wings/You gotta rise to survive this thing” metaphorically express how the world may be a cruel and unfair place, however, we have the power to let go of the things weighing us down and reach our goals.

    This song is all about choosing to let go of the things holding you back and to embrace your own power. It’s a declaration that “you can do it” – and you can. Whatever IT is, I hope 2022 is your year to make it happen.

    Jess Novak

    The video itself, recorded and produced by Lights on Fayette, features brilliant color in up to 4k resolution. Novak has previously worked with the studio while filming her music video for “The Joke.”

    “The Joke” – The Jess Novak Band

    Alongside this release, Jess Novak has announced February show dates throughout upstate New York, where you can catch her solo or duo performances live.

    Thursday, February 3 – Twitch – twitch.tv/jessnovakmusic – 9:30 a.m. – SOLO
    Thursday, February 3 – The Village Tavern – Marcellus, NY – 8 p.m. – DUO
    Friday, February 4 – Bellevue Country Club – Syracuse, NY – 7 p.m. – SOLO
    Saturday, February 5 – Stinger’s – Manlius, NY – 6 p.m. – SOLO
    Sunday, February 6 – Hops Spot – Syracuse, NY – 11 a.m. – DUO
    Thursday, February 10 – Twitch – twitch.tv/jessnovakmusic – 9:30 a.m. – SOLO
    Thursday, February 10 – Steamers – Oswego, NY – 6 p.m. – DUO
    Friday, February 11 – TK Tavern – Camillus, NY – 7 p.m. – DUO
    Saturday, February 12 – Battle Island – Fulton, NY – 11 a.m. – DUO
    Saturday, February 12 – DiPrinzio’s – Clayton, NY – 7 p.m. – SOLO
    Sunday, February 13 – Brian’s Landing – Jamesville, NY – 11:30 a.m. – DUO
    Monday, February 14 – Hops Spot – Clayton, NY – 6 p.m. – SOLO
    Thursday, February 17 – Twitch – twitch.tv/jessnovakmusic – 9:30 a.m. – SOLO
    Thursday, February 17 – Al’s Wine and Whiskey – Syracuse, NY – 10 p.m. – JNB
    Friday, February 18 – Piggy Pat’s – New Hartford, NY – 7 p.m. – DUO
    Saturday, February 19 – The Sting – Oswego, NY – 9 p.m. – SOLO
    Sunday, February 20 – Brian’s Landing – Jamesville, NY – 11:30 a.m. – DUO
    Thursday, February 24 – Twitch – twitch.tv/jessnovakmusic – 9:30 a.m. – SOLO
    Thursday, February 24 – Bluewater Grill – Skaneateles – 7 p.m. – SOLO
    Friday, February 25 – Gibby’s – Oswego, NY – 8 p.m. – DUO
    Saturday, February 26 – Lukin’s – Utica, NY – 10 p.m. – JNB
    Sunday, February 27 – Skaneateles Brewery – Skaneateles, NY – 2 p.m. – SOLO
    Tuesday, March 1 – The Finish Line – Brewerton, NY – 6 p.m. – SOLO

    For more information on music and shows click here.

    You can also catch Jess Novak live every Thursday at 9:30 AM EST on her Twitch channel.

  • SNL returns with “West Side Story” star Ariana Debose, Bleachers, and Eric Adams in NYC-centric episode

    For the first episode of 2022, SNL welcomed Ariana Debose to host, along with Jack Antonoff’s Bleachers as musical guest. Debose won a Golden Globe earlier this week for her performance as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” and gained additional honors as the 200th woman since 1975 to host the NBC variety show.

    ariana debose SNL Bleachers

    During her monologue, Debose was joined by veteran cast member Kate McKinnon for a medley of “West Side Story” numbers, including “Tonight,” “Something’s Coming” and “America;” during “I Feel Pretty” the pair fist bumped following the famous line “I feel pretty and witty and gay!”

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

    The show began with “Message from the President” and featured new cast member James Austin Johnson as President Joe Biden blaming the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19 on too many people seeing “Spiderman: No Way Home.” Biden at one point wondered if there were other President Biden’s in the multiverse, leading Pete Davidson to arrive as a Biden variant from another universe.

    Local business commercials in the New York Metro area were spoofed by Davidson and Chloe Fineman, who advertised their shop for prom and formal wear in “Formal Emporium,” with featured player Andrew Dismukes as their nerdy son.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QoH_oYaN6M

    Chris Redd made his debut as new New York City Mayor Eric Adams, in a NY1 press conference sketch where Adams made his arrival to the podium with Mase’s “Feel So Good”as walk on music. Adams bragged about the swag he brings to the office and gave stark comparison to the predecessor, who was never parodied on SNL in his eight prior years in office. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7igRfDC1YQ

    Jack Antonoff’s NYC-based indie-pop group Bleachers performed an energetic “How Dare You Want More,” off 2021’s Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night, and was performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last year. Mark ‘Rat’ Ratner Antonoff was joined by singer-songwriter Blu DeTiger on bass, Claud on keys and Rick Antonoff, Jack’s dad, on guitar.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnn-pBhmUX4

    The Sound of Music has been a regular musical sketch number on SNL, appearing in sketches twice in the last four years. Debose’s Broadway chops were on display in “Governess” where a widower, Kenan Thompson, hired DeBose to teach his children, who sang a take on “Do-Re-Mi.”

    For Bleachers’ second song, Antonoff’s 2020 collaboration with Bruce Springsteen, “Chinatown,” was featured, with Claud shifting to guitar. Antonoff recently confirmed that he will release a new Bleachers album, the group’s fourth, by the end of the year.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3hEhMMfUJo

    Rapper Roddy Ricch was originally scheduled as musical guest this evening but had to withdraw due to members of his team being exposed to COVID-19. SNL returns on January 22 with host Will Forte and musical guest Måneskin.

    One sketch that was cut for time, “All On Me,” features a rapper (Chris Redd) performs a song with his entourage (Ariana DeBose, rapper Freddie Gibbs, Kenan Thompson) after signing a major deal.

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features ShortWave RadioBand, Paul Moody And Many More

    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 Shortwave RadioBand, Paul Moody, Hanzolo, and many more!

    shortwave radioband

    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.

    ShortWave RadioBand

    Last week, ShortWave RadioBand released their newest single, “SomeDay.” An upbeat rock song about looking ahead to brighter days, the accompanying music video is on its way.  “SomeDay” follows the Schuylerville trio’s debut single, “Don’t Care,” which previously featured on EQXposure in November 2021. Listeners can expect the band to release their first EP later this year.

    Paul Moody

    Continuing this week’s theme of positivity, singer-songwriter Paul Moody has released “Letting Light In.” The calming folk song is about being receptive to new connections and relationships, particularly with one special person: “I was king of the lonesome, but I gave up the throne / For what good is a kingdom, when you rule all alone?”. While its melody is simple, the song crescendos into a sweeping instrumental halfway, almost mimicking the blooming of sunflowers.

    Hanzolo

    “Goldmine,” the opening song on Hanzolo’s self-titled album, expertly blends soul, funk and pop. There’s rarely a dull moment on the four-minute track, which smoothly glides along and promises plenty of replay value. Hanzolo, a seven-piece alt-funk band, sounds current and clean while still drawing upon retro influences like Motown.

  • The Grateful Dead Bring A Touch of Heat To Utica: January 14, 1979

    Today marks the anniversary of one of the last Grateful Dead shows ever to take place in Utica. It comes at a time that’s the end of an era, so to speak, as Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux’s final shows with the band would take place the following month in February before keyboardist Brent Mydland’s tenure began soon after. It’s not a very widely circulated show by any means; the lone audio copy is far from pristine and, supposedly, technical issues plagued the concert that night. It’s the third of four shows that the Dead would play at Utica Memorial Auditorium and one of the final times that fans in New York, and the Northeast for that matter, would be able to see the Godchauxs on stage.

    Dead Utica

    In a fitting nod to the locale and season, the Grateful Dead greet Utica Memorial Auditorium with “Cold Rain And Snow.” The rowdy auditorium crowd eats it up, whistling and clapping endlessly throughout. A couple of crisp runs from Jerry Garcia on guitar give way to some engaged harmonies by song’s end, starting the show off nicely. First set stalwart “New Minglewood Blues” follows with the Utica faithful still very much engaged, taking the collective whistling of approval to another level. “Dire Wolf” does little to temper the audible energy, with Garcia’s signature guitar solo showing plenty of pep in its step. Bob Weir then tags back in on lead vocals for a jazzy “Me And My Uncle” which flows seamlessly into a rather percussive “Big River,” a song pairing that started the previous year and would remain popular for the rest of the Grateful Dead’s career.

    grateful dead utica

    The breakneck speed of all the songs after the opener finally comes to a halt with “They Love Each Other,” played very much in its low tempo format, lending itself much better to Donna Jean’s vocal harmonies which are also prominently featured alongside Weir for the emotional “Looks Like Rain” that comes next. A top notch “Brown Eyed Women” with a few more remarkable runs by Garcia up and down the fretboard follows, although it’s marred a little by some audio difficulties on the recording. The first set then begins to wrap up with a cover Bobby Womack’s “It’s All Over Now,” perhaps foreshadowing the upcoming end of an era. It’s a spirited version though, with Garcia and Keith Godchaux on piano trading fills back and forth. After a run through the folksy “Jack-A-Roe,” a regular cover at future Garcia solo gigs, the set comes to a close with another legendary pairing of songs “Lazy Lightning” and “Supplication.” The jam connecting the two is very much energetic, heavily psychedelic and fueled with extensive work on the drums from the Rhythm Devils, a great sign for the second set to come.

    After a set break to rehydrate and reenergize, the second part of the show begins with somewhat of a first set feel to it. “I Need A Miracle” has a slightly extended Garcia-driven jam neatly attached to it which builds the platform for a launch into a boisterous “Bertha.” The communal good vibes keep moving along into a customarily raucous cover of “Good Lovin’” with Weir taking his usual liberties with vocals before “Stagger Lee” mellows things out a tad.

    Finally, for a show bereft of much deep end improvisation, the next few numbers do their best to make up for it. The composed section of “Estimated Prophet” is played to near perfection, minus some off kilter early Garcia vocals, before later devolving into near silence (with the exception of more whistlers) for a soaring, exploratory jam that literally builds itself from the ground up. As the pace reaches a crescendo, some familiar guitar chords begin to seep through and the Dead are off and running in Utica with a blisteringly quick “Eyes Of The World.” Garcia dazzles once more in the song’s first jam with a jaw-dropping flurry of notes that can’t seemingly be played any faster. The second one is dominated by the rhythm section of bassist Phil Lesh and the drummers so, naturally, this makes its way into the “Drums” portion of the evening, shining the spotlight on Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart for a while.

    View this and more Grateful Dead shows from across the years in New York State with our interactive map below!

    A rather choppy-starting “Iko Iko” slowly but surely emerges from “Drums” and it’s played at a much slower tempo than it would be in the years to follow, making for an interesting early version. At its conclusion, the familiar noodley opening jam of “The Other One” begins to develop before Lesh’s thunderous opening bass riff confirms it. It’s a short but sweet take that serves as the evening’s last true dip into psychedelia.

    Oddly there would be no encore for this show. Instead it wraps up with the lead singers going back and forth one last time. First, Garcia leads the band through a soulful “Black Peter” before Weir does the same for a show-closing cover of Chuck Berry’s “Around And Around” that has both he and Donna Jean trading lyrics back and forth by song’s end.

    Grateful Dead – Utica Memorial Auditorium – Utica, NY 1/14/79

    Set 1: Cold Rain And Snow, New Minglewood Blues, Dire Wolf, Me And My Uncle > Big River, They Love Each Other, Looks Like Rain, Brown Eyed Women, It’s All Over Now, Jack-A-Roe, Lazy Lightnin’ > Supplication

    Set 2: I Need A Miracle > Bertha > Good Lovin’, Stagger Lee, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World > Drums > Iko Iko > The Other One > Black Peter > Around And Around