Saturday August 6th, brought Canadian rock band The Trews to Youngstown NY. They headlined the “Village Music Festival” which featured 11 bands in total. The weather made it a great day to enjoy live music outside at veterans park. There were food vendors, drinks, and local crafts for sale as well. A list of all the bands that played were as follows: Scott Celani, Moon Dogg, Phroendly Phoes, Dave Thurman, Tonemah, Busted in Eden, Rick Zachary, No Vacancy, Grub, Element and The Trews.
Band – “Element”
The Trews are a Canadian rock band from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, consisting of vocalist Colin MacDonald, guitarist John-Angus MacDonald, bassist Jack Syperek, and drummer Chris Gormley. The band is currently based in Hamilton, Ontario. From their formation in 1997 to 2016, The Trews were among the top 150 best-selling Canadian artists in Canada and among the top 40 selling Canadian bands in Canada.
Bass drum head
When The Trews took the stage, there were some technically problems with the sound. The PA was not turned on for the first two songs. But once that was fixed and the feedback issue they had fixed, the fans started to enjoy the music. The band handled any issues professionally and continued on with the show. There was a VIP section closer to the stage and a general admission section behind that. It was mostly filled with fans singing every word and drinking a cold beer.
The Trews guitarist
The Trews played for about an hour and a half as the sun was setting. The fanbase was a mix from old to the very young. This music festival is a yearly event in Youngstown NY and seemed to be a success this year. The setlist was as follows: “Permission”, “Not Ready to Go”, “So She’s Leaving”, “Can’t Afford to Be Lonely”, “Paranoid Freak”, “Hope & Ruin”, “I Wanna Play”, “Enemy”, “Highway of Heroes”, “God Speed Rebel”, “Can’t Stop Laughing”, “Poor Ol Broken Hearted Me”, “Tired of Waiting”, “Hold Me in Your Arms”.
On Friday, July 22, Dan Gerken, known as Danger! Ken as a solo act, released his sophomore album, I’ll Do It Myself.
The 8-track album is available now to stream and share on Bandcamp, before eventually going live in a few weeks on Danger! Ken’s music website. Hailing from Averill Park, the NY-based artist is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer. I’ll Do It Myself is full of original music and Danger! Ken played every single instrument on the record – an impressive feat considering the range of instrumentation on the project.
The album begins with a synthesized dreamlike track, appropriately titled, “Intro,” that builds with percussion and backing vocals relying mostly on all instrumentation. Similar to the artist’s first track on his freshman album, Up is Down, this intro track allows listeners to get lost and focus on just the beats of the music. “Reach Out,” the second track on the album, begins with stretched-out vocals from Danger! Ken with interesting guitar riffs and drums underlying the lyrics. An electric guitar solo in the middle brings more energy to the song adding to its character.
Other songs such as “Secrets of Your Life,” and “Are You Comin’ With?” would be great additions to any radio song list with catchy beats. The latter is more lyric-heavy than some of the album tracks, with Danger! Ken singing, “All the days / gleaming sun upon my face / tell me it doesn’t have to end” to begin.
I’ll Do It Myself is a great representation of Danger! Ken’s talent and creativity as a solo artist. With the diversity in the instrumentation and elements of multiple genres, there is sure to be a favorite track for any listener on the album. Catch Danger! Ken at upcoming shows this summer, including at Ships Pub on August 19 and Slidin’ Dirty in Troy on September 3.
Take a listen to the full album on Bandcamp and more of Danger! Ken’s music is available to explore below.
Julie Slick, a virtuoso bassist and composer known for her wide array of unique tones and substantial melodic invention will arrive in Hudson Falls on August 13 for a performance at the historic Strand Theater.
Throughout her career, Slick has developed a distinctive voice through international performances and recordings with acclaimed first class musicians in both the progressive rock and jazz communities. Julie currently tours and makes albums with the Adrian Belew Power Trio and her own bass duo-fronted band, EchoTest.
She has also collaborated/appeared on stage with: the Crimson ProjeKct (featuring Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto), Les Claypool, Danny Carey, Victor Wooten, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Robert Fripp, Stewart Copeland, Alice Cooper, Ann Wilson, Jon Anderson, Mike Keneally, Marco Minnemann, Petra Haden, Kris Myers, and more.
Tickets for Julie Slick at the Strand Theater in Hudson Falls on Saturday, August 13 are only $20.
The Strand Theater in Hudson Falls was first opened in 1923, and the renovated building, which features an extensive schedule of shows, is celebrating a restored facade and new marquee. A great deal of history is found within the walls of the Strand Theater, and as we approach the centennial celebration of the venue, NYS Music will bring more history of the venue and a look ahead to what’s in store for the next 100 years.
After a successful inaugural year in 2021, Pine Barrens Jam is set to return in 2022. Billed as a “festival for Long Island, by Long Island,” the music festival will take place on August 20, once again at Blue Point Brewing in Patchogue. Pine Barrens Jam seeks to highlight everything Long Island has to offer and features a lineup that features entirely Long Island-based bands and artists.
This year’s headliner on the Jelly Jam Stage will be high-energy funk-rock group The Chris Ruben Band, along with fellow Pine Barrens Jam alums Dysfunktone and Drop The 4. The event also features an acoustic stage set to be named in honor of Long Island native and late songwriter Travis McKeveny, with The Famous Doctor Scanlon Band set to headline a lineup of local original songwriters there.
General Admission tickets are $40 and the VIP package is $65. (Children under the age of 5 do not need a ticket to attend.) Pine Barrens Jam has also teamed up with another local festival, STATTfest, to create a Double Fest Pass for $55. This special pass gives ticket holders access to both Pine Barrens Jam and STATTfest on September 24 at The Salt Shack in Babylon. All tickets can be purchased through pinebarrensjam.com.
The event prides itself on its grassroots nature, fueled by a dedicated team of volunteers. Those interested in helping out Pine Barrens Jam and getting involved as a volunteer or local business sponsors looking to donate services or goods, reach out to Executive Director Nick Balzano at pinebarrensjam@gmail.com.
There’s been quite a buzz surrounding the Buffalo-based rock/jam quintet eberwine lately, seemingly out of nowhere. The band’s name has been popping up all around social media and summer festivals across the Empire State asking the question, “Who the heck is eberwine?” So who is eberwine? They’re the next band you need to see live.
The five-piece headed out this past weekend to honor the music of the Grateful Dead and Phish with a DeadPhish weekend that made stops at the Riverboat Bar in Alexandria Bay, Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs, and Flour City Station in Rochester. Each night, eberwine played one set of original material and one set of DeadPhish. Each show seeped in its own distinct vibe including a noted variation with the cover set setlist.
Post covid, the jam scene feels different. Fans are looking for something new and different. Enter eberwine. While people in the Buffalo jam scene have known about the band’s lead guitarist and frontman Todd Eberwine for years, eberwine may just be Western New York’s best-kept secret. And this weekend was their coming out party.
The band’s original material is rooted in rock and blues, but hidden among this traditional music lineage are hints of 90’s alternative rock greats like Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins. You can hear the influence of jam scene greats like the Dead or Phish, but eberwine doesn’t imitate. There’s a great sense of familiarity with the band’s original material; it sounds like everything you know but is unlike anything you’ve heard before. Even the band’s covers are unique. Eberwine isn’t trying to play like Jerry or Trey. His style floats in fluidity between dark, edgy intensity and moments of brightness and sheer joy. At times, he appears to be in a trance, as if the notes are coming from a place that only he can see. He’s captivating to watch.
And while the band carries Eberwine’s namesake (with obvious reason), the rest of the band’s personnel are equal contributors to the band’s live show. Bassist Pablo Zabrycki and drummer Jay Race add a deep, steady foundation that’s critical to the band’s groove and rhythmic sound. Guitarist and vocalist Aaron Ziolkowski creates layers of subtle harmonies with Eberwine on all accounts. For this three-day run, keyboardist Scott Molloy filled in for the band’s primary keyboard player who wasn’t able to play the shows due to other commitments. But you wouldn’t have known that by seeing any of the three shows. Molloy’s contributions were thoughtful in placement and flow. eberwine may be a “new band”, but these five are highly experienced, players who thrive in moments of improvisation. Like they’re social media accounts claim, they are in fact a “ROCK band that JAMS.”
Dead Meat, a Nyack-based Grateful Dead tribute act, is currently in the middle of its own “Days Between” celebration. The band is on a four-show tour throughout New York, with a promise to play 80 songs between them in honor of Dead guitarist’s Jerry Garcia’s upcoming 80th birthday. The tour is set to conclude at Garcia’s in Port Chester this Friday, August 5.
This tribute to the late guitar legend began on July 22 at Kensico Dam Plaza in Westchester County. The opening featured songs like “Here Comes Sunshine,” “Sugar Magnolia” and “Truckin’” to open. They followed this up with a unique sequence of “China Cat Sunflower” >“Playing In the Band” >“I Know You Rider” > “Playing in the Band.” Other gigs included stops at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City and the band’s hometown of Nyack with a performance at Memorial Park for a free Hudson River-side concert.
Dead Meat is a five-piece band known for its moving harmonies and ripping jams that features Dan Rappaport on bass and vocals, Tom Clancey on guitar and vocals, Stephen Jordan on guitar and vocals, Ryan Liatsis on keys, guitars and vocals, and Kevin Weinberger on drums.
For more information on the band and upcoming shows, visit deadmeatband.com
Legendary Burlington, VT bar and music venue Nectar’s is officially in a new hands thanks to a recent change in ownership. ElmThreeProductions founder Edward Maier, along with an investor group who shares a passion for music, have purchased Nectar’s with plans to not only preserve the history of this local landmark but also update the capabilities of the venue to current technology standards.
Under the new ownership Nectar’s and it’s connecting space Metronome will maintain its reputation for booking local, regional, and national musical acts. The technology upgrades are set to include new lighting, 4K streaming capabilities and a podcast studio partnering with Osiris Media.
Maier and ElmThreeProductions are teaming up with Matt Kolinski, founder and agent at Omni Arts Group, who has an extensive history in the jam world, having worked with artists like Goose and Spafford previously. This merger will reestablish the Nectar’s Presents entity and bring in their talent buying, promotions, and management clients. Nectar’s Presents will now expand into a talent buying and management branch focused on emerging musicians as well as promoting musical acts in venues throughout the region.
Brett Fairbrother, former manager or Strangefolk, RAQ, guest service director of the Capitol Theater in Port Chester and talent buyer for Garcia’s bar, will also oversee the talent buying for Nectar’s and Metronome, further strengthening the venue’s musical ties.
As a huge supporter of live music and Phish fan, I couldn’t think of a better venue to co-own, while leveraging the name for a new talent management agency with Matt Kolinski. Nectar’s and Metronome have been a staple in my life for catching a show and discovering artists.
Ed Maier, managing partner for Nectar’s and Nectar’s Presents
The talent management arm under the Nectar’s Presents umbrella will be called APON Artists and will include musicians from both the Omni Arts Group and A.F.T Artist rosters as well.
ElmThree Productions is the creator of the “Jams on The Sand” for Asbury Park’s Convention Hall and has established itself as an independent promoter for venues such as Asbury Park, NJ’s The Stone Pony, Wonder Bar, The Saint and Atlantic City’s Bourbon Room (Formerly House of Blues Atlantic City).
Turkuaz has announced the release date for its last albums. Paradiso, inspired by the band’s recent sound, which draws on synth and electronic influences, and Apollyon, a funk-laden 12-track that pays homage to the band’s roots, will both be released on September 9.
In advance of the band’s final release, Turkuaz has also shared the single “Strange People (Strange Times)” as well as its B-side “Feel No Pain.”
The forthcoming albums were recorded before the 2021 exit of several band members amid the ensemble’s final tour, which left two founding members, Taylor Shell and Dave Brandwein, to polish these final albums,
It’s bittersweet finally putting these records out. Taylor and I are obviously sad about the break-up of the band. Though we have our frustrations, what seems most important right now is to give something to the fans that have supported us all these years, and we hope that two full albums of new Turkuaz material will serve as a half-way decent consolation prize in lieu of being able to tour anymore…This release is a celebration of the legacy and sound that the nine of us built together.
~ Dave Brandwein
According to Brandwein, the forthcoming albums show two very different sides of Turkuaz. The musician views Apollyon as an old-school take on the group’s sound, drawing on an increasingly raw edge that still allows room for elaborate grooves and the band’s true funky spirit. Whereas, Paradiso is a modern, synth-laden exploratory that captures elements of Turkuaz’s developed tone in more recent years. Moreover, these albums will allow fans to experience a certain totality for Turkuaz, with the precision of an understood ending.
Bred out of what Brandwein has deemed a full circle experience, Turkuaz’s final albums deliver two unique sides to the band, which flex distinct facets that showcase a decade worth of hard work and expertise.
For more information on Turkuaz, visit the band’s website here.
Hailing from the Finger Lakes region, rock & roll band the Sweats is set to release their upcoming single, “Whiskey Thursday,” out on streaming services on July 28. The single is the first off of their album, Summer Nights Begin, which will drop later this year.
“Whiskey Thursday” is built on the foundation of dynamic drums, a great bass line, wonderful guitars, and synths, with a relatable storyline lyrically. Similar in sound to the Foo Fighters, Ted Leo, or Deer Tick, the track is the perfect hint at what to expect for the rest of the album.
The song deals with the struggles of untruthful relationships and confronting dark times. Vocalist Travis Durfee sings passionately on the track, describing the confusion of a relationship as backing vocals and engaging beats carry you through the five-minute song. The rhythm, lyrics, and catchy beats keep you hooked and wanting more.
Sweats, consisting of Travis Durfee (vocals, guitar), JM Sincock (drums), Rob Kurcoba (bass), Tony DeLuca (keys), and Nick D’Aloisio (guitar), released their first full-length album, Caught in Wave, in 2020. The album was well-received, but the band is looking forward to continuing to expand their live performances with this upcoming album, Summer Nights Begin.
Audiences can find Sweats often playing at the wineries and breweries outside of Ithaca where they are committed to playing original music for fans to enjoy. Creating art and making their own tunes is how Sweats rolls, and “Whiskey Thursday,” is a prime example of this.
It is like an underground network of sorts, this rural collective of DIY festivals and promoters. There are groups like Uncle Uku and the Guise and Technicolor Trailer Park and indie rockers like Jesse Bloodgood, punks like The Rooster, all supporting each other, playing shows together, and trying to make it work, pulling together festivals, such as Togetherness and Wonderland, bringing people out into the woods to hear the heartbeat of original music in rural Upstate New York. It takes a minute to find that heartbeat, but we’re on the pulse and the beat is pretty steady.
-Travis Durfee on the Ithaca music scene
Be sure to be on the lookout for when “Whiskey Thursday” drops on July 28. The single will not disappoint and stay tuned for the upcoming album, Summer Nights Begin, which was mixed by sound engineer Mike Capporizzo. Take a listen to more of Sweats’ music available below.
Buffalo-based fusion rock quintet eberwine will celebrate the music of the Grateful Dead and Phish this weekend. The band will play two sets each night, including one set of original music featuring songs from the project’s forthcoming studio album One Vision. The weekend takes the band to the Riverboat Bar in Alexandria Bay on July 29, Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs on July 30, and Flour City Station in Rochester for a brunch set on July 31.
The three-show run will highlight the band’s collective passion for the music of the two jam giants. “Everyone in the band grew up on the Dead and Phish,” noted lead guitarist and frontman Todd Eberwine. “We’re looking forward to crafting sets that intermingle the two bands. So much of the bands’ respective histories are rooted in setlists that mixing their catalogs is exciting in an artistic and energetic way.”
eberwine will be joined in Saratoga Springs by Albany-based genre-bending improv quartet Hilltop, who will celebrate the music of the String Cheese Incident. Eberwine recently released Live at the Strand across all streaming platforms including Bandcamp and Spotify.
Known for innovative jams, soulful lyrics, and high-energy shows, eberwine is fronted by guitarist Todd Eberwine (Dive House Union, Todd Eberwine Band, Soul Roach). The five-piece pulls musicians from the Buffalo music scene into a Western New York supergroup featuring Aaron Ziolkowski (Little Mountain Band), Jay Race (Dead Alliance Buffalo), Scott Molloy (Lazlo Hollyfeld, BEU) and Paul Zabrycki (Dead Buffalo Alliance). For those who haven’t checked out the band, according to Eberwine, they can “expect plenty of hooks and plenty of jams that range from a dance party to psychedelia.” More information about show details and tickets can be found through the band’s website at www.eberwineband.com.
