Category: Albany

WCDB Fest 2022: A Celebration of Albany’s DIY Music Scene

Saturday April 9th, the University at Albany’s student run radio station, WCDB 90.9FM, hosted their 2022 WCDB Fest at the Albany Barn. The day’s events featured local artists, businesses and bands, while celebrating the efforts and accomplishments of all those involved. The student organized event lasted late into the night and included an art fair, eight live performances and an award show.

WCDB Fest 2022

Throughout the night, bands rotated on the stage, each playing 15-minute sets. The music for the evening kicked off with WCDB’s own DJ Riddick who played an electronic set before Jack Lynch took the stage for his own solo performance. The bassist played a seven string bass and had an arc of pedalboards and electronics before him while he looped some out of this world sounds.

The first band to take the stage was Grampfather. The Kingston based eclectic rock band’s album Gramppappies was nominated for WCDB Fest’s Best Album of the Year. Their set included ‘Poppies’ from the new album, which recently broke through 1,000 streams on Spotify. Canella followed Grampfather and were nominated for Rising Artist of the Year, as well Song of the Year with ‘Quiet Love.’ You can watch the music video for the single on Canella’s YouTube channel.

Canella

Canella were followed by Safety Meeting, who were nominated for Best Alt Rock/Indie Artist. The Saratoga band often play around Albany, and have an EP available to stream on Spotify. Following Safety Meeting, Mr. Every Day kicked off the first of two hip-hop performances. He opened his set with a passionate speech about his life, his family, and what music means to him. The intimate moment was followed by a high energy performance, priming the audience for a performance by Laveda.

The young shoe gaze band took the stage and immediately took control of the room. Their music had a beautiful blend of ethereal melodies over driving back beats, orchestrateed by familiar faces; Joe Taurone and Dan Carr of Canella. It was his second appearance on the night as he swapped between drums and bass (Dan would also appear on stage a third time, playing drums with Stella and the Reptilians). Laveda’s catalogue on Spotify includes a 6 track EP from their 2020 session with Audiotree. After Laveda, WCDB Fest’s Best Hip-Hop Artist, Scrambled performed a unique set. The Boston-based rapper began rhyming a-cappella while walking throughout the Albany Barn, projecting her voice throughout the room without any help from a microphone.

Ladybyrd

The evening ended on a high, with Stella and the Reptilians taking the stage right after taking home the Best Artist of the Year award. Everyone in the Barn was up on their feet for the final songs of the night, as bands and students alike were jumping and shouting along in celebration of not just Stella and the Reptilians, but in celebration of the WCDB community as a whole.

Stella and the Reptilians

Everyone present found themselves in the embrace of a tight-knit community of music lovers. WCDB Fest would not have been possible without the dedicated students who run the station, the musicians who are constantly creating and performing and the fans who create the demand for such an ecosystem to exist. Albany’s underground music scene is something to behold, and those who find themselves in a dirty, dusty basement will be glad they did. Every weekend you can catch a show whose music, energy, and excitement challenge those found at any mainstream venue in Albany. And with entry usually costing around $5, what’s the downside of checking out a basement show?

Rachel Freeman WCDB / Byrdhouse

If you are a music lover in Albany, or anywhere else for that matter, be sure to follow WCDB, the featured bands, and the music venues that are helping make Albany’s underground music scene flourish. You can find shows every weekend around the Capital District at The Byrdhouse, The Laundromat, Makeout Reef, Troy Speakeasy, Caesar’s Palace, and likely many more in the semesters and years to come. Also be sure to check out the gallery below for a full recap of WCDB Fest 2022.

WCDB Fest 2022 Award Winners

Best Punk/Hardcore Artist: Dirtybandaid

Best Country/Folk Artist: Beargrass

Best Electronic Artist: Soo Do Koo

Best Jazz Artist: Colleen Pratt

Best RnB/Funk Artist: The E-Block

Best Hip-Hop/Rap Artist: Scrambled

Best Alt Rock Artist: Senior Living

Rising Artist Award: Ladybyrd

Best Song: Quiet Love by Canella

Best Album/EP: Anniversaries by Senior Living

Best WCDB DJ: DJ Shmit

Music Scene MVP: Rachel Freeman

Best Artist of the Year: Stella and the Reptilians

April 26, 2022
Basilica Hudson Announces 2022 Season

Multidisciplinary arts center Basilica Hudson has announced their 2022 season, and this season is loaded with tons of film, music, art, environmental, and community programs.

For those unfamiliar, Basilica Hudson is an arts and performance venue built inside an old factory in the city of Hudson, NY. The factory produced railroad car wheels in the 1880s and was later converted into a glue factory. It closed in the 1980s but was rebought to be used as a cultural arts center. It lies alongside the east of the Hudson River and has been serving its community as an epicenter for cultural arts for over twenty years now.

Since then, the venue has been renovated and is now solar-powered. An extension of Basilica Hudson, BASILICA GREEN, works hard to develop public programs, push for green initiatives, and promote environmental stewardship in the Hudson Valley community. Notably, on April 24th, BASILICA GREEN will host an Earth Day event on their campus. Here, there will be tons of educational opportunities as well as live music and advocacy letter-writing campaign opportunities.

Basilica Gallery will open on May 5th. This will be a weekly series, dubbed Jupiter Nights, and will be an opportunity for local creatives to showcase their music, poetry, or other art. Those interested in performing or displaying their work in the gallery should contact info@basilicahudson.org.

For more information on the 2022 season, visit https://basilicahudson.org.

April 19, 2022
Adequate Phil Drops Psychedelic New Single

Adequate Phil doesn’t tether themselves to one genre, and their newest single, “Can’t Not,” showcases this. In it, elements of psychedelia, hip-hop, and folk infuse to make one cerebral concoction. This single is the third of many to come from the new “folk-freak” group coming out of Troy, which falls just north of Albany and lies alongside the Hudson River.

The band consists of three members. Sean McLaughlin provides vocals throughout the track. Moreover, Phil McGrath plays the guitar. Notably, Runey Ghosh provides beautiful bass instrumentation on this project. It is thick, it is beautiful, and it is funky. His instrumental abilities add an essential layer of personality to this song.

Their previous release, “Baby Leeches/Vessel” was previously covered by EQXposure on WEQX, an independent radio station in the Capital Region of New York.

The group will be performing at the Troy Speakeasy on April 23rd. For more on Adequate Phil, visit https://linktr.ee/adequatephil.

April 19, 2022
State Champs Continues Pop-Punk Excellence On New EP

State Champs has dropped a new five-song EP, titled Eventually. This release from the Albany band continues to showcase their incredible talents.

The titular track on this project highlights all the staple pieces that make a pop-punk classic. The hook is insanely catchy and the drums are powerfully ambitious with just the right amount of trash. The guitar on this is bright. Closing your eyes while listening to this thing, one can picture themselves in a teenage skater movie, as exemplified by the cover art of this project.

Notably, the second track on this project features Ben Barlow of Neck Deep. “Everybody but You” timelines the adolescent feelings of anger after love loss in the best ways possible. Teenagers are irrational, and seeking revenge in the form of the throwdown of the century may not seem like the most reasonable course of action, but State Champs convinces you otherwise on this track.

This EP comes in anticipation of the fourth studio album from State Champs, Kings Of The New Age, where they hope to continue cementing themselves as pop-punk icons. So long as the tracks continue to sound like this, King Of The New Age will be excellent.

Pre-order for the album is available at https://lnk.to/StateChamps.

April 18, 2022
Underground System Releases Genre-Bending Single “Desnuda”; EP To Release May 6th

Brooklyn collective Underground System has recently released “Desnuda.” The single comes in anticipation of their forthcoming EP, Into The Fire, which is set to release on May 6th.

Underground System is a compelling collective that blends reggaeton, funk, and house music. The deep bass lines on this cut mixed with the ethereal Spanish vocals create an atmosphere that only a few other artists can replicate. Underground System may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if any of the former genres interest you then it is definitely worth checking out.

Photo Credit: Maurizio Mascetti

The collective will be touring this summer and they will pass through New Jersey and New York. Tour dates are available down below.

5.12 – Rockaway Music Live//co-curated by Found Sound Nation & Majel Connery: Rockaway Hotel & Spa
5.26 – Strasbourg (FR): Pelpass Festival
5.27 – Ajaccio (FR): Aghja
5.28 – Le Bieymard (FR): Festival D’Olt
6.01 – Paris (FR): Le Hassard Ludique
6.02 – Lille (FR): La Gara Saint Sauveur
6.03 – Angouleme (FR) Festival Musiques Métisses
6.04 – Rouen (FR): Rush Festival
6.17 – Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Made (Homecoming Record Release Show)
6.18 – Coeymans Hallows, NY: Circus of Life Festival
8.12 – New York, NY: Hudson River Park

A new single will be available for streaming on April 22nd. For more information, visit www.undergroundsystembk.com.

April 16, 2022
Alice Cooper’s “Detroit Muscle” Tour Makes 3 Stops in NY this September

Metal legend Alice Cooper will embark on a “Detroit Muscle” tour this fall, with stops in Buffalo, Binghamton, and Albany in September.

Alice Cooper pioneered a grandly theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock. Drawing equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock, the group created a stage show that featured electric chairs, guillotines, fake blood and boa constrictors. He continues to tour regularly, performing shows worldwide with the dark and horror-themed theatrics that he’s best known for.

With a schedule that has included six months year in and year out on the road, Alice Cooper brings his own brand of rock psycho-drama to fans both old and new, enjoying it as much as the audience does. Known as the architect of shock-rock, Cooper has rattled the cages and undermined the authority of generations of guardians of the status quo, continuing to surprise fans and exude danger at every turn, like a great horror movie, even in an era where CNN can present real life shocking images.

As he finally heads back out on the concert trail in 2021, Alice insists he’s still motivated to continue touring and recording albums, as well as making time for other projects, including most recently, Alice’s widely praised 2018 performance as King Herod in NBC-TV’s live production of “Jesus Chris Superstar” on Easter Sunday.

Released in February, 2021, his latest album Detroit Stories, (produced by Bob Ezrin) is inspired by the garage rock music of Detroit in the late Sixties, including several classic covers of Detroit hits from that era, recorded in Detroit with all Detroit musicians.

As if that wasn’t enough, “Nights With Alice Cooper,” Alice’s nightly radio show, continues to air in nearly 100 cities in the USA, Canada, Australia, and the UK. The five hour long show features his favorite classic rock songs along with his insider anecdotes about many of the artists.

Tickets go on sale Friday, April 15 at 10AM at ticketmaster.com.

Alice Cooper ‘Detroit Muscle’ 2022 U.S. Tour Dates

Sept. 07 — Bethlehem, Pa. @ Wind Creek Event Center
Sept. 09 — Alton, Va. @ Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Sept. 11 — Windsor, Ontario @ The Colosseum @ Caesar’s
Sept. 13 — Buffalo, N.Y. @ Shea’s Buffalo
Sept. 14 — Binghamton, N.Y. @ Visions Arena
Sept. 16 — Albany, N.Y. @ The Palace Theater
Sept. 17 — Atlantic City, N.J. @ Tropicana Casino & Resort
Sept. 18 — Wallingford, Ct. @ Toyota Oakdale Theatre
Sept. 20 — Muncie, Ind. @ Emens Auditorium
Sept. 21 — Grand Rapids, Mich. @ DeVos Hall
Sept. 22 — Hammond, Ind. @ The Venue @ Horseshoe Casino
Sept. 24 — Louisville, Ky. @ Louder than Life Festival
Sept. 25 — Chattanooga, Tenn. @ Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium
Sept. 27 — Memphis, Tenn. @ Orpheum Theater
Sept. 28 — St.Louis, Mo. @ Stifel Theatre
Sept. 30 — Cedar Rapids, Iowa @ Paramount Theater
Oct. 01 — Springfield, Ill. @ Bank of Springfield Center
Oct. 04 — Loveland, Colo. @ Budweiser Event Center
Oct. 06 — Prescott Valley, Ariz. @ Findlay Toyota Center
Oct. 08 — Las Vegas, Nev. @ TBA

April 15, 2022
The Sharks Reunite at The Hollow with Johnny Rabb & The Jailhouse Rockers

On Friday, April 9th, all the old school rockers of Albany came back together at The Hollow in Albany for a once-in-a-lifetime reunion of two of the local’s favorite bands from back in the day – The Sharks and Johnny Rabb with his Jailhouse Rockers. This was the third installment of shows celebrating the 30th anniversary of local promoter and rock legend Greg Bell of Guthrie Bell Productions. This epic show at the Hollow proved that even after several decades in the business, Greg Bell still knows what the people want, and consistently gives it to them.

Johnny Rabb & The Jailhouse Rockers

First up was Johnny Rabb & The Jailhouse Rockers. Unlike most of the other bands we have seen recently, these guys didn’t take a little pandemic break — for some of them, it had been decades since they rocked out together. Their set was packed full of well-known and loved oldies ranging from the 50s to the 70s, and it was impossible to tell they hadn’t been on tour.

The Sharks

The Sharks reunited for the first time in 19 years as part of the celebration, bringing with them a following that sold out The Hollow and a captive audience. With an early R&B sound ranging across the 50s to early 80s, the band member (short one) had a party in Albany, thrilling with “Everybody Wants to Know” and two well tuned covers – “Baba O’Riley” by The Who and “Downtown” by Petula Clark.

Setlist: Too Late to go back, I’ll Follow you, Change Your Tune, Take What You Get, Please Say Yes, Pay Day Blues, Bien Vendido, She Never Feels the Same, Too Good for Words, Baby Don’t Know It, How Can I Give You, With Your Love, Moving to America, Baba O’Riley, Little Yeeti, Rehabilitation Blues, Everybody Wants to Know, Good Old Days, Arm in Arm, Down Town, I Won’t Be Happy

April 12, 2022
Triveni take Albany Crowd on a Journey with Classical Indian Music

The Swyer Theatre at The Egg played host to a sold out afternoon performance on Sunday, April 10 by Triveni, featuring three of the greatest musicians in Indian classical music – Zakir Hussain, Kala Ramnath, and Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh. The three musicians have been honored in India and abroad with numerous awards, and have collaborated for Triveni’s initial tour in North America.

The mixed crowd drew from the large South Asian population in the Capital Region, all captivated by the sonic experience the trio had to offer this afternoon.

All three performers walked out shortly after 3pm, taking their seats behind their respective instruments. Hussain wished the crowd a happy Palm Sunday, and said that they were all very glad to finally be performing, which was greeted by loud applause from the audience. Ramnath and Kumaresh – wearing traditional saris – flanked Hussain on each side, with Ramnath playing violin to Hussain’s right and Kumaresh the Saraswati Veena.

Photo by Tammie Birdwell

Hussain noted they would treat the performance as a train on a journey, stopping at different stations. Noting the North Indian raga tradition background of Ramnath, and the South Indian veena of Kumaresh, Hussain served as the bridge for the two to meet, culminating in hypnotic interplay between all three and, at times, duets between them.

The combination of sounds from each of the stringed instruments joined with the tabla made for a consistent musical conversation, one with no breaks in between, just a constant flow from song to song. With the group’s name of Triveni derived from the mythical site of the union of three sacred rivers in India, the name was on point as a perfect one for this concert of musicians.

Photo by Tammie Birdwell

In one segment, after 20 minutes of continuous interplay between Ramnath and Kumaresh, Zakir joined in after quietly observed the pair. As the collaboration progressed, Hussain used the rapid drumming of his fingers on the tabla to drive the tempo of the “train” quickly uphill. After taking a lengthy solo, Hussain was joined by once again by Ramnath and Kumaresh, bringing the performance to a ferocious close.

Photo by Tammie Birdwell

After a slightly more than 90-minute set, the trio went out in front of their instruments to bow in appreciation to the audience. At this time, Hussain stepped back, allowing the women to soak in the appreciation from the Swyer Theatre audience.

Triveni Tour Dates

4/12/2022 Pittsburgh Cultural Arts Pittsburgh, PA
4/14/2022 Sixth&i Washington, DC
4/17/2022 Global Arts Live Somerville, MA
4/19/2022 Davidson Theatre Columbus, OH
4/20/2022 Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland, OH
4/23/2022 Indian Classical Music Circle Austin, TX
4/24/2022 Wortham Center Houston TX

Photos by Tammie Birdwell

April 11, 2022
The Backstreet Boys Set To Hit Four New York Venues This Summer

The Backstreet Boys, one of the most famous boy bands of all time, have announced that they will be touring through the United States and Europe this year.

The band is set to hit three New York locations. They will be visiting Darien Lake on July 3rd, the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh on July 16th, Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs on July 23rd, and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel on July 24th. They will also tour through two New Jersey destinations. The full schedule is available down below.

Photo Credits: Dennis Leupold

The Backstreet Boys will be touring their 10th studio album, DNA, which was released in 2019 via RCA Records. The album debuted at #1 and features the Top 10 hit “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.”

Tickets for the Backstreet Boys go on sale Friday, April 8th at 10 am local time on Ticketmaster.

DNA World Tour

4/8 – Las Vegas, NV – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

4/9 – Las Vegas, NV – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

4/15 – Las Vegas, NV – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

4/16 – Las Vegas, NV – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

6/4 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

6/5 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheater

6/7 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl

6/9 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion

6/11 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater

6/13 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater

6/14 – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman

6/15 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

6/17 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP

6/20 – Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

6/21 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds

6/22 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

6/24 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion

6/25 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

6/28 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

7/1 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage

7/2 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage

7/3 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater

7/5 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake

7/6 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center

7/8 – Milwaukee, WI – SummerFest (American Family Insurance Amp)

7/10 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center

7/12 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live

7/13 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach

7/14 – Camden, NJ – Waterfront Music Pavilion

7/16 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

7/17 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre

7/19 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

7/20 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center

7/21 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater

7/23 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center

7/24 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

7/26 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center

7/28 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre

7/29 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

7/30 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

8/2 – Englewood, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre

8/4 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre

8/6 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre

8/7 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre

8/9 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion

8/12 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre

8/19 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Arena

8/21 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena

8/22 – Portland, OR – Moda Center

8/24 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

8/26 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place

8/27 – Saskatoon, SK – SaskTel Centre

8/29 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre

9/1 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre

9/2 – Quebec City, QC – Centre Videotron

9/3 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

9/6 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena

9/8 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

9/9 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum

9/11 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

9/13 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena

9/14 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center

10/3 – Lisbon, Portugal – Altice Arena

10/4 – Madrid, Spain – WiZink Center

10/6 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi

10/9 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome

10/12 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena

10/15 – Hannover, Germany – Zag Arena

10/18 – Mannheim, Germany – SAP Arena

10/20 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle

10/22 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena

10/25 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclaycard Arena

10/27 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion

10/29 – Krakow, Poland – Tauron Arena

10/30 – Leipzig, Germany – QUARTERBACK Immobilien ARENA

10/31 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena

11/2 – Budapest, Hungary – Sports Arena

11/4 – Dortmund, Germany – Westfalenhallen

11/6 – London, UK – The 02

April 8, 2022
Dark Star Orchestra Celebrates New Year’s in April, Honor Local Albany Promoter

The spirit of the Grateful Dead was alive and well this past weekend as veteran improv rockers Dark Star Orchestra finally played their annual New Year’s Eve celebration in Albany. Held on April 1^st and 2^nd at the storied Palace Theatre and re-dubbed “Fool Year’s Eve,” the joke was on you if you missed this gratuitous good-time jubilee. Couldn’t make it to the show? No need to worry, our man on the scene, NYS Music photojournalist Zak Radick was there and has a full recap of all the sights and sounds from the memorable occasion.

It all started around 7pm when suddenly out of nowhere, they came out from everywhere. Funneling into the base of Clinton Ave and North Pearl, an apparent make-shift flash mob of “Dead Head’s” made the sidewalk near McGeary’s Irish Pub the weekend’s designated ‘Shakedown Street’ for this trip to Albany. A traveling do-it-yourself marketplace for fans to commerce and socialize with our like-minded folks, these pop-up flea markets AKA Shakedown Street’s, have been a longstanding fixture for fans of the original Grateful Dead community going on decades now and are just one of the many traditions fans still regularly practice. It was a nice thing to see in a town that’s been through so much, yet never lost heart. Vibrant and friendly, chatty and colorful, the pre-game hustle was in full swing outside the historic venue just prior to showtime. Having already been there and done that, the older ‘heads’ soon began filing inside, not wanting to miss a moment of the opening acoustic set from DSO guitar player Jeff Mattson. And they were sure glad they did, as they were serenaded by a delightful opening combo of “Dire Wolfe” and “Deep Elem Blues” while finding their seats. Soon word had reached the street that the show “was on” and before long the lower level of the gorgeous room was packed with people and yes, an overwhelming smell of patchouli, body odor and pot.

The Palace looking as lovely as ever, a simple glance around the theatre revealed a fan base the spanned all ages and backgrounds, but most skewing older. Many wearing tie dye, some with dreadlocks to their knees and flowers in their hair, others covering up in cowboy hats and trucker caps, while other came dressed in their New Year’s best, sporting their finest sparkling dancing pants and glamorous glittering jackets. Still, there were the other ones. The fans who looked like regular Joes you’d pass in a grocery store aisle and never expect they’d know every single word to every single song written by Jerry Garcia and company. The brief but beautiful acoustic set from Mattson also featured Lisa Mackey on harmonica and concluded with a sentimental rendition of “Ripple,” sending fans buzzing to intermission debating if that was a recreation from a Dead set, or a standalone, original set of select Dead covers.

With balloons hanging high over the Palace, the Dark Star Orchestra causally took the stage around 8:30 to a rowdy ovation from eager and attentive fans. Comprised of members Rob Eaton and Jeff Mattson on guitars and vocals, Rob Barraco on keys, Rob Koritz and Dino English on drums and percussion, Skip Vangelas on bass and Lisa Mackey on backing vocals and harmonica, DSO has been a fixture in the jam scene for more than 20 years and have over 3,000 shows under their belts. Bringing the essence of a live Grateful Dead show back to reality for a whole new generation, the band is often seen as one of the top acts of their kind, and now popular enough to fill a place like the Palace. An impressive testament to their consistency and quality of performances.

Perhaps with acknowledgement to GD history, or perhaps in acknowledgement of the heady pre-show Shakedown scene earlier, it seemed fitting when Dark Star Orchestra opened the second set of the night with a rambunctious rendition of the beloved classic “Shakedown Street”. The appreciative audience already spilling out into the aisleways and concession overflow area in full ‘dance-party boogie’ mode. By this point, you just had that old familiar feeling that it was fixing to be a fun night! From there, the band went into a “Me and My Uncle >Mexicali Blues” segment, followed by a lively “Cold Rain and Snow” that saw the crowd showcasing their collective ‘singalong’ voices one of the loudest times of the night. A “blues” heavy set, we also caught “CC Rider,” “It Must Have Been the Roses,” “Beat It On Down The Line,” and a lengthy “Big Boss Man>New Minglewood Blues>Don’t Ease Me In” to send fans to their second set break of the evening.

There was a special moment just prior to the start of the third set when the DSO crew invited legendary Albany promoter Greg Bell of Guthrie Bell Productions out to the stage. Marking thirty years to the day since holding his first show, Bell made a brief but candid toast, thanking the dedicated music fans of the Capital Region for all the support over the years. A mutual moment respect and acknowledgement for a man who’s meant so much to the local music community for the last three decades.

When everyone returned, the rocking second set kicked off with “Iko Iko” and then in one of the musical peaks of the night, a fantastic high energy take on a “Playing in the Band”> “Terrapin Station” > “Playing in the Band” sandwich before things got a little weird with the obligatory “Drums/space”. Things started cooking again with the slow and building crescendo of “The Other One” that seamlessness faded into “Not Fade Away” and “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad.” “Morning Dew” would round out the set with just enough time for another quick break before the midnight shenanigans would ensue.

Honoring the spirit of the original Grateful Dead, the band played well into the evening giving fans exactly what they were hoping for. As the clock now approached midnight, the balloons that had been hanging over head all night finally released and DTO began the famililar chords of the song they took their name from, “Dark Star.” Loving every second of it, fans were quick to bat the balloons around like beach balls, and seemingly keep them afloat for the remainder of the show. A pair of fan favorite “Bertha” and “Good Lovin’” brought the show to an end and the audience to their feet, howling in approval and for just one more. Happy to oblige, DTO returned with Lisa Mackey taking center stage during an encore of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” before cluing the audience this performance was an originally inspired by the Grateful Dead’s December 311st, 1981 show in Oakland, California.

A great performance made even better by the great crowd, Dark Star Orchestra surpassed expectations. They sounded fantastic, musically tight and with singing voices strong and full of vigor. It was an evening drenched in familiarity and comfort and the result was a near perfect atmosphere for the audience to let themselves get lost in. That indescribable feeling only the live music experience can deliver and on this first night in April, the Palace Theatre in Albany was truly a fool’s paradise.

Dark Star Orchestra | 4.1.2022 | Albany, NY | Palace Theatre

Set 1: (Jeff Mattson Acoustic) Dire Wolf, Deep Elem Blues, Ripple

Set 2: Shakedown Street ; Me And My Uncle > Mexicali Blues ; Cold Rain And Snow ; C.C. Rider* ; It Must Have Been The Roses** ; Beat It On Down The Line ; Big Boss Man* > New Minglewood Blues* > Don’t Ease Me In

Set 3: Iko Iko ; Playing In The Band > Terrapin Station > Playing In The Band > drums > space > The Other One > Not Fade Away > Going Down The Road Feeling Bad > Morning Dew

Set 4: Dark Star > Bertha > Good Lovin’

Encore: It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue**

Filler: My Sisters And Brothers

* with Lisa on harmonica – original had Matt Kelly
** with Lisa on vocals – original had Joan Baez

Dark Star Orchestra | 4.2.2022 | Albany, NY | Palace Theatre

Set 1: Hell In A Bucket > Let It Rock ; When I Paint My Masterpiece ; Loser ; Cumberland Blues ; I’ll Take A Melody > Deal ; Masters of War ; Box Of Rain > One More Saturday Night

Set 2: Here Comes Sunshine > Greatest Story Ever Told ; Revolution > Feel Like A Stranger > drums > space > Corrina > Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Throwing Stones > Days Between > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower

Encore: Brokedown Palace

April 6, 2022

Built in Breakdance