Category: Features

William “Tragedy” Yager – Businessman Preserving an Iconic Scene for the Next Generation

So many have already interviewed William “Tragedy” Yager about his purchase of Albany’s legendary night club Fuze Box (formerly the QE2) but I waited for all the other formal interviews to be over with so I could just have a nice conversation with the man. Rob Smittix from RadioRadioX met Yager in his office area at his Howard Street location of Patsy’s Barber Shop and had a nice chat.

RRX: The day we received the call that you bought the Fuze Box, I was speaking with a friend and I said, “man I wish someone would buy it”. It honestly hurt my heart to see the building just sitting there with a for sale sign on it. What was it that made you go ahead and make it official?

WTY: I thought I was saving it from the wrecking ball or a Starbucks or something of that nature. I know the developers that were looking at it, were actually looking at maybe even having to move it because it’s on the National Historic Registry as one of the last five White Tower Hamburger buildings in the country. My formative years were there. I’d like to say I grew up in there but I didn’t grow up anywhere, I haven’t grown up yet. I feel like as soon as you grow up God’s like, ‘good, you’ve grown up, get the f**k up here and play a harp or something’. I wanted other kids to have what I was able to have from (previous owners) Charlene and David Shortsleeve and from what they have built. They orchestrated such an amazing vibe and this is way before the Internet. Char had given us her blessing, which is amazing!

I built the Fuze Box in the back of The Power Company (across the way from the current location), that was mine, so I felt like it came full circle. And I don’t know if being back at the beginning of the circle you started at is a good thing or not but I positioned myself (I guess) to probably be the only person that could do it.

This is the building part. This is supposed to be the fun part getting the calendar together and what the nights are going to be. Wednesday night we want to do industry night, kind of like the old Alibi’s. Thursdays I want it to be emo night, because emo is huge right now. Friday is going to be the normal QE2ian/Fuze Box Goth night. Hex is the first Friday of the month and the third Friday of the month is Resist The Club. Now we’re structuring where other DJ nights might fall in. So, my vision now is kind of like the original QE2, where it’s live music until 10 P.M. and club night from 10 P.M. on. A smooth transition of music, so people can stay as late as they want as new people come through the door. That’s the vision. Saturdays will be house, EDM and all those different genres of an electronic DJ style. These things are for the young folks, so they can be the new us!

It’s not just about us remembering when this was the QE2. We can’t do that, we’re old. (Laughs) We’re going to make a cool viable space for the new generation.

RRX: I had so many great memories there as a young adult. Of course, we’d love to relive those days but making it a place for the next generation, I think that’s a great way to put it.

WTY: That’s what the goal is. The Fuze Box/QE2, the Q Z Box 2 or whatever the f*** it is, has to remain a safe place for everybody in our community. When I say community, I’m talking about punk, gay, trans and everybody down the line. A comfortable place for them to be them and us to be us.

RRX: I respect that, safety is key. Now, I’m sure you saw as soon as the news broke that you purchased the club how happy the community was.

WTY: That’s great to have all of that support but getting them out of their houses is another thing. We own barber shops, tattoo shops, laundromats and The Bull and Bee Meadery. The nature of business and how business is conducted has changed. It used to be consistency is everything and location, location, location, it’s not like that anymore. Now it really depends on social media, marketing and branding. As long as your cyber presence is there, that’s what the new location is.

RRX: In the heyday of the club there wasn’t social media at all back then. Times sure have changed.

WTY: We own fuzeboxalbany.com but it’s as much the QE2 as it is the Fuze Box to me. Although the Fuze Box is my thing, the QE2 is what I see when I walk in there. It’s even hard for me to call it the Fuze Box, I’m still that old guy. I bought the Q, I mean the Fuze Box, I mean… what do I own?

(Both laugh)

RRX: Yeah, I think we, “the older generation” all call it the Q.

WTY: Generation Q.

So, we’re trying to book local acts mostly, we want to support the local scene but also want the local scene to support itself.

Things are different. Lucky for me, I’m very open-minded and very malleable. This is how it is now, fine let’s make it work the best we can. It’s a build, so now we’re building the business that was already there. We have a good foundation and a good reputation and a lot of support from the community. Now to get them to turn that support into showing up. I’ve got a lot of great press; it hasn’t always been that way for me in my life. You’re only one step away from being a sh**heel again so… I keep that in mind. Everybody’s like you’re a hometown hero. I’m like, ‘uhhh, no don’t do that to me, you’re setting me up to fall’. So, we’ll support the people that support us and everybody else whether they like it or not. We’re hoping on having a nice symbiotic relationship with Lark Hall, Empire Live and all the venues. Kip from Pauly’s reached out, that was nice of him. It has to be an all for one, one for all situation, otherwise you won’t get that scene back.

Originally published in The Xperience Monthly, written by Rob Smittix

February 8, 2022
Film Review: Red Rocket

A24’s Red Rocket is filmmaker Sean Baker’s latest look into the lives of struggling lower-class Americans faced with morally questionable choices, and features his signature style of understated and character-driven storytelling. The film stars Simon Rex as Mikey Saber, a washed-up pornstar who returns to his Gulf Coast hometown after a 17 year absence. He moves back in with his estranged wife, Lexi (played by Bree Elrod). Mikey meets and quickly falls for a 17-year-old donut shop girl, Strawberry (played by newcomer Suzanna Son). The film follows Mikey and Strawberry as they fall into each other’s orbit, and is a thought-provoking and challenging look into the fallout of their new relationship and Mikey’s toxic and destructive personality.

Image Courtesy of A24

Despite its small similarities to Lolita or even A Star Is Born, Red Rocket stands entirely on its own and finds new ground within the themes of nymphomania and washed-up stardom. Simon Rex’s performance captures a manic and narcissistic persona in Mikey that often seems to echo the 45th President’s personality. This is a juxtaposition that Baker doesn’t shy away from, often placing the former POTUS and Mikey within the same frame. Although Mikey is a character that’s easy to judge as morally reprehensible, his reality distortion field seems to affect more than just the characters on-screen, as his victories and losses become the viewer’s.

Suzanna Son’s performance as Strawberry captures a raw sexual energy that is undeniable and impossible to look away from. Her relationship with Mikey evolves from dealing and smoking weed together, to Mikey attempting to convince Strawberry they could be the next big couple in the porn industry.

Suzanna Son displays a surprising extra talent in one of the film’s highlights, an intimate scene in which she performs a stirring keyboard ballad version of NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye.” All four members of the band signed off on the creation of the cover song specifically for the film. You can listen to it here.

Despite its challenging themes and setting, Red Rocket is a sincere and entertaining look into the lives of characters not often focused on in modern media. It is gripping, hilarious, and newcomer Suzanna Son displays extraordinary talent throughout.

Red Rocket will be available to own on digital and on demand February 8, 2022, available to rent on digital and on demand March 1, 2022, and on Blu-ray March 15, 2022. You can watch the official trailer below.

February 8, 2022
The Mommyheads Give 1991 Fan-favorite Bootleg a Proper Release

The Mommyheads’ Swiss Army Knife has never had a proper release. Trapped in obscurity, the long-awaited album will be out February 11th, 2022, for fans to enjoy.

The Mommyheads (Adam Elk, Michael Holt, Dan Fisherman, Jason McNair) are an indie pop band from Brooklyn, who played from around 1987 through 1998. They disbanded for a decade, and then reformed in 2008. After the death of original drummer, Jan Kotik, The Mommyheads re-united for a tribute show in New York City. Shortly after, they decided to reform and record a new album, “You’re Not A Dream.” In 2021, Big Takeover Magazine dubbed Adam Elk and Michael Holt, “two of the best songwriters currently active.”

“Four decades later and the Mommyheads are still undisputed godfathers of Baroque Prog Pop.”
Relix

Swiss Army Knife displays vocals from the wild creativity of Mommyheads songwriter, Adam Elk, who independently recorded these tunes on four-track during his teen years in Brooklyn. The album is striking in it’s eccentricity: schizophrenic wordplay, mind-bending chord structures, acoustic mayhem, and DIY experimentalism all meld together within these colorful song fragments.

Swiss Army Knife, The Mommyheads

When listening to the album, the manic creative energy is infectious throughout. There is an unrelenting playfulness to this set that makes it so enjoyable to listen to. Tracks such as “They Call it Accident,” have a playful, plucking bassline paired with sublime vocals that overall make the track a fun one to listen to.

“If you wanna do music, you have to have a really thick skin. You have to really wanna take the abuse of not making money for years and years.”
says Adam Elk

That most unique aspects of this album are its use of unusual use of instruments and vocals that make the album feel so raw featured in songs like “Freak Out Jam,” “I Won’t Eat Anymore,” and “They’ve Finally Landed.” Other tracks like “Lemon Merengue People” have fun melodies of guitar and vocals that pair with each other.

Another song, “We Are Intertwined,” can be described as having a waltz, up-beat and psychedelic sound. “Canoe Driver” is also another gorgeous piece of baroque pop with glorious melody. The Mommyheads Swiss Army Knife is a masterpiece of 90s-sounding baroque progressive pop.

Swiss Army Knife is available to listen to on Soundcloud.

February 8, 2022
Hudson Valley Singer Sam Kogan Announces EP And New Single “Barbed Wire”

NY singer-songwriter Sam Kogon has announced a four-track self-titled EP, and the release of his new single “Barbed Wire.”

Kogon describes his new approach to songwriting as an “Upstate country rockabilly crooner,” as he spends his time in the Hudson Valley. He has always been an old soul as he is a big fan of The Beatles, and even worked with Al Jardine of The Beach Boys.

Sam Kogan.

Sam Kogon had a lot to say about the new single.

‘Barbed Wire’ is a song about accepting love, denying love, unrequited love, infatuation, and coming out of the closet. It’s inspired by two friends exchanging songs they write as coded love letters. One friend wants their love to come off the page and the other friend can only express their true feelings in song. Running away with or from someone who isn’t emotionally available can get you tangled in the barbed wire fences they put up at the first signs of vulnerability, so I chose that as the title of the song. The one friend trying to move forward is asking (rhetorically) ‘Is this love? Is this love? I need to know right now…and could you even tell me right now.’ They already know the answer: Sometimes there isn’t a happy ending or closure; sometimes we get burnt like tires, and that’s ok.

“Barbed Wire” is a pop, rock, and country ballad, and makes the listener want to get up and dance. It was produced by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Vile) and mastered by Steve Fallone (Arcade Fire, Angel Olsen, Big Thieif).

The song is available to stream here, and Sam Kogan’s new self-titled EP will be out in April.

February 7, 2022
Introducing NYS Music’s Black History Maps
Black history month can be a frustrating time of the year. The opportunity to celebrate the numerous Black vanguards is a great honor. Yet, having to encapsulate so much greatness in only 28 short days is a task in itself. How do you prioritize one Black success story over another? The truth is you can’t, but that doesn’t mean you don’t try.

While limiting the importance of Black people to just entertainment can be negligent to the immense contributions made to math, science, architecture and communication that laid the foundation for the modern world… this is a music website.
And while the likes of Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey’s roles as revolutionaries are to be studied and admired, it is the arts that continues to push pop culture forward. There is no greater form of pop culture now than hip hop, having overtaken rock & roll as the world’s most popular genre. Yet, hip hop would not exist without those that paved the way during the Harlem Renaissance.

Black history is everywhere, and New York State occupies some of the most important landmarks, where countless fabled musicians have inhabited. From The Cotton Club — where entertainers during the Harlem renaissance helped bring Black music to the mainstream — to the Marcy Projects that once housed Jay – Z.
- Cab Calloway.
Our Black History Maps give readers a chance to view the boroughs, neighborhoods and exact addresses where many a Black history that has shaped the world originated from within New York State, and the accompanying stories deriving from such landmarks. A fun interactive feature, the BHM will also serve music aficionados who may want to see just how close they are to where their favorite artist once frequented.
February 6, 2022
Phish Brings The Fire to Roseland Ballroom: February 6, 1993

As the early 1990s progressed, Phish would continue to make their mark in and throughout the Northeast. A major hub for this was obviously New York City. After years of playing The Wetlands, Phish had finally progressed to the Roseland Ballroom, starting with a gig there in March of 1992. The tour that began 1993 would add two more shows here and today marks the anniversary of the second one. Amazingly, this would somehow be their only shows in the city this year as tours began to stretch nationwide. They certainly made the most of their stay though, ending their brief Roseland residency with a show that features a healthy helping of new songs, classic favorites, and a remarkable pair of special guests to help them close it out.

An enthusiastic Roseland crowd seems to recognize “Golgi Apparatus” right away and the show is off and running with the venerable Phish classic. This is followed up with “Foam,” another hit off the band’s seminal Junta release. Despite some brief feedback issues, it’s a quick yet crisp version with a seemingly extra peppy bass line provided by Mike Gordon.

“Wilson” then has a bit of an extended intro with a different feel, with only the band singing the name of the fictional Gamehendge ruler as this pre-dates the now customary crowd chants. In an extended break before the “blap boom” ending portion, Trey Anastasio throws in both “Simpsons” and “Random Note” guitar signals that a good portion of the crowd seems to recognize. Then Phish steers into “My Friend, My Friend,” a track from their album Rift that was officially released just days earlier. As soon as “Friend” finishes, Phish wastes no time in doubling down on first set Rift tunes with Jon Fishman starting up the iconic drum intro to “Maze.” A rousing McConnell organ solo is supplanted with one from Anastasio and the first set at Roseland this evening is officially firing on all cylinders now.

After a standard run through of “Horn,” another first set staple, Phish launches into a flawless “Divided Sky” that features some more wonderful interplay between McConnell and Anastasio, with the latter spitting pure “fire” by song’s end in a potential nod of what was still to come. The now raucous Roseland crowd makes their feelings known after this one before Phish slows things down a tad with McConnell taking lead crooning duties on “Lawn Boy.”

Afterwards, the band breaks out a fairly new song (at the time) with only the third “The Wedge” ever performed live, after debuting three nights prior. It’s got a real jazzy, piano-fueled intro that makes it stand out when compared to its modern day version and McConnell follows this up with a dazzling solo mid-song that seems to have Trey yelling along in approval. A fairly standard “Bouncing Around The Room” follows this before the first set comes to a screaming halt in the form of a rabid “Run Like An Antelope” that has the whole band working together as one to bring the jam to a proper peak.

Tonight’s second set picks up right where the first one left off in the form of “Chalkdust Torture.” While this classic Phish number produces its typical high octane guitar and bass riffs, it doesn’t yield much of a jam. Instead, after a quick wrap up of “Torture,” the band dives back into the Rift chest and pulls out the Mike Gordon-penned “Mound.” But exploratory-wise, the second set doesn’t really take off until the “Stash” that follows, with Anastasio throwing out probing guitar fills atop some intense rhythms generated by Gordon and Fishman.

The call is then made for some mid second-set a cappella and Phish goes with the first “Sweet Adeline” of 1993 before an especially attentive Roseland crowd. Then, after Phish’s instrumental ode to NPR with “All Things Reconsidered,” the heavy hitters come back into play, starting with a “Mike’s Song” with a fun little verse added to the intro. Gordon has a little fun with the standard lyrics as well before the song takes a turn into its typical dark and foreboding ambiance. It’s a standard “Mike’s Groove” with the bliss-filled “I Am Hydrogen” dropped in the middle before “Weekapaug Groove” whips the Roseland crowd back into a collective frenzy. After this classical trifecta, Phish brings it back to the new school with the second ever “Lifeboy” performed live.

After this insightful newcomer, Phish decides to integrate some bluegrass into the show and breaks out an extremely tight “Uncle Pen” before a “Big Ball Jam” breaks out, the short-lived Phish gag in the early ’90s where giant inflatable balls were thrown out into the crowd with each band member “playing” along to a respective ball and its bouncing trajectory. Not much of a jam ensues though so Anastasio jumps behind the drum kit and Fishman then emerges for “a sad song” called “Lengthwise,” despite being prodded by the crowd to recite “The Prison Joke” again. After urging the crowd to break out lighters for the song, he adds an extra verse about burning his finger for holding one too long.

With the Big Ball and Fishman theatrics now out of the way, the show comes to a legendary finish, starting with “Buried Alive” where none other than Blues Traveler’s John Popper emerges to sit in and adds an absolutely ferocious harmonica solo that takes this song to another level. He then stays on for a set-closing “Possum,” adding a lovely touch to the intro before leading one of the more explosive jams of the evening.

As if one special guest weren’t enough tonight, Phish once again doubles down and brings out another one for the encore. With Popper still on stage, Phish do two “fake” botched intros to Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” seemingly blaming Gordon for the errors. So instead, Mike moves over to keys and they nonchalantly bring out none other than Noel Redding himself, the original bassist for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, to come out and do the honors. It caps off an incredible finishing sequence to, amazingly, the last New York City show of the year for Phish.

The whole show can be streamed here at PhishTracks with many audio clips found on YouTube as well.

Phish Roseland Ballroom – New York, NY 2/6/93

Set 1: Golgi Apparatus, Foam, Wilson, My Friend My Friend, Maze, Horn, Divided Sky, Lawn Boy, The Wedge, Bouncing Around The Room > Run Like An Antelope

Set 2: Chalkdust Torture, Mound, Stash, Sweet Adeline, All Things Reconsidered, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Lifeboy, Uncle Pen, Big Ball Jam, Hold Your Head Up > Lengthwise > Buried Alive, Possum

E: Fire

February 6, 2022
The Sounds of the 1980 Winter Olympics: Chuck Mangione’s “Give it All You Got” and the Crane School of Music Compose a Soundtrack for Lake Placid

As the XXIV Olympic Winter Games take place in Beijing, China, we look back 42 years to the XIII Olympic Winter Games held in Lake Placid from February 13, 1980 to February 24, 1980. Home of the Miracle on Ice and speedskater Eric Heiden winning five gold medals, the Lake Placid Winter Olympics brought together 1,072 athletes from 37 countries to take part in 38 official events in February 1980.

Opening ceremony photo courtesy Lake Placid Olympic Sites

The games also featured a theme song, in the form of Rochester Jazz legend Chuck Mangione’s “Give it All You Got,” a tune released a week before the games, that would chart as high as #1 on the Adult Contemporary, #18 on the Billboard 100 and #32 on the R&B chart, and recently named by Billboard as the #1 Olympics theme song of all time. ”Give it All You Got” was Mangione’s second single to reach #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, after “Feels So Good” achieved that feat in 1978.

Mangione was asked by Roone Arledge, then ABC Sports president, to craft a song for the Winter Olympiad. ABC had used Mangione’s recordings, including “Chase The Clouds Away,” four years earlier during their coverage of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Featuring a lineup of Charles Meks (bass), James Bradley Jr. (drums), Grant Geissman (guitar), and Chris Vadalla (saxophone), Mangione, America’s most famous flugelhorn player wrote the Grammy-nominated song for his 1979 album Fun and Games.

Richard Challen wrote in 2020 about “Give It All You Got”:

This is fusion jazz at its most peppy and pristine, the network TV version of “gritty.” Mangione and saxophonist Chris Vadala volley the theme back and forth for nearly half the track’s six-minute runtime, content to let that breezy melody do most of the work. There’s some inspired composition going on beneath the surface: the way the chord structure keeps dancing between major and minor, the spots where flugelhorn and sax each converge in twin harmony. Throw in Charles Meeks’ slippery bassline and some Nile-Rodgers-style rhythm work from Geissman, and you’ve got the perfect soundtrack for cruising L.A. in a ’74 Stingray convertible.

Mangione told Wesley Hyatt for his 1999 book The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits about the process of composing the music for the instrumental, saying:

(my) vision was to think about the athletes and their efforts to do their best now. They’re giving it all they’ve got. And we almost got to be like the athletes because we also got to perform the song at the ceremonies.

“Give It All You Got” was nominated for best instrumental composition at the 1981 Grammy Awards, losing out to John Williams’ score for The Empire Strikes Back.

Mangione would perform “Give it All You Got” live at the Winter Olympics closing ceremony (as well as the song “Pina Colada”) on Sunday, February 24, 1980, just hours after the conclusion of the gold medal hockey victory for Team USA over Finland along with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra from Ontario, Canada.

In addition to Mangione, the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam contributed to the Lake Placid Winter Olympics as well. A 600-member Olympic chorus and orchestra, a 50 member wind ensemble and three Olympic bands of 50 members each, who were bused in daily and wore weather appropriate parkas and boots, instead of the typical tuxedos and gowns. Brass performers tested their instruments in the meat freezer of the local supermarket in Potsdam as they prepared for the Games.

photo by Christopher Lenney

Feb. 9, 1980 featured the Collegiate Singers, directed by Brock McElheran, as they performed for the International Olympic Committee, along with visiting dignitaries from participating nations.

photo via the Crane School of Music

Four Crane School of Music faculty members composed original works for the Olympic Games, including Elliot Del Borgo, Arthur Frackenpohl, William Maul and Robert Washburn. When American gold medal winners, including speedskater Eric Heiden, received their medals, they were accompanied by an arrangement of the “Star Spangled Banner” by Frackenpohl, who also arranged the Greek and Yugoslavian national anthems. Washburn composed “Parade of Nations” for the opening ceremonies, while Del Borgo wrote the piece played during the closing, “When Dreams Are Dreamed and Dreams Are Won,” and Maul composed “March of the Athletes,” used for the closing ceremonies.

photo via the Crane School of Music

Crane School bands would provide music for the award ceremonies each evening, with Professor Emerita Rebekah Covell leading the Crane Symphonic Band for 14 performances over 14 days. With an added degree of difficulty, Covell and the musicians would often have less than an hour to rehearse national anthems needed for the medal award ceremonies, prior to playing the songs outdoors, often in freezing temperatures. Notably, Robert Mero, a former technical assistant at Crane, came out of retirement to assist musicians with technical services during the Games, per Robert Gibbs, a professor and emeritus member of the Crane School alumni board.

Between Chuck Mangione and students and faculty at the Crane School of Music, all music for the 1980 Winter Olympics can be credited to talented born and/or raised New Yorkers. Here’s to the Winter Olympics returning to Lake Placid in the coming years, perhaps split with Montreal.

February 5, 2022
This Week’s EQXposure Features Glass Pony, Victory Soul Orchestra, W.Y. Huang 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 Glass Pony, Victory Soul Orchestra, W.Y. Huang and many more!

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.

Glass Pony from Albany released “Day Dream” this past fall. Don’t miss their show with Organ Fairchild at Lark Hall on February 19.
<a href="https://glasspony.bandcamp.com/track/daydream-single-version">Daydream (Single Version) by Glass Pony</a>
Watch “Northbound” from Glass Pony at Cohoes Music Hall in December, 2021.

Victory Soul Orchestra “Shoot Your Shot” can be heard on EQXposure. The band along with JB threw a party in Foster House Studios and recorded some songs, “Shoot Your Shot” being the first in a series of live recordings.

From Singaporean singer-songwriter W. Y. Huang is his latest, ‘Living With Ghosts.” Writing on Instagram, Huang said “It’s about growing older, dealing with pain, regret and letting go of the past, of fear. “I’ve not written something so personal in a long time… maybe ever. When I wasn’t in a good place, writing this song helped me [through] it.”

Glass Pony Victory Soul Orchestra W.Y Huang

February 5, 2022
North Country Musician Christian Parker Releases Newest Album “Every Passing Mile”

Christian Parker, a country artist from Canton, NY, marks his return with the new album, Every Passing Mile, a 13 track record inspired by Parker’s vision for the future.

The country record is packed with soothing songs, with themes ranging from fear of the unknown to hope for a pleasant future. Originally inspired by the effects of the pandemic, the attention grabbing opener, ‘Cast a Line’ showcases the full potential of this album and draws listeners in. Parker created this track with help from longtime friend and mentor, Peter Pendras.

The final line of the song, “Cast a line when a star falls in the sky, there’s no need to cry, cause it’s falling,” represents finding hope in a desperate situation.
Christian Parker

Other stand out tracks include ‘Fire With Fire’ and ‘This Time’. Both songs feature a consistent guitar as their foundations, along with Parker’s signature airy vocals. The sentimental ideas of peace and learning from past mistakes leaves listeners feeling energized and hopeful for their own futures.

A majority of the album was written by Parker, but he still had the chance to collaborate with other seasoned performers like Phil Hurley, founding member of Gigolo Aunts, Lisa Loeb and even Fountains of Wayne. Hurley contributed backing vocals, as well as guitar tracks. All of these contributions led to the creation of a unique country-pop experience.

While working on the creation of his unreleased album Best Kept Secret, Parker came to realize that he had more than enough material to make a separate album. Best Kept Secret is scheduled for release in June 2022.

Every Passing Mile was co-produced by Ron Keck and mastered by Larry Lachman of Kevorkian Mastering in NYC. The album is available on all streaming platforms and can be purchased here.

Key Tracks: Cast a Line, Fire with Fire, This Time

February 4, 2022
A Little Bit Of Everything Happening At The Park Theater In Glens Falls This February

The Park Theater, located in Glens Falls, is hosting a variety of shows in the month of February. From comedy shows to listening parties, there is going to be a lot of fun happening at the venue.

The venue’s mission statement is that it would like to enhance the community and quality of life in Glens Falls by providing a venue for affordable entertainment and educational opportunities.

The outside of The Park Theater.

The bigger shows happening include Damn Tall Buildings and The Wildmans making an appearance at the venue. On February 12, Damn Tall Buildings will be playing. With elements of bluegrass, blues, rock, and vintage swing, the band shares harmonies to make for one joyous night.

Damn Tall Buildings.

On February 26, The Wildmans will be coming. Having shared the stage with many artists, such as Béla Fleck and Billy Strings, the band are highly skilled in playing and combining jazz and blues to create a fresh new sound.

The Wildmans.

The Park Theater is hosting all and more of these shows in February, and tickets can be found here, with proof of vaccination required.

Friday, February 4 – Canceled due to Inclement Weather

~~The Park Theater presents ‘Rewind At The Park’ featuring “The Simon & Garfunkel Songbook Show: An Evening of Songs & Stories” presented by Aztec Two-Step 2.0 with narration by Tony Traguardo.~~

Thursday, February 10

The Park Theater presents ‘Live & Local’ featuring Troy, NY-based indie-rock group, Candy Ambulance.

Thursday, February 17

The Park Theater presents ‘Third Thursday Jazz’ with The Matt Niedbalski Trio featuring trombonist, Tyler Giroux.

Wednedsay, February 23

The Park Theater hosts Rochmon Record Club for a series of listening parties. Hosted by Chuck Vosganian, this listening party will focus on Janis Joplin’s final studio album, “Pearl” (1971).

Friday, February 25

The Park Theater presents ‘Comedy After Dark’ performance featuring acclaimed comedian, Casey James Salengo.

February 4, 2022