On Friday, June 24th, a rock themed night kicked off with Battleaxxx and closed out with cover band Black Sabbitch at Empire Live.
Battleaxxx is an all female rock band originally from the Capital Region. They are a fairly new band emerging from the Capital Region. They have played a few shows in and around Albany, including at The Lost & Found on August 28th, 20221. This show, however, was their first time performing at Empire Live. They released their debut album Adequate in March of 2021. Battleaxxx has upcoming show at Rare Form Brewing Company in Troy on July 5th.
Keeping on theme with women-lead rock, Black Sabbitch is an all female cover band from Los Angeles. They have been doing covers of Black Sabbith songs since 2011. To validate this band position as the Black Sabbith cover band, they were hand picked by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne to open Ozzfest. Black Sabbitch was originally supposed to perform at Empire Live back in January 2022. Due to COVID surge, that show was postponed; and their next show in May was postponed due to a band member getting COVID ironically. The road to get to Albany was long, but they made it. Their summer tour ends in NYC on June 25th at the Iridium.
Battleaxxx kicked off the show with a growing crowd of about 30-40 people. Their opening song did not grab the attention of the audience, but their song “Slut,” did bring smiles and laughter. If the song was meant to be funny, it was, as people of varying ages applauded the band for calling their mom a slut. The lights did go out during their last song, but it did not stop the music. Battleaxxx’s set lasted for about 30 minutes and they received a warm applause as they left the stage.
The crowd did fill up to maybe about 100 or so people by the time Black Sabbitch took the stage. The audience was filled with a lot of seemingly empty nesters who were probably trying to relive the songs of their youth. A mosh pit of about 3 people did break out at a point, but did not last very long. During the guitar solos, you could see many people in the crowd reach up and out; banging their fist to the beat, resignating which each cord that was struck. A fire alarm did interrupt the set for about 20 mins, as well as a flood both in the dressing room and in the pit to stage left. They came back on stage, brought the crowd down low with Changes, and left on high with the Black Sabbith hit, “Sabbra Cadabra.”
Black Sabbitch did come back out for a one song encore after pump faking an exit with the dressing room door. If you are not able to catch Black Sabbitch in NYC, you can see them at the Psycho Las Vegas Festival on August 20th before they leave the states for their UK tour.
Battleaxxx Set List: Aqua, Eyes, Sex Boys, Biz, Slut, Holy, Oh Yeah, SWTB, Head, Discharge, Top Shelf
Black Sabbitch Set List: War, The Wizard, N.I.B., Sweet Leaf, Tomorrow’s Dream, Lord of the World, Solitude, Supernaut, Into the Void, Cornucopia, Wheels of Confusion, Changes, Snowblind, Sabbra Cadabra; Encore Song: Children of the Grave
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from Precious Metals, Gordon St., and Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band, and many more.
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Precious Metals – “Jacqueline”
Precious Metals is a solo endeavor led by Troy singer-songwriter J Lee White, features a rolling cast of contributors. The band’s high energy alt-rock sound pulls from the early 2000s emo explosion and 2010s indie rock revival.
Schenectady based rock combo Gordon St. is made up of veteran Local 518 musicians Dan Noonan (lead vocals, bass), Ritch Harrigan (vocals, guitar), and Jason Nowak (drums, vocals) and have been recording and performing in New York’s Capital Region for over a decade. On this week’s EQXposure, Gordon St. will preview “Hey Dan,” their next single, due out July 1.
Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkilll Band – “Family Owned”
Born in Florida to a Danish immigrant and a blue blooded American girl, Kristain’s family moved to New England where his father worked as a fisherman. He lived with his grandparents and began singing in the church choir where his voice was recognized by his Reverend, a former professional tenor. Kristian realized the impact his voice had upon people once he opened his eyes after singing the Lord’s Prayer and seeing the silent tears fall from faces he had never met.
Outside of church Kristian sang shanties,Celtic and Scandanavian songs at local bars and told stories of fisherman coming home from sea. Over time he progressed as a songwriter and ultimately developed a following, He joined several rock bands through the years where he won awards for his voice. While a member of a metal band, Kristian was nominated for the Boston Music Awards for best male vocalist. He however, did not feel like this genre was a good fit for him. He wanted adventure, so he traveled to Nicaragua to perform on television in Managua. While there, he was photographed sitting around a table relaxing in the capital with an AK-47 in his arms; as if this was war torn country was just another place to find stories for his songs.
This experience awoke something in Kristian, he found a freedom that only his ancestors had known. He began taking his music back to his father’s homeland, where it was received like a son coming home to his family. Although his intentions were to bring music to the world; after starting a family in the US, it was at the dinner table where he truly found home. A divorce inevitably threw Kristian back into performing. He was jailed after fighting for equal rights for fathers in Massachusetts. Having lost everything, he began to rebuild his life. Upon release from prison he began work on The Gravel Church. He wrote about his experiences in prison, starting over and how he found hope.
Capital Region punk/metal industrial rock legends The Clay People busted out of the underground over the weekend, playing their first hometown gig in years on Friday, June 17th at Albany’s Empire Live. The enduring icons not only gave fans a preview of their forthcoming studio album, Cult Hypnotica, but also used the occasion to debut their very own comic book.
The Clay People performing at Empire Underground on 6-17-22.
From modest beginnings in the underground Industrial Darkwave scene, to the breakout release of their self-titled major label debut, it has been a long, strange journey for these Albany rockers. Born from the unique creative bond of Daniel Dinsmore, Brian McGarvey and Daniel Neet, The Clay People first started making music together in 1989. In the decades that followed, the band would add guitarist Jared Weed and bass player Eric Braymer and go on to share the stage with internationally known touring acts such as Stained, Static X, Clutch, Rob Zombie, Disturbed, Filter and Stabbing Westward to name a few. In 2020, the band seemingly rose from the dead and released Demon Hero and Other Extraordinary Phantasmagoric Anomalies & Fables, a bold and massive sounding album that sent a clear message: this band is far from finished.
Daniel Neet performing with The Clay People at Empire Underground on 6-17-22.
In fact, 2022 is shaping up to be one of The Clay People’s most prolific years in quite some time. Having spent the pandemic unleashing their trapped energy and recording a deep library of new tracks, the band just put the finishing touches on their latest studio album, the highly anticipated Cult Hypnotica, which is set to drop on July 1st with supporting dates expected to be announced shortly thereafter. To help get the hype train going a bit, The Clay People decided to treat some of their oldest and most dedicated fans to a taste of the new material during a hometown throwdown performance at the new, yet familiar Empire Underground in downtown Albany, a venue highly reminiscent of the former Northern Lights in Clifton Park where TCP played some of their most legendary shows.
The Clay People debut their very own comic book “Colossus”in Albany, NY 6/17/22.
Opening the performance with a bit of a mash-up cover of Lo Fidelity Allstars “Battle Flag,” it wasn’t long before the bedlam picked up proper with “Colossus,” the song that inspired the band’s new comic book of the same name. The comic, which was collaboratively produced by Top Cow Productions, Inc and Epitome Studios, was one sale for the first time at the bands merch table. After a squealing version of “NoW,” The Clay People then busted out a song everyone in attendance seemed to know, “Plug” off their 1998 breakthrough self-titled album.
You can’t give in Living in this guilt of sin Losing your grip What can you make of it? Are you a part of it? You can’t give in
Lyrics from “Plug”
Spending much of the show perched on top of the front row barricade, frontman Daniel Neet’s stage presence was powerful and commanding. Dressed all in black, wearing sunglasses and resembling the late Layne Staley (Alice in Chains) a bit, Neet’s unique voice effortlessly shifted from gravely baritone, to spoken word, to all out fits of shouting rage. Still sounding great after all these years, Neet poured everything he had into this performance and with enough vigor of a man half his age.
The Clay People performing at Empire Underground on 6-17-22.
After “Plug,” The Clay People would then debut a series of songs off their upcoming album, including “Turn Me On,”” Cult Hypnotic,” “Drugs,” She Loves,” and ” Destroy All Humans,” before returning to the TCP staples like “X-Ploding Head” and “Pariah” which had the whole crowd banging their heads in unison and shouting “I don’t want to die here.” After working their way through “Strange Day,” the band would then play the most commercially successful song in their catalog, 1998’s irresistible riff heavy classic anthem, “Awake” and finally bring the performance to a close with one of their oldest songs, “Stone.”
A little older and wiser, but just as intense. While their sound has evolved over the years, The Clay People have always stayed true to their heavy punk roots and despite the odds, have managed to stay relevant for more than thirty years. Outlasting most of the bands they came up with and with a new album right around the corner, it almost feels as if The Clay People have found the fountain of youth. With the type of physically demanding music they play and their equally demanding stage show, you have to wonder how long these guys can perform at this type of level. When contemplating that very question, vocalist Dan Neet simply grinned and said, “Like a cockroach. You can’t get rid of me. We’ll keep going until we’re dead.” Cult Hypnotica comes out on July 1st.
The Clay People | June 17, 2022 | Albany, NY | Empire Underground
Setlist: Battle Flag (intro), Colossus, NoW, Plug, Turn Me On, Cult Hypnotic, Drugs, She Loves, Destroy All Humans, X-ploding Head, Strange Day, Pariah, Awake, Stone
Check out the full gallery of photos from the show and fan recorded video of “X-ploding Head,” “Awake” and “Stone,” below from NYS Music Photographer Zak Radick
Universal Preservation Hall has announced shows for the 2022 season, including an In the Round series, a silent disco, a few notable names sharing their talent, and holiday classics to bring in December.
A view of Universal Preservation Hall is seen during the media tour and ribbon cutting of the new concert hall in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. (Jenn March, Special to the Times Union)
Universal Preservation Hall, “UPH”, is the performing arts, and community events venue located in Saratoga Springs. It was reconstructed from an 1871 former Methodist church and transformed from 19th century High Victorian Gothic church to state-of-the-art performance facility will be nothing short of amazing.
Silent Disco — 7 p.m. July 29
Silent Disco
A silent disco is in an activity where people dance to music listened to on wireless headphones. Rather than using a traditional speaker system, music is broadcast via a transmitter with the signal being picked up by wireless headphones worn by the participants. Grab your headphones, pick your music and make the Silent Disco your own as you tear up the dance floor.
An Evening You Can’t Refuse with Gianni Russo — 7:30 p.m. August 5
Gianni Russo, known for his iconic role in The Godfather, as well as other film and television credits. Join us as Gianni Russo inspires audiences with the legendary journey of his music, storytelling of his life and acting career.
Country Thunder: Country Legends Tribute — 7:30 p.m. August 20
Country Legends Tribute Tour is now firmly established as North Americas #1 Country Music Tribute show featuring the music of the biggest names on the American scene including Garth Brooks, Shania Twain and Keith Urban!
In the Round Series: KAINA and LI & The Little Idea — 7 p.m. October 1
KAINA has created generational music that surpasses borders, a unified expression of her native Chicago coupled with her Venezuelan and Guatemalan heritage. LI & the Little Idea is a true music lover’s dream band offering listeners an experiential journey across various regions and eras of American music. It’s lyrical, it’s “dancy,” it’s authentic and it’s real.
Cordâme – Da Vinci Inventions — 8 p.m. October 14
Composer Jean Félix Mailloux interprets music inspired by the Italian Renaissance. This show of music and jazz will make you experience a whole range of emotions with surprising music, transcending beauty and wonder.
Issac Mizrahi — 7:30 p.m. October 29
Isaac Mizrahi, an actor, host, writer, designer, and producer of 30 years, now brings his singing talent to UPH for the first time! A Cabaret style performance you can’t miss.
Justin Roberts (Not Ready for Naptime) — 6 p.m. November 10 / School Day Performance at 10:30 a.m.
For nearly 20 years, Justin Roberts has been creating the soundtrack to families’ lives, helping kids navigate the joys and sorrows of growing up while allowing parents to remember their own childhoods.
It’s a Jazzy Christmas — 7:30 p.m. December 16
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and It’s a Jazzy Christmas has all your favorite holiday songs!
Remembering the Fifties Holiday Show — 7:30 p.m. December 17
Celebrate the holidays with a salute to The Platters! This four-person tribute group brings their hits like “Only You” and “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” to life with a Motown live band!
The Queen’s Cartoonist — 7:30 p.m. December 22
The Queen’s Cartoonists play music from classic cartoons and contemporary animation. Performances are synched to videos of the original films while the band leads the audience through a world of multi-instrumental mayhem and comedy!
Samara Joy — 8 p.m. December 23
Samara Joy has dug deep to discover her jazz roots, without losing sight of the innate simplicity that makes her sound shine. With a voice as smooth as velvet, Joy’s star seems to rise with each performance!
Tickets are available through the Box Office at Proctors or online at proctors.org.
Making their first visit to Albany since October 2017, Spafford returned to the Capital Region with a vengeance on Thursday, June 16. Headlining week two of Albany’s beloved Alive at 5 concert series, organizers could not have booked a more appropriate act for “Jam Night” than the Arizona improv quartet; a band that’s bolstered their reputation in recent years by occasionally surprising audiences with unannounced single-song shows.
Despite a tornado warning in areas of Western New York, mother nature played nice and so did the band. Indeed the jams at Jennings Landing on this night went long and strong and judging by the look on many of the first timers in the crowd, it was as if the music was hitting them over the head like a sonic sledgehammer, and they loved it.
Opening band and local legends Annie in the Water started the evening as only they know how. The whole band was delighted to be playing for Alive at Five and you could tell from the first note. Although it wasn’t the jam-heavy sets fans may be accustomed to, the Annie boys threw down a well-rounded set that had a large portion of people on their feet. They chose original songs as well as an excellent cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” that have brought their fans to fall in love with the band.
Setlist: Time to Play, In the Sand, Lights up, River, Dreams (Fleetwood Mac), Seeds, Dancing the Night Away
In an age where “jamming” is often viewed as a dirty word, Spafford makes no bones about what type of band they are. Comprised of Brian Moss (guitar/vocals), Jordan Fairless (Bass), Andrew “Red” Johnson on keyboards and Nick Tkachyk on drums, their social media bio simply says “We Jam.” But while the theme for this week was “Jam night,” this was anything but your typical Spafford show. For one thing it was totally free, thus attracting a lot of curious and first-time listeners. Second, due to the 8pm city curfew, there was only time for the band to play one set and no encore. Another key component missing was the bands elaborate light show, which due to the time of day was an impossibility.
Well aware of these limitations, Spafford played it smart and went with an almost “festival-like” setlist. With first time ears upon them, they decided to offer up a collection of some of their more well known and more accessible compositions. Kicking things off with one of the songs that put them on the map, the opening riff of “Electric Taco Stand” made it clear that despite the constraints, these Arizona cats came to Albany to boogie down. After a beautiful and contemplative version of the Andrew “Red” Johnson sung “Slip and Squander,” bassist Jordan Fairless had his chance to shine on what was perhaps the highlight of the night, “Leave the Light On.” Shifting gears from its reggae style structure, this version would drift into a delicate and blissfully sublime space before Jordan would reel it in and lead fans through the call and response portion of the song, so catchy even first timers could be seen mouthing the words in unison.
Worth noting is that the guys appeared to be having an absolute blast on stage. Smiles all around, Jordan in particular seemed more jovial than his usual self, even making all kinds of “bass faces” and playing off Brian’s tasty licks by sticking out his tongue during an absolutely epic version of “Back Door Funk.” Showcasing their versatility and flaunting their ability to blend various genres seamlessly into one, the evening had everything from filthy funk and up-tempo jamtronica, to rump-shaking reggae, introspective instrumentals and all out rock n’ roll shred fests courtesy of Mr. Brian Moss and his custom Thomas Milana guitar: The Raven. In fact, if there was an actual way to keep track of such things, I’d be willing to bet Moss played more notes during this set than any other performer in Alive at 5 history.
After working their way through “Mind’s Unchained,” the show would come to a glorious end by way of the anthemic “Salamander Song” in which the audience was encouraged to “dance the whole way home.” Judging by the look on some of the freshly melted faces of Albany’s first timers, that’s exactly what they may have done. While it may not have been your typical two-set Spafford show, there was still plenty to like about this performance. Savoring every minute of it, Albany fans can only hope it doesn’t take 5 more years for this very talented band to return.
6/16/22 | Alive at Five | Albany, NY
Setlist: Electric Taco Stand, Slip and Squander, Leave the Light On, Backdoor Funk, Mind’s Unchained > Salamander Song
Up next in the Alive at 5 concert series is Classic Rock night with Lita Ford headlining and up-and-coming New York band Candy Ambulance opening things up. The event is scheduled to take place on June, 23 at Jennings Landing on Thursday, June 23, 2022 and as always, is completely free.
Todd Snider has announced his “American Troubadour Tour” for September and October 2022. The dates will begin on the East Coast on September 7th at the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount, VA. Then will kick off on Swyer Theatre at The Egg at 7:30pm, September 13.
Singer-songwriter Lilly Winwood, daughter of British rock legend Steve Winwood, will support Snider’s tour with songs in her 2021 debut album Time Well Spent.
Todd Snider American Troubadour Tour
Along with Snider’s “American Troubadour Tour” his new record Live: Return Of The Storyteller will release at the same time. It was captured during his first shows back from the pandemic and follows up the 2011 concert album The Storyteller. Snider also recently shared a new single, “First Agnostic Church Of Hope And Wonder,” which was highly recommended by the Associated Press.
Todd Snider
Tickets for the “American Troubadour Tour” are on sale now at toddsnider.net.
Todd Snider – American Troubadour Tour Dates
September 7 – Harvester Performance Center – Rocky Mount, VA*
September 9 – Infinity Hall Norfolk – Norfolk, CT*
September 10 – Narrows Center for the Arts – Fall River, MA*
September 11 – Infinity Hall Hartford – Hartford, CT*
September 13 – Swyer Theatre at The Egg – Albany, NY*
September 15 – StageOne – Fairfield, CT*
September 16 – The Center for Arts in Natick – Natick, MA*
September 17 – Sellersville Theater – Sellersville, PA*
September 18 – The Queen – Wilmington, DE*
September 29 – Paramount Theatre – Denver, CO+
October 1 – The Wilma – Missoula, MT+
October 2 – The ELM – Bozeman, MT+
October 3 – Egyptian Theatre – Boise, ID@
October 4 – Tower Theatre – Bend, OR@
October 6 – Revolution Hall – Portland, OR@
October 7 – Soreng Theater at Hult Center – Eugene, OR@
October 8 – Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA@
October 9 – The Bing Crosby Theater – Spokane, WA@
October 12 – Arcata Theater Lounge – Arcata, CA@
October 13 – Raven Theatre – Healdsburg, CA@
October 14 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA@
October 16 – Rio Theatre – Santa Cruz, CA@
October 18 – The Fremont Theater – San Luis Obispo, CA@
October 19 – The Coach House – San Juan Capistrano, CA@
October 21 – Paradise Performing Arts Center – Paradise, CA~
October 22 – Bally’s Lake Tahoe Casino Resort – South Lake Tahoe, NV~
October 24 – The State Room – Salt Lake City, UT~
October 25 – The State Room – Salt Lake City, UT~
October 26 – Washington’s – Fort Collins, CO
October 28 – Knuckleheads – Kansas City, MO
October 29 – Scottish Rite Hall – Omaha, NE
October 30 – Wooly’s – Des Moines, IA
October 31 – Jamf Theatre – Eau Claire, WI
* with Lilly Winwood + with Nicki Bluhm @ with Ryan Montbleau ~ with Ray Wylie Hubbard
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from, Scotchka, Phantom Suns, Witch Culture and many more.
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Phantom Suns – “Probably Wrong”
From Burlington, Phantom Suns perform riffy and melodic Alternative Rock, and released their last album, Cordyceps in July 2021. On EQXposure you’ll hear “Probably Wrong,” a new tune from the group consisting of Seth Gundersen, Chris Mathieu, Chris Knauer, and Tristan Baribeau.
SCOTCHKA – “Corinthians”
From Albany, Scotchka is a rock band blending emo, pop punk, and alternative influences for an energetic, introspective style. The band includes Dominick Murdock (Rhythm Guitar, Vocals), Brian Fahey (Drums, Juul Master), Maiya Campbell (Lead Guitar, Backing Aux), and Jacob Hite (Bass, Producer)
Witch Culture – “You”
Witch Culture is a rock band based out of Nashville. Their music can best be described as intimate and emotional, yet energetic. “You” was released on released June 10, 2022 and the band includes Dan McGarr (Vocals/ Guitars), Aaron Messina (guitar), Joe Moran (bass), and Ryan Bedlack (drums)
The Troy Music Hall has announced the return of their free outdoor concert series Summer Square. The series will kick off on July 8th and continue every Friday and Saturnday until August 27th.
Located in the Music Hall courtyard on 2nd Street, the series will be showcasing some of the Capital Region’s top talents.
The Summer Square series will host 16 musical acts, opening with Arch Stanton Quartet and ending with Troy native Ryan Leddick. Other performances include jazz band Heard and blues duo Mark & Jill, among others.
Arch Stanton Quartet experiments with original jazz music, with influences in bop and post-bop traditions. They are planning their third album, inspired partly by the book “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison.
The closing performer for the series, Ryan Leddick, released an album “Up, Up, & Away” in 2020. Leddick grew his love of music in the Adirondacks, and his current music blends together folk and rock.
The Summer Square music series also welcomes back musicians from previous years among the lineup. Acts such as Julia Alsarraf, Bossamba, Jordan Taylor Hill, and Triskele all took a part in 2021 and will come back this summer.
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall has a long history of drawing top talent to the area. Opening its doors in 1875, world-renowned artists such as Lillian Nordica, Henri Vieuxtemps, Ignace Jan Paderewski, Albert Spaulding, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Myra Hess, and Jose Iturbi have performed within the historic Hall’s walls.
Built in 19th century, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall was supported by the Troy Savings Bank to appreciate the citizens. With several intervention, the narrow shoebox form promotes early sidewall reflections that are important for a sense of envelopment, and the tall ceiling and ideal seat count of 1180 to provide intimacy and sustain an optimal reverberation. It also owned the nation’s largest nineteenth-century concert organ in original condition.
Summer Square is a free outdoor concert series every Friday and Saturday evening at 6pm. Lawn chairs are allowed to enjoy this event.
Peter Hughes is a man of many talents, serving as both General Manager and Programmer for The Linda, WAMCs Performing Arts Studio, as well as on-air host of “Live at the Linda” on WAMC Northeast public radio. A former market manager for Talmi Entertainment, Peter has overseen the he growth, development and operations of the Park Theater in Glens Falls, and before that spent two decades at Proctors Theater in Schenectady.
Rob Smittix of RadioRadioX spoke to Hughes about The Linda, the history of the building, and the best lunch options in Albany.
RadioRadioX: I’m actually here at The Linda in the green room, which is behind a bank vault.
Peter Hughes: It’s in the bank vault, it is actually the bank vault.
RRX: In the bank vault, sitting with Peter Hughes. Peter what is your official title?
PH: I am the… it’s not that exciting, I am the General Manager and Programmer of The Linda which is WAMC’s performing arts studio here on beautiful Central Avenue in Albany, New York.
RRX: This really is really prime Albany, this is right in the center of everything.
PH: This is the heart of Albany. This is the Central Avenue business district, there are at least 17 different languages spoken just within two blocks of this building. It is a cultural milieu and it’s got the absolute best restaurants, most authentic and wonderful places to eat from all around the world just within walking distance. Lunch is a gorgeous buffet of options, it’s pretty remarkable.
RRX: Yeah, there is a… I forget the name of the place, there’s a Jamaican spot a few blocks down on Quail and on Wednesday’s they have mannish water soup.
PH: We’re addicted here to Afghan kabob, the number 12 beef and lamb over rice is the staple of my diet at this point.
RRX: That’s why I came here really to talk about food because we all love food!
PH: Let’s talk about food!
(Both laugh)
RRX: Well, the Linda. I love this place. I played a show here myself; it was one of my absolute favorite shows my band has ever played and we’ve played hundreds of shows.
PH: Thank you.
RRX: This room right here in the vault, this is where all the magic happens.
PH: Just to describe in case people that are reading this don’t know what the Linda is. The Linda is short for The Linda Norris Auditorium, and it is WAMC Northeast Public Radio 90.3FM, I think 17 other stations and 28 other broadcasters that is available in seven states. WAMC’s performing arts studio, with emphasis on the word studio. It is a live recording studio for the performing arts for Northeast public radio. This is not something that’s been happening recently strictly because of the shutdowns of Covid, we were closed for a year and a half to live audiences, so that filters out everything that we do. But traditionally and we will again…this is a place where live interviews happen, the roundtable with happen occasionally from here with a live audience and fund drives and occasionally Live at The Linda which is my radio show eight o’clock on Wednesdays and Sundays. Which for four hours every week on local radio you can hear concerts either recorded or sometimes live done right here and broadcasted from this building. So, when you are here for a music concert (which is not everything we do) you’re not just here for the music, like a club or a bar or other venues, the uniqueness of The Linda is that you are part of the show. There are microphones recording you as part of the broadcast audience and that is completely unique in the Capital Region. Completely unique for an NPR station and that is a one of a kind, one in the world type situation we have here.
And if we keep saying things about the vault. This building is 100 years old (which was converted 20 years ago), it was originally one of the gorgeous giant, huge, hard lock, concrete, art deco banks. The vault which is (bangs on wall) 30 inches of American steel and concrete is where the green room is. There’s no safer guest/green room in the State of New York with the sketchiest Wi-Fi signal ever.
So, if you come here and you can get back stage (there’s some public access here), you can spy the incredible, heavy, meticulous bank door which is something straight out of an old time gangster film. You expect to see someone with a tommy gun and a bag with a dollar sign on it. It’s very cool and that’s one of the unique things about this place.
RRX: Now how long have you been with The Linda?
PH: I’ve been here just over a year. My personal history, you know straight out of the womb (laughs) out of college. I worked for Proctors in Schenectady, and I was there for almost 23 years. I started out making five bucks an hour at the box office and eventually made my way up to heading the marketing team. I was in programming and producing of events. Producing of a film series, Broadway marketing, entertainment marketing, producing, all of that. You do everything over that amount of time. That was a long time, so I moved on to other ventures, bounced around a little bit and then Covid hit. I was working for a wonderful organization in Massachusetts The Talmis who produce the great Nutcracker around the country. We were working on that, and everyone was just devasted, everyone was laid off, everyone was unemployed. Every job I ever had was gone. You know this as a musician, we’re all just on the sidelines. The sitting on the bench part was too difficult.
One day last April, a year ago, I get an email from a really good friend of mine who said “Hey, WAMC is looking for a new guy to run The Linda and you should go for that.” I’m so depressed at that point, I’m thinking I’m never going to get it because I’ve been let down so many times. So, I apply on a Friday, I get a call on Monday, I get interviewed, hired on Wednesday and start on Thursday. Boom I was back in the game!
They told me my first day that I had a radio show. I thought great! Immediately started working on virtual concerts at that point which was what everyone was doing at that moment. We made a transition into winding those down because we had to look towards re-opening for live humans. There were a mountain of restrictions and social distancing rules, so we needed a very detailed plan in order to do that. We did that last June.
RRX: I am so glad you did.
PH: So back to music, cinema events, speakers, authors, scientists and political debates (again we are an NPR affiliate). All of that is part of what The Linda is. It was built to be a community asset and a room dedicated to the concept of free speech.
RRX: I don’t remember exactly when The Linda became The Linda.
PH: I think 20 years ago. From what I hear, and this may not be the total story so don’t quote me as this being fact, it’s just the story that I’ve heard. Dr. Alan Chartock, who is our Executive Director, would walk by this bank building on his way to get lunch (likely Ichiban) and would say one day we’re going to turn that into a performing arts center.
RRX: Well, I hope that is the story because I can just envision Alan Chartock and his dream coming into fruition. That’s pretty neat.
For more on The Linda WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio visit thelinda.org
The Adirondack Independent Music Festival will once again take place in Lake George at the unofficial end of summer on Labor Day weekend. The festival will return to the Charles R. Wood Festival Commons and take place Friday, September 2 through Sunday, September 4.
Pink Talking Fish
This year’s headliners are moe. who are playing four sets over two nights and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong who will play two sets as well, returning to the festival for the first time since 2019.
In addition to lots of great music, the festival will also feature a variety of food and craft vendors as well a great view of the fireworks at Lake George on Saturday evening. $175 General Admission Weekend (3-day) tickets are on sale now at the Adirondack Music Festival website. There is also a special VIP option available, which includes admission to all three days, a meal each night, free snacks, half-priced adult beverages, $2 water / soft drinks, a private viewing area (with private bar) and access to private bathrooms.
Also featured on this year’s bill are Dopapod, Pink Talking Fish, Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime, Ryan Montbleau Band, lespecial, Dogs in a Pile, Neighbor, Hayley Jane & The Primates and Freekbass & The Bump Assembly (featuring former members of Turkuaz).
Music in the Festival Commons will begin at 1pm on Friday and 12:00pm on Saturday and Sunday and run continuously across two side-by-side stages until 11pm each night. The event is open to attendees of all ages and children 12 and under are free.
