EDM Trio Cheat Codes returned to Syracuse for the first time since their show at the New York State Fair back in 2017 for the Chevy Court lineup. The Westcott Theater was a perfect venue and created an atmosphere for people to rave and move around in. With the in house bar, the venue and show all together was great place to be in Syracuse on Sunday, February 6.
Juicebox, specializing in mashups and dubstep, played a remix of songs such as “Sweater Weather” by The Neighborhood, “Magic (feat. Tim Morrison) (Bingo Players Extended Edit)” by Mystique and was the first opener at The Westcott, part of the ‘Hellraisers’ tour. Followed by MADDS, a DJ and producer also opened for the trio with a mix of songs including remixes of “The Hum” by Briz DJ, and “Roses – Imanbek Remix” by SAINT JHN.
Cheat Codes opened with their song with Daniel Blume – “Who’s Got Your Love” // Cheat Codes – ‘Balenciaga’ remix. Followed by one of their top hits “Sex” with a remix including “Way 2 Sexy” by Drake and “Lose Control” by Kremerk. The group is comprised of Trevor Dahl, Matthew Russell, Kevi Ford who performed their 18th show on the ‘Hellraisers Tour’ in Syracuse. The group was founded back in Los Angeles in 2014 where their journey began. Since then they have toured across the world and performed at festivals and shows following a genre of EDM/POP.
Towards the end of the show, the trio pulled out one of their top hits, “No Promises” with Demi Lovato. This song later became one of their first U.S. Top 40 as well as a certified platinum in the U.S, Australia and all across Europe. Trevor Dahl who is the groups lead singer engaged with the crowd not only within this song but the entire show. Leaning into fans, throwing water into the crowd, even taking a few selfies with the crowd in the front. Not only was the crowd entertained with this show but CheatCodes puts on a good show and they sure as hell look like they’re having fun while they do it.
Cheat Codes Set: SEG 1 – INTRO, 1_5_22 Balenciaga : Who’s Got Your Love, SEX SEGMENT, 1_5_22 NO CHILL : THAT FEELING : ON MY LIFE, SEG 5 – LEAN ON ME, SEG 6 – SHED A LIGHT, SEG 7 – BLINDING LIGHTS, SEG 8 – DRE, 1_6_22 CAN’T STOP : HOLD ON : PRETTY GIRL (5.00), 1_6_22 PGirl: Hurricane : Fake Pearls : No Service : Horror Movie (12.06), SEG 11 – HATE YOU LOVE YOU, SEG 12 – 1_4_22 Turn Me On (2.03), SEG 13 – 1_4_22 Visions (3.34), SEG 14 – 1_4_22 ONLY YOU (3.00), SEG 15 – DO IT ALL OVER, 1_5_22 LUCKY : CAN’T FIGHT IT, 1_5_22 feeling of falling : no promises (tighter click), 1_6_22 FEELS GREAT (LIVE)
During a break from Dead & Company tour in June of 2018 John Mayer started to build “Sob Rock” on your Instagram in portrait mode from Electric Lady studios in New York City. The IGTV episode compartmentalizes the ideas behind the albums first single “New Light”. Mayer said on a Tales from the Golden Road broadcast that Dead & Company is a little “Hendrixy.” Well Sob Rock is a little “Princey.” Mayer takes you on the ride from the songs original sample to one of Prince’s guitars making it’s way on the album. It was unplanned that it showed up during the recording.
He even put a compressor on the studio sound like the Purple one used to do. Mayer tells IGTV during the making of “New Light”… There’s this moment at the end of the solo going in to the last chorus…that’s cool. When you got a guy like Pino Palladino for a turn around like that, you set the dude free and go let him just feel it out.
Bassist Pino Palladino joins guitarist Isaiah Sharkey, drummer Steve Farrone, percussionist Lenny Castro, keyboardists Gregg Phillinganes & Jamie Muhoberac, guitarist and vocalist David Ryan Harris, Carlos Ricketts, Tiffany Palmer, and John Mayer for the “Sob Rock” 2022 tour. It hits 20 cities this year. Mayer debuted “New Light” in the encore live with a Phish like confetti curation during his last solo world tour opener in Albany in July of 2019.
video by saving memory
Mayer welcomed everyone at Albany’s old Knickerbocker Arena to “The Sob Rock Era” on the February 17 2022 debut show. The former “Dozin at the Knick” room holds the same stage Mayer birthed his Dead & Company role for transportation in October of 2015. Oteil Burbridge told NYS music about his perception in Dead & Co. “When Bill Walton says you’re good you stop worrying.” In fact the next venue the new group played that tour was MSG.
Let me tell you something this blows my mind. I’m up here playing these songs and I look out to see you & the dream is complete. Thank you.
John Mayer
The Albany audience responded with the same pieces of 80’s flair as Mayer on stage. The crowd sported radio walkmans with dead tape in deck, vintage commercials, faded sport jackets, tie dyes, scrunchies, wayfarers, Sob Rock newspapers, Stealie fleeces and Fast Times at Ridgemont High piano scarfs in motion. John Mayer thanked Lee Chris Art mid show for her vibe in the crowd.
The last train home carried the act down the Hudson River to Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden for two sold out evenings of John Mayer on February 20 and 21. Mayer’s last two night run at the Garden was with the Dead & Company for Halloween 2019.
video by saving memory
It should come as no surprise that the only artists work weaved in the tour’s set list so far is “The Beautiful Ones” by Prince sung by “Sob Rock” guitarist David Ryan Harris. John saw David Ryan Harris from the crowd during his sit in with the Leroi Moore era Dave Matthews Band at Jones Beach in 1995. Mayer and his new band also played material off “Room for Squares”, “Heavier Things”, “Continuum”, “Battle Studies”, “Born and Raised”, “Paradise Valley”, and “The Search for Everything”.
Mayer encouraged everyone in Albany to dance in unison to “Moving on and Getting Over”. John sings to “Rosie” at the Garden… Don’t Leave me here under the January rain, come let me in, take my heart by the hand. “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)” was played in Albany and New York City for those suspicious minds in each town.
I will beg my way in to your garden and then I’ll break my way out when it rains. Monday night at Madison Square Garden had the show turn split screen for a special presentation. For the first time ever the “Sob Rock” catalog was performed live stripped down acoustic along side many other classics on the fourth night of the tour. It felt vert reminiscent of The Grateful Dead’s 1980 Radio City Halloween shows that split the bill acoustic & electric.
Mayer started the night solo to light the room with “Neon”. He led the pack from his seated chair on the psychedelic piece “If I Ever Get Around To Living” that explored the Garden’s room. Tom Petty’s Drummer Steve Farrone is also a part of Sob Rock University. David Ryan Harris and John Mayer did an acoustic duo cover of “Free Falling” for extra credit.
The only other artist work besides Mayer to be featured on the acoustic set was Paul Simon. Mayer sang Simon’s “Homeward Bound” as the outro to his original track “Stop this Train” at Penn Station. The set closed with a “Sob Rock” & “Graceland” album hybrid debut. Mayer and the entire Garden sang “You Can Call Me Al” in between his new original “Til the Right One Comes”.
video by saving memory
Monday nights special guest in place of Steve Farrone was Philadelphia’s Questlove fresh off his January birthday. Sob Rock guitarist Isaiah Sharkey is a fan of the Philadelphonic sound in Manhattan. Sharkey told NYS music in July that his most influential show from a NY crowd was Pennsylvania’s Joey DeFrancesco at the legendary Blue Note in the village. Philli’ born Saxophonist Vanessa Collier told NYS Music about Questlove’s knowledge and love of music.
It’s not a surface level thing with Questlove. It’s all life. He knows every groove from every single song he’s heard. From a DJ perspective and drummer angle is great.
Vanessa Collier
Questlove was on his way to attend “Sob Rock” at the Garden when he found out he would be sitting in for one of his favorite drummers. Quest’s stop at Penn Station from Rockefeller was immediately felt during “Vultures” to open the second set. He sat on the throne for the six song electric change up & encore. Quest, who laid studio drums to Mayer’s 2004 cut ”Clarity”, loved playing it live to a sold out Garden. The Sob Rock cast saved Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones” snippet for Quest’s set as well. “Something like Olivia” hit like “Lay Down Sally” at MSG.
video by saving memory
All the Sallys swaying next to the wrong Harrys in the audience at the Garden caught a vibe during “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” to end the show. John Mayer & Isaiah Sharkey pick’s light the same fire Eric Clapton & Robert Cray’s “Old Love” burned in 1989 when he debuted “Journeyman”. In similar fashion Keith Richards & Ivan Neville are headlining the Love Rocks NYC benefit at the Beacon Theater in March to recast his 1989 X-Pensive Winos to the stage with Steve Jordan.
Truth be told I coulda played the whole show. I texted Jimmy (Fallon) earlier I felt like Don Henley in 1988 when last minute he played drums for Guns N’ Roses at the AMA’s. It was hella fun tonight.
Questlove
Pino Palladino certainly saw a dead head sticker on a Cadillac on the way to the Garden. He plays bass on Don Henley’s big apple island ballad “New York Minute.” Jimmy Fallon had a head full of roses and calavera art on his face in the crowd during Dead & Company’s Halloween show at MSG in 2019. John Mayer took a solo during “Standing on the Moon” that night which permeated through the worlds most famous arena in to “Gravity” for his own band’s 2022 encores. In a New York minute everything can change.
Mayer is truly channeling the same solo paths that Petty & Garcia once trailed. Sob Rock’s vibe is very Traveling Wilburys though. Drummer Steve Farrone has backed George Harrison, Tom Petty, and Eric Clapton. George Harrison once reflected about Eric Clapton’s stage presence from the crowd during his legendary Rainbow Theatre Concert from London in January of 1973.
While dressed in an all white suit with his foot tapping on the stage Harrison said he took on the glow of an angel playing a long to the music. At 44, Mayer keeps his gravity where the same light Leroi shines on him. Except the New Light is Purple.
John Mayer, Madison Square Garden – February 20, 2022
Setlist: Last Train Home, Shot in the Dark, Belief, Something like Olivia, I Guess I Just Feel Like, Who Says, Rosie, Shouldn’t Matter but it Does, Helpless, Your Body is a Wonderland, I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You), Wild Blue, Edge of Desire, Til’ The Right One Comes, The Beautiful Ones*, Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, New Light, Waiting on the World to Change, All I Want Is To Be With You Encore: Gravity *Prince Piece sang by David Ryan Harris
John Mayer, Madison Square Garden – February 21, 2022
Acoustic Set: Neon, Last Train Home, Shot in the Dark, Belief, In the Blood, If I Ever Get Around to Living, New Light, Wild Blue, Your Body is a Wonderland, In Your Atmosphere, Somethings Missing, Daughters, Free Fallin’. Carry Me Away, Who Says, Stop This Train*(Homeward Bound), Til’ The Right One Comes *(You Can Call Me Al)
Encore: Gravity
*Paul Simon verse
Questlove Set: Vultures, Clarity, Something Like Olivia, The Beautiful Ones**, Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
The third try was a charm over president’s day weekend, as Buffalo based grove rockers Aqueous made good on their promise to blow the roof off the newly minted Brooklyn Mademusic venue upon their return to the big city. Once a band that appeared to be on a perpetual never-ending tour, dates for these one-time road warriors have been few and far between ever since the emergence of Covid-19 almost two years ago. For long time fans of the band, AKA AQuaintances, these days it feels like any scheduled Aqueous show is something of a “must see.”
Originally set to take place back on November 6th, 2021, then later rescheduled to December 29th, both shows were postponed due to lingering health concerns. Now late February 2022 and with concerts slowly starting to happen again, the timing was ripe for a rager and fortunately for patient music fans, that’s exactly what Aqueous delivered. Complete with surprise sit-in’s, candid moments and teases galore, on this cold Saturday night in Brooklyn, the boys from Buffalo carved out stellar, fiery performance that was well worth the wait.
Opening the show was Philadelphia five piece Chestnut’s Groove. Known for their down ‘n dirty, shake, rattle and rock ‘n roll vibe, this band of best friends were quite impressive in their Brooklyn Made debut. Fighting through excessive stage fog like something out of This Is Spinal Tap and lead by the charismatic “bad girl” energy of singer Dee Gerhart and the powerhouse vocals of drummer James Daniels, it wasn’t long before the band won fans over and had everyone in the place stomping their feet and clapping along too. So much fun in fact, even Aqueous guitar player Mike Gantzer couldn’t resist getting in on it, sitting in with the band on their final song of the high octane set.
After a brief set break all the waiting was over, the stage was set and on this bitterly cold winter night in Brooklyn, it was finally going down. Aqueous, consisting of Mike Gantzer (guitar/vocals), Dave Loss (guitar/keys/vocals),d rummer Rob Houk and bassist Evan McPhaden made their intentions clear from the get go, launching into one of their signature originals “Don’t Do It.” Complete with an extended ‘build up’ intro and a healthy dive into Phish’s “First Tube” territory, the party was already off to a rollicking start. Following it up in the two-hole with one of their more electronic/ hip-hop sounding songs was “Split the Difference” which seamlessly segued into “Skyway”, resulting in one of the bands biggest jams of the night.
“I don’t see any reason to get worked up, already got enough on my plate
in this mess we call life, takin’ it day by day
I don’t see any reason to get worked up when you got nothin’ to say
you never have nothin’ to say”
-Skyway
Following up “Skyway” was another highlight of the evening, a most welcome surprise sit in by the newly formed Horn Section, featuring former Turkuaz members Greg Sanderson on saxophone and Chris Brouwers on trumpet, lending their talents on a cover of the Steely Dan classic “Peg.”
The Horn Section
Turning up the funk now, Aqueous would uncork a monster version of Mosquito Valley, Pt. 1 that stretched so far it reached AC/DC’s “Back in Black” territory, much to the delight of everyone in the room. By this point fans had to be thinking to themselves “is this the longest first set in AQ history or what?” before the band would confirm they want to keep the energy going and therefore play right though set break, then launching into another signature AQ song, The Median. Notable about this particular version was the distinctly heavier vibe it took on, presumably a direct byproduct of Ganzter’s recent time on the road with his new throwback Punk/Metal outfit known as the Death Kings, which also features former Turkuaz drummer Mikey “Ox” Carubba and Umphrey’s McGee bass player Ryan “Little King” Stasik.
Following up “The Median” came another fan favorite in “Second Sight,” a song about human interaction, shedding cynicism and bridging petty gaps.
“Not worth its weight in gold I feel a great divide We’re more alike than different And still we’re picking sides”
The Median
Following a brief pause between songs, some playful stage banter resulted in an impromptu crowd singalong of Greenday’s nostalgic anthem “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), which was then quickly was rip-corded in favor of one the oldest songs in the Aqueous catalog, Eon Don. About half way into the tune, Aqueous invited their friends in the Horn Section back out once again, this time resulting in a jaw dropping display of musicalty, as Ganzter conducted extended “call and response” type duels with both Sanderson and Brouwers before the song finally reached it’s climactic peak and left the audience howling in approval as the band finally put down their instruments for the first time all night and walked off the stage.
After a few minutes of straight up begging, Aqueous finally obliged and came back out for a single song encore, treating fans to a new tune called “Finding Our Way” which has only been played three other times since debuting at the Peach Festival last summer. With enough space to let each member shine individually and a chorus that sees all of the band singing along in unison, the groove heavy catchy tune, while still new, has all the moxy to become an AQ staple of the future. On a night that featured an absolute bevy of fan favorites, closing the night out like this just seemed to make sense. A most impressive showing for their debut at Brooklyn Made. Despite having to be rescheduled twice and almost never happening, anyone who was there will undoubtedly tell you that “this show was worth the wait.”
Up next for the Aqueous is another highly anticipated makeup date, returning to Buffalo’s Town Ballroom for their belated hometown New Year’s Eve celebration this Friday, February 25th. Fans will want to make sure they get there early to catch the exciting opening act as Connecticut’s Eggy gets the festivities going at 7pm. Aqueous then return to New York on April 8th and 9th for a pair of shows in Saratoga Springs and Syracuse with support from Long Island’s Baked Shrimp.
Aqueous – February 18, 2022, Brooklyn Made, Brooklyn NY
Setlist: Don’t Do It, Split the Difference > Skyway, Peg*, Mosquito Valley Pt 1 > Back in Black > The Median, Second Sight, Eon Don*
Long Island Pop Punk band Card Reader have released a new music video called Reminder. The music video consists of Card Reader experiencing the city in their most enjoyable way and contains some footage from their first show performed at the Caribou Room back on Sept 23rd, 2021.
The band is carrying into the new year with some momentum from last year. Card Reader participated in the championship of the Interstate Music Awards in 2021. From there on, Interstate Music made card reader an official brand ambassador.
Tom Petito, Card Reader’s guitarist/vocalist weighed in on the Interstate Music artist experience:
This video is a reflection of Interstate Music’s commitment to helping artists like us. We played our concert right before the shoot. The next day their film crew took us all over MKE. We really enjoyed ourselves in the process. The folks at IM introduced us to an incredible music scene. They fully embraced our band and made us feel at home. Thanks to Interstate Music we are a band with more tools, more confidence and unlimited optimism moving forward. We can proudly say we have two home bases now! Long Island AND Milwaukee.
Interstate Music directed and produced the video in Milwaukee, WI. Along with their new music video, the Pop Punk Band are going a weekend Northeastern Tour next month, and here are the dates:
3/4 – Ram’s American Pub – Holbrook NY
3/5 – The Mosh Pit – Philadelphia PA
3/6 – The Church – Lebanon PA
To catch more of Card Reader, you can find their music on DSP’s such as Apple Music , Spotify, Amazon music, and more.
The biggest stars of underground hip-hop today, Earl Sweatshirt, Action Bronson, Boldy James, and The Alchemist brought their “NBA Leather” tour to New York City’s Terminal 5 venue on Thursday, February 17th, for their second of back-to-back shows. With a rapidly eager crowd hungry for concerts to continue post-Omicron surge, this quartet certainly did not disappoint.
The Alchemist at Terminal 5, 02/17/22. Photo by Kunal Khunger
They all performed a variety of tracks, ranging from recently released albums like Earl Sweatshirt’s “Sick!” (released this year) to Action Bronson’s classic “Blue Chips 7000” (released 2017). Some guests were brought out as well, most notably Benny the Butcher of Griselda fame. The New York hip-hop scene was well represented.
Boldy James at Terminal 5, 02/17/22. Photo by Kunal Khunger
All the artists engaged the crowd in their own unique ways, from Action Bronson asking his DJ to play old instrumentals to see if he remembered the words to some of his more niche songs, to Alchemist playing his well-known role as a great hype man. Earl Sweatshirt, as he is known to be, was a very low-key stage presence, solely focused on his raps. The variety of sounds and styles was on full display Thursday night, giving an enthusiastic crowd a little bit of everything.
Action Bronson at Terminal 5, 02/17/22. Photo by Kunal Khunger
The “NBA Leather” tour with Earl Sweatshirt, Action Bronson and The Alchemist has a few more stops left, mainly on the East Coast of the US. You can see more tour dates here. Be sure to check out the photo gallery below!
After initially teasing their upcoming, self-titled seventh album with the single “Think,” Dopapod rides on an intergalactic groove on “Grow,” released on palindromic date of 2/20/22. With an intergalactic groove punctuated by a head-nodding bassline, “Grow” features all the staples of the Dopapod sound – slick guitar, simmering cymbals, and smooth vocals.
2019 found Dopapod performing select shows in Syracuse where the band assembled what would become Dopapod. But with music shut down in 2020 and into 2021, the band spent their time perfecting the music en route to a Spring 2022 release.
“Grow” captures Dopapod’s signature blending of styles and sonics. A deep groove and tight rhythm section grounds the song in a frantic funk territory, until the clouds part to usher in the epic heights of Dopapod’s frenzied psych/prog-rock wizardry. Soaring keys and synth lines crescendo as the song accelerates before returning to where it started, true to Dopapod’s palindromic existence. The group’s knack for dense, multi-layered suites across their material is a testament to their range of influences and styles, and their live show amplifies the momentum you hear on record. Each song is a journey of cosmic proportions.
The lyric ‘big things have small beginnings’ is from the movie Prometheus. Microscopic particles are the start of life. This is how we evolve. The song could be about a character time traveling back to the Big Bang.
Eli Winderman, on “Grow”
Dopapod is Eli Winderman [keys, vocals], Rob Compa [guitar, vocals], Chuck Jones [bass], and Neal “Fro” Evans [drums], a quartet who present albums as experiences meant to be shared out of your speakers and on stage. Traversing time travel, palindromic labyrinths, and binary pairs in a greater cohesive mystery, Dopapod’s forthcoming self-titled album ties the conceptual ends of the group’s discography, while charting a path forward.
“Grow” is about tackling binaries, and not letting failure distract you from sticking to the plan, and prioritizing your own growth. Organisms multiply and build. A seed overcomes the odds in its journey to becoming a billowing behemoth. The line borrowed from Ridley Scott’s Prometheus echoes throughout “Grow,” and shows that the band is as honed in as ever almost fifteen years into their journey.
It had been four years since the last run of Ween shows at The Capitol Theatre, and the Rock Palace was indeed in need of a fresh coat of brown. Over a run spanning February 18-20, the genre-fluid band played over 100 songs, among them just a pair of covers, and treated fans to deep dives into their catalog as well as the usual fan favorites including “Frank” and “Touch My Tooter.”
At Stage Left all three nights was an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, adding the benefit of visual translation of Ween’s (at times, deeply troubling and/or profane) lyrics to the entire audience, but especially those deaf fans in the audience for whom ASL provides the full concert experience. (See videos below.)
Friday, February 18
Before they could jump into “Pork Roll Egg and Cheese” to start the night, Dean Ween could not hold back his excitement, letting out a ‘Fuck Yeah!’ to the crowd. A fair amount of fan favorites set the tone for the weekend, including “Transdermal Celebration,” ‘Boys Club,” “Voodoo Lady,” and “She Fucks Me,” which had Deaner giddily repeating the refrain while watching the ASL interpreter sign the phrase over and over, much to everyone’s delight.
Of course their song titles are nothing you’d want to bring up casually in conversation; they are designed to be hilarious if not daring for the crowd to shout and request, and can make a conversation go from G-rated to NC-17 before you can say “Poopship Destroyer.”
During a string of songs with Gene Ween on acoustic guitar, he played a portion of Cat Stevens “Father and Son,” possibly the most out of place tune the whole weekend. An older instrumental, “Ice Castles,” appeared about halfway through the evening, just before Gene took a break and the band jumped into “Put the Coke on My Dick.” “Your Party” would close the set appropriately, with “Shamemaker,” off 2007’s La Cucaracha sandwiched between “I’m Dancing In The Show Tonight” and “Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down).”
Setlist: Pork Roll Egg and Cheese, She Wanted to Leave, Exactly Where I’m At, I Was Nothing, I Don’t Want to Leave You on the Farm, Touch My Tooter, I Gots a Weasel, Transdermal Celebration, Boys Club, Transitions, Mononucleosis, Frank, Voodoo Lady, I’ll Miss You, She Fucks Me, Cornbread Red, Help Me Scrape the Mucus Off My Brain, Father and Son*, Chocolate Town, The Mollusk, I Don’t Want It, Ice Castles, Final Alarm, I Get a Little Taste of You, The Golden Eel, Put the Coke on my Dick, Flutes of Chi, Buckingham Green, Light Me Up, Koko, Old Queen Cole, The Stallion, Part 5, Your Party
Encore: I’m Dancing in the Show Tonight, Shamemaker, Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)
*Cat Stevens, unfinished
Saturday, February 19
Night two of the run was just as good as Friday, with a few more rarities worked into the show. “Birthday Boy” and “Piss Up a Rope” kicked off the night with “My Own Bare Hands” following right behind, setting the tone early. “Waving My Dick in the Wind,” “Japanese Cowboy” and a pair of “Stallions” – Parts 1 and 3 – would be among early highlights of the show, before lesser played songs “Boing,” “Ooh Va La,” and “Can U Taste the Waste?”
After an intense “I’l Be Your Johnny On the Spot,” Gene found his mandolin for “Ocean Man” before a “Vallejo” set closer. A four-song encore began with “Baby Bitch” and “Tender Situation” before bassist Dave Dreiwitz switched instruments with Dean for “Dont Laugh (I Love You)” and the12 Golden Country Greats lead track “I’m Holding You.”
Setlist: Birthday Boy, Piss Up a Rope, My Own Bare Hands, Polka Dot Tail, Now I’m Freaking Out, Wavin’ My Dick in the Wind, Sweet Texas Fire, Dr. Rock, Japanese Cowboy, Happy Colored Marbles, Beacon Light, I Got to Put the Hammer Down, Zoloft, The Stallion, Part 1, Gabrielle, Boing, The Enabler*, Little Birdy, The Stallion, Part 3, Albino Sunburned Girl, Nan, Fat Lenny, Reggaejunkiejew, Ohh Vah La, Papa Zit, Can U Taste the Waste?, Pandy Fackler, Take Me Away, Object, I’ll Be Your Jonny on the Spot, Ocean Man, Vallejo
Encore: Baby Bitch, Tender Situation, Don’t Laugh (I Love You), I’m Holding You
* Instant Death cover
Sunday, February 20
With a tank still full of gas, Ween swung for the fences early on Sunday with a “Fiesta” opener and two of their best known songs (to non-Ween fans), “Bananas and Blow” and “Roses Are Free.” The rare “Suckin the Blood From the Devil’s Dick” made its first appearance since 1995 prior to “Big Jilm” and “The Argus.”
Among the rest of the highlights tonight were “Stroker Ace,” “Demon Sweat,” “The Blarney Stone” and the ever-romantic “Stay Forever.” An encore of “You Fucked Up” and “Poopship Destroyer” put a brown closing note on the weekend, raising the bar for future Ween runs in Port Chester.
Setlist: Fiesta, Captain Fantasy, The Grobe, I Can’t Put My Finger on It, Bananas and Blow, Roses Are Free, Sorry Charlie, Push th’ Little Daisies, Learnin’ to Love, How High Can You Fly, Suckin the Blood From the Devil’s Dick, Big Jilm, The Argus, Don’t Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy), Sketches of Winkle, Even If You Don’t, Springtheme, Did You See Me?, I Play It Off Legit, The Goin’ Gets Tough From the Getgo, Stroker Ace, Puerto Rican Power, Seconds, Don’t Sweat It, Demon Sweat, Tried and True, What Deaner Was Talkin’ About, Stay Forever, Ode to Rene, Homo Rainbow, The Blarney Stone, If You Could Save Yourself (You’d Save Us All) Encore: You Fucked Up, Poopship Destroyer
Earl Sweatshirt, Action Bronson, and Boldly James headlined at Terminal 5 on Wednesday, February 16. This was the ninth stop on their tour together, but a special one, being their first in New York City and bringing a number of local acts to the stage.
The show opened with the Alchemist, who then brought Boldly James out to perform an entire set.
Next, Earl Sweatshirt came out to preform songs from his new album SICK! as well as a number of classics. Sweatshirt individually brought out the likes of Navy Blue, Wiki, MIKE, and Zelooperz.
Action Bronson graced the stage with his iconic machismo. His stage presence is unrivaled, as is his posing as a greek statue in interludes.
On Friday, February 18th, Lespecial played their first headlining gig of the year at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs, and the whole thing kicked off with an extra special and rare treat — a set with special guests Timbre Coup.
Timbre Coup
It’s truly a mystery why we don’t get to see more of the boys from Timbre Coup. Those four dudes absolutely blew the roof off the place from the first note they played. Hailing from Albany, NY, Timbre Coup has an album out right now called Sudden Urge and I definitely recommend that you pick up a copy as soon as possible.
Setlist: Don’t Fly a Key, Urge, October, Loaftones, Z-Sharp, Arnold, Cowboys From Hell (Panterra)
Lespecial
On the way outside after last night’s performance, someone called Lespecial “a hippy band with mosh pits.” This group’s self-described “heavy future groove” sound is absolutely genre-less and almost defies explanation. There are only three guys up on the stage but it sounds like far more than that. And the music they create is engaging, fun, and utterly unique.
If you missed last night’s show, don’t fret. These boys are currently touring until early summer on their Homieverse Tour. You will certainly get a chance to check out this incredible band soon. And we highly recommend that you do so as soon as humanly possible.
Setlist: Snell’s Fleet, The Vessel > Homie, Gallows Hill, Repeater, Homieverse, DGH I, New Fish, Onlookers, Rays, FWD, Repriser, Fear the Djinn, My Name is Mud (Primus) > Jerry (Primus), > My Name is Mud, E. Tonberry, Lungs
After six long years, Federico Aubele is back with his sixth studio album, The Holographic Moon, which will be released Friday, May 27, 2022. Additionally, he has released the album’s first single, Pink Spray Painted Clouds, along with the official video.
Not only did Aubele reside in Buenos Aires, Berlin and Barcelona before moving to Brooklyn, but within each city, he fused the music of the cultures to find his own wave. In fact, Aubele blended a variety of genres from electronica to alternative and rock, as well as Latin. Considering his music career began at 11, he has great knowledge of the evolution from when he was a child up to present day.
Aubele’s 11-track EP stamps a footprint in his ability to be dynamic and multicultural with his music. He is known to join the Spanish and English language on songs, while his harmonious baritone voice and the soft sounds of his guitar captivate listeners. During his NPR Music Tiny Desk performance in 2014, he demonstrated these talents.
From constant turmoil with marital issues, to moving overseas, to falling in love again is what motivated Aubele to create The Holographic Moon.
I needed the long pause to make sense of things, discard what wasn’t needed anymore, appreciate what I was going to keep and make space for the new. I couldn’t do the same thing again, like a ghost, trapped in a moment. Like trying to keep a relationship that’s reached its end artificially going based only on fear of what’s next. I needed to shed several layers, on all levels. With my music I needed to start from scratch, from guitar arpeggios, vocal melodies and different lyrics. The only way to do the cleansing needed for the new songs to emerge was at home, not in the open. You can’t make sense of things if you’re constantly distracted by voices, color lights and mirrors.
Federico Aubele
This 11 track EP, which is now available for pre-order, was first 52 songs full of expression through all the different changes and obstacles Aubele faced. Throughout this period, he found hope, curiosity for what is next to come and reached his “7th stage” of the I Ching, which is a return home. This album prioritizes not only falling in love, but self-love.
I always feel like many artists prioritize the breakup song over the falling in love theme. Those first moments when you realize what’s going on are as powerful and intense as the end of a relationship. The song came to me very spontaneously at a time when my relationship with my partner was starting to bloom and we both felt like we were inside a beautiful film, or a cloud in the magic hour.
Federico Aubele
Aubele wishes to push boundaries of what traditional genres are supposed to sound like. Instead, he combines new sounds to develop new genres. He’s capable of doing so with his great sense of music and multicultural knowledge, along with the help of several guests on his album. In fact, on The Holographic Moon musicians and vocalists range from: from Mauro Refosco (David Byrne, Atoms for Peace) on percussion, Iain Cook (Chvrches) and Yuka Honda (Cibo Matto) on synths, Melissa Mary Ahern (Sulfjian Stevens) on vocal harmonies, the YMusic Ensemble (Paul Simon, Jose Gonzales) on orchestra arrangements andKenny Wollensen (Tom Waits) on drums.
With the help of Audele’s Spanish guitar and baritone voice, along with poetic lyrics about love, hope and quiet perseverance, The Holographic Moon is born.
