Saturday August 6th, brought Canadian rock band The Trews to Youngstown NY. They headlined the “Village Music Festival” which featured 11 bands in total. The weather made it a great day to enjoy live music outside at veterans park. There were food vendors, drinks, and local crafts for sale as well. A list of all the bands that played were as follows: Scott Celani, Moon Dogg, Phroendly Phoes, Dave Thurman, Tonemah, Busted in Eden, Rick Zachary, No Vacancy, Grub, Element and The Trews.
Band – “Element”
The Trews are a Canadian rock band from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, consisting of vocalist Colin MacDonald, guitarist John-Angus MacDonald, bassist Jack Syperek, and drummer Chris Gormley. The band is currently based in Hamilton, Ontario. From their formation in 1997 to 2016, The Trews were among the top 150 best-selling Canadian artists in Canada and among the top 40 selling Canadian bands in Canada.
Bass drum head
When The Trews took the stage, there were some technically problems with the sound. The PA was not turned on for the first two songs. But once that was fixed and the feedback issue they had fixed, the fans started to enjoy the music. The band handled any issues professionally and continued on with the show. There was a VIP section closer to the stage and a general admission section behind that. It was mostly filled with fans singing every word and drinking a cold beer.
The Trews guitarist
The Trews played for about an hour and a half as the sun was setting. The fanbase was a mix from old to the very young. This music festival is a yearly event in Youngstown NY and seemed to be a success this year. The setlist was as follows: “Permission”, “Not Ready to Go”, “So She’s Leaving”, “Can’t Afford to Be Lonely”, “Paranoid Freak”, “Hope & Ruin”, “I Wanna Play”, “Enemy”, “Highway of Heroes”, “God Speed Rebel”, “Can’t Stop Laughing”, “Poor Ol Broken Hearted Me”, “Tired of Waiting”, “Hold Me in Your Arms”.
Sunday, August 7, will go down in history as a euphoric night for the thousands of fans that saw Kendrick Lamar’s artistry at the UBS Arena. Although, The Big Steppers Tour has gone viral since last month, no one was prepared for the show they were about to experience.
photo by Lucas Kurzweil
Back in May, Lamar released his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers after five years, and according to his fans it was worth the wait. Therefore, when he announced his tour, it was a no brainer for thousands to see his masterpiece live.
To describe it as amazing is an understatement, when today a good percentage of mainstream rap music has become an outlet for hit singles and TikTok trends, rather than complete works of art. However, Lamar is far from a one hit wonder, and if anyone was uncertain of his creative skills, his latest album and tour undoubtedly proved otherwise.
photo by Lucas Kurzweil
Baby Keem, fellow rapper, who’s album charted at #5 on Billboard 200, performed a few of his hit songs including “Range Brothers” featuring Lamar, along with “16”, before passing the torch onto one of the most legendary rappers of all time. Lamar immediately started out strong leaving the crowd in awe, within the first 10 seconds.
Not only did Lamar perform songs from Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers like “N95”, “Count Me Out”, “Savior” and more, but other selections from his discography as well, including “Money Trees”, “Loyalty”, and” “m.A.A.d city”.
photo by Lucas Kurzweil
If anyone could have started August with such a bang, regardless of performing three nights in a row, it would be the one and only Kendrick Lamar. In addition to his iconic artistry seen through his effortless flow, unbelievable lyricism, and unmatched connection with his audience, Lamar along with his team’s choreography was nothing less than stellar. The unification in their dancing, as well as the incomparable acting captivated the audience, making it crystal clear that this was more than just a music show.
The hidden messages and subtle references Lamar made were only a fraction of what led this show to be such a dynamic experience. His creativity was otherworldly, as he displayed the arrows in his back, which represents his healing process during his darkest days, of carrying the pain he was not only baring from his own trials and tribulations, but of those he loves as well. Lamar even made being administered a COVID test mid-performance look undeniably astounding. Furthermore, his puppet act, which went perfectly with his choice of clothing that resembled a ventriloquist, gave the audience an essential point of view into the life of Lamar, as if he was looking into his own eyes. His fans could finally fully experience the true emotion of his album right alongside him.
Ultimately, Kendrick Lamar knew his tour had to make up for his time away from his loyal fans and he of course without question delivered a show to remember. If they did not know before, fans now understand why Lamar takes his time with his high-quality music. Therefore, next time around more will patiently wait since they know he will only produce some of the greatest gems ever in rap history.
With tears in their eyes, hands in the air, and feet leaving the ground jump by jump, Lamar’s fans were left starstruck from the very first second to the very last.
Setlist: United in Grief, N95, ELEMENT., Worldwide Steppers, Backseat Freestyle, Rich Spirit, HUMBLE., Father Time, m.A.A.d city, We Cry Together (Snippet), Purple Hearts, King Kunta, Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe (Remix), Die Hard, LUST.(Snippet), DNA., Count Me Out, Money Trees, LOVE., Alright, Mirror, LOYALTY., Silent Hill, family ties (Baby Keem cover) (with Baby Keem), Crown, Mr. Morale (with Tanna Leone), Savior
The identical twin brothers, Walter and Wagner Caldas of B2Wins headlined at Kopernik Park in Downtown Utica on Monday, July 11. The show was a Levitt Amp Utica Music Series segment funded by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation. In association with the humid weather, the B2Wins duo performed a fiery set bringing most in the crowd to their feet.
Far from a traditional band, B2Wins consists of Walter, who sings and plays the violin, and Wagner, who plays the ukulele and runs the soundboard. They have a unique style of music, ranging from hip-hop and reggae to classical and jazz. Previously, the Caldas twins resided in the slums of Brazil and then moved to America without knowing English. Never letting fear get in the way, they remained optimistic while battling to commence in the music industry before headlining shows themselves. They planted Brazillian roots in Utica before their next stop in Des Moines.
B2Wins began the set with warm, soft-to-the-ear classical music. Astonishing the crowd, they effortlessly covered popular songs by Bon Jovi, Louis Armstrong, Dua Lipa, and more. The crowd appeared blissful and danced throughout the entire set, despite the hot temperature. The brothers interacted with the audience through motivational speaking on behalf of culture and self-pride and encouraged everyone to get out of their seats to dance.
Closing the show, Wagner and Walter walked around the fence separating the stage from the crowd to perform. Eyes followed as they stood back to back, playing the ukulele and violin energetically while singing.
On Friday, July 22, Dan Gerken, known as Danger! Ken as a solo act, released his sophomore album, I’ll Do It Myself.
The 8-track album is available now to stream and share on Bandcamp, before eventually going live in a few weeks on Danger! Ken’s music website. Hailing from Averill Park, the NY-based artist is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer. I’ll Do It Myself is full of original music and Danger! Ken played every single instrument on the record – an impressive feat considering the range of instrumentation on the project.
The album begins with a synthesized dreamlike track, appropriately titled, “Intro,” that builds with percussion and backing vocals relying mostly on all instrumentation. Similar to the artist’s first track on his freshman album, Up is Down, this intro track allows listeners to get lost and focus on just the beats of the music. “Reach Out,” the second track on the album, begins with stretched-out vocals from Danger! Ken with interesting guitar riffs and drums underlying the lyrics. An electric guitar solo in the middle brings more energy to the song adding to its character.
Other songs such as “Secrets of Your Life,” and “Are You Comin’ With?” would be great additions to any radio song list with catchy beats. The latter is more lyric-heavy than some of the album tracks, with Danger! Ken singing, “All the days / gleaming sun upon my face / tell me it doesn’t have to end” to begin.
I’ll Do It Myself is a great representation of Danger! Ken’s talent and creativity as a solo artist. With the diversity in the instrumentation and elements of multiple genres, there is sure to be a favorite track for any listener on the album. Catch Danger! Ken at upcoming shows this summer, including at Ships Pub on August 19 and Slidin’ Dirty in Troy on September 3.
Take a listen to the full album on Bandcamp and more of Danger! Ken’s music is available to explore below.
Each Sunday evening from 7-9 pm 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 Wes Aldrich and Merci Van on EQXposure.
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.
Wes Aldrich- “Petty Kind,” “Door Beneath the Water” “Ina field with Goats”
Wes Aldrich writes from the heart with haunting melodies to upbeat pop rhythms. He is the lead guitarist, singer, and songwriter for his bands Hug the Dog and Ballroom Sofa. Three songs from his album Balance will be played on Sunday.
Merci Van- “Awkward Conversation” and “Red Riding Hood”
Merci Van is from Saratoga Springs and makes synth post-folk music. Members are Alicia Macier Van Scoy, Ed Cormac, and Katlyn Celentano. The new songs are off their Demos EP.
On July 26, Brooklyn-based alternative artist, producer, and performer, Hannah Sumner premiered the first video from her new monthly series, titled Plus One.
The series includes live in-studio duets with different instruments highlighted in each. The first video, “Moments,” features bassist Adam Neely. Neely contributes great sound which intertwines wonderfully with Sumner’s beautiful voice. The video, carefully shot by Studio 42 Productions, is simplistic in nature. Just featuring the two artists, a microphone, and bass with dim lighting, the video allows all the focus to be on the music and the talent behind it.
Every month, Hannah Sumner will release more Plus One videos featuring various artists and instrumentation. Listeners can expect to hear harp from Jacqueline Kerrod, guitar from Shubh Saran, drums from Josh Bailey, cello from Justin Abrams, and piano from Christian Li alongside Sumner’s vocals.
Earlier this past year, Sumner received a grant and residency from Nancy Manocherian’s The Cell Theatre. The Cell Theatre, founded in 2006, is a not-for-profit in Chelsea that helps artists from all career stages with creative works. The Plus One video series was born out of this experience and will be pressed to vinyl and available digitally. The Cell and Martin Finkle produced the series and Studio 42 recorded the shots.
Sumner has previously released works such as the single “Only You,” and two EPs: To The Almost and Guesthouse. The singer and songwriter has made quite the name for herself in the New York community, with performances at Barclays Center and National Sawdust.
Fans of the “Moments” video with Adam Neely can expect more video releases in the next coming month with some amazing talent. Stay tuned for the release of the next Plus One video, and take a listen to the first one, available below.
There’s been quite a buzz surrounding the Buffalo-based rock/jam quintet eberwine lately, seemingly out of nowhere. The band’s name has been popping up all around social media and summer festivals across the Empire State asking the question, “Who the heck is eberwine?” So who is eberwine? They’re the next band you need to see live.
The five-piece headed out this past weekend to honor the music of the Grateful Dead and Phish with a DeadPhish weekend that made stops at the Riverboat Bar in Alexandria Bay, Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs, and Flour City Station in Rochester. Each night, eberwine played one set of original material and one set of DeadPhish. Each show seeped in its own distinct vibe including a noted variation with the cover set setlist.
Post covid, the jam scene feels different. Fans are looking for something new and different. Enter eberwine. While people in the Buffalo jam scene have known about the band’s lead guitarist and frontman Todd Eberwine for years, eberwine may just be Western New York’s best-kept secret. And this weekend was their coming out party.
The band’s original material is rooted in rock and blues, but hidden among this traditional music lineage are hints of 90’s alternative rock greats like Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins. You can hear the influence of jam scene greats like the Dead or Phish, but eberwine doesn’t imitate. There’s a great sense of familiarity with the band’s original material; it sounds like everything you know but is unlike anything you’ve heard before. Even the band’s covers are unique. Eberwine isn’t trying to play like Jerry or Trey. His style floats in fluidity between dark, edgy intensity and moments of brightness and sheer joy. At times, he appears to be in a trance, as if the notes are coming from a place that only he can see. He’s captivating to watch.
And while the band carries Eberwine’s namesake (with obvious reason), the rest of the band’s personnel are equal contributors to the band’s live show. Bassist Pablo Zabrycki and drummer Jay Race add a deep, steady foundation that’s critical to the band’s groove and rhythmic sound. Guitarist and vocalist Aaron Ziolkowski creates layers of subtle harmonies with Eberwine on all accounts. For this three-day run, keyboardist Scott Molloy filled in for the band’s primary keyboard player who wasn’t able to play the shows due to other commitments. But you wouldn’t have known that by seeing any of the three shows. Molloy’s contributions were thoughtful in placement and flow. eberwine may be a “new band”, but these five are highly experienced, players who thrive in moments of improvisation. Like they’re social media accounts claim, they are in fact a “ROCK band that JAMS.”
Leftover Salmon stopped by the Rochester JCC’s summer concert series on Wednesday, August 3rd, with the Colorado band inviting up-and-coming artist Daniel Donato to close out each set. Donato and his band were in town for his show at Party In The Park on Thursday.
photo by Kyler Klix
Salmon kicked off the show with”Zombie Jamboree” and the lively song had people out of their seats right away. The venue was seated, but people could stand outside of the tent and dance.
The band played through a set that consisted of mostly originals and saving some cover songs to close the sets. Donate was invited on stage at the end of the first set to play a version of the Louvin Brothers’ “Cash On The Barrel Head” and closed the set with a rocking “Big Railroad Blues” (Noah Lewis cover), with Vince Herman pulling out the washboard vest to end it all.
The second set was filled with more originals and ended with another Donato sit in. The crowd was livelier and wanted to dance. They filled in the empty space in front of the stage after Herman invited them in. I don’t think the JCC planned to have that happen at their shows, but it felt more appropriate for the type of show Leftover Salmon puts on.
The band invited Donato back at the end and they played New Riders of the Purple Sage cover “I Don’t Know You.” Then they had everyone dancing like crazy with Salmon favorite “Ain’t Gonna Work” and they ended it with Waylon Jennings’ “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way.”
Leftover Salmon – Rochester JCC – Wednesday, August 3, 2022
Set One: Zombie Jamboree, Lonesome Road, Tu N’as Pas Aller, Get me out of the city, Mama Boulet, We’ll Get By, Light behind the Rain, Two Highways, Better Way, Cash on the Barrel Head?* (Louvin Brothers cover), Big Railroad blues* (Noah Lewis)
Set Two: Boulet, Midnight blues, Mountain Top, Hollerwood, Red Fox Run,m High Country, Foreign Fields, Freedom, I don’t know you * (New Riders of the Purple Sage cover), Ain’t Gonna work *, Are you sure Hank Done it this Way* (Waylon Jennings cover)
Born in the 80’s, Christian heavy metal band Stryper is back and touring in full force. They recently made a stop in at The L in Horseheads on July 24 in support of their “Calling on you Tour 2022,” in front of a packed house.
The current lineup consists of lead vocalist/guitar player and original founding member Michael Sweet, Oz Fox (guitar), Perry Richardson (bass) and Robert Sweet (drums.) Since their beginning the band has produced a amazing 14 albums and a strong following worldwide.
Before the show, NYS Music had a chance to Interview lead singer and founding member Michael Sweet via phone as they made their way from the previous nights show in Pennsylvania to New York.
Charlie Berch: So where did you guys play last night (Sat. July 23rd)?
Michael Sweet: We played at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale, PA. It was a great night, great crowd. We last played their in 2019.
CB: Doing some research on you guys we found a good article about how you struggle at times cause the Heavy Metal community doesnt really embrace you like they should and the religious side doesn’t embrace you like they should cause your just “too much”for them. How do you find balance between the two?
MS: We don’t really try to balance it we just do what we do. It just comes natural, we’re not trying to fit into any “club”or “group” or anything we just kinda write and record, create and perform the music we love and everything falls into place, and obviously the lyrical content and the message is real too us. We all have a deep faith and its a very real thing for us. Thats why we’re not accepted by both sides, from the Christian side the mainstream side, you know cause we’re just different. I just think that they really dont know how to think about the way Stryper goes about things. And its been like that from the very beginning and its still like that. Things have gotten better in some ways and worse in other ways but it doesn’t stop us from us doing what we’re hear to do.
CB: Do you guys ever run into situations where you try book shows with other bands but your so different that you have a hard time finding bands to play with?
MS: Well you know, sometimes it is. I mean we’re one of those bands that would love to go out and open for bands like Judas Priest or Iron Maiden, and I feel like we would fit right in but unfortunately I don’t think that’s recognized often because of what and who we sing about. I think we get written off alot because of that. They’d say things like “Oh, it’s those Christian guys again.” People assume we’re going to be one way but when you come see Stryper perform its a rock show. And it’s like going see Van Halen or Judas Priest or any other band like that. But again our lyrical content is just different from their’s but in the end we’re a band, a rock band, we put on a show, and its loud and aggressive and lot of fun. It’s not a weird experience and I think some people think it might be and its not. But we’d love to fit right in with those bands but we continue doing what we do and thats why we go out and headline on our own. Do tours and ground runs all the time and fly dates and get opening bands for us and its a different band every night. We used to tour back in the day with bands like White Lion, Hurricane, TNT, Loudness, so many different bands that we performed with that opened for us we’d always figure out a way to work it out and go out and tour in one way or another weather its on our own or weather its played festivals for other bands we’ve done it all and it works out.
CB: The venue you’re headed to – The L in Horseheads – the other night had Lita Ford and we mentioned to one of their techs that you guys were coming and he said to be prepared for one of the best live shows we will ever see and that you guys will rock this place, so we just wanted to pass that nice compliment on.
MS: Well thats amazing, ’cause you know thats interesting cause we hear that from time to time. People that have seen alot of bands but they came and saw us and they felt like that we was one of the best live shows they have seen. That’s what I mean, I think people have these expectations that they think its going to be one way you know like us coming in sitting on stools and pulling out Bibles preaching to people and they dont expect it to be a rock show, and thats what it is – a rock show!!
Another gorgeous evening in the hills of Lafayette, nestled into the apple orchards at Beak and Skiff. Another night filled with sweet sounds by another incredible lineup brought in by Dan Smalls Presents. Tonight it was Andrew Bird and Iron & Wine providing music fans from Syracuse, and beyond, with good reason to be out on a Tuesday. The bands came through on the back end of their Outside Problems tour, a tour two years in the waiting. It was first planned for 2020, but then, you know…
Amongst his wacky banter, Sam Beam, aka Iron & Wine, summed up the evening’s offerings quite well. “You guys just hanging out in an orchard all day listening to some music?”
Of opener Meshell Ndegeocello, “If you don’t like that, I don’t know what’s wrong with you.” Indeed, Ndegeocello and her quartet, in a quick 30 minutes, blended reggae grooves, folk-tinged psychedelia, soul, rhythm and blues and a touch of jazz. Echoey fuzzed out guitar, cosmic keys, charging beats all swirling around her mesmerizing bass lines. What’s not to like?
About his own set, Beam remarked, “I’ve got a lot of long, incredibly sad songs for you.” Moments later he backed off, saying his songs aren’t all the sad, they’re just not that happy. Sad or not, he had the crowd in stitches with his bizarre banter and in-song ramblings and riffing. In the set opening “Such Great Heights,” he cut-in to the beauty to talk about warming up by covering ourselves in applesauce and tears. “Rabbit Will Run” began with a story about Syracuse native Tom Cruise drifting off to sleep and dreaming about another Syracuse native, Grace Jones, whispering in his ear, singing the ensuing song, with harmonies by yet another Syracuse native, Richard Gere. Just your normal run-of-the-mill folk singer chitchat.
He played 45 minutes, solo, amongst a neighborhood of small white houses. In the tour’s original intent, he had just completed a new album with Calexico and they would have been on with him as well. He played just one song from the album, “Father Mountain” and filled the rest of the set with some of his most recognizable tunes from throughout his career. Contrasting starkly with his playful mood, his performance of “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” went nearly acapella. His hands worked the frets of the guitar but never strummed until the final verse, quite beautiful and moving. Elsewhere and particularly on “Woman King” he worked the lower register of his guitar masterfully with a mix of picking and strumming.
Continuing his narration of the evening, Beam previewed Andrew Bird’s closing set with, “Bird is going to whistle his way into your heart.” The set opened with a flourish of Bird’s signature fiddle and whistling looping and building to a one man orchestra briefly before his quartet broke through into “Make a Picture.” Bird was joined on stage by an incredible band, with Ted Poor on drums, Tyler Chester on keys and guitar, and Anna Butterss, on bass.
Unlike Iron & Wine, the timing of the tour worked a bit better for Bird, with his excellent new album, Inside Problems hot off the press. He played heavily from it throughout the set. Poor impressed with complex rhythms on “Atomized” and Bird added in plucked fiddle, looped that and then added in fiddling and some whistling syncopated with more plucking. Anyone who has seen Bird solo knows him for his incredible use of layering loop upon loop to provide a unique richness of sound. But with the extra hands in his band, the richness reached another level.
The excellence was exemplified perfectly in a mid-set “Underlands.” The lyrics and the backdrop synced up, a moon, the stars, the story was laid out for the ears and eyes. Butterss set the scene musically with an infectiously slinky bass line. Poor again was shining with some very tasty rhythms and fills while Chester worked in some nice keys. And this was just the base for Bird to work his magic. Butterss incredible harmonizing with Bird’s whistling sent the whole affair straight up to the moon for real. It was wonder to see this band present Bird’s fantastic new album from the stage.
Midway through the set Beam came back on stage to play some duets with Bird. A perfect pair, it’s a shame it hasn’t happened sooner. On each of their own songs, like “Orpheo” and “Muddy Hymnal” their voices and instruments blended very well. The band came back to back the pair for a few more songs, mostly acoustically. They crowded to the right side of the stage for a more intimate setting, continuing with “Left-Handed Kisses”, “Lion’s Mane” and “Lusitania.” Before ceding the stage back Beam injected a bit more of his humor playing a snippet of the Golden Girls theme, “Thank You For Being a Friend.” We can only hope this friendship bears more fruit in the coming years.
