NYS Music 202​2

Category: Albany

  • In Focus: Beabadoobee and Lowertown Stop at Empire Live in Albany

    Beabadoobee with opener Lowertown made a stop at Empire Live on Saturday, December 3rd for her second show in New York during her Beatopia tour. Beabadoobee, with her grungy outfit and electric green guitar, fully embodied the indie-rock age of the early-2000s through her stellar performance. 

    Beabadoobee
    Beabadoobee performing The Perfect Pair

    Filipino-British artist Beabadoobee, also known as Beatrice Laus, previously played at the Brooklyn Steel with guitarist Jacob Bugden, bassist Eliana Sewell, and drummer Luca Caruso. She is having one last US show in Boston before beginning her European tour. Beabadoobee is set to return in 2023 to open for Taylor Swift’s upcoming The Eras Tour. 

    Lowertown, consisting of Atlanta duo Olivia Osby and Avsha Weinberg, has opened for Beabadoobee for the entirety of her Beatopia tour. Invoking music of the indie-rock, electronic, and lo-fi genre, the pair put on an incredible performance with many songs from their new album, I Love To Lie.

    Olivia Osby from Lowertown

    During her song “10:36,” Beabadoobee urged the crowd to “Get down, get down!” before jumping at the drop of the chorus. Guitarist Jacob Bugden dived into the sea of people rocking their “fairy-core grunge” outfits as hundreds of hands allowed him to surf the crowd. Beatrice, with her large collection of red panda stuffed animals on stage, threw one into the crowd for a lucky fan to take home. 

    Finally, Beatrice ended her set with an encore, singing “Coffee“—her first ever original and most-popular song—“Ripples,” and “Cologne.” Her immaculate vocals, incredible energy, and phenomenal guitar-playing with the rest of her band truly wowed the crowd.

    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

    Beabadoobee singing Coffee and Ripples during her encore
    Eliana Sewell on bass
    Jacob Bugden on guitar
    Avsha Weinberg from Lowertown
    Olivia Osby from Lowertown

  • In Focus: Karina Rykman and Quiltro make Debut Appearances in Albany at Lark Hall

    Two bands – Karina Rykman and Quiltro – made their debut appearances in the Capital District on Thursday, December 1, performing at Albany’s Lark Hall

    karina rykman albany

    Karina Rykman is no stranger to Albany, having played with Marco Benevento numerous times at The Hollow and Cohoes Music Hall. Now touring with her own band, consisting of Adam November (guitar), Chris Corsico (drums), and Rykman on bass, made their first appearance in Albany with a strong crowd welcoming them to town.

    Quiltro also had their first performance in Albany, with bassist Mike McKinley returning home for a long overdue hometown show. Quiltro had initially been set to play Albany in May 2020, which was left unannounced as the music industry and world around us shut down for a then indeterminable amount of time. Finally arriving home, the early crowd’s rapt attention to the psychedelic rock put forth by Mark Taylor (guitar), JD Hoffmann (drums) and McKinley.

    quiltro

    During their 60 minute first set, Quiltro opened with a spacey jam that worked its way eventually into Hendrix’s “Third Stone From the Sun” amid “Pyxis,” the third track from their self-titled 2020 release. The set drew progressively heavier as the hour wound on, driving home the set with “Knight Riding” and “Field of Cities.” Played an introductory set to the uninitiated crowd, Quiltro warmed up the audience for Rykman, a perfect pairing this evening. McKinley and the crowd thanked all for coming to the show, particular his parents who were seated up front for the show.

    Quiltro Setlist: Jam-> Pyxis-> Third Stone From the Sun -> Pyxis, Dark Matter, Apollo -> The Crater, In Reverse, Antilla, Knight Riding, Field of Cities

    Rykman arrived to the stage around 930pm, flanked by November to her right and Corsico on her felt. Standing front and center, bass in hand, Rykman lit up the stage, singing “Joyride” to open the show in a soft dream-pop voice.

    This power rock trio doubles as a prog rock trio at times, deconstructing songs mid-jam and building them back up again. The far reaching instrumentation of the triumvirate were fully in sync on “Plants,” one of the studio tracks that when heard live helps you fully ‘get’ the band’s sound.

    November’s shredding and keys created dissonance while Karina bopped around the stage, establishing her presence as the frontwoman of this unique trio, one that brings more than just jams to the table.  

    Rykman channeled Tina Weymouth on the Talking Heads adjacent tune “City Kids,” which Mike Gordon would join her for two nights later at Nectar’s in Burlington. With a few shows left this tour, Rykman’s brief Northeast Tour is well worth catching, as she sets her sights on wider touring in 2023.

    Karina Setlist: Joyride > All That You Wanted > Plants > Arbitrary > Dirty South, Beacon, City Kids, Fever Dream, Atom Dance, No Occasion > Psycho Killer > The Hardest Button to Button, Elevator

    Quiltro and Karina Rykman photos by Zak Radick

    karina rykman albany
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    karina rykman albany
    karina rykman albany
    karina rykman albany
    karina rykman albany

  • Conductor David Alan Miller Discusses ASO Holiday Performances in Albany and Troy

    Two fan favorite festive orchestral performances arrive in the Capital Region in the coming weeks. The Albany Symphony Orchestra (ASO) appearing at Albany’s Palace Theatre for the The Magic of Christmas series on Sunday, December 4th and at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall for the Holiday Classics on Saturday, December 10 and Sunday, December 11.

    ASO holiday
    Albany Symphony Orchestra

    Groups of young, talented performers are being featured in the musical performance at the Palace Theater on Sunday, December 4, including The Music Studio and Capital District Youth Chorale, as well as the Boland School Dance, Ghanaian drumming group Gballoi and special guest narrator Walter Throne of the Albany Business Review.

    ASO holiday
    Capital District Youth Chorale Featured in Magic of Christmas Poster

    GRAMMY Award-winning Albany Symphony Orchestra conductor David Alan Miller is leading the orchestra in both concert series, which includes directing classical musical pieces by J.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart, and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson included in Holiday Classics. “It’s always such a treat for us to present beautiful Baroque and Classical music in the glorious Troy Savings Bank Music Hall during the holiday season,” said David Alan Miller.

    Albany Symphony Orchestra David Alan Miller

    Mr. Miller went in further depth about his experience leading the ASO during the holiday season and music highlighted in prior and upcoming performance.

    Heather Occhino: The Magic of Christmas and Holiday Classic show events are premiering at Albany’s Palace Theater and Troy Savings Bank. How long have you been the director of the Albany Symphony Orchestra?

    David Alan Miller: 31 years 

    HO: Music by Mozart and Bach are going to be included in Holiday Classics. Do you think sharing classics, such as Mozart’s Symphony No. 39, on stage affects the audience size for each year Holiday Classics is premiered?

    DAM: Yes, there are different pieces we play at different times of year. People love Baroque and Classical music, we tend to play them during the month of December. Hearing these pieces is a wonderful treat. The shows on the weekend of 12/10 includes music by Black American multi-genre music composer, Coleridge Taylor Perkinson. 

    HO: Is Holiday Classics the first performance where musicians belonging to your ensemble are highlighting historically known performances part of the concert series?

    DAM: No, we feature musicians during every season. 

    HO: Do other musical troupes other than the Albany Symphony Orchestra typically join shows you direct?

    DAM: Yes, particularly in Magic of Christmas; 8-9 groups are joining this performance-an African drumming group, a children’s chorus, which are important particularly for Holiday programs. Young opera singers from Bard College are joining on the shows Dec. 10-11.

    HO: A special appearance by Santa is featured in the Magic of Christmas. What do you think this will mean for the children of your audience?

    DAM: We want to make it as much fun as possible for kids. We pick kids’ names out of a hat and conduct “Jingle Bells” on stage and do big sing alongs with the whole audience-we want to make the performance as engaging as possible. 

    Buy Magic of Christmas and Holiday Classic tickets here.

    Watch Albany Symphony Orchestra Perform at AHA! A House for Arts

  • Arlo Guthrie to Bring ‘What’s Left of Me’ to The Egg in April

    On Friday, April 21, 2023, folk-slinger Arlo Guthrie will settle down at The Egg in Albany for a stop on his “What’s Left of Me’ tour. Guthrie had announced his retirement from touring in 2020, but admitted that “retirement was fun while it lasted” and returns with a spoken word show.

    The show will be moderated by author, music historian, and former director of the Grammy Museum Bob Santelli. It will also include rarely-seen video footage and an audience Q&A.

    arlo guthrie whats left of me alices restaurant
    photo by Steve Malinski

    Anyone who has had the good fortune to attend a performance by Arlo Guthrie knows that while the songs are wonderful, the stories are what really make the show something really special. 

    As the oldest son of Woody & Marjorie Guthrie, Arlo first made his appearance onstage at age 13, made music history with the composition “Alice’s Restaurant” and a legendary performance at Woodstock. After 60 years on the road there should be a lot to talk about.

    Read NYS Music’s interview with Arlo Guthrie on Thanksgiving traditions and his family legacy.

    The son of legendary Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie is best known for the Thanksgiving song/saga “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree,” the classic “The City of New Orleans,” and “Coming into Los Angeles.” He also performed at Woodstock in 1969 on Saturday, August 16.

    Tickets for Arlo Guthrie “What’s Left of Me” are currently on sale online at theegg.org or by telephone at 518-473-1845, or in person at The Egg Box Office Monday – Friday from 11 AM – 3 PM.         

  • Lotus Announces 2023 Tour, Stops at Empire Live and Town Ballroom; Brooklyn Bowl Shows Thanksgiving Weekend

    Electronic-fusion band Lotus will be on the road has announced a massive 2023 US Tour in support of their new album Bloom & Recede, released in August of 2022. The coast-to-coast tour features nearly 40 shows in the early part of 2023, with stops in the Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, Texas, California, the Pacific Northwest and more.

    They’ll make stops in Albany at Empire Live and Buffalo at Town Ballroom in January, as well as two nights at Brooklyn Bowl over Thanksgiving weekend, November 25-26. Get tickets here.

    lotus tour

    Lotus is a five-piece instrumental band who have been playing music for more than 20 years ago. One of hte first bands to fuse electronic beats with dance, jam, psych-rock, post-rock, disco and jazz. the group have become renowned performer and have built a loyal following wherever they venture.

    Live Lotus shows take listeners on a dance-inducing journey of improvisation that can only be described as a one-of-a-kind experience. They’ve toured actively throughout the U.S., working their way up from dingy basement clubs to world class venues such as Red Rocks. They’ve become festival favorites, performing at Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Electric Forest, and more. Lotus additionally hosts their own annual Summerdance Festival in Garrettsville, OH with a lineup of various Electronic artists. 

    In 2021, Mike Rempel departed the band he founded, and Tim Palmieri (Kung Fu, The Breakfast) joined Lotus, who forge ahead with Mike Greenfield, Luke Miller, Jesse Miller and Chuck Morris on this national tour.

    LOTUS 2023 TOUR DATES: 

    Nov 25 & 26 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY 

    Dec 10 – North Beach Music Festival – Miami, FL Dec 30 & 31 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO 

    Jan 21 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA 

    Jan 25 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT 

    Jan 26 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA 

    Jan 27 – Empire Live – Albany, NY 

    Jan 28 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY 

    Jan 29 – Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH 

    Feb 2 – The Majestic – Detroit, MI 

    Feb 3 – KEMBA Live! – Columbus, OH 

    Feb 4 – MegaCorp Pavilion – Newport, KY 

    Feb 5 – Mercury Ballroom – Louisville, KY 

    Feb 7 – Goshen Theater – Goshen, IN 

    Feb 8 – The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN 

    Feb 9 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI 

    Feb 10 – Park West – Chicago, IL 

    Feb 11 – Myth Live – Minneapolis, MN 

    Feb 14 – The Majestic – Madison, WI

    Feb 15 – Old Rock House – St Louis, MO 

    Feb 16 – Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville, TN 

    Feb 17 – Salvage Station – Asheville, NC 

    Feb 19 – Music Farm – Charleston, SC 

    Feb 22 – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC 

    Feb 23 – The National – Richmond, VA 

    Feb 24 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC 

    Feb 25 – Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA 

    Apr 14 – Emo’s – Austin, TX 

    Apr 15 – Warehouse Live – Houston, TX 

    Apr 16 – Echo – Dallas, TX 

    Apr 19 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ 

    Apr 20 – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA 

    Apr 21 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA 

    Apr 22 – Crown Room – Crystal Bay, NV 

    Apr 23 – Goldfield Trading Post – Sacramento, CA

    Apr 27 – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR 

    Apr 28 – Midtown Ballroom – Bend, OR 

    Apr 29 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR 

    Apr 30 – Nectar Lounge – Seattle, W 

    lotus tour

  • The Seapods to Celebrate 2-11 at Lark Hall

    On an ominous day in music history, The Seapods, featuring members of the Ominous Seapods, will come together for a night of music at Lark Hall in Albany on February 11, 2023.

    Appearing at The Seapods 2-11 show include Max Verna (guitar, vocals), Tom Pirozzi (bass), Brian Mangini (keyboards) and Ted Marotta (drums). The fifth member of the group, guitarist/singer Dana Monteith will not be in attendance. Thus, the show is billed as The Seapods featuring these four members from the group’s classic ‘90s lineup. 

    The evening of music lands on an unofficial holiday for the band, who consider the February 11 date a marker for great gigs, including a memorable performance in 1995 at a Dartmouth frat party. One explanation that has been offered for the meaning behind 2-11:

    There are numerous accounts of people making a purchase at their local Kwik-E Mart and having the total come to $2.11, or getting home from a Seapods show at exactly 2:11a.m. These occurences have spawned a movement know as “Twoelevenlutionology” (a.k.a. “Twoelevenism” or “Twoelevenology”) where 2-11 is the chosen leader. His disciples follow him along the 211-fold path of Enlightenment to the Dumpster of Destiny, and bask in the ominous beauty of the mystical number 211. And all good Twoelevenologists know what they should be doing at 2:11 on Wednesday afternoon!

    via The Tender Tale of 2-11

    As they add to the Ominous Seapods history with jamming and improv done only as the Seapods can, the evening is sure to be a hugely successful night in Albany. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.

    Rediscover classic Ominous Seapods 2-11 shows from February 2022 at The Hollow, The Waterhole during Winter Carnival in February 2011, and their most recent reunion shows at Cohoes Music Hall in 2018.

  • UAlbany Music Program to Host Trio of Holiday Concerts

    The music program at the University of Albany’s Department of Music and Theatre has announced three holiday-themed concerts for early December.

    These include the school’s annual holiday concert on Sunday, December 4 at 3 p.m., “Twelve Drummers Drummin’” on Monday, December 5 at 7 p.m., and “Carols from Near and Far” as performed by the UAlbany Chamber Singers on Sunday, December 11.

    ualbany holiday concerts
    Photo credit: Paul Miller

    The holiday concert will showcase five departmental ensembles, those being the UAlbany Community Chorale, UAlbany Chamber Singers, UAlbany Concert Band, UAlbany Jazz Band, and the UAlbany Symphony Orchestra, in addition to musical clubs Serendepity and Pitch Please.

    Photo credit: Paul Miller

    The following night’s performance will display the UAlbany Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Richard Albagli. The concert will include works from Germany and Guatemala in addition to a piece about the creation of the world performed to the words of Richard Feynman and Neil de Grasse Tyson and music by Peter Garland. The night will climax with David Amram’s “Latin Roots” from his work Landscapes, in a piece which features audience participation.

    ualbany holiday concerts
    Photo credit: Gary Gold

    In addition to the UAlbany Chamber Singers for “Carols from Near and Far,” the Festival Celebration Choir, a group of department guest performers. The two choirs will sing separately and together over accompaniment by pianist Daniel White, harpist Karlinda Calidcott, guitarist Sten Isachsen and percussionist Eugene Lorini. The program centerpiece will be Carols and Lullabies by Conrad Susa, a 10-movement collection of holiday carols from South and Central America.

    Information regarding tickets and more can be found on the UAlbany Performing Center website.

  • Disco Biscuits Winter Tour Includes Buffalo and Albany Stops, plus 3 Nights at The Cap

    The Disco Biscuits have announced even more dates for the 2023 Winter Tour, adding 12 more shows to their previously announced shows for the new year. Included in the tour dispatch is a show at Town Ballroom in Buffalo on Thursday, January 19 and The Palace Theatre in Albany on February 3. This follows word that they will make their annual return to the Capitol Theatre over March 23-25, 2023.

    The Philly group have played the Port Chester venue 11 times previously, most recently March 31 through April 2, 2022.

    The spring shows are the first U.S. dates for The Disco Biscuits in 2023, with a TranceAtlantic music event held in Reykjavík, Iceland, over May 20 through 22. They’ll wrap up the year in Chicago with three nights at the Riviera Theatre.

    Disco Biscuits Winter Tour 2023

    1/18 – House of Blues Cleveland – Cleveland OH
    1/19 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo NY
    1/20 – Penn’s Peak – Jim Thorpe PA
    1/21 – Penn’s Peak – Jim Thorpe PA
    2/1 – Higher Ground – Burlington VT
    2/2 – Higher Ground – Burlington VT
    2/3 – Palace Theatre – Albany NY
    2/4 – The Anthem – Washington DC
    3/10 – The Caverns – Pelham TN
    3/11 – The Caverns – Pelham TN
    3/12 – The Caverns – Pelham TN
    3/23 – Capitol Theatre – Port Chester NY
    3/24 – Capitol Theatre – Port Chester NY
    3/25 – Capitol Theatre – Port Chester NY
    3/29 – Belly Up, Aspen – Aspen CO
    3/30 – Belly Up, Aspen – Aspen CO
    3/31 – Mission Ballroom – Denver CO
    4/1 – Mission Ballroom – Denver CO

    Read more on the Disco Biscuits history at The Cap here. Tickets for the Capitol Theatre shows are on sale here. Tickets for all the band’s newly added shows will be available on Friday, Nov. 18 at noon E.T. via discobiscuits.com. 

  • In Focus: State Champs at Brooklyn Steel

    Pop punk is alive and well these days. The fanbase now spans multiple generations who are selling out festivals and reunion tours all while spawning a thriving scene of up and coming bands with a new found energy and creativity. This was all on display on Sunday, November 13th at Brooklyn Steel for State Champs third show of the ‘Kings Of The New Age’ tour. The Albany-based pop punks led a deep quadruple bill also featuring California natives Hunny along with relative newcomers Young Culture and Between You & Me on support.

    state champs brooklyn steel
    State Champs, Brooklyn Steel, 11/13/22. Photo by Joseph Buscarello

    Fresh off their appearance at When We Were Young Festival (the Las Vegas pop punk festival featuring almost every band you ever heard of) State Champs were in fine form as they celebrated Kings Of The New Age, their fourth LP released back in May. Frontman Derek DiScanio and bassist Ryan Graham bounced from one side of the stage to the other, greeting a relentless stream of crowd surfers rushing the stage. The band breezed through a career-spanning, 18-song setlist with many of the new songs already becoming crowd favorite sing alongs.

    state champs brooklyn steel
    State Champs, Brooklyn Steel, 11/13/22. Photo by Joseph Buscarello

    Brooklyn Steel was only the third stop on the tour, with North American dates running until mid December. State Champs close out the stretch with a hometown show at Albany’s Empire Live on December 10th. Tickets for that show are still on sale. Check out the full photo gallery from Brooklyn below and from their last performance at Empire Live in 2021 here. Also make sure to listen to the band’s recently released acoustic singles “Act Like That” and “Outta My Head”.

    state champs brooklyn steel
    state champs brooklyn steel
    state champs brooklyn steel
    state champs brooklyn steel
    state champs brooklyn steel
    state champs brooklyn steel

  • Shenanigans with Bella’s Bartok at the Hollow in Albany

    On Thursday night, November 11th, Guthrie Bell Productions threw another fantastic party at The Hollow in downtown Albany and things got more than just a little bit strange. The lineup of Bella’s Bartok and The Dust Bowl Faeries was yet another great move as the entire night was a delicious ride from “creepy carnival music” to “foot-stomping freak folk.” And despite the fact that it was a Thursday night show, no one left early and no one really even sat down.

    bella's bartok

    The Dust Bowl Faeries

    The evening opened up with a local band called The Dust Bowl Faeries. It was my first time seeing this band, but it certainly won’t be my last — and everyone I spoke with had the exact same reaction. Self-described as “dark carnival music” this band was unlike anything I have ever seen or heard before. I knew it was going to be good when the lead singer hopped on stage with a taxidermy ram’s head on her back, and they exceeded my expectations.

    bella's bartok

    If you are curious about The Dust Bowl Faeries, and you should be, you should check out their website immediately. They have a new album titled Carnival Dust coming out in January and on December 6th you can check out their brand new video by Thin Edge Films. 

    Bella’s Bartok

    I have to admit that Bella’s Bartok has been a favorite of mine for many years now — they are one of the most energetic, unique, and entertaining bands in the scene. Their set on Thursday night was well over two hours long and despite that, it seemed like they could have kept right on going. I can’t get enough of this band’s on-stage chemistry and their lead singer’s antics, including hopping off the stage and walking around while singing in the crowd. 

    bella's bartok

    Other bands have to work really hard to get the crowd to participate. Bella’s fans — AKA “The Strange Ones” are the exact opposite because the energy is palpable and the band is electric. If you missed them last night, they have several dates coming up in the northeast so get your tickets fast.

    Shenanigans

    All in all, it was a perfect night with a perfect lineup of strange shenanigans and creepy delights. Check out our full gallery below.

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