With just a few days before Election Day, Amy Schumer hosted Saturday Night Live with musical guest Steve Lacy making his SNL debut.
Opening with a satire of President Biden’s speech on democracy from earlier this week, James Austin Johnson as Biden brought up a cavalcade of ‘new’ Democratic candidates meant to appeal to younger voters, among them, Marianne Williamson, Guy Fieri, the guy from 6ix9ine, Azaliea Banks, and Tracy Morgan (Keenan Thompson).
Amy Schumer used her monologue for a few minutes of standup where she riffed about childbirth and her husband being diagnosed with autism as an adult.
Hitting home for many who have dealt with COVID and the week long isolation/quarantine that results, the COVID commercial featuring Sara Sherman was as timely as ever.
To perform on SNL, Steve Lacy had postponed shows in San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, Vancouver, Seattle and Portland on his Give You the World Tour. For his first song, Lacy performed “Bad Habit” off his second album Gemini Rights, released in July. The R&B vocalist and multi-instrumentalist performed in black leather pants and Geordi La Forge wrap around shades, with the Gemini Rights logo suspended behind him. Lacy, as well as the drummer and bassist wore white shirts with a single black S on them, making a dollar sign with their black ties hanging, a nod to the Dead Kennedys.
On Weekend Update, Tammy the Trucker (Cecily Strong) showed up to talk about gas prices (and definitely not abortion), much like how in November 2021 she showed up as Goober the Clown to talk about abortion. WU anchor Colin Jost noted voters are being driven by economic issues and not abortion, and Tammy responded with commentary on women’s rights and health care. The same deep and urgent message from last November was conveyed through truck driving references that intertwined concerns about the right for women to control their own bodies was being eroded, and ended with a call to action to vote on Tuesday.
As Weekend Update ended, SNL gave a nod to Migos rapper Takeoff (Kirshnik Khari Ball), who had performed on SNL in 2018.
A preview of the Bills/Jets game in the Meadowlands showed Jets fans (Andrew Dismukes, Thompson, Schumer, Strong) ripping on the visiting Bills fans, regardless of age or mobility. The casual chatting among the four of them would quickly devolve into taunting and heckling, giving heavy ‘Get Off the Shed’ vibes.
Lacy’s second performance of the night found he and his band in the same outfit, same narrow room effect but with a heavier Stevie Wonder vibe in both voice and tone of the song.
Following a “Big Penis Therapy” sketch that is worth watching, Schumer sported a Jews shirt during the goodnights, following wearing a VOTE VOTE VOTE sweater.
Next week SNL returns for a post-election episode with host Dave Chappelle – appearing post-election for the third time since 2016 – and musical guest Black Star.
Water Street Music Hall hosted a living legend when they brought in Rakim on Saturday, October 29.
Dating back to the late 1980s, there have been countless MCs making music and trying to earn their 15 seconds of fame. Among the best, according to people like Marley Marl, Dr. Dre, and Kool Moe Dee, was Rakim.
Rakim center stage in Rochester NY
Rakim burst onto the scene in 1985 as half of the duo Eric B. and Rakim and immediately gained praise and recognition as a skilled MC and lyricist. Working together until 1992, the duo released 4 studio albums, including the debut Paid in Full and their final album in 1992 Don’t Sweat the Technique, both of which were big sellers and remain highly regarded to this day.
Moving on to a solo career, Rakim released The 18th Letter in 1997 and is now touring as he celebrates the 25th anniversary of this lyrical masterpiece.
Setting up the crowd for Rakim was Rochester, NY based The Frank White Experience (Notorious B.I.G. tribute band) and Styles P., both of which were welcomed by the crowd. If you are a fan of Biggie, The Frank White Experience needs to be on your radar as they cover the late rapper with their own unique twist. Styles P played the crowd for about 45 minutes with some street style raps and eventually did a little freestyle set in the crowd.
Produced by Brandon “Brick” Lohr and Jason “J” Hubert, the inaugural Ramble Festival held at Camp Ramblewood in Darlington, MD from October 7-9, transpired smoothly, as fans enjoyed nearly perfect fall weather near the Susquehanna, mere miles from Pennsylvania. Camp Ramblewood has held other music events, but Ramble Fest hosted a wide variety of bluegrass, brass, indie rock, blues, country, Americana and folk music from Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Indiana, Colorado, California, and many other states, with fans traveling from all over the US and internationally to enjoy fun in the sun with cool nights & campfire jams.
Headlined by Leftover Salmon, Keller Williams, and The Traveling McCoury’s, along with many local and national bands, Ramble Festival had numerous activities, a busking competition, kids’ shows and play areas, yoga, charity auctions & raffles, live art painters, an on-site art gallery, and numerous clothing, food & art vendors. Art Director Lindsay Jamison and her staff of volunteers spent weeks getting the site and the art gallery in the Beer Hall ready for the event. Street Team lead Will Gibbons also ran the instrument raffle, where two fans won a guitar and banjo signed by the headliners, with proceeds donated to Backline and Rage Against Addiction.
Camping was superb. Ramblewood has 200 pristine acres on a rolling hillside, with a lake, fire pits, large cabins, and wide fields, with ample trees & grassy shade. Food & drink vending was plentiful, including local microbrews, and food trucks with typical festival fare such as pizza & burritos, as well as veggie and farm-to-table options. There was onsite parking for the thousand or so attendees (though the lot nearly filled up during the peak on Saturday night). There were a few RV spots (no power & water hook-ups), as well as car camping, but the best camping was near the stages.
Fri. Oct. 7: Abby Bryant & The Echoes, Caleb Stine Band, Kendall Street Company, Rufus Roundtree & Da B’More Brass Factory, Arkansauce, Bella’s Bartok, Big Something, Keller Williams Grateful Grass feat. The Hillbenders, Kendall Street Company & Dirty Grass Players – late-night in the barn.
Friday started off smooth and sunny, with Rufus Roundtreee and his band leading a second line march from the campsites down the hill, where Abby Bryant & The Echoes kicked off the weekend on the Main Stage. Abby is a vocalist & guitarist from Charlotte (since relocated to Asheville), who performed a mix of soul & Americana, with great instrumental work by her band & cohort in songwriting, guitarist Bailey Faulkner.
A quick jaunt up the hill and past the food trucks brought us to the Beer Hall, an indoor stage with standing room for a thousand. Caleb Stine & Band treated us to cool country with a tinge of bluegrass. Kendall Street Company from Charlottesville next played on the Main Stage, with thoughtful and often funny lyrics, great harmonies, and energetic, punk stylings, deft guitarwork, sax, and engaging vocals by lead singer Louis Smith.
Back at the Beer Hall, Rufus Roundtree, who is from Parliament Funkadelic, led his band Da B’More Brass Factory on vocals & trombone, with fiery NOLA-style, Go-go tinged funk, supported by trumpet, sax, tuba, guitar & drums. Arkansauce next tore up the Main Stage with speedy banjo riffing by Adam Collins, Ethan Bush on mando, Zac Archuleta on guitar, and Tom Andersen on upright bass.
The wildness of Bella’s Bartok engaged our feet as we returned to the Beer Hall, with fast, energetic fiendish horns, driven by lead singer Asher Putnam, with Alex Kogut on accordion, synth, and keyboards, Riley Goodemote on trombone, and Julia playing feisty washboard. Mixing sonic styles of Googol Bordello with punk, folk, and klezmer music, an amalgam of genres and theatrical sensibilities. They were a new discovery to me, and fan favorites by the end of their set.
Big Something, a hip hop pop rock fusion jam band from Burlington, NC, heated up the Main Stage at sunset, with Casey Cranford’s signature EWI and sax work driving the melodies along with dueling guitar monstrosities Jesse Hensley and Nick MacDaniels, with Josh Kagel on keys and trumpet, Doug Marshall on bass and Ben Vinograd on drums holding it down. Stylistically chameleons, they drift from tight riffs to expansive jams, sometimes evoking Lettuce, other times Lotus, and at times channeling Umphrey’s McGee, basically all over the place, with aplomb.
The incredible sound and lights apparently challenged the main stage power generator, which failed shortly thereafter, and was not resurrected until the next day. This only major glitch of the weekend was trouble, but thankfully, the production team planned generous stage switchover times, so crews had time to migrate Keller Williams over to the Beer Hall. Stage Manager George Barrick reactivated that stage, which had prepared to close for the night.
Keller and The Hillbenders treated us to his widely-popular Grateful Grass set. The Beer Hall was a bit crowded, so staff asked fans to help move tables and chairs out of the way, which quickly added enough space to get everyone inside – just in time, since the only few raindrops of the weekend fell outside and chilled the night air as temperatures fell into the low 40s. Keller & friends treated us to a fun-filled set of Dead classics, including a killer Scarlet > Stranger, and a trippy They Love Each Other back and forth into and out of Cumberland Blues, followed by a lovely Bird Song > Cassidy [24-bit SBD/Stage Matrix recording by George Barrick].
No proper first day would be complete without a late night set, held in the Ramble Stage, aka “The Barn” (a nice, cozy place to warm up as temps dropped further at night). Kendall Street Company joined The Dirty Grass Players, which was the most musicians jammed onto that tiny stage. The Barn was well-appointed, with brass chandeliers, hanging flower arrangements and festive lighting. There were two late-night picking circles, one at the Hill Camp w/ Bella’s Bartok, and another down at the Lake Camp, with Deer Creek Sharpshooters & Fishing for Hippies to end the night.
Sat. Oct. 8 – Dogs in a Pile, Arkansauce, Armchair Boogie, Dirty Grass Players, Toothless (kids set), Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Underground Springhouse, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Leftover Salmon, Neighbor.
After much-needed rest, I arose Saturday morning to the distant sounds of another second line by Naptown Brass Band from Annapolis, MD. I ran up the hill to meet them as they marched down into the main field and kicked off the day for Charm City Junction, towing along recently-rousted dancing campers, led by the Vibe Tribe‘s Holly Reasner.
Arkansauce fired up the Beer Hall next. Saturday Bands played with some overlap, as there were 17 or more performance on Saturday. Dogs in a Pile was another great band that all my friends recommended. They had a great turnout, especially since they started around 1pm, and many campers partied quite late the night before.
Baltimore’s finest, the Dirty Grass Players kicked it up in the Beer Hall, with some overlap with Armchair Boogie on the main stage, another new band I really enjoyed. Toothless played a kids’ set on the small barn stage. Underground Springhouse continued in the Beer Hall, while Caleb Stine returned in the barn.
We kicked our socks off to Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band (a funny name, because it’s only 3 people). Hailing from Indiana, the “Big” is for Jayme Peyton, who is a ginormous human as well as guitarist. They’re a wild country blues band, with heavy guitar shredding and “reckless” washboard by Breezy Peyton. Breezy actually lit her washboard on fire in the middle of a song!!! The band and audience had a good laugh; neither eyebrows nor hair were burnt in the process.
AJ Lee & Blue Summit, a bluegrass/Americana band from Northern California, continued at the Beer Hall, playing towards dinnertime. Heading back to the Main Stage, I wolfed down some tasty mac & cheese from Cosmic Charlie’s Grateful Grill, one of my favorite food trucks conveniently located between the two biggest stages.
Maryland native Kyle Hollingsworth (from String Cheese Incident) and his Band lit up the main stage, with a mix of organ and keyboard-infused jammy rock, tight & funky drums, bass & guitar. They played a variety of originals and classics, rearranged with speed & intensity, sprinkled with riffs & quotes from various well-known songs. Kyle is a killer clavinet and synth player, playing with percussive rhythm, electric piano and effects, his talented band adding fuel to his fire.
Ramble’s resident emcee, Libby Eddy (plays fiddle in The Jakobs Ferry Stragglers), got up to announce Leftover Salmon dressed as a giant avocado. She wrote page-long summaries of each band. As she rattled off superlatives, Vince Herman (in a blue unicorn costume) laughed and told the audience, “first time our band has ever been introduced by an avocado“! Ramble Festival founders Brick and J dressed as a tiger and bumblebee, to fit the costume theme, “furry creatures”.
Another favorite band, Neighbor (founded by Pink Talking Fish’s keyboardist Richard James), capped off Saturday night in the barn, followed by late-night campfire jams by Fishing for Hippies, Caleb Stine, Annie Sellick, and Pat Bergeson.
Sun. Oct. 9 – Travers Brothership, Country Current, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Woody! kids set, Neighbor, Bella’s Bartok, Busking Competition, Empire Strikes Brass, Armchair Boogie, Pink Talking Fish, The Travelin’ McCourys, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Arkansauce, & Armchair Boogie – late-night in barn.
Travers Brothership, based near Asheville, started the last day off with searing blues guitar intensity by frontman Kyle Travers, who formed the band with his twin brother and drummer, Eric. They’ve played all over the US & Europe, and are widely praised. Their new album is slated to be released next year, so they played a song or two off their new album.
The bluegrass band, Country Current, is the US Navy’s official band, formed in 1973. They’ve played for Presidents Bush, Clinton, Obama, and have toured nationally as well as overseas. They are all Musician Petty Officers, wearing their uniforms proudly on stage in the Beer Hall, playing guitar, banjo, bass, drums, fiddle, mando, and pedal steel guitar.
AJ Lee and Blue Summit returned to play the main stage, followed by Muskrat Flats in the beer hall, and another special kids’ set by Woody!, who is Jon Wood of Dancing Bears, ELM, Psycho Killers, and other Baltimore-based bands. His 7-yr-old daughter Ella helped her dad set up his mic and danced with her friends and other kids in the barn.
Neighbor treated us again to another tasty set on the main stage in the mid afternoon, followed by another wild dance party by Bella’s Bartok in the Beer Hall. The horn-heavy Empire Strikes Brass hit the main stage in the afternoon, and Armchair Boogie returned to the Beer Hall to close out the afternoon.
Pink Talking Fish brought resounding thunder and intermingling of songs by Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish to the main stage, as a massive flurry of bubbles filled the air and caught the brilliant light trackers scanning over the field, filling it with geometric patterns and a spectrum of color.
Emcee Libby Eddy introduced The Traveling McCourys as “the best band on the planet!!!” – the final headliner set of the weekend. This long, wonderful weekend of music ended with a joint collaboration between AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Arkansauce, and Armchair Boogie, packed into the barn with as many fans as could still stand or dance, with a couple more campfire jams that lasted until 3 or 4 am.
Few festivals are successful upon inception, but through great planning, Ramble Festival attracted over a thousand people to its first annual event. They sold a hundred tickets at the “steepest discount” to fans on site.
“It takes a village”. I met dozens of staff, volunteers, artists, campers, production crew from Harford Sound, lighting engineers, photographers & videographers, vendors, artists, medical personnel (Bear Care), and vendors. There were zero injuries or problems, nobody got stuck in the mud, the weather was absolutely perfect, and the camping is the best of any music event I’ve attended. Everyone was friendly, helpful, fun, and smiling all weekend.
Brick and J are music lovers first and foremost. They hired a skilled team, adept at multiple roles. They asked their friend Phil Chorney (Charm City Bluegrass) to recruit a wide cast of musicians from all over. Skilled directors & coordinators were carefully chosen for Volunteers, Artists, Hospitality (Sandee Taylor), Marketing (Kelsey Riegger) and Media Coordination (Zach Ubaldini), as well as staff photographers Chris Gamber among many other pros.
Some of these bands I’d heard about, and saw them for the first time at Ramble Festival, a sentiment shared by many fans. I’ve seen all the headliners multiple times, which got me interested when J told me about Ramble at B Chord. I did some research on only a few of the bands I hadn’t seen, which left the rest as pleasant surprises.
Ramble Festival was quite smooth, even though it’s only in its first year. Everyone felt like family, with an atmosphere reminiscent of Catskill Chill, Bear Creek, and High Sierra Music Festival. Brick, J, Phil, and their wonderful cast & crew deserve accolades for making Ramble the best music and art experience of the year.
The Rock n Roll/Doo Wop Spectacular, featuring four great acts – Trish Anderson, The Duprees, The DooWop Project and Chubby Checker – will perform at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady on Saturday, November 19.
Headlining the show is the legendary, ageless Chubby Checker. Chubby looks like he is fifty and sings and dances like he’s 50 too. In 1959, “The Class” was his first hit record. “The Twist” was originally a “B” side, but Chubby tirelessly promoted it on tv, in interviews and in performances. By the summer of 1960, “The Twist” became a #1 hit, introducing the concept of couples “dancing apart to the beat” and leading to a revolution in dancing with one dance craze leading to another (the Jerk, the Hully Gully, the Boogaloo, etc.), and Chubby was at the forefront with “The Fly,” “The Pony” and “The Hucklebuck.”
In 1962, “Pony Time” was a #1 hit that was on the charts for 16 weeks, and Chubby starred in two movies: “Don’t Knock the Twist” and “Twist Around the Clock.” For the first time in record history, “The Twist” re-entered the charts and, by January of 1962, it was #1 again on the Billboard charts. Chubby Checker merchandise was everywhere: t-shirts, shoes, ties, dolls, even chewing gum! More huge hits followed: “The Fly,” “Let’s Twist Again,” “The Limbo Rock, “ and he won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance. He was the only act to have 5 albums in the top 12 at the same time. In 1964, Chubby married Catharina Lodders, Miss World of 1962.
Chubby continues to push musical boundaries while performing all over the world. In 1988, “Yo Twist,” performed with the Fat Boys, was a #14 hit and in 2007 “Knock Down the Wall” went to #1 on the Billboard Dance charts, introducing Chubby Checker to a new generation of fans. Chubby looks and sounds young and continues to display his historic dance moves. You’ll see why Chubby Checker was recently voted “Casino Performer of the Year” and why “The Twist” was the most frequently played song on the radio in the history of rock music.
Co-headlining the show is The Doo Wop Project. The Doo Wop Project consists of five Broadway stars from smash hit shows like JERSEY BOYS and MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL. This supergroup of Broadway stars transforms hits from the classic and modern American pop songbook into unforgettable renditions of your favorite songs. The Doo Wop Project traces the evolution of the classic American Doo Wop sound with five guys singing tight street-corner harmonies (including songs by The Crests, The Belmonts, the Flamingos and more). This musical journey includes the hit-sounds of Motown (including The Temptations and Smokey Robinson) and of classic East-Coast Pop royalty like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and Dion. Finally, we will experience “DooWopified” versions of hit songs by more recent stars such as Michael Jackson, Jason Mraz, Garth Brooks, Maroon 5 and more. Audiences will be moved to reminisce, and newer generations will marvel at classic golden Doo Wop sounds… as well as versions of more recent hit songs.
Additionally, WMHT (PBS) will televise THE DOO WOP PROJECT’s brand new tv concert-special in June, giving the capital district audience an exclusive first look. Like their live show, this concert special gives a taste of the unparalleled authenticity of sound and vocal excellence in the group’s recreations of some of the greatest American hits in Pop and Rock history.
Fantastic audience favorite, The Duprees, will also grace the Proctors stage.The Duprees are known worldwide for their romantic interpretations of some of the most beautiful love songs ever written. They possess a smooth yet powerful vocal quality and heavenly harmonies, evidenced in the huge hit “You Belong to Me.” Other hits include: “My Own True Love,”“Gone with the Wind,” “Why Don’t You Believe Me,” “Have you Heard” and “Theme from Exodus.” Although their romantic harmonies are second to none, The Duprees also present a dynamic stage show that will bring the house down.
Opening the show is long-time regional fav Trish Anderson, singing female hits of the era. In her fifth decade of performing, Trish is most widely recognized as the lead singer of the Bluz House Rockers (26th year with them). Trish was inducted into the New York State Blues Hall of Fame and has shared the stage in concert with Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Eddie Money, Marshall Tucker, and Little Feat, A singer-songwriter, her “Three Dollar Bill’ went to #2 on the pop 100 charts in Denmark. She and her band also perform every January on the Delbert McClinton Sandy Beaches cruise into the Caribbean. Her friend Trez Gregory, who backed up Brooks and Dunn in concert for 7 years, will travel from Ohio to back up Trish at Proctors.
Tickets are on sale now at Proctors Box Office, by phone at (518) 346-6204 and on line at proctors.org.
Danielle Ponder returned to Rochester for her first show after her major label debut, Some of Us Are Brave. She was back after crisscrossing the country as Marcus Mumford’s opener along with numerous festival dates. But on this night, she was no opener and she needed no warmup, this night belonged to Danielle Ponder and no one else.
The agnostic daughter of a pastor reached back to her roots and preached from her pulpit to the sold out Water Street Music Hall. Instead of seeing God, with the help of some mushrooms, she had seen herself and her place amongst the trees and oceans and earth. Her speaking quickly turned into singing, her voice exponentially more powerful in song, “What a joy it is to be alive… I feel your love and it gives me power…” Her congregation responded not with Amen’s but melodic lalala’s. The power of music was in the house, and Ponder was delivering.
As always, in shows, in interviews, anytime anywhere, her love for her hometown was effusive. Off the bat she inserted a “Rochester NY!” into the opening song. She followed by explaining how Rochester was involved in a group effort to lift her up to the heights she’s reached in the past year. It prepared her to be a professional, impressing the industry bigwigs she’s been rubbing elbows with as of late. Later in the night, she noted humbly, that if she ever falls back down, she knows she can always come back home.
But it wasn’t just about her homecoming. Nearly every song was dedicated to a group of people that resonates with her. “Some of Us Are Brave,” to black women all over the world. “Someone Like You,” to all the singles, including Ponder herself, who wondered why her DM’s weren’t more active then they were. On the contrary, “Only the Lonely” was dedicated to the people who stayed with someone too long. “Poor Man’s Pain” was dedicated to all the Public Defenders, of which she was one not too long ago. Now as she was following her passion of being a professional musician, “So Long” was dedicated to all the dreamers and artists that know their purpose. Her songs were deeply personal, but for everyone.
And for the old school fans, of which there were many, she reached back into her vault to pull out some old favorites. The bluesy “Working” appropriately reminisced her 9 to 5 days, while a cover of Laurny Hill’s “Doo-Wop (That Thing) got the whole place hopping, her friends and family pouring into the pit much to the chagrin of security.
Ponder presented a couple of more cover in the encore. Though when she sang “Whole Lotta Love,” it wasn’t as much a Led Zeppelin song as it was a Danielle Ponder song with lyrics by Robert Plant (though even then some of those words belong to Willie Dixon). Likewise, when she sang “Creep” to close the show, it wasn’t a Radiohead cover, but a Ponder original, that just happened to be written by Thom Yorke. As a song that band has abandoned, it might as well belong to Ponder now anyway. Like one of her inspirations, Nina Simone, Ponder takes these songs and reinvents them for her own purpose, as she has reinvented herself.
As her star begins to rise and explode, is Danielle Ponder at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester in the not too distant future?
On Saturday, October 29th, the World Music Institute present Malian musician and GRAMMY Award winner Oumou Sangaré for an incredible one-night-only performance at the world-famous Apollo in Harlem. Being one of West Africa’s most celebrated vocalists, Sangaré infuses her music with traditional African percussion, distinctive vocals, and progressive social criticism. Thus, creating a unique sound that has propelled her onto the international stage.
In her Apollo debut, Oumou Sangaré, “The Songbird of Wassoulou,” will perform music that spans traditional Wassoulou music. She will do this by using contemporary sounds coming out of Africa as well as songs from her recent critically acclaimed album, Timbuktu.
We’re thrilled to have Oumou, make her Apollo debut during our Next Movement season. Over the past eight decades the Apollo has amplified Black voices and used its platforms to create an intersection of art and activism, so having Oumou perform a range of music from Wassoulou music to contemporary sounds is exactly the kind of artistic conversation that we champion.
Kamilah Forbes, Executive Producer at The Apollo
Oumou Sangaré is considered an ambassador of Wassoulou, she is praised for being an activist, businesswoman and global icon. Throughout the world, her music has been inspired by the music and traditional dances of the region. She does this by writing and composing her songs which often include social criticism, especially concerning women’s low status in society.
Similar to legendary performers like Grace Jones, Nina Simone, and Aretha Franklin, Oumou Sangaré has been praised by stars including Beyoncé and Alicia Keys for her powerful voice and unwavering commitment to the betterment of women. Sangaré infuses her music with traditional African percussion, distinctive vocals, and progressive social criticism, creating a unique sound that has propelled her career.
Ticket will range from $30-$75 per seating arrangement. For more information on Oumou Sangaré and to purchase tickets via the Apollo Theater, click the link here.
Mihali blessing the crowd at LonCon – photo by Zak Radick
The Wheel – Friday, October 21
Unlock the door, buckle up, put it in gear and enjoy the ride with the The Capital Region’s authentic Grateful Dead Tribute Band, “The Wheel”. Founded in 2010 by Andy Morse looking to play to his roots of years of chasing the Grateful Dead and current incarnations around he formed The Wheel. It’s been said the medicine wheel is a “peaceful interaction among all living beings on Mother Earth-it represents harmony, balance and connections.”
Mihali (of Twiddle) w/ Mike Powell, Luke Mitrani – October 22
Mihali returns to Putnam Place for a full band performance, featuring Adrian Tramontano, Scott Hannay and Dave DiCristo. For Mihali, music behaves much like a living being. It grows, matures, and changes with a sentient consciousness and whims of its own. The Vermont-based solo singer, songwriter, guitarist, artist, and Twiddle co-founder follows reggae’s evolutionary ebb and flow, existing in a perpetual state of inspiration and creation, and remaining committed to sonic evolution. Exuding a balanced mix of rich influence, Mihali’s music entwines reggae spirit, fluid soundscape architecture, and invigorating mantras meant to be chanted aloud in a packed venue.
Ticket: $20 Advance / $25 Day of Show available at putnamplace.comAges: 18+
Opening the night are Cazenovia-based singer-songwriter Mike Powell, and Luke Mitriani’s electro pop-rock.
Freekbass & The Bump Assembly (ft: Sammi Garett) – October 27
Freekbass, to the core, is an accomplished bass player with a particular passion for Funk. “Freekbass & The Bump Assembly” tour relentlessly, expanding his circles and reaching cities, coast to coast. His high-energy live-shows led him to the festival scene, and he simultaneously did dates with the supergroup, Headtronics.
The current touring line-up for Freekbass & The Bump Assembly is a 7-piece wonder-team which includes Freekbass on bass and vocals, drummer Rico Lewis (previously with George Clinton/P-Funk), Sky White on keys (Foxy Shazam), Sammi Garett (previouly Turkuaz) and Reilly Comisar on vocals, Nate Lewis on guitar and Greg Sanderson (previouly Turkuaz) on sax. The friendships and wealth of collaborative musicianship in this group is apparent on stage, where infectious grooves meet nonstop-energetic performances.
Ticket: $15 Advance / $17 Day of Show available at putnamplace.comAges: 18+
Kitchen Dwellers + Daniel Donato – October 29
Kitchen Dwellers twist bluegrass, folk, and rock through a kaleidoscope of homegrown stories, rich mythology, American west wanderlust, and psychedelic hues. The Montana quartet broke up 2020 with an EP of Pink Floyd covers entitled Reheated, Vol. 2. It was heralded by a two-night livestream concert, Live From The Cabin, beamed out to audiences from the Bridger Mountains. Additionally, they appeared at the Live From Out There virtual festival and even took over a drive-in movie theater for an in-person gig in between regular writing sessions together throughout the year. The group recently released Wise River to bring fans back to Big Sky Country on their third full-length album, working with Cory Wong of Vulfpeck as producer.
Opening the night is cosmic country and Americana artist Daniel Donato, a walking tornado of creative energy. “They think there’s something that tips the scale in ways they don’t understand,” says Donato about his over-the-top, slightly manic vibe. “But what actual-ly tips the scale is the amount of thought and analysis I put into my work and art, all of which is taken from the lessons of my life.” Donato, a 27-year-old Nashville native, has distilled those life lessons into his debut album, A Young Man’s Country, his proper introduction to the general musical audience. Recorded at Nashville’s Sound Emporium in a mere two days and produced by guitar-ace Robben Ford, the record weaves outlaw country, Grateful Dead-style Americana, and first-rate songwriting into a singular form Donato calls “21st-century cosmic country.”
Ticket: $20 Advance $25 Day of Show available at putnamplace.comAges: 18+
Weekly Events at Putnam Place
Monday: Family Tree featuring Steve Candlen, Kenny Hohman, Lori Friday, Chris Carey and Chad Ploss perform every Monday at Putnam Place from 7pm – 10pm. Each week they will be joined by various special guests form the regional music scene.
Monday: Sly Fox’s Open Mic Jam – Every Monday from 10pm – Midnight.
Thursdays (thru October 20): Country Night featuring free beginner line dancing lessons by Kevin Richards (6:30pm – 8:30pm) followed by country DJ.
Sundays: Latin Night (7:00pm – 12:00am) featuring Latin dance lessons by Tango Fusion Dance Company from 7:00pm – 8:00pm.
Upcoming November Shows at Putnam Place
11/3 – Bearly Dead
11/4 – Dean Ford & The Beautiful Ones: A Tribute to Prince
NYC’s cult funk ensemble Brooklyn Funk Essentials have just shared a playful video for their irresistible new jazz-funk jam “AA Side Single.” The music video was just released October 16th, in follow up to the critically acclaimed recent single “Scream!” released on Dorado Records.
The tongue in cheek video is full of vibes and features legendary lead singer Alison Limerick, BFE founder and bassist Lati Kronlund and the entire BFE lineup.
Brooklyn Funk Essentials is a music collective who mix jazz, funk, and hip hop, featuring musicians and poets from different cultures. Across a career that stretches 28 years and six albums, Brooklyn Funk Essentials have established themselves as an audacious project fusing soul, hip hop, spoken word, jazz, Latin and of course, funk. BFE have built up a loyal international cult following on every continent since its inception in 1993 by iconic producer Arthur Baker and bassist Lati Kronlund.
The band was born out of New York’s buzzing hip-hop, jazz and slam poetry scenes in the early 90s, rotating some of the finest musicians, DJs, poets, rappers and singers. BFE’s debut album Cool & Steady & Easy is a classic underground hit with the version of Pharoah Sanders’ “The Creator Has a Master Plan,” while tracks like “Take The L Train” and “Big Apple Boogaloo” became DJ favorites.
“The cult funk ensemble Brooklyn Funk Essentials share the playful video for their infectious new jazz-funk jam “AA Side Single” today”
– Ghettoblaster
The songs “AA Side Single” and ‘Scream!’ are both taken from the BFE’s hotly anticipated seventh studio album Intuition, which will come out in early 2023 on Dorado Records. Thus, the original label who first signed Brooklyn Funk Essentials in 1994.
BFE are on a European Tour through summer to autumn, with European festival dates across Sweden, Norway, France, Belgium, Czech Republic, Turkey and more.
To watch the video for “AA Side Single,” click here. To listen to Brooklyn Funk Essentials, click here.
Fun Lovin’ Criminals have released their first EP in more than a decade, The Roosevelt Sessions, with a national tour kicking off in November. The jazz-laden four-track cut is sprinkled with biting political satire, nostalgic samples that romanticize life in New York, and their signature world-weary commentary on rising above a life of crime.
The last album of original music from Fun Lovin’ Criminals was Classic Fantastic, released in 2010, and The Roosevelt Sessions gives fans a taste of the new Criminals sound ahead of more new music slated for release in 2023. The trio features multi-instrumentalist Brian ‘Fast’ Leiser on lead vocal duties following the departure of Huey Morgan in November last year; drummer Frank Benbini and guitarist Naim Cortazzi, formerly with the Manchester band Happy Mondays and soul star Beverley Knight, to restore the trio.
“Shake It Loose”, the second track on the EP, addresses the mental health issues that inspired Fast and Frank to create new music and perform to their fans worldwide after the departure of Morgan.
With silky backing vocals from Benbini, Fast, with his smokey Brooklyn drawl, laments, “back then you didn’t listen, to what was true, now it’s all we wanna hear from you. It’s not about right, it’s not about wrong.”
Fun Lovin’ Criminals are entering a new chapter, with a steely focus on creating new music that our fans will love. Our new EP is a return to our gritty early days in NYC, particularly with the way the music has been composed.
Brian ‘Fast’ Leiser
Fun Lovin’ Criminals began in 1993 after Brian ‘Fast’ Leiser met Huey Morgan at The Limelight nightclub in NYC. Their debut album Come Find Yourself reached no.7 in the UK charts and was certified Platinum in the UK and Gold in the Netherlands. The biggest hit “Scooby Snacks” contains dialogue from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. The track peaked at no.12 in the UK singles chart in 1997 and was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in July 2022.
Fun Lovin’ Criminals Fall Tour dates can be found below, with the tour kicking off in Boston on November 3, and stopping in their hometown of Brooklyn on November 4 at Elsewhere.
Take a disco: dark, sweaty, neon pink and electric blue, speakers so loud you can taste it, glitter makeup dripping down your face, sequins scratching your skin, thick air, your platform pumps sticking to the dance floor. Now rip the black-out curtains off windows, knock down the walls — sunlight streams in, grass tickles your ankles, clothes hang loose, you can breathe deeply, clearly. That’s Say She She’s new album Prism. It’s sunlight at the rave, clear vocals over deep funk. Rhythm you want to spread out to, bass that feels like a cool breeze.
Say She She, a seven-piece band led by three female leads, is reminding Brooklyn how to dance Le Freak. The band’s name is a nod to Nile Rogers’ “C’est chic!” lyric, with a modern feminine twist. Et aussi chic is the kismet meeting of Piya Malik, Nya Gazelle Brown and Sabrina Mileo Cunningham, the singers at the heart of Say She She. From disparate sides of Brooklyn, the three ran into each other at a house party in Harlem, as one does, and realized their musical chemistry into a full project soon after.
Malik, a former backing singer for Chicano Batman, is partisan to Turkish funk and Hindi riffs. Brown’s concentration was in R&B, and she was trained in classical and jazz vocals from childhood. Cunningham is partial to 80s eclectic progressive groups like Rotary Connection and Tom Tom Club. These three distinct backgrounds merged to create the singular sound of Say She She; a sound, though only inaugurated this year with their first single “Forget Me Not,” that already feels assured in their first album, Prism, releasing Oct. 7.
If there’s a female gaze, such as in the way films like “The Virgin Suicides” and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” depict love, there’s a female sound in how Say She She describes love and loving in Prism. Their voices are tender and earnest, delicate yet serious; in “Don’t Wait,” even a break-up song is full with solace and healing, wondering about and wanting the best for their ex’s next lover. And all this is set to a rhythmic beat on a funky bassline, making the hips shift, the feet move.
With nature imagery and dreamy vocals, every song on the album evokes the divine feminine. But “Fortune Teller” dives deepest, the layered vocals touching on a host of feminine tropes in the chorus:
“I’m not a fortune teller, I can’t read your mind / I’m not a healer, can’t stop you from going blind / I’m not a fortress, but I will try to protect you.”
Tropes aren’t real life. Sometimes these traditionally feminine roles are aspirations – for people of any genders. Ultimately, we can’t tell the future or heal each others’ wounds. But by interspersing the chorus with beautiful imagery of “the space between the midnight sky,” and “stars that whisper in the night” it feels like all those capabilities might just be possible for anybody and everybody, if only here on the dance floor.
“Better Man,” the album’s closing song, also aims to realize that kind of cosmic love. It’s one of the slower songs on the album, employing strings, muted production and voices layered in complex harmonies. Say She She describes finding a “better man” with the natural imagery of waves rolling in and swimming upstream. Paired with the occasional electronic sparkle, it’s a song Mother Nature would want to dance to.
