The Last Waltz 2022 concert tour with Warren Haynes kicked-off with two excellent shows on November 3rd & 4th at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. I was determined to see at least one show on the tour. Looking at the schedule, that show had to be at Proctors Theatre on Saturday, November 5 in Schenectady.
Proctors is one of the nicest theatres I have been to in New York State and may even be one of the nicest theatres in the US. The architecture, the history, the restoration, the sound quality, the staff, everything about Proctors Theatre makes it a special venue to see a performance such as The Last Waltz.
Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson were The Band. Their Thanksgiving concert 1976 was filmed live at the Winterland Arena in San Francisco and the concert became a celebration. The film became The Last Waltz. If you’re a fan of The Band, if you want to see & hear great timeless music, you just know, the music & songs from The Last Waltz, it’s going to be special.
The Last Waltz 2022 at Proctors Theatre included Warren Haynes, Jamey Johnson, Kathleen Edwards, Anders Osborne, Dave Malone, John Medeski, Cyril Neville, Terence Higgins, Bob Margolin and Mark Mullins & the Levee Horns. The band will be joined by Taj Mahal & Don Was and other musicians at future dates. The song selections and arrangements were both familiar and unique.
My friend mentioned that he thought the 2022 horn arrangements closely followed the original 1976 Last Waltz horn charts arranged by Allen Toussaint. The Levee Horns played true to the New Orleans sound. The set lists will vary slightly from show to show. The concert highlights are far too many to count. Terence Higgins on drums is extraordinary. For me, Jamey Johnson’s vocals, especially on ‘Georgia’, Kathleen Edwards multi-instrumental musicianship & and her vocals on Bob Dylan’s ‘Forever Young’ were heart felt and everyone together on Dylan’s ‘I Shall Be Released’, that was excellent.
The tour continues November 9 the at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, CT and wraps-up on December 4 the at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. Along the way, there will be performances in Boston, DC, Richmond, Atlanta, Florida and Oakland, CA. This is one of those must-see 2022 concert performances. If you’re local or within travelling distance, this concert should not be missed. Find more on the Last Waltz 2022 concert series here.
The Center of The Arts in Homer hosted an astounding show on Saturday, November 5 with well known tribute band The Machine performing Pink Floyd. With a 30+ year legacy of extending the voice of Pink Floyd, The Machine continues to carry on the reputation of the British rock band that began in 1965.
The Machine is a New York based group of four, expanding the Floyd reputation of the 1970’s. The band consists of drummer Tahrah Cohen, electric guitarist Ryan Ball, pianist Scott Chasolen and lead singer and guitarist Chris Deanglis. The group performs in memory of Joe Pascarell, who founded the band back in 1988.
The Machine put on a show and performed some of Pink Floyd’s top hits, “Comfortably Numb,” “Wish You Were Here,” and many others from album Dark Side of The Moon, released in 1973. The album was conceived as a concept of mental health regarding former original band member Syd Barrett who left the group in 1968.
Overall The Machine performs Pink Floyd plays with such accuracy, it’s truly outstanding the band has been able to continue the legacy and importance of Pink Floyd which has greatly impacted the music community. Playing all around the world, sold out shows and growing their audience. The Machine has truly become a tribute phenomenon.
NYC-based artist Alexa Dark released her new Old Hollywood-inspired indie rock single “Cool For You” from her upcoming debut EP.
Photo by West Webb.
Alexa Dark is a Spanish/American multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter raised between Barcelona, Munich, London, and NYC. Her music takes inspiration from her multi-background upbringing. She started writing music and poetry at a young age. Dark began performing live in London, then moved to NYC and released her first song “Fade to Black and Blue” in 2021.
Her upcoming EP will focus on her villain origin story through the lens of a â60s, Bondlike, French new wave film, where the singer goes from heartbroken starlet to a dark feminine, mysterious siren. Through this new era, Dark comments on the nature of feminity and the shadows of oneself, where the enemy is someone’s life is actually them.
“Cool For You” is a dark indie rock anthem, with Dark’s haunting vocals shining through. The song is produced by Matt Chiaravalle, who has worked with the likes of Warren Zevon and Debbie Harry. The lyrics are vampy and set the tone of the Old Hollywood scene. The lyrics “You’re nostalgia/In a black velvet suit/I pick my persona/Like you pick your shoes,” help create a scene in your mind as you listen. Dark tries to be an interesting person to the other person she is describing as she sings “I try to be cool for you/I try not to break in two/But I do.”
Alexa Dark is making a name for herself coming up on her new EP, as she is creating a cult following on apps like TikTok and Instagram, and she doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.
Native to New York City, Craig Greenberg has been heavily involved in the region’s music scene for over a decade and a half. Greenberg has channeled the spirit of classic alternative and soul musicians, such as Billy Joel, Ben Folds and Randy Newman, while blending their influences with new narratives concomitant to his experiences, in his music.
Craig Greenberg
While his performances on stage in New York City-based venues have harnessed crowds of music fans in the Metro area, the timeline of his works begins in 2007, after the release of his rock debut EP The World and Back. Three years later, his second debut EP Spinning in Time receiving national airplay helps to conjure momentum to his career, following his third release (as well as his first full length album) The Grand Loss & Legacy being covered by Huffington Post and ranking the top of RELIX’s Top 30 Radio albums chart.
2015 “The Grand Loss & Legacy” Album Cover
His 2020 album Phantom Life carries tracks conveying a blend of sounds derived from pop and rock, and lyrical sentiments wielding an axis on life obstacles and opportunities. The Between the Sea and the Sky EP is set to be released on December 16, 2022.
Greenberg’s most recent piece is his single “Quarantine Queen” from September, 2022, which emerged from the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and touches on the frustrations he experienced in his dating life, living in NYC. Craig sat down with NYS Music to discuss his discography and upcoming release of Between the Sea and the Sky.
Heather Occhino: I came across your website and I was reading your bio just to find out more about your background as an artist, so I wanted to ask you, what made you initially pursue a career in music?
Craig Greenberg: Well I actually feel the path chose me.. When I graduated from college and I was mainly just a guitar player I didn’t think I was up for the lifestyle of being a musician. I tried out other creative areas (including comedy writing) and also considered studying creativity for a graduate degree in psychology. It wasn’t until I finished my first few full songs that it started to click in my head that I could actually do it. And then a couple years later when I got my first gig singing in bars (while living abroad in South America), that was my no turning back point.
HO: I read in your bio that your independent work of pop/Americana music started with your ‘The World and Back’ EP back in 2007. What drove you to make music within that genre (were you involved in that music scene growing up?)
CG: I didn’t set out to make music in that genre.. I just got labeled that way. I actually think “Americana” is used as a default when there isn’t a more apt description or if the reviewer is lazy (lol). As far as the “pop” description, I think I’ve always had a good sense of writing hooky melodies, so maybe that’s where that came from.
HO: Going more into your biography on your website, I also saw that your debut album, “The Grand Loss & Legacy” was included in a publication by the Huffington Post and received national airplay and was ranked in another publication as being in the Top 30 Radio albums. (Congratulations) How did that momentum impact you and what did it mean for your career, moving forward from that point?
CG: Well it certainly put me on the map in terms ofindustry recognition.. especially from the singles “That Girl is Wrong for You”, and “Death on the Liberty Line” that got praise from the HuffPost and Relix magazine and received airplay around the country. And that album also gave me confidence to move closer to what my band sounds like live, a more raw and rocking sound. That was rewarding and liberating!
HO: Your latest single that came out last month on the 30th is called “Quarantine Queen”. Is it intended to be about anyone in particular, perhaps someone dear to you in your life?
CG: Well, sometimes my songs are true stories, sometimes they’re based on a true story, and sometimes they’re complete fiction. Quarantine Queen would fall in the last category. It came out of a lonely period during the early days of the pandemic in NYC. I was frustrated with the reality of dating during those weird times and wrote a song about my dream companion to spend lockdown with.
HO: Is this song set to be part of your upcoming EP to be released in December?
CG: Yes
HO: I read that your music reflects the experiences you are going through. That leads me into my next question, which is, do you find that the emotional tones you inject in your music are part of a more spontaneous creative process or do you usually plan prior on what type of energy a project is going to deliver?
CG: I find that the emotional feeling in my songs can come out of my experience, but also could be just a mood I’m in, but for sure it’s never planned in advance–I never sit down and say I want to write a song about this or that topic. Generally I sit at the piano (or guitar) and just see where the feeling in the moment takes me. Though when making an album, the songs I choose to record may be based on wanting to have a variety of mood and energy to give it range.
HO: When and where do you plan on performing next?
CG: Rockwood Music Hall, Dec 21st – it will be the EP release show!
HO: In the last part of your bio, I read that you performed with prominent musicians such as Mike Gordon of Phish, Jackson Browne and Victor DeLorenzo from Violent Femmes. Do you plan on working with musicians like the ones just mentioned again and what has the experience of performing with big names given you?
CG: Well, I would jump at the chance to perform with any of them again. Aside from Jackson Browne, who I’ve had the extreme privilege of getting to know a bit and performing with a few times over the years, the others were more random occurrences. Victor DeLorenzo was at a songwriting event I attended for many years in the mid-west, and we have many musical friends in common, so there’s a decent chance our paths will cross again.
The simple definition of a troubadour is that of a poet bringing lyrics to song. Gene Casey’s music has been captivating the East-end of Long Island for decades. During the first week in November, I had the honor to interview Gene Casey on The Long Island Sound podcast. A self-defined Roots-Rock, Alt-Country musician, Casey and the Lone Sharks deliver a show to behold. Gene’s deep baritone voice smoothly moves between covers of Cash and Presley to his vast catalog of original songs.
The Lone Sharks – The Bar Band of the Hamptons
Most of my interviews are done virtually, which provides a speed-dating type of vibe, which allows a deep dive into the artist behind the music. As luck would have it, Gene Casey and the Lone Sharks were playing in my backyard, at a venue in Bay Shore, called Fire Island Vines. The crowd thoroghly enjoyed the show and could not wipe the smiles off their faces.
Well-known as the “Bar band of the Hamptons” Gene and his troupe ventured West. The Lone Shark’s lineup includes Chris Ripley (drums), Tom Hopkins (Upright Bass), Paul Scher (Tenor Sax) and Gene Casey (Lead Guitar). Gene’s performance harkened my mind back to a time when a 1950’s four-piece could provide the big sound and the simplicity of arrangement that draws you into another time and place, allowing you to forget the troubles of the day.
Stellar Performance
I was captivated by Friday night’s performance. Gene is a master entertainer, connecting and cajoling the audience as several danced to his Rockabilly rhythms. His song, “I love what I do”, is a memorable diddy well worth the download.
During Gene’s podcast episode, we were able to gaze into his songwriting process, his sojourns to Nashville, and adventurous career.
In 2014, Gene and the Long Sharks received the Long Island sound Award by the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, “for contributions to the Island’s musical landscape.” Over the years, Gene’s music has been on the soundtracks of television shows and featured films. Gene Casey has shared the bill backing legends of Rock & Roll acts such as The Band, Wanda Jackson and Bo Diddley
Songwriting Style
I queried Gene about his Alt-Country and Roots-Rock writing style:
Writing a country song. And I liked that, because, you know, just get to the point, back up the point and move along. Lyrically, yep. And it’s not easy to do. Because there’s no filler, no waste, you got to be every syllable, every syllable in a Hank Williams song is there for a good reason. There’s nothing, no waste.
Gene Casey
Gene and the Lone Shark’s dance card is full these days. Besides the various gigs and shows Gene hosts “Down Home Country” on WUSB 90.1FM, as the alternate host for this long running radio program covering a century of Country Music every other Sunday.
If you want to Rock the Town during the holiday season, there’s one Rock & Roll Christmas show not to be missed at the Suffolk Theater in Riverhead, NY. This annual holiday event dubbed “A Rockabilly Christmas” features the great Jason D. William, his pumpin’ piano along with Gene and the Lone Sharks.
For most 15-year-old musicians, playing Carnegie Hall is a feat, marked by years of strife, effort, apprehension and excitement. It’s the event of a lifetime, a venue that represents decades of tradition in music and excellence. Most 15-year-olds won’t know the pressure of playing Carnegie Hall. But for bassoonist Dmytro Tishyn, playing Carnegie Hall on November 20 with the New York Youth Symphony is far from the first thing on his mind. In February 2022, Dmytro Tishyn hoisted a backpack and his bassoon onto his back and boarded a 24-hour train ride to Poland as a refugee, leaving his Ukranian home, parents, grandparents and brother behind.
Instead of looking at it as an evacuation, Tishyn looked at his three month departure from Ukraine — the days long train ride, the cab ride across Poland’s border, the three month long stay in Berlin — as an adventure.
That adventure has culminated with Tishyn taking the stage with the New York Youth Symphony, under Music Director Micahel Repper, with violinist Francisco Fullana. The concert will feature Gabrieela Lena Frank’s “Escaramuza,” Édouardo Lalo’s“Symphonie Espagnole,” featuring Fullana, Ari Sussman’s First Music Commission “I hope this finds you well” and Georges Bizet’s “L’Arlésienne Suite 1 & 2.”
The show is on Sunday, November 20 at 2 p.m. and tickets are starting at $18. Even though Carnegie Hall is a long way from Ukraine, Tishyn still manages to keep his family close. When he takes the stage on Sunday, it will be with his father’s bassoon.
Indie legends Flipturn made a stop in Buffalo on November 4 on their Shadowglow tour. The fun-filled night at Buffalo Ironworks was kicked off in true alt music fashion with The Brazen Youth. They played well-known classics as well as their hit song, “Center of Gravity.” The group got the crowd even more hyped up with the obvious Buffalo crowd pleaser: a Bills chant.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
When Flipturn took over the stage there was a shift in infectious energy and warmth. No matter how small or large the venue is, Flipturn always knows how to perform. There’re no limitations when this group takes over the stage. All that’s obvious is their connection with their fans. This band is built up by Dillon Basse (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Tristan Duncan (lead guitar), Madeline Jarman (bass), Mitch Fountain (synth), and Devon VonBalson (drums).
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Flipturn opened up their set with “The Fall” and “Playground,” off of their most recent album Shadowglow. Even though this album was just released a few months ago, fans at Buffalo Ironworks knew the latest lyrics top to bottom.
Flipturn manages to take their listeners on a journey when they play their music. Through summer drives and youthful bliss, there’s something cinematic in the experience of a Flipturn song. This band has grown up together in Florida and now plays songs that deal with the heavily relatability at being at a crossroad between young lust and the pressures of adulthood.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
The live experience only adds to the depth of their introspection between the head and the heart. This coalition Flipturn creates with their fans is one that is hard to pull away from. Even so, they closed out the night with fan favorites, “August,” and “Nickel.” It also happened to be Madeline’s birthday which was another layer of excitement for everyone.
Flipturn is continuing their tour and making another stop in NY at The Bowery Ballroom on November 9. They’re definitely a must see for indie/alt lovers!
Buffalo Ironworks has a lot of upcoming events including Nefesh Mountain on Novemebr 10 and Buku & G-Rex on Novemebr 11.
Setlist: The Fall, Playground, Chicago, Whales, Sad Disco, Halfway, Hippies, Six Below, Glistening, Goddamn, Take Care, Space Cowboy Encore: August, Nickel
The Kodak Center in Rochester on Friday, November 4th hosted the legendary Steve Vai. Playing this small city for the first time since he played at the same venue on the “Generation Axe” tour in 2018, this show was in support of his 2022 Inviolate album.
Steve Vai- Photo credit- Mike Miller
The band behind the sixty two year old Steve Vai hasn’t changed at all within the last nine years or so. Jeremy Colson on drums, Dave Weiner on guitar/sitar/acoustic has now added keys to his arsenal on the side of the stage, and rounded up by Philip Bynoe on six string bass guitar.
The beautiful venue had some tickets for sale at the door many fans were seen purchasing last minute. The lights dimmed down at the scheduled start time of 8pm, with a little call and response part while Steve was standing off to the side of the stage. He was getting the crowd to howl and sing along to the noises he was making with his trusty Ibanez Jem guitar, much like the start of the David Lee Roth classic “Yankee Rose” with the talking guitar or like his mentor Joe Satriani’s crowd chant.
Jeremy Colson
Steve finally walks onto the stage and after a little improv jam with the band then they immediately launch into a track called “Avalancha” from his new album. This is an upbeat number to kick off the show, lots of double bass drumming in this one with Jeremy attacking his Tama Starclassic drum set on this very melody driven song despite the rhythm shifts.
During the show Steve explained to the crowd he had to reschedule his tour due to an accident. He told the crowd he was making pizza in his pizza oven and injured his shoulder in the process. He thanked the crowd many times for attending as this venue was different than the originally scheduled one.
Dave Weiner
In total Steve played twenty songs for about a two hour set time. Each band member was given a solo spot thought the show. Drummer Jeremy started his drum solo with a didgeridoo which the crowd did not expect, but welcomed.
During the song, “Teeth of the Hydra”, Vai played a three-necked Ibanez guitar. Which is a twelve string neck, a seven string neck, and a bass neck. During “For the Love of God” Vai brought out his audio monitor engineer Danny G who sang opera for the first verse and chorus. Vai is currently on tour for another month.
Setlist: Avalanche, Giant Balls of Gold, Little Pretty, Tender Surrender, Lights Are On, Candlepower, Bass solo, Building the Church, Guitar solo, Greenish Blues, Bad Horsie, I’m Becoming, Whisper a Prayer, Dyin’ Day, Drum solo, Teeth of the Hydra, Zeus in Chains, Liberty, For the Love of God Encore: Fire Garden Suite I- Bull Whip
With just a few days before Election Day, Amy Schumer hosted Saturday Night Live with musical guest Steve Lacy making his SNL debut.
Opening with a satire of President Biden’s speech on democracy from earlier this week, James Austin Johnson as Biden brought up a cavalcade of ‘new’ Democratic candidates meant to appeal to younger voters, among them, Marianne Williamson, Guy Fieri, the guy from 6ix9ine, Azaliea Banks, and Tracy Morgan (Keenan Thompson).
Amy Schumer used her monologue for a few minutes of standup where she riffed about childbirth and her husband being diagnosed with autism as an adult.
Hitting home for many who have dealt with COVID and the week long isolation/quarantine that results, the COVID commercial featuring Sara Sherman was as timely as ever.
To perform on SNL, Steve Lacy had postponed shows in San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, Vancouver, Seattle and Portland on his Give You the World Tour. For his first song, Lacy performed “Bad Habit” off his second album Gemini Rights, released in July. The R&B vocalist and multi-instrumentalist performed in black leather pants and Geordi La Forge wrap around shades, with the Gemini Rights logo suspended behind him. Lacy, as well as the drummer and bassist wore white shirts with a single black S on them, making a dollar sign with their black ties hanging, a nod to the Dead Kennedys.
On Weekend Update, Tammy the Trucker (Cecily Strong) showed up to talk about gas prices (and definitely not abortion), much like how in November 2021 she showed up as Goober the Clown to talk about abortion. WU anchor Colin Jost noted voters are being driven by economic issues and not abortion, and Tammy responded with commentary on women’s rights and health care. The same deep and urgent message from last November was conveyed through truck driving references that intertwined concerns about the right for women to control their own bodies was being eroded, and ended with a call to action to vote on Tuesday.
As Weekend Update ended, SNL gave a nod to Migos rapper Takeoff (Kirshnik Khari Ball), who had performed on SNL in 2018.
A preview of the Bills/Jets game in the Meadowlands showed Jets fans (Andrew Dismukes, Thompson, Schumer, Strong) ripping on the visiting Bills fans, regardless of age or mobility. The casual chatting among the four of them would quickly devolve into taunting and heckling, giving heavy ‘Get Off the Shed’ vibes.
Lacy’s second performance of the night found he and his band in the same outfit, same narrow room effect but with a heavier Stevie Wonder vibe in both voice and tone of the song.
Following a “Big Penis Therapy” sketch that is worth watching, Schumer sported a Jews shirt during the goodnights, following wearing a VOTE VOTE VOTE sweater.
Next week SNL returns for a post-election episode with host Dave Chappelle – appearing post-election for the third time since 2016 – and musical guest Black Star.
The newest album from Lucas Garrett, Reaching Through Dreams, is as vulnerable as it is empowered. He released it slowly, first with a single, “Together,” on April 1, then four months later he released “So Many Times.” Finally, in September, Lucas Garrett put out the full six song album, and he’s now announced a release show for December 1. And what better backdrop for the upstate NY artist’s strange, fantastic sound than the historic Caffe Lena?
Reaching Through Dreams, Garrett’s third EP, evokes layers that he peels back delicately, like an onion. On the surface, the song is filled with synthy bass and the melody runs a harmonic minor key. It sounds like fall, like an early sunset, kind of spooky and kind of fun. Garrett’s deep voice rumbles and warbles through poetic verse and each line is delivered with interest and depth. The lyrics merge relationships with people and music, blurring the lines dividing each intimate exchange, like in the EP’s opener, “So Many Times:”
“Picking up your tune / your words turn to mine / I have tried so many times / to let it run free / but I know I will hear / all your melodies”
In addition to the moving lyrics, the guitar on the album is explosive and adds to the layers of each song. In the inspiration for Reaching Through Dreams, Garrett cited Bowie’s “Heroes,” Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely,” and the Beatles’ “Two Of Us.” He also listed songs from David Byrne and St. Vincent. With inspiration as varied in both genre and time period, it makes sense that the album’s sound is eclectic and hard to place.
Caffe Lena has been hosting iconic musicians before they were icons since it opened in 1960. As one of the first on the east coast to welcome Bob Dylan, the venue is continuing its tradition of putting lesser known, talented artists on with Lucas Garrett. Tickets are starting at $10, and the event will be in person and live streamed. Garrett’s album release show will run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on December 1; tickets are here.
