English electronic music duo, Disclosure, rocked the illustrious Elsewhere Brooklyn club and music venue on Wednesday, May 11th. The duo brought high energy and psychedelic sounds to Brooklyn as they started their four day Brooklyn run as part of their North American Tour.
The Grammy award winning duo, known for their electrifying single “Latch,” featuring Sam Smith and “Nocturnal,” featuring The Weeknd, performed new cuts from their new album Energy as well as their popular hits. After rising to prominence in 2013, Disclosure has cultivated a strong following that truly showed out for the English duo on Wednesday.
The stars were also out on Wednesday night with an appearance from Sam Smith, who was also in attendance that night. It was just a Wednesday, but it was definitely not a boring one. Disclosure brought electrifying energy accompanied by a beautiful light show that fully encapsulated a true out of body experience.
Doors opened at 11, but the duo performed in front of a full house with their set starting at approximately 1am. The opener was the talented Honey Bun, who definitely warmed up the crowd for what was to come.
The duo started their Brooklyn stint with a strong first show, and continues to carry this momentum to their sold out shows at Brooklyn Mirage this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Sadie Jean sold out the iconic Mercury Lounge in Manhattan, a venue that has historically hosted many up and coming artists, this past week on Saturday, May 7th, supported by artists Simone and David Alexander.
Sadie Jean is a 19-year-old rising singer-songwriter based in New York who recently found fame last year through the popular social media app TikTok, with her original song, “WYD Now?” The audio now has over 130K videos associated with it and has remixes, duets, and everything in between.
By halfway through the opening acts’ sets, the house was already packed with not much room between each other. Sadie performed her own original songs, as well as covers, but through it all, had her fans singing along with her. She often paused between each song to say the same line, “this is crazy you guys!” as her face revealed the same sweet happiness over her sold out NYC show. Sadie’s songs followed the same “coming-of-age” themes as her hit “WYD Now?” has, with the same infectious pop melodies.
Photo by Ambika Verma
Sadie Jean is certainly one to watch in the coming years, already gaining the attention of many influential artists, like Charlie Puth, and fans through her TikTok, which now has over 500K followers and over 13 million likes. Sadie recently played a show in L.A., and while there are no current shows coming up, she does have a few festivals lined up she is slated to play in.
Photo by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika Verma
The Blues Brothers were founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, as lead vocalist Jake Blues, and harmonica player/vocalist Elwood Blues. The band was composed of well known musicians, and debuted as the musical guest on SNL on April 22, 1978.
That evening, Jake and Elwood opened the show performing “Hey Bartender” and later performed the Sam & Dave classic “Soul Man.” Later that year, they released their debut album, Briefcase Full of Blues, and opened for The Grateful Dead at the closing of the Winterland Arena in San Francisco. Their fame reached even further heights in 1980 when they released their own comedy film The Blues Brothers.
On March 5, 1982, Belushi died of an accidental overdose. After his death, updated versions of the Blues Brothers have performed on SNL and for charitable and political causes.
On May 4, 2022, Aykroyd, accompanied by Jim Belushi as Brother Zee Blues, played The Paramount in Huntington. They were backed by Belushi’s Sacred Hearts Band that still features some of the original members. There was no story line, but rather a full blown, highly energetic concert. Several audience members were dress head-to-toe in full Blues Brothers attire including the black suit, black shoes, white shirt, sunglasses and fedora.
When the duo took the stage, the crowd absolutely erupted. They started the show with a rip roaring version of Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Shotgun Blues” followed by Robert Johnson’s “Sweet Home Chicago.” Other songs included Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle” and Floyd Dixon’s “Hey Bartender.” During Muddy Waters “I’m Ready”, Belushi ventured into the crowd high fiving audience members as well as dancing with some of the female members of the audience.
The main set closed with their signature song, Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man.” The Brothers traded off on the lead vocals and the band really brought the house down. After a very brief break, they all returned to the stage for a two song encore, “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” and “Money (That’s What I Want).” Belushi encouraged any of the women in the crowd that wanted to come up on stage and dance to do so, and many obliged. When it was over, the duo walked slowly off the stage waving to the crowd as the audience erupted once again.
Setlist: Soul Finger (The Bar-Kays cover) Shotgun Blues (Sonny Boy Williamson cover) Sweet Home Chicago (Robert Johnson cover) Hard to Handle (Otis Redding cover) I’m Ready (Muddy Waters cover) Three Hundred Pounds of Joy (Howlin’ Wolf cover) Flip Flop and Fly (Big Joe Turner cover) 36-22-36 (Bobby Blue Band cover) Hey Bartender (Floyd Dixon cover) Rubber Biscuit (The Chips cover) Dig Myself a Hole (Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup cover) Land of 1000 Dances (Chris Kenner cover) Grits Ain’t Groceries (Little Milton cover) I Got Everything I Need (Downchild Blues Band cover) Altar of Love (Imperial Crown cover) Polk Salad Annie (Tony Joe White cover) Driving Wheel (Roosevelt Sykes cover) You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Women (Carole King cover) Just A fool, She Caught the Katyand Left Me a Mule to Ride (Taj Mahal cover) Soul Man (Sam & Dave cover) Chicken Shack (Jimmy Smith cover)
Encore: Everybody Needs Somebody to Love( Solomon Burke cover) Money(That’s What I Want) (Barrett Strong cover) Skybox Outro
Spoon finally played their twice-delayed Hammerstein Ballroom show on Friday, May 6 with support from Margaret Glaspy. Fans came in shaking off their umbrellas and raincoats, damp from the rainy Friday night, but buzzing as the venue filled up.
Spoon at Hammerstein Ballroom, photographed by David Reichmann
The lights dimmed before Margaret Glaspy took the stage to cheers and smiles. Fans listened, enraptured, as she played through her set.
Margaret Glaspy at Hammerstein Ballroom, photographed by David Reichmann
Spoon played an energetic and jam-packed 16 song setlist. Their set included some personal and fan favorites, “The Underdog” and “I Turn My Camera On” as well as several tracks off their latest album, “Lucifer on the Sofa.” They ended their main set with “Wild.” They left the stage, the lights dimmed again, and the crowd cheered for more.
Spoon at Hammerstein Ballroom, photographed by David Reichmann
The lights finally came back on, and Spoon started their encore with a cover of John Lennon’s “Isolation.” Then they played “The Mystery Zone.” Next they brought Margaret Glaspy on stage for a cover of Richard & Linda Thompson’s “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight.”
Finally, Wolf Parade’s Dan Boekner joined Spoon onstage to a boom of cheers and applause for a cover of Wolf Parade’s “Modern World.” He helped Spoon conclude the night with “Rent I Pay.” They thanked the audience and exited to cheers.
https://youtu.be/IodZaCWs_V4
Spoon & Dan Boekner, video: Ironchefwong on YouTube
Follow Spoon’s ongoing tour and listen to their latest album, Lucifer on the Sofa. Check out Margaret Glaspy’s music and listen to Wolf Parade here.
On Friday May 6th 2022, Testament brought their “The Bay Strikes Back Tour” to Town Ballroom in Buffalo. The tour features Death Angel and Exodus as support for Testament. This show was originally scheduled for a different date last year but had to be rescheduled because of Covid-19. Testament has not played New York in many years, but that has now changed.
Death Angel
Vocals-Mark Osegueda. Photo credit-Mike Miller
Death Angel is an American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. Death Angel has released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone through several line-up changes, leaving guitarist Rob Cavestany as the only constant member; he and vocalist Mark Osegueda (who joined the group in 1984) are the only members of Death Angel to appear on all of their studio albums.
Death Angel is often referred to as one of the key bands in the Bay Area thrash metal movement of the 1980s, and secured opening slots at club venues in that decade, including opening for their peers Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Exodus, Testament and Overkill.
Setlist: The Ultra-Violence, Evil Priest, Voracious Souls, Seemingly Endless Time, Claws in so Deep, The Dream Calls for Blood, The Moth, Humanicide and Thrown to the Wolves.
Photos by Mike Miller
Exodus
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1979 in Richmond, California. Their current lineup consists of guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus, bassist Jack Gibson, drummer Tom Hunting, and lead vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza. There are no original members left in Exodus other than Hunting, who has departed from the band twice, in 1989 and 2004, but rejoined in 2007. Exodus is also notable for its inclusion of guitarist Kirk Hammett in its initial lineup; he eventually left the band in 1983 to join Metallica as Dave Mustaine’s replacement.
Vocals-Steve “Zetro” Souza. Photo Credit-Mike Miller
Setlist: The beatings Will Continue, A Lesson in Violence, Blood in, Blood Out, The Years of Death and Dying, Deathamphetamine, Blacklist, Prescribing Horror, Bonded by Blood, The Toxic Waltz, and Strike of the Beast.
Photos by Mike Miller
Testament
Testament is an American thrash metal band from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1983 under the name Legacy, the band’s current lineup comprises rhythm guitarist Eric Peterson, lead vocalist Chuck Billy, lead guitarist Alex Skolnick, bassist Steve Di Giorgio and drummer Dave Lombardo (formerly in Slayer).
Bassist- Steve Di Giorgio. Photo Credit-Mike Miller
Testament has experienced many lineup changes over the years, with Peterson being the only remaining original member, though they have since been rejoined by one of its songwriters Skolnick, who was out of the band from 1992 to 2005. Billy has been a member of Testament since 1986, when he replaced original singer Steve “Zetro” Souza, who had joined Exodus as the replacement of Paul Baloff. He and Peterson are the only members to appear on all of Testament’s studio albums, with the latter being the only constant member overall.
Testament’s fan base is mostly older fans, but the younger generation was peppered in the crowd for The Bay Strikes Back Tour. Their set featured 14 songs for the sold-out crowd. Playing such hits as “Children of the Next Level”, “Eyes of Wrath” and “Disciples of the Watch”. Their stage show used co2 air blasts, and arena LED stage lighting with strobes that was changing colors often.
Drummer Dave Lombardo sat atop his high rise drum platform hidden from camera and the crowd but with his playing technique he sits really low on his drum throne so it is hard to get a glimpse of him. There were many mosh pits happening and crowd surfing all night. The fans really enjoyed the show because they needed a way to release their stress from the current world situation happening. Parking was cheap, drinks were cold and cheap, and fun was had by everyone the whole night.
Setlist: Children of the Next Level, The Pale King, Practice What You Preach, The New Order, WWII, Eyes of Wrath, D.N.R, Legions of the Dead, Electric Crown, Souls of Black, Night of the Witch, Over the Wall, Into the Pit and Disciples of the Watch.
Photos by Mike Miller
Upcoming Testament shows
Sept. 9 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Van Buren Sept. 10 – Albuquerque, N.M. @ Sunshine Theater Sept. 12 – Wichita, Kan. @ Cotillion Sept. 13 – Kansas City, Mo. @ Truman Sept. 15 – St. Louis, Mo. @ The Pageant Sept. 16 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Brooklyn Bowl Sept. 18 – St. Petersburg, Fla. @ Jannus Live Sept. 19 – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. @ Revolution Sept. 21 – Asheville, N.C. @ Orange Peel Sept. 22 – Silver Spring, Md. @ Fillmore Sept. 23 – Stroudsburg, Pa. @ Sherman Theater Sept. 26 – Hartford, Ct. @ Webster Theater Sept. 27 – Albany, N.Y. @ Empire Live Sept. 28 – Portland, Maine @ State Theatre Sept. 30 – Montreal, Quebec @ Mtelus Oct. 1 – London, Ontario @ London Music Hall Oct. 3 – Ft. Wayne, Ind. @ Piere’s Oct. 4 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ The Rave Oct. 6 – Winnipeg, Manitoba @ Burton Cummings Theatre Oct. 8 – Calgary, Alberta @ Palace Theatre Oct. 10 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Commodore Oct. 12 – Ventura, Calif. @ Majestic Ventura Theater Oct. 13 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Wiltern Oct. 14 – Reno, Nev. @ Cargo Oct. 15 – San Jose, Calif. @ San Jose Civic
Eli Young Band kicked up some dust bringing their Love Talking Tour to Sharkey’s in Syracuse. The multi-platinum country four man band sang their number one hits from the past two decades and fans also got to enjoy their brand new single, “Break Up In a Bar.” In addition the song will be featured on the bands sixth upcoming studio album, LoveTalking, set to release on June 3, 2022.
Eli Young Band at Sharkey’s Bar + Grill in Liverpool. Photo by Allison Marie.
The Denton, Texas band was formed while members attended college together and is composed by Mike Eli (lead singer, guitar), Jon Jones (bass guitar), James Young (guitar) and Chris Thompson (drummer).
Whether you’re a crazy girl or you got a little drunk that night, the Eli Young Band always delivers all the love songs. Energy radiated from the stage and was felt by the crowd as they sang and danced the night away. One of the most notable performances of the evening was their cover of “Come Together” by the Beatles. After two hours of relentless hits the band closed the show out with a personal favorite of mine, Guinevere.
Setlist: Drunk Last Night, Break Up In a Bar, Where Were You, Always The Love Songs, Love Talking, Skeletons, Skin & Bones, When It Rains, Medley, Lucky For Me, Dust, Even If It Breaks Your Heart, Come Together (the Beatles), Saltwater Gospel, Love Ain’t, Crazy Girl, Guinevere.
Love Talking Tour 2022 Tour Dates
May 13 – Fayetteville, AK – Georgies Majestic Lounge May 14 – Meridian, MS – Meridian City Hall May 19 – Denton, TX – The Dive May 20 – Helotes, TX – John Floore Country Store May 21 – Amarillo, TX – Starlight Ranch May 27 – Caney, KS – Fourth & Live May 28 – Austin, TX – Lonestar Jam June 2 – Dewey Beach, DE – Bottle & Cork June 3 – Washington, D.C. – The Bullpen June 4 – Angola, IN – Eclectic Room June 9 – Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre June 10 – Kamas, UT – Dejoria Center June 11 – Burley, ID – King Fine Arts Center June 17 – New Braunfels, TX – Whitewater Amp June 18 – El Campo, TX – Greek Bros June 22 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up June 25 – Sante Fe, NM – Hilton Buffalo Thunder
R&B singer and producer, ASTN performed his first NY headline show at Baby’s All Right on Thursday, May 5th.
If you’ve ever opened up Tiktok, you’ve probably heard ASTN’s buttery voice. The 23-year-old’s cover of Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” exploded on the platform in 2021. With over 100 million views, users enjoy his soothing voice in a wide variety of videos.
Though the artist only signed to Warner Records in January of this year, his stage presence reflects that of an artist with years of experience under their belt.
Performing to a giddy crowd on a warm Thursday night in Brooklyn, ASTN opened up his act with “Butterflies.” After a brief technical difficulty where the sound cut out during the intro, he excitedly ran onto the stage seemingly unphased.
As the show progressed, ASTN became even more confident on stage. The musician artfully mixed together slower tempo songs such as “You’re Almost There” with upbeat numbers like “LA DON’T LOOK GOOD ON U” and began playfully interacting with the crowd.
The artist’s exuberant audience came prepared with a variety of gifts. The artist received a necklace, flowers (artfully passed to him during the opening line of his song “Flowers”), and a painting.
A highlight of the night was ASTN’s cover of Frank Ocean’s “Self Control”. With the opening chords filling the room, the artist cheekily introduced the song as a cover the audience may know. The crowd instantly began crooning along and joined him in a sing-along of the well-loved outro of the song.
ASTN’s path towards superstardom seems inevitable. Though he is just starting his career, his confidence, charm, and devoted audience create the perfect formula for success.
Stream his latest EP You’re Almost Therehere and check out our photo recap of the Baby’s All Right show below.
On Friday, April 29th, Consider the Source brought their eclectic instruments and extreme talents to Lark Hall in Albany during the last leg of their “Acoustic-Electric Hybrid” tour to celebrate the release of their album Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule. Lark Hall was the perfect space to enjoy a slightly toned-down version of this hard-rocking band. To kick off what was one of the most musically interesting night’s of my life was delightful duo Cosmal.
Cosmal
Ryan Coyle and Alison Lazarus are two delightfully well-rounded and multi-talented individuals and they created an amazing group called Cosmal. While Ryan creates incredible electronica jams with his midi-controller, chaos pad, and guitar, Alison live-paints and sings. This band is made of two truly unique individuals with an incredible idea — you should check them out as soon as you get the chance.
Consider the Source
Consider the Source is easily one of the most unique bands I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. They call their sound “Sci-fi Middle Eastern Prog Fusion” and if you think that sounds interesting you should hear what they actually sound like. If you’re looking for something different from the usual stuff, this is your band.
Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule
John Ferrara (bass), Jeff Mann (percussion), and Gabriel Marin (guitar, etc) have truly created a unique, eclectic, and delightful sound. Friday night’s show was a rare treat — fans of the band had never seen them play in such an environment before. They played their new album in its entirety and threw a couple of older songs in there too. They used instruments many of us had never seen or heard before as well including a Banjo Bass, Dombra, Uzbek/Tajik Dutar, Doumbek, a Ukulele Bass, and many more. The set was certainly a departure from what we were used to, but it was killer nonetheless.
The Interview: A Surprise Announcement
I sat down with Ferrara, Mann, and Marin before their set. They told me that they had finished recording Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule right before the pandemic hit. They used the lockdown to finish mastering the album. However, and here is the big surprise: they also spent that time recording a second album — keep your eyes on their social media to find out when you can check it out. And from what I am told, it will be their hardest-hitting album yet.
Tour inspiration
Consider the Source has such a ground-breaking sound, they could just call it a day and continue to tour for as long as they can handle it. However, they continually want to change it up for their fans. And that was the whole idea behind their most recent album as well as the tour they just completed to celebrate the release. The venues they visited for this tour were the type where you sit down, which is a huge departure from the dancehalls they usually frequent. In short, they wanted to change things up for their fans, and wow — they delivered.
Future Plans
If you weren’t able to catch them on their “Acoustic-Electric Hybrid” tour, don’t fret. Consider the Source has several tour dates coming in the following months in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Check out the gallery below.
Ashe played two sold out nights at Webster Hall this past week on April 25th and April 26th with support from the band Brooks & the Bluff. Her energy was contagious as she danced across the stage, often interacting with her fans who were just as energetic as she was. Listen to Ashe’s latest album from 2021 here.
Setlist: Me Without You, I’m Fine, Kansas / Someone to Lose, Save Myself, Not Mad Anymore, Love Is Not Enough, Taylor, When I’m Older, Another Man’s Jeans, Somebody to Love (Queen cover), Hope You’re Not Happy, Always, ‘Till Forever Falls Apart, Moral of the Story
Photo by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika Verma
Another Michael returned to the Capital District for the first time in a long time to perform live with Bread Boy at No Fun! in Troy. The now Philly-based indie rock band was formed in Albany by lead singer and guitarist Michael Doherty, guitarist and vocalist Alenni Davis, and bassist Nick Sebastiano.
Another Michael has also featured Noah Dardaris on drums for close to two years. The group has also worked with Jacob Crofoot and Red Cumpston of Bread Boy. This connection and shared influences were evident on Monday night when the two bands took the stage. Bread Boy started the show with a 45 minute set that was well received by the No Fun! crowd, and which for many, was their introduction to Jacob’s music.
The band took the stage and started their set with a brand new single titled ‘Water Pressure‘ that was officially released just a few hours before the start of the show at No Fun! Another Michael performed another new song later in the night, ‘Seafood,’ and both new songs fit well into the group’s discography. As of late, and the band seems to have found a real groove in their songwriting, and are making consistently fun and upbeat indie rock tracks. For those unfamiliar, Another Michael’s music has a sound that is truly their own, and is best experienced by listening.
In the clip below, from Run For Cover Records YouTube Channel, you can watch and listen to Another Michael perform a number of songs from New Music and Big Pop which were played on Monday night.
Another Michael played a number of tracks from their first full-length album, which you can stream and purchase on Another Michael’s Bandcamp. Their set included ‘Row,’ ‘New Music,’ ‘I Know You’re Wrong,’ ‘What The Hell is Going On?’ and ‘Big Pop.’ These tracks all build upon Michael Doherty’s melodic and friendly falsetto at their core. Seemingly every Another Michael song has a fun and optimistic sound that fans gravitate toward. The full band behind Michael only added to these qualities, and the group bounced around and shared their enjoyment of the music with the Troy crowd.
Monday’s No Fun! show built up to a reunion on stage when Another Michael brought Jacob and Red of Bread Boy back on stage to play guitar. Both musicians have spent time playing with Another Michael in the past, and the Bread Boy duo looked right at home on stage with them. The energy from the packed stage spread throughout the room, and fans began to move around as the band rocked their way into the final songs. The night eventually came to an end with Another Michael playing two of their biggest crowd favorites: ‘Big Pop’ and ‘About.’
Another Michael have been writing new music lately, to keep up to date with their latest releases and to help support the band, visit their Bandcamp page. Another Michael’s music is also available to stream wherever you listen to music, and you can listen now on their Spotify artist page. You can also listen to and support Bread Boy on Bandcamp and Spotify. No Fun! has shows almost every night, every week, and admission is free for many of them. To see all of their upcoming events, be sure to check out No Fun!’s website.
Setlist(partial): Water Pressure, Row, New Music, I Know You’re Wrong, Seafood, What The Hell is Going On?, Big Pop, About
