Classic rock legend Lita Ford brought her heavy metal music from yesteryear to the “L”in Horseheads on Friday, July 22nd in front of a very excited crowd. Her line up consists of herself, Patrick Kennison (guitar), Bobby Rock (drums) and newly acquired bassist Martin Anderson.
photo by Tammy Peer
Since her early days with Joan Jett in the Runaways, Lita once again proved she hasn’t lost her touch at 64 years young, she can still take control of the venue and crowd. Getting away from the traditional structured tours Lita now plays as a ‘hired gun” playing for festivals, events and stand alone shows nationwide.
The last time Lita was in the Southern Tier was opening up for Vince Neil at Tags in Big Flats in 2019. Tonight it was her show and her solid lineup that took no prisoners. Just coming in from a show in Iowa, the stop in the Southern Teir at the “L” was before heading off to South Butler, PA and all points west.
photo by Charlie Berch
The set was a mixture of her entire career with some of her top hits, “Kiss Me Deadly, “Hungry” and “Close my eyes forever” with guitarist Patrick Kennison singing the Ozzy Osbourne part of the lyrics and “Cherry Bomb” from her Runways days. Also a huge hit that night was her version of Elton John’s “Bitch is Back.” It does not look like the ‘Queen of Metal’ is ready to slow down anytime soon. To find other Lita Ford shows this year visit her website.
‘New NYC supergroup, Fantastic Cat, are a new instrument-swapping rock/alt-country/folk band made of singer/songwriters Anthony D’Amato, Brian Dunne, Don DiLego, and Mike Montali. Their debut album The Very Best Of Fantastic Cat just came out on July 29. Likewise, they’ll also be celebrating at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom with an album release show the same day.
So far, their newest record has been praised by Atwood Magazine, No Depression,The Boot, Bluegrass Situationand more; the singles have been added to multiple 1M+ Spotify playlists including Fresh Finds and All New Indie. The band also have a CBS Saturday session confirmed for the end of July which will air in early/mid-August.
The first single, “C’mon Armageddon”, is an incredible A24-style music video featuring Marc Geller who plays Kier Egan on the hit AppleTV show Severance. Along with this, the music video for the single “The Gig” shows the band playing a gig on The Staten Island Ferry after being told by their sleazebag manager he booked the band on “one of those concert cruises that are all the rage.”
Captured in the wilds of the Pocono Mountains, the album shifts between genres and different decades of music. By mixing electrified 60’s folk and 70’s AM radio gold with 80’s heartland rock and 90’s alt-country, it encompasses a raw feel of longtime friends making music for the sheer joy of it.
“Their music is at once fun, freewheeling, achingly intimate, and beautifully honest. They can joke about themselves and the state of things while tapping into deeply meaningful and relatable emotions… Fantastic Cat’s songs are a reminder that, even in our darkest moments, we can find a little light and love to hold onto.”
Along with the great music the band produces, they have a very fun and humorous vibe in all their videos and photos. Particularly, the photos and videos where they wear the giant cut out cat heads. Fantastic Cat has impressively made its way into the spotlight collectively. Through the four transcend their respective roots, they have emerged as an instrument-swapping, harmony-trading, tear-jerking, wise-cracking rock and roll cooperative far greater than the sum of its parts.
After a two-year COVID hiatus, the 16th Pleasantville Music Festival returned on July 9. The all-day event featured a cornucopia of musical performances with 18 acts between three stages.
We try to check off as many boxes as we can so there is something on our stages that everybody will appreciate.
Festival Director, Bruce Figler
Under a bright blue sky, attendees moved freely between the Chill Tent, Pamnation Party, and main stages. With each location offered its own style of music. Superbcoordination of stage starttimes allowed most fans to catch most if not all of the performances.
Platinum Moon
Pleasantville music festival has prided itself on the promotion of local musicians. Staying true to their mission statement, the opening acts on each of the three stages were winners in the Lagond Music School ‘s 2022 “Battle of the Band” competition, where first place winners, Platinum Moon, were rewarded with opening the main stage. Rounding out the triumvirateof winners was Westchester based Noshows — who appeared on the Pamnation stage — along with Carter Quinn Tanis (hailing from Cromwell-on-Hudson) who performed in the Chill Tent.
The Pamnation stage, set up between the Chill Tent and the main stage, offered a separate dance area. The Narrowbacks from Pearl River took full advantage by getting the crowd up and moving with their Irish rock. Pamnation stage closers, Illiterate Light, raised the bar with a guitar and drum duet from the Virginia natives. The audience roared along with enough liveliness to mimic an arena.
The Narrowbacks
Resembling a circus big top, the Chill Tent offered an oasis for acoustic performers. Located at the back of the festival grounds, the Chill Tent lived up to its name: benefiting from a constant breeze flowing through the performance area. Throughout the day solo, duo, and trios graced the stage. Paula Cole closed out this space backed by a three-piece band. Under a subdued purple glow, Cole and band shared an intimate performance filled with songs and insights from her lengthy career.
Glenn Tilbrook
The main stage was not to be outdone. Highlights included Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze performing solo. Tilbrook played a host of Squeeze songs including “Take Me I’m Yours” and “Black Coffee in Bed,” to the crowd’s enjoyment. Standing tall with his custom-made red Squire Telecaster, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears followed, sharing a powerful blues set. Festival headliners, X Ambassadors, closed out the evening with lead singer Sam Harris singing and dancing from one end of the stage to another. Teenage girls lined the front of the stage giving their approval after every song. The Ithaca band presented a dynamic performance of their music, capping a stellar day.
X Ambassadors
With its 16th event in the books, the Pleasantville Music festival has proven itssustainability, offering top-notch performers in a suburban setting while mixing in crafts, food and family-oriented activities.
Main Stage
Platinum MoonClare Maloney & The Great AdventureGlenn TilbrookBlack Joe Lewis & The HoneybearsCrash Test DummiesX Ambassadors
On June 3, Brooklyn-based emo band, Stay Inside, released their newest work and 5-track EP, Blight, via No Sleep Records.
Stay Inside consists of Bryn Nieboer (vocals/bass), Chris Johns (guitar/backing vocals), Chris Lawless (guitar/backing vocals), and Vishnu Anantha on drums. Blight is the band’s newest release since their critically acclaimed 2020 album, Viewing.
Jon Markson of Drug Church and Koyo returns on production for the Blight EP which showcases a more intense side of the emo Brooklyn band. Although only totaling five songs, the lyrics and carefully executed instrumentation put the release on a caliber of its own.
The opening track, “Eraser,” starts slowly, with an emotional rhythm and vocals to draw you in before an intense build with drums and guitar. “Hollow,” plays with a unique beat and engaging message, with the lyrics “so I just sit there with my arms wide / I think I used up all my good lies / Oh god you started losing everything before you try to tell yourself to stop.” The EP was written while NYC was experiencing intense lockdown, and it fully represents the extreme feelings of the time.
Other tracks, such as “Fracture” and “Spore” are great additions to the EP, bringing even more depth and experimentation to the work with addictive drums and melodies. Stay Inside is surely growing and expanding with this most recent EP, Blight.
This summer, the post-hardcore band perform at the Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn on July 22. Be sure to keep up with the band on Instagram here and Twitter here, and take a listen to some more of their music, available below.
After having a two year hiatus, shows and festivals of all sizes are coming back and coming back strong. One such festival that has been a staple for many years which brought people from all over the state and out, this festival, is iMatter. If you ever been to Warped Tour, you may get a similar vibe, with multiple vendors, bands with merch tents, two stages(way less than Warped Tour).
IMatter’s home is located in Horseheads at The L, and while not big in comparison to the other cities like Rochester or Buffalo, many flock to this area every year for it. One thing that shocks many, is the fact that this festival is free, which seems impossible and has been since the start. There is a lot more to talk about but who better to explain than the current organizer Adam Bunce.
Joe Booth: So, how would you describe iMatter Festival to someone who’s never been?
Adam Bunce: The iMatter Festival is a free annual festival featuring hard rock, metal, and alternative bands from local to national acts. The festival counter suicide, self-harm and self-doubt by promoting unearthed value, unveiled purpose and defiant hope to this generation.
JB: What was your inspiration for the festival and the name?
AB: The iMatter Festival is a free concert hosted by the iMatter Foundation promoting life, hope and value to our communities. Its message is simple: every life matters. The festival began in 2007 because the founder, Scott Lowmaster, wanted to give everyone in attendance something for free, and ask nothing in return from them for attending.
JB: What makes iMatter special for you?
AB: iMatter is special to me because it’s truly something unique and one of a kind. A festival like this would normally run upwards of $50-$500 to attend, yet we have found a way to make it free for those that choose to join us each year.
JB: What has been your favorite iMatter or memory?
AB: For me personally it was probably the year that Underoath headlined the festival. Underoath has always been one of the most influential bands for me over the last 20 years. It was always a dream of mine to book them and we had that opportunity in 2018.
JB: After being on hiatus for two years, were there any challenges to bringing back the festival?
AB: We’ve had a lot of issues this year, issues are always a thing when it comes to booking a festival. Unfortunately, we weren’t granted our mass gathering permit from the county. This is the main reason we had to move the location of the festival to The L. The L is an iMatter run venue that we opened up in September of 2021. As much as the festival is what helped us birth the venue, the venue just isn’t large enough to give iMatter the “feel” that an open field provides. We hope that in 2023 we’ll be able to get this all back up and running as an outdoor festival, it was either move to The L in 2022 or not run for a 3rd straight summer.
JB: I’m sure with the festival almost here, you still have lots of planning going on but do you have any goals for next year and beyond?
AB: Yes, we are always trying to make sure that we are offering something unique to those who attend. Its always our mission to keep the festival free, and we will continue to follow that model. But we love what some of the VIP packages have allowed us to offer those that are willing to pay for an enhanced experience on the day of the festival.
JB: Thank you for your time, would like to add any final thoughts?
AB: We are just ecstatic that we can bring iMatter Festival back after having a 2 year hiatus. Even if it’s just a smaller version of what iMatter has been historically, it’s a step towards what it was originally intended to be.
In case you haven’t seen it, this is the lineup for this year and even though this is a free event, the capacity is limited and all free tickets have been claimed but there’s still plenty of VIP packages you can buy. We will see you July 30th at The L for iMatter Festival Reset.
Take a look back at iMatter Festival in 2018 and 2019.
NYC-based trio Career Day returns with new music off of their upcoming debut album, Where We’ve Always Been, which is set to release on August 12.
The first single called, “No Problem,” was released earlier this summer and is currently available on all streaming services via Old Press Records. The highly energetic metal track relies on powerful vocals, intense drumming, and electric guitar. The quick tempo and extreme sound bring the song to life.
Career Day consists of members Desmond Zantua (vocals), Jacob Cutler (guitar), and Andrew Grossane on bass. Billy Mannino mixed and mastered the record, contributing to the band’s intense sound. The sonic influences for the trio include Motion City Soundtrack, The Get Up Kids, and Braid, while the lyrics and messages behind the music rely heavily on Zantua’s life as an advocate and a Filipino-American.
Much of this first track, “No Problem,” speaks to Zantua’s experiences and the importance of actual representation and social change. Via Instagram, the band shared, “this song goes out to everyone who has felt tokenized for their identity.” The hard-hitting lyrics, “the anthem of model minorities, Don’t want me heard; just seen” exemplifies this message.
The newest single release after “No Problem,” called “A New Title,” dropped on Friday, July 8. The inspiration for the song came from the process of accepting and building a lasting love in an era where relationships are often fleeting. Many of the songs off the upcoming album, Where We’ve Always Been, discuss inequalities, injustices, and prejudices present in American society but this recent track brings another level of emotion to the EP. “A New Title” reminds listeners that no matter what is occurring in the world, there is something or someone to push us forward.
The writing of both singles and the upcoming record began back at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. The group spent a lot of time crafting the songs that eventually made up the anticipated 10-track album. Career Day’s previous 2021 work, Pride Was Somewhere Else, touched on some dark and intrusive thinking with strong lyrics and concepts. The band builds upon their strengths with this next release but returns with an even more explosive sound.
Listen to the band’s new music, “No Problem,” below.
God knows we all love a good gimmick. Especially when it wildly exceeds our expectations and produces something that is profoundly eye-opening, or in this case, ear-opening! Such is the case with Uncaged, an album of much-loved rock covers, rendered in a supremely deep and darkly delicious heavy metal style, by Milwaukee-based lap steel slasher, Sean Williamson, aka Velocihamster.
Album art by Steven Bossler
For those not in the know, the lap steel guitar, also known as Hawaiian guitar, is a steel stringed guitar, sans pedals and frets, that is played with a slide in an open tuning while laid across a player’s lap. It was an outgrowth of Hawaii’s popular slack-key guitar style, which was incredibly popular in the earliest decades of the record industry. Like the traditional guitar, the lap steel would become electrified in the 1930s and eventually be employed in other musical styles – jazz, blues, gospel and especially country and Western swing. While not as popular or utilized as its cousins the traditional pedal steel or dobro, the lap steel has been a standout instrument in the hands of artists of the past like Roy Smeck and modern era ones like L.A. session ace and Jackson Browne sideman David Lindley.
In Williamson’s hands, the lap steel is another animal all together. It’s a roaring, screaming beast, an instrument of melodic assault and chordal crunch that brings to the ears a virtuosity that is way more Van Halen (Sean taps his ass off here too) than Bob Willis and The Texas Playboys.
Williamson has super-charged his lap steel with EMG humbucker-styled pickups, the kind favored by Judas Priest’s K.K Dowling, Primus’ Les Claypool, Metallica’s James Hetfield and dozens of other metal mavens. His sound is thick, lush, layered and fuzzy, with his instrument further empowered with everything from distortion and chorus pedals to wah wah and harmonizer.
Photo by Greg Vorobiov
My favorite tracks are the instrumentals. His mysterioso take on Led Zeppelin’s Middle Eastern-y “In the Evening,” his jam on Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein” and his uber dirty, nasty interpretation of the Sneaker Pimp’s “6 Underground.” Williamson does the Beastie Boys proud with his wanky, wah wah driven cover of “Gratitude,” one for which he also provides the appropriately juvenile sounding vox (that’s a compliment, Sean!)
Another highlight is the album opener, a super-caffeinated version of Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades,” with a guest vocal by Alice Cooper bassist and Beasto Blanco frontman Chuck Garric. Williamson also admirably covers of classics like Santo & Johnny’s “Sleepwalk” and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” And while a lot of this is shred-centric, Williamson never loses sight of the melodies that have made these songs so memorable.
Uncaged is an album that will delight metal and classic rock lovers by breathing new life into songs you have heard hundreds of times before. But it does something even bigger. It uncages a sleep instrument in music’s arsenal and lets it roar and thrive in new avenues and genres of sound.
On June 26, As I Lay Dying brought their Two Decades of Destruction Tour to a brand new venue in Horseheads, The L, which has been on a roll with shows since it opened.
This was a show to get to early as it nearly sold out and you had a bit of a walk from the parking lot. Brand Of Sacrifice opened up and came out swinging, the heavy metal band from Canada taking command of the stage.
Next up was Shadow Of Intent, hailing from Connecticut, who kept the energy going. Originally the band began as a two piece and started off with Halo-themed music, then transitioned to the deathcore sound they have now.
Shadow Of Intent
Rolling up after them was Whitechapel, a band that is a staple in the deathcore community and probably could be considered the heaviest on the tour. Finally, to close out the night was As I Lay Dying, who had been on hiatus since 2014, having formed in 2000 in San Diego, California.
There was a bit of a hiccup before the tour as a few band members stepped down but the show went on and the place was filled, with Ryan Neff from Miss May I stepping in; he’ll be back at The L in September with another stacked lineup.
There have been many great shows at this venue but this one was definitely one for the books and with no signs of slowing down with the lineups that have already been announced, The L is making itself well known in the Northeast music scene.
On Friday, June 24th, a rock themed night kicked off with Battleaxxx and closed out with cover band Black Sabbitch at Empire Live.
Battleaxxx is an all female rock band originally from the Capital Region. They are a fairly new band emerging from the Capital Region. They have played a few shows in and around Albany, including at The Lost & Found on August 28th, 20221. This show, however, was their first time performing at Empire Live. They released their debut album Adequate in March of 2021. Battleaxxx has upcoming show at Rare Form Brewing Company in Troy on July 5th.
Keeping on theme with women-lead rock, Black Sabbitch is an all female cover band from Los Angeles. They have been doing covers of Black Sabbith songs since 2011. To validate this band position as the Black Sabbith cover band, they were hand picked by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne to open Ozzfest. Black Sabbitch was originally supposed to perform at Empire Live back in January 2022. Due to COVID surge, that show was postponed; and their next show in May was postponed due to a band member getting COVID ironically. The road to get to Albany was long, but they made it. Their summer tour ends in NYC on June 25th at the Iridium.
Battleaxxx kicked off the show with a growing crowd of about 30-40 people. Their opening song did not grab the attention of the audience, but their song “Slut,” did bring smiles and laughter. If the song was meant to be funny, it was, as people of varying ages applauded the band for calling their mom a slut. The lights did go out during their last song, but it did not stop the music. Battleaxxx’s set lasted for about 30 minutes and they received a warm applause as they left the stage.
The crowd did fill up to maybe about 100 or so people by the time Black Sabbitch took the stage. The audience was filled with a lot of seemingly empty nesters who were probably trying to relive the songs of their youth. A mosh pit of about 3 people did break out at a point, but did not last very long. During the guitar solos, you could see many people in the crowd reach up and out; banging their fist to the beat, resignating which each cord that was struck. A fire alarm did interrupt the set for about 20 mins, as well as a flood both in the dressing room and in the pit to stage left. They came back on stage, brought the crowd down low with Changes, and left on high with the Black Sabbith hit, “Sabbra Cadabra.”
Black Sabbitch did come back out for a one song encore after pump faking an exit with the dressing room door. If you are not able to catch Black Sabbitch in NYC, you can see them at the Psycho Las Vegas Festival on August 20th before they leave the states for their UK tour.
Battleaxxx Set List: Aqua, Eyes, Sex Boys, Biz, Slut, Holy, Oh Yeah, SWTB, Head, Discharge, Top Shelf
Black Sabbitch Set List: War, The Wizard, N.I.B., Sweet Leaf, Tomorrow’s Dream, Lord of the World, Solitude, Supernaut, Into the Void, Cornucopia, Wheels of Confusion, Changes, Snowblind, Sabbra Cadabra; Encore Song: Children of the Grave
Capital Region punk/metal industrial rock legends The Clay People busted out of the underground over the weekend, playing their first hometown gig in years on Friday, June 17th at Albany’s Empire Live. The enduring icons not only gave fans a preview of their forthcoming studio album, Cult Hypnotica, but also used the occasion to debut their very own comic book.
The Clay People performing at Empire Underground on 6-17-22.
From modest beginnings in the underground Industrial Darkwave scene, to the breakout release of their self-titled major label debut, it has been a long, strange journey for these Albany rockers. Born from the unique creative bond of Daniel Dinsmore, Brian McGarvey and Daniel Neet, The Clay People first started making music together in 1989. In the decades that followed, the band would add guitarist Jared Weed and bass player Eric Braymer and go on to share the stage with internationally known touring acts such as Stained, Static X, Clutch, Rob Zombie, Disturbed, Filter and Stabbing Westward to name a few. In 2020, the band seemingly rose from the dead and released Demon Hero and Other Extraordinary Phantasmagoric Anomalies & Fables, a bold and massive sounding album that sent a clear message: this band is far from finished.
Daniel Neet performing with The Clay People at Empire Underground on 6-17-22.
In fact, 2022 is shaping up to be one of The Clay People’s most prolific years in quite some time. Having spent the pandemic unleashing their trapped energy and recording a deep library of new tracks, the band just put the finishing touches on their latest studio album, the highly anticipated Cult Hypnotica, which is set to drop on July 1st with supporting dates expected to be announced shortly thereafter. To help get the hype train going a bit, The Clay People decided to treat some of their oldest and most dedicated fans to a taste of the new material during a hometown throwdown performance at the new, yet familiar Empire Underground in downtown Albany, a venue highly reminiscent of the former Northern Lights in Clifton Park where TCP played some of their most legendary shows.
The Clay People debut their very own comic book “Colossus”in Albany, NY 6/17/22.
Opening the performance with a bit of a mash-up cover of Lo Fidelity Allstars “Battle Flag,” it wasn’t long before the bedlam picked up proper with “Colossus,” the song that inspired the band’s new comic book of the same name. The comic, which was collaboratively produced by Top Cow Productions, Inc and Epitome Studios, was one sale for the first time at the bands merch table. After a squealing version of “NoW,” The Clay People then busted out a song everyone in attendance seemed to know, “Plug” off their 1998 breakthrough self-titled album.
You can’t give in Living in this guilt of sin Losing your grip What can you make of it? Are you a part of it? You can’t give in
Lyrics from “Plug”
Spending much of the show perched on top of the front row barricade, frontman Daniel Neet’s stage presence was powerful and commanding. Dressed all in black, wearing sunglasses and resembling the late Layne Staley (Alice in Chains) a bit, Neet’s unique voice effortlessly shifted from gravely baritone, to spoken word, to all out fits of shouting rage. Still sounding great after all these years, Neet poured everything he had into this performance and with enough vigor of a man half his age.
The Clay People performing at Empire Underground on 6-17-22.
After “Plug,” The Clay People would then debut a series of songs off their upcoming album, including “Turn Me On,”” Cult Hypnotic,” “Drugs,” She Loves,” and ” Destroy All Humans,” before returning to the TCP staples like “X-Ploding Head” and “Pariah” which had the whole crowd banging their heads in unison and shouting “I don’t want to die here.” After working their way through “Strange Day,” the band would then play the most commercially successful song in their catalog, 1998’s irresistible riff heavy classic anthem, “Awake” and finally bring the performance to a close with one of their oldest songs, “Stone.”
A little older and wiser, but just as intense. While their sound has evolved over the years, The Clay People have always stayed true to their heavy punk roots and despite the odds, have managed to stay relevant for more than thirty years. Outlasting most of the bands they came up with and with a new album right around the corner, it almost feels as if The Clay People have found the fountain of youth. With the type of physically demanding music they play and their equally demanding stage show, you have to wonder how long these guys can perform at this type of level. When contemplating that very question, vocalist Dan Neet simply grinned and said, “Like a cockroach. You can’t get rid of me. We’ll keep going until we’re dead.” Cult Hypnotica comes out on July 1st.
The Clay People | June 17, 2022 | Albany, NY | Empire Underground
Setlist: Battle Flag (intro), Colossus, NoW, Plug, Turn Me On, Cult Hypnotic, Drugs, She Loves, Destroy All Humans, X-ploding Head, Strange Day, Pariah, Awake, Stone
Check out the full gallery of photos from the show and fan recorded video of “X-ploding Head,” “Awake” and “Stone,” below from NYS Music Photographer Zak Radick
