Category: Albany

Alive at Five Lineup Features State Champs, Spafford, Lita Ford, Talib Kweli and more

Albany’s Alive at Five Summer Concert Series has announced the 2022 summer lineup, with a wide variety of musicians playing at Jennings Landing.

Alive at Five is Albany’s signature free concert series, with eight weeks showcasing various artists, from big names to up-and-coming acts, and artists from the area. The summer concert series started in 1990 with a performance by legendary folk artist Richie Havens and has since grown into a staple of the Capital Region. The shows will be every Thursday from 4:30-8 P.M.

Alive at Five Lineup

June 9- State Champs w/ Young Culture

State Champs is an American Rock band from Albany, New York. Young Culture is also from Albany and is a three-piece alternative rock band. State Champs have been a band since 2010, and have released three EPs and four full-length albums. They have been nominated for many awards at the Alternative Press Music Awards. Young Culture is friends with State Champs and has toured together and worked on music together as well.

State Champs

Young Culture

June 16- Spafford w/ Annie in the Water

Spafford is a four-piece act from Phoenix, Arizona, and their sound can be described as electrofunk therapy, which combines deep sonic exploration and jam-heavy improvisation. Their songs range from 10-30 minutes, taking an interesting view of funk-dance music. Annie in the Water’s music is a groovy combination of Reggae, Funk, Rock, Blues, and Jamstyle. The band is a six-piece and was created out of chance as founding members Michael Lashomb and Bradley Hester met at Hobart College in Geneva in 2007.

Spafford

Annie in the Water

June 23- Lita Ford w/ Candy Ambulance

Known as heavy metal’s original blonde rocker, Lita Ford is a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. She was the lead guitarist for the all-female rock band the Runaways in the late 1970s and had a successful glam metal solo career in the 80s. Her 1989 single “Close My Eyes Forever” with Ozzy Osbourne is her most successful song, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard 100 charts. Candy Ambulance is an Albany-based grunge-punk trio who are known for its poppy melodies and dynamic vocal changes.

Lita Ford

Candy Ambulance

July 7- Talib Kweli w/ DJ TGIF, DJ SIROC, and JB!! aka Dirty Moses

Talib Kweli stands as one of the worldâs most talented and most accomplished hip-hop artists after nearly 20 years of recordings and performances. He has worked with Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and more. He will be joined by DJ TGIF, DJ SIROC, and JB!! aka Dirty Moses.

July 14- Cassadee Pope w/ Sydney Worthley

Cassadee Pope is a Grammy award-nominated pop-punk singer and a country artist, songwriter, & musician. She was the lead singer of the rock band Hey Monday before becoming the winner of the third season of The Voice and the first female winner. Sydney Worthley is an alternative artist from Albany, New York who became an independent artist at 17 and has released a few albums with regular air time on the radio.

Cassadee Pope

Sydney Worthley

July 21- Ballyhoo! w/ Souly Had & The E-Block

Ballyhoo! is an American reggae rock and punk band. The group has sold over 30,000 copies of its five albums and more than 200,000 digital tracks. Souly Had is an artist from Duanesburg, New York, who creates hip-hop and R&B music, with over one million streams on Spotify. The E-Block are an indie band from Albany, New York, named after the street they all grew up on.

Ballyhoo!

Souly Had

The E-Block

July 28- Donavon Frankenreiter w/ Sean Rowe

Donavon Frankenreiter is a musican and surfer, who for nearly four decades has been traveling the world as a surfer and musican. His sound is a unique blend of laid-back grooves, philosophical lyrics and soulful delivery. Sean Rowe is an alternative folk singer-songwriter and musician. He has a recognizable deep and husky voice that brings the sound of country and Americana together.

Donavon Frankenreiter

Sean Rowe

August 4- Doug E. Fresh w/ Ohzhe & DJ TGIF and DJ Hollyw8d

Doug E. Fresh is a Barbados-born American rapper, record producer, and beatboxer, also known as the “Human Beat Box”. Fresh is able to accurately imitate drum machines and various special effects and is a pioneer of 20th-century American beatboxing. He will be joined by Ohzhe & DJ TGIF and DJ Hollyw8d.

Doug E. Fresh.

All Alive at Five performances are free and begin at 4:30pm each Thursday this summer, beginning June 9

May 24, 2022
State Champs Leap Back Into Focus with “Kings of the New Age”

Albany pop-punk veterans State Champs have returned with their fourth studio album Kings of the New Age, a 35-minute montage of guitar-driven angst and lust that rarely slows down.

Kings of the New Age is the first release by the band to feature only one guitarist, after Tony Diaz stepped away in 2020. Nevertheless, the group’s sound isn’t any smaller, with the other four members nicely filling in the gaps. This is aided by some tight production from California based Drew Fulk a.k.a. WZRD BLD, whose collaborations include Lil Wayne, A Day To Remember, and Ice Nine Kills. Cleanly mixed, the band’s full arrangement shines through on Kings of the New Age, with no instrument or vocal sounding unclear, choppy or overshadowed.

While production does play a significant role in the band’s presence standing tall with a smaller lineup, credit has to be given to Tyler Szalkowski for his increased duties as both lead and rhythm guitarist. Songs like “Here to Stay” and “Just Sound” showcase guitar work that both maintains a loud presence while enhancing the song melodically.

Cover art for Kings of the New Age.

Lyrically the album generally focuses on topics of romantic lust and strife. “Being with you is like working on the weekend,” sings lead vocalist Derek DiScanio on the chorus of “Everybody But You,” the album’s lead single. Even though romance is a major focus of the record, songs like “Here to Stay,” which begins the album, reinforce the idea behind the album’s title. “The kings of the new age, the wrong time, the right place,” sings Discanio in the track’s opening lines.

With State Champs entering the scene of pop-punk after the genre’s boom in the late ’90s and early 2000s and before its recent renewal with Machine Gun Kelly’s pivot towards the genre hatching new commercial attention, the optics of this timing might not be great, but they don’t mind. “On our own it’s safe to say, we’re here to stay,” DiScanio sings at the end of the opener’s chorus.

State Champs attempt to reinforce this footprint on Kings of the New Age with four features scattered across the album, with appearances from Neck Deep’s Ben Barlow, Against The Current’s Chrissy Costanza, Nashville country pop singer Mitchell Tenpenny, and Four Year Strong’s Alan Day & Dan O’Connor.

Each artist is given a bridge to sing or maybe a little more on the tracks which they have feature duties, which is something that holds back the effort and impact of these guest contributions. Chrissy Costanza’s contribution on “Half Empty” slightly stands apart in this regard however, with her bridge and chorus near the song’s ending adding another perspective to this track about a struggling relationship.

And even though part of this album’s mission is clearly dedicated to not changing up the band’s formula, this leads to Kings of the New Age sounding repetitive at points. This is why slight deviations on songs such as “Act Like That,” which functions more as a straightforward pop rock track, and closer “Some Minds Don’t Change” with its loud, waltzy chorus are easily appreciable moments.

Nevertheless, State Champs’ classic pop-punk formula works out well overall, with loud anthemic choruses and relatable melancholy lyrics shaping a strong album for the seasoned band. Kings of the New Age doesn’t reshape the punk genre or push too hard on any boundaries, but it’s good enough on its own to prove that State Champs deserve to hang around.

Key Tracks: Here To Stay, Just Sound, Act Like That” (featuring Mitchell Tenpenny)

May 22, 2022
Tribute to Kings: Primus Gives Albany the Royal Treatment

Celebrating 518 Day on May 18^th, bass-heavy psychedelic prog rock ‘bastards’ Primus made their triumphant return to Albany. Amidst a special 46 date, coast-to-coast tribute tour paying homage to fellow prog-rock legends Rush and drummer Neil Peart, the influential Bay Area trio performed two distinct sets; one of original music and the other, a full cover set of Rush’s seminal 1977 album A Farewell to Kings.

Curated by charismatic Primus front man and bass playing virtuoso, Les Claypool, the only logical venue suited for an occasion of such royal proportions was downtown Albany’s historic Palace Theatre.

Les Claypool of Primus performs at the Palace Theatre in Albany 5/18/22

The man, the myth, the compulsive entertainer, Les Claypool has arguably been one of rock’s most influential players of the last thirty years. Creating a mythical, almost cult-like following through his multitude of side projects, some may know him from his time with Trey Anastasio and Oysterhead , or with Buckethead and The Flying Frog Brigade, or more recently with his “Delirium” collaboration with Sean Lennon, son of Yoko and John. An impressive pedigree to be sure, but make no mistake, Primus has always been the bread and butter for Les and also his most successful.

But what made him want to start playing music in the first place?It all goes back to a single day in 1978 when a young Claypool attended his first ever rock concert. Performing that night was a young Canadian banned named Rush. Mesmerized by what he saw on stage, it was then Claypool decided music was what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. 14 years later and now spearheading a colorful band of his own dubbed “Primus,” things came full circle when they were offered a supporting slot on Rush’s 1992 tour. They say never meet your heroes or you’ll be disappointed, but in the case, the two bands shared an instant connection and would develop a close friendship organically through years of touring together. According to Claypool, paying tribute to Rush is simply a way to say “thank you” for all of their inspiration.

Primus performs at the Palace Theatre in Albany 5/18/22

Bringing the “Tribute to Kings” Tour to the Palace Theater this past Wednesday, fans turned out in droves, but not necessarily to see Primus. With the passing of iconic drummer Neal Peart, Rush played their final show in August of 2015, yet based on the sheer amount of vintage Rush t-shirts and memorabilia that was present at the Palace, it’s fair to say there is still a significant demand for their music. If there is any three-piece unit that has the talent and the chops to fill that void, it would have to be the mighty Primus.

Taking the darked Palace stage as the customary Danny Elfman “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” theme piped in over the PA, Claypool, along with guitar player Larry “Ler” LaLonde and frummer Tim “Herb” Alexander, wasted no time in letting their intention be known. Playing the type of songs that don’t exactly fit well with the radio format, class was in session early as Primus opening their performance with an “American Life” history lesson. Complete with a massive rear projector high above the stage displaying hypnotic video loops and depicting things like immigrants registering at Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, along with images of Mount Rushmore and Honest Abe, the projections would subtly change to a ‘military marching orders’ theme during classic Primus cuts like the songs “Too Many Puppies” and “Sgt. Baker.

The low-end pulse would beat a little louder (and darker) on the next song, 1989’s repetitive, percussion-heavy trance educing song “The Pressman,” after which Claypool claimed the band had not played in a while. One of the highest highlights of the first set came next with a rare “Professor Nutbutter’s House of Treats” which segued nicely into a “Del Davis Tree Farm” bust-out, played for the first time since 2017. Sensing an opportunity to slip in something new, Primus then unloaded their brand new sprawling and groovy single, the covid-inspired, tongue in cheek eleven minute opus “Conspiranoia.” The opening set concluded with a condensed mash-up of “Welcome to This World” and the always awesome “My Name Is Mud.”

Primus performs at the Palace Theatre in Albany 5/18/22

From there the Rush was on, literally. In an evening billed as a “Tribute to Kings,” Primus would honor their musical heroes by performing the 1977 classic Rush album A Farewell To Kings in its entirety. Other than a minor wardrobe change and Claypool trading in his signature Carl Thompson ‘Rainbow’ bass for a black and white Rickenbacker model, Primus tore through the set with such complete confidence it almost made you forget these were someone else’s songs.

Technically proficient, it was the vocals that proved to be the biggest challenge for Claypool. At one point addressing the audience between songs, acknowledging Geddy Lee’s high pitched (and often polarizing) vocal style isn’t exactly “easy” to mimic and then encouraged those who knew the lyrics to try and help sing the next one, then launching into one of Rush;s biggest radio hits, “Closer to the Heart.” For a brief time during “Xanadu,” both Claypool and Ler could be seen wielding a pair of huge, double necked axes. Allegedly the first to ever play an electric 12 string bass, Geddy Lee claims Rickenbacker specifically built the first one for him.

After witnessing Lee perform with the mammoth instrument at his first ever concert, Claypool confessed he’s wanted one ever since and joked that it took him all these years to finally be able to afford one. Always cracking wise, Claypool would also make several light-hearted jabs at the people in the first few rows who were still inexplicably sitting down, saying “it’s that mutual exchange of energy that [he] feeds off and that if he has to remain standing through the entire performance, everyone else should be up off the asses too.” Les then dove into his favorite Rush song of all time, the set closing “Cygnus x-1.” Just prior to the encore, Claypool would later apologize to anyone who may have been offended by his heckling and then proceeded to drop into the opening notes of Primus Frizzle Fry fan favorite “Groundhog’s Day” from 1990. Still not satisfied, fans begging for “just one more” were treated to a tune Claypool introduced as “a true story about a friend…who was addicted to crack.” His name was Harold.

Primus performs at the Palace Theatre in Albany 5/18/22

Coming to a close a little before midnight, most people stayed all the way to the end as the theme from the original “Charlie and Chocolate Factory” helped send them home with a smile. There was a little something for everyone at this show. Sure, real Primus fans want to hear all Primus all the time and the faithful Rush fans were probably a little overwhelmed by the undeniable heaviness and some of the weirdos the Primus scene tends to attract, perhaps even hoping for another radio hit like “Tom Sawyer” or “Spirit of the Radio.”

The real winners on this night were the scores of young fans in attendance. Similar to the way Les Claypool’s life was forever changed by his first concert, you couldn’t help but notice the abundance of skid fathers who brought their boys with them. Perhaps the sentimental notion of passing the prog-rock crown from Rush to Primus? Or maybe they just couldn’t find a babysitter? Or maybe, just maybe the next great virtuoso bass player was sitting right there in the Palace Theatre all along, absorbing the magic of live music at their very first concert. One thing is for sure, Primus most certainly does not suck.

Primus | May 18th, 2022 | Albany, NY | Palace Theatre

Set 1: American Life, Too Many Puppies(>)Sgt. Baker(> ‘Too Many Puppies’ reprise), The Pressman, Last Salmon Man, Conspiranoia, Professor Nutbutter’s House of Treats, Del Davis Tree Farm (First time live since 2017), Welcome to This World, My Name Is Mud

Set 2: A Farewell to Kings, Xanadu, Closer to the Heart, Cinderella Man, Madrigal, Cygnus X-1

Encore: Groundhog’s Day, Harold of the Rocks, Follow the Fool >Harold of the Rocks Reprise

May 21, 2022
There’s No Laundry at Albany’s Newest Laundromat

Albany’s DIY music scene has been thriving in the wake of 2020’s lockdowns. Basement and house venues are popping up left and right, and bands have been eager to get back on stage and perform in front of live audiences. The Laundromat is one of the newest underground music venues in Albany and it just wrapped up a busy spring semester. The hidden basement spent the last five months promoting pop-up shows at Pauly’s Hotel, hosting their own basement shows, and contributing to Albany’s flourishing music and arts community.

The venue started back in September of 2021 and is run by two U Albany students Ari Spielman and Samantha Mehrkens. The duo runs their venue on Instagram (@the.laun.dro.mat) and have grown their page beyond 1,500 followers in the past few months and have put on over a dozen shows. Ari and Samantha have built, from the ground up, a popular space for musicians, painters, photographers, and artists of all kinds to work and enjoy each other’s art. The two can always be spotted up front at their shows, enjoying the music, addressing technical difficulties, and even keeping their fans cool and comfortable.

Glue Head @ The Laundromat – 3.11.22. Ari Spielman and Samantha Mehrkens (right)

The Laundromat was recently one of a handful of DIY venues in the Albany area that was part of Byrdhouse Records‘ Phoenix Fest. The week-long festival consisted of six consecutive shows all over Albany, Troy, and New Paltz. The Laundromat’s show took place on 4/20 and featured five local acts: Floral Arrangements, Ricky Bandana, Prom Sex, Rhakimali, and The E-Block. The packed lineup, along with the holiday festivities, brought out a big crowd for the Wednesday night show that ran late into the early hours of the morning.

The surprise highlight of the night was the third act of the night: Prom Sex. The newly formed band played their first show ever at The Laundromat and they received a warm welcome from Albany’s DIY community. The band played their own version of musical chairs, or rather musical instruments, as everyone rotated from guitar to bass to drums. The young band played on for a full 45-minute set with a crowd-demanded encore.

Prom Sex @ The Laundromat – 4.20.22

The Laundromat also features local bands time and time again, like Ladybyrd. The WCDB Rising Artist of the Year is a regular at The Laundromat, and performed at the last show of the semester on May 6. Ladybyrd had also performed at The Laundromat as recently as April 8th, along with Chaz Kiss, and Sam Legenbauer. This April 8th show was promoted as the Femme Fatale Feature Friday, as it featured acts fronted by women. The Laundromat doesn’t always host shows with an overarching theme, but when they do, they always tend to draw out their biggest and most energetic crowds.

Ladybyrd @ The Laundromat – 5.6.22

The Laundromat has often featured a broad range of music on any given night, one could hear everything from hip-hop to punk or shoegaze to funk. One of these genre bending shows was on February 18th, featured acts included: Free Spiritu, Cloud 18, Dork!, and Alliteration. Alliteration closed out the show and have been seen all over the 518 in the past few months. It feels like the Poughkeepsie-based punk band brings their unique sound to the area every other weekend and they have fans traveling regularly from as far as Long Island to catch every single one of their shows.

Alliteration’s success is well deserved and has been a direct result of the band’s collective work ethic, attitude, and fun music. Xayvier, Ryan, and Mike are loved throughout the music community and can be found in the crowd or the merch table at every show they play. They arrive early, enjoy the sets of other acts, and are eager to mingle with fans. It’s this type of approachability and friendliness from the band members though that has helped make them a true crowd favorite in New York’s DIY music scene. Basement show-goers may even find themselves challenged to a game of Super Smash by Xayvier for the chance to win a t-shirt discount. Good luck beating him though.

Alliteration’s Next show will be at The Bundy Museum on May 28th, for the Bing X Punk Festival . The day’s music starts at 3pm and is slated to run until 9:30. The show will feature three other bands who have been seen in the Albany area as of late: Stay Off The Fence , Senior Living, and DiRTYBANDAiD. All of these bands rock, hard, and will be accompanied by a number of other acts who won’t disappoint: The Droogz, Pons, The War Lovers, Pleasure Dome, and Tom Jolu.

Alliteration @ The Laundromat – 2.18.22

Like the Bing X Punk Festival shows, Albany’s DIY scene is not an island. It is, instead, a part of a much larger community of music lovers all around the state. There are vibrant underground scenes in cities like Oneonta, Binghamton, and Troy and bands are constantly playing together and traveling from city to city as often as they can. The Laundromat’s final show of the semester on May 6, 2022 featured Crash Test Auto from Oneonta. The upbeat rock band put the community’s connectedness on display by featuring Adam Henkel on bass. Adam is a SUNY Oneonta student who currently runs the 607 Music Scene Instagram page.

Adam has found himself playing for a number of bands and is now focused on building his Instagram following through 607 in order to aggregate event and artist news from around New York’s DIY music scene beyond. Adam’s efforts are all in the name of his love for music and for the members of the underground community. 607 Music Scene is the go-to page to follow if you are interested in keep up-to-date with upcoming shows, photography galleries from past shows, and new music from local acts.

Crash Test Auto @ The Laundromat 5.6.22

In addition to hosting shows in their basement, The Laundromat has also promoted a number of shows at Pauly’s Hotel in Albany. The Laundromat kicked off the 2022 spring semester with their Wild N’ Out rap show on February 5. The show featured nine of Albany’s up and coming rappers to allow the crowd to decide who their favorite rapper of the night was. The show’s winner and runner-up were awarded to Lil Baby Suplex, and Rhakimali. The grand prize was awarded to Suplex and earned him free studio time in New York City.

The Laundromat’s Pauly’s Hotel shows have also included lineups with some local regulars like Treasure Cove, The E-Block, and Safety Meeting. Those who frequent DIY shows in the area are more than likely quite familiar with all three of these acts, as they have all been regularly performing around the area and at other Laundromat shows. Safety Meeting also played shows at The Byrdhouse and WCDB this semester. In April they performed at WCDB Fest and were nominated for Best Alt Rock/Indie Artist for their fun style of rock that incorporates sounds from different genres spanning from punk to country. Safety Meeting has a show coming up on May 28 at Blueberry Field in New Paltz.

Safety Meeting @ Pauly’s Hotel – 2.17.22

As you can see, The Laundromat plays their own important role in a much larger community. Samantha and Ari have grown their own musical node in the network in a very short amount of time. The space they have created creates opportunities for so many artists to put their work on display. The nature of the community inspires crowd members, promotes new acts and venues alike, and makes the whole of New York’s DIY scene stronger.

So whether you are young or old, love hip-hop or punk, or just have $5 in your pocket, then you should consider following The Laundromat on Instagram and keeping your eyes out for the next show they have. It could be this summer, or it could be next summer, but either way you ought to be ready to send them a DM and get the address to what will likely be one of the best shows in Albany happening that night. Albany’s basements are dark and dirty, but the artists and fans are kind and welcoming to all. There is no doubt that a night spent at The Laundromat will be one filled with good music and good vibes.

The Field Service

Midnight Driver

Midnight Driver

Ricky Bandana & Cirred

Cirred

Treasure Cove

Treasure Cove

The E-Block

The E-Block

Safety Meeting

Dork!

Alliteration

Michael Rodriguez – Alliteration

Alliteration

Souly Had

Moss Tongue

Moss Tongue

Glue Head

Glue Head, Ari & Samantha

Gluehead

Glue Head

Glue Head

Sam Legenbauer

Ladybyrd

Chaz Kiss

David Stingle – Chaz Kiss

Evan Randall – Ladybyrd

Prom Sex

Ladybyrd

Crash Test Auto

Adam Henkel Crash Test Auto / 607 Music Scene

May 17, 2022
Monkeys On Ecstasy (moe.) Warm up for Summer at Empire Underground

Performing under the pseudonym Monkeys On Ecstasy, moe. treated 350 lucky fans to a performance at Empire Underground on Thursday, May 12. With guitarist Chuck Garvey on the mend, Suke Cerulo (Schleigho, Lynch) and Nate Wilson (Ghosts of Jupiter, Blue Star Radiation), the now-sextet of musicians warmed up for the summer shows that lie ahead, with a powerful 11-song performance.

photo by Frankie Cavone

A Monkeys on Ecstasy show provides moe. with the rare chance for a club performance, making for an intimate and intense show, one that diehard moe.rons gravitated to, selling the show out within 24 hours. Hundreds more would stream the show online as well, bringing a little bit of the magic of this show to the masses. Monkeys on Ecstasy shows have been played periodically over the years, allowing for surprise treats for fans, including a 1998 performance in Utica at Captain Trips Rainforest Cafe.

Fans in the Capital District will recall the August 18, 2005 performance of moe. as The Vinnie Amico Experience, where drummer Vinnie Amico took centerstage at a sweat-stained Revolution Hall.

photo by Frankie Cavone

For Thursday night, the band began at 8:13pm with fan favorite “Happy Hour Hero” segueing cleanly into “Silver Sun” and then the ever rare “Johnny Lineup.” For 42 minutes, there was not a single break in the action on stage, and prior to a lengthy intro to “Lazarus” did the band finally take a moment to breathe and thank the audience for joining them this evening. Just prior to “Buster,” the beginning of “Rebubula” was teased, before Rob Derhak took the reigns and played the iconic bass intro to “Buster.” The set ended up with “Downward Facing Dog” and a band that was tight and familiar, as two seasoned musicians to provided an ample substitute for Garvey.

photo by Frankie Cavone

The four song second set began with the heavy as ever “McBain,” allowing for plenty of improvisation between Wilson and Cerulo and guitarist Al Schnier. A patient fade into “Brent Black” paid off with a significant ‘drums’ portion from Amico and Jim Loughlin, which found its way into Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive” and finally the classic moe. jam vehicle, “Recreational Chemistry.” To close the night, the relatively new “Skitchin Buffalo” served as a long encore, the audience pouring out to the alley behind North Pearl Street, having witnessed a rare as ever performance.

moe. will return to the Capital District on July 6 with a free show at the Empire State Plaza. Full tour dates can be found here. See more photos at Mirth Films.

Monkeys on Ecstasy – Empire Underground – May 12, 2022

Set 1: Happy Hour Hero > Silver Sun > Johnny Lineup, Lazarus > Buster* > Downward Facing Dog
Set 2: Skrunk > Brent Black > Interstellar Overdrive > Recreational Chemistry
Encore: Skitchin Buffalo

*Rebubula intro fakeout

May 13, 2022
Folk Artist Ryan Leddick Releases New Single “State of Mind”

Capital District queer folk/rock artist Ryan Leddick released a new single, “State of Mind,” on Thursday, May 5.

“State of Mind” fuses the acoustic folk-rock sound that Leddick regularly employed in his previous releases with synth-ladened overtures. The single marries his penchant for the simple and driving melodies of folk music with the complexities of synth-80/90’s pop.

When I was creating this song all I could think about were sold geometric shapes from the 80’s and 90’s and cutting acoustic guitar rhythms and how they balanced each other.
Ryan Leddick

Leddick calls his single a fusion of folk and synth pop but upon listening to it you might find that his booming voice and imposing percussion sound more like a rock ballad. Or we discovered that rock music is actually what you get when you combine folk and synth pop.

Photo: Mike De Socio //Design: Courtney Mann

This expansion of Leddick’s sound came after her reconnected with his guitar during the pandemic. The synth sequences were in an effort to recreate what he called the “geometric shapes” of 80s and 90s pop music. “This mixture of acoustic guitar, electric drums, and synths always seemed to paint a geometric landscape in my mind,” Leddick explained.

It might just be modesty on Leddick’s part but the most notable part of “State of Mind” is Leddick’s careening voice which when it first surges onto the track appears Adele-esque in its depth and control. His voice often quavers as if he’s getting choked up sharing something personal with us, giving his music an emotional introspection.

The hook repeats the lyrics “this is my state of my mind”. It might be slightly heavy-handed, but you certainly can’t say Leddick didn’t put his heart into it.

“State of Mind” marks his second collaboration with producer and musician Carl Blackwood of the band Bendt and Mastering Engineer Carl Staff. Blackwood also received instrumental and mixing credits on the single.

As of now, the single is expected to be part of a larger body of work Leddick plans to release either this year or in early 2023.

May 7, 2022
Consider the Source Ends Spring Tour with Surprise

On Friday, April 29th, Consider the Source brought their eclectic instruments and extreme talents to Lark Hall in Albany during the last leg of their “Acoustic-Electric Hybrid” tour to celebrate the release of their album Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule. Lark Hall was the perfect space to enjoy a slightly toned-down version of this hard-rocking band. To kick off what was one of the most musically interesting night’s of my life was delightful duo Cosmal.

Cosmal

Ryan Coyle and Alison Lazarus are two delightfully well-rounded and multi-talented individuals and they created an amazing group called Cosmal. While Ryan creates incredible electronica jams with his midi-controller, chaos pad, and guitar, Alison live-paints and sings. This band is made of two truly unique individuals with an incredible idea — you should check them out as soon as you get the chance.

Consider the Source

Consider the Source is easily one of the most unique bands I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. They call their sound “Sci-fi Middle Eastern Prog Fusion” and if you think that sounds interesting you should hear what they actually sound like. If you’re looking for something different from the usual stuff, this is your band.

Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule

John Ferrara (bass), Jeff Mann (percussion), and Gabriel Marin (guitar, etc) have truly created a unique, eclectic, and delightful sound. Friday night’s show was a rare treat — fans of the band had never seen them play in such an environment before. They played their new album in its entirety and threw a couple of older songs in there too. They used instruments many of us had never seen or heard before as well including a Banjo Bass, Dombra, Uzbek/Tajik Dutar, Doumbek, a Ukulele Bass, and many more. The set was certainly a departure from what we were used to, but it was killer nonetheless.

The Interview: A Surprise Announcement

I sat down with Ferrara, Mann, and Marin before their set. They told me that they had finished recording Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule right before the pandemic hit. They used the lockdown to finish mastering the album. However, and here is the big surprise: they also spent that time recording a second album — keep your eyes on their social media to find out when you can check it out. And from what I am told, it will be their hardest-hitting album yet.

Tour inspiration

Consider the Source has such a ground-breaking sound, they could just call it a day and continue to tour for as long as they can handle it. However, they continually want to change it up for their fans. And that was the whole idea behind their most recent album as well as the tour they just completed to celebrate the release. The venues they visited for this tour were the type where you sit down, which is a huge departure from the dancehalls they usually frequent. In short, they wanted to change things up for their fans, and wow — they delivered.

Future Plans

If you weren’t able to catch them on their “Acoustic-Electric Hybrid” tour, don’t fret. Consider the Source has several tour dates coming in the following months in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Check out the gallery below.

May 2, 2022
Luke Combs To Visit MVP Arena During ‘Middle of Somewhere’ Fall Tour

The remarkable and country superstar, Luke Combs, is ready for his Middle of Somewhere tour, which will kick off in September and make a stop in Albany at MVP Arena.

This upcoming tour is not the only thing in store for Combs this year. In fact, he will soon release his third studio album, Growin’ Up, while his latest song “Tomorrow Me,” recently dropped and has already received great recognition from Billboard. His top 5 single at country radio “Doin’ This,” along with 11 other songs will be featured on his long awaited album. Although, Combs has faced challenges throughout the process of this album, it is almost here.

I’ve been working on this album on and off for two and a half years now. It was sort of a crazy process through what COVID brought, and what that meant for our touring life last year. It made me have to put a pause on this album for a second, but I’m just really stoked that it’s finally coming out. Working with Chip Matthews and Jonathan Singleton as a producer has been really great and I think that the fans are going to love these songs. I’m just excited to get them out and see what they think.
Luke Combs

Combs has been known to excel in the music industry, considering he went 3x Platinum with his second album What You See is What You Get and 4x Platinum with his debut, This One’s For You.

I know that the price of everything has been going up these last couple years and there’s nothing I can do about that, but the one thing I could do is set the price of my tickets. So, what I wanted to do was keep the ticket prices the same as they were before the pandemic. I really really hope you guys will come out and check us out. Can’t wait to see you on the road!
Luke Combs

Special guests featured on the tour include Jordan Davis, Mitchell Tenpenny, Morgan Wade and Lainey Wilson. Tickets will be available for presale on May 4 at 4:00pm local time through Ticketmaster Verified Fan, while general tickets will be released on May 6 at 10:00am local time. Citi cardmembers will have access to pre-sale tickets May 5 from 10:00am until 10:00pm local time.

LUKE COMBS CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
BOLD on-sale next Friday, May 6 at 10:00am local time

May 1—Indio, CA—Stagecoach

May 5—New Orleans, LA—New Orleans JazzFest

May 21—Denver, CO—Empower Field at Mile High* (SOLD OUT)

May 29—Napa Valley, CA—BottleRock

June 4—Seattle, WA—Lumen Field*

July 7—Cavendish, PEI—Cavendish Beach Music Festival

July 8—Quebec City, QC—Festival D’Ete International De Quebec

July 9—Ottawa, ON—RBC Bluesfest

July 23—Columbus, OH—Buckeye Country Superfest

July 30—Atlanta, GA—Mercedes-Benz Stadium* (SOLD OUT)

September 2—Bangor, ME—Maine Savings Amphitheater‡

September 3—Bangor, ME—Maine Savings Amphitheater‡

September 16—Green Bay, WI—Resch Center+

September 17—Green Bay, WI—Resch Center+

September 22—Lake Tahoe, NV—Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys+

September 23—Lake Tahoe, NV—Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys+

September 30—Albany, NY—MVP Arena+

October 1—Albany, NY—MVP Arena+

October 14—Charleston, SC—North Charleston Coliseum^

October 15—Charleston, SC—North Charleston Coliseum^

October 21—Louisville, KY—KFC Yum! Center^ (on-sale 5/13 at 10:00am local)

October 22—Louisville, KY—KFC Yum! Center^ (on-sale 5/13 at 10:00am local)

October 28—Omaha, NE—CHI Health Center^

October 29—Omaha, NE—CHI Health Center^

November 4—Uncasville, CT—Mohegan Sun Arena^

November 5—Uncasville, CT—Mohegan Sun Arena^

November 12—Quebec City, QC—Videotron Centre# (SOLD OUT)

November 14—Toronto, ON—Scotiabank Arena# (SOLD OUT)

November 15—Toronto, ON—Scotiabank Arena# (SOLD OUT)

November 17—Ottawa, ON—Canadian Tire Centre# (SOLD OUT)

November 18—Montreal, QC—Centre Bell# (SOLD OUT)

November 21—London, ON—Budweiser Gardens# (SOLD OUT)

November 22—London, ON—Budweiser Gardens# (SOLD OUT)

December 9—Oklahoma City, OK—Paycom Center%

December 10—Oklahoma City, OK—Paycom Center%

*with special guests Cody Johnson, Zach Bryan and Morgan Wade

‡with special guests Mitchell Tenpenny and Morgan Wade

+with special guests Jordan Davis and Morgan Wade

^with special guests Jordan Davis and Lainey Wilson

#with special guests Riley Green and Chayce Beckham

%with special guest Jordan Davis and more to be announced

May 1, 2022
Sonia Manzano, “Maria” From Sesame Street, Will Make Two Appearances at UAlbany This Weekend

Update 4/28: Due to illness, Sonia Manzano will not be appearing at UAlbany on Saturday, April 30, 2022 as previously planned. The 4pm Creative Life Conversation at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center for which Manzano was to be the guest is canceled.The 7:30pm performance of Selected Shorts will take place as planned at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center. Actors Patricia Kalember (The Tick) and Bhavesh Patel (The Good Wife) will be joined by a third actor to be named shortly who will replace Manzano.

Sonia Manzano who, for almost five decades played Maria on Sesame Street, will make two appearances at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center this week, both on Saturday, April 30th.

Manzano’s first appearance will be at 4 PM, where she will be the final guest of The Creative Life: A Conversation Series at UAlbany. Here, Manzano will discuss her creativity, craft, and career with host Joe Donahue from WAMC. This event will be free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations will be required.

Her second appearance will then be at 7:30 PM. Here, Manzano will be participating in a series called Selected Shorts. Selected Shorts is a series in which prominent creatives read classic and new works of fiction. Manzano will be reading alongside Patricia Kalember, famous for her role in Sisters, and Bhavesh Patel.

Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Sonia Manzano will read a special selection of brand-new work by authors Carmen Maria Machado, Jess Walter, Jenny Allen, Etgar Keret, and Lauren Groff commissioned for the 35th anniversary of Selected Shorts.

Tickets are still available and are $10-$15 in advance and $15-$20 on the day of the show through the UAlbany Performing Art Center’s box office at (518) 442-3997 or tickets@albany.edu.

April 27, 2022
moe. announce 2022 Summer Tour Dates with Nate Wilson and Suke Cerulo in place of Chuck Garvey

moe. has announced they will play a handful of tour dates for this summer, joined by Suke Cerulo on guitar and Nate Wilson on keys for a majority of the shows.

The shows were announced as “for the remainder of the year” meaning moe.rons will only have 8 chances to catch moe., following shows at Summer Camp Music Festival in May, and Norfolk Harborfest and City Bisco in June.

A free show on July 6 in Albany will take place at the Empire State Plaza, with a performance at Levitate in Marshfield, MA the next day, followed by Great South Bay Music Festival in Patchogue. They’ll then return to New York for two shows over Labor Day weekend in Lake George.

Sitting out the run is moe. guitarist Chuck Garvey as he continues to recover from a stroke. Chuck is making progress but will need some more time to get back to the stage with his bandmates. moe. hopes you’ll join them for a celebration of life, music and the fa.moe.ly they have built over the past 30 years. An artist pre-sale begins on Wednesday, April 27 at noon at moe.org

We want to thank our famoe.ly once again for the love and support you’ve shown Chuck over these past five months. He’s continuing to get better day by day, and your thoughts and energy have kept our spirits up. It’s become clear over the past number of years that you can never know what tomorrow will bring, which makes the chance to come together as a community that much more meaningful.
moe. via Facebook

Check out the warm up show with Wilson and Cerulo as Monkeys on Ecstasy.

moe. 2022 Summer Tour Dates

7/6 – Albany, NY *
7/7 – Buffalo, NY
7/9 – Patchogue, NY (Great South Bay Music Festival)
7/10 – Seaside Heights, NJ
9/2 – Jay, VT +
9/3-9/4 – Lake George, NY ^
9/23-24 – St. Helena, CA

* Free Show
+ Tickets and lodging packages on-sale the week of 5/2
^ Official announcement and on-sale date TBD

April 27, 2022

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