Category: Reviews

The Smile Take Over NYC With A Trio Of Brilliant Shows at Kings Theatre and Hammerstein Ballroom

In the early stages of a 24-date North America excursion that kicked-off last week, The Smile (a side project by Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, along with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner) came to New York City this past weekend for a set of three consecutive shows.

Thom Yorke (Hammerstein Ballroom) | Photo by Michael Dinger

The run began with two nights at the majestic Kings Theatre in Brooklyn (November 18-19) and the third at Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan (November 20), a turn-of-the-century opera house. NYS Music was front and center for The Smile’s opening night at King’s Theatre on Friday evening and the NYC finale at Hammerstein Ballroom Sunday night.

Jonny Greenwood (Kings Theatre) | Photo by Joseph Buscarello

The Smile, who take their name from a collated poem in Ted Hughes’ 1970 literary work Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow, are touring in support of their 13-track debut album that was released in May 2022, A Light for Attracting Attention (XL Recordings). Furthering the Radiohead connection, the record was produced by longtime Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich. Born during the 2019 COVID lockdown, as many creative endeavors have, The Smile released a string of singles and eventually, the announcement of a world tour.

The current trek marks the first shows on American soil for Yorke and Greenwood since August 2018, when Radiohead wrapped up their world tour in support of 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool. Yorke was slated to tour North America in 2020 with stops at Kings Theatre behind his excellent solo album Anima, but this tour was ultimately postponed and canceled as a result of the pandemic.

The Smile (Kings Theatre) | Photo by Joseph Buscarello

Supporting The Smile for the tour’s duration is Robert Stillman, a multi-instrumentalist and composer born in Maine who has called the United Kingdom his home for the past decade. Like his tour mates (with whom he contributed to their album), Spillman is presenting new material from his eighth studio album What Does It Mean to Be American? (Orindal Records/KIT Records), released in January 22.

Robert Stillman (Hammerstein Ballroom) | Photo by Michael Dinger

Taking the stage at approximately 8:15 pm each night, dressed in white from head to toe, Stillman unassumingly acknowledged the audience for a moment before taking to his synthesizer. For approximately 30 minutes, Stillman mesmerized the audience each night with a deliberate looping process between his synthesizers and a tenor saxophone, curating an eclectic sonic palette drawing on elements of jazz, drone and psychedelia.

Kings Theatre (Friday, November 18)

On Friday night, fans lined up early ahead of doors at Kings Theatre in Flatbush, donning various Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Sons of Kemet and other associated apparel. The recently renovated classical movie theater is an exquisite example of how a modern music venue can be incorporated into a historic space. The cavernous venue, decorated with red velvet and ornate gold accents, boasts a deep sonic experience that continually attracts artists of all genres who want their music experienced in such a gorgeous space.

Thom Yorke (Kings Theatre) | Photo by Joseph Buscarello

The show got underway with Yorke, Greenwood and Skinner taking to the front of the stage as they basked in a thunderous ovation, with a return of gratitude to the fans. With Yorke behind a familiar piano, Greenwood on bass guitar and Skinner behind the kit, “Pana-vision” started the festivities. The song begins with a swirling piano arpeggio before a dark, jazzy rhythm kicks in. Yorke drives the song with his signature falsetto as his voice swells and calms for several waves of the song. The band then dove into a tight rendition of “Thin Thing”, a psychedelic Kraut-rock song which highlights The Smile’s style perfectly. The music is “stripped back” in a sense that it is confined to a trio, but the blend of dissonant vocals, driving punk rock infused strings, and jazzy percussions creates a dense palette which overwhelms in a live setting.

In addition to the songs from A Light for Attracting Attention, the band has been playing many unreleased songs on this tour. On Friday at Kings Theatre, Stillman joined the band and contributed his saxophone for two such songs “Colours Fly” and “People on Balconies”. Other new songs performed Friday were “Bending Hectic” and “Read the Room”. The main set ended with the vintage punk sounding “You Will Never Work In Television Again”, which got fans bouncing all over the venue. The final song of the night was surprisingly long-time favorite Thom Yorke solo song “Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses”, self-released back in 2009.

The Smile (Kings Theatre) | Photo by Joseph Buscarello

Thom Yorke (Kings Theatre) | Photo by Joseph Buscarello

The Smile (Kings Theatre) | Photo by Joseph Buscarello

Hammerstein Ballroom (Sunday, November 20)

Although doors were more than two hours away, a large (and rapidly growing) contingent of fans already lined the West 34^th Street sidewalk in Midtown Manhattan on a near freezing late Sunday afternoon. Mercifully, at 6:30 pm, the shivering fans hoping to get a spot on or near the stage rail were ushered into the warm confines of the Hammerstein Ballroom lobby, housed within the Manhattan Center. Extensively renovated in 1997, elaborate architectural decorations adorn the historic venue which seats 2,500 (all of which would be sold out tonight) – complete with box seats, three balconies, a proscenium arch and a hand-painted ceiling mural 75-feet above depicting an “orchestra of angels on a heavenly stage”.

Hammerstein Ballroom | Photo by Michael Dinger

At approximately 9:20 pm, The Smile took to the stage, with Yorke pausing along the stage apron as the audience’s applause and wild cheers rained down. After assuming their stage positions (Yorke at stage right, Greenwood at center stage and Skinner on his kit at stage left), The Smile commenced their 90-minute set backed by a large video screen displaying broken, horizontal line patterns. Bathed in red stage lighting, the first of ten offerings from A Light for Attracting Attention was “The Same”. With Greenwood seated at the piano, Yorke took up his vintage Guild Starfire II bass and let his haunting, signature falsetto do the rest.

Thom Yorke (Hammerstein Ballroom) | Photo by Michael Dinger

Jonny Greenwood (Hammerstein Ballroom) | Photo by Michael Dinger

Tom Skinner (Hammerstein Ballroom) | Photo by Michael Dinger

Throughout the evening, Yorke and Greenwood seamlessly interchanged their instruments, each playing guitar, bass and piano. Ensuing magnificent presentations of “Thin Thing”, “The Opposite” and “Speech Bubbles”, guided by the loose-limbed Skinner and his punishing rhythmic dialogues, Yorke briefly addressed the audience as he took his seat at the piano for “Pana-vision”. “We’re a new band called The Smile, but I guess you knew that”. Up next was “A Hairdryer”, with Greenwood bowing his Fender Precision bass during the opening refrain of the 8-minute masterpiece.

The night’s only snafu followed approximately one-third into the show, a technical malfunction that led to “Waving a White Flag” being scratched from the set. While two other tracks (“Open the Floodgates” and “Free in the Knowledge”) from The Smile’s debut album were not performed Sunday night, fans were treated to three new, currently unreleased songs – “Bending Hectic”, “Read the Room” and “Bodies Laughing”.

Up next was “Skirting on the Surface”, developed from an unreleased Radiohead song and featuring Greenwood’s guitar arpeggios. As Yorke introduced “People on Balconies”, he acknowledged The Smile fans in attendance a second time. “I very much enjoy being back to New York City. We wish we had another week, or two, at least”. After welcoming Robert Stillman and his sax back to the stage, The Smile gave us “The Smoke” and “You Will Never Work in Television Again”, a banger in every sense of the word. Following an encore break, the last fifteen minutes of the epic show comprised “Just Eyes and Mouth”, “Colours Fly” (with Stillman rejoining the band) and “Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses”.

The Smile will continue their string of U.S. dates until a pair of Los Angeles concerts on December 21 and 22 close out the run for the year. A 2023 show has also already been announced at the Bluebird Theater in Denver on February 16.

Kings Theatre Setlist: Pana-vision > Thin Thing > The Opposite > Speech Bubbles > Free in the Knowledge > A Hairdryer > Waving a White Flag > Colours Fly (with Robert Stillman) > We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings > Read the Room > Skrting on the Surface > Just Eyes and Mouth > People on Balconies (with Robert Stillman) > The Smoke (with Robert Stillman) > You Will Never Work in Television Again (with Robert Stillman) > Encore: Open the Floodgates > The Same > Bending Hectic > Encore 2: Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses (Thom Yorke song)

Hammerstein Ballroom Setlist: The Same > Thin Thing > The Opposite > Speech Bubbles > Pana-vision > A Hairdryer > Bending Hectic > We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings > Read the Room > Bodies Laughing > Skrting on the Surface > People on Balconies (with Robert Stillman) > The Smoke (with Robert Stillman) > You Will Never Work in Television Again (with Robert Stillman) > Encore: Just Eyes and Mouth > Colours Fly (with Robert Stillman) > Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses (Thom Yorke song)

Robert Stillman Gallery – Kings Theatre

Robert Stillman Gallery – Hammerstein Ballroom

The Smile Gallery – Kings Theatre

The Smile Gallery – Hammerstein Ballroom

November 25, 2022
In Focus: Kameron Marlowe in Horseheads at The L

Kameron Marlowe’s first headlining tour, “We Were Cowboys” rolled into Horseheads, NY on Sunday, November 13th. The North Carolina native performed his second of three stops in NY on the tour. Opening the show was the Southern Tier’s very own Brian Hughes and Nashville singer/songwriter Wyatt McCubbin.

Kameron Marlowe, photo by Allison Marie.

Marlowes’ career kicked off in 2018 – a contestant on season 15 of The Voice. After being eliminated, he moved to Nashville where he independently released his first, now certified Gold single in 2019, Giving You Up, which surpassed 15 million streams in less than a year. He is signed with Columbia Nashville. Kameron’s debut single from Columbia was Burn Em All which is still climbing the country charts. His debut album, We Were Cowboys is available now.

Horsehead’s local rocker Brian Hughes opened the show and set the tone by performing some classic covers and originals. The singer/songwriter and talented musician also performs with the band Rust. Hughes recently released a solo album, I Surrender which can be found on all streaming platforms. His website can be found here.

Wyatt McCubbin, photo by Allison Marie

Southern Ohio/Nashville singer/songwriter Wyatt McCubbin was the second opening act which makes perfect sense as McCubbin co-wrote a handful of songs on Marlowe’s debut album, We Were Cowboys, such as “This Old Town,” “We Were Cowboys,” and “Does It Have To Be Over.” Writing hits for artists like Riley Green, Dustin Lynch, Cody Johnson, Tracey Lawrence and others, McCubbin is the next artist to follow!

Marlowes’ career is just taking off and with a show like at The L, he is sure to keep fans excited for more!

Kameron Marlowe, by Allison Marie

Setlist: Sober, This Old Town, Over Now, Steady Heart, Folsom, Tequila Talking, We Were Cowboys, Raise One Up, Save a Horse, Leaving To Me, Aint Enough Whiskey, Stay Here and Drink, Saying Goodbye, Money Aint Shit, Country Boys Prayer, Im Over You, Running Out on You, In Color, Fool Me Again, Trouble, Does It Have To Be Over, Girl On Fire, Giving You Up
Encore: Burn Em All

For tour dates and more on Kameron Marlowe, visit his website here.

November 22, 2022
Flashback: Peter Frampton Comes Alive At SUNY Plattsburgh in 1975 Performance

Since the very beginning of Rock and Roll way back in the 1950s, every decade seems to have an iconic album that is representative of the time period in which they were recorded. In the 1950s, the decade that saw the birth of Rock and Roll there was Elvis Presley’s smash Elvis Presley. In the 1960’s the Beatles owned the decade with their apex being 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. In the 1970’s, the decade that was known for its god-like guitar heroes and exceptional live concert albums, there was a young English player named Peter Frampton who produced the wildly popular Rock and Roll classic ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’ in 1978.

Frampton, who the former guitarist and vocalist for Humble Pie, the super group which he co-founded with Steve Marriot, left the band and went solo in 1971 after achieving moderate success in both the UK and America with albums like Town and Country and Humble Pie.

Frampton went on to release his debut solo album Camel in 1973 and spent the remaining years of the decade producing another 5 solo albums. The unsurpassed crown jewel of which was his fifth offering, the multi-platinum double-album Frampton Comes Alive! was the record that cemented the English guitar slinger’s legacy in Rock and Roll history. After it’s debut in January 1976, the live concert double album sales rocketed and eventually rose to the top of Billboard albums chart for the week ending April 10th of that year.

The tracks that were featured on ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’ were chosen from selected performances that were recorded in the summer and fall of 1975, at historic venues such as, Bill Graham’s historic Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco and the Long Island Arena in Commack. The 70’s rock and roll classic also includes recordings from a concert that took place on the evening of the 22nd of November in 1975 at the little known Memorial Hall located in the heart of the SUNY Plattsburgh campus.

Frampton’s Plattsburgh performance was organized by the SUNY Plattsburgh concert committee, headed by then-student Neil Jacobsen. Neil took a chance on booking Frampton who was up to that point was still relatively unknown. According to an article published in 2016 by VPR, Jacobsen felt that it was worth taking the gamble, “I knew about Humble Pie. I had their records,” Jacobsen says. “I knew Frampton was a great guitarist and then he was solo. And I said, ‘You know what, we can get him cheap. I think he means something, and let’s go for it.’ Back then, we had a certain amount of money to lose. So we were given the opportunity to really program and be adventurous.”

The cost of the Peter Frampton concert was a whopping $2.00 for students and $4.00 for the general public, which is equivalent to about $11.00 and $22.00 in today’s dollars, which still seems an excellent bargain for a chance to see a gifted guitarist and singer/songwriter of his caliber. The performance was recorded by Frampton’s road crew and which provided three tracks to the Frampton Comes Alive! LPs, including ‘All I Want To Be (Is By Your Side),’ ‘Wind of Change’ and the iconic, ‘Baby, I Love Your Way.’ Peter Frampton would go on to sell more than 17 million copies of Frampton Comes Alive! worldwide and in the process became an international super star that helped define a decade. “He was a really nice guy,” Jacobsen continues. “I didn’t speak to him much. Maybe for a minute or two just to say, ‘Hi, hello.’ But it was a good day for them. You know, he was on a small tour, playing small theaters and clubs, and he had an enthusiastic crowd and it was great.”

The SUNY Plattsburgh setlist included a rendition of Frampton’s now legendary of “Do You Feel Like We Do?” which features his now iconic Talk Box. The revolutionary device was first introduced to Frampton by legendary Nashville-based peddle steel player Pete Drake in 1970, while at a Abbey Road Studios recording session for George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass LP. The effects unit allows the musician to adjust the sound of the guitar which then mimic’s the sound of speech. The device directs sound from the instrument into the musician’s mouth usually by means of a plastic tube that is then picked up by a vocal microphone. The musician controls the alteration of the instrument’s sound by changing the shape of the mouth, “vocalizing” the guitar’s output into a microphone. This resulting effect was something that listeners in the mid-70s were mostly not exposed to and has since then become forever linked to Peter Frampton’s unique guitar playing style.

The success that Peter Frampton achieved from Frampton Comes Alive! was the stuff of legends, but with all the perks and the glitzy trappings of fame it also came with the heavy burden of being overworked and an exhaustive schedule in order to satisfy an ever increasing public demand. Frampton spoke to Gold Mine in June 20, 2013 and tried to describe the effect that the sudden success of Frampton Comes Alive! had on him. Well it was all a bit surreal, to be honest … It’s something that very few people have experienced, and you can’t really put that into words. You kind of have to be there to know what that was like. Surreal is the right word. It’s almost like it’s not happening to you, and it’s happening to somebody else, because you haven’t changed, but the world has changed the way they think about you. Lots of people who didn’t know about you now know who you are, so notoriety on that level is a very strange thing (laughs)……I was 25 years old when that record came out, and I was at my prime of growing up, basically. Your brain doesn’t stop growing until you’re 30 (laughs), so I was still developing a personality and who I was at that point, so it definitely had a major effect on me.

Frampton would come back to Upstate NY and have a repeat performance at SUNY Plattsburgh four years later in 1979, but this time performed at the campus’ Fieldhouse. The University had stopped presenting concerts there due to old wiring and limited seating capacity. Rob Buran Plattsburgh State concert committee member in 1975 spoke with VPR about Frampton’s return performance. “Now, Peter Frampton came back in ’79 and played at the Fieldhouse and strapped on an acoustic guitar and came out and said, ‘This is one of the songs that appears on my album from Plattsburgh,’ and he went into ‘Baby, I Love Your Way.’

When Buran was asked by VPR if current Plattsburgh students were aware that the University played such an important role in Peter Frampton’s rock and roll legacy, he replied, “Once in a while I’ll come to the college and I’ll ask them, ‘Do you know the song, ‘Baby, I Love Your Way?”’ Buran says. “I might sing a part of it. ‘Yeah, I know that.’ ‘Did you know it was recorded across the street at Memorial Hall?’ ‘No, I had no idea.’”

Peter Frampton’s career would never see the dizzying heights that he achieved in the 1970s, but he would go on to have continued success in the music business. From his 1986 hit ‘Lying’ off of his ninth solo album Premonition to his 2006 Grammy Award winning Fingerprints, Peter Frampton continued to be a productive musical artist producing a vast quantity of material until his retirement in 2009 after disclosing his diagnosis of inclusion body myositis (IBM), a progressive muscle disorder. When asked in 2016 by Azcentral about the legacy of Frampton Comes Alive! he reflected back on his career. “Hey, I’ve done a lot of other things but I’m also very aware that when I kick the bucket, the first paragraph will be “The man responsible for ‘Frampton Comes Alive’ just dropped dead. ‘Frampton Drops Dead’ after coming alive all these years.” It’s just one of those things. Who knows why?”

Peter Frampton – Memorial Hall, SUNY Plattsburgh – November 22, 1975

Setlist: Baby (Somethin’s Happening), Baby, I Love Your Way, Do You Feel Like We Do, Penny for Your Thoughts, (I’ll Give You) Money
Encore: Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Shine On

November 22, 2022
Trey Anastasio Band and Goose Wrap Up Tour in Reading

On Saturday, November 19, Goose and Trey Anastasio Band concluded their eight-show fall tour of the Northeast. The arena tour began in Portland, ME on November 9^th, followed by performances in Lowell, MA, Uncasville, CT (at the Mohegan Sun Casino where Goose played their first arena show in February 2021), Glens Falls, Moon, PA, Fairfax, VA, and Syracuse. Endearingly referred to as “TABoose” over the past few months, the bands co-headlined the tour and sold out each of the nights, with each night of the run consisting of two 90+ minute sets of music opening with Goose and concluding the night with TAB, with various sit-ins throughout each of the bands’ performances.

Throughout the tour, both Peter Anspatch from Goose and Anastasio have expressed to the audience how grateful they were for the fall run and how much fun they have been having working, rehearsing, and chatting while on tour. Palpably so, fans have stated how much they’ve seen the tour has rubbed off on both the young indie-groove band and the veterans of the jam band scene.

Just after 7:30pm sharp, Goose took the stage, greeted with booming applause. The Connecticut-based five-piece began their set with “Flodown.” Referred to by fans as the “Flopener,” the jam’s introductory train-beat from drummer, Ben Atkind kicked the crowd into a barn dance style frenzy while guitarist, Rick Mitarotonda and keyboardist Anspach being to play around with space and chaos to pump the room’s energy to 11. As Goose’s skill and performance have evolved over the years, their older songs continue to grow and expand in composition. An example of this can be seen in the beginning of the “Flowdown” from the 2021 album, Shenanigans Nite Club. However the twisty angelic tones of the band’s 2022 Dripfield album could be heard in this performance tonight.

Goose continued the set with “Pancakes,” whose mysterious drum-beat and feedback are combined with fun audience participation clapping along with Peter Anspach. The punchy jam originating from Peter’s previous band, Great Blue, was filled with wailing overdrive from Rick while Anspach exercised his piano and organ playing skills. Rumblings from bassist Trevor Weekz provided subtle foreshadowing to the evil peaks and valleys at the end of the jam until the band’s speedy timing and turnaround at the end of the song.

To cool down the hot and bothered audience from the “Pancakes” jam, Goose provided a breezy rendition of their song “Turned Clouds,” a first time play on the tour. While the song’s back-end jam always provides fun vibes, the crowd was met with an extra flair from Trevor’s slap bass which built up intense tension and release to send the “Turned Clouds” sky high.

Next, the crowd at Santander Arena saw “Dripfield,” summoned by the usual entrancing synth from Peter, digital drumbeat kicked in by percussionist Jeff Arevalo, and mystifying beams of purple and green light from Andrew Goedde. The song’s eight-note trade-off between Rick and Peter on guitar pumped the energy through the crowd until the toms from Ben’s kit kicked in and sent the drip into an extremely primal sounding jam. Rick channeled the energy through his hollow body PRS sending commanding growls over the controlled chaos composed by the Connecticut quintet.

After this stunning performance, Peter took a moment to thank the fans, the 77-person crew working to get everything in place for the shows, and of course Trey for all the fun they have been having on the tour. With that, Peter welcomed Trey on to the stage and the group began the Vasudo original, “Rockdale.” Rick and Trey harmonized the opening notes of “Rockdale” in a style reminiscent of the Allman Brothers style. As the main jam began to take form both Rick and Trey dove into low frequency distortions creating a comfortable valley for the two to later shoot off. Rick began to wail as Trey filled the space with expression before the two wove through each other’s soloing in complimentary form. The rest of the band held down intense space and rhythm with Trevor Weeks holding it down on bass, Jeff and Ben shredding high hats and snares, and Anspach on organ.

With the energy up, the honking and hollering fans were then treated to a bustout of “Elmeg the Wise,” which this author would describe as peak Goose. The enchanting hymn, written by Mitarotonda, describes a being on a path searching for wisdom and inspiration. As the song punched into the jam, the band’s enchantment of the crowd quickly lit up.

To cap off the set, the band welcomed the TAB horns players, James Casey, Natalie Cressman, and Jennifer Hartswick to the stage shortly before Rick tore into the opening notes to the fan favorite, “Hot Tea.” In its studio debut on Dripfield, the classic jam was paired with horns for the first time. With seasoned trumpet, trombone, and saxophone players on stage, the crowd was in for a raging tea party and received nothing short of it.

Goose Setlist:: Flodown[1], Pancakes, Turned Clouds, Dripfield, Rockdale[2], Elmeg The Wise[2], Hot Tea[3][1] Flopener.
[2] With Trey Anastasio on guitar.
[3] With Trey Anastasio on guitar, James Casey on saxophone, Jennifer Hartswick on trumpet, and Natalie Cressman on trombone.

The Trey Anastasio Band graced the stage for the final time of the tour and was greeted by the sold out crowd with eruptions of warm applause and cheers. The love and reception of Trey in the arena felt like an entire crowd welcoming their rock star father to melt faces.

The set began with “Push on Til the Day,” whose bouncy rhythm kept Trey hopping and bopping around the quick and concise composition. Things cooled things down with “Love is What We Are,” a fun reggae half-time beat was adorably paired with percussionist Cyro Baptista playing a small bow and arrow to appear as a bearded, can-jingling Cupid.

To fire things up again the band erupted into “Mozambique” with a jazzy salsa style that kept the crowd moving as Trey ran back and forth across the stage. “Cayman Review” came next followed by an incredibly funky “Camel Walk.” Bassist Dezron Douglas kept everything locked in place as keyboardist Ray Paczkowski revved up his organ. Trey took this as a queue to glide through a solo which was met at the end with a palpably strong call and response jam between saxophonist James Casey and the rest of the band.

“Twist” had a fun jam paired with some high kicks and “woo’s” from Trey, who showed off a fair amount of his looping skills that he has grown partial to over the last couple of years. “No Man in No Man’s Land” kept the night moving with tight and concise horns and on-the-dime turnarounds. The jam concluded with a drum and space style solo from Cyro and drummer Russ Lawton.

“Life Beyond a Dream” captivated the crowd next with harmonic crescendos from the horn/vocal section. “Dark and Down” was a highlight of the TAB set with its intense vibe and composition. Trey’s soulful solo raised the hearts of the crowd and left the room speechless before its eruption of applause.

While waiting for Mitarotonda and Anspach to join the stage on guitar and keys, Cyro treated the crowd to a spacey jam consisting of Vargan playing and voice modulated poetry. Rick and Peter sat in for “Ghost” where the jam sent the crowd once again into overdrive. While waiting for Trey’s fried amp to be fixed, Peter shared some words that he heard from Trey at one of his first Phish shows. Anspach recounted that Trey asked the crowd, “Hey, any youngsters out there? This is a pretty good job!” With that Peter encouraged the young people of the crowd to pursue music if their passions lie there.

“Hey Stranger” and “Everything’s Right” brought joy and whimsy to the crowd as the night neared the end. For the last song of the set, the rest of Goose rejoined the stage for “First Tube,” where Dezron and Trevor wove through heavy basslines together and brought even more energy. A disco ball at the top of the stage canopy shone throughout the arena while the rhythm section turned around and played to the crowd behind the stage.

Both bands came to the stage for the encore and ripped into a beloved slow version of the Phish jam, “Llama,” whose final lyric, ‘Taboot’ was appropriately changed to ‘Taboose’ for the night. The slow and melodic “Show of Life” came next and as Trey ended the song and thanked all the band members and crew, Trey said, “We don’t want the party to end. So I say keep the fuckin’ party going!” With this, the group punched into “Party Time” which ended with a New Orleans-Style parade walk off guided by Cyro’s whistle and the TAB horns.

Trey will be back with Phish for their NYE run at Madison Square Garden over December 28-31. Goose is scheduled to play two nights at 1stBank Arena in Broomfield, CO for two nights of their Annual Goosemas show on December 16-17, with other scheduled Goose events at the Fox Theater in Boulder on December 18, two nights of New Years Eve at the Brady Music Center in Cincinnati, and five nights at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester from March 8-12.

Trey Anastasio Band Setlist: Push On ‘Til the Day, Love Is What We Are, Mozambique, Cayman Review, Camel Walk, Twist, No Men In No Man’s Land, A Life Beyond The Dream, …And Flew Away, Dark and Down, Ghost [1], Hey Stranger [1], Everything’s Right[1], First Tube [2]

Encore: Llama [3], Show of Life [4], Party Time [5]

[1] Rick Mitarotonda on guitar and Peter Anspach on keys.
[2] Rick Mitarotonda on guitar, Peter Anspach on keys, Trevor Weekz on bass, and Jeff Arevalo and Ben Atkind on percussion.
[3] Rick Mitarotonda on guitar, Peter Anspach on keys, and Jeff Arevalo, Ben Atkind, and Trevor Weekz on percussion; performed in an alternate arrangement. Final lyric changed to “Taboose.”
[4] Rick Mitarotonda on guitar, Peter Anspach on keys, and Jeff Arevalo, Ben Atkind, and Trevor Weekz on percussion.
[5] Rick Mitarotonda on guitar, Peter Anspach on keys and vocals, and Jeff Arevalo, Ben Atkind, and Trevor Weekz on percussion. Ended with the horns and everyone else on percussion playing as everyone walked off stage.

Photos by Filip Zalewski

November 21, 2022
The First Ever Rochester Experimental Week Explores Musical Boundaries

Back in October, for seven straight nights, in seven different venues around Rochester, over 90 different artists from near and very far, became a part of the first ever Rochester Experimental Week. The quasi-festival was put on by promoter Eclectic Overdrive, a relative newcomer to the area’s scene.

Bonnie Kane and Tracy Lisk, photo by Raimund Selke-Fisher

Each night was jam-packed with quick hit sets from an eclectic group of musicians. Experimental music is an expansive and open descriptor for music. As such, styles ranged widely, from heavy and in-your-face, to quiet and reserved. But everything left of left-of-center. It was incredible free-form and incredibly, all free of charge. And nearly every venue was able to maintain all ages shows, a free for all that was quite literally free for all.

Nick Gianni & Reggie Sylvester, photo by Raimund Selke-Fisher

The week filled some of the more unique music spaces around town, like the Bug Jar, UUU Art Collective, the Spirit Room, Rosen Krown and 75 Stutson. Some nights stretched all the way into the mornings, Saturday’s schedule finished at 4am! NYS Music was in attendance for night five, at the budding creative space and music venue Dutch, a small old church off of Main Street bordering the Neighborhood of the Arts.

The centerpiece for the evening was Japanese percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani’s Gong Orchestra. Employing fifteen volunteer gong-ists from the area to follow his instructions and direction, Nakatani presented an exhilarating near-hour of non-stop gonging. Through bowing on the gongs’ edges and hitting them with various mallets, the Gong Orchestra pushed the gong’s sound to it’s limit. With every sound multiplied by fifteen it was about as loud and absorbing as un-amplified music can get. Any film makers out there looking for a soundtrack for their mysterious and eery project (thinking Midsommar, Dark etc), give Nakatani a ring, this sound is perfect.

Nakatani Gong Orchestra, photo by Raimund Selke-Fisher

Nakatani followed that up with a solo set, employing his unique kit, of course including a couple of gongs, and his unique playing. Unlike anything most have heard coming from a percussionist previously, and that was the core of the theme for the night, and week. The evening at Dutch also included a short set from Bonnie Kane (saxophone, flute, electronics) and Tracy Lisk (drums) improvising on what could best be described as avant-garde jazz. Another duo, Nick Gianni (saxophone, keys) and Reggie Sylvester (drums) similarly improvised around the outer edges of jazz with Sylvester interspersing some spoken word, with a vague running theme about the pandemic.

Tatsuya Nakatani, photo by Raimund Selke-Fisher

The week’s experiments were as much on stage as they were off. Rochester music lovers came out in strong support, ready to lend an open mind and open ears to widen their net of musical experiences. The question being asked wasn’t “What is experimental music?” it was simply “What is music?” It isn’t clear if Rochester was left with more questions or answers. Either way, Eclectic Overdrive will continue to give the artists a time and a place to run their various experiments. Next year’s Rochester Experimental Week II is already set and in the planning stages, see you in 2023, October 9-16!

November 20, 2022
In Focus: Trey and Goose let Loose in Syracuse

For the penultimate stop on Trey Anastasio Band and Goose’s fall tour, the two bands took over War Memorial Arena in Syracuse. Over two sets, both groups showed their comfort level in the arena setting and playing with each other that they have gained over the tour so far.

Goose began their set with “Slow Ready”, easing in with the sultry synth-drenched songs. Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed a change in guitarist Rick Mitarotonda’s amp setup – instead of the Mesa Boogie Express 5:50 we are used to seeing behind him, last night in Syracuse he used a setup not unlike Trey’s classic Mesa Boogie III and a 2×12 wooden cabinet.

Ripping into “Jive I” next, the first of the Jive triptych to make an appearance this tour saw Mitarotonda and multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach trading licks over a hot intro jam ahead of a strong take on the song. “Jive Lee” offered just under ten minutes of solid improv, bassist Trevor Weekz laying down a foundation for Anspach and Mitarotonda to work over.

“Bob Don” came next – an apt performance possibly in honour of the release of EP Undecided yesterday, a surprise drop of four songs recorded during the Dripfield sessions in 2021. “Bob Don” is included on this release, though under the song’s original name “Undecided”. Last night’s version featured the extended outro jam beloved by fans – Anspach’s gentle piano and percussionist Jeff Arevalo’s contributions accentuate the laid-back groove.

A surprise performance of fan-favourite “Factory Fiction” continued the set – the song’s shortest gap ever at just three shows. After a dissonant jam that led to a blazing peak, Goose invited Trey on stage to help close out the set. Starting the sit-in with the highly anticipated “Madhuvan” (or Madhuvanastasio, as it has been called), Anastasio added perfectly to the song, throwing in little riffs and accents as Mitarotonda sang his way through.

Beginning the jam in a spacey motif, Anspach laid some vibraphone-infused piano down as the two guitarists explored the terrain. Starting up a descending progression on piano that the rest of the band quickly locked in to, Anastasio led the way through a major-key section as Mitarotonda joined in for some spot-on harmonization work. Insistent playing from drummer Ben Atkind gradually increased the pace and intensity as the peak drew closer. Locking in on some twin sustain action, the dual-guitar attack shredded the classic Goose jam vehicle to pieces before quieting down into some tension/release runs. Undeniably the improvisational highlight of the night

Bringing out TAB drummer Russ Lawton to help close the set, Goose brought out the catchy “Animal”. With one show remaining, the quintet has proved beyond a doubt that they are up to the arena-size sound.

Goose Setlist: Push On ‘Til the Day, Love Is What We Are, Mozambique, Cayman Review, Camel Walk, Twist, No Men in No Man’s Land, A Life Beyond The Dream, …And Flew Away, Dark And Down, Ghost^[1], Hey Stranger^[1], Everything’s Right^[1], First Tube^[2]

Encore: Llama^[3], Show of Life^[4], Party Time^[4]

Coach’s Notes:
    [1] With Rick on guitar and Peter on keys.
    [2] With Rick on guitar, Peter on keys, Trevor on bass, and Spuds and Jeff on percussion.
    [3] Performed in a slow funk style. With Rick on guitar, Peter on keys, and Trevor, Spuds, and Jeff on percussion.
    [4] With Rick on guitar, Peter on keys, and Trevor, Spuds, and Jeff on percussion.

Before TAB began their set, Trey took a moment to note that percussionst Cyro Baptista would be absent from last night’s concert – an emergency health issue had popped up before showtime. Dedicating the opening “I Never Needed You Like This Before” to the absent percussionist, Trey immediately began stretching his legs improvisationally more than he has all tour with TAB.

The patience and more extended takes on songs continued through “Blaze On” and “Wolfman’s Brother”, seeing Trey leading jams yet also weaving melodies with keyboardist Ray Paczkowski.

“Blazing Down the Twisted Wire” from 2022’s Mercy offered an uptempo breather ahead of “Sand” – bassist Dezron Douglas digging into the song’s signature riff as Trey once again stretched the song slightly beyond its normal length. The peppy “Shine” came next before a deep and groovy “46 Days”. The Phish song saw the horn section departing the stage as Trey shredded over the moody groove. Paczkowski provided the perfect backdrop to the fretboard fireworks on organ and clav.

Numerous peaks later, Trey brought Mitarotonda and Anspach back on stage for an extended sit-in that began with the tour’s second “Mr. Completely”. Taking the first part of the jam to face off with Mitarotonda, Trey traded licks with the Goose guitarist before handing it off to Jen Hartswick on trumpet. Modulating into the typical solo section, trombonist Natalie “Chainsaw” Cressman stepped up next as we were treated to an extended solo where she and Trey faced off at centre stage. Anspach took a solo next, Paczkowski egging him on just like in Glens Falls earlier in the tour.

As the song drew to a close, Lawton and Douglas eased their way into the “Plasma” groove. Trey led the way on this jam, first on some eerie whammy pedal work and then switching on his various synth pedals for a more dissonant section. Paczkowski’s distorted organ perfectly suited the spacey and out-there jam, evolving in one of the most experimental TAB performances of the tour. The 10-piece band then delivered a hot “A Wave of Hope” to close the extended sit-in and set.

For the encore, Anspach and Mitarotonda returned to the stage for the tour’s first “Quantegy” and another blazing reading of “Money, Love and Change”, once more highlighting how locked in the two lead guitarists are to each other at this point in the tour.

With one more show left in TABoose tour, both bands are primed to deliver incredible performances in Reading, PA.

Set 1: I Never Needed You Like This Before, Blaze On, Wolfman’s Brother, Blazing Down the Twisted Wire, Sand, Shine, 46 Days, Mr. Completely [1] > Plasma[1] > A Wave of Hope[1]

Encore: Quantegy[1] > Money, Love and Change[1]

[1] Rick Mitarotonda on guitar and Peter Anspach on keys; setlist via Phish.net

photos by Brian Ferguson

November 20, 2022
The Dresden Dolls Reunite for Three Explosive Nights at The Colony in Woodstock

The punk cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls, created by Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione in 2001, held nothing back deep in the woods of Woodstock for a three night run at The Colony from November 10th to November 12th. The best way to experience this band is up close and personal, which made the Colony the perfect place for their first live performances since 2018 in the UK, as the venue held roughly 150 people from the floor to the balcony.

Palmer, now 46, still performs like she is 25 at the start of The Dresden Dolls’ birth. Her raw energy and flawed flawlessness that she puts into any one of her performances is something that cannot be explained through words, it’s something that needs to be experienced. Her vocals are unmatched with a mix of melodic sounds and scream-singing and her skills on the piano complement that so well. She is one of the most passionate artists out there and is a sight to behold. Her passion is so strong that it spills out from her voice into her piano and every single move she makes. She breathes a new breath into every single performance.

Viglione on the drums, back-up vocals, bass, electric and acoustic guitar complements that beautifully. He matches her energy and that brings every performance from a 10 to a 20. The things he can create, on the drums especially, is an artform all by itself. The two clad in cabaret styled clothes and mime-like face paint created an experience for the audience that is part rage, part beautiful storytelling, with a little bit of everything mixed in. Everything includes a cover of “Fight For Your Right” by The Beastie Boys where Amanda got up from her piano and took over the drums while Brian played guitar and guest bass player Manta joined in.

The performance overall was a mash up of high-energy rage-filled songs like “Girl Anachronism” and some lower-energy ballads. This included their song “Delilah” which was accompanied by a newer artist named Veronica Swift who’s vocals were out of this world. It was truly show-stopping.

The performance and the reaction of the audience breathed new air into The Dresden Dolls and if you’re lucky enough to score a ticket to any one of there other performances, GO. Long live the Punk Cabaret.

Setlist: Good Day, Sex Changes, Gravity, Bad Habit, Backstabber, Modern Moonlight, My Alcoholic Friends, Missed Me, Mrs. O, Astronaut, Delilah (with Veronica Swift), Gardener, Ultima, Fight For Your Right, Amsterdam, Mandy Goes To Med School, Coin Operated Boy, War Pigs, Half Jack, Girl Anachronism

Encore: Truce, Sing

Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione rocking out Colony. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki

November 18, 2022
STEMM Reunite with TJ Frost for First Time in 20 Years at The Rapids Theater

The night of Saturday, November 12 was a bitter and cold, and at The Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls, The Thom Conde Project, Buffalo’s newest hard rock band, opening the night’s show. Next up, was Buffalo’s Red Letter, followed by Sirens & Sailors from Rochester taking the stage. And among the crowd was unreal anticipation for STEMM to the start their set. Even Rob Arnold, guitarist from the band Chimaira made the trip to see this show from Ohio.

By showtime, the building had filled up and it didn’t feel like a bitter cold night anymore. STEMM has been working for over a year to bring back their old vocalist TJ Frost to play their album Songs for the Incurable Heart in its entirety. TJ flew in from Boise, Idaho for two weeks of constant rehearsals – and let me tell you, it surely paid off. They started with original STEMM songs before TJ was brought out on stage. At this point, the entire vibe in the building was through the roof – it was hot, It was humid and it felt like a jungle inside the venue.

This is where things got fun. Having personally known the guys in STEMM for 25 years and shared the stage with them with my band countless times (before I traded in my gear and became a photographer.) When you add STEMM and TJ Frost – the roof was blown off the building by the crowd. There were multiple people crowd surfing including a 10 year old kid who was witnessed crowd surfing at least 5 different times, like it was his favorite theme park ride. When you think you’ve seen it all, you see a security guard crowd surf, and you know you’re at an amazing show, with all the incredible vibes at this point.

STEMM is Joe Cafarella- Vocals/Guitar; Danny Nelligan – Drums; Alex Scouten- Guitar; TJ Frost- Vocals; Louis Penque – Vocals; Fred Blackwell- Guitar, and Joe Scouten- Bass Guitar. With seven members on stage during STEMM’s set, including their original vocalist Louis Penque from the beginning of their days, to TJ Frost himself, both vocalists were boucing all over the building. On the speakers and on the security gate they were both reaching out as far as they could in the crowd just to give a fan a high five. This is personally the most amazing performance I have seen STEMM perform in more than 20 years. Yet the band is not done – they plan on one-upping this show in the future.

Not only has STEMM became a staple of the music scene in Niagara Falls for the past 25 years, their songs have been used by the UFC, including “Face the Pain” being the UFC’s main theme song from 2002-2018. The UFC has used 25 different STEMM songs as background music over their history. This is saying A LOT from a little band from a the second largest city in NYS, Niagara Falls, NY. And Recently heard at Buffalo Sabre’s and Buffalo Bills games; more STEMM songs.

STEMM – The Rapids Theater, Niagara Falls, NY – Saturday, November 12

Setlist: Wish, Dead Inside, House of Cards, Don’t Act Surprised, Inside, Casualty for Prayer, The Memory Remains, A Song for the Incurable Heart, Till I Die, MONSTER, Pandemic, Numb, On the Surface, 13 Years, Incomplete, Holding On, Between now and Forever, The day the Earth Stood Still, Face the Pain

November 17, 2022
In Focus: State Champs at Brooklyn Steel

Pop punk is alive and well these days. The fanbase now spans multiple generations who are selling out festivals and reunion tours all while spawning a thriving scene of up and coming bands with a new found energy and creativity. This was all on display on Sunday, November 13th at Brooklyn Steel for State Champs third show of the ‘Kings Of The New Age’ tour. The Albany-based pop punks led a deep quadruple bill also featuring California natives Hunny along with relative newcomers Young Culture and Between You & Me on support.

State Champs, Brooklyn Steel, 11/13/22. Photo by Joseph Buscarello

Fresh off their appearance at When We Were Young Festival (the Las Vegas pop punk festival featuring almost every band you ever heard of) State Champs were in fine form as they celebrated Kings Of The New Age, their fourth LP released back in May. Frontman Derek DiScanio and bassist Ryan Graham bounced from one side of the stage to the other, greeting a relentless stream of crowd surfers rushing the stage. The band breezed through a career-spanning, 18-song setlist with many of the new songs already becoming crowd favorite sing alongs.

State Champs, Brooklyn Steel, 11/13/22. Photo by Joseph Buscarello

Brooklyn Steel was only the third stop on the tour, with North American dates running until mid December. State Champs close out the stretch with a hometown show at Albany’s Empire Live on December 10th. Tickets for that show are still on sale. Check out the full photo gallery from Brooklyn below and from their last performance at Empire Live in 2021 here. Also make sure to listen to the band’s recently released acoustic singles “Act Like That” and “Outta My Head”.

November 16, 2022
Shenanigans with Bella’s Bartok at the Hollow in Albany

On Thursday night, November 11th, Guthrie Bell Productions threw another fantastic party at The Hollow in downtown Albany and things got more than just a little bit strange. The lineup of Bella’s Bartok and The Dust Bowl Faeries was yet another great move as the entire night was a delicious ride from “creepy carnival music” to “foot-stomping freak folk.” And despite the fact that it was a Thursday night show, no one left early and no one really even sat down.

The Dust Bowl Faeries

The evening opened up with a local band called The Dust Bowl Faeries. It was my first time seeing this band, but it certainly won’t be my last — and everyone I spoke with had the exact same reaction. Self-described as “dark carnival music” this band was unlike anything I have ever seen or heard before. I knew it was going to be good when the lead singer hopped on stage with a taxidermy ram’s head on her back, and they exceeded my expectations.

If you are curious about The Dust Bowl Faeries, and you should be, you should check out their website immediately. They have a new album titled Carnival Dust coming out in January and on December 6th you can check out their brand new video by Thin Edge Films.

Bella’s Bartok

I have to admit that Bella’s Bartok has been a favorite of mine for many years now — they are one of the most energetic, unique, and entertaining bands in the scene. Their set on Thursday night was well over two hours long and despite that, it seemed like they could have kept right on going. I can’t get enough of this band’s on-stage chemistry and their lead singer’s antics, including hopping off the stage and walking around while singing in the crowd.

Other bands have to work really hard to get the crowd to participate. Bella’s fans — AKA “The Strange Ones” are the exact opposite because the energy is palpable and the band is electric. If you missed them last night, they have several dates coming up in the northeast so get your tickets fast.

Shenanigans

All in all, it was a perfect night with a perfect lineup of strange shenanigans and creepy delights. Check out our full gallery below.

November 15, 2022