After 10 years, quintet The Cast Before the Break, who began their career tracking at a Connecticut-based studio on Red Cedar Lake is back with their finished album, Where We Are Now.
The five members of the post-rock band, The Cast Before the Break formed in college in Upstate New York back in 2007. Four years later in 2011, the band signed with Deep Elm Records who helped to re-release As Your Shoulders Turn On You.
The 10 year anniversary of their album Still that released in 2011 and the pandemic led to the beginning discussions of the band rekindling to finish the old album.
Experiencing these past few years of collective loss is a lot of what brought us back to each other. While Where We Are Now deals with some of these same topics, it also exhibits a newfound catharsis. It acknowledges the pain we’ve experienced, but also how far we’ve come.
Jordan Stewart, guitarist
The long-awaited third album from The Cast Before the Break will bring back old memories from old listeners and spark the interest of new ones. The album, Where We Are Now brings together the emotions and everything the band had from their first two records, which help create the band’s most dynamic, raw and epic album yet.
Zakir Hussain, Kala Ramnath, and Jayanthi Kumaresh will come together for the first time as a trio for the 2022 Triveni tour. They will make a stop at The Egg in Albany on Sunday, April 10 at 3pm, as part of The Egg’s Rhythm International series.
These leading Indian classical exponents of their respective instruments – tabla, violin and Saraswati veena – are each also renowned as a virtuoso collaborator, pathbreaker and educator, advancing the art of their particular instruments to remarkable levels in the context of their classical traditions and beyond.
The musicians have been honored in India and abroad with numerous awards, and each has successfully toured all over the world with their own acclaimed solo projects.
The name Triveni derives from the mythical site of the union of three sacred rivers in India, and the name aptly represents the confluence of the varied musicalities which the three maestros bring to this collaboration. A hallmark of Zakir Hussain’s iconic career has been his groundbreaking work at the forefront of brilliant musical dialogues between Hindustani (North Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian) music.
With Kala Ramnath, an innovative representative of North Indian raga tradition, Jayanthi Kumaresh, the leading exponent of the ancient South Indian veena, and Zakir Hussain seamlessly stitching North and South Indian rhythm traditions to provide a bridge for veena and violin to meet, Triveni promises to be a fluent, joyous and entirely original musical conversation, a sonic experience of the highest order.
Zakir Hussain
The pre-eminent classical tabla virtuoso of our time, Zakir Hussain is appreciated as one of the world’s most esteemed and influential musicians, one whose mastery of his percussion instrument has taken it to a new level transcending cultures and national borders. Along with his legendary father and teacher, Ustad Allarakha, he has elevated the status of the tabla both in India and around the world.
He is the recipient of countless awards, including two Grammys, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, and Officier in France’s Order of Arts and Letters. Voted “Best Percussionist” by both the Downbeat Critics’ Poll and Modern Drummer’s Reader’s Poll over several years, Zakir was honored with SFJazz’s Lifetime Achievement Award at their 2017 Gala for his “unparalleled contribution to the world of music.”
Kala Ramnath
Maestro Kala Ramnath with her “Singing Violin” stands among the world’s finest, most inspirational instrumentalists. Most significantly in an Indian context, in May 2017, she was awarded the illustrious Sangeet Natak Academy Puraskar for her contributions to the violin in Hindustani Classical Music.
Born into a dynasty of prodigious musical talent, one which has given Indian music such violin legends as her paternal uncle Professor T. N. Krishnan and paternal aunt Dr. N. Rajam, Kala’s violinistic vision began manifesting early. Recognizing her innate talent, her astute grandfather, Vidwan A. Narayan Iyer, took her under his tutelage.
Acknowledged as a virtuoso of staggering proportions, Kala has performed at the most prestigious music festivals in India. She has appeared on world stages including the Sydney Opera House, Paris’s Théâtre de la Ville, London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, Singapore’s Esplanade, New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Rudolstadt Festival in Germany, and the Edinburgh Music Festival in Scotland.
Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh
With her mesmerizing glides, the timing and purity of her notes, and her soulful playing, Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh has been captivating audiences around the world for thirty years and is one of the leading Veena (roughly, the Indian lute) artistes today.
Apart from several prestigious venues and festivals in India, Jayanthi has performed at many international festivals, including the San Francisco Jazz Festival, the Darbar Festival, the Queensland Music Festival, the Darwin Music Festival, and the Adelaide Music Festival, and at prestigious venues such as the United Nations in New York, the Palladium, Indiana, the Théâtre de la Ville, Paris, and the Northwest Folklife Festival, Seattle.
Blending the traditional and the innovative in her music in terms of content, technique, virtuosity, and expression, Jayanthi seeks to express the true voice of the Veena, which transcends the boundaries of language and region.
Tickets for The Egg performance of Triveni are available here.
Two years ago, in March of 2020, bands were cancelling shows and tours left and right. Such was the case for Lawrence’s Hotel TV Tour, but the band has picked up right where they left off in 2022 with the Hotel TV Tour 2. Lawrence just stopped in Albany to perform at Empire Live, and the brother-sister-led soul group put on a show that was as advertised. The set was full of positive energy, funk, soul, and the crowd loved every minute of it. Lawrence opened the show on a high note, playing ‘Casualty’ and ‘It’s Not All About You,’ two songs off their 2021 album Hotel TV.
Fans of the show may recognize Clyde’s Arrested Development shirt in the photo above. This is one of many TV related shirts that he’ll be wearing as a nod to the tour’s theme: Hotel TV. Lawrence’s set had references throughout the night as they covered some classic theme songs from shows and movies like Hey Arnold!, The Office, and The Little Orphan Annie. Grace likened the idea of hotel TV to being a home away from home, which for kids raised in the 90’s and beyond this is often the case. And so for a chunk of the set, Lawrence bounced between nostalgic covers and originals, including ‘Probably Up,’ ‘The Heartburn Song,’ and ‘Jet Lag.’
After hitting the Cha Cha Slide, Lawrence moved into another string of originals including: ‘Shot,’ ‘More,’ and ‘Freckles.’ ‘Freckles’ is a standout song from the band’s newest album, and is a perfect representation of Lawrence’s music. The band’s music features lyrics with optimistic spins on relatable topics layered over upbeat, groovy tracks that are a joy to perform and witness live. After ‘Freckles’, Lawerence stayed loose with another cover, their funky version of Sean Paul’s ‘Get Busy.’
After ‘Get Busy,’ Lawrence slowed things down with their ballad: ‘The Weather.’ The crowd got what would be a timely, quiet moment, before an upbeat end to the night. Lawrence ended the show on a particularly high note with a string of hits including: ‘Make A Move,’ ‘Do You Wanna Do Nothing with Me?,’ and ‘Don’t Lose Sight.’ The crowd loved the set Lawrence crafted and they jumped, screamed, and sang at the tops of their lungs all night long. The crowd eventually waited for and welcomed an encore that featured ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ and then faded out with Gracie singing ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie.
Lawrence are wrapping up the east coast leg of their Hotel TV 2 Tour in Pennsylvania. After two shows at the end of March, the band will be making their way through the midwest and the south. You can view all of their upcoming tour dates and purchase tickets on their website. In the meantime, be sure to follow and subscribe to Lawrence on Instagram, YouTube and Spotify. For all upcoming shows at Empire Live, you can view their website here.
Setlist: Casualty, It’s Not All About You, Office Theme Song, Probably Up, Hey Arnold! Theme Song, The Heartburn Song, Jet Lag, Cha Cha Slide (Mr C the Slide Man), Shot, More, Freckles, Get Busy (Sean Paul), The Weather, Make A Move, Do You Wanna Do Nothing with Me?, Don’t Lose Sight
“Ah, the cruel Spring, when life bursts forth and humans are reminded how dead they are inside! The horrific majesty of GWAR will blow through your town like painted ladies working the block for that rock.”
Lead doom-warbler, The Berserker Blothar
On the tour the band will be joined by opening acts Crowbar, The Native Howl and Nekrogoblikon.
The tour coincides with the release of GWAR’s upcoming album “The New Dark Ages,” scheduled for release on June 3.
In addition, to the tour and album GWAR will also release a graphic novel, “GWAR in the Duoverse of Absurdity”. It tells the story of an epic battle between GWAR and their doppelgangers from an alternate universe. The graphic novel is illustrated by established comic book artist Andy MacDonald, whose previous work includes Wolverine, Dr. Strange, and Wonder Woman.
Tour tickets for fan club members are available Thursday, March 3—a day in advance of general sale tickets. Those tickets will be available Friday, March 4.
Lawrence is coming to Albany to play Empire Live this Thursday, March 10th along with MLLN! If you have not yet heard Lawrence’s music, then just have a listen to their acoustic version of ‘Don’t Lose Sight’ that recently hit 1 million views on YouTube.
For Lawrence fans, the band is doing something really special on this tour with their ListenLive VIP Headphone Experience. A few audience members per show will be able to livestream the concert audio and listen through headphones. And you may be thinking “why on earth would I want to listen headphones at a live concert?” The answer is truly innovative, and will be an incredibly unique experience for Lawrence fans. The VIP headphone listeners will have full control over their audio mix by being able to increase or decrease the levels of specific inputs. So if you want hear more guitar, vocals, or whatever you wish, then you can! To enjoy this brand new experience you can purchase VIP tickets on Lawrence’s website.
If you weren’t sold on needing a ticket after hearing Don’t Lose Sight, then Lawrence’s funky cover of “Get Busy” ought to have done the trick. Their Hotel TV Tour 2 just finished shows in Colorado, Vermont, and New Hampshire, and Lawrence are playing their sole New York show on Thursday before heading all over the country. To see Lawrence’s upcoming tour dates, head on over to their website. For their March 10th, 8pm show at Empire Live with MLLN, purchase your tickets here.
On Friday, March 4th, fans gathered at The Hollow in Albany to watch as Annie in the Water celebrated their long-awaited album release with special guests The Pine Hill Trio. From start to finish, it was an incredible night for music lovers. Packed with extraordinary talent, these two bands brought new songs; a ton of surprises; and even some special treats for all of us lucky enough to be there.
Band to Watch: The Pine Hills Trio
To get the party started The Pine Hills Trio took the stage. If you haven’t heard of them yet, you’re going to. This trio of young college students is a brand new band and they are here to play. Ronan Dougherty (guitar/vocals) has a voice far larger and more developed than most musicians twice his age. With Dylan Neiderauer on bass and Chris Arcoleo on drums, it’s impossible to tell they have only been playing together a few months. And if you recognize that last name, Dylan’s brother is well-known guitar wunderkind Brandon ‘Taz’ Neiderauer.
Annie in the Water play an epic Two-Hour Set
Then it was time for the main event — and calling it an event is an understatement. Personally, I have seen this band play dozens of times and never heard them sound better than they did this night. For the first half of their set, they played their new album Sun at Dawn from start to finish.
Annie in the Water – Brad Hester (vocals/lead guitar), Matt Richards (keys/vocals), Brock Kuka (percussion/vocals), Michael Lashomb (guitar/vocals), Chris Meier (bass/vocals), and Ryan Trumball (drums) – stepped up on their jam game in a way that is truly mind-blowing considering the music hiatus of the two years.
For the second half of their set, the boys from Annie in the Water played whatever they felt like. Without a set break these dudes continued to bring the hammer down. They played everything from older Annie tunes to a hard-rocking cover from Rage Against the Machine. They topped off their set with a jam on their popular “Hey I’m on the Way” that transcended time and space.
Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Sam Beam, better known by the stage name Iron & Wine, made a long overdue visit to the Capital Region Sunday night, bringing the “Back to Basics Tour” to a mostly sold out Swyer Theatre crowd at The Egg. Delivering a masterful set of original music while simultaneously putting on a clinic of “cool”, the thought provoking and soul-searching show was the kind of thing every fan of modern folk music dreams of. Straddling the line, but always finding the balance between intensely personal pain and lighthearted laughter, the stripped-down performance was nothing short of mesmerizing.
The evening began with a brief opening set from female singer/songwriter Hannah Cohen who was marvelous in her own right. Quickly making mention of how nice and clean the venue was, for whatever reason, it made her want to be dirty and curse out loud. “Fuckitdy fuck fuck fuck,” she blurted out, breaking the ice as the audience doubled over in laughter. After playing her first song, she told the crowd “This is not working for me, you guys are just way too quiet. You always hope for an attentive audience, but what do you do when you actually get one?” she pondered. Her beautiful and delicate voice juxtaposed with her raw sense of humor, foul language and a “tongue in cheek” invitation to pass one of her smelly shoes around for the room for anyone who wants a whiff all made for a memorable opening act for an artist worth keeping an eye on.
Hannah Cohen gets a leg up at The Egg
After a brief intermission and the customary dimming of the lights five minute prior to showtime, just a stool, a glass of water and a rack full of Taylor acoustic guitars set the stage for the evening’s headliner. No flashy lights, no fog machines, no video projections. Just a soft-spoken man named Sam and his signature “Rick Rubin-like” beard. Taking the stage to a hearty applause, Iron & Wine surveyed the audience while tuning up, asking where everyone was from and essentially letting them know it was ok to let their hair down a bit and interact. “They say I’m a folk singer, which isn’t exactly true. But I don’t give a shit, if it fits, it fits.”
Papa died Sunday and I understood; All dead white boys say, “God is good” -Sodom South Georgia
After a bit of noodling on the nylon, Iron & Wine opened the set with some heavy subject matter in the form of “Sodom South Georgia,” likely in acknowledgment that it was a Sunday evening during the coldest month of winter. The well-mannered crowd hanging on every word in total silence from the get-go, then unanimously erupting in approval upon the song’s final note, an ovation so loud even Sam seemed surprised. “Oh, it’s gonna be that kind of night. Ok Albany, I see you. As a performer, you have no idea how strong that kind of applause makes us feel,” Beam said. “But no matter how many times I’ve played this next one, all the clapping in the world won’t stop me from messing up.”
Alone and vulnerable on darkened stage Sam did screw up, even stopping mid song at one point and telling us there were just so many chords to remember. “I probably should have practiced.” Charming in his honesty, it’s part of what makes Iron & Wine so endearing and relatable to both new fans and old. “It’s ok Sam, we still love you!” shouted a female voice near the front. “Thanks for coming, Mom” Beam immediately responded with razor-sharp wit. “I’m so glad you could make it out tonight.” A joke that had everyone laughing and one he’d play up for the remainder of the show. Beam’s personality always showing through, despite a set made of mostly melancholy material. “Now I don’t know about you,” he joked, “but when I think about uplifting feel good albums, ones you can throw on at the gym, I think we know who’s right at the top. These little rooms are fun though, yeah? For some people.”
Some call it talking blues (talking blues) Some call it bitter truth Some call it getting even in a song
I can’t read it, didn’t mean it As you would rage how I was wrong Life is too short, and you’d stay too long Let’s be honest, we were strongest till I let you drag me down I was sorry then, I’m not now
You’d better love yourself, ’cause I tried
-Bitter Truth
“What a weird job. You can say bullshit and people will clap. It’s amazing, you guys should try it. Just go to your job and like totally fuck up everything that you try to do, curse, and see what happens. You never know, you might be rewarded like me? It’s fucking crazy.” And with that confession, came perhaps the standout song of the night and also the biggest hit in the brilliant Iron & Wine catalog; a hauntingly unique, vocal only rendition of “Flightless Bird, American Mouth.” Prominently featured in Hollywood’s ultra-successful Twilight saga, the song currently has over 162 million streams on Spotify alone. Claiming vampires have long been a great muse for songwriters, he is very aware of just how pretentious some people view his music. “It’s pretty crazy to write these songs and put them out. You don’t know who it lands on. Sometimes it lands pretty hard though and you have no idea. I just want to say ‘thanks.’”
Watch Iron & Wine perform “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” live at The Egg!
All tallied up, Iron & Wine played a total of 16 songs spanning across 10 albums. Fans were also treated to an as-of-yet unreleased song called “Why Hate Winter.” Other notable highlights included “Grace for Saints and Ramblers,” Each Coming Night, ”Autumn Town Leaves,” “Call it Dreaming,” and the set closing “Waitin’ for a Superman.”
The story the setlist doesn’t show, however, is what the audience brought to the table. While it may have been a one man show mostly consisting of slow and sad songs, the crowd was fully invested and lively the entire night. A mutual back-and-forth- feeding of energy through off the cuff banter, a little beatboxing, and lots of mutual laughter, this was the variable that truly made the show something special. Combined with a carefully crafted setlist chosen specifically for Albany, you won’t get this same show the next time, or in the next city. While Beam’s playing wasn’t aways perfect, he’s a perfect example of personality going a long way and that it’s somehow possible to turn sorrow into success. A special kind of artist capable of changing the way you think and how you feel. I dare say anyone who was at Swyer Theatre on Sunday night left The Egg as a different, more complete person.
Up next for Iron & Wine, a few weeks of rest before returning to the road for the remainder of the Back-to-Basics tour. After that, Beam will join up with his ultra-talented buddy Andrew Bird for the recently announced Outside Problems Tour. The co-headlining jaunt is set to bring the two acclaimed artists to more than 25 cities later this summer, including stops at both Pier 17 in New York as well as Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard in LaFayette, New York. The smart money says you’re not going to want to sleep on this one.
Iron & Wine / February 27, 2022 / Swyer Theatre at The Egg, Albany, NY
Setlist: Sodom South Georgia, Follow the Water, Lion’s Mane, Bitter Truth, Lover’s Revolution, Each Coming Night, Flightless Bird, American Mouth, Autumn town Leaves, Woman King, Resurrection Fern, Rabbit Will Run, Grace for Saints and Ramblers, Why Hate Winter, Call It Dreaming, Waitin’ for a Superman.
Coming this summer, the TroutStock 2022 festival is celebrating a full weekend of music. Along with 20 different musical acts, more vendors and a larger capacity compared to last year. This unforgettable event will be held from August 5th-7th in Coeymans Hollow, just a 30 minute drive from Albany and 45 minutes from Kingston.
This is a 3-day camping and music filled event that will have local food, craft and art vendors accompanied by top of the line sound and music.
Magic Forest Farms
Originally starting out as just a backyard party, TroutStock festival quickly progressed. With the support of their fans and friends, they transformed into what it is today. With their first event last August, TroutStock decided to go for round two and expand the festival. Overall, their goal is to celebrate the friendships they have gained over the years by bringing everyone together to showcase their amazing talents.
Magic Forest Farms Camping
The location of the festival, Magic Forest Farm, is a beautiful spot that allows for freedom and creativity. Furthermore, giving attendees plenty of personal space while camping and in the crowd.
The goal of this festival is to keep this an intimate experience year after year with a headliners and local acts. Additionally, for attendees to get an up close experience of their favorite bands without fighting the crowd.
Live Music Schedule
Friday August 5th – 10:30am-2am Saturday August 6th – 10:30am-2am Sunday August 7th – 10:30am-4:00pm
For all guests, the festival grounds will need to be 100% cleared by 5pm on Sunday August 7th.
To purchase tickets, visit and for more additional information, please visit
The Albany based indie band, El Modernist, released a new single, “New Waves” on Friday, February 25. Their release also features an accompanying music video, a first for the band.
El Modernist’s single release arrives as they prepare for NYS Music’s March Madness 2022 Tournament. The competition will begin on March 1.
The new single address a theme common to many musicians: the struggle to fit in.
“New Waves” is a song about never fitting in but loving yourself regardless,” El Modernist said in a press release. “We have all felt alienated at some point in life, but it is important to remember that there is no “right” way to live, and all you can really do is try and be happy as you are.”
Despite its potentially heavy subject matter the music video for “New Waves” is more of a romp than a meditation on individuality.
In the video for “New Waves” a mysterious masked man chases the band’s members. Killing them one by one. The assassin’s goals remain unclear. He might be a symbol for how a boring life can kill you, or for how you’re not really alive unless you’re true to yourself, or it could just be an entertaining narrative spun into a music video. Either way, the light-hearted tone and comical ways the killer takes out the band members make for an enjoyable watch.
El Modernist defines its music as featuring “pulsating hooks and lush melodic waves of psychedelia” combined with “upbeat, catchy garage-rock” that is fused “with a modern alternative hip-hop sound”.
Their website elaborates by explaining “[which] is a fancy way of saying they sing and play guitars and sometimes raps happen and it’s fun”, displaying the sense of humor and self-awareness displayed in the “New Waves” video.
Live music is back and so are The Furious Bongos. In celebration, The Furious Bongos playing the music of Frank Zappa, is making its way through six different cities in April, two of those cities being Buffalo and Albany. The band will perform at The Linda in Albany on the 9th and Buffalo Iron Works on the 10th.
After working alongside great acts such as Oasis, Alice In Chains, REM, and a plethora of other bands, the band has built versatility and shown immaculate prestige in their career.
In honor of live music’s return, the band will be playing songs from Frank Zappa’s discography, regarded by the band as the mother of all musicians, a pun based on Zappa’s involvement with The Mothers of Invention. When it came to his music, Zappa was a pioneer of change and innovation. He allowed his band members to improvise and just have fun on stage. To honor Zappa’s legacy, The Furious Bongos will be doing the same. It will be a night to remember.
