The performing arts centers at the University of Albany and The Egg present ODC/Dance in the 2023 Dance in Albany series. Having recently celebrated its 50-year anniversary, this San Francisco-based ensemble is scheduled to perform on Friday, January 27th at 7:30pm at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center.
ODC/Dance was one of the first American companies to incorporate a post-modern sensibility into a virtuosic contemporary dance technique. Since founded in 1971 by Artistic Director Brenda Way, the company has performed for more than a million people in 32 states and 11 countries.
According to Dance Magazine, “…the major reason to celebrate ODC is its artistic achievements… Over the years, this body of work has become formally more sophisticated without losing its humanistic principals and questioning spirit…”
Savion Glover will perform April 22, 2023, at The Egg in Albany as part of the seventh Dance in Albany season, co-presented by The Egg and the University at Albany Performing Arts Center.
The company will perform three different works on the program. The first being Two if by Sea which is choregraphed by Associate Choreographer Kimi Okada. This dance set explores a couple’s secret language and signals which become increasingly imperative and urgent as their world changes. The dance is accompanied by music from Ijo Ito and Steve Riech.
The next show performed is called Unintended Consequences (A Meditation) and is choreography by Artistic Director Brenda Way. This dance originally premiered in 2008 and is set to music by renowned performance artist and musician Laurie Anderson. Commissioned by the Equal Justice Society, this work in particular “offers a cutting critique of human relationships, and of how easily we become isolated,” stated by The New York Times.
Originally created for Robert Moses’ Kin in 2014, the last show preformed in called Impulse. This show celebrates “individuality, physicality and ferocity of movement.” The piece was nominated for an Izzie award for outstanding choreography, along with featuring music by Someone Else & Miskate. Izzies are bestowed from the Isadora Duncan Dance Awards program which celebrates the unique richness, diversity, and excellence of Bay Area dance.
“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to collaborate with the UAlbany Performing Arts Center and ODC/Dance,” says Dance Department Chair Sarah DiPasquale. “To be a part of the creation of a new work with two prolific American choreographers as an undergraduate student is a once in a lifetime experience — And culminating in a public performance with a professional dance company is icing on the cake! We are so appreciative for the robust learning opportunities that this collaboration has produced for the Skidmore dancers.”
Remaining performances in the Dance in Albany series include:
New York Theatre Ballet with Bridgman|Packer Dance (February 17)
Paul Taylor Dance Company (March 4)
Dublin Irish Dance (March 18)
Savion Glover (April 22)
Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company (May 13).
Advance tickets are $15 for the general public and $10 for students, seniors, and UAlbany faculty-staff. Tickets purchased on the day of the show are $20 for the general public and $15 for students, seniors, and UAlbany faculty-staff. Individual tickets can be purchased on the UAlbany Performing Arts Center’s by clicking the link here.
Cohoes Music Hall will soon receive a major upgrade, thanks to funding awards recently received from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation.
As reported by WAMC, the city of Cohoes received the funding for an upgrade to Cohoes Music Hall and visitors center. A total of $1.88 million in funding through grants will help to restore and preserve the historic hall, the fourth oldest in the state still in use, having opened in 1874. The building will be transformed into one that is energy efficient, as well as carbon neutral, just in time for the sesquicentennial of the venue.
The money is part of the Restore Historic Cohoes Initiative that began three years ago under Democratic Mayor Bill Keeler. The initiative is centered around the preservation and restoration of City Hall, the Public Library and Cohoes Music Hall.
And about the same time, we began discussing what we dubbed our cleaner, greener Cohoes initiative, which described our efforts to use 21st century technology to create energy efficiencies and reduce carbon emissions. So we are very excited to learn to Cohoes will receive about 1.9 million in New York state grants to use towards the restoration of our musical building.
The state funding will help us honor and preserve the architecture the beautiful 19th century Cohoes Music Hall building that was left was by our forebears while at the same time allow us to transform into an energy efficient, carbon neutral building that will be powered by European floating solar project and enjoyed by future generations for centuries to come.
Cohoes Mayor Bill Keeler
The grants and work on historic Cohoes are occuring in conjunction with the Albany County city’s Municipal Floating Solar installation on its water reservoir, as noted by City Director of Operations Theresa Bourgeois.
The Cohoes Music Hall was first opened in 1874, and then in 1906, it was closed again for a long time, but it reopened 100 years later in 1974, after the community came together to restore it. So 2024 marked the 150th anniversary of its initial opening and 50th anniversary of its rebirth. So we have been focused on bringing it back to life again, when it’s an active theater, but it needs a lot of work.
We call it a gem in need of a polish. So now with these two amazing grants, the NYSERDA grant and the Parks Preservation grant, we’re on track to ensure that it continues as a vital community and regional gathering space, another 50, 100, maybe 150 more years, which is very, very exciting. And it’s not just restoring its historic features, but it’s doing it in a way that makes it more energy efficient and clean energy. So it’s contributing not only to the past but to its future.
City Director of Operations Theresa Bourgeois.
State Assemblymember John McDonald, a Democrat from the 108th district and former Cohoes mayor, shared his excitement about the upcoming upgrade to Cohoes Music Hall.
As a former mayor I know the building very well, And actually is really not only in the best interest of historic preservation, in the best interest of continuing to allow music quality to be a very strong contributor to the arts here in the Capital Region, but also saves the taxpayers on the city of halls, significant funding, so a true win win win. We thank the governor and the team at NYSERDA for their support. And I can’t wait for the improvements to come to bear.
State Assemblymember John McDonald
The grants were awarded to Cohoes as part of the 2022 Regional Economic Development Council Annual Consolidated Funding Application Process. Stay tuned for more info on the upgrades coming to Cohoes Music Hall.
On Sunday, January 15, Lark Hall will host Hanzolo, Canella and Jak Lizard, for a night of rising bands from across Upstate New York.
Hanzolo, who won the 2022 NYS Music March Madness, is a 7-piece band from Cooperstown, toting an explosive and emotional sound that mixes soul, jazz, rock, and funk. Their songs are dance-ably fun with thoughtful lyrics, backed up by a bright horn section. Not only have Hanzolo won NYS Music’s March Madness, but they also won the WEQX Battle of the Bands and opened Albany’s annual Pearlpalooza music festival in 2019. The first release from Hanzolo, Table Butter, was followed up with a self-title release in the fall of 2021.
Hanzolo’s music has been compared to table butter; Soft enough to spread, yet hard enough to keep its shape. Watch the video for “Not Easy” below.
Joining Hanzolo on January 15 is Canella, who have established an electric alt rock presence in the Capital Region and recently won WCDB’s ‘Song of the Year’ award for their debut single “Quiet Love”. Joining the Tulip Fest 2022 Lineup, Canella set a fire on stage that ignited female fronted rock nostalgia but with a refreshing DIY take. Their upcoming album is a revenge journal of songs pulled out of the classic ‘Burn Book’ of their personal lives. Their music is dedicated to former bandmate and best friend, Kyle Robinson who tragically passed away in a car accident in 2020.
Rounding out the lineup of artists on the rise is Jak Lizard, a New York crooner and self-declared “poptimist”. His orange, pink, and yellow melodies with a penchant for two stepping with your best friend.
Capital District drummer/composer Joe Barna hails from Troy and has become the face of the Collar City Jazz scene in the past few years. Having studied orchestral percussion performance/education at SCCC, then later SUNY Purchase’s Conservatory of Music in Westchester, Barna earned a BFA in Jazz Studies in 2004, with a focus on drumset performance & composition.
Since then, Barna has devoted himself to a life of composing and performing, bringing his talents around the globe, sharing the stage with many of the worlds top musicians/groups including The Celtic Tenors, Gary Smulyan, Peter Fisher, Ralph Lalama and jazz recording artists Joe Magnarelli, Ray Vega, Grant Stewart, Dick Oatts, Jim Rotondi, Jon Gordon, Jerry Weldon, Josh Evans, & Stacy Dillard.
Joe has performed with many of the Empire State’s regional greats, including Keith Pray, Brian Patneaude, John Menegon, Lee Shaw, David Gleason, Mark Kleinhaut, Michael Louis Smith, George Muscatello, Lee & Leo Russo, The Joey Thomas Band, The Big Soul Ensemble and his own original group Sketches Of Influence. Barna spoke with Rob Smittix of The Xperience Monthly.
Rob Smittix: Well, it’s nice to finally talk to the man behind the jazz scene.
Joe Barna: I would say I’m the man in front of the jazz scene.
RS: That’s a better way to put it, yeah.
JB: I think everybody knows, the cat’s out of the bag.
RS: It is and you are really bringing jazz to Troy in particular, how’s that going for you? What do you think the response has been?
JB: The response is overwhelming. I just did a what was originally a four-day but turned into a five-day jazz festival at 518 Craft in Troy. They basically wanted to honor me for all of the work that I’ve done for the jazz scene in Troy, so they gave me five nights in a row. They wanted me to have five different bands featuring five different styles of jazz. The first four nights were standing room only, it was packed in there. Every night was insane.
RS: That’s great. How did this all get started?
JB: I lived in NYC and went to SUNY Purchase. I was living in Manhattan and I was working a small jazz club. I was the front end manager of Mezzrow. Every night I was hanging out with the elites of the history of jazz. I was responsible for taking care of them when they were performing, making sure that they got paid correctly, making sure they got drinks, making sure the stages were set up for them, they had the backline they needed and made sure nobody was bothering them. So, I became friends with essentially the top jazz musicians in the world and I did this every night. Befriended them, got to play with a lot of them in jam sessions. It became a network and more about building relationships than the fact that we were musicians. It has allowed me an opportunity that very few people in the Capital Region or smaller areas have had. It’s because of the proximity to NYC, not because I’m special but because I know other guys are doing this but they live in Idaho or Nebraska or they live in Florida. They don’t have the access to these musicians where they can drive in their car last minute and come up two and a half hours to play.
RS: That makes a lot of sense.
JB: The proximity to these people, the city and the five boroughs has opened up a floodgate of opportunities for me. I don’t think anybody outside of maybe Nick Brignola or a couple of his contemporaries. It’s given me an opportunity to do some special things.
RS: Speaking of special opportunities, tell us about what you have going on at Alias Coffee.
JB: Alias Coffee Company is at 219 4th Street in Troy. It’s this little tiny coffee shop, right? This gentleman, Hernan, moved up here from NYC is a master barista. He was serving coffee out of 518 Craft, where I play every Monday night. He wanted his own shop and space, so he left, and he started building up this spot. I went in one day to try the coffee and just say hi, it’s like the size of a closet. You’ve got this little counter, little shop with a couple of chairs and off to the left is this tiny little kitchen area. I got talking to him, I tried the coffee, which is amazing, it’s like velvet in your mouth. The guy is a genius.
RS: I’m drinking Stewart’s right now, but you’ve got my mouth watering.
JB: No man… you won’t go back after you’ve had Alias. So, in this little corridor it looks like there’s a maintenance closet where you would have mops and buckets and crap. I open up the door and it opens up into this enormous, industrial wide-open space. No posts, no poles, no obstructions and there’s two skylights. I walked in and I said, “oh, my God!” I’ve been looking for this space for 20 years. I asked Hernan, “is this yours?” He said “yeah, yeah I rent the whole building.” I said, “do you understand what you have here?” He replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said “Hernan this is a bonafide world-class level performance space. You’ve got the potential for one of the greatest performance spaces the Capital Region has ever had.” He said, “do you really believe that?” I said, “not only do I believe it, I will take on the task of doing it for you.” He said “well, if you’re willing to help me, I’m willing to do it. I was looking for something special to do with the space, but I just didn’t know what to do with it.” I said “look man, I will do it myself, I will help you clean it, I will organize the space for you, I will get a carpenter to build the stage and let’s get a grand piano in here. This will be the premiere music space in the Capital Region.” Mark my words.
RS: That’s encouraging.
JB: I’m not saying that other spaces aren’t fantastic but there’s something about this room that when you walk in, you don’t want to walk out. It’s bizarre. The exposed brick, the concrete floor, the two skylights with sunlight or moonlight coming in, it’s wide open and the sound is absolutely impeccable. I said, “please don’t do anything to the room, the sound right now is a performers dream come true. Don’t mess with it, it’s EQ’d perfectly. There’s very little high, there’s a lot of warm lows and some mids but the highs get sucked up by the wooden ceiling. This is going to be my project, let me do this for you.” I already did one show there, we had a soft opening last month. We only had about two weeks to advertise it and had about 54 people there. They all paid $20 to come in. I put out a buffet of food. People donated and my friends were helping subsidize it. We had Defazio’s Pizza, my mother made these really nice artisan cookies, and we had a fully stocked bar. You’re paying for the performance, $20 towards the band and then you get everything else for free! Food, drink or whatever you want is on the house.
RS: You cannot beat that.
JB: As long as you come and support the music, you can have everything else for free. It’s on us.
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
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 ChampsEncore: Ordinary Christmas, Everybody But You
Established country group Drive-By Truckers has newly announced their full set of tour dates for the Spring 2023. The tour makes its way to the Northeast in May, with Drive-By Truckers performing at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, two nights at the Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan, and a show at The Egg in Albany.
Drive-By Truckers
The band with its roots stemming from Athens, Georgia starts the tour with an appearance in Indianapolis, Indiana on March 9 at The Vogue, followed by traveling from the end of March to the beginning of April for their annual four-day “Heathens Homecoming” celebration at their hometown’s own beloved 40 Watt Night Club.
Welcome 2 Club XIII
Following the four-day celebration, a four-part two-night stands series by the band opens at Saxapahaw, NC’s Haw River Ballroom from April 25-26, leading up to premiering at Washington DC’s 9:30 Club from April 29-30, then New York City’s Bowery Ballroom from May 4-5, and lastly The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. The recently-made announcement of the schedule of the Drive-By Trucker’s full tour is after the the release of the band’s 14th studio album, Welcome 2 Club XIII, which includes new singles like “The Driver”, “Every Single Storied Flameout”, along with the debut’s anthem, “Welcome 2 Club XIII”.
Drive-By Truckers Spring 2023 Tour
MARCH
9 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue #
10 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall #
11 – Milwaukee, WI – The Pabst Theater #
12 – Madison, WI – Barrymore Theatre #
14 – Iowa City, IA – Englert Theatre #
15 – Urbana, IL – The Canopy Club #
17 – Louisville, KY – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall #
18 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant #
19 – Fayetteville, AR – JJ’s Live #
21 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Jones Assembly #
23 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater #
24 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre #
25 – New Orleans, LA – Joy Theater #
26 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City #
29 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt †
30 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt %
31 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt ^
APRIL
1 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt @
20 – St. Petersburg, FL – Floridian Social Club $
21 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room $
22 –Orlando, FL – Ace Café (Outdoors) $
23 – Columbia, SC – The Senate $
25 – Saxapahaw, NC – Haw River Ballroom $
26 – Saxapahaw, NC – Haw River Ballroom $
28 – Richmond, VA – Brown’s Island $
29 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club $
30 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club $
MAY
2 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios $
4 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom $
5– New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom $
8 – Albany, NY – The Egg Performing Arts Center
9 – Munhall, PA – Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall $
Albany’s State Champs spent their Thanksgiving in Las Vegas, holding a family dinner with their crew. The day off from their Fall Tour, one that took them from the East Coast, with an appearance in Brooklyn in November and all the way out west by late November, was a welcome respite from cross-country travel in post-pandemic America.
State Champs at Brooklyn Steel – photo by Joe Buscarello
State Champs return home to Albany to close the tour out at Empire Live on Saturday, December 10, with a sold out show and support from Young Culture, Hunny, Save Face and Between You & Me opening up the night. Dubbed Frozen Fest, the pop-punk scene is alive and well with State Champs leading the way for the next wave.
Speaking with guitarist Tyler Szalkowski and drummer Evan Ambrosio via Zoom the night before Thanksgiving before the band’s show at The Union in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas was a jumping off point, given the group having a first hand experience at When We Were Young Festival, held a month prior at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. High winds forced the cancellation of Day 1 of the festival, leaving a sour taste in many fans mouths, despite safety of fans being paramount, especially in a city like Las Vegas.
State Champs at Alive at Five – photo by Jarron Childs
The band was unloading at 10am when the found ou their se was cancelled. “It was a massive bummer, many thought it was too good to be true given the lineup, but the cancellation of Day 1 was needed due to high winds and fan safety,” said Szalkowski. “It’s the last thing you want to do as a promoter, let alone as a band. I can’t see anyone dying from the selfish desire to see music.” This passionate defense of a festival that was at first criticized for canceling the day is on point – this was no ‘emo Fyre Fest’ as Ambrosio best put it. In a town with hundreds of hotel options and nightlife around every corner, the band and fans made due.
They attempted to come up with a last minute show, but playing a show just to play a show wasn’t a worthwhile option, especially when all bands on the Friday lineup was looking to put on a show. With options limited and bands they were looking to pair up with for an impromptu show – one booked and announced mere hours before doors – State Champs came up with a better idea. Tweeting out a message to fans to meet them outside O’Shea’s – near The Linq, centrally located on the Vegas Strip – and this meetup turned into a large gathering for about an hour, much to the chagrin of security, despite fans being peaceful and there to hang with their idols in a setting that was a rare opportunity for all parties. Fans from around the world who were bummed about the cancellation were happy to meet a band they traveled far to see.
When Day 1 of When We Were Young fest got cancelled, we decided to do an impromptu fan meet up! Thanks to everyone who came and showed love pic.twitter.com/W7ShS4NZUw
Still in town for the weekend, the band and crew were able to check out the festival and see bands from their formative years, with Evan noting “I was impressed with how it was, walking around saying ‘I know that song, and that song. It also made you feel safe, with more security and scanning an RFID chip to get through access points.”
State Champs at Empire Live Frozen Fest 2021 – photo by Peter Herrick
Looking back on their Vans Warped Tour days with the experience of When We Were Young and other festival appearances for State Champs, Szalkowski reflected on the basicness for artists who were appearing at the many Warped side stages. “Warped was like a free for all with a mixed bag of folks and poppy artists nearby, the band playing Super Smash Brothers on a 55” screen TV in our 10×10 tent backstage.” For Evan, “Warped is still to this day my favorite tour,” with the band needing to be compact enough to set up, perform and break down quickly so you can get out to discover bands that were on the same footing.
Live performances these days for State Champs are all about keeping the sound, energy and performance steady for each night of the tour.
“There’s a lot of integrity in being a band, it has to be authentic and real, One day we said ‘fuck it, let’s be a professional band,’ and you want it to carry over live. At one point we dove into live rhythm tracks to have more control over our performance and the layers that helped us sound more professional. All the touring bands had a similar set up and we’re using tracks and a number of amps on stage. Why limit ourselves when we have all these assets at our disposal? We want it to sound like the biggest and best band, better than the studio.”
Tyler Szalkowski
By 2019, the full band had in-ear monitors, and lost the live cabinets from the stage, and ceded more control to FOH, keeping the rig fully self-contained so that none of our stuff changes from day to day. “We don’t show up with an experimental groove, we bring it all – gear, consoles, mics – to guarantee sonic consistency,” said Ambrosio.
Factoring in the setlist to the cohesive sound has the band looking steps ahead with each choice to determine ‘What does this song do, and how does the song before and after affect it,” according to Szalkowski. Keeping the setlist consistent this fall tour helps to keep the flow of the show going – although they had a rotating setlist in the summer.
“This tour is the favorite one we’ve ever done. We’ve extended some sections and added new arrangements and perform a medley of old songs that satisfies fans looking for earlier work. Having toured with pop acts that did cool things that we wanted to do, we brought in LED screens to make the show more of a live music experience.”
Evan Ambrosio
But as they push into their 30s, the angst they shared through their music once before has changed in inspiration, not in message. “We’re still pissed off about stuff. Not borderline teenage angst; bad stuff still happens to us, our hearts get broken by people (and events)” shared Szalkowski. “We always have a bit of an edge, we were the band of ‘something sucks, but it’ll get better, life is worth living.”
Avoiding being disingenuous or cringe and authentic in performance – as well as songwriting – allows the band to allow fans to create their own interpretation of a song. Ambrosio sums up where State Champs’ mindset is “We focus on life as we experience it, not an event we didn’t have a part in. We write about things that stay true to what we experience, and not try to jump on a trend of ultimate sadness or TikTok videos, so we can maintain authenticity and stay true to what the band has built up.”
State Champs’ sold out Frozen Fest at Empire Live takes place this Saturday, December 10.
On Friday, December 9, Albany’s Empire Live will showcase a concert featuring jam funk group Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and psychedelic jam band Dogs in a Pile. Doors for the 16+ show open at 7 p.m. with music beginning at 8.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong members from left to right: Jeremy Schon (guitar, vocals), Ben (bass, vocals), Alex Petropulos (drums, vocals), Greg Ormont (vocals, guitar)
This Empire Live stop marks a return to upstate NY for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong after headlining at the Adirondack Independence Music Festival in September. The Maryland four-piece has played halftime during a New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden, they’ve appeared on Adult Swim’s FishCenter Live, and annually headlined their self-produced music and camping festival Domefest. They dropped their sixth studio album Perspective in March, the group’s first studio release since lockdown.
Dogs in a Pile members from left to right: Brian Murray (guitarist), Jeremy Kaplan (keyboardist), Jimmy Law (guitarist), Sam Lucid (bassist)
Dogs in a Pile, a five-piece of Asbury Park, NJ origin, was assembled in 2019 and released their debut studio album Not Your Average Beagle in 2021. Their musical approach is inspired by the improvisation of bands such as the Grateful Dead and Phish.
Information regarding tickets for Friday’s show can be found here.
Indie bedroom-pop musician beabadoobee marked her second-to-last US tour stop at Empire Live last Saturday, Dec. 3, with support from rising alternative duo Lowertown.
beabadoobee performing solo at the start of her set / Photo Credit: Sumaiya Nasir
Empire Live, located on Pearl Street in downtown Albany, is a mid-sized room for bands with a mid-sized following. It boasts a spacious floor with standing-room-only, ideal for dancing.
Sandwiched between MVP Arena and the Palace Theatre, Empire Live offers locals a unique taste of both upcoming and well-established musical artists. The intimate venue was packed from the stage barricade to the bar with highschool to late-20s aged fans, plus a few hesitant parents here-and-there, with no shortage of energy.
Beatrice Kristi Laus, stylistically known as “beabadoobee,” is a Filipino-British musician who came into popularity in 2017 with viral hit “Coffee.” Her most recent album, “Beatopia,” evokes childhood nostalgia with an MS-Paint or restaurant-tablecloth-crayon drawing looking album cover. Stuffed animals were scattered across the amps on stage, one fan even throwing a teddy bear to Bea halfway through the show.
beabadoobee performing “Coffee” solo during the encore / Photo Credit: Danielle Modica
Atlanta-based Lowertown started off the night strong with a spirited and punky set. In album sessions, the band has more of a soft, shoegaze sound. Live, they pull out all the stops and are nothing short of a high-energy garage band experience.
Olivia Osby of Lowertown performing / Photo Credit: Sumaiya Nasir
The songs were fast and loud with jam interludes by guitarist Avshalom “Avsha” Weinberg. Lead singer Olivia Osby encouraged the audience to go wild, opening a mosh pit, crowd surfing and spitting water into the crowd. Fans followed through, opening a large circle in the center of the already sardine-can-packed venue and going hog wild.
beabadoobee began her show after a quick stage reset and suspenseful audio introduction. After performing “10:36” solo, the band joined Bea and only added more flair to her soulful, soft and sweet singing style. Bea’s band kept up a late 90’s grunge/pop punk vibe. Bea’s guitarist and back-up singer, Jacob Bugden, complemented her baby-like pitch with a Billy Corgan-esque tone.
beabadoobee & her band / Photo Credit: Danielle Modica
“The Perfect Pair” and “She Plays Bass” stood out with the most energy and crowd engagement. The audience passionately shouted the lyrics back to Bea while she maintained control, coordinating group audience jumps.
Bea frequently stood towards the back of the stage during instrumental portions, allowing for her band to receive all the attention. She shared her gratitude with the crowd various times, even joking about her inability to pronounce “Albany,” butchered with a subtle British accent.
beabadoobee jamming on guitar / Photo Credit: Danielle Modica
Both bands’ sets were thoughtfully planned out, seamlessly transitioned and well-executed, there was never a “when will it end” moment like other drawn out shows. The crowd stayed engaged with electric excitement, loudly chanting the lyrics to the songs they knew – even the venue playlist pre-and-post show. The good vibes seemed to encourage both sets to go a little harder with each song, giving fans a night to remember.
After an hour-and-a-half-long performance, Bea and her band briskly exited the stage to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” playing from the venue speakers. Audience members stayed behind to dance along.
Lowertown Setlist: It’s It’s It’s, Debris, Scum, No Way, At the End, My Friends, Bucktooth, Best Person
Beabadoobee Setlist: 10:36, Apple Cider, Care, Fairy Song; Yoshimi, Forest, Magdalene; Worth It, Together, Charlie Brown, The Perfect Pair, Sunny Day, Sorry, She Plays Bass, See You Soon, Don’t Get the Deal, Back to Mars, Last Day On Earth, Talk Encore: Coffee, Ripples Cologne
