NYS Music 202​2

Category: Genres

  • Live Music at The Waterhole during Saranac Lake Winter Carnival 2023

    The Waterhole in Saranac Lake will bring 12 different musical acts to the Upstairs Music Lounge from across the Northeast, keeping Winter Carnival-goers movin’ & groovin’, as the town celebrates the 126th annual Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.

    The 2023 musical lineup at The Waterhole features fan favorites and pairs them up with unbelievably talented opening acts, a perfect compliment to the fun and activities during Winter Carnival.

    winter carnival waterhole
    The Waterhole Winter Carnival 2023 lineup

    Annie in the Water will kick things off Friday February 3rd with high energy jams, funky tones, and chill vibes. The Reflexions will open the night with their blend of Reggae and Funk vibes with world music grooves.  

    With a larger-than-life stage presence, Saturday February 4th headliner, Underground System is a show not to be missed. This six-piece act hails from New York City, mixes dance club vibes with Afrobeat, Latin-style tunes  and other musical themes from around the world. The group started in 2018 with a reimagining of Fela Kuti’s  work, and grew into an internationally touring indie dance band. Expect flute, congas, sampling, and hypnotic,  infectious grooves.  

    Midweek will feature a solo performance from Ryan Montbleu on Tuesday February 7th. Ryan will fill the music  hall with his eloquent and soulful songwriting for which he is known for. Haley Jane will open the night with a solo performance of her own. Expect raw intensity and linguistic prowess. She has a deeply emotive and highly magnetizing presence that combines a diverse sound with Vaudevillian style story telling.  

    Wednesday Feb 8th David Sommerstein of NCPR will host a Beat Authority Dance Party! Listeners can expect a  fresh, eclectic choice of dance music from all over the world. You may hear cumbia or bluegrass, afrobeat or  jazz, it’ll keep your head a-noddin’ and your spirits up! Join in the groove and enjoy.  

    Thursday Feb 9th, The Frank White Experience brings things to a new level. Bringing the sounds of Notorious  B.I.G with live instrumentation to your ears in a way never head before! FWE brings listeners on a journey back  through the beloved soundscape of 1990’s hip hop. 

    Friday February 10th The Mallett Brothers Band will return from the deep woods of Maine on Friday 2/11. You  can expect alternative country, grunge, with a side of beards and flannels. Partnered with them is Saints + Liars a Vermont-based Americana group, blending variants of honky-tonk, folk, bluegrass, and rock n’ roll.  

    Saturday the 11th is sure to be the biggest dance party of the week! The post-parade party is free and will be led  by Rose + The Bros. This 6-piece ensemble made their Saranac Lake debut in September 2022 at Northern  Current: A Community Music Festival. Hailing from Ithaca, NY the band is rooted in southern dance tradition,  with the addition of crooning vocal harmonies, and country music influence; listeners can expect distinctive  rhythmic patterns based in a Louisiana sound, with additional reggae and melodic drum tones.

    Later that same Saturday night, West End Blend will bring the FUNK + SOUL! Fronted by vocalist Erica Tracy Sullivan, WEB plays homage to classic throwback sounds while adding their own distinct vibe and flair. Behind her, the blend  packs a four-piece horn section, two guitars bass, keyboards, and drums.

    Party goers will not want to miss Chestnut Grove opening the night! The Pennsylvania-grown quintet has  continued seeing its efforts bear fruit since it formed in Perkiomenville, Pa. in 2011, growing a dedicated fan base and a songbook filled with truly heartfelt, groove-worthy original work. And when it comes to their  abilities to groove within the canon of classic rock greats, well, they ain’t slouches there, either. 

    And on Saturday the 12th, DiTrani Brothers will wrap things up with one final party! They hail from the woods of Vermont  and play original songs from and about the dystopic present, ragtime and jazz tunes, the perfect complement to Bloody Mary Sunday.  

    The street level bar will be open every day of the week & boasts the largest selection of craft beer in the  Blue Line. As you travel upstairs, you will find The Upstairs Music Lounge: a destination music venue. On the  2nd story there is a magnificent dance floor and a fully stocked bar. Make sure to keep going up and check out  the 3rd story balcony. There you will find additional seating for when your dancing feet are tired, and a truly  unbeatable birds-eye view of the stage & dance hall.  Concert tickets are available for purchase on the Waterhole website www.saranaclakewaterhole.com and in  person by stopping into the venue. Winter Carnival Week Passes will be offered for $82. This pass guarantees  access to every single show. As always, the Waterhole is a 21+ venue. 

  • Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Dogs in a Pile Keep It Heady in Albany

    A flocking good time was had in downtown Albany as two of the jam scenes hottest acts – Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Dogs in a Pile – teamed up for an unforgettable evening of ‘bird-dogging’ at Empire Live on Friday, December 9th.  Packing out the venue and lighting up the crowd with a healthy dose of high energy funk, top-shelf improvisation, psychedelic dance grooves and plenty of good old-fashioned shredding, the evening also served as birthday celebration for Dogs’ keyboardist Jeremy Kaplan. 

    Pigeons Playing Ping Pong performing at Empire Live in Albany (12/9/22)

    Flanked in tie dye and smothered in patchouli, fans flocked to the venue early enough to catch the opening act Dogs in a Pile. One of the most talked about up-and-coming bands around, 2022 has been a huge year for the young New Jersey quintet. Consisting of Jimmy Law and Brian Murray on guitars, Sam Lucid on bass, Joe Babick on drums and the Jeremy Kaplan on keys, the exciting group wasted no time showing everyone what all the buzz is about.  

    Dogs in a Pile performing at Empire Live in Albany (12/9/22)

    Launching into the song “Look Johnny” and seamlessly transitioning into “Frosty” and “Fenway” before coming up for air, it was clear the Dogs were determined to make the most of their allotted time.  Weaving together a tapestry of colorful sound with an undeniable charisma, Albany fans were then treated to the live debut of “Let U Go.”  Rounding out the short, but impressive set was “G Song” followed by “Bent Strange,” but it wouldn’t be the last time we’d see members of the dog pound on stage this night.

    The dogs were back in town on 12/9/22

    After a brief break in the action, it was finally time for the long-awaited return of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong who had not played in Albany since March of 2019.  Now celebrating 15 years as a band and touring in support of their sixth independent full-length album Perspective, some longtime fans could be heard reminiscing about seeing their first P4 show at the significantly smaller Red Square (now the Public Parish House) just down the block back in 2012. One of the most fan-friendly and hardest working bands going, their continued growth and popularity should come as a surprise to no one. 

    Pigeons Playing Ping Pong performing at Empire Live in Albany (12/9/22)

    Taking the stage and genuinely thanking everyone for coming out before even playing a single note, front man ‘Scrambled’ Greg Ormont was all smiles while giving his customary pre-show p-p-p-pep talk. Reassuring everyone that they were in for some serious fun, the party on North Pearl Street kicked off with “Porcupine” from the band’s 2017 album Pizazz. All warmed up and feeling good, things fell into place nicely when “Fall In Place” landed on a surprise Beatles cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” that boasted an absolutely gorgeous guitar solo from ax-man Jeremy Schon and a lengthy “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” (Led Zeppelin) tease for good measure.

    Jeremy Schon of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong performing at Empire Live in Albany (12/9/22)

    Now calling on a little help from their friends, it was at this point the band invited “the other Jeremy” out, welcoming Dogs in a Pile keyboardist and the birthday boy himself, Jeremy Kaplan back to the stage to sit on “Sunny Day.” Adding a whole new dynamic to an already funky sound, Kaplan’s contributions were huge here and he seemed like a natural fit, finally answering a question that’s been dogging P4 fans for years: “What would they sound like if they added some keys?” Quite the way to ring in your 24th birthday indeed.  Keeping the dance party going strong, the one-two punch of “Move Like That” into “Live It Up” had the crowd worked up into a sweaty frenzy as the band brought the lengthy opening set to a close with “Elephante.”

    Jeremy Kaplan sits in with PPPP on his 24th birthday (12/9/22)

    Back with more positive vibes, Pigeons started the second frame with “Live Life” before going all in on an “Upfunk” sandwich that featured a jaw dropping drum solo from Alex “Gator” Petropoulos smack dab in the middle. Always clever with their setlists, a bit of an aquatic theme seemed to emerge as “Beneath the Surface” gave way to fan favorite “Poseidon” resulting in one of the biggest peaks of the evening courtesy of Schon’s incendiary shredding.

    Ben Carrey of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong keeps it heady in Albany (12/9/22)

    Master of disguise and purveyor of cool, bassist Ben Carrey was keeping it heady all night long, but perhaps his bass bombs were never more physically felt than on the next combination of songs, “Twitch” and “Water.” A scorching “High As Five” would bring the second set to a close and leave fans begging for more. Giving it 100 percent max effort and always happy to please “the flock”, Pigeons would take flight one final time, returning for an encore of” Schwanthem” and sending the hot crowd into the cold night with huge feelings of satisfaction.   A fantastic evening of live music, song and dance, shared joy and vibe that quite simply downtown Albany hasn’t seen since before the pandemic.

    Melting Lights: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong performing at Empire Live (12/9/22)

    Up next for the band, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong will head to Harrisburg, PA next weekend for a pair of shows at XL Live before closing out the year with a two-night New Year’s Eve celebration in Pittsburgh with the Magic Beans.

    Pigeons Playing Ping Pong | 12-9-2022 | Empire Live | Albany, NY

    Set 1: Porcupine, Fall In Place > While My Guitar Gently Weeps* > Sunny Day^, Move Like That > Live It Up, Elephante

    Set 2: Live Life > Upfunk > Drums > Upfunk, Beneath The Surface, Poseidon, Twitch > Water, High As Five

    Encore: Schwanthem

    * w/ “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” and “25 or 6 to 4” teases
    ^ w/ Jeremy Kaplan (Dogs In A Pile) on keys

    Dogs in a Pile | 12-9-2022 | Empire Live | Albany, NY

    Setlist: Look Johnny, Frosty, Fenway, Let U Go*, G Song, Bent Strange *Live Debut

  • In Focus: Deer Tick Rock Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs

    Deer Tick made their long awaited return to the Capital Region on Saturday December 10, playing a near sold out show at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs.  The indie rockers last played the Capital Region in 2018. 

    Deer Tick, from Providence, Rhode Island was originally born as the solo project of singer John McCauley.  McCauley secured the band’s line up early on, adding brothers Dennis (drums) and Christopher (bass).  McCauley would later add Ian O’neil (guitar and vocals) and firmly establish the band’s line up that would continue today.  

    Izzy Heltai kicked off the evening, playing a 35 minute set to an already packed room.  Heltai, from nearby Brookline, MA, boasted proudly of previously playing coffee shops in Saratoga Springs.  He and his band captivated the audience, performing a blend of mellow indie pop.  As the set wound to a close, Heltai’s bandmates left the stage, allowing for one final song, just Heltai and an acoustic guitar.  

    Izzy Heltai performs at Putnam Place on 12/10

    After a brief intermission, Deer Tick took to the stage with a roar of approval from the crowd.  From the opening guitar strums of the party anthem “The Bump,” the crowd was fully engaged, belting out lyrics and dancing along.  The band dazzled with their Impressive harmonies, with McCauley yielding lead vocals to both O’neil and Dennis Ryan at times.  The band’s musical prowess was never more on display then when they performed a cover of the Muddy Waters blues rock classic, “You Shook Me.”  McCauley and O’neill traded guitar solos while the Ryan brothers kept pace. 

    In all, the band would deliver an impressive, nearly two-hour, career spanning set.  “Next year will be twenty years of this,” McCauley proclaimed proudly.   After exiting the stage briefly, the band would return for a three song encore, to the delight of the audience.  The band would end the show with a performance of Ashamed, the opening track on their 2007 debut album War Elephant.  “Sing along if you know it,” McCauley asked of the crowd, and he was not left disapointed.  

    Additional photos by Zak Radick

  • I Prevail “True Power” tour stops at Buffalo Riverworks

    On November 21st, I Prevail brought their True Power tour, named after their latest album, to Buffalo RiverWorks, with Pierce The Veil, and Fit For A King. Stand Atlantic was supposed to be on the bill but due to the lake effect snow that hit Buffalo and other regions, the show was postponed to the 21st from the 20th, and could not make the rescheduled date.

    Fit For A King

    When heading to the venue, you can see why they had to postpone the show, with snow piles all over the city. At first it was a sold out night, but with the reschedule, more tickets opened up but you would not be able to tell as the line to get in was still long. 

    Since Stand Atlantic had to step off this show, Fit For A King opened up the show, though while waiting for things to kick off, suddenly out of nowhere, there were multiple balloons being tossed around in the crowd, after a while, you noticed someone from the upper floor, blowing more to toss down, it was some needed entertainment as the doors opened up at its scheduled time but they didn’t move up the timeline so people had to wait longer for the show to start. 

    Pierce The Veil

    Once things kicked off, it was full blast, with Fit For a King slaying it, everything was going well till suddenly the band stopped playing, it wasn’t clear at first what was happening but EMT’s were needed, come to find out someone had a seizure in the crowd. The EMT’s pulled the person from the crowd and the show continued on. 

    Next to go on stage was Pierce The Veil, who hasn’t had an appearance in the state for a few years now. Again, the show was going great, until people from the crowd were yelling at the band to stop again. This time, it was never clear as to what happened but many people were climbing to get out of the crowd and off to the side, being with a almost sold out show, the floor level was packed, so during the set, it was easier to go to the front. After everyone wanted to get out, the show continued but half a dozen or so people were seen by EMT’s throughout the show. Then on next, last to take the stage, I Prevail. This time, everything seemed to go well with the show not having to stop for medical emergencies.

    Fit For a King

    Pierce the Veil

    I Prevail

  • Carnegie Hall to Present The Music of Paul McCartney in March

    Carnegie Hall will present the 18th annual Music Of fundraising performance, produced by Michael Dorf Presents, spotlighting the work of Paul McCartney, on March 15, 2023.

    Paul McCartney

    Paul McCartney has been bringing people together for decades with his influential music, spanning from one of the most popular groups ever, The Beatles, to his group Wings, and of course his extensive catalog of solo music. McCartney is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and he has written or co-written a record of 32 songs that have topped the Billboard Hot 100.

    The Music Of Paul McCartney will feature Lake Street Dive, Allison Russell, Bettye LaVette, Peter Asher, Ingrid Michaelson, Glen Hansard, Lyle Lovett, The Cactus Blossoms, and Shovels & Rope among others, each performing a song from McCartney’s vast collection of songs. Joining the lineup are Grahm Nash, Bruce Hornsby, Natalie Merchant, Sammy Rae, and The Head and the Heart’s Jonathan Russell. Michael Dorf Presents, established by Michael Dorf in 2003, founder of the Knitting Factory and City Winery, has been putting on the Music Of series at Carnegie Hall for 18 years.

    What an honor to work with one of the greatest singer/songwriters in history and have him interested in our annual show at Carnegie Hall. We have missed doing this during the pandemic and looking forward to this special night. Of course, we will miss Rita Houston of WFUV, our longtime MC who passed from a battle with cancer and to whom we will also be paying tribute this year. Christine Stone of SiriusXM will be joining us this year.

    Michael Dorf

    Previous Music Of tributes has spotlighted the work of Carly Simon, Prince, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, and more. Every year, the tributes have sold out and contributed 100% of the net proceeds, about $100,000 from the evening to different music education programs for underserved youth.

    Tickets to The Music Of Paul McCartney at Carnegie Hall on March 15, 2023, are on sale now.

  • 20 Years Later: Phish perform on Saturday Night Live

    On December 14, 2002, Phish made their first – and to date – only appearance as the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. The band performed two songs and even got involved in one of the sketches. An animated segment also featured the use of their seminal tune “You Enjoy Myself.” Here’s a look back at what transpired on TV 20 years ago today.

    phish saturday night live

    The episode was hosted by Al Gore, who just two years and a day removed from conceding the 2000 election. It was a rare instance of a politician hosting SNL, joining Ralph Nader (1977), Jesse Jackson and George McGovern (both in 1984), Steve Forbes (1996), then-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (1997), John McCain (2002), Al Sharpton (2003) and Donald Trump (2015).

    After a couple political sketches/segments featuring Gore – “Hardball” and “Gore Goes Inside ‘The West Wing,’” Phish joined in the fun with Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz on a semi-popular segment called “Jarret’s Room.” Set at Hamphire College in Amherst, MA, Jarret (Fallon) immediately expressed excitement for having acquired two tickets to Phish’s then-upcoming reunion show at Madison Square Garden on December 31, 2002. Gobi (Sanz) joins in, dressed as Santa (and is that Seth Meyers in a gimp outfit?), as does Gore as their professor Dr. Ralph Wormley Curtis, who is there to address their absence from class.

    Another knock at the door reveals the four members of Phish joining in, with Trey Anastasio explaining “We were just driving through on the tour bus, thought we’d stop by, we love the show” but is corrected by Page McConnell that they actually had hit Gobi and came on the show in case he threatened to sue. It then becomes clear that the stoner Gobi mistook Anastasio for Chuck Norris.

    Gore’s Dr. Curtis chimes in, regarding his tenure at UVM, giving them the same advice as before, “Get a job you damn dirty hippies.” Phish then agreed to play a song with Jarret and Gobi, who was introduced as Zamfbeer, master of the beer flute. All seven then joined together singing “Contact” for a moment before signing off.

    Phish would perform the traditional two songs this evening, starting with the then new (and yet to be performed live in concert), “46 Days” off Round Room which was released just four days prior. Only alloted about four minutes for a song, the straight rocker fit well in the moment and best choice from the album. They would perform “Chalkdust Torture” in the second slot, giving a slightly accelerated take on a classic late-in-the-show performance, and at a record clip of three and a half minutes. (watch below)

    The animated portion of the episode titled “TV Funhouse” made prominent use of “You Enjoy Myself” in a spoof of the Charlie Brown Christmas special where waving hands in the air improved everything, including Schroeder playing piano with Pigpen on bass, turning into Phish and segments of “You Enjoy Myself.”

    Watch the full of episode of Saturday Night Live with Al Gore and musical guest Phish on Peacock, Internet Archive, or below.

    phish saturday night live

  • Bono Announces Added ‘Stories of Surrender Beacon Theatre run Dates

    Bono announced added dates to his “Stories of Surrender” show at New York’s iconic Beacon Theatre, starting April 16.

    bono

    Nov 1 saw the release of Bono’s memoir titled “SURRENDER: 40 Songs, One Story,” the story of the remarkable life he’s lived, his challenges, and his friends and family. The subtitle, “40 Songs, One Story,” refers to the book’s 40 chapters, each named after a U2 song. Bono has also created 40 original drawings which will be featured throughout the book.

    Bono takes readers from his early days growing up in Dublin, including the sudden loss of his mother when he was fourteen, to U2’s unlikely journey to becoming one of the world’s most influential rock bands. The band has released 14 studio albums and won numerous awards, including 22 Grammys and the Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience award. In 2005, U2 was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

    Bono is embarking on a Beacon Theatre run starting in April for his show “Stories of Surrender.” The Beacon is a perfect place for this as Bono’s life is alive and very present on the stage. He will be joined by musicians Gemma Doherty (Harp, Keyboard, Vocals) and Kate Ellis (Cello, Keyboard, Vocals), as well as Musical Director Jacknife Lee for an evening of “words, music, and some mischief…”

    Tickets go on sale starting Dec. 15, at 10 a.m. local time, and will be available here. His memoir is also available for purchase here. Due to overwhelming demand, more shows have been added to Bono’s “Stories of Surrender” stop at the Beacon Theatre.

    ‘Stories of Surrender’ – Bono at the Beacon Theatre, New York, 2023
    Sunday April 16, 2023
    Monday April 17, 2023
    Friday April 21, 2023
    Saturday April 22, 2023
    Wednesday April 26, 2023
    Friday April 28, 2023
    Saturday April 29, 2023
    Wednesday May 3, 2023

    Thursday May 4, 2023*

    Sunday May 7, 2023*

    Monday May 8, 2023*

    *Bolded dates are newly added

  • Whitney Brings SPARK to New York City’s Webster Hall

    This past Sunday, Dec. 11, Whitney performed at New York City’s Webster Hall, bringing songs off their third album, SPARK, and many others. Expanding their touring lineup from the original two-piece, lead singer and drummer, Julien Ehrlich, and guitarist, Max Kakacek, were joined by a keyboard player, brass section, bass player, and additional drummer, evolving their sound (much like SPARK) and filling the music hall with their resonant melodies and R&B backbeats.

    Whitney, 2022 Photo by Parker Alexander

    Prior to the night’s headline act, the crowd was welcomed to Boston singer and songwriter Ella Williams, also known Squirrel Flower. She set the tone with songs off her debut album, I Was Born Swimming, and Sophomore album, Planet (i), which released last year.

    Squirrel Flower, 2022 Photo by Parker Alexander

    Whitney began their set with the group’s very first single, “No Matter Where We Go”, followed by Forever Turned Around‘s opener, “Giving Up”. The group seamlessly weaved through both new and old material, providing some with new instrumentals, most notably, “Kansas”, the original version of Forever Turned Around‘s title track.

    Whitney, 2022 Photo by Parker Alexander

    At one point, towards the end of the show, Julian exclaimed, “this has been the best New York show”, to much enthusiasm from the crowd, who had been singing along and raucously applauding after every song.

    Whitney, 2022 Photo by Parker Alexander

    A new, unreleased song, “Rolling Blackout” was performed. The band was joined on stage by Charlie Boss to play the song dating back to 2017.

    The tour has a few dates left, concluding in their hometown of Chicago at the end month.

  • Frozen Fest 2022: State Champs return to Empire Live

    On December 10th, 2022 State Champs brought Frozen Fest back to Albany, NY with a packed lineup of pop-punk and alternative rock bands. For 5+ hours, Save Face, Between You & Me, Young Culture, Hunny, and headliner State Champs kept people on the feet and some surfing over the crowd at Empire Live.

    State Champs dropped their album, Kings of the New Age, back in February 2022. With the resurgence of pop-punk, the demand to see them live kept many of their fans anxious. A highly anticipated return to the stage was met in back in June at Albany’s first show for their 2022 Alive at 5 series. Then in August, State Champs announced their tour for their album for late fall of this year.

    The show opened with gothic rock band Save Face from New Jersey. Lead vocalist, Tyler Povanda, came out a stronger than expected. With the stage illuminated blood red, the entire band in red jump suits, and Povanda’s jerky movements, it gave the feeling more of a death metal concert… at a pop-punk show? Povanda did warm up the crowd eventually and they left with a warm cheer from the crowd.

    Save Face, Frozen Fest 12/10/2022, – Photo by Jarron Childs

    Between You & Me (BYAM) came all the way from Australia to join State Champs on their Kings of the New Age tour. No introduction was needed as they were an instant hit with the crowd. With a style similar to State Champs, the energy could easily be matched between the two. Their set was a rager from start to finish. Towards the end, vocalist Jake Wilson, and Tyler Povanda matched the energy of the crowd when they dragged their wired mics into the mosh pit seemingly against the advice of security.

    Between You & Me Bassist, Frozen Fest 12/10/2022 – Photo by Jarron Childs

    Young Culture opened for State champs for their first 7 shows on tour and had to come back home to end the tour. They brought peace, love, and positivity to every single person in the room. Vocalist, Alex Magan, greeted crowd surfers at the barricade with a warm and infectious smile. Though their set was a bit shorter than expected, the energy felt light enough to float on for long after.

    Hunny was the last opening act for the night. Along with BYAM, they went the whole tour with State Champs. Hailing from the suburbs just outside of LA, their somewhat mellow indie-rock style flattened out the crowd before the main event. They had turned off the lights for the first half of their set which made you really have to just vibe with the music. Things were turned up towards the end with vocalist Jason Yarger strumming his guitar with his foot and laying on the ground out of pure exhaustion.

    Young Culture Vocalist Alex Magan, Frozen Fest 12/10/2022 – Photo by Jarron Childs

    State Champs came out strong and did not let up. The crowd kept up with their energy as they sent a heavy stream of crowd surfers to barricade, over hauling the security for the rest of the night. With special guest appearances from Jake Wilson and their tour manager Colin Lorne, they brought out all the stops for their final show of their tour.

    Their 22-song setlist was mostly songs from their new album, Kings of the New Age, but also had certified bangers for their real fans including “Secrets,” “Elevated,” and “All You Are is History.” Vocalist Derek “Steez” Discanio and Bassist Ryan Scott Graham interacted well with the crowd, having them dancing and head banging for the whole night.

    Ryan Scott Graham of State Champs, Frozen Fest 12/10/2022 – Photo by Jarron Childs

    Things were brought pretty low halfway through to do a 3 song acoustic set; including a solo stunt with Discanio strumming “Our Time To Go.” Hearts were clenched, hands were held, and bodies were swaying along as Steez belted his heart out on stage.

    The music was turned right back up after, making the last three songs feel like a distant memory. Derek Discanio celebrated 13 years of State Champs by releasing balloons onto the crowd. They played their last 5 songs hard and left to the crowd screaming for one more. They came back out and granted Empire Live with a 2-song encore. First their Christmas song “Ordinary Christmas,” then closed the night with their hit off their album, “Everybody But You.”

    Derek Discanio of State Champs, Frozen Fest 12/10/2022 – Photo by Jarron Childs

    Steez and State Champs showed so much love to his home crowd and promised to bring another Frozen Fest next year. State Champs has had themselves a year and it looks like they plan to take a break and enjoy Christmas and the New Year.

    Save Face Setlist: Sharpen Your Teeth, Bad, Bury Me (Tonight!), Weak, A.M. Gothic, Glitter, Another Kill For The Highlight Reel

    Between You & Me Setlist: Butterflies, Supervillain, Overthinking, Goldfish, Go To Hell, Pleased to Meet You, Deadbeat, Dakota

    Young Culture Setlist: Not in Love, Hum, Kinda Over It, Party Girl, Whiskey, Drift, Different Now, Holiday in Vegas

    Hunny Setlist: JFK, Shy, Halloween, Saturday Night, A Slow Death In Pacific Standard Time, Loser, GHS, Vowels (And the Importance of Being Me), Everything Means Everything To Me, Homesick, Televised, Sports With Strangers, Lula, I’m Not Mad

    State Champs Setlist: Just Sound, Mine Is Gold, Eventually, Outta My Head, Criminal, Sundress, Frozen, Elevated, Half Empty, Crying Out Loud, If I’m Lucky, Our Time To Go, Fake it, All You Are Is History, Act Like That, Deadly Conversation, Hurry Up and Wait, Losing Myself, All or Nothing, Breaking Ground, Secrets

    State Champs Encore: Ordinary Christmas, Everybody But You

  • Ween Detonate Depth Charges at The Fillmore to Close 2022

    Ween closed 2022 with a bang on Sunday, December 11 at The Fillmore in Maryland, busting out rare gems and fan favorites to a packed house. The end-cap to a three-show early winter mini-tour, Ween crushed the year like The Hulk, with a couple shows at The Met in their hometown of Philadelphia, ending in the devastation of Silver Spring, with a line over four blocks long to get in.

    Kicking off with their most popular opener, “Buckingham Green,” Ween pulled songs off nearly every album, with hugely popular tracks like “Take Me Away,” “Doctor Rock,” “Spinal Meningitis,” and “Bananas and Blow” deftly delivered into the eager ears of their ardent fans, along a few personal favorites, “The Golden Eel,” “Polka Dot Tail,” and “Ocean Man.” Most of their songs were fierce, with a few mellow trippy interludes, such as “Albino Sunshine Girl” (with heavy phase effects on Gene’s vocals) and “Ice Castles,” with its chilly harpsichord and melodic bass & guitar interweaves. It was abruptly followed by a slamming “Final Alarm,” with Dean delivering sonic whiplash on his Alembic (named “El Cabron”, which he rarely breaks out, except for special shows). They ended their long set with the venge-core anger-fueled ballad, “You Fucked Up,” thanking the audience for their commitment.

    Rarer tracks had more play last night than their last few shows, such as the chainsaw guitar-driven “Mononucleosis” (30 times ever played), “Pollo Asado” (very rare – only 8 times ever played, with Gene sitting on a stool to deliver the drive-in monologue), “Cornbread Red” (only 12 times ever played), and the rarest of the night, “Flies on My Dick,” which has only been played 5 times ever, not played in over 250 shows.

    Brooklyn native Dave Dreiwitz hopped back and forth across stage, often joining Gene and Dean in a tight circle on the same mic, or whispering “yes…” and “no….” at the blissfully quiet audience during “The Mollusk.”

    After sinking a monster set clocking in at nearly 3 hours, Ween resurfaced for a 4-song encore, starting with the raucously speedy “Wavin’ My Dick in the Wind,” a shredtastically intense “Licking the Palm for Guava,” trippy screaming in “Mushroom Festival in Hell” (with Gene on megaphone), ending with an absolutely explosive rendition of Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” to close out the night and the year in classic Ween fashion.

    Ween is certainly not everyone’s cup of blue tea. They are a special kind of weird, highly accomplished musicians and songwriters with a massive repertoire and a devoted fanbase. Because of the pandemic, Ween only played 14 shows in 2021. However, they’ve played a total of 28 shows in 2022, which along with rare gems suggests they may ramp up in 2023, as one can only hope.

    Download a recording of the show by Alex Leary (24-bit FLAC) and check out videos from Moni Hampton.

    Ween – The Fillmore, Silver Spring, Maryland – Sunday, December 11, 2022

    Setlist via Brownbase.org: Buckingham Green, What Deaner Was Talkin’ About, Light Me Up, Piss Up a Rope, Take Me Away, Gabrielle, Sweet Texas Fire, Mononucleosis, Touch My Tooter, The Golden Eel, Your Party, I Don’t Want It, Sorry Charlie, With My Own Bare Hands, Ice Castles, The Final Alarm, Albino Sunburned Girl, Bananas and Blow, Cornbread Red, Stroker Ace, Doctor Rock, Pollo Asado, Vallejo, You Were the Fool, Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down), Polka Dot Tail, Flies on My Dick, Roses Are Free, The Mollusk, Loop de Loop, Ocean Man, You Fucked Up
    Encore: Waving My Dick in the Wind, Licking the Palm For Guava> Mushroom Festival in Hell, Ace of Spades

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