NYS Music 202​2

Category: Capital Region

  • 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.

  • The Lake George Arts Project Announces Summer 2022 Lineup

    The Lake George Arts Project has just announced its 2022 summer concert series. The shows start at 7pm on Wednesday Nights in July and August at Shepard Park. Additionally, there will be a bonus fireworks concert on Thursday, August 25th at no cost. You will not want to miss out on an evening of great music, so grab your family and friends and take them to Lake George. 

    The Lake George Arts Project Announces its 2022 Summer Concert Series

    This beloved summer concert series is back to bring the best bands to Shepard Park for concerts July through August. The Lake George Arts Project looked far and wide to bring amazing acts to Shepard Park for their 2022 Summer Concert Series. This year’s lineup features acts from Nashville, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, and fan favorites from the Capital Region at this year’s show.  

    Shepard Park Lake George

    The 2022 Line-Up 

    Wednesday, July 6: Annie and the Hedonists 

    A band with a great lead singer and tight harmonies, covering an eclectic mix of acoustic blues, vintage jazz and swing, and folk roots Americana. “Annie struts right to the heart of each sassy, nostalgic song and gives us a piece of her mind in a voice that sits comfortably alongside the greats of the American jazz tradition.”

    – Sarah Craig, Manager, Caffe Lena

    Wednesday, July 13: Albert Cummings 

    Wednesday, July 20: Cold Chocolate 

    Wednesday, July 27: The Twangtown Paramours 

    Wednesday, August 3: The Outcrops 

    Wednesday, August 10: Time For Three (presented in partnership with The Lake George Music Festival)

    Wednesday, August 17: Zikina

    Wednesday, August 24: The Red Haired Strangers 

     The Red Haired Strangers are “just plain pleasing, but anything but plain…The content hits all factions of the country songwriting party: original words set to driving melodies complete with evocative images of wandering, trains, sin and love lost.”

    – Saratoga Today

    Thursday, August 25: Alex Torres and His Latin Orchestra (Special Thursday Night Fireworks Show)

    Wednesday, August 31: The McKrells 

    “If bands were paid by the number of notes they played, soulfulness, conviction, confidence or black leather the McKrells would have bagged most of the money Thursday. Kevin McKrell owned the stage and crowd as usual and sang “It’s Not Me” as the country-est song of the night. They were a delicious bonus and surprise.”

    – The Daily Gazette

    For more information, click here.

  • 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.

    Middle Of Somewhere Tour

    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

  • In Focus: Another Michael, Homecoming at No Fun!

    Another Michael returned to the Capital District for the first time in a long time to perform live with Bread Boy at No Fun! in Troy. The now Philly-based indie rock band was formed in Albany by lead singer and guitarist Michael Doherty, guitarist and vocalist Alenni Davis, and bassist Nick Sebastiano.

    Another Michael has also featured Noah Dardaris on drums for close to two years. The group has also worked with Jacob Crofoot and Red Cumpston of Bread Boy. This connection and shared influences were evident on Monday night when the two bands took the stage. Bread Boy started the show with a 45 minute set that was well received by the No Fun! crowd, and which for many, was their introduction to Jacob’s music.

    The band took the stage and started their set with a brand new single titled ‘Water Pressure‘ that was officially released just a few hours before the start of the show at No Fun! Another Michael performed another new song later in the night, ‘Seafood,’ and both new songs fit well into the group’s discography. As of late, and the band seems to have found a real groove in their songwriting, and are making consistently fun and upbeat indie rock tracks. For those unfamiliar, Another Michael’s music has a sound that is truly their own, and is best experienced by listening.

    In the clip below, from Run For Cover Records YouTube Channel, you can watch and listen to Another Michael perform a number of songs from New Music and Big Pop which were played on Monday night.

    Another Michael played a number of tracks from their first full-length album, which you can stream and purchase on Another Michael’s Bandcamp. Their set included ‘Row,’ ‘New Music,’ ‘I Know You’re Wrong,’ ‘What The Hell is Going On?’ and ‘Big Pop.’ These tracks all build upon Michael Doherty’s melodic and friendly falsetto at their core. Seemingly every Another Michael song has a fun and optimistic sound that fans gravitate toward. The full band behind Michael only added to these qualities, and the group bounced around and shared their enjoyment of the music with the Troy crowd.

    Monday’s No Fun! show built up to a reunion on stage when Another Michael brought Jacob and Red of Bread Boy back on stage to play guitar. Both musicians have spent time playing with Another Michael in the past, and the Bread Boy duo looked right at home on stage with them. The energy from the packed stage spread throughout the room, and fans began to move around as the band rocked their way into the final songs. The night eventually came to an end with Another Michael playing two of their biggest crowd favorites: ‘Big Pop’ and ‘About.’

    Another Michael have been writing new music lately, to keep up to date with their latest releases and to help support the band, visit their Bandcamp page. Another Michael’s music is also available to stream wherever you listen to music, and you can listen now on their Spotify artist page. You can also listen to and support Bread Boy on Bandcamp and Spotify. No Fun! has shows almost every night, every week, and admission is free for many of them. To see all of their upcoming events, be sure to check out No Fun!’s website.

    Setlist(partial): Water Pressure, Row, New Music, I Know You’re Wrong, Seafood, What The Hell is Going On?, Big Pop, About

  • 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.

    Sonia Manzano

    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.

    Sonia Manzano
    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.

  • 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.

    moe tour dates

    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

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

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

    WCDB Fest 2022

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

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

    Canella

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

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

    Ladybyrd

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

    Stella and the Reptilians

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

    Rachel Freeman WCDB / Byrdhouse

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

    WCDB Fest 2022 Award Winners

    Best Punk/Hardcore Artist: Dirtybandaid

    Best Country/Folk Artist: Beargrass

    Best Electronic Artist: Soo Do Koo

    Best Jazz Artist: Colleen Pratt

    Best RnB/Funk Artist: The E-Block

    Best Hip-Hop/Rap Artist: Scrambled

    Best Alt Rock Artist: Senior Living

    Rising Artist Award: Ladybyrd

    Best Song: Quiet Love by Canella

    Best Album/EP: Anniversaries by Senior Living

    Best WCDB DJ: DJ Shmit

    Music Scene MVP: Rachel Freeman

    Best Artist of the Year: Stella and the Reptilians

  • New Caffe Lena TV App Now Available

    Caffe Lena is known for its extraordinary music and for being the longest operating folk music venues within the United States. Caffe Lena has now taken it to another level with their launch of their brand new app “Caffe Lena TV.”

    The app allows easy access to live streaming concerts, archived videos, and the opportunity to be an interactive audience member by texting comments throughout the show. To download the app, just search “Caffe Lena TV” in your AppStore (iOS), PlayStore (Android) or Roku Store or click the link above and follow the instructions to sign in! 

    Caffe Lena launched a School of Music in 2020 which helps to carry on the folk tradition of music for students, children and adults. Some of America’s best loved songwriters have gotten their careers launched from Caffe Lena like American-blues songwriter, Sawyer Fredericks.

    Caffe Lena was called “An American treasure” by The Library of Congress and is recognized for their help in the development of American music from The GRAMMY Foundation.

    Check out Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs and the world-class performers that will get your foot tapping to the music. The Caffe Lena App thanks those for supporting their non-profit venue and keeping independent music alive!

  • This Week’s EQXposure on WEQX Features Kendra McKinley, The Pine Boys and more

    Each Sunday evening from 7-9 pm 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 Kendra McKinley, The Pine Boys, Gozer, and many more.

    EQXposure logo on WEQX

    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.

    Kendra McKinley – “Dirty Laundry”

    Kendra McKinley is a Hudson Valley singer-songwriter who blends pop, jazz, and soul using vibrant sensuality and wit. Her new single “Dirty Laundry” will be on EQXposure, and the music video is out now.

    The Pine Boys – “Lunatic”

    The Pine Boys is a three-piece band that resides in Albany, NY, and consists of members Andrew Cerone, Brett Maney, and Sam Lasky. The group brews together genres like Alternative Rock, Hip-Hop and Funk. Their song “Lunatic” off of their album Vacationland will be shown on EQXposure. The song is very funky, with muffled vocals and cool synths and an almost wolf’s howl in the background.

    Gozer – “Braindead”

    Gozer are a band also from Albany, NY. The members include Mykah Dillenger, Sean Murphy, Nick Kossor, and Seth Maset. They are an original hard rock band and music contributors to various podcasts/movies. Their single “Braindead” will also be shown on EQXposure. The song has a lot of heavy guitars and is reminicisent of an early 2000s rock song, with stellar vocals and lyrics.

  • Basilica Hudson Announces 2022 Season

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

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

    Basilica Hudson

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

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

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